Squishy Squishy Secret Friend

The day to meet Ellie, only twice a week, was approaching.

As before, I headed to the Future Digital Complex with Sohee.

Inside the digital center, the place with the reaction speed test machine was heavily surrounded by red tape, as if prohibiting access to the general public.

The only people who could enter were me, Sohee, and Ellie.

,Yeona.”

,Huh?”

,Wanna grab some food together after this?”

I checked the time at Sohee’s words. 12:10 PM.

It was a good time to eat lunch. Although I didn’t know how long today’s test would take.

I nodded.

,Okay.”

Anyway, lunch. Where would be good to eat?

Lunch, the most important meal of the day. I thought it would be good to have something warm and filling if possible.

I smacked my lips, imagining the various menus that came to mind.

,Ooh-“

As I smacked my lips and headed inside the test device, I was able to find Ellie, who had arrived first.

She was smiling with a lewd grin, as if something was so good.

Did something good happen?

,Ah, oh, how long have you been watching?”

As if noticing mine and Sohee’s gazes, Ellie was startled and hid her cell phone behind her back.

It was like a child caught doing something bad.

Was she watching something lewd?

I nodded with my arms crossed.

It’s the age when she’s full of energy. I could understand everything.

,You’re here early today?”

,Umm, I happened to have something to do nearby…”

,Then shall we prepare?”

,Okay.”

Ellie said that and got up from her seat. And then she took off the coat she was wearing.

Snow-white hair poured over her pale neck.

Ellie’s test is done after my test is over.

I also took off the coat I was wearing.

,Then I’ll go in first?”

As I did last week, I crawled into the large capsule and started the test.

The reaction speed test game increases the speed of the targets flying as the stages increase.

It will be the same today. I will cut down the targets with familiar movements.

As the stage of the test increases, the white pain that stimulates the head intensifies.

I was so engrossed in the test for a long time.

Sohee’s voice was heard from outside.

[Yeona. Can you hear me?]

,Ah, I can hear you.”

I was taking a breather because this stage had just ended.

I twirled the sword in my hand and answered.

[Usually it ends here. But I added one more stage in front?]

,You added more?”

[Yeah, do you think you can do more?]

I rubbed my throbbing head and nodded.

There was still plenty of room.

,Yeah, I’m okay.”

[Then shall we start? It’s okay if you want to stop if it’s too hard.]

I waved the sword in one hand and took a stance.

Then, a large number appeared in front of me and a countdown began.

It’s okay to stop if it’s too hard.

I smiled lightly and stared ahead.

The test began the moment the number that started at 5 changed to 1.

A total of 15 targets appeared from afar, and there was no difference in the number from the previous stage.

At that moment, the target began to move.

At a very fast speed too.

,Ugh!”

I swung my sword in great embarrassment. Fortunately, two targets were caught on the tip of the sword and disappeared, but the remaining targets passed by my body.

I couldn’t properly respond to the faster-than-expected movement speed and the way it bent while moving.

,You, it’s too fast?”

[Is it hard?]

,Is it hard…? No!”

It’s not hard. Rather, I wanted this. I rotate my wrist while feeling the white pain that stimulates my head.

This is not inside the game called Deron. The physical abilities I can use were not much different from reality.

If it was Deron, I would have blocked it easily.

,Again.”

[Are you really okay?]

I nod at Sohee’s worried question.

Then, the test started again.

The number of targets that appeared was 15 as before.

I took a low breath and aimed my sword.

At that moment, the target began to move.

The way to win this test is simple. Avoid the flying target and swing your sword to cut it down.

As long as the target doesn’t touch my body, I won’t lose.

The legs stretched out support the body, and one hand is extended to stab the air with a sword.

The sword arrives first at the moving path of the quickly moving target.

Kwajik!

The sensation of being caught at the tip of my hand is clear. I rotated my body as it was and jumped up slightly.

Immediately after that, a new target was caught on the blade, and the remaining targets passed by my body.

It didn’t touch.

The slightly floating body landed on the floor, and the target flew towards me again.

Kwajik! Kwajik!

Again twice-

It wasn’t a very difficult level if I didn’t get greedy.

I smiled lightly and moved my body.

As the number of targets flying towards me decreases, I begin to feel more relaxed.

As a result of jumping around and removing targets, I was able to successfully pass the final test prepared by Sohee.

Since my body was not much different from my real body, I was quite out of breath.

,End!”

[Does your head hurt?]

,I’m okay?”

[Okay. Then I’ll end the test.]

With Sohee’s words, the white space begins to collapse.

After blinking a few times in that state, I opened my eyes inside the large capsule.

As if the dormant senses are becoming clearer, strength enters my whole body.

,Oh…”

The moment I tried to get up from my seat, I was able to find a sparkling cell phone screen.

A message had arrived from my secret friend.

Seeker of Light-[Squishy Raccoon-yeo. Have you had lunch?]

The meeting was a bit strange, but he wasn’t a bad person.

It was quite pleasant to become close with someone whose purpose was the same.

I smiled lightly and wrote a message.

Squishy Raccoon-[I’m about to go eat now. Seeker of Light-nim, have you eaten?]

Seeker of Light-[Not yet. I’ll have to go eat when the work I’m doing is finished.]

Squishy Raccoon-[Are you working?]

Seeker of Light-[You could say that.]

I tilted my head while reading the message sent by the Seeker of Light.

As I told him, the Seeker of Light was constantly writing posts on the gallery, rotating through various accounts.

I thought he was an unemployed bum because he was writing posts like that all day, but that wasn’t the case.

Squishy Raccoon-[What kind of work do you do?]

Seeker of Light-[I do this and that, mostly just helping my parents with their work.]

Squishy Raccoon-[I see…]

,Yeona? You can come out now.”

At that time, Sohee’s voice was heard from outside the capsule.

I was startled and shoved my cell phone into my pocket.

,I, I’m going!”

When I got out of the capsule, I was able to find Ellie standing side by side with Sohee.

Ellie was looking at her cell phone and giggling.

It was just as well. Before Ellie went into the capsule, I grabbed her hand and said.

,Hey, Ellie.”

,Huh…?”

Ellie, who was looking at her cell phone screen, raised her head with a sullen expression.

What the hell is she looking at that makes her reaction so slow?

The chic look she usually showed had completely disappeared.

,Did you have lunch?”

,L, lunch…? I haven’t eaten yet.”

,Then let’s eat with us.”

Ellie blinked her big eyes at my words.

Light sky-blue eyes shake slowly.

I smiled lightly as I looked at her.

Although we maintain a hostile relationship in the game, there is no need for that to continue in reality.

I wanted to be friends with this little girl.

,R, really…? Eat with me?”

,Yeah. Sohee here will eat with us too.”

I said that and pointed to Sohee next to me.

Ellie turned her gaze away from me and looked up at Sohee.

Because she was similar to me, or rather, shorter than me, Ellie had to look up at Sohee.

At that time, my gaze captured the change in Sohee’s expression.

Sohee’s pretty eyebrows were trembling.

Does she have an itch somewhere?

,Okay…”

Ellie nodded her head greatly and answered.

After that, Ellie went inside the capsule.

Sohee and I watched the scene quietly.

,Hayeon-ah.”

,Why?”

Sohee called me and was silent for a long time.

Why the hell is she doing that?

,It’s nothing…”

Did she forget something she wanted to say?

In the end, Sohee sighed and turned to start the test.

At that moment, a faint vibration was transmitted to the cell phone I had shoved into my pocket.

When I took out my cell phone and checked the screen, a message had arrived from my secret friend.

Seeker of Light-[Squishy Raccoon-yeo. Help me.]

Squishy Raccoon-[What’s wrong?]

Seeker of Light-[An important appointment has been made, a lunch appointment, but I don’t know what to do at the place…]

Squishy Raccoon-[An important lunch appointment? It seems like the person you’re meeting is important?]

Seeker of Light-[That’s right. A very important person.]

Squishy Raccoon-[What do you want to do with them?]

Seeker of Light-[I, I want to get close to them…]

I checked the message sent by my secret friend and was silent.

He wants to get close to the person who came out for an important lunch appointment.

Could he be talking about a blind date?

Looking at his tone and the writing he writes, he seemed like someone in their older age group.

It wasn’t an impossible possibility at all.

Squishy Raccoon-[First. Do you have any common interests with the person you want to get close to?]

Seeker of Light-[Common interests…!]

Squishy Raccoon-[First, sit as close as possible to that person and continue the conversation on that topic. It’ll be more effective if you naturally compliment the person?]

Seeker of Light-[Oh…]

Squishy Raccoon-[Of course, you have to keep the line so that the other person doesn’t feel burdened.]

Seeker of Light-[You know a lot. It was a lot of help. Thank you very much.]

Squishy Raccoon-[I hope you become close.]

Seeker of Light-[Thank you for your support. I’ll have to go now because I have something to do.]

With this message, the Seeker of Light no longer sent any messages.

At that moment, the capsule that Ellie was in started to emit light with a wiiing- sound.

It looks like the test is about to begin.

I turned my head and looked in the direction where Sohee was sitting.

She’s frowning a lot, so it seems like she doesn’t like something.

She nervously tapped the keyboard in front of her.