"Man, pushing your physical limits in VR is a lot more exhausting than I thought," Futa sighed.
"Tell me about it. But honestly, I'm shocked I can even move like that. I didn't know my body had those settings," Daizen added, stretching his arms.
The two were cooling off in the Soleil breakroom when Shino joined them.
"Yamikaze, Tarako. How are you two holding up?"
"Hey! It's actually a blast," Futa replied.
"I still can't get over the fact that Sinon is actually here," Daizen remarked.
"I usually work from home, but I couldn't help but be curious," Shino said, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Besides, the drinks are free, they cover my transit, and Shana is usually around... it makes the office pretty fun."
Her reaction was painfully easy to read.
"Speaking of which, where is Shana?"
"Oh, um... I-I don't think he's here right now," Shino stammered.
"Bummer. I really wanted to see the guy."
"Well, if you work here long enough, you're bound to run into him eventually."
As they spoke, Shino glanced over at the main floor and let out a soft "Ah." Tanaka was currently surrounded by a group of female employees, seemingly deep in conversation.
"Whoa. Tanaka-san really is a lady-killer, huh?" Futa whispered.
"Y-Yeah. I guess so," Shino replied awkwardly.
"Must be nice. I wish he'd share the wealth and send one of those girls my way."
As they watched, Rosalia appeared and shooed the women away. They dispersed with giggles and smiles, leaving Tanaka and Rosalia alone.
"Man, Rosalia-san is terrifying!"
"But look, everyone else is smiling. This workplace has such a great atmosphere."
"Yeah, I have to agree," Shino said.
Rosalia said something to Tanaka, and he gave a short reply. Instantly, Rosalia turned bright red, fidgeting like a schoolgirl.
"Wait a sec... I thought Bara-chan was head-over-heels for Shana. Why is she making a face like that for Tanaka-san?"
Shino sighed. "He probably just called her by her real name."
"Eh? Are they that close?"
"'Close' is one word for it. 'Tormented' might be another," Shino muttered.
Futa and Daizen's curiosity piqued instantly. "Hey, Shino... what is Rosalia-chan's real name?"
"Why don't you ask her after the shift? It's not really my place to say."
"O-Oh, right. Something to look forward to then!"
The three returned to their tasks, and soon the next break period arrived.
"They give us a lot of breaks here," Futa noted.
"Hydration and mental resets are part of the protocol," Shino explained. Suddenly, she stiffened. "Oh."
Two beautiful black-haired women were standing next to Tanaka. Futa and Daizen froze; they recognized one of them immediately.
"No way... is that Gunner X-chan?"
"She looks exactly like her avatar. It's like she jumped straight out of the monitor."
Tanaka noticed them and walked over, flanked by the two beauties.
"Yamikaze-san, Tarako-san. I'd like you to meet... well..."
"Yamikaze. Tarako. You actually came," the girl who looked like Gunner X said.
"So you've started working here too? Nice to see you again," the other woman added.
"Wait, what?" Futa blinked. "You guys know us?"
The two women shared a look.
"Um... Tanaka-san? How should we handle this?"
"However you like," Tanaka replied with a shrug.
"What do you think?"
"I guess we should just be ourselves?"
"Roger."
The two women turned to Futa and Daizen to introduce themselves properly.
"I am Gunner X. Do you understand?"
""WHAAAAAAAAT?!""
"Seriously?! How is that even possible?!"
"Wait! I remember now! She did mention she used her real face in the game!" Futa shouted.
"Yeah, she did! But wait, back then, she was..." Both men's eyes drifted downward toward Gunner X's chest. Their shoulders slumped simultaneously in a show of profound disappointment.
"Dammit, Shana... you lucky bastard..."
"The ancient legends were true. Flat is justice... but reality is cruel."
"Excuse me," the other woman interrupted, her voice gaining a sharp, irritated edge. "Are you two finished? I'd like to introduce myself now."
The men snapped to attention. "S-Sorry!"
The woman let out a sigh, then offered a graceful smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Nyan-Goro."
"...Eh?"
"...Huh?"
-------------------------------
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