. . . loading : real-life otome simulator !

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"Okay, just don't do anything without me!! I don't wanna be left out like that again."

With that she closed the door, and the sound of her little heels on the floor echoed down the corridor.

───◌┈┈───♡⃝───┈┈◌───

The day was coming to an end, changing into evening breeze, a few stars flickering here and there at the sky starting to fill with anthracite hue. Yuu relaxed, gazing into the sky, free of tangled thoughts she accumulated during the day. Somehow even the air in Twisted Wonderland was different than in her world.

Idia was different, too. She never got a chance to know him or try to befriend, but she showed a little prejudice regarding the male, assuming he was gloomy and rather... hater kind of character. He was, indeed, but in the end turned out to be just socially awkward, which she found adorable at some rate.

Huh, there she was, making weird assumptions about his behavior and mentally proclaiming Idia was adorable. Enough fresh air, she needed to get back.

Sudden tinnitus jingled in her ears, causing to stretch out her hand and make her steady, leaning to the nearest wall. She got used to this feeling of unhealthy drowsiness, almost all Great Sevens made an appearance in her dreams, then it was Mickey Mouse, and Yuu drowned in slumber eventually. Doctors said she was medically alright, so there was no need in worrying, but who knows how magical physiology works... Maybe it could be considered foreboding?

Forcefully snatching her consciousness from the arms of Morpheus, she decided to make her way to Sam's store to buy cup noodles to share with Idia.

Eccentric shop keeper greeted her, the familiar and amusing "Heya, Little imp" ringing in her ears pleasantly. Yuu wandered between shelves, her gaze switching from one ramen brand to another, as she realized she didn't know which one was Idia's favorite.

She actually knew so little about him. Snippets of characteristics hovered over her like in-game options instead of adequate information about him: dorm leader, royalty, shut-in, genius, otome hater... Yuu pouted suddenly, comprehension hitting her hard. She hadn't has to know everything about everyone - even though she already happened to possess quite knowledge about every person she befriended occasionally - but warm lingering feeling of getting emotionally attached to Idia wasn't unwelcoming, and yet there was no information about him behind these dark gloomy curtains of his personality.

"Imp, you've been staring at this spicy ramen for five minutes already," Sam's voice reached Yuu's ears and she made a little confused sound.

"Oh, sorry, I'm choosing ramen for a friend..."

"That Diasomnia flittermouse imp?" Yuu chuckled at his name choice for her best friend, but shook her head. "Oh? Not him? Imp, I thought we agreed on texting each other from time to time, I've already missed new interesting info from you!"

"Sorry, Sam," she avoided his gaze, not wanting to admit she was so smitten with the game she forgot that a whole campus were her friends, school staff included. "I'm choosing ramen for Idia, dorm leader of... ah, yeah, you probably know him well."

"Sure thing," he flashed a smile and winked at her, causing the girl to laugh with him. "This one," he grabbed a big red-colored ramen pack, then gave it to her. "He buys it often, tell him you chose this yourself. Practically you really chose it while dozing off."

"O-oh!" Yuu exclaimed, smiling brightly at him. "Thanks, Sam! I'll take two of them."

"It's really spicy, imp. Like, for real."