Girl In The Game

Excellent.

Can we play together once more?

Don't dream! This boss is a soloist, am I correct?

Vesper disregarded her teammates' messages. Following her victory in the match, she closed her game account. She took a candy bar and ate it, then set her phone down on the nightstand.

Her brother Chyper opened the door to their room at the same moment. "Dinner is ready!"

"Alright," Vesper answered.

Vesper and her brother headed into the dining room.

Twins, Vesper, and Chyper. Vesper was born first and was therefore regarded as Chyper's older sister, even though they were separated by only a few minutes. However, their father died when they were five years old. Their mother then chose to accompany her spouse after getting remarried a few years later. It was left to Vesper and Chyper with their uncle and aunt. They still reside with their uncle and aunt.

Chyper questioned, "Did you win it all?"

"Obviously. "I never lose," Vesper retorted.

Their uncle Erash questioned, "You've graduated from school; don't you have any plans to work?"

Silently, Vesper and Chyper exchanged glances.

Chyper declared, "I intend to apply to Phantom Nexus."

Erash exclaimed, "What a unique company."

"Not a company but a team of professional online game players," Vesper replied.

"What, you're simply jumping in like that, not even trying to find a good job? The expense of living is rising, so you people ought to get work," their aunt Narnia remarked.

"You're correct. We don't constantly work, therefore we can't keep you alive," Erash remarked.

"Take it easy, Auntie. I'll make a ton of money playing internet games professionally. I'll give you some of that money," Chyper remarked.

"That's the way it should be because we have to pay a lot of money for your living expenses because your mom left you here." Narnia remarked, "Your mother hardly ever gave you any money."

Vesper and Chyper exchanged a gaze.

"Our mother, with whom we are still in contact, says that she frequently sends money to auntie on our behalf. Though we are aware that we reside here, we are occasionally advised to ask for the money," Vesper remarked.

Narnia answered, "That means your mother is lying to you."

Vesper gave Chyper another silent glance. Only one son was born to Narnia and Erash. His age was now twenty-six. He moved out of town for employment when he was twenty years old, and he hasn't been back until recently. Their uncle had informed Vesper and Chyper that their son had not sent them any money in the previous few years. They made numerous attempts to get in touch with him but never received a response.

"I frequently informed my mother about my aunt and uncle's condition, so she also wanted to provide financial support to my aunt." I informed her that the amount of money supplied to us would not be sufficient. But because her husband isn't all that great, my mother is also struggling there. As her children, shouldn't we be aware of her condition?" inquired Vesper.

"Yes, my child." Erash remarked, "You did a good thing understanding your mother's condition."

"No! Why did your mother decide to stay with him and leave the two of you here till you grew up, knowing full well that he is bad? Narnia remarked sharply, "If she had any intelligence, she would have worked in a high-paying job her entire life rather than becoming entangled in a cult romance merely to sate her lust."

Chyper and Vesper did not speak again.

"Let us not carry on the discussion!" Complete the meal!" Erash gave the command.

Vesper and Chyper returned to their room after their meal. Before bed, as usual, they had a conversation. However, they chose to check their email initially. Who knew they had received a response from Phantom Nexus about member recruitment? They were both startled at first. They perused until they came upon the line. Congratulations! Your application to join the Phantom Nexus has been approved. You have the road to triumph in front of you. Never be afraid to take a step!

They read the information below.

Vesper and Chyper joyfully danced. Erash and his wife looked at each other because Chyper was singing so loudly. Aunt Narnia asked her husband to see how two nephews were doing.

Uncle Erash opened the door to two nephew's room.

Uncle Erash yelled, "Don't shout; it's late."

"Oh, we apologize, Uncle. We're content-"

Chyper went over to his uncle. "I was admitted to the Phantom Nexus, uncle. I got selected from thousands of applicants. Isn't that fantastic?"

Erash was silent for a while. "Can you really make money?"

"I work here. Working does, of course, pay well," Chyper retorted.

"It's like a physical sport, maybe, but he only uses his hands and brain to think of strategies to win his matches," Vesper replied.

"Grateful for Chyper. I'm delighted for you." Erash stroked Chyper's head and murmured, "I hope you succeed."

"Thank you, uncle."

Erash gave a nod, then told them to go to bed and leave their chamber.

Chyper questioned, "Uncle Erash is nice, isn't he?"

"Why would such a nice person get a partner like Aunt Narnia?" Vesper inquired.

"Stop acting that way. We would never have discovered Uncle Erash if it weren't for Aunt Narnia. The sister of our mother is Aunt Narnia. Uncle Erash is merely her spouse, Chyper remarked.

"Ignore that. Vesper remarked, "We ought to consider how you can battle similarly to the other Phantom Nexus members." Next month you have to move into the dormitory."

"Since I'm new, there's no way I'll be deployed to fight right away, right?" replied Chyper.

"I'm not sure about that because I think they recruited you because you were the best player," Vesper replied.

"It's you who consistently participates, not me. Chyper remarked, "I damaged our win rate."

"I told you from the start that if you want to choose that path, then practice until you can use all the roles!" Vesper replied.

"Not only do they not switch roles. It's you who constantly switches," Chyper remarked.

"So what now?"

"I'll compel to play support. I feel rather certain about that. It's not that difficult, really. Some of the matches we've watched so frequently don't seem to be any better than the ones we've actually played. Indeed, it appears to be simpler to perform there, or perhaps there is a setup," Chyper remarked.

"I don't know either because I've never played a match like that," Vesper replied. "I've been to a lot of yearly tournaments, but there's no set-up."

"Since it's live, of course there isn't, Chyper remarked. "Never mind, I'm going to bed!"

Vesper doesn't go straight to sleep. She started with an MMORPG. She had a husband named Jasper in this game. Every night they played together.

Vesper: I apologize for the wait.

Jasper: It's alright. What kind of day did you have?

Vesper: It was excellent. Finally, one of my family members found a job.

Jasper: Thankfully. I'm overwhelmed for you.

Vesper: I'm at a loss for what to do now.

Jasper: What?

Vesper: I should be working too.

Jasper: If only we were close in real life, you wouldn't have to worry about money anymore because I already have a lot of money. I already have a car, a house, even a private jet.

Vesper found it hard to believe but the game items and equipment that Jasper owned were all limited and very expensive even though she couldn't afford to buy them but her husband easily gave them to her.

The way Vesper and Jasper met was during the Winter Event; the two of them came to a town. They went to a place that was almost never visited by players. They met there, then their relationship got closer, then they played together, then they got to know each other, then they decided to get married in the game. Jasper hopes to meet Vesper in the real world one day. But not with Vesper.

Jasper kept offering Vesper a lot of money, but since she didn't have an account, she couldn't accept it. They played against some bosses until Vesper fell asleep.

The next morning, since she still hadn't found a job and her brother hadn't left for the dorm, Vesper took Chyper shopping. Vesper and Chyper are not always dependent on their aunt and uncle. Vesper and Chyper save money every day from their remaining allowance. They use it sparingly.

"Look at that! It's full," said Chyper, pointing to a cafe.

"You want to go in there?" asked Vesper.

"Usually a crowded place like that needs employees. Would you like to work there?" asked Chyper.

Vesper was silent for a moment. "Do I fit the criteria?" she asked.

"Your face is unique. Your appearance is simple. There's a good chance you'll be accepted. Especially if they know you're the brother of the best online gamer in town, they'll definitely accept you. Come on, I'll use this as a weapon to get you accepted," Chyper said, pulling his sister's hand.

"Crazy. Don't be like that! You're so embarrassing, I swear," Vesper snapped.

But Chyper ignored his sister's complaints and approached one of the employees. "Excuse me, sir, I wanted to ask. Are there any openings here?"

The man paused, then looked at the other employees. He looked confused. "I don't know. Let me ask the boss first."

"If possible now, because we're from far away," Chyper said.

"Don't lie to. If you get caught, you'll be in trouble later," Vesper whispered.

"To speed up the process," Chyper said.

"Okay, get in here!"

Vesper and Chyper followed the man in. Inside, many people were cooking.

"Somebody, please call the boss! There's someone here who wants to apply for a job," the man said.

"This... I'm really applying?" asked Vesper.

"Of course you are. You can relax. I'll take care of everything. All you have to do is work, get paid, and then, of course, enjoy that salary," Chyper said.

Vesper sighed. The two of them watched as a girl made contact with the owner of this cafe.

"Boss, someone wants to work here. He's quite young. Looks like he just finished school," the girl said, looking at Vesper and Chyper several times.

"Let me talk to him," the owner said.

"Huh? He sounds young," Chyper said.

"Between the two of you, who wants to work?" the girl asked.

Chyper pushed Vesper over to the girl. The girl handed Vesper the phone.

"The boss wants to talk to you," the girl said.

Vesper nodded. "Hello, good morning, good afternoon, boss."

The interlocutor did not answer immediately. "Yes. Good morning at noon, too. Would you like to work in the café? How old are you?" he asked.

"19 years old."

"You have no work experience?"

"I just graduated from school."

"But if you work here, you can come home late at night. Where is your home? Walking home alone at night can be dangerous for a young girl like you."

"Don't worry, I always pick her up," said Chyper.

"Is this your brother?" the boss asked.

"Yes, boss. As for going home at night, it seems I can't because I have things to do every night," Vesper replied.

Chyper knitted his brows and looked at his sister sharply. "Silly, why do you say that?"

"I see. Then, Kia, make sure he gets the morning shift!" the boss ordered.

"No pay cut, right boss?" asked Chyper.

"Just work first!" said the boss. "The reason I didn't ask too many questions and accepted without thinking is because I understand her condition. She should go to college. But instead of going to college, she decided to go straight to work."

The owner of this cafe thought Vesper was in desperate need of money, so he accepted.

"Thank you, boss," Chyper and Vesper replied.

"You're welcome. I'll wrap this up because I'm very busy."

"Yes, boss."

After finishing the call, Vesper handed the phone back to the girl, who was one of the cafe's employees.

"The boss is very nice. He's young like you, too," the girl said.

"Still young, but already owning a cafe?" asked Chyper, a little surprised.

"Not only the cafe. He also owns several properties," the girl replied.

Chyper and Vesper looked at each other. They were jealous of the cafe owner. Vesper immediately thought of her husband, Jasper.

"Hello, my name is Kia. I'm the foreman here," the girl said, inviting Vesper to shake her hand.

Vesper took Kia's hand. "Vesper. And this is my brother, Chyper."

Chyper had never thought of Vesper as his older sister, but rather as his younger sister. According to him, they were born at the same time, even if it was only a few minutes apart, but he thought that the one who should be a big brother was a boy. But he didn't complain about Vesper thinking of him as her little brother.

"When can she start working?" Chyper asked Kia.

"Tomorrow," Kia replied. "Because I need to organize the shift so I can keep giving her the morning shift."

"Thank you, Kia," Chyper said.

Kia was immediately a little embarrassed. "You're welcome."

Vesper and Chyper excused themselves. It was getting crowded outside. Some of the girls were screaming hysterically. Chyper was surprised to see the Phantom Nexus team members greeting their fans.

""That...what are they doing here?" Vesper asked.

"I don't know either," Chyper replied.

"Are they going to be your partners?" asked Vesper.

"Hmh. I'll be more popular than them," Chyper said.

"How can you be so sure if it's really me?" asked Vesper. "I can't help you if you're competing in public."

"I told you I would force the role support. It's hard to believe they won't accept my decision since I'm in the same class as Ascendants."

Ascendants was one of the best online players in town, just like Vesper. They were often the talk of the media. Ascendants were on the Iron Maverick team. He made a surprise appearance in almost all of his matches. Many were waiting for him to fight Chyper, who was actually Vesper. However, they had never faced each other. They had also never met as opponents, even though they were in the same tier. And so far, no one has been able to defeat Iron Maverick since the Ascendants joined the team.

"It's serious; if you can't play well, it's going to be a problem. People might think you're not as professional as you look. Or worse, they might think the account is actually being played by someone else, as if you're paying them to win," Vesper said.

On the way home, Chyper read the news on his phone.

"So the Phantom Nexus kids like to hang out at the Light Star Cafe."

"I don't want to meet them, let alone serve them," Vesper said.

"Why?" Chyper was confused.

"I don't like them," Vesper replied.

"You can't help it if you only work as a servant," Chyper replied. "But you can rest easy because I'm already in the Phantom Nexus, so I can ask them to change their hangout, or else I'll tell you to stay away from serving them."

"The problem is with you. If you were only good, you could play with Ascendants," Vesper said.

"If I were his equal, I wouldn't be his friend. People are looking forward to us as an opponent, so why be his friend?" asked Chyper, not really liking Vesper's opinion.

Before choosing Phantom Nexus, they had several choices, one of which was the Iron Maverick team. But even though the account was known as one of the best players in the city, the chances of qualifying there might not be 100%. Besides, there are Ascendants, who are the toughest competitors. If his performance did not improve, he would definitely be eliminated. But the advantage was that there were Ascendants in the team who always brought victory, so Chyper could be safe. But after some discussion, they decided not to take that risk. There were many teams that were even safer. One example was Cyber Squadron. But on that team, the coach was known to be very fierce. Vesper knew how her brother was, so she was afraid that his joining the team would cause a lot of trouble. In the end, after much deliberation, they decided on the Phantom Nexus.

In the Phantom Nexus, the best was Eryx Darian Corvus, who was also the captain of the team. In Vesper's observation, Eryx was a far cry from Ascendants, who paid little attention to their comrades and were selfishly cold and cruel. Eryx, on the other hand, never abandoned his comrades, even when they were losing badly. For him, winning was secondary, and working together was primary. They had never won a championship or made it into the top five, but they stayed in the top 20. In their opinion, this team is a perfect fit for Chyper. But after seeing the members of the Phantom Nexus team in person, she changed her mind a little.

"There's more news here. Phantom Nexus will feature a mysterious player who is quite famous on social media," said Chyper. "Some members say he could rock the stage and even silence Ascendants."

Vesper chuckled. Chyper was offended.

"Don't laugh at me!"

"How can I stand it? The news is so exaggerated," Vesper said.

"Instead of motivating me to move forward, it's discouraging," Chyper said.

"No, it's not like that. Of course I believe you can do it," Vesper said.

"We have to get rid of this news!" said Chyper.

"How do we get rid of it? Ask someone for help. Isn't that expensive?" asked Vesper.

"I'll try to contact Alaric," Chyper said.

Chyper called his friend. Alaric was pretty good at this sort of thing.

Vesper remembered her husband, Jasper. She was sure that Jasper would help her if she told him. But she always wanted to keep her true identity a secret from him. She pretended and lied a lot. Sometimes she felt guilty, but she thought it was better than if Jasper knew the truth about her, he would be smitten and stay away. Like the person who had once been in her life.

"Hahaha, Alaric was surprised when he found out I joined the Phantom Nexus. He said, "Watch out; you're ahead of me. Even though you are no champion either," Chyper said.

Vesper was shown Alaric's message. They had always played together before Alaric moved out of town for his parents' jobs.

"He's pretty good," Vesper said.

"My champion," Chyper said confidently.

"Yes. Your skills are the same," said Vesper.

"Did you know? Alaric likes you," Chyper said.

Vesper stopped walking. Chyper didn't notice. Only after a few steps did he notice. He looked back.

"Hey!" called Chyper. "No need to be so surprised. Didn't you notice from the beginning?"

"Just noticed," Vesper replied.

"Huh? Seriously?" asked Chyper.

"What did Alaric say?" asked Vesper.

"He's planning on confessing his feelings for you and proposing to you later, when he's saved up enough money. His salary is quite high, you know. He even bought a car. But he insulted us," Chyper said. "But he said he'll buy us a car when he has more money. He bought a car to pick you up. So he could come here."

"I never thought of that," Vesper said. "I really never thought."

"You think too much of him as a friend," said Chyper. "It's okay with her, isn't it?"

"What's not okay?" asked Vesper.

"You looked like a crazy person back then, and you have to know, I didn't help much. Alaric helped you get back on your feet. I thought you had feelings for him, too," Chyper replied.

Vesper's first romantic relationship was with Noctis. He was a year older than her and had been her superior. His arrogant, overprotective, and jealous attitude was enough to overwhelm Vesper because she had to obey everything Noctis wanted. But Vesper still wants to stay with Noctis. In fact, she believes that Noctis' treatment of her is because he truly loves her. Because there is only one reason, she has loved Noctis until now. Until she saw Noctis kissing another girl. She was immediately traumatized to be in a relationship with someone else again. That's why she never got serious with Jasper.

"Alaric told me to shut up, but I can't watch him get his heart broken because of you, so I wanted to see for myself if you like him or not. If you don't like him, let's figure out a way to keep him from getting hurt. We've been friends with him for a long time. We've become his best friends. I don't want the relationship between us to be ruined just because of something like this," Chyper said.

"It's easy. You just tell her you don't agree with her and me," Vesper said.

"There's no way he'll listen to me. He won't. Of course, he doesn't think I'm forbidding him to get close to you because he thinks I approve," Chyper said.

"Let's just say I have a boyfriend in the game and plan on getting serious," Vesper said.

"You seriously have?" asked Chyper, a little surprised.

"I told you, didn't I?" asked Vesper.

"You still have him?"

"Yeah. He's a good guy," Vesper replied.

"He's trying to keep you from leaving him. Don't expect anything from him! I'm pretty sure he's not who you think he is," Chyper said.

"It's just an excuse for Alaric," Vesper said.

"What if he suddenly moves away? Why don't you just accept that? I agree that you're with him. It's a good thing we already know about him," Chyper said.

Vesper was silent.