First Encounter

Chapter 1: The First Encounter

It was a normal day—or at least, it started out that way.

Same old routine: wake up early, skip breakfast, and jump straight into a match of Legacy.

Legacy wasn’t anything groundbreaking, just another MOBA game with heroes, lanes, and towers. For the past few months, the game had been my escape from the dull rhythm of school and work, it had become my favorite part of the day. Maybe because I wasn't just playing; I was sharing it with people who made everything more fun.

"Oi, Rai!"

My phone buzzed, Nico's message lighting up the screen.

Nico: Ranked? Let’s go. I need saving.

Me: You always need saving.

Nico: Pleaseee. Carry my entire being.

Me: Fine. Last game for today though.

I smiled and launched the game, accepting his invite as soon as it popped up.

I entered the lobby that he created and we queued up, and it didn't take long before we found a match.

While loading in, I glanced over the player list.

My eyes skimmed past random profile pictures; flashy avatars, anime characters, flaming skulls–until one caught my attention:

a simple photo of a chubby gray cat, staring blankly with wide eyes.

"Alright, time to babysit you again," I teased Nico through voice chat, locking in my hero.

This time, I chose a tank, a sturdy, heavily armored warrior with a giant shield; the exact opposite of a fragile assassin or mage.

I was ready to tank all the damage, control the battlefield, and keep everyone else alive.

The match began.

Everything seemed normal at first: farm minions, poke enemies, rotate lanes.

But then... something weird happened.

No matter where I was—even hiding within the towers—Jairem kept targeting me. Me, the tank.

Not our squishy mage. Not our fragile marksman.

Me.

“Dude, why is this assassin so obsessed with you?” Nico snorted, laughing through his mic as he tried to peel Jairem off me for the third time.

"I don't know! I'm literally built like a brick wall!" I cried, dodging yet another ambush.

Still, no matter how hard my hero was, he kept diving at me like I was the softest target on the field.

I had no choice but to keep repositioning, trying to figure out if he was trolling or just incredibly stubborn.

And then it happened.

Right after we won a chaotic team fight, my health bar hanging by a thread, a message popped up in the All Chat:

[Jairem]: Be my duo, Rai.

I froze, my hero awkwardly standing in the middle of the battlefield again.

Did I read that right?

“What the-” Nico exploded into full-on laughter.

"Is he seriously confessing in the middle of ranked?!"

The chat blew up immediately:

[Nico]: BRO HAHAHAHAHAH

[RandomTeammate]: Really? During a match?

[EnemyMarksman]: this is better than Netflix

[Jairem]: I'm serious. Duo with me, Rai.

My face burned, even though no one could see me behind the screen.

Why was this happening? Who even flirts mid-match—especially after trying to assassinate someone who's hard as a brick wall?!

"Come on, Rai," Nico teased, still laughing. "Maybe he likes strong women."

"Shut up," I muttered, trying yet failing to hide my grin.

We ended up losing by a slim margin, and honestly, it was my fault. I couldn't focus with Jairem’s words echoIng in my head every time he appeared on the map.

As soon as the defeat screen faded, a notification popped up:

> Jairem has sent you a friend request.

I stared at it, heart beating just a little too fast.

Nico’s voice chimed in again, smug as ever:

“Well? What are you waiting for? Your knight in shining assassin armor is waiting.”

Rolling my eyes, I clicked Accept, partly out of curiosity, partly out of something else I didn’t want to admit yet.

And just like that, something new had begun.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***