After grabbing about five dollars and 50 cents worth of street food from a nearby kikiam cart, I continued walking.
Apparently, having ten million dollars in my bank account didn't stop me from buying one-peso snacks.
There was this one thing...
A small white circle that looked like someone had dehydrated a piece of tofu and forgotten about it.
I had absolutely no idea what it was called.
It cost one peso.
Naturally, I bought one.
...
It tasted like...
Nothing, not bad, not good, just.. there I guess, letting the sauce do 99% of the work.
"...Yeah, one was enough."
Anyway, my haul ended up looking like I was feeding an army.
Twenty-five pieces of kikiam.
Fifteen squid balls.
One cup of palamig I still had no idea what the English name for it was.
"Cold drink, I guess."
And.
Thirty kwek-kwek, best five dollars I'd ever spent.
The ranking was obvious.
Five - Whatever that white thing was.
Four - Squid balls.
Three - The drink.
Two - Kikiam.
One - Kwek-kwek.
I bit into another one.
"Turns out eggs taste pretty good."
Who would've guessed?
I'd gone my entire life without a sense of taste, and somehow one of the greatest culinary discoveries of my life was a deep-fried orange egg bought from a roadside cart.
Life was funny like that.
As I popped another kwek-kwek into my mouth, a thought crossed my mind.
"Hey."
The familiar rectangle appeared.
[Hm?]
"What would've happened if I refused the contract?"
The answer came instantly.
[I'd kill you.]
"Yeah I get it."
Still walking, I stuffed another kwek-kwek into my mouth.
"Actually..."
I stopped.
"...Where am I even going?"
I'd been walking entirely on instinct.
"I don't know how to get there."
I didn't know how to ride a jeepney, to get me to my destination.
I didn't have mobile data for google map.
"...Well."
I scratched my head.
"Guess I'll find a sari-sari store."
I'm getting a load.
.....
I couldn't help smiling, being able to walk without limping felt nice.
Really nice.
Maybe I should just walk,
I opened Google map and assigned the designated area...
"If I keep walking in roughly the right direction..."
I looked at the map.
"I'll get there in..."
[10 Hours...]
I didn't know it was that far...
"Seriously, shouldn't there be an app where you just press a button and a taxi appears?"
[There is.]
"...There is?"
[You literally have one on your phone.]
I stared blankly at the screen.
I'd been too poor to ever use ride-hailing apps, the thought genuinely hadn't crossed my mind.
"Guess I'll get a taxi."
The taxi rolled to a stop in front of the old neighborhood.
"Thanks."
I paid the driver, stepped out, and watched the car disappear around the corner.
The mid afternoon air was cool
Leaves and small branches littered the sidewalks, puddles reflected the gray sky, and every now and then someone could be seen dragging fallen plants back into their yards.
I stretched my back.
"Grandma's house."
I looked down the familiar street.
"...It's been about three years since I was last here, hasn't it?"
I took a slow step forward, then another.
The old bakery was still there.
Mr. Santos' tiny repair shop was somehow still standing despite looking like it'd collapse every rainy season.
Even the stray orange cat sleeping on top of the convenience store freezer looked familiar.
"You seriously outlived everyone."
The cat opened one eye.
Ignored me, Cute.
A motorcycle slowed beside me.
"Boss?"
I glanced over, before abruptly walking away, not beacuse I'm ignoring him.
No I'm definitely ignoring him.
He continued staring for another few seconds before scratching his head.
"Nah... can't be him."
Makes sense.
I wasn't limping anymore.
My hair had grown past my shoulders and was tied behind my back.
I'd lost quite a bit of muscle after years of barely exercising.
Even my face looked... healthier.
"Guess I really do look different."
As I rounded the next corner, the unmistakable sound of mechanical keyboards reached my ears.
Click.
Click-click-click.
A computer shop.
The same one where Clary used to spend way too much time after school.
"...No way."
I peeked through the window.
"..."
There she was, headphones around her neck, completely focused on the monitor.
"Is she..."
I checked my phone.
Monday.
"...Skipping class?"
That wasn't impossible...
But it was unusual.
Friday?
Sure.
Monday?
That girl treated attendance like a religion.
"Did she drop out?"
The thought bothered me far more than I expected.
Actually I'll just ask, I walked towards the entrance.
The familiar smell of instant noodles, dusty computers, and cheap energy drinks hit me immediately.
Some things never changed.
She was leaning forward in her chair, muttering under her breath.
"No, no, no..."
"Dodge."
"DODGE!"
"...Idiot!"
The keyboard sounded like it was fighting for its life.
I quietly walked behind her.
"...What's that game?"
"AAAH!"
She nearly launched herself out of the chair.
Her headphones fell onto the desk.
The guy beside her flinched so hard he accidentally paused his own game.
She whipped around.
"..."
"..."
"...Cassius?"
"Morning."
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"No."
She reached out and poked my forehead.
"You're solid."
"I'd be concerned if I wasn't."
She stood up.
"..."
"..."
Without warning-
THUD.
Her fist landed squarely on my shoulder.
"Ow."
Another punch.
"You idiot."
THUD.
"You absolute idiot."
THUD.
"Three years!"
THUD.
"No calls!"
THUD.
"No visits!"
THUD.
"Do you know how worried Grandma was?!"
THUD.
"Can I"
"No."
THUD.
"Explain?"
"No."
THUD.
"Defend myself?"
"No."
THUD.
"Negotiate?"
"..."
She actually stopped to think about it.
"No."
"Worth a shot."
She crossed her arms tightly.
"You're unbelievable."
"I've been called worse."
She pointed at herself.
"I had to celebrate birthdays without you."
"I don't think you have the right to say that to me."
"Dammit your right, but still grandma kept making enough food for three people."
"Guilt tripping I see."
"Every holiday she'd say..."
Clary's voice softened.
"'Maybe he'll come this year.'"
Cassius' smile faded.
...
"Sorry."
She looked at him for a long moment.
"I know."
"But I'm still angry."
"Fair."
"Really angry."
"Still fair."
"I practiced this speech for months."
"Really?"
"No."
She smirked.
"But I wanted you to think I did."
"Cruel."
"You deserve it."
"Yeah."
The silence wasn't uncomfortable anymore.
Just...
Heavy.
Trying to escape it, Cassius glanced at the monitor.
"So, what's the game?"
She looked back.
"RPG Heroes Academy."
"...What are the odds?"
To be fair...
The game was insanely popular, as far as I know it's available on multiple platform two.
PC.
Mobile.
Console.
Probably smart fridge next year.
I wouldn't know, i never joined forums, never looked up guides, never watched videos, so naturally I didn't know.
"Why?"
"I play it to."
Inside his head-
"System."
[Yes?]
"Were you the one who made this game?"
[I strongly encouraged someone else to create it.]
"Define 'strongly encouraged.'"
[I appeared in his dreams every night until he finished developing it.]
"Who are you talking to?"
"Myself."
"You finally lost it."
"I've always been like this."
"No."
She looked him up and down.
"You're smiling."
"Am I?"
"Yeah."
"Weird."
She frowned.
"Actually..."
She grabbed his cheeks with both hands.
"Smile again."
"What?"
"I'm checking if it's real."
He sighed and smiled.
"Satisfied?"
She stared for a second before quietly letting go.
"Looks better on you."
Cassius laughed.
"Thanks."
Trying to change the subject again, he looked around.
"Anyway, why aren't you in class?"
She looked at him like he'd asked whether the sky was green.
"The typhoon?, cancelled classes?"
"..."
"It was literally all over the news."
Cassius slowly scratched his cheek.
"I may have, slept through it."
"..."
"..."
"The entire typhoon?"
"I was tired."
She stared for another five seconds, then burst out laughing.
"I missed you."
"You could've said that before beating me y'know"
"Nah uh, the beating was a necessary process."
Cassius rubbed his sore shoulder.
"Necessary?"
Clary nodded.
"Therapeutic."
"For who?"
"Me."
"...Fair."
She sat back down and resumed her game.
"So... you really play RPG Heroes Academy?.
"Well at this point who doesn't?."
"What character?"
"...Barry."
She laughed.
"No way. You are not Bari Bari bro."
"I am thought?."
"No you aren't."
"Yes"
"Nope."
"Yah uh."
"Nah uh."
"You want proof?"
She folded her arms.
"I absolutely want proof."
Cassius pointed at the leaderboard.
She clicked it.
In it show the leaderboard obviously, but the thing in the bottom shows what rank you are.
[Rank #7 — Barry]
Player: Bari Bari.
Achievements filled the screen.
- First Barry True Ending
- No Damage Final Boss
- World's Fastest Academy Arc
- 100% NPC Completion
- Ironman Mode
... More
If a playable character dies during the story, you can choose to keep them as your avatar in the Community. That's where the PvP Arena, guilds, trading, events, and all the post-game content are. It was still a game, after all. If everything ended the moment you finished the story, it wouldn't make much money, would it?
"..."
"..."
"WHAT?!"
Half the computer shop turned around.
Clary grabbed him by the collar.
"YOU'RE THAT CASSIUS?!"
"Maybe?."
"The forum psychopath?!"
"I get called phycopath?.'"
"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HATE YOU?"
"When someone asked helped, you uploaded ONE screenshot with ONE arrow and the caption..."
She copied his monotone voice.
"Go here."
"It worked."
"THAT'S NOT A GUIDE!"
"Wasn't supposed to be."
"And another where it's just a random hallway, with the caption [How To Kill The Emperor.]"
I shrugged. "Giving out free answer isn't really my shtick so I more or less just drop hint, plus don't everyone hoard the living hell out of information in this game?."
People nearby started whispering.
"Isn't that the Barry player?"
"I thought he disappeared."
Cassius glanced around.
"...We're attracting attention."
Clary looked at the growing crowd.
"Let's go."
She grabbed his wrist.
Cassius shook his head.
"No time."
He effortlessly lifted her into a princess carry.
"Wha- HEY!"
"Easier this way."
"My legs work!"
"And the last time I saw you, you were 5'3, I don't think you've grown."
"I'll kill you-"
Ignoring her protests, he calmly walked out of the computer shop before anyone could stop them.