Parallel (A Virtual Gamer's Story) [Vol.1 - Vol.4 Complete]

Chapter 7: Jade Yuhi

"Still as unfriendly as ever... eh... what was it again?" Jade asked, cocking her head to the side with a blank expression.

"So you're the forgetful type?" challenged Suzuki, exasperated by her attitude.

"Ah, sorry. I only remember important names so—"

A vein popped on the young man's forehead, but he managed to hold in his irritation. "Sorry for being unimportant!"

"Ah, my bad. Sorry," Jade apologized. She actually looked embarrassed by the whole fiasco.

Suzuki suddenly felt uncomfortable and mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, "...Suzuki."

"Um... I didn't get that."

"Su-Zu-Ki!" Suzuki yelled into her ear.

"Haha. Nice to meet you Suzuki-kun," Jade laughed and greeted, holding out her hand.

"It's embarrassing if you use honorifics now. Suzuki is fine," Suzuki said as he shook her hand.

Jade chuckled as she dismounted from her bike. "So, what brings you here, Suzuki?"

"Just taking a walk. Been a while since I was top-side."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not really. It's fine."

The pair walked side by side in silence, the sole sound between them the slight squeaking of the bicycle's tires. Suzuki took the time to study the girl. If one word were to be used to describe Jade, it would surely be 'goth.' Her pale, porcelain-white skin contrasted sharply against a pair of ripped black jeans and a leather jacket. Dark, smoky makeup on her eyebrows and lips made her beautiful dark gray eyes pop. Finally, a pair of star-shaped earrings peeked out from behind a thick glossy curtain of night-black hair that reached down to her lower back.

"Like what you see?" Jade teased.

"Don't know. You tell me." Suzuki looked into her eyes. "Should I?"

"Huh?" Jade was stunned into silence but then broke out in laughter the very next second. It seemed she had not had a good laugh in a while and had to balance on the handlebars of her bike to keep herself from falling.

By her side, Suzuki let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, when in doubt, rely on anime. That line had come straight out of an anime he had watched recently. It was a good thing the response seemed appropriate. After all, he did not have too much experience dealing with people in general.

"Mmm... That felt good." Jade stretched her arms wide, a lazy smile on her face. "This place has been too weird."

Suzuki's brows rose. "Were you abducted too?"

"Abducted? What are you talking about?" Jade questioned. "According to my pops, my grandfather works here, so I came to look for him." She seemed to be hiding something, but even he knew better than to press the issue. "Wait. You said 'too'? You... were you abducted?"

"Yeah... On the first day of school, no less," Suzuki revealed. He related the entire experience to her. "At least I got to flip one guy over before they got me with the taser."

"Pfft." Jade had to cover her mouth to smother the laughter that bubbled up her throat.

"What's so funny?" Suzuki questioned and closed in on her until the only thing separating them was the bicycle.

"Nothing. I swear it's not— pfft!"

Suzuki's left eyebrow rose. "Suspicious." Luckily for Jade, the young man's stomach chose that moment to let out a cry of protest. It had been fed bare nutrients and wanted real food to eat.