Clack-clack-clack,

Clack-clack-clack,

Taiyo sits in his cube, endlessly typing away.

Clack-clack-clack,

Clack-clack-clack,

The mundane lull of his corporate job…

Clack-clack-clack,

Clack-clack-clack,

has entranced him in a hypnotic rhythm.

Clack-clack-clack,

Clack-clack-clack,

His left finger moves towards the Esc button…

Clack-clack-clack,

Clack-clack-clack,

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK…

“Hey man!” says Tomo with his hand on Taiyo’s shoulder, as the hypnotic spell appears to have been broken.

“Jeez!!, you scared me.” says a startled Taiyo.

“Well you were so locked in, I was worried you’d make everyone think we enjoy our jobs.”

“Ha ha, very funny. What’s up Tomo?”

“The e-mail Boss sent out.”

“What e-mail?”

“Work so hard but never check your e-mails?”

Taiyo frantically clicked around to bring up his e-mail window.

“Right there.” says Tomo while tapping the screen.

“He wants to have a ‘work outing’?”

“Old man finally wants to loosen up around the group, what’s so wrong with that?”

Taiyo slowly swivels his office chair around to face Tomo.

“Nothing I guess, I’m just not interested in big social gatherings like this.”

“Oh c’mon, what are you going to do aside from sit in your box of an apartment, eating kombini rice balls and catching up on some light reading.” Tomo says sarcastically.

“Wow, and here I was worried you’d make everyone think we were friends.” Taiyo says with matching sarcasm.

“Nice one, but all jokes aside you should come man. If you don’t, it’ll reflect badly on your standing within Kyodo Corporation Group Limited - IT Division - Shinjuku Branch.” Tomo says while standing head-up, chest-out, as if about to salute a commanding officer. 

“…Well when you put it that way.” Taiyo says with a reluctant smirk.

Later that night.

Taiyo, Tomo, and their fellow co-workers are all seated at a large table near the back of the bar. Sitting at the head is The Boss, clearly inebriated and motioning to make a speech.

With a raise of his glass The Boss declares, “I don’t get the chance to say this often, but I really appreciate the work all of you do. “Everyone probably thinks that I’m a stubborn, stuffy, workaholic…because I AM.” 

Everyone laughs.

“So a toast to everyone here…KANPAI!”

Everyone drinks. 

“That was the most words I’ve heard Boss speak in years.” says Tomo discreetly to Taiyo seated next to him.

“Give it some time, he’ll speak a whole novel by the end of the night.”

The Boss stands up again to deliver “Ok everybody, next stop…KARAOKE!!”

“Karaoke?!” Taiyo and Tomo both exclaim as everybody else starts getting up.

Even later that night.

The group of co-workers are leaving after a few hours of karaoke. Taiyo is walking behind the group sans Tomo who decided he’d spent more than enough time and left early. The Boss is singing as if he’s still holding a mic, “Fuku kitaguni no, Aaa...kitaguni no haruuuuuu.” 

As everyone files towards the nearest subway entrance, something catches Taiyo’s attention. His head turns towards the glow of an arcade. It’s been a while since he’d last been inside of one, but for some reason tonight…he felt compelled to hop inside. Separating from the group, he walks through the automatic doors.

A very distinct 'DING-DONG-DAN' sound plays as he steps through. Walking past aisles of UFO Catchers, Taiyo starts to feel a wave of nostalgia sweep over him. 

“Wonder if they have some old-school fighters in here?” he thinks, reminiscing about his youth. 

Beyond the traditional games and prize machines though, one game curiously draws him in. “DanceStar” reads on the banner above as technicolor lights illuminate all around. 

“Seems like a fairly new game…wait is this like DDR?”

Taiyo examines the machine, noticing there is no dance-pad at all. He lifts his right arm and sees the character on screen mimic him. 

“Oh, I get it. Pretty cool.”

He decides to scan his Pasmo card and play a round, but one round becomes two, then three. Certainly this is the most fun Taiyo has had the entire night, away from the crowd…in his own world…just him, the music, and the game’s mascot Hoshi dancing in unison.

Exhausted and out of breath, Taiyo reaches the final score screen. 

“What’s your name?” says Hoshi in her typical pre-programmed way.

“Taiyo” as he looks up, hands on his knees, sweat starting to drip onto floor below.

“You’re cute Taiyo!”

Suddenly, Hoshi’s hand reaches out from the screen and touches ever so slightly beneath Taiyo’s chin. Then she winks, returns her hand to its digital home and showcases the ‘Game Over’ screen. Mouth agape, Taiyo was in shock of what just happened.

 “I…felt it. That was real.” he thought.

Before he even had a moment to truly process everything, an announcement rang out…

“This arcade is closing in 5 minutes, I repeat 5 minutes. Thank you very much!”

Taiyo stood frozen as people started to file out of the arcade, a cascade of lights and sounds turning off around him.