8:00 AM the next morning.
Simulated sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, casting a harsh glare onto the lump huddled beneath the blankets.
Bronya sat up groggily, her head feeling so heavy it was as if she had sprouted forty extra brains overnight.
As expected, she had gamed straight through the night.
The conversation in the lobby last night had been quite pleasant, but it meant she had barely made a dent in her actual gaming schedule.
However, everyone else had eventually logged off and gone to sleep around 3:00 AM. Bronya, on the other hand, had simply booted up different games and soldiered on until now.
You... you couldn't really blame her. This was the dawn of the Intranet Renaissance! Most of the games available right now were classic titles from before the Great Eruption, their source codes slightly tweaked and rushed out for release.
In other words, these were massive re-launches of legendary games!
Every gamer knew what a re-launch meant. The novelty was off the charts, and the games themselves had the guaranteed quality and reputation of the pre-Eruption era backing them. This was an unprecedented Golden Age of gaming! Player enthusiasm was at an all-time high!
Honestly, if time and her current circumstances permitted, Bronya would have developed her own games to capitalize on this gold rush.
Furthermore, because she had been stuck in school for the past two weeks, her gaming routine had been reduced to logging in, mechanically sweeping her daily commissions, and immediately logging off. She hadn't even touched the limited-time events, the main story quests, or the incredibly time-consuming weekly raids.
Now that she finally had a holiday, was she not supposed to clear her entire backlog in one sitting?
And so... she accidentally stayed up all night.
Bronya absentmindedly pressed a hand to her chest. Her breathing felt a bit shallow, and her heartbeat was unusually heavy.
Probably just my imagination... sigh, I won't die.
She rubbed her dry, stinging eyes, willed her stiff, unresponsive limbs into motion, and slowly climbed out of bed.
Simultaneously, her sluggish, solidified brain began attempting to formulate a strategy for the immediate future.
Sister Mei is probably already awake and making breakfast. If she realizes I stayed up all night, she'll definitely confiscate my console, and my glorious gaming holiday will be ruined.
That outcome is catastrophic.
No one is allowed to interfere with my hobbies... especially when my hobbies aren't hurting anyone else!
No one! Not even Shu or Seele... uh, okay, I might have to tactically retreat if it's them.
No, Bronya, focus. You need to figure out how to hide this from Sister Mei.
...All I have to do is wash my face, walk out looking completely normal, and greet her in a perfectly casual tone.
"Ah, good morning, Sister Mei. What a coincidence, you're up early too?"
She shouldn't suspect anything... right?
Yeah, she won't suspect a thing... probably?
After all, we've been through so much chaos together. We've barely ever lived a normal, stable life like this. From Mei's perspective, my current sleep schedule might seem perfectly normal.
But... what if Mei casually mentions it to Seele?!
Seele knows I almost never eat breakfast! If Seele finds out I pulled an all-nighter just to play video games... she won't be that gentle, sweet girl anymore...
As previously established, Seele actually bites when she's angry!
Fortunately, Seele isn't living in the same dorm right now. I'm safe for now.
Bronya stood by her bedroom door, her hand resting on the handle, hesitating for a long time.
Maybe I should just stay in here?
I could sneak into the kitchen, steal some pudding from the fridge, and avoid Mei entirely...
Yes. That is the plan.
Decision made, Bronya gently pushed the door open.
Instantly, a large shadow fell over her.
?
That's not right.
Bronya swallowed hard. Feigning absolute calm, she slowly raised her head and looked up at Mei, who was standing right outside her door, smiling down at her.
"Uh..." Emergency situation! Execute Plan A!
"Haha," Bronya forced a dry laugh, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Good morning, Sister Mei. What a coincidence, you're up early too?"
Mei's gentle smile remained unchanged. She was calmly holding a tray carrying a freshly made sandwich and a glass of milk.
Hmm?
Even though Bronya's brain currently felt like it was submerged in cold butter, her sharp instincts still noticed something was profoundly wrong.
Since when does Sister Mei deliver breakfast directly to everyone's rooms? Is this just how incredibly domestic and caring she is during times of peace?
Damn you, Kiana. Bronya is starting to feel slightly jealous.
Bronya had definitely noticed something was wrong, but she had completely missed the point.
Looking down at the completely spaced-out Bronya standing in the doorway, the smile on Mei's face gradually took on a slightly dangerous edge.
"You must be very sleepy."
?!
Bronya instantly jolted fully awake, a bead of cold sweat sliding down her forehead.
"That is probably because... Bronya just woke up?" Bronya attempted a desperate struggle. She fought to control her drooping eyelids, trying her best to look adorably groggy rather than deathly exhausted.
This isn't a dying struggle.
This is a soldier's dignity.
However, Mei didn't give Bronya the chance to continue her sophistry.
She sighed softly. Holding the tray with one hand, she used the other to gently but firmly push Bronya back into the room.
"Alright, I know you stayed up all night. Eat this, and then go back to sleep."
Mei placed the tray on Bronya's nightstand and handed her a glass of warm water. "Rinse your mouth, eat your breakfast, and don't wake up until 2:00 PM for lunch."
Bronya remained completely silent.
I bet Kiana just got exactly the same treatment... or is about to get it.
I really am a little jealous.
"Sister Mei, actually..."
"You don't need to explain, Bronya. Your dark circles are practically touching your chin. I doubt you could even solve a basic math equation right now."
Okay, let's not go that far.
But Bronya didn't dare argue. As the guilty party currently receiving leniency, she was at a natural disadvantage. She didn't dare talk back, let alone try to justify herself.
She took the water, rinsed her mouth, swallowed it, and silently devoured the sandwich in record time. Then, feeling incredibly touched, she crawled back into bed.
Living like this really is the best~
"Oh, by the way. I'm telling Seele about this."
Bronya: "?"
Upon hearing the devastating news, Bronya squeezed her eyes shut and forcefully initiated a high-quality sleep cycle.
She had miscalculated. Sister Mei wasn't "covering" for her. Sister Mei just cared about her health and didn't want her suffering through the day with the 'exhaustion' debuff.
But that absolutely did not mean Mei was letting her off the hook. On the contrary, Mei's stance on the matter was incredibly firm.
Firmly resolved to ensure Bronya suffered the consequences!
Oh boy. The Bronya is super dead when she wakes up.