Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 143: Away from Volo

I yawn loudly as I sit under the awning shielding me from the snow. Man, I've been sitting here for hours and we're only here for an interview with several new restaurants opening in a neighborhood right next to my school. When Mom said she needed help on a "big scoop", this isn't what I had in mind... I'd been expecting to carry some big equipment like cameras, but I never thought I would take photos of the restaurant's interiors and menus.

Still, this is a nice break and all. This is winter break and I can't spend the whole vacation playing in a VRMMO every day. If I really want to start working for my future, I might as well learn more about Mom's occupation. There are a lot of choices before I graduate next year, but I must remember that I can't rush through them immediately. I still have a few months of my teenage life ahead of me. I might as well enjoy this boring job of picturing food...

"Oh, didn't see you again here, Windy."

I scream the moment I hear a voice and a hand touching my shoulder. With my flight-or-fight reaction triggered in full force, I quickly raised my camera without thinking about my would-be attacker...

"Hey, hey, hey! That's not how you greet a fellow [Isekai] player!"

[Isekai]? That word is enough to snap me out of my shock. The moment I put down the camera, I saw that it was only Zane White, the very same guy who appeared in front of us like Batman. Only this time, he's carrying a cup of coffee in his hand with a casual smile just like the last time we met.

"Geez... Just when I thought I wanted to buy another cup when I saw you here." Zane sighs. "Maybe I think I caught you in a bad time..."

Seriously?! I'm just about to ask him the same question! I feel like he's starting to become an annoying NPC who does nothing but ruin my peaceful day. But it's too soon since this is our second meeting, so I'll save that judgment after this.

"Doubtful. I'm only here to help out on my mother's work," I answer. "But why are you here? I thought you were in the game training your [Familiars] for a tournament or something."

"The very same reason as you, but not in a work-related sense." Zane takes a quick sip and lets out a sigh. "I just came back bringing lunch to my Dad."

I raise my eyebrow. "And your Dad..." I quickly stop with a sigh on my own. "You know what? I rather not pry into your privacy a bit further. Besides, I thought you're the type to train all day for a big event in the game."

Zane then chuckles and says, "True. But I rather not overstress myself with farming and grinding every day. Exploring a new world created in virtual reality for a long period of time can take a lot of my mental health and touching grass in real life is a good way to break the monotony and stress coming from the game."

I'm still iffy about him, but he does have a point. I took up Mom's offer just so I could take a break from the game for a while during winter break. Sure, it has kinda messed up my schedule with Kazuki in the game and I could have said no to her. However, I want to try opening my horizons a bit and I've already decided to see how Mom works as a journalist. I would go over the thought of taking breaks from the game, but I think I'm straying off-topic here.

"Really? Well, if you're looking for my brother, he's back at home, probably playing [Isekai] by himself," I informed him.

"By himself? So he already went past the "minor" phase, huh?"

"Minor" phase? That sounds a bit disturbing when I take it out of context. "Whatever it is you're planning, I suggest you give it up. The more we meet like this, the more you give you red flags."

Zane sighs after taking another sip. "Seriously? You're really overly cautious just like in the rumors. I get that you're brothers in real life, too. But why don't you lighten up a bit? You're looking a bit scary with that face."