After that incident inside the game, Lyan decided that it had been too much for today, so he slowly took off the headset.
And the first thing he saw was his small, dark room, completely messy.
The same as always.
He remained lying down for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the lack of light. Then he slightly turned his head toward the nightstand.
The digital clock on the table read eight thirty at night.
'Only two hours passed…' he thought, since inside the game at least four hours had gone by.
The physics class and the cleaning with Sera had taken quite some time.
Lyan let out a heavy sigh before slowly sitting up from the bed until he was leaning against the headboard, his legs hanging off the edge as he looked at the headset he was still holding in his hands.
It was strange.
A moment ago he had been in a bright classroom, with the scent of that NPC filling his mind. And now he was there, in his tiny room that smelled of unwashed clothes and instant food.
Without thinking much, he let himself fall back onto the bed, his back hitting the mattress as his eyes remained fixed on the ceiling.
From there he could see the damp stains and worn paint spread across it.
'…'
He lifted the headset above himself, holding it with both hands as he looked at it.
"I wish that kind of peaceful life existed out here…"
Those words left his mouth without thinking. And upon hearing them, he felt a small emptiness in his chest.
In the game, no one looked at him with disdain, much less whispered things behind his back.
That NPC named Reid had treated him like a friend… even if it wasn't real, it felt…
On the other hand, there was Sera, a girl who had smiled at him warmly.
'Why can't it be like that here…?'
He thought, closing his eyes for a few seconds, leaving the headset on his chest.
The weight of the device was comforting in some way. As if it were an anchor connecting him to that other world.
But he couldn't stay like this forever. Lyan opened his eyes and let out another equally heavy sigh.
"Well… I should shower and eat something."
He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully placed the headset on it.
"Tomorrow I have…"
He couldn't finish the sentence…
His expression had slightly darkened as he remembered that he had classes again tomorrow.
But he quickly shook his head and stood up completely. There was no point in thinking about that right now.
When Lyan finished showering, he stood in front of the fogged-up mirror.
He wiped it with his hand so he could see his reflection. The steam from the hot water still lingered in the air.
His black hair was slicked back, fully revealing his face.
He had eyes of the same color, fair skin, and defined yet soft features.
'…'
He considered himself attractive, but he didn't understand why, with that appearance, he had problems at school.
It was supposed to be the opposite, he should have been treated normally, that was all.
He even went to the gym and had an athletic body. He wasn't too skinny or too muscular, but he was in very good shape.
He had everything he supposedly needed to fit in.
And even so…
'Why?'
The boys in his class made his life miserable, and every day was the same. Quiet comments and laughter when he passed by.
Even shoves that were always "accidents." Many of his things disappeared from his backpack.
Despite all this bullying, they had never given him a reason why… not even once.
At first, Lyan thought it was due to some misunderstanding. Or maybe he had done something without realizing it and that was why they treated him like that.
But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't remember doing anything wrong.
He hadn't insulted anyone. He hadn't stolen anything. And he hadn't messed with anyone's girlfriend.
Nothing.
One day he simply arrived at class, and everything changed.
The people who used to ignore him started looking at him with disdain. Those who used to talk to him stopped doing so.
And he never knew why.
'I guess it's just… bad luck.'
That was the final conclusion he reached after months of trying to understand it. It simply seemed like he had been unlucky.
Some people are born with good luck, and others, like him… to be the complete opposite.
He was in the second group.
Without further thought, Lyan looked away from the mirror.
What was the point of having a good appearance if no one saw him that way?
Little by little, he had stopped taking care of himself.
Why style his hair if no one looked at him?
And why cut it if it didn't matter?
He started wearing oversized clothes. Hoodies to hide his body. Loose pants that made him look smaller than he was.
If he was going to be invisible, he would at least do it properly.
He dried his hair with an old towel and left the bathroom without looking at himself again.
What he ate was simple. Instant rice and some vegetables he found in the fridge.
It didn't taste very good, but at least it was enough to fill his stomach.
After washing the plate, Lyan turned off all the lights and got into bed.
The room was left completely dark. Only a bit of light entered from outside through the small window.
Lyan was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.
His mind was blank, thinking about nothing.
He simply seemed to exist and breathe, nothing more.
Sometimes it was easier that way. Not thinking about anything and letting time pass until sleep came on its own.
Because if he thought too much about the matters of his life, the laughter, the whispers, and the looks of disdain toward him…
'Don't think about that…'
He told himself, turning over and tightly closing his eyes.
'Tomorrow will be another day.'
Even though he knew that tomorrow would be the same as today. And the day after tomorrow the same as tomorrow.
Basically an endless cycle…
He hugged the pillow with one arm while facing the wall.
At least in the game things were different… there he at least had a place to escape to.
'I just have to endure until I can log in again…'
With that last thought, sleep slowly began to take him.