Programmed Reality

Before The Storm (Prologue)

-Saturday Last day of the Beta Testing-

It was 6:00 A.M here in Tokyo, Japan. And a very non-enthusiastic teenager was about to get a rude awakening...

Currently said teenager was having a pleasant dream about some good times he has had with his family. It was one where they all went on an island cruise for a month over the summer. He was currently sliding down the water slide in his dream when he actually felt wet... like extremely wet, and cold.

"W-why is the water so cold?!" he said in his dream. Then the second wave hit and he woke up jerkily as he splashed into the water in his dream.

He sat up as if his back was pressed against a spring cold and shivering looking around his room frantically, "Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold!!!" he stuttered repeatedly until he spotted the culprit, his little sister smiling and using the most innocent face ever.

"Onii-san~, why are you all wet?" She asked as if she didn't have a clue even though she held the bucket behind her back.

The boy was a bit irritated by this, "Kyra why couldn't you have let me sleep in? Just one day? And why did you call me Onii-san?" he asked still just a bit groggy.

"Well we do live in japan now Onii-san..." she said cutely.

He had to face palm at this simultaneously knocking away the rest of his sleepiness, "Just because we are in another country doesn't mean we have to change how we live... just call me Ryo like you always do. Or well used to" he said.

"But Onii-san it's custom to do so." She said trying to convince him.

Ryo contemplated it for a minute and came up with a solution, "How about this? You call me Ryo when we are at home or just with family, and I'll let you call me Onii-san while in public. Deal?" he asked and this was a good deal.

Kyra nodded happily, "Ok Oni- I mean Ryo." She corrected herself and smiled scampering off to somewhere else in the house.

Ryo let out a sigh of relief almost forgetting that he was cold and shivering, almost. Getting up out of bed, he took another look around his room, it was only had about ten square meters worth of space 25% of that was occupied by his bed alone.

Along the far side of his room next to the bed sat his desk with a computer on it and a NerveGear headset as well. He walked to his closet pulling out a simple light blue T-Shirt and black jeans and a new pair of underwear, since the current pair suddenly took a trip to the ocean and went overboard, and went to take a nice hot shower.

About twenty minutes later he was all ready and walked out of his room and down the stairs into the kitchen where his mom was currently cooking breakfast.

Turning around his mom looked at him as he entered the kitchen and looked through the fridge, "And what do you think you're doing?" she said in an annoyed tone.

Ryo looked at his mom with her arms crossed in front of her, "Uh, well I was~..." he looked at a jug of orange juice, "Was just getting something to drink." He finally said with a bit a hesitation. And to try and make it more believable he pulled out the OJ and went to grab a cup.

His mom looked satisfied and went back to cooking. Ryo sweat-dropped and silently sighed in relief, "That was close..." he whispered to himself that's when he wondered, "What time is it?..." he hadn't paid much attention to the time, after all he was freezing cold so who would bother with time? He looked at the clock just as it tick forward another minute.

-11:56 A.M-

Ryo freaked out, he was supposed to meet his girlfriend in-game in four minutes! , "Aww crap! I'm going to be late!" he panicked and grabbed a piece of toast from a plate his mom had just made, "Sorry mom I'll have to skip food this time, otherwise I'll be in deep trouble." With this he set off up the stairs and ran into his room closing the door behind him.