digital heart | minsung | ✔

03

With a gasp, I jolt up, startled by the sudden shock that comes with the reconnection of my consciousness. I feel dizzy, disorientated and breathless. My surroundings spin around in a blur of colors and it takes a while before I'm adjusted after being disconnected from the game.

I've made the jump between the online and the real world almost on a daily basis since I purchased the game and I'm still not used to it. It makes me feel sick every single time and it always takes a few minutes before my body functions as normal again.

It makes sense; your consciousness is literally ripped away from your body when you play. Of course, it will be unsettling when it returns. There's always a small voice in the far back of my head that tells me playing like this can't be healthy for a human body and mind. I think so, too, but I stubbornly decide to ignore that nagging feeling.

Careful not to damage me or the headgear that comes with Anthem of Fighting, I undo the clip that secures it around my head and slowly take it off, trying my best not to tangle the wires. After gently placing it on my nightstand, I sit up and flatten my now messy hair.

"You look like a fish when you gasp for breath like that," a voice suddenly speaks up and I look around to see my two best friends sitting there, one occupying my chair and the other sitting on the floor with his back against a drawer.

"Thanks, Seungmin," I sarcastically reply, ruffling my hair one last time with a frown set on my brows. "I bet you won't look any better when you'll make the jump tomorrow."

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to do it," Seungmin huffs, crossing his arms as he gives me a skeptical look.

"Dude, the gaming console you ordered is freaking expensive," my other friend, Felix butts in from his weird position on the floor. "There's no way you ordered it for nothing so heck yeah you're going to make the jump."

Meet my best friends, Kim Seungmin and Lee Felix. The three of us are the idiots of the street and the noisy trio of the school, hence why everyone seems to know us. I've known Seungmin basically all my life and we met Felix in freshmen year, right after he moved here from Australia. The three of us have been inseparable from that day on.

"That, and it would be cool to play AoF with the three of us," I add and Felix eagerly nods to support my statement.

Felix plays the game as well. We bought it on the same day and we literally spend a good 24 hours on the game before we decided to disconnect and meet up in real life again.

That was the plan, at least. Your body might be sleeping while you're online but your mind isn't. You wake up utterly exhausted every time you log off, all the energy drained from your body and mind.

"Okay, I guess that's decided," the youngest sighs in defeat. "Tomorrow it is."

"I'm still surprised that we managed to convince him that easily," Felix chimes, patting Seungmin's knee since it's the only spot he can reach from his position on the ground.

"I bet I'm even more surprised," the boy mutters with a frown. "I'm still scared as heck, though. Watch me chicken out in the last minute before I log in."

"Don't even think about it," Felix speaks darkly, pointing a stern finger towards the youngest, who raises his brows.

Ignoring the stiff feeling in my muscles, I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and let my bare feet touch the cold floor.

"Why are you guys here, anyway?" I ask, giving both my friends a questioning look.

"Why not?" Felix shrugs. "I mean, we all live in the same street so what stops us from going over to your house randomly and stare at you while you're kind of asleep?"