-Fatty-

Jc looked at her for a few seconds, and when he was about to walk out the door, but she grabbed his wrist, making him stop and look at the one holding his wrist.

"What?" Jc asked in an annoyed tone.

"Where are you going?" Also said by Emily in annoyance.

"... Outside?"

"Don't you want your wallet back?"

"Can you let go first? Despite your delicate hands, your grip is pretty strong for a girl."

"Oh, sorry." Emily let go as she was surprised at her instinct on why she did it. She could have just talked to him that she has his wallet.

Jc shakes his hand a bit from the grip earlier and made a give-me hand gesture to Emily. She reluctantly passes him the wallet.

"Ask Pat on what we agreed on. I will start by tomorrow." He took the wallet and left.

Emilly just stood there in a daze for a moment.

"That!..." Emily re-fume once again.

"Boss! Boss! Manager Pat is not breathing!" Said clap1x while his ears are close to Pat's mouth monitoring his breathing. 

"Let him be! Use the dog to kiss him! I'm going to the office." Tantrum as she goes up the stairs.

#####

On the overpass not far from the 'XK Building'. Jc leans his arms on the side, watching the cars went by.

He takes out his phone, swipe, and clicks the call application, and there he stares at the latest call log for a long before leaving.

#####

*Alarm Rings!*

5:32 AM

*You have 2 Unread Messages*

'Pat - 11:01 PM

 Hey! I just woke up. My head still hurts, so I'll make it short come to the club at 8:00 AM. Do not be late!'

'Mang - 7:24 PM 

 Thank you for paying the bill, Son. We will be staying at the hospital for a while because they have found signs of implication on your father's kidney. Don't worry about us, and don't forget to eat dinner.'

After reading the messages in a half-sleep state, he forces himself to get up, wash up, shower, dress, eat and go outside. There's no one home, and even it did, he doesn't want to stay in that house. The only thing holding him back was his mom when she begged him to stay.

Jc doesn't have a good relationship with his dad since he was a kid due to work, but it doesn't mean he is a bad father. He was perfect. He spoils us and takes us out a lot to eat at the beginning. Not until one day in my Elementary Year he became abusive, alcoholic, and didn't go home a lot. That was the start of hell for our family.

"He's not worth it, mom... I had enough. There's no point for us in staying here. I already booked a flight to grandma's home and called her. She wants you to go home i can just repeat a year and build my future there."

"I begged you... You know your father only has us left, he doesn't have any relatives if we move and something happens to him that will be the end of me also..."

Jc looked at her mom without saying anything. She was always smiling and never complain for all these years.

#####

"That's it, for now, dad will come back again." 

He checks the time on his phone.

6:41 AM

"*Let's kill time at the cafe.*"

#####

*Door Chimes*

When Jc entered the internet cafe, bewilderment appeared on his face.

The internet cafe was oddly quiet, with only a few people using the computers. Based on always coming here, this cafe is packed with players always occupying all seats, and it's always noisy.

He walked towards the front desk.

"Hey! Why is it peaceful here?"

"There's an ongoing tournament below. There's a poster outside, didn't you see it?"

"No... What below? You mean below this cafe?"

"Yea?.. We always held the tournament every year. Are you new to the cafe?"

"Been a year now."

"Well, that explains it. Come, I'll show you."

The server stood up in his seat and called a colleague to be the server for a while.

#####

"We're here. Have a great day!"

The server went back after escorting him. He didn't hear the server because of the noise coming from the door he was about to open, and there he saw what real competition looks like on stage. Even though he hasn't played competitively and only saw these battles online but seeing it up close. It's really different from playing alone.

The size of the stage is like the one you will see at every graduation in school. On stage, there is a transparent box-like room and centered by a wall inside it that mediates the two teams inside. What's more the whole seats for audiences is crowded.

Jc stood at the back, watching the audiences scream, cheer, and chant that came to watch the tournament. 

"*This is a game, right? If it weren't for knowing that I'm here to watch a game tournament. I would have thought I'm in a K-pop concert. If the government saw how many people are here just to watch a game, they would bleed to death.*"

What also surprised him was that there were commentators, and it is live on tv.

"Hey."

Jc looks at the semi-chubby guy sitting in front of him for a sec and turns his head away.

"I'm not a creep, okay? I notice you came out of the elevator and keeps looking around like a country bumpkin."

"Do you to be roasted?" Jc glared as he replies.

"Ahaha, I was joking. Who do you think will win?"

"Not interested."

"A bet?"

"..."

"Haha, Tempted? What do you think?

"How much?"

The chubby guy smirked.

#####

"It's rare as a pokemon to encounter a fat man with a fat wallet." Counting his money on the way out of the cafe.

"Thanks for showing." Jc tipped the server who guide him earlier.

*Bell Chimes!*

"Senior, wait!" The fatty shouts as he runs out of the cafe towards him.