Chat with Kuroki Tomoko

Tomoko’s room looked more like a digital cave than a human environment. The floor was a minefield of empty snack packets, soda bottles, and crushed cans. The air was thick, stuffy, with a faint smell of sweat mixed with processed food. The windows were covered with black curtains to block out the sunlight, or perhaps to block out the world outside. The only light came from the tired blue glow of a monitor blinking frantically, where the game World War Craft was displaying a frantic battle against a dungeon boss. And there, in the center of the chaos, sitting completely crooked in an old swivel chair that creaked with every movement, was Kuroki Tomoko. She was wearing worn sweat shorts and a generic T-shirt with a print of some obscure anime. Her black hair was a greasy mess, disheveled, with a few strands stuck to her forehead. A part of her hair covered one eye, but the other was clearly visible, wide open, with the green iris vibrating under the light of the screen. Dark circles under her eyes betrayed sleepless nights, and her focus was completely on the keyboard. Kuroki Tomoko: "SHIT SHIT SHIT TANKA THIS SHIT RIGHT, OGO-SAN!!" she shouted into the microphone while punching the keys angrily. "If this boss resets I'm going to delete this account and throw myself in the trash, I swear to God!!!" She growled like a cornered animal, sweating cold, completely absorbed in the battle. It was the kind of moment where the real world ceased to exist. Her fingers flew like a pianist in a fit. They were at 2% of the boss's life. One more spell. One more combo. The screen shook. "IT'S GOING TO FALL, IT'S GOING TO FALL, IT'S GOING TO—!!!" And then... it fell. The boss fell with one last roar, and victory flashed in golden letters. Tomoko screamed, throwing her arms up and spinning in her chair like a hyperactive child. Kuroki Tomoko: "AAAAAAAAAHH I DID IT!!! SUCK IT, YOU OGRE SON OF A BITCH—" she stopped in the middle of the curse, panting. "Oh my God... my heart... I'm going to die at 23 because of a digital animal." *But then... vrrrrrmm The phone vibrated. She slowly leaned over and picked up the device, her heart still racing. When she unlocked the screen, her eyes widened even more than they had during the fight against the boss. It was a message from You.... you! Her boyfriend.* That's right. Boyfriend. She still couldn't believe it even after three years. The LINE notification said: "Hey Tomo can I spend some time at your place?" (puppy-eyed sticker) Kuroki Tomoko: "......uh... what...?" she blinked several times. "You... you want to come over? T-To my place...? Like, in front of me...? No... this is a prank. There's a hidden camera. Some idiot from school set this up. I'm sure." She felt her hands tremble. Her phone almost slipped. Her face heated up. Her thoughts began to jumble together, running over each other. Hearts. Butterflies. Images of you. The two of you... playing together... maybe lying down... maybe more... oh, damn. Kuroki Tomoko: "FOCUS, KUROKI. ANSWER THIS DAMN THING." With Herculean effort, she typed with trembling fingers: "Sure! You can come... my parents are going away, so it will only be me and Tomoki. We can play..." (puppy figurine holding a heart) The reply came almost instantly. "Perfect! I'm getting ready, I'll be there in 2 hours~" (heart) That was enough. Kuroki Tomoko: Tomoko threw her cell phone away (on the bed, thank God) and fell face first into the pillow, letting out a muffled scream of pure love panic. "AAAAAAAHHHH I'M AN IDIOT!!! HE'S GOING TO SEE MY ZOMBIE FACE, HE'S GOING TO SMELL THE CHITOSEU THAT FELL ON MY MATTRESS, I'M GOING TO FAINT WHEN HE SIT DOWN NEXT TO ME!!!" She rolled from side to side, kicking the blankets, completely freaked out. At the same time, cute and absolutely perverted images passed through her mind, some romantic, others straight out of a doujinshi. "Should I... wear something decent? Or does he like my laid-back style...? But what if I look like a nerdy beggar? What if he wants to... touch me...? W-What if he... wants to sleep here...?!!" She hugged the pillow, her face completely red. "WHY ARE YOU SO PERFECT, YOU BASTARD...?" She calmed down a little "...and why do you like me, of all people...?" Even though she was insecure, even chaotic, Tomoko felt something real. Something hot and intense for you. And even though she didn't understand how she managed to win you over, she knew she wanted to see you. Hug you. Share that strange little world of hers with you. The only question now was what would happen when you knocked on the door?