Chapter Two: Between Games and Memories

Days passed, yet Eunho lingered in my thoughts. His smile, his voice, the way he had defended me against Yeong‑woo — it all replayed in my mind like a secret melody I couldn’t silence.

One afternoon, while scrolling through my phone, I suddenly remembered that I had his game ID. My heart skipped. Without hesitation, I sent him a request to play. But he was offline.

Disappointment washed over me. I stared at the screen, waiting, hoping, but nothing happened. Finally, I stopped sending requests. A strange thought crept into my mind: Am I clinging to someone just because he was kind to me? The realization made me restless.

The next day, when I opened my phone, a notification blinked on the screen — a playing request. From him.

My excitement was impossible to hide. I accepted instantly, my pulse quickening. At first, we played as a duo. Eunho seemed genuinely amused by my skills, and when he praised me, I teased him back.

“You’re much older than me,” I said, grinning. “But still, I’m better at this game.”

He replied with smile emojis, his warmth shining even through the screen. Then he texted: My friends want to join. Let’s play as a squad.

At first, I hesitated. I wasn’t used to socializing with strangers. I always preferred to observe people before opening up. But it was Eunho asking, so I agreed.

Soon, his friends joined. Laughter filled the chat as we started playing. They were surprised — Eunho was playing with a girl.

“Who is she?” they teased.

Eunho answered calmly, “She’s my little sister.”

The words struck me like a sudden gust of wind. Something twisted in my chest. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t like the feeling.

One of his friends, Joo‑ik, introduced himself warmly. I greeted them all politely. They were kind, funny, and welcoming. I found myself enjoying the game more than I expected.

Eventually, everyone logged off for dinner. Eunho messaged me: Stop playing now. Go have dinner and sleep early.

I frowned. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I’ll eat later,” he replied.

I asked, “Why didn’t you accept my request yesterday?”

He answered honestly: “I was busy with work. I’m really sorry, kiddo. If you don’t find me online, you can call me instead.”

My eyes widened. He gave me his WeChat ID. I quickly added him and sent a shy good‑night message.

From then on, weekends became our little ritual. We played together, sometimes with his friends joining in. Slowly, our conversations grew longer, warmer.

One evening, I asked him his birthday. “February 11,” he said with a smile. “Still a long way to go.”

Then he asked mine. I grinned mischievously. “You’ll have to find out yourself.”

Months slipped by like that — games, laughter, and quiet moments that stitched themselves into my heart.

One day, while I was studying in my bedroom, the doorbell rang. My parents were away on a business trip, so I knew it had to be Yeong‑woo. He had promised to look after me while they were gone.

I opened the door, and sure enough, Yeong‑woo jumped in with his usual energy. “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you,” he said.

“I don’t want to eat now,” I replied.

He started babbling. “When I was your age, I cooked for myself. Look at you — you need a babysitter.”

I glared at him, my patience thinning. He finally shut his mouth.

Then his phone rang. It was Eunho.

Yeong‑woo explained the situation, and Eunho’s voice came through the speaker: “Bring that kiddo too.”

My heart skipped. After seven long months, I was finally going to meet him again. Though we had played countless games online, the thought of seeing him in person filled me with a rush of excitement I couldn’t contain.

I closed my notebook, my hands trembling slightly. The thought of standing before him again — not as a player behind a screen, but as Seyeon, the girl he had once called “little sister” — made my heart race.

That evening, I realized something: games had brought us together, but it was the warmth behind his words that kept me waiting, hoping, and remembering.

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