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STAGE EIGHT >> Why do you hate me so?

This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this story are all products of the author's imagination used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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What hatches in the egg?

Yuki and his friends didn't have the chance to learn about that because it would take weeks of game time before their eggs hatched. According to Eiko, they needed to proceed with the usual missions, and their eggs would hatch as they level up. Nevertheless, completing that special quest did give a boost to their team and their individual stats.

What was even more amusing now was the fact that his friends had never been interested in any games, and that he has to bribe them every time they go to his place for a game night, were now fully invested in the world, the mechanics, and the characters of "Incarnate".

"This game, I'm telling you, is some next-level shit! The world itself, the mechanics, everything! When you're in that game, you could feel the weather, the entirety of the story. Whoever created this—this Gryphon? He or she is a fucking genius!"

Yuki pulled out the earphones and leaned on his chair tiredly. He has been listening to Masami's podcast discussing the game while taking his 15-minute break before logging back into the system. He wondered if it was even a good idea that he introduced this game to his friends given that they were now spending much time in that world whenever they see each other.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He raised his head though he was already familiar with the owner's voice. Akihiro was in his business casual clothes but he still looks immaculate, with his hair sexily pushed back and a few strands straying on his forehead. Yuki couldn't help but think that the gods might've spent their time creating someone like Mori Akihiro. It doesn't matter what he looks like or what he wears because he could carry it flawlessly, probably even without taking a bath!

"What do you want?" he uttered coldly.

For Akihiro, this was just the typical Yuki, he just smirked and handed him a piece of paper.

"What is this?" Yuki asked, looking at the paper with utmost curiosity. There was a name written on it: Kajiwara Moriko.

"She's a client," Akihiro spoke with finality. "I want you to handle her and call her after lunch. She needs assistance on the new overlay network that we've been working on for the Exploit game. Just give her basic troubleshooting and explain to her how it works and how to employ it without the need for the server. Also, please be gentle with her. She's not tech savvy but she works for the client side, which means you have to explain things to her slowly as possible but detailed. Can you do it?"

"Of course, I can."

"Great. She's someone important to me. Make sure you treat her well. Get back to me with a report before you head home. Thanks!"

Yuki's face went blank as he watched Akihiro walk back to his office separated by the main hub and covered with gray blinds. He couldn't understand where it was coming from but something inside of him stirred.

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Kajiwara Moriko was the lady's name. Whoever she was in Akihiro's life, Hirano Yuki shouldn't be concerned about it. In fact, he shouldn't be thinking about her or them at all!

But here he was contemplating hard and long on where they'd met and what were they to each other.

It wasn't like Yuki was a "Mori Akihiro expert" or something, although it was normal for someone who had a huge crush on a senior student back then to gather intel about the said person. There was something profoundly thrilling about it. That to know one or two facts about their favorite person makes one feel giddy all over.