"Well, he's certainly quite brazen, isn't he?" Ringo remarked.

"He's got charisma and seems fearless," I added,

The cogs within my mind began to whirl,

"He was the archetypal choice for the SCP as a speaker. His oratory skills were sharp, direct, and focused on the key points, blending a playful tone with an underlying seriousness. I suspected that his unique dress sense was also a calculated move, designed to make him appear more approachable, or perhaps to subtly break down the barriers between the traditional corporate image and the audience. It was a clever strategy, making him both memorable and engaging." I explained

"Mh-hmm, I agree," Ringo nodded. "If they can make him seem like he's one of the people, then everyone will eat this up. Disregarding whether or not he's even saying anything worthwhile." She had her arms folded while an empty plate rested beside her elegant black dress shoes.

I nodded in agreement this time, my thoughts echoing her sentiments. With a deep sigh, I softly massaged the side of my head. Politics was a labyrinth I never fancied navigating through, and the intricacies of my mother's work in this arena left me disenchanted, knowing this was essentially her bread and butter. I always hated the world she fought in; corporate and high-stakes deals were the game. There was an air of manipulation around these folks, a subtle dance of persuasion where one could unwittingly agree to sell their soul without realizing it before the conversation's end.

The barrage of questions continued for another 40 minutes before the eccentrically dressed host brought the session to a close. He delivered his final salutations, declaring an intermission before the stage would host a new set of speakers.

I managed to snag one of the SCP-designed tablets circulating the hall. As I scrolled through the day's timetable, a deep sigh escaped me. This was supposedly going to stretch on for a few more hours.

A pit stop for sustenance seemed imperative at this point.

Following the cue of the seated crowd, I rose to my feet, embarking on a stroll around the expansive white hall. Ringo wasted no time either, her silhouette briskly heading toward the buffet table. It seemed my glutton of a sister held no idea of stopping. I saw a look of terror flash against the waiters face upon seeing her make a beeline towards him.

My gaze left Ringo soon enough, unintentionally leading me toward the now-deserted stage. During my brief walk, I found myself intercepted by countless faces, vaguely familiar from childhood, yet barely acquainted with the person I had become. Most of their names were like a passing wind each time they introduced themselves.

Mother was a famous biochemistry researcher, and my father, a well-respected archaeologist. Well, respected by some, at least; to many around here, he was considered more of a 'faux dynamo' due to his outlandish claims and rebuttals against the fabric of time and the cosmos. And these faces enjoyed reminded me of that. It grew tedious at some point and I begun draining them out whilst I greeted them with fake smiles.

'Sigh Politics... too draining to even contemplate.' I thought to myself sadly

Leisurely pacing by the stage, my attention was ensnared by the microscopic wonders scattered across it, tiny sensors and AI cameras embedded seamlessly in perfect locations. The presence of such technology was anticipated, especially after witnessing those mesmerizing floating objects. But I still marvelled by the level of detail.

In this day and age, unraveling the mystery of conjuring holographic objects into reality was common knowledge.

"Why hello there, stranger."

A melodic voice sliced through the air beside me, a perfect salutation that gently startled my entire body. The flutter of butterflies in my stomach betrayed the calm facade I attempted to maintain. Her fragrance, strong and captivating, announced her arrival before I even turned.

"E-Eunice?" I managed to stammer out nervously

Turning to face the captivating beauty, she stood with her arms placed slightly behind her back, adorned in an elegant summer dress and stylish shoes mirroring the white floral patterns. The large brim of her floppy hat cast a delicate shadow against her perfectly shaped features.

"E-Eunice. H-hello," I muttered a greeting, attempting to conceal the awkward symphony playing within me. Her proximity allowed me to catch the scent of her shampoo, a detail that inwardly sparked a sense of even more anxiousness whilst I hoped she didn't notice me behaving weird

I remembered, unlike myself she still participates extensively in judo and gymnastics competitions , and I wouldn't be surprised if she had a training session just before coming here.

Observing her side profile, her jawline almost perfectly sculpted, it's sometimes hard to reconcile her innocent and regal aura with her mastery of the arts of grappling and takedowns.

'Judging by the championships in which she's excelled, I doubt even someone like me could easily stand my ground against her.'

A mental note flickered in my mind as I recalled my golden dobok trophies, now abandoned in a heap of rubbish somewhere. The contrast between her ongoing success and my discarded ambitions couldn't have been starker.

'Maybe I should start competing again? Would she be impressed? Damn it, Shoba, what are you even thinking? Snap out of it.'

"It's quite something, isn't it... Virtual World 9. Wh... what do you think about it, Shoba?"

Her question, wrapped in delicate patience, unsettled me. I, who prided myself on unruffled composure, felt a peculiar growing unease, I needed to relax, what was so strange about this girl. She was a girl! Just like countless others.

Clearing my throat, I mustered an answer,

"I... Ahem... It's interesting."

"Just interesting, hehehe?" She playfully covered her mouth, making me feel like a bumbling caveman.

Why was I always a clammy-handed, stuttering mess around her? I loathed being out of control, especially when it came to my emotions.

"Y-yeah... It sounds like ahem! There were improvements made, especially to the sheer scale of the virtual world. I had always found one of the biggest problems on the previous versions was around how far players could roam. Hmm—safe to say there will be so many patches released upon the initial release. So, I'll probably wait a week or two before I join."

My explanation dripped with earnestness; after all, I wasn't one to fall prey to the newbie move of purchasing a brand new virtual reality open-world simulation upon its initial release. And quite frankly, I was a little underwhelmed by the Beta.

In the realm of high-tech gaming, titans like Exodus and SCP AI Branch would consistently roll out patches a few weeks post their initial releases.

But as the colossal private host server, V9, was about to unfurl its digital landscape, the question lingered: could I resist the temptation to dive into the game two weeks behind the OP Kings? Lost in contemplation, I hadn't realized the silence that lingered within my thoughts.

"Ah-E-Eunice, I'm sorry I was lost in my—"

"Don't be silly! This isn't the first or the second time we've been around one another. I understand Shoba, a little better each time."

Her veal-colored lips curved into a sunny smile, and once again, butterflies stirred within me. I questioned whether I was sick or not. Could I have been unknowingly struck by one of those proverbial arrows, guided and fired by a winged baby? Was this what love felt like, as the adults described? Eunice seemed unfazed by my awkwardness by now.

We both turned our attention back to the stage, falling into a comfortable rhythm of conversation. We talked and talked, losing track of time. Unbeknownst to us, the intermission was slipping away, and people were swiftly returning to their respective seats.

While Eunice and I might have appeared to be distant lovers, our interaction drew varied reactions from the onlookers. Some frowned or raised their eyebrows in curiosity. Feeling a cold gaze upon me, I discreetly glanced over and noticed a young man with a clean-cut blonde mop of hair, dressed in an expensive pink and black blazer. I tried to decipher the reason behind his unsettled brows and obvious glare

'Ah, let me guess... One of Eunice's many admirers,' a soft chuckle escaped from my mouth, perhaps I actually enjoyed being the center of attention beside such a striking beauty.

In my peripheral vision, I caught Ringo mouthing words through hand signs, directing us to sit down. 'You're embarrassing us,' her gestures seemed to say, though the extent of how Eunice and I had become the center of attention eluded me.

But just when reality struck, wrenching me from the sea of dreams and love, I felt a lighthearted tug against my sleeves. Eunice, unaware of the spotlight, looked curiously at the crowd before fixing her amber-shaped eyes on me.

"Shoba... who are you looking at?" she asked, oblivious to our newfound prominence.

I pondered the best way to explain the need to return to our seats when an assertive "Ahem!" sounded behind us. I turned swiftly to find Mr. Lee, with his imposing figure ladded in cream and white, marshaled behind me. His warm smile and clear grey eyes beheld me with warmth. But I still couldn't shake away that air of suffocating power around him.

"Ah, Master Shoba ho-oh-ho, I see you and my granddaughter are as cheerfully tightly knitted as ever," he remarked giving Eunice a knowing smile as he said that.

I found my words caught in my throat. Eunice looked down at her shoes, I noticed her cheeks turning slightly rosy.

Mr. Lee always had an aura about him that was almost intimidating, making it terrifying to look him directly in the eyes at times. Ironically, he was one of the warmest adults I had ever met.

Nonetheless, seeing Eunice and me standing at the front, garnering all this attention, must have seemed somewhat... odd to him. I glanced over at Eunice and, for the first time, noticed signs of flusters on her usually composed face.