Chapter 14: When the Server Goes Down

It was supposed to be just another weekly patch. But that morning, as Ren logged on before work, the server flashed a rare red notice:

"Emergency Maintenance. Estimated downtime: 12 hours."

“No grove today,” he muttered.

Later that day, Miyu messaged him during lunch.

HanaLune: 12 hours feels like 12 days.

OblivionHeart: I was gonna meet you at the sakura pond. Bring bento. Pixel-style.

HanaLune: IRL bento works too.

OblivionHeart: You free tonight?

HanaLune: Only if you make the rice balls.

Ren’s kitchen was surprisingly neat. Music played softly in the background—something instrumental and old-school. Miyu sat at the counter watching him struggle with seaweed wrap.

“You know, you don’t have to prove you can cook,” she teased.

“But if I pull it off, you’ll be emotionally obligated to fall deeper in love with me,” he said without missing a beat.

Her cheeks flushed. “Wow. Bold.”

He grinned. “Patch day. I’m living dangerously.”

They ate on the floor with mismatched cushions and homemade tea. Between bites and banter, the conversation grew more vulnerable.

“What were you like before the game?” Ren asked.

Miyu looked down. “Quieter. Tired. Always saying I was fine, even when I wasn’t.”

“You still say that sometimes,” he said gently.

She laughed, but it caught in her throat. “Yeah. Old habits die hard.”

Ren reached over, brushing a strand of her ombre hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

She looked up. “I know.”

Then, softer. “Thank you.”

Later, they sat on the couch watching a slow-burn anime about time travel and missed connections. Halfway through, Miyu leaned her head on Ren’s shoulder.

“What if one day this all disappears?” she murmured.

“You mean the game?”

“The game. Us. The spark. Everything.”

He paused. Then said, “Then we build it again. From scratch. Even if it means mismatched cushions and ugly rice balls.”

Miyu smiled. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Outside, the rain started.

Inside, the silence was warm.