Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 46: Coffee Talk

"Whoa, so your test battles in the <Tested Wilds> ended up as a rescue mission from a boss monster?"

I nodded yes as I sipped my cup of decaf latte. As it turned out, after creating and giving us our new equipment, Star, a.k.a. "Arin", had gone offline for a few days to work on a special project for a school play while her cousin, Annie, was also busy with midterms back at her school. So in a sense, all of us were busy with school lately. Regardless, it didn't stop me from telling her everything that happened after that.

"Yeah, it's crazy to believe, but thanks to Kazu, we not only befriended <Bai Hu>, the guardian of the forest, but we also defeat an evil tree monster that tried to kill the forest with a toxic plague fog. Pretty nuts, huh?"

"Yeah," Arin said as she sipped her drink. "I thought you and your brother were pretty interesting players before, but the fact you managed to find and complete a hidden [Quest] takes the cake!"

"Well, it's not all that impressive. We barely survived the fight and had it not been for Kaz's strange staff, we wouldn't have won in the first place. So it was more luck than the strategy that helped us in the end."

"I see. But no matter how you put it, you guys' respective skills as a hunter and mage proved your worth to that white tiger you mentioned." But as she cut a piece of red velvet cake that she had requested, she flashed a small frown towards me. "But I'm surprised that your brother got grounded after that. What did he do to deserve it?"

I sighed as I put down my cup of latte and scratched at the back of my head again. "Well, it wasn't anything much really. But it's partially my fault since he did some pretty reckless things in the game that almost got us killed. Plus, our Mom wanted us to focus on our exams. And considering Kazuki's grades so far in several certain subjects, I had a feeling that he might not able to get through those tests without my help."

"Yikes. That's a bit much, but I understand. Annie is great with her studies most of the time too, but she also sometimes crumbles under pressure when it comes to exams. It doesn't even help that her brother is usually too busy with his football practices, friends, and other stuff to help," Arin sighed in dismay. "Seriously, he needs to stop and smell the roses so he can realize how much of a letdown he's being to her."

Yeah... I know that feeling too...

"By the way, you haven't mentioned much about Annie's brother. What he is like?"

Arin's frown turned into a pout as she averted her eyes away from me. I had a feeling her story wasn't all lighthearted.

"In two words, he's a mixed bag. On one hand, he acts like a king in my household, treating me like a handmaiden. And on the other, he's very arrogant on his football team, always hogging the spotlight and treating everything like he's the big hero of the world."

Ouch. From that description alone, I could tell how jerk-ish her cousin was. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her experience.

"Huh, sounds to me that he's a big bully towards you and Annie, right?"

"Actually... no..."

Huh? No?

"He is a jerk in my eyes, but for Annie and everyone else, they look up to him because of his achievements. And to be honest, we have a decent bond when push comes to shove. Despite his arrogant persona, he's actually a sociable and good guy with a kind heart. It's just that we have kind of a rivalry for several reasons."

I see. A jerk with a heart of gold trope, eh? I guess I should meet Annie's older brother to see for myself.

"Though for your safety, I recommend you not repeat what I said before in front of him. Trust me, one of my friends learned that the hard way."