digital heart | minsung | ✔

25

The next day, it's early in the afternoon when I log in again.

Purely accidental, I stayed out with Felix until nearly two am last night, hanging out in a playground a few blocks away. After discovering the time, we decided to crash at Felix's place since his parents aren't as strict when it comes to curfew.

They probably didn't even notice that we entered the house at two am.

This morning, we woke up at half-past eleven am and I basically went home immediately to meet Lino online, hoping that he hasn't been waiting for me for hours already. Luckily, he wasn't there when I got online, meaning that wasn't the case.

I'm at the fountain square again, the place now wrapped in sunlight and, surprisingly, silence. Unlike yesterday, there aren't many people around, players nor NPCs. There are a few elders that saunter around, but it isn't long before they disappear into side streets or buildings.

While yesterday, the chatter of people had the overhand, you can now clearly hear the fountain and the soft music from some street musicians in the distance. It's peaceful and even though the city isn't that much different from other cities I've been to, I'm starting to like it more and more.

Ninyo, that's the name of the city. The name I forgot until now.

I'm already pretty certain that I'll come here more often, especially since it's not too hard to reach from Nox and vast plains full of monsters stretch between the two cities. Now that I mastered horse riding a little better, it has become a lot easier to travel from town to town while raiding the fields between them.

Maybe I should force Lino to buy those cat ears one day.

Suddenly, warm hands land on my shoulders from behind and I freeze. But the tension immediately leaves as soon as I hear a familiar chuckle. A certain boy lightly pulls my shoulders, urging me to turn around before removing his hands. I do as they asked and turn around, only for the raven-haired boy to place his hands on my shoulders again.

That's when I realize how close he is, the moment his hot breath fans past my skin. I swallow a gasp and find myself frozen again, captivated by the eyes of the boy in black. He, too, seems to be aware of the close proximity and his eyes are widened ever so slightly. But he doesn't draw back, not in the slightest bit, and neither do I. His eyes stare straight into mine, his brown irises carrying an intensity that I haven't seen before.

My heart hammers against my chest and tension sizzles in the air. It's almost suffocating and not being able to bear it any longer, I avert my gaze and step back.

"H-Hi, Lino," I greet him, looking away awkwardly.

"You're cute," the raven-haired admits with a grin, softly squeezing my shoulders before letting his hands fall alongside his body.

I instantly feel myself relaxing a little. It might sound weird but I'm so used to the flirtatious remarks that go back and forth between us that they even help me to chill a little bit after the weird atmosphere that hung between us a moment ago.

"And you are handsome, happy now?" I retort, only causing Lino's grin to grow.

"Definitely, thank you," he replies, before grabbing my wrist and dragging me into one of the streets that leads to the giant bridge that separates Ninyo from the wildlands surrounding it.

"Where are we going?" I ask, following after Lino curiously. "Does it have something to do with why you wanted to meet me today?"

"Yep, I'm going to show you something," the other replies, looking at me from the corner of his eye. "But I never tried it before so I have no idea how it's going to work out, which is why I want to be out of the town. I just wanted you to be the one to see it first."