Pain

When the group she joined with Will died, she was so down. Yes, she wasn't a member for that long but she had a friend there. And even though everyone spoke in Indonesian, she still felt slightly happy with them. She was the type who gets attached easily after all.

"Hey Will," she said to her best friend. "I can't believe our group died. I just... I just wi* didn't happen. I will miss them."

"It can't be helped. The group rank was a waste though. Rank nine." He just simply stated.

As always he was calm and collected. She wondered if he ever panicked or felt emotional. Because she was dramatic almost all of the time.

"Where are you going now?" She then asked, looking at him with teary eyes.

"Please go with me. Please stay with me." These thoughts filled her mind. "I don't want you to go to another group. I'm just asking you because I don't want to force you to follow me."

"Anywhere." He shrugged.

"Ok so he hasn't decided yet. Maybe I can convince him." She thought. "But no. I need to be a hundred percent sure that he's not forcing himself."

"I have many friends from other groups. Just pick one and I can easily let them know to accept you." She quickly said, still looking at him with those sad eyes.

"How about you? Where will you go?" He just asked.

"Ohh. I am going to join a low level group. My friend, Ian, asked me to help him manage his group." She explained. She met Ian a few days after she met her best friend. He frequently helped her with Team Instance and she was really grateful to him. Were they close? Maybe. She wasn't very sure because she had a different meaning of "close". One thing was sure though, Will was closest to her heart right now.

"I see." He just said, deep in thought. “What’s the name?”

“Oh it’s SixPathsofPain.” She informed him.

She then saw him think and check the group's ranking. After a while, he remarked. “Hmm… They have a steady activity rate.”

"Do you..." She took a deep breath. Come on! She knew she could do it. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Ok." He nonchalantly said.

"I-It's ok if you don't --" She started saying but when she realized what his answer was, her eyes widened. "A-Are you sure? This is a low level group. I expected you to join the top two groups or something."

"Nah." He just shrugged. “They’re steadily growing. If we joined, their growth will speed up.”

"Ok then." She said, smiling. Yes!!! He'll go with her. She was so happy.

And so they transferred to another group. Everyone from that group, especially Ian, was joyful when she joined them. She felt so appreciated and needed, it flattered her. And so she swore to herself that she would do her best for this group to stay alive.

"I'm glad you're finally here, Queen." Ian smiled as he greeted her. He was always cheerful and loved to joke around. And so she assumed that him calling her "Queen" was one of his antics.

"Yeah. Glad to be here." She just smiled.

And unfortunately, she didn't talk that much to her best friend because she was so preoccupied with her duties and talking to Ian.

Regret

He felt like puking. He hated every single second of it.

He closed the group chat and sighed. He couldn't believe what was happening. His rival and Ian, the group leader, were now together. He confessed to her and she accepted. And now, Will hated the fact that they looked like they were perfect for each other. They had the same personality, same nationality, same country and they were the two heads of this group.

His heart ached. He and his rival didn't talk that much anymore. She was just so busy recently. Helping fellow group members, managing the group, asking Ian about some things... He hated it. He was there for her first. And even before Ian loved her, he already did.

So why didn't he do anything? Why didn't he confess before Ian came to their lives?

He didn't know too. Maybe he knows at the back of his mind but he couldn't bring himself to think about it, much less say it. And now, seeing how happy they were, he was filled with regret.

What if he confessed to her? Then maybe she'd accept him too. He meant she consulted with him first before she accepted Ian's confession. He could still remember the conversation they had.

She described what Ian was saying and doing for her. And one thing ran in his mind. Ian could do the things he couldn't do. He was so afraid to step out of the zone and to commit. And this guy... He could make her happier than him.

He then decided to move on and just be her best friend... Nothing more.

Heartbreak

He just realized that what he decided to do was going to be hard.

First off, they were all in the same group. So the chance he could see their interactions was as high as eighty percent. What happened to twenty percent? Well second, he was going to dedicate himself to the best friend role. So the chance that she would tell him what Ian was doing for her was as high as twenty percent. So that was now a one hundred percent. Why twenty percent? They... They didn't talk that much anymore.

They just finished doing group instance with Ian when suddenly they went out of the group base and were traveling.

"Hey Will!" She cheerfully teased him. "Ian and I are going on a date right now and we're looking for a chaperone. Thank you for volunteering." And she laughed. Ian joined too.

He sighed. "F*** no, I'm out of here."

And he quit the team and went back to South Konoha. Suddenly, the thoughts and feelings he kept on pushing aside went rushing into his mind.

He hated how she felt so far away now.

She was still the same person. She was still cheerful, sensitive, hot-tempered, emotional, positive and dramatic. And yet somehow, he felt like she was a different person.

He just wanted to bring back the days they had before they joined this group. The times when it was just the two of them, hanging out, chatting and doing things together.

"Stop it." He told himself. "You're supposed to be a calm and collected person. She is the type to do this. And you're not. So stop entertaining these dramatic thoughts."

And once again, just like always when he felt like his heart was overpowering his mind, he forcefully pushed these thoughts and emotions away.

But every time he did this, it always came with a cost.

Okay

She went online as always. This was her daily routine now ever since she joined here. She was not a gamer. She just played here because she loved the theme and the concept. It was based off her most favorite anime of all time. That was why she swore to herself that this would be the first and last game she would ever play.

As soon as the loading was done, she found herself back in the world of Naruto Online. She immediately checked her friends list and started looking for his name. Yes! Her best friend was online! She immediately greeted him. While waiting for his reply, that was the only time she checked if her boyfriend was online. Oh he wasn't. That was ok.

Will then replied and they chat for a while. But somehow, even though he still replied to her, she felt like something changed. Something she couldn't put her finger into.

Her best friend was acting strange. He wasn't as kind as before. Yeah he was calm all the time but he was very kind. He helped her out a lot of times. But now... Something was wrong.

Maybe she was just imagining things. She then put the uneasy feeling at the back of her mind and just chatted with him. As usual, she asked for his help to do a team mission and this time, he refused. She was so shocked. What... What was going on?

She felt so down and sad. She knew she was sensitive. She knew she was a crybaby. But she forced herself not to cry.

"It's ok." She reassured herself. "Nothing's changed ok? Will is still Will. He's still my best friend. Maybe he's just busy."

She kept telling herself that but when this continued after many days, she realized Will changed. And finally, she let herself cry.

Mean

"No." He just said after his rival asked him for the nth time to do some missions with her.

"Ohh come on! Don't be like that, Will. Let's go." She pouted.

He sighed. This was hard. Da** it. Please don't make it more difficult.

"I said no." He forced his mouth to say it even though he was slowly getting pulled from her puppy dog eyes at the moment. No, he couldn't let himself to be always available when she needed him. No way.

She then sighed. "Fine. See you around." And she left dejectedly.

His heart slightly ached but he forced himself not to mind it. This was the cost. He felt so regretful and heartbroken he couldn't bring himself to be closer to her again. He would just let her get farther and farther away from him. This was for the best. He already gave up. This was the best way for him to move on from her.

This continued for a while till it became a daily routine for him to tease, insult and bully her. He knew he was hurting her feelings. She was so easy to read after all. She couldn't hide what she felt. And knowing that she was hurting because of his harsh words made him sad too. But he kept on convincing himself that this was for the best. This was for the best.

Indifferent

Was there a way to just shut out your feelings completely? Because if there is, he desperately need it right now.

He may act indifferent and apathetic but that wasn't true. He was just acting that way so that he wouldn't be able to feel the pain of losing her. He was just acting that way because he did not want to entertain his emotions. He grew up pushing everything behind him.

"I see. I am not needed anymore." She sighed downheartedly. "I will now go then."

A member asked for help in the group chat and when she offered her services, someone else already helped.

And he took this as an opportunity to bully her, just like what he always did.

"That’s right. Go away." He spoke. "No one likes you."

Her eyes widened and glistened but she kept her composure. Instantly, he felt guilty for saying that.

"No that is not true. Everyone likes you. I like you." He thought and he wanted to say that but he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth.

"Ok, I will do that. See you all later." She just said and instead of skipping away like she always did, she walked slowly this time.

And he knew that he hurt her feelings... again. Just like he always did.

He knew he needed to ignore her. She would eventually get over it but he could not stop himself from sending her a message. Before he could stop himself, he sent, "Are you ok?"

Immediately, he received a reply. "I am now. Thank you for your concern, Will. I really love you. :)"

She said those three words again, just like she always did. And it took a lot of willpower for him to know that she meant it as best friend love. She was always like that. As long as she loves someone, even if it was just friendship love, she says that.

How to be indifferent? That question continuously ran in his mind.

Because he would very much would like to not care for her. But he could not stop himself.

Quarrel

A day wouldn't pass by without them quarreling. She did not know how it ended up like this. Before they were very close and inseparable. But now... He was so different. And she hated it. But even so, she did not want to let go of him. She would never give up on him. Because he was very important to her.

She got sent back to South Konoha after participating in Sage World Battlefield. And one of her closest friends, Max, asked her, "How was SWB?"

She could not bring herself to speak because she felt so down. She knew she barely exerted effort in powering up or in events. This was because she wanted to focus in making friends and making the group she was in a home to everyone. And that was not all. She was afraid that she would fail despite exerting effort.

And her fear came true. She swore that she would participate actively in SWB and not just stand there but she just got instantly killed countless of times before she could even run and hunt. And it frustrated her.

Will then joined the conversation. "She didn’t even get a winning streak."

"Oh." Max just said.

She just continued staying silent even when Will and Max were talking animatedly. She did not know how it happened but the next thing she knew was she and Will were fighting.

"Why are you sad, anyways? You're sad because you got rekt? Doesn't that happen every single time?" He taunted.

And that was it. She exploded. "Ohh wow. Thank you so much for cheering me up when I feel so down, Will. And you want to know why I feel sad? I finally decided to exert effort in SWB and I COULD NOT DO ANYTHING."

Before she could stop herself, she almost shouted the last five words.

And after that, the topic had changed and she was thankful for that. She needed to calm down, first. But when she saw Will speaking in Korean, she could not stop herself from teasing him.

"Looks like someone's watching Kdrama." She just said. After all, that was the most common way for someone to know a little bit of Korean.

Immediately, Will started accusing her best friend, Clara and she could not just take it anymore.

"I am not in the mood to deal with your crap right now." She spoke harshly. Her heart and mind were in chaos. She was just so frustrated. She knew that up till now, she couldn't believe that this was happening to them. But again, she forced herself to accept that this was the way things were from now on.

"I am not in the mood to deal with your crap either." He replied seriously.

That was her cue. And she left the group base, on her way to the top of Hidden Cloud, her most favorite place in Naruto Online.

This always happened. They always fought. May it be because of her lineup, power, or whatever. She hated how she needed to change too. She just wanted everything to go back to normal.

Looking at the beautiful view of clouds made her heart swell. A soft breeze blew around her and she wished it would take her tears and pain away.

Strength

But her best friend's change had positive impact to her too, even though she would not like to admit it.

He pushed her to her limits albeit in a "tough love" way. And when people were like that to her, it barely motivated her. It actually made her feel weaker and down. It didn't push her. But when he does it, she didn't know why but it was forcing her to work harder in this game.

Yes, she gets hurt easily when he insults her. But when she finally calmed down, she would wipe her tears away and tighten her ribbon. She would then shout, "Let's do this!"

At first, she did not know why this kind of training worked for her. It didn't work when other people do it. But if Will did it... It pushed her.

Maybe it was because they were rivals. She wanted him to compliment her. She wanted him to respect her. She wanted him to acknowledge her strength. She wanted him to be proud of her.

Because maybe if she got stronger, maybe she would not feel like Will is so far away. Maybe through this, she would finally be able to catch him and drag him back to where she was.

He was the motivation she needed. He was her source of strength.

Tenacity

She had a habit of reflecting everything that was happening in her life. She tends to overthink after all. And that was what she was doing right now.

And as always, her mind drifted to how their friendship began. Up till now, it still made her laugh. But as soon as she realized that right now everything was different... that smile turns upside down.

He always hurt her with his words. She always cried because of him. But even so, she didn't want to let go of him. Even so, she didn't want to give up on him.

Yes, he was very private and close. He built his wall so high and she was bringing nothing but a simple crowbar in order to try to break it down. But even though she lacked the proper equipment, she would still do it. Day after day, she tried to break it but it did not work.

But there were times when a small crack would appear. Those times were the ones when he subtly shows her that he cared for her.

She guessed that was what kept pushing her to never give up on Will. Those small cracks that appear from time to time made every day of torture worth it.

She would never let him go. She would do everything to make him stay by her side. And if the only way to do that was to destroy this wall that he suddenly built between them, then no matter how many years it would take, she would break it down.

Tightening the ribbon around her hair, she stood up from the ground and stretched. She then grabbed her crowbar and shouted, "Let's do this!". And then she went back to work.

One day, this wall would be gone and she would be able to find who her best friend really was. And she swore to herself that whatever she sees behind this wall, she would continue accepting, understanding and loving him.

Xenophobia

"Hey Will." She suddenly called for him. She was lost in her thoughts. She was trying to figure out why her best friend suddenly started pushing her away. She was so convinced that he must've had a phobia.

He just looked at her questioningly.

"Why do you keep on pushing me away?" She asked.

And as always she was met by silence. She sighed. Well at least she tried.

Maybe he had xenophobia. Maybe he had a fear of strangers. After all, at the end of the day, no matter how close they were, they were still oceans apart and they were just two random strangers who met here.

But if he had such fear, what was he doing here? Maybe that wasn't it.

As she tried to think and *yze her best friend even more, she suddenly had a thought.

Maybe... Maybe he was afraid to get close to anyone here. Maybe he was afraid to feel something else for her. And since they were getting close, he then pushed her away.

She just laughed. There was no way that would happen.

Will... Will would never love her. Heck, she even questioned if he cared for her.

Her heart ached at the thought but she just pushed it at the back of her mind. Right now, she need to focus on her boyfriend and the group, not her best friend.

Fear

"Hey Will." She suddenly called for him and it took him by surprise.

"Please do not ask me why I keep on pushing you away." He thought.

"I think I have an idea why you push me away." She said as she looked at him with sad eyes. "Maybe you loved and cared so much for someone before. But despite all of your efforts, you were still met with disappointment and maybe the one that you loved left you. And that's why you swore to yourself you would never let anyone get close to you."

His eyes widened when she told him her hypothesis. This girl... She was so perceptive.

"Stop *yzing me." He just said, calmly. He needed to keep his composure.

She pouted. "But I barely know you. You don't tell me anything! *yzing you is the only way left for me to find out who you really are, Will."

He just stayed silent, afraid that he might say something he would regret later on.

"If... If what I think is right," she continued slowly and softly as she looked at him. Her eyes full of love stared back at him. "Then I assure you this. I would never leave you. This is why I'm trying so hard to find out who you really are, without the masks and all."

She then tightened the ribbon tied on her blue hair as she declared, "I'll do everything for you. I'll never give up on you. Because I love you. So you better prepare because one day, I'll take down your wall."

She said those three words again. He mentally sighed. He shouldn't let himself be dragged with her flow. She had a boyfriend! When she said that, she meant as best friends. Nothing more.

But he couldn't help but feel slightly hopeful.

He wouldn't let her know this but she was right. He was afraid to get close to anyone because he was afraid to commit. Because once he commits, he wanted it to last. He was afraid. So, so afraid. That was why he didn't try confessing to her before. That was why he kept pushing her away. He didn't want to feel more.

Leave

She just had a sorrowful conversation with Max. He just informed her that he would like to transfer to another group.

She took deep breaths. She hated it when people leave. She tried her best to calm down. That was why while she was figuring out why Max wanted to transfer, she checked her friends list and immediately looked for his name. Yes, he was online.

She then proceeded to go to where he was.

"Will..." She just said.

His eyes widened at the sight of her and then looked at her questioningly.

"Max's planning to leave... And I... I feel so sad." She continued. Her heart was breaking. She was trying her best not to cry. She needed to keep her composure.

"I see." He replied and admitted honestly. "Actually, I'm planning to leave too. But I'll stay for a while. The group won't be able to take it if we both leave at the same time."

Her eyes widened. No... No. No! NO! Not Will too. Please no.

And that made her break down. She was already sobbing. Her knees felt weak as she knelt on the ground and covered her face with her hands.

"Please... Please take me with you. Don't leave me alone." She begged. Max was one thing. But Will... No, she would not accept this.

His eyes widened. "I can't. You need to stay here. The group will die without you."

"Please don't make me stay. Think of what I would feel. Take me with you. I'm sure any group would accept me too. I can't... I can't do it without you." She continued. "I don't care if Ian breaks up with me. I'd go with you."

That was true. She honestly couldn't imagine a life in this game without him. Darn it. She was so emotional now. She just kept on rambling and rambling and rambling... She wasn't thinking straight. Heck, she might be even saying things that she shouldn't be saying. But she didn't care. She just wanted to express the hurt she was feeling.

When she looked at him after a few seconds of deep breathing, she was surprised to see him look at her with an emotion that wasn't mockery or indifference. She was surprised to see him look at her with sadness.

That immediately made her calm down. He... He was sad too. She wasn't the only one suffering.

"Roses are red, violets are purple*. When you are sad, everyone else is sad too." He suddenly stated.

When she heard that, she was so happy. Her negative feelings were washed away and replaced by happiness. She swore to God this guy could easily change her mood.

She then decided to tell him a poem too. She turned away from him and slowly walked as she narrated it. "Roses are red, violets are blue. Will is difficult to be friends with but once he starts caring for you, your friendship with him is true."

She turned back to give him a bright smile and she left, skipping away.

Naive

A few days after that emotional day of Max and Will planning to leave, everything was back to normal. Max decided to stay and her best friend never mentioned anything about leaving.

But as always, she was lost in her thoughts and reflected to what happened before. She was so emotional she let it consume her. But even so, what she said when she was emotional was what she truly felt. She was sure of that.

And so she reviewed everything she said and one sentence got stuck in her mind.

"I don't care if Ian breaks up with me. I'd go with you."

Her knees felt weak the more she thought about it.

Did... Did she really say that? Ba-But why? They... They were doing ok. Sure they were busy here and there but they still tried to stay in contact. She... She loved him right? She meant she accepted his confession... And she was glad to be with him. Ian was a great guy. He always made her laugh and comfort her when Will was being mean to her. She admits that she was inexperienced. Ian was her first boyfriend. She barely knew anything about love. But... What she felt for Ian was romantic love right?

Then... Then why?

She couldn't figure out what was going on with her. And her head was already hurting with all of these thinking.

She was about to give up trying to figure out her feelings when another thought suddenly went into her mind. It was as if someone spoke to her.

Maybe she was in love with Will and not Ian.

At this sudden realization, she just fell on the ground in shock. The soft breeze at the top of Hidden Cloud no longer could comfort her.

She looked back from the very beginning when they became best friends. She *yzed all of her actions and how she talked about him. And lastly, how she reacted when he said he was planning to leave the group.

She hugged her knees and put her head above it as she slowly rocked back and forth.

Darn it. She was so naive. Why did she suddenly realize it now?

One thing was for sure though. She needed time to figure out what she was really feeling.

Unexpected

After taking a day off Naruto Online and let Max pilot it, she was still lost. She needed more time but she couldn't let herself be selfish and continue being a burden to her friend. That was why she played again.

Everything just became clear when she got to talk to her friend, Karl. He helped her figure out her true feelings.

The naive her was no more. She was enlightened now.

After figuring out her feelings, she asked Karl, "Hey, why aren't you surprised that I'm in love with Will and not Ian?"

Her friend just gave her a small smile as he explained, "You get along better with Will than Ian. I honestly did not believe that you and Ian are going out. You two seemed like close best friends. The way you treat Ian is just like how you treat everyone else. But with Will... You suddenly turn to a different person."

Her eyes widened and now that he mentioned it, he was right.

There was no denying it. She was indeed in love with Will. And it looked like she had been unconsciously feeling this way for four months now. Maybe she started feeling this way when she asked him to join the group they were a member of at the moment. After all, she didn't want him to go to another group. Maybe...

Well, whatever. For now, she would just go and see where the flow would take her.

Yet

As she continued *yzing her newfound feelings for Will, she realized that maybe... Maybe this was the romantic love everyone would feel at some point in their lives.

At a young age she was able to feel so many love. But one kind of love particularly confused her. It was romantic love. She never understood what the difference was.

But now... Now she knew.

If you really love someone, you would do anything for him. You would be willing to cross the ocean for him or climb Mt. Everest. You will do all of these things just so you can make him feel your unconditional love. You won't force him to love you too. Love is selfless and kind, after all.

And most of all, you always want him by your side. The thought of imagining the possibility that you never met him or the possibility that he would leave you make your heart break into a million pieces. But even so, if he did want to leave, you would let him go.

That... That was real love.

And looking at the things they've been through... Yes, they were strangers who just randomly met here. Yes, they didn't know each other that much. Yes, he always bullied her and hurt her feelings. Yes, it was clear that Ian was better than him. And yet... And yet... She fell for him. And this was no simple case of puppy love or attraction. She was already too old for puppy love. And she didn't even know what he looked like so she didn't think this was just a simple attraction.

This was love.

Because even if she didn't completely know him... Even if she didn't know what he looked like... She knew his soul. She saw his soul. And she felt a deep connection with him that she would never want to be severed. She could see him without his masks. She saw his light and shadows. She saw the good and bad things about him. All those times trying to break his wall was not for naught.

And still, she loved him. The reasons why she should not fall for him made her love him even more.

Jumble

She could still remember what Karl told her.

"Love takes time. Even if you think you are in love right now, that might not be the case because it is really complicated. You can move on easily than you think or you can love someone deeply than you realize."

And now that she was sure she was in love with Will... Everything just got even messier instead of getting clearer.

Ian... Ian was still her boyfriend. Should she break up with him? But... But... He did nothing wrong to her. He loved her dearly. He... He didn't deserve to be dumped. She did. She deserved to be dumped. So should she just wait for him to break up with her?

But... But what if he knew they weren't working out anymore but still he denied? Then, nothing would happen.

Darn it.

And Will... Will was her best friend. She... She didn't want to fall apart with him. She didn't want to destroy whatever they have right now. He... He would never love her back. She meant come on, be real. Will wasn't the type of person to fall for someone through online. He was too logical for that. He had always been careful, unlike her who acted without a second thought. Besides, if he would fall for someone in this game, it would not be her. He spoke so highly of other female players he was friends with but when it came to her, his face will contort into disgust. And he bullied her too. She believed these were enough proof.

Now, what should she do?

Should she continue chasing for her dream or should she just give up on it and stay where she was?

Even Karl's wisdom couldn't help her. She was so lost.

Guilt

She now knew what she was going to do. But... But it'll be very difficult to do. Everything she worked hard for will go to waste. But... But this was the only way she could think of. She needed to do it.

She took a deep breath.

She chose Will over Ian. And now, she needed to break up with Ian. But she was going to do that in order to set them both free. Ian... Ian was too kind. He deserved someone who would love him wholeheartedly. And that someone wasn't her.

It would be unfair if they stayed in a relationship where you were still holding on when the other already let go. He didn't deserve that.

With a heavy heart, she cried because of what she was about to do to one of the kindest people she ever met. But it needed to be done.

She knew it would kill him. She knew that he loved her. She knew that to him, she was his everything.

But she had no choice. She couldn't bring herself to love him when every second, every minute, every hour and every day, only one person occupied her mind.

"Remember this heavy feeling." She told herself. "This guilt... So that next time, before you say 'Yes', you already know if what you're feeling is romantic or just friendship love. So that next time, you wouldn't hurt another person because of your naivety."

This... This would be a burden she would carry for a long time.

Compliment

The moment she decided that she would break up with Ian, she felt so down. Guilt was crushing her down. But she still stood up.

"It's ok." She assured herself. "Everything is going to be alright."

And that was why she focused in playing. It was SWB currently. She was determined that today Will would finally acknowledge her.

She then participated and when the event ended, she was surprised. She... She... She got a title!!! She was now "Hero of the Battlefield". She was so happy! Seeing those four words above her name made her feel so strong.

Of course, the first person she wanted to tell this great news to was her best friend.

"WILL!!!!" She immediately called for him.

He looked at her questioningly like he always did when she would randomly call for him.

"OH MY GOD!!!! I'M NOW HERO OF THE BATTLEFIELD!!!!!" She shouted and was about to open her arms in order to hug him when she stopped herself.

"Err..." Darn it. She was now awkward. "Anyway, I just got a title. What'll you say to me, Will?" She then continued, her eyes sparkling at him.

She saw him sweatdropped and that made her laugh.

"So? I'm waiting~" She grinned at him as she skipped around him.

"F*** you." He just said harshly.

Instead of getting offended, she just laughed and poked him on the arm playfully. "Ohhh come on, Will~ It's not my fault you didn't get the title. And cursing at me is not the answer I'm looking for. Try again~"

He crossed his arms and just looked at her like she was crazy. She knew she was bothering him but that didn’t stop her.

"Will," She said seriously as she crossed her arms too. A frown on her face. "Come on buddy. You know how much I've worked hard just to get that title. How much bullying I endured from you. Don't you think I deserve a ‘Congratulations’?"

He sighed. "Congrats." He just said nonchalantly. "You did a good job."

"Wahhhhhhh!!!!" she shouted. She was so happy. So, so, so happy she felt like shouting. Finally!!! Will finally acknowledged her!

He just looked at her, trying to hide his smile. But she saw it.

"You're happy for me aren't you?" She teased.

He didn't reply as he crossed his arms once again.

She just giggled and continued dancing around in happiness. "Thank you so much, Will. I could've never done it without you~"

"You bet you won't." He stated as a matter-of-factly.

"That's true~" She continued skipping around happily.

Then she remembered something. Her water guns! She still didn't use it. She was saving it for him.

She turned to him with an evil glint on her eyes and he glared at her.

"Don't you dare." He growled as he took out two water guns.

"Oh yes, I will~" She sneered as she brought out three water guns.

And a water fight ensued. They were having so much fun. She was so happy. It had been a long time since they bonded like this.

"Haha!" She taunted. "You don't have any water guns left!"

He started cursing and taking this as a chance, she shot him and suddenly teleported out of South Konoha.

She was running around Mount Myoboku, still laughing, when she saw the world chat.

"Will: Are there any police officers here? I'd like to report a murder case. A Kakashi Beheading Sword hit and run me. It was a direct shot to the head." She read and laughed even more. Will was talking about her! She was currently transformed into Kakashi Beheading Sword while he was Kakashi Make Out Paradise at the moment.

And so, she replied in world chat.

"Whoo! Thank God there's no police here. XD" She typed. "I'd like to admit my crime. I just hit and run a Kakashi Make Out Paradise~"

She then messaged Will. "There, I admitted my crime~"

"Yeah. Saw it."

And after a while, they talked. It was already around 1 AM and she really need to sleep now. And so she said goodnight. And logged off.

But as soon as she went back to the real world, she sighed and felt tears ran down her face.

One thought ran in her mind, "At least I made the last day fun and memorable. It was the best day of my life. I hope he had fun too."

Valiant

Even though she was up late last night, she still forced herself to wake up early. Today, she would be doing a very difficult decision. Her plan consisted of breaking up with Ian and confessing to Will. You may think she was brave. Not everyone could confess. But... She wasn't. In fact, she was the opposite. After doing her plan, she would quit this game and disappear from everyone's lives.

With a heavy heart, she then left a mail for Ian. And after that, she blocked him. She spent her last hours in the game with Max and Clara. It was a good thing she said goodbye to her other friends last night. And now, the only one left was Will.

She took a deep breath as she typed her love letter to him.

"Will, I quit the group and the game.

I guess I just want to thank you for everything. Thank you for being my first friend here. Thank you for always motivating me albeit in a very unconventional and mean way. XD I seriously couldn't have done it without you. ^^

I broke up with Ian around 8 AM. And I'm going to tell you why. I'm not in love with him anymore. I did a lot of thinking and self-reflecting and I realized last July 15 that I'm in love with someone else.

Now I know what you're thinking. ‘F***, is it me?’

Well here's your answer.

Yes. I'm in love with you, Will.

But I know you'll never love me back. The moment I realized that, I immediately gave up too. There's no way you can love me, anyways. You bully me a lot. You make me feel sad/bad every single day because of your mean personality. Heck, you can even ask Clara or Max how many times I cried over you. XD Now, now. I'm not blaming you or anything. I'm just telling you that if I were in my right mind, I won't fall for you.

And yet I still did.

I truly think that you know this but you're in denial. I'm too open with my emotions. I act on it without a second thought. And you're really smart so I'm not surprised if you figured it out.

Anyway, this is getting too long now.

Thank you for everything. ^^ Goodbye."

Tears were falling from her eyes as she clicked "Send".

Was this the right thing? She didn't know. She didn't know what was right anymore. All she knew right now was that she was so heartbroken. She would miss him so much. He was her first love. And ironically, despite all of the pain she felt, she didn't regret ever falling for him.

So if someone said she was brave, she wasn't. She ran away. Just like she always did...

After two hours, she was still in her bed. Her eyes all red and puffy. And that was when she stood up and opened her email. She was determined to face him. She didn't care anymore if he would reject her. She just didn't want to move on from him. She wanted to continue loving him. She wanted to continue seeing the things that reminded her of him. And so she decided that she wouldn't quit the game and that she would face Will.

She saw Will's reply two hours ago asking her to come back. Her heart beat fast.

Wha... What was going on? Why...? Why did he want her to come back? Could it be...?

She didn't want to hope but she did. But... He never replied again.

Her heart was crushed. And she still continued sending him emails. But he wasn't replying. That was it.

Clara then told her that Will loved her too, even before she got together with Ian. And when she learned that, she cried. Her heart was overwhelmed with happiness. She was so convinced he would never love her. But he did... Although he was trying to move on from her and even though he said that his love for her as a good friend increased, she didn't care.

She took a deep breath and decided that she needed to contact him. They need to talk and figure some things out.

So if someone said that she was valiant, maybe she was. Yes, she ran away but she came back. And now, she wouldn't ever run away again.

Waiting

26th day of July, the day she left but still came back. The day she broke up with Ian and confessed to Will. And she had been online since 3 PM and it was now 11 PM. Will... Will never went online even once for that day.

It broke her heart. The day before she promised to use all of her water guns on him. She saved up fifteen. She even transformed into GNW Shino because she knew how much he hated him just to tease him. But... But her plan was pointless. The guest of honor didn't arrive.

And so she just used the water guns on her friend.

The next time she checked the clock, it was already 2 AM. She needed to sleep now. But she couldn't. Her thoughts were filled with Will and how much she wanted him back to her life.

She sighed. Sleep was out of the question. She then sent another email to him.

"Will, you'll always be my first love. You'll always have a piece of my heart. FLND (First Love Never Dies), they say. I'll never give up. I'll never stop waiting for you. Even if it would take a really long time. I swear it."

And... sent.

Seconds, minutes, hours and days passed by. And still no response. And she felt so down every single time she checked her inbox and still didn't receive anything from him. But she always assured herself. She would never give up on him. She'll show him how determined she was.

As always, she stood near the gates at South Konoha. He was always there. And she would wait right here, hoping that she would see him again.

Aftermath

"--And the end." I smile as I look at the crowd. Some are yawning. Others are doing something else, obvious that they didn't pay attention. But most... Most of them are tearing up.

"I... I’d like to ask you two questions, Dawn-sensei." The same girl who asked me to tell a story earlier asks. I'm glad this girl is slowly getting rid of her shyness. She didn't trail off that much.

"Ok." I say, beckoning her to ask what is on her mind.

"First, where are her friends and Ian right now?" she asks. Many people in the crowd nod in agreement.

"Well, they're still friends. Clara is now a famous chemical engineer and artist. Max found his passion in advancing technology and is now one of the owners of a famous company specializing in developing software. Karl is a successful businessman in Nepal. And Ian is a well-known civil engineer in the Philippines. Oh and he is in good terms with my friend. They were able to talk it out and they ended things peacefully." I say, my smile widening as I narrate what happened to each of them.

"Thank you Dawn-sensei. Here is my second question. You revealed the name of the girl's best friend/love, ex, and friends. But you never revealed the name of your friend." She points out.

I just smile mysteriously. I knew someone’s going to ask about that.

"That, my dear, will be answered at a later time."

The whole crowd groans and I just continue smiling.

- - -

I'm walking around South Konoha. I see the ramen shop, Redemption Merchant, Black Market Merchant, Kakashi-sensei's clone, Anko-sensei and Fukurokumaru...

Everything is still the same. There are more players right now but I'm glad to say that I know most of them now.

Everything is still the same... except for one thing.

Immediately, a white-haired, dark-clothed man appears in my mind, still wearing a bored expression.

I smile sadly and my eyes find its way to the slightly tattered and old yellow orange ribbon on my left wrist. Before I knew it, I'm already untying it. Even though I have a short pale blue hair now, I still tie it out of habit.

"Let's do this!" I exclaim cheerfully and stand at my usual spot near the gates.

I’m honestly expecting that today will be the same as the previous ones. I’ll stay in this place almost all day when work isn’t that hectic, doing my daily missions and/or chatting with my friends. And then, when the clock will read 10 PM, I have no choice but to go offline. I’ll take one last long and sorrowful look at the gates, sigh and finally go back to the real world… The usual.

But today… Today is different.

Around 7:41 PM, just when I am planning to go off in order to sleep early, a flash of white hair catches my eye. My heart starts swelling up again. Swelling up with hope that maybe it’s him. Darn it. This always happen. Get a grip! Not every white-haired guy is him!

I just sigh and am about to click the “Close” *on when I hear a voice called my name.

I turn my back and my eyes widen. And before I knew it, tears start cascading down my face as I cover my mouth in shock.

I open my mouth but I can’t say anything. My throat suddenly feels dry. I just… I can’t believe it.

A young man stands in front of me but instead of boredom, a hint of a smile is shown on his face. He is still wearing dark clothes, a sword still strapped on his back. And he’s taller than before. In contrast to his clothes is his hair that grew a little bit longer now. It's still as white as snow.

One thing is running in my mind right now. Welcome back.

"The smile upon my lips,

It will surely never die.

As I'm waiting here for you,

until you're back by my side."

-- Freida Martinez

Author's Notes:

*He used purple instead of blue because he knew that my fave color is purple. XD And let's be real. Violets aren't colored blue. XD

Btw, congratulations that you made it this far. Here's a cookie for you. ^^ *gives dark chocolate cookie*

Thank you for reading. ^^

Ohh thank you so much! :D I decided to try a new writing style. XD Glad it worked! :D Thank you for having the patience to read this. I know it's long. I appreciate it. ^^

Thank you so much Shin-bosu! :D

Thank you. :)

Thank you! :D And the cookie was a reward for being patient enough to finish the story. XD

*hides all cookies*

No cookies for you then~ :P

I already gave you one. XD But if you want more, here. *gives you a bowl of dark chocolate cookies*

Hahahahahahahahaha. XD

I'm neither going to deny nor confirm that, my dear reader~

For now, have some cookies. ^^ *gives you more cookies*

Thank you! :D

Arigatou gozaimasu!!! :D

Thank you Seis!!! :D

Thank you! :D

Thank you! :D

Thank you! :D