Of Course Friends Know Each Other's Faces
Of course, if you're friends, you gotta know each other's faces. Ehehe. Advice for a friend? That's so cool. I was over the moon. I never dreamed a day like this would come. It felt like a total dream. Me, who was always just pickled radish... Me! I've got tons of advice to give. Get ready. Trust only me. I'll shower you with genuine friend advice. Heehee.
"How was it? Good?"
"What was good?"
"The stuff I recommended. Did you like it?"
"Uh... it was kinda lacking? Bakery girl... tentacle play... that's way too on-the-nose. This stuff's supposed to be all metaphorical and subtle to get you going."
"Get me going? Suddenly? What??"
What's my friend Raming talking about? I didn't say anything about getting horny. She's just copying some YouTube title.
"No, Sena, you can't be direct with sexy talk. It's gotta be like... maybe, maybe not... that's what makes it hot."
"Uh... got it."
Sudden sexy talk... I've never said anything sexy. She's copying a YouTube title. Wasn't me. She's coaching herself. But I let it slide without a word. We're friends, after all. Heehee.
"So, Sena, you're really gonna do the VTuber thing?"
"Yup, for real. When I get back home... that thing. RP. RP, right? I'm switching my apocalypse leader concept. Cool, huh?"
"Ooh, that's cool! Apocalypse leader... so you'll talk all commanding. Giving orders to viewers. How's that sound?"
"Whoa, genius. No, Raming, you should be a VTuber. Your RP game's on point. Super on point. You're the only one."
"Wait, it's that good? Feels kinda weird. Uh... anyway, thanks."
Raming said it in a shy voice. She's weak to compliments. Gotta... give her even more. I just grinned like an idiot. It'd been ages since I chatted with a friend, and it felt great. Let me think... when was the last time I talked to a friend? Probably high school. I'm just a high school grad. Never talked to friends after graduation. Actually, up to April when I was 20, I had one friend. Then somehow, we just drifted apart naturally. That one was the only friend I had. Hope she's doing well. I even helped her pick a computer, warned her about scams—she was such a grateful friend. Where was she from? She celebrated with me when I got into a top uni, first time she said thanks. Man... memories. Went from no friends to having one again... friend... wait. Hold up. Huh? Wait, do I know Raming's face? No. Huh? Hold on. Hold on. This isn't a friend. Friends know faces. This is a fake friend. I just chugged a whole bunch of red pill. Thinking about real friends made me do it by accident. Now that I've taken the red pill, Raming doesn't look like a friend anymore.
"Raming..."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"Are we really friends?"
"Friends, duh. Why? What's wrong?"
"But... I don't know your face. You don't know mine either, right?"
"Huh? What?"
Raming sounded super flustered. I accidentally made her take the red pill too. Kinda feel bad? I should've taken it alone.
"Well, that happens. I barely remember our crew members' faces anymore. We don't meet up."
"Hmm... but I'm a friend. Not crew."
I glanced at chat to check if my logic held up.
Chat's treating me like the bad guy. Always has. They're always busy hating on me. Whatever. I'll walk my own path. I'm right. If this isn't red pill, what is?! Friends and you don't know faces? Makes no sense! No way.
"Friends gotta know faces. I'm firm on this."
"But there are online friends... game buddies..."
"Is that all we are? Just game buddies?"
"Huh?"
"I thought we were real friends."
If she plays it passive, I'll be really disappointed. I am disappointed. Super disappointed. Announce to the world we're friends. Now.
"Announce it quick. That we're friends."
"We are friends. Totally."
I went all-in.
"Then meet up."
"Huh? Uh... I'm fine with that. You cool?"
"Obviously."
Phew. She didn't disappoint. Raming's really my friend. In this hater-filled world, she chose loyalty to me. So grateful. I smirked victoriously at chat.
Forces trying to wreck our bond are rampant, as expected. Doesn't matter. Our friendship is rock-solid. Time to declare it loud and clear. Watch this, haters.
"So... we can really meet? I'm always down."
"Duh. I'm free. Uh... yeah. But can we talk details later?"
"No... tell the haters I'm not obsessive or menhera. We're friends."
"No. Gah. Oh. That's what you meant? Yeah, we're friends. Totally friends."
"Yup, we've announced it to the world. Friend."
"Do we... have to go that far? Gulp... really?"
"Yup."
I said it firmly. Can't leave room for doubt. I know. Give an inch, they twist it. Gotta be decisive.
"Okay. Got it. Hit me up."
"You won't... hit you up and then say 'why'd you contact me?' or anything, right?"
One doubt leads to another, wears you out. But once it pops up, gotta squash it. Or else... the devil in my head... grr.
"Ever done that? Nah, of course not. Hitting you up is great~ Anytime."
"Thanks... like, aren't you clueless? What are you? Why be friends with you? I was just playing and now you think friends... no saying that, right?"
"Ehehehehe. For real, ugh. Never ever. No way. Wow, you've got so much baggage, huh? Ehehehe. Got it. Got it."
Baggage? Not really.
"Thanks, my friend Raming!"
She's not official yet. I'm thorough. Provisional friend till I see her face... but I trust Raming. So we're friends.
"What're y'all doing?"
"No, unnie, hear me out."
Moteok, who'd gone farming, came back. Right as she did, Raming freaked out.
"What's up?"
"Like... when did we meet?"
"What? Today."
"Dropping RP for real talk. Straight up."
"Real? Ooh, why?"
"Sena says I'm not her friend."
"Why?"
"Says if we don't meet IRL, not friends."
"Uh... oh... really?"
I jumped in.
"Yes. So we decided to meet."
"Eeeeeh? For real? Seriously?"
"Yup."
"Did you get permission?"
"You ask permission to meet a friend?"
"We're corp... gotta get permission. Crew can, but restrictions otherwise."
"..."
Didn't know that. Friendships are this hard? Contracts are contracts. Can't fight it.
"Not a collab. Just personal meetup."
"Oh, that? Thought it was IRL collab. Duh, can't stop personal meets. Thought collab."
"Really? Not collab. So it's fine?"
I beamed. Phew. Thank goodness.
"But why meet? Reason?"
"Friends without knowing faces? That's the reason."
"Uh... true? Net's so advanced, net friends are more common. Faces don't matter. I don't care."
"Right? Faces necessary? Friends are friends, yeah?"
Raming reacted strongly to Moteok. I stayed quiet, preheating my brain... gathering ammo to counter every word from Moteok and Raming. Throw something at me. I'll dismantle it. Brain on overdrive, even if it crashes today... shortens my lifespan... I'll refute it all.
"But Jjang seems confident?"
Was gonna counter, but it veered my way.
"What?"
"Like... what? Takes guts to say that... now I'm curious."
"What?"
"Mind if I butt in?"
"Ooh, yes!"
"I'm broth for Jjang... so I'll keep red pill safe."
Red pill? Oh, that. I'm not pure VTuber, so I don't sweat red pill much. Honestly, I started VTubing for the cash. Not ideals. I love fame, wanted to be celeb. Celebs get "sign please, I'm a fan!"—total rush. Dreamed of it. But dancing's hard, quit. Dream I don't tell folks?
"Then let's meet as three! No, call Maru too—four of us! We're total besties!"
Can't leave Maru out, she'd be sad. True consideration is preemptive. Ehehe. Even Maru care... nice! Good job, Sena. Brain preheat paying off? Awesome. I grinned happily without realizing.