Amaris' POV
My phone vibrated gently in my palm.
I glanced down to see the name of our family driver, Mr. Hayashi, displayed across the screen. I tapped to accept the call and brought it to my ear.
"Yes, this is Amaris."
"Miss Shin, your parents have requested your return. I am already parked outside."
"Understood. I shall be there in one minute," I said with practiced calm. "Thank you."
The call ended, and I looked up. The others were still gathered around, enthusiastically mining pixelated hills and discussing ambitious architectural plans involving redstone contraptions and underground farms.
I stood up, brushing imaginary dust from my skirt.
"Everyone," I called softly.
They looked up immediately. I clasped my phone in both hands, bowing my head slightly.
"I apologize, but I must excuse myself. I am needed at home."
"No worries!" Ethan said, giving me a thumbs-up. "We'll keep the creepers busy."
"Take care, Amaris," Trent added with an easy smile.
Conner waved. "See you later!"
Kira caught my gaze last. She didn't say much—just smiled warmly, tilting her head. "Be safe, okay?"
I nodded, the corners of my lips lifting just enough to count as a smile. "Thank you all. Please enjoy the rest of your game."
I gathered my belongings and made my way out of the Cyberspace café. The air outside was cooler, tinged with the smell of distant ocean wind. Mr. Hayashi waited dutifully beside the sleek, dark sedan, opening the door as I approached.
"Thank you," I said, sliding in and settling against the seat.
The door closed behind me, and the city began to drift by in blurs of gray and green as we drove through Reefside's streets.
Then—my phone buzzed again, a soft pulse in my hand. I glanced down.
{Kira Ford: We should play Minecraft again later.}
A simple message, but it made my fingers pause. I composed my response carefully.
{Amaris Shin: Of course.}
The message was delivered. I watched the screen in idle curiosity… and then noticed the three dots.
Typing.
They appeared… then vanished.
Appeared again.
Vanished.
I waited. Patiently. Curiously.
Then the next message came.
{Kira Ford: Just the two of us..}
My breath caught for a moment—a blink longer than necessary as I read it again. The words were soft. Innocent. Suggestive in a way I wasn't quite equipped to interpret. And yet… they made my chest feel lighter. Warmer.
{Amaris Shin: Understood. And… what time shall we begin, Miss Ford?}
I added the polite form out of reflex. My thumbs hovered over the screen as the dots reappeared, this time steady and deliberate.
{Kira Ford: What time are you free?}
I tilted my head, considering my evening. Homework was minimal tonight, and my father had a late meeting with some old colleagues, so family dinner would likely be brief.
{Amaris Shin: I believe I shall be available by 8 PM. What about you, Miss Ford?}
Her response came quickly.
{Kira Ford: I'm free anytime. I'm looking forward to it.}
Another flutter of warmth. I found myself smiling before I could stop it.
{Amaris Shin: As am I. I shall prepare a new realm in advance.}
Then a sticker popped up—a cheerful Pteranodon, flapping its wings and sending a bright red heart.
My lips parted slightly.
I blinked.
Stared.
The stylized Pteranodon was… adorable. Affectionate. Possibly flirting.
'…Flirting?'
No, that was unlikely. It was only a sticker. An image. A cartoon.
And yet.
My thumb hesitated… before I selected a sticker in return, a smiling Ankylosaurus with sparkles around its tail.
I sent it.
Then I slowly, deliberately, placed my phone face-down on my lap and looked out the window. The city lights passed in gleaming streaks.
"Miss?" came Mr. Hayashi's voice from the front. "Are you all right? Your face appears to be… pink."
I froze. Lifted a hand to my cheek. It was, indeed, warm.
"A-Ah," I cleared my throat softly, composing myself. "I am well, thank you."
There was a pause. I could feel his gaze briefly glance back in the rear-view mirror.
"If you say so, Miss," he said, his voice kind.
I returned my gaze to the window, watching the landscape pass—but my thoughts remained with the little heart-sending Pteranodon, and the sudden flutter in my chest that made no logical sense.
Why had that affected me so?
It was merely a sticker.
A whimsical exchange.
And yet… the fact that Kira had chosen that particular image—had sent it only to me—felt strangely intimate. Not quite romantic. But… personal.
And I did not dislike it.
'In fact…'
I may have even liked it a bit too much.
"…Very strange," I murmured to myself, the glass cool against my fingertips as I leaned toward the window. "Quite strange indeed."
But I smiled.
I could not help it.
And that smile remained all the way home.
====================================
Dinner was peaceful, as always. The clink of porcelain, the faint rustle of the wind outside, the gentle tapping of my chopsticks setting a familiar rhythm. My mother wore a soft pink yukata today, her hair pinned up elegantly, and my father, as always, sat straight-backed in his chair—regal, proud, composed.
I set my chopsticks down, carefully aligning them across the dish. My heart was beginning to flutter against my ribs. 'Odd. I was not typically nervous around my parents.'
Still, I drew a quiet breath and said, "Mother… Father…"
They both looked up, their attention immediate.
"Yes, dear?" my mother asked gently.
I glanced between them. "I would like… to work in a café."
There was a moment of complete stillness.
Then, my mother's eyes lit up like the morning sun, and she smiled brightly. "Of course, sweetheart! You can do anything you want."
My father, on the other hand, turned slowly toward her, his expression shifting into something between shock and reluctant dismay.
"But… honey," he began, then paused.
We both turned to him.
"That's… a public place," he finally said, brows furrowed. "And our daughter isn't just any girl. She's a Shin."
I looked down briefly. He wasn't wrong.
"And you know she doesn't even like public places. She—"
"Xavier," my mother cut him off gently but firmly, placing her hand over his. "We've talked about this. And our baby just said she wants to. Isn't this a good thing? A chance for her to broaden her horizons?"
My father's face was unreadable for a long moment. I could sense the conflict in him—not control, not stubbornness, but genuine worry.
After all, I had once strongly resisted the idea of attending school. It must have come as a surprise that I now volunteered to work in public.
I waited. Calmly. Respectfully.
Then he looked at me.
"Dear… do you really want to?"
I nodded. "Yes, Father. I believe it will be beneficial for me, a chance to improve my socialization skills and my ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments."
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, eyes half-lidded in thought.
"Fine," he said at last.
A quiet cheer burst in my heart, though I kept my composure.
"However," he continued, voice serious, "if something happens to you—"
"I would have to leave," I finished.
He gave a single, decisive nod. "Precisely."
I stood, walked to him, and embraced him tightly. "Thank you for giving me your permission, Father. And worry not… you will only hear tales of my diligence."
He laughed—a deep, warm laugh that I rarely heard in public. "Then I'm looking forward to it, my little executive."
Mother stood up and wrapped her arms around us both. "I'll help you pick a nice apron."
I laughed softly. It was one of those rare, precious moments—warm, domestic, and unguarded.
=================================
It was 8:00 PM when I changed into my nightgown: ankle-length, pale violet, with a lace-trimmed collar and soft pearl buttons at the throat. The fabric swished as I walked toward my desk.
My phone lit up. Kira's name appeared. A call.
Without thinking, I answered it immediately.
"Good evening, Miss Ford. Is something the matter?"
"No—uh, I got a bit excited and accidentally hit the call button," she said, laughing sheepishly.
I chuckled, the sound quiet and soft. "Shall we play now?"
"Yeah! Okay, bye!"
"Goodbye."
The call ended. I opened Minecraft, created a new realm, and invited her. I named the world Temporal Grove. It felt fitting.
Within a few minutes, she joined.
[Amaris: Hello.]
[Kira: Hey.]
I typed, [What would you like to do first, Miss Ford?]
A short pause.
[Kira: We should split up. One of us builds, one of us mines.]
I smiled. That was logical.
[Amaris: I shall mine. I trust your architectural intuition.]
[Kira: Deal.]
And just like that, we fell into a quiet rhythm. I tunneled deep beneath the cherry forests, my pickaxe carving paths through glittering veins of ore. Kira sent updates now and then, our base taking shape, a quaint structure of cherry wood and lanterns.
Time slipped by unnoticed. At one point, she screamed via chat when she accidentally fell into the chicken pit I had constructed for our automatic farm. I tried to apologize but ended up laughing instead.
By the time I noticed the clock, it was 9:39 PM. I blinked.
Far past my designated bedtime.
[Amaris: I must go now. Thank you for the wonderful evening.]
[Kira: Same! This was really fun.]
We said our goodbyes.
I charged my phone, crawled into bed, and pulled the covers over me.
Strange. I could still hear Kira's voice, even though the call had long ended. I could still feel the gentle rhythm of our quiet adventure together.
That night, I dreamt of a future I hadn't thought possible.
Kira and I… sharing a house. Not extravagant, but warm. Sunlight through windows. Laughter in the kitchen. A pair of mugs with a Pteranodon and Ankylosaurus printed on them.
I woke up once—just briefly, heart fluttering, cheeks warm.
"…Very strange," I whispered in the silence. "And yet… oddly pleasant."