The Crazy Four

Chapter 2: Button Mashing

The City Hall lobby was buzzing, even more than usual. Sakura weaved through the crowds, trying to find an empty bench. The annual Youth Briefing for fifteen-year-olds had just let out, which meant a flood of cranky teenagers and even crankier parents all crammed into one giant, echoing space. It was mandatory, of course. Every single fifteen-year-old in the city had to sit through hours of lectures on taxes, voting, and—Sakura's personal favorite—"responsible social media use".

"It's like they enjoy making us sit through hours of lectures on taxes and voting and 'responsible social media use'," Sakura had complained to Yena earlier that day. 

"Yeah, because THAT'S what's gonna make us suddenly morph into responsible adults," Yena had snorted back.

Sakura finally spotted a bench tucked away in a corner, practically hidden behind a giant potted plant. Score! She dumped her bag on the floor and slumped down with a sigh. Her mom was stuck at the hospital, finishing up a late shift, so Sakura had some time to kill. She pulled out her phone, scrolling through the Seraphim Academy fan pages she'd recently become obsessed with. 

Next to her, the girl on the bench was completely absorbed in a handheld game console, her fingers flying across the buttons. Sakura glanced over, catching a glimpse of a pixelated monster roaring on the screen. 

"Ugh, I'm so dead," the girl muttered, her voice muffled by her long, dark hair. "This boss is impossible!"

Sakura watched her for a moment, a little amused. Us gamers are a special breed, she thought. Unlike most of the girls at the briefing, who'd clearly put a lot of effort into their perfectly styled hair and carefully applied makeup, this girl was... well, not.

Her long, straight, black hair was pulled back from her face, revealing large, dark brown eyes that were narrowed in concentration. Her nose was small and delicate, her lips—currently wrapped around a bright pink wad of bubblegum—were full and curved into a slight frown. She had on a pair of round, wire-rimmed glasses that slid slightly down her nose every time she mashed a button on her console. 

Sakura herself wasn't exactly a makeup guru. She usually just swiped on some lip balm and called it a day. Her own features were delicate, with large, dark eyes that people often told her were expressive, and long, dark hair that she sometimes wore in a simple pony tail. She figured she looked normal, whatever that meant. 

Sakura grinned. The girl was playing Last Fantasy XXVIII, the latest installment in the legendary RPG series. Sakura had just finished it herself last week, and she had to admit, the part this girl was stuck on was brutal. It had taken Sakura ages to figure out the pattern, the exact combination of attacks and dodges needed to take down the boss. 

The girl let out a frustrated groan as the pixelated monster on the screen unleashed a final, devastating attack, wiping out the last of her party members. "NO! Come on, that's so cheap!"
Sakura couldn't help herself. "You have to use Firaga right after its third tail swipe," she blurted out. "It leaves it open for a critical hit." 

The girl glanced up at Sakura, her dark eyes scanning her face and then the rest of her, as if trying to place her. "It's useless," she mumbled finally, her voice deep and husky. "I've tried that."

Sakura felt a flicker of heat creep up her neck. Was it from the girl's intense stare, which seemed to linger a little too long, or the fact that her advice had been so quickly dismissed? 

"No, you didn't," Sakura insisted, leaning forward slightly. "You wouldn't have to face that stupid energy shield thing if you timed the Firaga right after its third tail swipe."