“How are you?” Saya beamed and took the seat beside Ren at the round table.

Ren had to remind himself that this was not the past. That his relationship with Saya and Mike was still okay.

However, he still couldn’t forget how the two of them used him. Especially Saya. She knew he liked her, and she took advantage of his feelings even at the cost of his expulsion from his previous guild.

And after they got everything they wanted from him, they didn’t even help him or bother to ask how he was after being kicked out of his job with a blocklisted name.

But for the sake of Leonel, who wanted to continue their friendship, Ren would preserve and treat them as acquaintances, at least if not friends.

“I’m fine,” Ren said and offered no further ongoing conversation.

Saya’s smile faltered. She felt that there was something wrong with Ren today. Usually, upon the sight of her, Ren would shy away and even stammered his words of greeting. He would also make an extra effort to converse with her, even on the most mundane of topics.

Ren was cold, but he was never cold to her, which Saya took pride in since Ren was a looker and most of their classmate had a secret crush on him. They were just scared to confess because Ren was known throughout the school as merciless when it came to rejecting feelings.

Did something happen? Saya thought. He must have been tired of playing that game, COVENANT. Leonel asked them last night, but they didn’t have a pod, and going out late into a café like everyone else didn’t bode well with her.

She wanted her own Pod, and she and Mike would buy it later.

She wasn’t really interested in playing, but since everyone was going to enter the game, she couldn’t help but be pulled by the hyped as well, especially since Mike wanted to enter. There were bound to be girls in the game, and she had to keep a close eye.

“What’s wrong?” Saya asked voice and face worried. “Are you sick? Did you pull an all-nighter with Leonel playing that game you talked about?”

Saya was about to touch Ren’s head when the latter tilted his head away and looked to the other side.

Ren cleared his throat and said with a monotone voice, “Something like that.” He wanted to appear neutral, but his feelings got in the way.

Saya blinked. There was definitely something going on with Ren. The usual warm guy she used to know was indifferent and cold to her. And for some reason, Saya’s heart was constricting.

Saya dispersed her feelings and drank a glass of water to dissolve the awkward tension in the air. Usually, she and Ren didn’t run out of topics to converse. But now, Ren’s demeanor towards her was colder than the AC of the restaurant.

Ren must be tired of playing that game. Saya thought.

Come to think of it, something was different about him.

Saya ran his eyes all over Ren when the latter drank a glass of water.

His pair of mesmerizing silver eyes were sharp, adding to his already cold looks. He was gifted with a handsome face and lean physique, and the simple black shirt he was wearing looked so good on him.

But it was not his physical features that stole Saya’s attention. It was like . . . there was a certain maturity and elegance from the way he moved and spoke, and this got Saya’s heart skipped a beat.

What with him today? Saya mused to herself and pretended to look on her phone but occasionally peeked at the man beside her.

Ren was so different, and it was like he matured overnight. Even the way he held his glass was different. And when he drank his water, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and Saya seemed to be mesmerized by it. She swallowed hard and quickly drank a glass of water in one gulp.

She suddenly felt uncomfortable all of a sudden!

Rather, what’s with me today? Saya shook her head. It was like she had just seen Ren for the first time. He was a looker before, but now he became . . . a noble?

Was it because of his strong back when he sat or the way he elegantly sipped his tea and crossed his leg? Or the way he spoke with coldness and indifference?

He was attractive before but now . . . he felt like he was the owner of this restaurant.

Saya shook her head and happily chirped while tapping the pad of her fingertips together. “I’m rather excited to play this game later. You and Leonel already played it last night, right? What do you think should I play? Mike said that he wanted to be a human Swordsman.

“I looked at the game’s website and found many races and classes, and I’m not sure what fits me the best.”

Saya looked over at Ren and smiled her brightest. “You’re usually good with this stuff. I want to play a White Mage so I can support you and the others. What do you think?”

Ren’s eyes were half-closed as he sipped his tea and said, “Just go with what you want.”

“. . .”

Saya’s smile froze on her cute face.

That’s it?

That’s his reply?

“Uhm . . . are you alright, Ren? Are you not feeling well?

Ren finally looked at Saya’s eyes, and the latter gasped when she was struck by his silver irises. But what made her breath hitched was the blankness of his stare.

“What made you say that?”

Saya pulled her eyes away and said in a timid voice, “N-nothing. It just felt like . . . you’re rather . . . not in the mood today.”

“Just tired from the lack of sleep,” Ren lied. But Saya probably still didn’t know that the VR game was sleep operated, so there was no way that he could be tired from lack of sleep.

Ren then looked at his phone, signaling that he didn’t want to talk anymore.

Saya could only place a hair behind her ears and pretended to look at her phone to pass the time.

Why did things suddenly turned awkward between them like it was their first meeting?

Was there something I said or did? Saya recalled her memories but found nothing that could make Ren act cold towards her.

Finally, Saya breathed a sigh of relief when Leonel was in sight.

“Leo!” Saya waved a hand and beamed a dimpled smile.

Leonel was still as hyper as always and hopped to their table, full of enthusiasm, before he rattled to Saya about his and Ren’s time in COVENANT.

Not long after, Mike also appeared together with an adult in his mid-twenties.

Ren’s eyes rounded because that man was Scar, leader of Black Lions, the guild that Mike and Saya managed to enter because of his help.

Black Lion was contesting the number one spot with White Unicorn in the past. Black Lion and White Unicorn have pro players and some beta testers within their team, and it was very difficult to enter into their ranks if you didn’t match all their requirements.

Ren wasn’t present at this lunch meeting before because he was busy searching for part-time jobs. That was why he was surprised that Mike and Scar knew each other.

Come to think of it, they did mention Scar’s name in the past, but Ren wasn’t interested and quickly forgot.

This time . . . Ren was all ears.

Because it seemed like Mike and Saya didn’t manage to enter Black Lion’s guild in the beginning even if they knew the leader.

Did something happen?

—-

A/N

So my under the weather turned into a full blown cold that’s why i didn’t update yesterday.

The words are practically dancing in my eyes. 🤒😵

This will probably be the last update for the week until my throat and nose stop acting like crazy 😷🤧

Stay Safe everyone!