Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 157: Cutscene of the Man Home Alone

He cracked open a cold one. Well, it was a soda, but it was practically the same thing to Han Jing. At least it was mind over matter to him. He sipped the cold drink and then placed the can down at the cabinet near his bed. The young man was lounging across his mattress with his snacks laid with him. The bag of chips was open along with the bag of cookies as he gorged himself with food and watched some random videos online. 

He was purposely distracting himselfand except for him acknowledging it right now, it was working well.

His phone functioned regularly, even with the Races: Online and RUN app installed. It actually worked better. He didn't need to use a data connection to connect to the internet. On top of that, his phone always stayed at 100% now. Which was fitting since his place's electricity had been cut off.

As he paused his video, he came across the date on his phone's screen. And it was weird because he didn't expect that it had only been five days since he downloaded Races: Online? "Hah! My perception of time is really screwing me up now." He rubbed his face. It felt much longer than that.

Or maybe it was because a lot of things had happened in the series of days that it felt like forever?

Han Jing then fully checked the calendar app and took note of another thing. "Mid-Autumn Festival is in eighteen days." And he remembered that he had made a promise to help his mother during that time and she had also told him that it was the day that his father was finally going to get a day off.

The bag of chips he had near him didn't exactly seem appetizing now as it did earlier. But it didn't stop him from cramming some of the chips into his mouth, and then he drank more of his soda. He chewed and swallowed. "I shouldn't have promised to help mom out, then I could have left on that day and come back the next."

He could make an excuse.

Han Jing wasn't Han Jing for nothing. If push comes to shovehe'd make an excuse and spend his holiday at the PC cafe and be done with it. He could help his mother buy ingredients on the day before the holiday too.

He double-checked the date.

"Wait, damn it, it's a Sunday before the holiday! He would already be here." He rubbed his face, "That just means I'd have to leave even earlier." Han Jing sighed and gripped his phone. It wouldn't be weird for him to sleep at the PC cafe, but he would be a hundred percent unconscious that was unlike before if he was keen on playing Races: Online.

"The Soul Waves could help me get through it but I still make questionable decisions when I'm not fully around there." His sentence didn't make much sense, but he knew what exactly he was talking about. It was like leaving 'Han' to the capacities of a drunk Han Jing essentially.

And he didn't like imagining that.

He wasn't going down that road if he had a choice about that. He cleared his throat and looked around his room, and it was starting to grow dim as the rest of the afternoon passed by him. Those videos he watched added up a lot. Han Jing was still too lazy to try and flick on the switch by getting up from his bedadd on to the fact that he had Night Vision, so he had no need for that.

Well, it wasn't only that.

He was more of a lights-off kind guy if someone were to ask him. His thoughts slipped into a different direction, and he coughed as a specific woman came to mind. "Not right now." He slapped a hand over his face. Han Jing didn't have much time to do his business, and it was pretty darn awkward to do it in an essentially shared living space with his family.

Now that didn't mean he didn't do it when he had extra time on his hands. "I wonder what time they'll be back" Han Jing glanced at his apartment room's door and felt a shudder run down his spine. He didn't want to get caught right in the act, and their bathroom was too tiny for him.

It would really go against his desire to get comfortable and relax. It was more of a tension reliever than anything, and he was getting worked up now.

"Wait. I already deleted those videos when I installed the app." Han Jing slapped a hand over his face, and though he could probably watch one online now with the magic of unlimitedand super-speed internet, he was still giving away the data to the Creators of Races: Online. "I don't want to give away much more info than I already have." He grumbled slightly.

The thought that his Moderator could probably see what he was doing and searchingit was enough to make him wince slightly. The individual already had a penchant for teasing him before, and he didn't want it to escalate.

"I should get myself a new phone if I wasn't this broke. Should really look for a job rather than being a slob and staying on my bed and eating these snacks." Han Jing shoved a couple of cookies in his mouth as he did and munched loudly. 

He was being ironic or a hypocrite.

Probably both.

The man was still waiting for replies from either the Moderator or the Wood Elf, and both seemed to be preoccupied with whatever it was that other Races do wait a second. "Peach's obviously not human, so what is she? Some AI? A robot? Or another Race? If so, what kind?" He hadn't asked it before, and he wasn't sure if he should ask her at all.

There was probably supposed to be some boundaries between him and the individuals he was interacting with on Races: Online. Especially more when he considered the fact that this 'Peach' was a Moderator, and yet she was also his safest option eitherthe Creators no doubt chose her for a reason. To Han Jing, it meant that she was less biased than the Wood Elf, and he was sure that guy could have their own agendas.

That was in the off-chance that Han Jing wished to befriend the Wood Elf further than the state they were at now. Peach had mentioned meeting up before when they talked in the messaging app, and it could mean that it was not a problem to meet with the other Races in the future?

"Distance isn't probably a huge matter for them." Han Jing stretched for a moment and yawned. He was thinking too much into this againwell, it was for a good reason. But as he glanced at his empty bag of chips and packets of candies, it was good that he got the chance to unwind and relax.

His ear twitched for a moment, and Han glanced at the door right before it opened up.

It was his mother who walked in with his little sister, she looked positively worn out, and it made him feel guiltyespecially when she opened up her mouth. "What's that mess on your bed right now? Can you not even clean up without me?"

He winced and began to clean up his bed, and hoped his mother wouldn't nag him that he'd have to change his bedsheets. That would be another load of laundry for him, but then again, a clean sheet was better to sleep in, and comfort was a priority for his body while his Soul was elsewhere. Han Jing was pretty sure that his mother was still talkingbut he kind of managed to make his own skill of tuning people out when he wanted to.

At least he wasn't talking back to her.

"Are you even paying attention to me?"

Han Jing turned to her and winced, "Yes, mother?" He watched his mother sigh and plop down on their sofa, even without her saying a thingHan Jing was sure that his mother was aware that he hadn't listened at all. She was too tired to push it further after a long day. On the other hand, his younger sister took her place on their dining table. As the obedient and perfect daughter that she wasthe girl began to do her homework amidst this situation.

The young man belatedly realized that their apartment place now had the lights on.

It would have made sense that his mother strove to get their electricity reconnected asaphis little sister was a student who needed to study at night. Han Jing could only wonder who exactly his mother had borrowed money from but he didn't want to ask her right now. Not when she was too tired, and he could just annoy her further.

And yet there was something else he noticed, his mother didn't bring back home dinner either. Han Jing scratched the back of his head and knew that his mother was too exhausted to cook anything right now, but he was sure that they hadn't eaten anything yet. He cleared his throat, "Hey, Jinjing!"

The girl turned to him with a peeved expression that little girls like her mastered to the core. "What is it, Jing? I'm trying to study." She didn't even call him big bro, this brat. 

"You want to order some dinner online?" Han Jing wagged his phone at her. "My treat."

This was the least that someone like him could do.