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After an hour and a half of class, there is nothing Megan wants more than to just chill. Specifically? To not study for the design test she has tomorrow.
She flops onto her bed beside Lara. She’s stretched out too, texting someone with an unfamiliar contact name. Someone new, probably. Megan opens Minecraft on her phone and starts working on her house, block by block, easy and familiar.
“Girl,” Lara says, craning her neck to look over Megan’s shoulder, “there is no way you’re playing fucking Minecraft right now.”
Megan shoots her a look. “Okay, god forbid a girl wants to wind down after class and take a break for once.”
She keeps building, unbothered, the world on her screen bright and uncomplicated.
There’s almost an order to the way she plays. First, she works on her house. Tending the garden, fixing up the second floor, adding and undoing things until it feels right. Then she feeds her cat, Spoon, named lovingly after Manon’s real life cat.
And if she feels like it, she heads down to the cave by the river and mines a little deeper, just to see what’s there.
Today is a little different. Megan heads into the cave first, armed with an iron pickaxe and a stone sword. She knows Manon would absolutely judge her if she saw — like, seriously judge her — for still using a stone sword, but her iron supply is running low, and of course the new copper update hasn’t dropped yet.
She tells herself it’s fine. She’s careful. Mostly.
Until she hears a hiss in the dark, and then she’s blown to all hell.
“What the fuck?” Megan groans as she respawns in her house. “I didn’t even — what?”
It clicks a second later. Creepers. Darkness. Oh. She forgot the torches.
“Are you okay?” Lara asks, clearly entertained. “It’s just Minecraft, you know.”
Megan shoots the screen a death glare. “Yeah, yeah. Respawn all you want, whatever. Tell that to all my fucking experience points.”
She marches her character back outside, this time remembering to grab torches. She really hopes her pickaxe is still there.
Thankfully, it’s still there. The sword isn’t.
Megan figures she’ll be fine, right up until a zombie comes toward her, holding the sword. Of course.
She fights it off with the pickaxe, teeth clenched, wincing as the durability bar drops faster than she wants to admit. When it gets too close for comfort, she bolts, sprinting out of the cave just in time to watch the zombie stumble into the sunlight and burn.
She exhales, satisfied. Serves it right. She turns back toward the garden, walking over to check on the melon seeds she hauled back from the jungle biome three hundred blocks away. They’re growing nicely. Green and stubborn, doing their thing.
A yellow notification blinks into the corner of her screen. Megan squints at it, leaning closer. Maybe she really should start wearing her glasses more often.
softshell has joined the game.
Megan frowns. Confused. Did Manon change her username?
She checks her friends list, really quick. Nope. Peanutbutterlover67 is still going strong.
Then she opens the settings, scrolls. Multiplayer is on. Anyone can join. Huh.
Still unsure, she closes the menu and looks up, scanning the familiar shapes of her world.
And then she sees them. Him? Her? She doesn’t even know.
Their avatar is… Megan isn’t even sure how to describe it. They’re wearing shorts, and — are those sandals? And then there’s a cherry blossom shawl layered over a coral blouse, which is. A choice.
The avatar itself has long brown hair and the default Minecraft face, flat and unreadable. Megan stares for a second longer than she means to. Anyway, she doesn’t even know if people still bother making their skins look like themselves anymore. Probably not.
She types into the chat, quick and clipped.
meiyokie: hey what’s up
meiyokie: not sure why ur in my world but im not gonna kick you cause this is interesting asf
meiyokie: as long as ur not like a cat murderer or a house burner
The other avatar doesn’t respond right away. Instead, they start chopping down one of the cherry blossom trees Megan planted. Okay. Rude, but not the end of the world.
softshell: I do not kill cats. Or burn houses down.
Megan blinks at the screen. Typing like a serial killer. Okay. Totally fine.
meiyokie: k
meiyokie: if u wanna build stuff there’s more flat land across the river
She leaves it at that, forcing herself to ignore how weird this whole situation feels. Still, she can’t help but sneak glances at what softshell does next. Curiosity wins.
They keep chopping down a few more of Megan’s cherry trees, then craft a table and put it in their inventory. After that, they cross the river, stacking blocks with focused precision.
Megan’s character drifts over, tossing a few things into a chest. Might as well, she thinks. This is probably going to be a one-time thing anyway.
softshell doesn’t thank her, and Megan feels… a little relieved, but also weirdly annoyed.
She swims back across the river, pulling a piece of salmon from her chest to feed Spoon.
After another thirty minutes of playing, Megan decides to check on softshell again. And holy… wow.
They’ve built a house. Not some basic, “I stacked a bunch of planks” house, like, actually built something. Amethyst accents around the windows. A balcony on the second floor, darker wood against the pale pink cherry blossom wood. A triangle roof with stone highlights. Double doors on top and bottom. Flowers lining a neat little path.
Megan blinks. Then blinks again.
“What?” she says out loud, startling Lara. “It took me three days to — you know what? Never mind.”
She types furiously in the chat bar.
meiyokie: HOW DID YOU DO THAR
meiyokie: YOU BUILT LIKE A MANSION HELLO
meiyokie: TEACH ME UR WAYS RANDOM PERSON
A few seconds pass. Then,
softshell: I just stayed focused, I guess. I’ve built more in less time.
Megan frowns. Okay. Cocky.
She types again, fingers flying.
meiyokie: okay so like shes confident damnnn
meiyokie: are you even a she?
softshell: Yes.
Okay. So that’s what Megan knows now, that softshell is a girl, and that she’s insanely good at building mansions in under an hour.
Megan stares at the screen for a beat, then types again.
meiyokie: um im gonna head out soon
meiyokie: gotta actually lock in yk 💔
softshell: Okay.
softshell has left the game.
Megan exits the world a second later and immediately flops face-up onto Lara’s back. Lara yelps, startled, but doesn’t shove her off.
“You’ll never guess what just happened,” Megan says, staring up at the ceiling, still half-dazed.
Lara snorts.
“Really?” she says. “Spill.”
-
“You met who?” Manon says, staring at her like she’s lost her mind.
Megan pokes at the ice in her matcha latte with her straw.
“I don’t even know,” she says. “Some random girl joined my Minecraft world and just — started building a mansion. Like. Who does that?”
She takes a sip, sucks a little too hard, and immediately winces when a shard of ice pokes the back of her throat.
“Ow — fuck.”
Manon doesn’t look impressed.
“I’m not even convinced she’s a girl,” Megan adds.
Manon gives her a look.
“Dude. You know how Minecraft works, right? You have to be pretty close to join someone’s world, and on the same Wi-Fi.”
Megan pauses.
Manon continues, smug now.
“So yeah. She’s a girl. And she’s probably somewhere in your dorm.”
Megan freezes, straw hovering in mid-air.
“So like,” Megan says slowly, “all I have to do is find her.”
Manon shrugs, utterly unhelpful.
“You said yourself it was probably a one-time thing,” Megan pouts, stirring her drink with way too much force.
“Okay, but —” she gestures wildly with the straw, nearly sloshing matcha over the rim, “— the mansion was really good. And if I meet her, I can do that world transfer thing or whatever so she doesn’t lose it.”
Manon rolls her eyes so hard Megan’s surprised they don’t get stuck in the back of her head.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you need to tell yourself, Meg.”
Megan gasps, offended, and flicks the straw at her. It bounces off Manon’s shoulder and leaves a faint green smear on her gray pullover.
Manon freezes. Slowly looks down.
“That,” she says flatly, “was my last clean sweatshirt.”
Megan starts laughing just as Manon lunges for her, chair screeching against the floor.
-
After the hangout with Manon, Megan heads to her next class, already grimacing at the thought of the test.
It actually isn’t that bad. Which is surprising. The diagrams she drilled into her head the night before — half-studying, half-thinking about Minecraft — end up doing their job.
By the time she’s walking back to the dorm, one earbud in and her phone unlocked in her hand, she feels lighter. Curious.
She starts typing furiously into Google.
how to find a minecraft user
how to get someone to accept your friend request quickly
why are people allowed to join your world without being friends
Google, as usual, is useless, rambling about privacy settings, dropdown menus, whatever. None of it helps. Megan sighs, shoving her phone into her pocket as she nearly trips stepping into the elevator.
“Sorry,” she mutters automatically to the girl she bumps into.
The girl is pretty. Straight black hair, chocolate-brown eyes. She clutches a book to her chest and stares straight ahead, headphones in, expression unreadable.
For half a second, Megan wonders.
Then she shakes her head.
softshell could be literally anyone in this building.
She steps out of the elevator and immediately tucks her phone into her pocket, determined not to almost eat shit again today. When she opens the dorm door, she’s greeted by the sight of Lara very much wrapped up in a… passionate embrace with some girl.
If Megan were literally anyone else, she would’ve yelped and slammed the door shut. But unfortunately, this is also her dorm. So instead, she sighs, walks in, and tosses her backpack onto her bed.
“Again?” she asks, incredulous.
Lara and the girl jump apart like they’ve been caught doing something illegal. Lara grins, unapologetic and a little breathless.
“Hey, Mei!” she says. “This is Sophia. She’s in the dorm like, five doors down.”
Megan raises an eyebrow, eyeing them both.
“Wow,” she deadpans. “A whole five doors. Very scandalous.” Sophia blushes, smoothing her shirt down before grabbing her glasses off the nightstand and slipping them back on.
“Nice to meet you,” she says quickly. “I’ve seen you before — you work at that boba place by the Dumpling House on weekends, right?”
Megan blinks, then racks her brain.
Oh. Oh.
“Wait,” she says, pointing at her, “weren’t you the one who tried to unlock the 25th hour with, like, three extra bags of Thai tea?”
Sophia groans, burying her face in her hands.
“Yeah,” she admits. “It didn’t work. Unfortunately. I only stayed up until three in the morning and almost fell asleep during my actual test.”
Megan snorts.
“You gotta pace the Thai tea. Otherwise it turns on you.”
Lara laughs, sliding an arm around Sophia’s waist.
“See? She gets it.”
Megan drops onto her bed, kicking her shoes off.
“I don’t get it,” she says. “I’ve just seen enough caffeine-induced regret to recognize the symptoms.” She turns and glares at both of them.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Megan says, already peeling off her jacket, “I’m going to wind down for a bit. If you’re gonna kiss, do it, like, in her dorm or something.”
Sophia blushes again.
“We didn’t want to kiss in front of my roommate.”
Megan gasps, clutching her chest.
“Why am I the one getting sacrificed?”
Lara rolls her eyes.
“Come on, Mei. It’s fine. Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
Megan makes an exaggerated blah-blah-blah motion with her hand as she flops onto her bed.
“Yeah, yeah,” she says. “Just—keep it down, will you?”
Lara grins.
“No promises.”
They do, thankfully, stop kissing, which Megan considers a personal victory. She opens Minecraft and settles back against her pillows, thumbs moving on autopilot as the familiar loading screen fades in.
The first thing she notices is that Spoon is gone.
Megan straightens up immediately. “What—”
Panic hits for exactly three seconds before she spots him wedged awkwardly against the wall, having clearly been pushed there by her dog, Cassie. Named for her actual dog back home, who is also a menace.
“Oh,” Megan mutters. “There you are.”
She walks her character over and feeds Spoon two pieces of salmon instead of one.
“You get an extra fish today,” she says softly. “Cassie was being mean to you, wasn’t she?”
Spoon meows, and Megan finally relaxes again. Her shoulders drop as the familiar, soft game sounds filter through her AirPods.
She decides to head back into the cave, half-lit by the torches she placed before. Iron pickaxe in hand, she starts mining copper. Finally, the stupid update has arrived. Now she doesn’t have to worry about losing her experience points every time she goes deeper to find an iron vein.
A creeper slinks too close for comfort, but Megan’s ready. Spoon has this habit of bringing her exactly one string after she goes to sleep, so she takes her newly made bow and shoots.
“Take that, fucker,” she mutters, picking up the gunpowder it drops.
She goes a little deeper, placing more torches as she goes. Eventually, she spots a vein of lapis lazuli. Jackpot. She’s going to need it soon. Time to make an enchanting table.
Megan eventually makes her way out of the cave, taking the minerals she’s found over to one of her chests. Copper goes straight into the blast furnace to smelt, while she wanders over to check on her garden.
Most of the melons are ready, so she harvests them, some tucked into her inventory, the rest carefully stored in the chest by the composting bin. The carrots are growing painfully slow, so she grabs some wheat seeds and starts crafting bone meal. Once she adds it to the carrot plants, she harvests the now-grown carrots, and drops them neatly into the chest as well.
Everything seems calm, so Megan steps outside, squinting across the river at softshell’s mansion.
A figure moves inside, opening the double doors and letting a small group of animals wander in. Foxes? Yep. Definitely foxes.
Wait. When did softshell even get here?
Megan opens the chat, looking at the small yellow notification in the corner.
softshell has joined the game.
She blinks, rubbing her eyes. She should really start wearing her glasses more often.
She taps out a quick message in the chat, trying to keep it casual. At least, she thinks she’s keeping it casual.
meiyokie: hello again
meiyokie: really didn’t wanna lose ur mansion huh
meiyokie: i wish u luck with the foxes they kill every chicken and rabbit in their range 💔
A few seconds pass.
softshell: Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.
Megan frowns. She’s tempted to kick softshell out of her world, but eventually her curiosity wins. She really wants to know who this person is. So she lets it slide.
Megan fires off another message, fingers moving faster than she can think.
meiyokie: are you gonna stay mysterious forever
meiyokie: i know that ur in the same dorm
meiyokie: well like the bigger system
meiyokie: can i at least know ur major please 🙏
The reply comes almost immediately.
softshell: No.
softshell: Where’s the mystery in that?
Megan glares at the screen.
Okay, yeah. Fair.
She exhales through her nose, then shrugs it off, steering her character back toward the cherry blossom grove. She chops down a few trees for more wood, petals drifting down around her avatar as if the game itself is laughing at her.
She takes a deep breath, fingers hovering for a second before typing one last message.
meiyokie: can i at least friend u? please pretty please
meiyokie: 🥺
softshell: Sure. It won’t help you find out who I am, though.
meiyokie: yaya thats ok no worries 😌
A small notification pops up.
softshell has accepted your friend request.
Megan grins down at the screen, satisfied. Okay. Progress.
She heads inside her house, grabs around thirty of the god-knows-how-many copper ingots she’s mined, and swims across the river. She drops them into the chest she’s set aside for all of softshell’s gifts.
meiyokie: here’s some copper
meiyokie: i mean if u want it
meiyokie: u dont have to take it but yeah i have too much
softshell: Thanks.
meiyokie: no prob mystery girl 😉
Megan leans back, smiling at the screen. Yep. Definitely getting somewhere.
Lara clears her throat, and Megan looks up. Lara’s squinting at her, Sophia passed out on the bed beside her.
“Who are you texting?” Lara asks. “You’re smiling at your screen. Are you blushing?”
Megan sputters. “I’m not texting anyone! I’m literally playing Minecraft.”
Lara’s grin widens. “Ooooh. Did Mystery Girl join again?”
Megan shoots her a weak glare.
“I swear to God,” Megan says, “next time you bring Sophia over, I’m teasing your gay ass into next week.” Lara yawns, stretching an arm over her head.
“You cannot be talking right now,” she says. “You literally tripped when you saw that one dance major. What was her name again? Daniela?”
Megan doesn’t even hesitate. She grabs a pillow and hurls it at her.
-
It becomes routine, almost without Megan noticing it happening. Minecraft after her last class, every day at 4:30. And every day, softshell joins her world.
She picks up little things, here and there. softshell hates going into caves, hates losing experience points, which is, you know. Fair. She has a sister back home, wherever that is. She likes cats. English isn’t her first language.
Megan starts calling her Shelly, because she won’t let her real name slip.
meiyokie: do u wanna take a little trip to the village
meiyokie: its like 500 blocks away buttttttt i made a trail!
meiyokie: u can see the very neatly placed pink blocks
softshell: Very neatly.
Megan grins. Yeah. Shelly also has a sense of humor.
meiyokie: so like why are we insulting my brick placing skills 💔💔
softshell: Because you messed up an entire row of glass bricks when we tried to make a greenhouse for your garden.
meiyokie: okay, you got me
meiyokie: what do u say
meiyokie: up for the village?
meiyokie: we can get u a cattttt
softshell: Fine. Only because I need a cat.
meiyokie: yes u do. lets go!!!!!
Her character takes off down the pink trail, bouncing with every step. Shelly stays close behind, hopping across the cherry blossom wood like the grass is lava.
meiyokie: its such a cool village omg there are so many cats
meiyokie: i stayed there for awhile until i found my home!! brought spoon with me <3
softshell: You don’t seem like the type of person to leave a village.
meiyokie: OKAY NOT MY FAULT THAR I KINDA HATE CAVES
meiyokie: I ONLY GO IN THEM CAUSE INE DYA IM FONNA GET DIAMOND ONE DAY I SWEAR
softshell: I believe in you.
softshell: Actually.
Megan’s chest feels warm for some reason she can’t name, even though she’s literally playing Minecraft with someone she’s never met in person before.
meiyokie: thanks shelly
meiyokie: ur a real one 🙏
softshell: You’re welcome.
Megan rolls her eyes. She’s told Shelly countless times that she doesn’t need to use punctuation, but Shelly always does anyway. Full sentences. Capital letters. Periods like she’s writing an email. Maybe Megan can convince her to switch to emojis instead. Baby steps.
They finally make it to the village, and Megan silently thanks the Minecraft gods that all the cats are still there. A miracle, honestly.
Shelly immediately beelines for the well in the center of the village, fishing rod already out. Megan snorts.
meiyokie: you’re fishing there??
Her character stands, watching Shelly cast her line straight into the well like this is a totally normal thing to do.
Okay, fine. Megan laughs a little. Just a little. Until Shelly pulls up one salmon. Then another. Then another. Four salmon in maybe five minutes, tops.
Megan stops laughing.
softshell: Told you it would work.
meiyokie: hmph. gloating now, are we?
Shelly’s character does a little jump by the well, and Megan can hear the smugness through the screen.
Megan watches her character walk up to a calico kitten, slow and careful. Shelly crouches, inching closer, and the kitten follows the salmon in her hand like it’s magnetized. One piece. Two. Three.
Pixel hearts pop up over the kitten’s head, and Megan laughs. Shelly immediately breaks a purple flower, turns it into dye, and changes the kitten’s collar to purple.
meiyokie: all for the aesthetic i see i see
softshell: I hate red collars.
meiyokie: YES PMG WHY IS RED THE EDFUALT OCOLR 💔💔
softshell: You have a valid opinion. For once.
meiyokie: HEY I’LL TAKE IT
Shelly leads her cat out of the village, and Megan follows, past the lanterns and the pink cherry blossom blocks that mark the way home. The cat is tiny, lagging behind, then suddenly blinking forward when Shelly moves too fast. Megan smiles at that, even though no one can see her.
They reach the river, and Shelly stops in front of her mansion. Megan hesitates, watching as Shelly opens the door and ushers the cat inside. Then Shelly’s character turns, facing hers.
softshell: Are you coming inside?
meiyokie: am i like allowed to??
softshell: Of course, dummy. Don’t let the foxes out.
Megan walks her character inside and actually has to bite back a reaction. Thank god this is all online, because if Shelly could see her face right now, she would be unbearable about it.
She’s seen the house a dozen times from the outside, over weeks of playing together, but she’s never gone in. Megan had always convinced Shelly to come mining instead. Once. Never again.
The inside is even better. Pink cherry blossom wood everywhere, amethyst accents catching the pixelated light. Soft pink carpet covering the floor. Chairs made out of fences. And in the corner—
An amethyst bathtub.
Megan grins at her phone.
meiyokie: i thought you said an amethyst bathtub was useless? 😏
softshell: It was only for if you ever came over.
Megan swallows. Her heart does something stupid and fast, and her face goes hot. Once again, thank you, Minecraft Gods.
meiyokie: aww seeeee you do like me, admit it
meiyokie: you’ve grown so fond of me you even added a bathtub for me in ur mansionnn
softshell: It’s just basic etiquette. You didn’t kick me out.
softshell: Why didn’t you kick me out?
softshell: I’ve always wondered.
Megan frowns at the screen. She hesitates, thumbs hovering, then types anyway.
meiyokie: uhhhh
meiyokie: i thought you were interesting
meiyokie: cause who just joins a random world out of nowhere and makes themselves at home
meiyokie: and cause i thought you were cool
meiyokie: possibly
meiyokie: maybe
meiyokie: and cause one day im gonna figure out who you are
softshell: You wish.
softshell: Also, you think I’m cool?
Megan rolls her eyes, steering her character toward the pink couch in the center of the room.
meiyokie: fine. just a little bit.
meiyokie: time to go now 💔💔 i have a LOT of homework to do
softshell: Good luck on your design test tomorrow.
meiyokie: ty!
Megan pauses. Her finger hovers over the screen. She doesn’t remember telling Shelly about her test.
meiyokie: wait, howd you know i have a design test?
meiyokie: how’d you know im in DESIGN???
softshell: <3
Megan groans, face heating up again, but still types back fast.
meiyokie: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
softshell: Maybe.
meiyokie: BRO
meiyokie: im not even gonna think about that right now
meiyokie: bye stalker <3
softshell: Bye.
Shelly leaves the world. Megan finally hits save and exit, watching everything blink away. She tosses her phone onto the bed and covers her face with her hands.
“Mystery girl again?” Lara asks, not even looking up from her desk.
Megan nods, voice muffled. “She knows who I am.”
Lara laughs so hard she actually tips out of her chair.
“And you still don’t know who she is? Oh my god.”
Megan sits up, glaring. “I swear I’m going to find her one of these days. I SWEAR.”
Lara rolls her eyes, hauling herself up. “Okay, lovergirl. To get your mind off this, how about dinner with me and Sophia? She’s bringing her roommate.”
“Absolutely not.”
“We’re eating at the place with the hainan chicken you said you’d die for. And the boba place next door.”
Megan sighs. “Okay, fine. But if you sneak off to make out in the bathroom, I will clock your ass.”
-
“Megan!” Lara screams as Megan slams the brakes for the eleventh time. “I swear to GOD if you crash this car—”
“You’re not helping!” Megan yells back as she clips the curb.
“Oh my god. I’m going to die in this car. I’m going to die without ever asking Sophia to be my girlfriend—”
“YOU AREN’T DATING HER?”
“WE NEVER USED A LABEL, OKAY?”
A car honks, loud and sudden, and Megan jumps, gripping the wheel tighter. Lara grips the door like it’s the only thing keeping her from flying out. Megan jerks the car into the parking lot, tires squealing, backing up crookedly. She tries again. Once. Twice. Each attempt worse than the last. Eventually, she just gives up. Who even cares if the car is crooked? Not her.
Lara lets go of the door with a huge sigh, chest heaving. “When I get my own car, you are NEVER driving it.”
Megan twirls the keys on her finger, spinning them around before clipping them onto the little heart carabiner on her jeans. “My car’s cooler than whatever one you’re going to pick.”
“Yeah, yeah. You and your M3,” Lara mutters, rolling her eyes, already plotting revenge for the inevitable future.
Megan shrugs, grinning. “Deal with it.”
They walk up to the restaurant, and Megan can already tell Lara’s nervous. Wiping palms on her jeans, chewing the inside of her cheek like she’s about to throw up or do something dramatic.
“Girl. You know she’s like, so into you, right?” Megan says, patting her shoulder.
Lara nods, weak. “Ugh. I just get so nervous around her.”
Megan shrugs, grinning. “You’re fine. She’s not scary.”
Lara groans. “That doesn’t help.”
Megan holds the door for Lara, stepping in right after her. The second the smell hits, her stomach does a little happy flip. Ginger, garlic, MSG. The universe seemingly decided to throw all the good smells into one tiny restaurant. Then the sizzle, the yelling, the chaos of cooks doing their thing. Yep. This is exactly her kind of chaos.
“Lara! Megan!”
Megan turns just in time to see Lara practically sprinting toward the voice, dumb grin plastered on her face. Megan rolls her eyes so hard it almost hurts and follows, taking in the scene.
Sophia’s already at a table, smiling and waving, and next to her is a girl — wait. The girl from the elevator.
Megan freezes for half a second, then shrugs it off, because hello, she’s not nervous or anything.
Sophia grins as Lara and Megan slide into the chairs across from them. Lara grabs Sophia’s hands immediately, both of them giggling like idiots. Megan makes a fake gagging motion at the girl across from her, and the corner of her mouth quirks up.
“I don’t think you guys have met Yoonchae yet,” Sophia says, patting the top of the girl’s head.
Yoonchae swats her hand away, rolling her eyes.
“She came all the way from Korea!” Sophia adds, grinning. Yoonchae whines, shoving Sophia’s shoulder.
“Why is that the first thing you say about me?” Her voice lilts, an unfamiliar accent slipping through each word.
Megan thinks about how her name would sound if Yoonchae said it — and nope. The sapphic gods are definitely not on her side right now.
Sophia grins at Yoonchae and pats her head again. This time, Yoonchae doesn’t even try to swat her away, something Megan definitely notices.
“You’re not only Korean,” Sophia says. “You’re smart, very, very sassy, and you’re, like, the best violin player I’ve ever met.”
Yoonchae hums in quiet satisfaction, worrying a straw between her fingers. Sophia, already bored, turns back to Lara, slipping into that soft, lovey-dovey bubble they seem to generate on instinct. Megan takes the opening.
“You play violin?” she blurts, immediately regretting the lack of chill. Heat creeps up her cheeks.
Yoonchae looks startled for half a second — then she smooths it over, easy.
“I’ve been playing since I was… five, I think.”
Megan gasps, genuinely.
“Five? That’s insane. I played piano when I was five and I hated it. Like, genuinely miserable. My mom made me keep taking lessons because ‘piano is important,’ and I cried every single time until I was seven. But now I’m actually really good at it, so I can basically play whatever I want, which is useful when there’s just—like—a random piano around and—”
She cuts herself off, realizing she’s rambling.
“…yeah,” Megan finishes weakly. Yoonchae smiles, eyes dipping to her glass.
“I cried too, at first,” she admits. “My fingers were always sore, and I could never remember where to place them properly.”
She sighs, stirring the ice with her straw, the soft clink steady and absentminded.
“I can’t imagine not playing violin now, though. I’m a music major, so I’m with my instrument for hours every day.”
Megan nods, something warm settling in her chest as she listens. “That sounds really cool. When did you know you wanted to major in music?”
Yoonchae laughs, eyes crinkling as she does.
“I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else,” she says, gaze drifting somewhere past the table. “My parents were… less than supportive at first. You know. Money. They thought I was going to end up on the streets.”
Megan snorts, nearly choking on her water.
“My mom told me fashion was going to land me in a tent on the sidewalk someday.”
Yoonchae giggles at that, cheeks blooming pink.
“What is it with parents and art?” Megan shrugs, poking at the ice in her glass with her straw.
“I think it’s the Asian parent thing,” she says. “You know. You have to be a doctor. Or a lawyer.”
She lifts a crooked finger, wagging it at Yoonchae as she puts on a mock-stern voice, doing her mom just well enough to be annoying.
“No excuses.” Yoonchae laughs so hard she has to place a hand against the edge of the booth, shoulders shaking. For a split second, Megan worries she might actually tip over.
Something warm blooms in her chest anyway, right as the waitress appears at their table, ready to take their order.
-
The smell of garlic and ginger hangs thick in the air as Megan digs into the Hainan chicken, pinning a piece down with her fork and tearing into it with her teeth. It’s messy. It’s perfect.
Lara laughs, poking her shoulder.
“You know,” she says, sing-song, “this was the only reason she agreed to come. It’s her favorite place on campus.”
Megan glares at her over a mouthful of chicken and rice, lips shiny with grease. She swallows.
“I would’ve come anyway.”
“Lies,” Lara says immediately.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to keep your hands to yourself!” Megan shoots back.
Sophia chokes on her drink, face going pink. Yoonchae giggles, covering her mouth with her napkin.
“How—how dare you!” Lara huffs, grabbing a fried dumpling and biting into it like it’s wronged her personally. “I am perfectly capable of acting like a respectable adult.”
Megan snorts and goes back to her food, utterly unconvinced.
“Sure,” she says dryly. “You little savage. I’ve seen your DMs.”
Sophia’s head whips around so fast Megan’s surprised she doesn’t get whiplash.
“Lara!” she says, scandalized. “You showed her?”
Lara sputters, hands flying up defensively.
“She was looking over my shoulder! I didn’t show her—wait, no!”
“I’m sorry!” she yelps, right as Sophia grabs the baseball cap sitting beside Yoonchae’s arm and smacks Lara with it.
It’s not hard, but it’s dramatic. Completely deserved.
Yoonchae laughs into her sleeve, shoulders shaking, and Megan smiles into her rice, satisfied with the little bit of chaos she’s caused.
They keep going like that, laughing, overlapping, talking over one another the way people do when they’re comfortable.
Sophia launches into a rant about the jerks in her Marketing class, the kind who think group projects mean everyone else does the work. Lara immediately counters with her Songwriting teacher, who apparently told her last week that her song “lacked talent” and was “emotionless,” which makes Megan’s blood boil on her behalf.
Yoonchae talks about her upcoming recital, fingers tracing idle circles around her glass as she explains the piece she’s been practicing, how nervous she is, how her professor keeps pushing her to go bigger, louder, braver.
And then Megan takes her turn.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, lowering her voice and looking around just in case, “but these girls in my class are SO fucking annoying.”
She stabs a piece of chicken with her fork for emphasis.
“They come in late every single class. Every time. Matcha in hand. And not even, like, normal matcha. Starbucks matcha.” She grimaces. “With five different customizations. Five. Like, please. You do not need five pumps of toffee nut syrup in your matcha.”
Lara snorts. Sophia laughs. Even Yoonchae giggles, eyes bright.
Megan waves her hands, straw pointing everywhere as she unleashes all the frustration she’s been bottling up.
“And they’re also the type that wear neon pink shirts with, like, green camo sweats,” she says, eyes darting between Lara and Sophia. “I am all for female empowerment — don’t get me wrong,” she adds, jab of the straw at Lara for emphasis, “but this? This is too much. Bad fashion choices. For god’s sake, you are literally fashion majors!”
Lara nods sagely, taking another bite of her dumpling. “They should definitely lose the camo sweats.”
Megan points at her immediately. “Right?”
Sophia laughs, shaking her head, and then Yoonchae pipes up, voice soft but perfectly timed.
“I saw someone wear neon orange with bright red the other day.”
That does it. Megan fully loses it. She drops her forehead onto the table with a dull thump, Hainan chicken completely forgotten.
“Just kill me right here and now,” she groans, voice muffled into her crossed arms. “A fashion major cannot survive this amount of color clashing.”
Lara howls with laughter. Sophia reaches over to pat Megan’s back.
“Finish your dinner, Mei,” Lara says, still laughing. “We’ve still gotta show Sophia and Yoonchae the boba place next door.”
Megan lifts her head, blinking through the remnants of her meltdown. She swipes a bit of grease off her chin and rolls her eyes. “Fine, fine. But I swear, if I see one more neon outfit, I’m officially done with humanity.”
-
Thankfully, Megan finishes her Hainan chicken quickly, and they slip into the boba place with about twenty minutes before closing.
“We can walk around campus,” Lara says, scrolling through the menu. “Oh my gosh, there are so many kinds of milk tea.”
Megan snorts. “You say that every time and always pick the same one.” Sophia pats Lara’s shoulder and kisses her cheek.
“She’s right, mahal. I had your order memorized after, like, two trips to the place Megan works at,” she says.
Lara flushes and taps the screen a little too hard.
“You all are so mean. Especially you, Megan.”
Megan grins, watching Yoonchae try to hide a smile behind her hoodie sleeve.
Lara orders her usual, Ceylon milk tea with boba. Sophia orders a Thai tea with boba — thank god for no extra tea bags this time — and Yoonchae gets a mango green tea with lychee jelly. Megan grabs a Jasmine green milk tea, boba and lychee jelly included.
They pay, wave to the exhausted worker, and step outside. The air bites just enough to remind Megan it’s autumn — crisp, moody, swinging the other way. She mutters a silent curse at the weather. LA can flip moods fast, and tonight, luck isn’t on her side.
Sophia and Lara walk ahead, elbows linked, sipping their drinks and laughing. Megan shivers. Why did she think a tank top was a good idea? She takes a sip of her boba. Delicious, but not enough to chase off the chill. If anything, it makes it worse.
A tap on her shoulder. Yoonchae’s there, hoodie in hand, turned toward her. She clears her throat, cheeks heating.
“You looked cold. I do better in cold weather… so I don’t really mind.”
Megan takes the hoodie, warm in her hands, and slips it over her head. Yoonchae’s citrus perfume fills her nose.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, staring down at the boba in her hands. Yoonchae hums softly, and Megan feels herself inch closer. They drift together without thinking, the sunset spilling pinks and oranges over them both.
-
Megan logs onto Minecraft the next day, itching to tell Shelly about Yoonchae.
She tends to her garden first, moving slowly between the blocks, planting, fertilizing, the motions easy and familiar. The yellow notification pops up before she can finish her second row.
softshell has joined the game.
Megan grins, character swimming across the river toward Shelly’s mansion.
meiyokie: i met the cutest girl the other night
meiyokie: she was like SO pretty and SO cute and so akdsfjalsjdlf
meiyokie: i am not the sapphic gods strongest soldier 💔
meiyokie: do you know her? her name is yoonchae
meiyokie: yoonchae jeung
meiyokie: shes a music major
Shelly’s character opens the mansion doors and steps outside, the cat padding after her. It’s grown now. No longer a tiny kitten, but a full-sized calico, collar still purple, tail held high as it trots along behind her.
softshell: Hmm.
softshell: Name doesn’t ring a bell.
Megan raises an eyebrow at the screen, then remembers. Right. Shelly can’t see her.
meiyokie: are you sure bro
meiyokie: youre literally a stalker
meiyokie: maybe u can find more about her for me
softshell: Why don’t you just talk to her yourself?
softshell: Are you that bad at flirting?
meiyokie: um excuse ME im great at flirting with girls
meiyokie: for the most part!
softshell: Sure, Megan.
Megan’s eyes go wide and she takes a screenshot of the whole screen. For proof.
meiyokie: I KNEW YOI KNEW MY NAME
meiyokie: STALKER
softshell: I’d like to think of it as quiet observation.
meiyokie: please don’t buy my info off the internet i have a family 😅
meiyokie: howd you even FIND my name
softshell: I was walking in the hallway and heard someone scream your full name.
softshell: middle and everything.
meiyokie: wait that was when my roommate yelled at me for killing her succulent 💔
meiyokie: anyways when are you gonna tell me who you are?
softshell: Timing is key.
meiyokie: bro.
meiyokie: ur lucky i havent been actively hunting u
softshell: Now who’s the stalker?
Megan rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t push it. Instead, she hops back into the river, splashing her way over to Shelly’s side. They wander through the woods together, chopping trees and poking around like usual, right up until a zombie crawls out of a hole in the ground and immediately ruins Megan’s day.
She yelps as her character drops, scowling at the respawn screen.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she mutters, pouting as she jogs back to the spot.
Thankfully, Shelly grabbed her inventory. No lost iron sword. Yet.
She plays until her eyes start to droop, a familiar blur setting in around the edges of the screen. It’s always routine to warn Shelly before she logs off, give her time to wrap things up, say goodbye.
It’s just common etiquette. Right?
-
When she wakes up, there’s a new text from an unknown number waiting on her phone. She blinks at it, then smiles as soon as she opens the message.
Unknown: Hey, this is Yoonchae :)
Megan’s fingers fly.
mei: YOONCHAE!!!! HIIIII
mei: HOWD YOU GET MY NUMBER
pretty girl <3: Sophia gave it to me. I asked her for it.
Megan grins into her pillow.
mei: awwww that’s sweet!!
mei: hey so this might be weird but
mei: do you wanna hang out sometime
mei: without the lovebirds 👀
The reply comes almost immediately.
pretty girl <3: I’d love that.
Megan squeals, kicking her feet up into the air. No fucking way. She had just snagged a date with Yoonchae Jeung, quite literally the most beautiful girl to ever exist.
Lara shifts groggily in her bed, sitting up just enough to shoot Megan a glare.
“Mei,” she groans. “Do you mind? It’s like, seven in the morning.”
Megan flashes her a sheepish smile, still flushed.
“Sorry! I’m just— I’m really excited. I got a date!”
Lara smirks, flopping back onto her pillow.
“I know. You should thank me and Sophia, by the way.”
Megan gasps.
“Wait. Were you two setting us up?” She pauses, then waves a hand. “Actually, never mind. I don’t even need to ask. Whatever!” She grins, bouncing in place. “I’m going on a date.”
-
Megan learns a lot about Yoonchae on their first date. An afternoon at the aquarium. She learns that Yoonchae’s eyes go wide whenever she watches the jellyfish drift by, that she blows little kisses to the fish when she thinks no one’s looking. She learns about Oreo, the cat Yoonchae left back home in Korea, about her sister, her family, the life she misses.
“I came here because I heard it was better for studying,” Yoonchae admits as they walk beneath an exhibit with a glass ceiling, sea creatures gliding slowly above them, everything bathed in soft blue light. “Learning English at first was… really hard.”
Megan smiles at her, gentle and understanding.
“Yeah. Even I don’t get grammar half the time,” she says. “And reading. Especially reading. I’m dyslexic, so sometimes the words just kind of… fly off the page.”
Yoonchae giggles softly at that, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. God, she’s so cute. They walk in comfortable silence for a while after that, pointing things out to each other, sharing small smiles through the blue-lit exhibits. Eventually, Megan’s hand drifts closer, inch by inch, nerves buzzing under her skin. Oh, what the hell. She reaches out and takes Yoonchae’s hand, already expecting her to pull away.
She doesn’t.
Instead, Yoonchae laces their fingers together and gives a small squeeze. Megan notices, distantly, that Yoonchae’s ears turn a deep red when she’s flustered. They keep walking like that, hands joined, both of them blushing. Yoonchae buries her face in her sleeve, and Megan laughs, because honestly, she might be the cutest person alive.
They end up staying for hours, wandering until the place nearly closes, late enough that they drive to In-N-Out for dinner. Megan laughs as Yoonchae tries — and fails — to stop sauce from dripping down her wrist, a pickle slipping out of her burger and landing in her fries. Yoonchae just shrugs, scoops it up with a handful of fries, and eats it anyway.
“You should try it,” she mumbles around a mouthful of pickle and fries. “It’s really good.”
Megan giggles, obliging. Her eyes widen.
“Wait,” she says. “You might’ve done something.”
-
Megan gets back to her dorm hours later, eyes still bright, a small sea turtle keychain dangling from her phone case. She giggles as she holds it up for Lara to see.
“We’re matching,” she says. “She got a seashell one.”
Lara sighs dramatically, but she’s smiling. “You two are so cute it’s almost disgusting.”
Megan grins. “I could say the same about you and Sophia.”
That does it. Lara’s grin widens, and she drops back onto her bed, laughing. “We’re finally dating. I asked her out properly.”
“Finally,” Megan says. “I was wondering if you’d ever do it.”
“That’s rich, coming from you.”
“We are not bringing Daniela up again, Lara.”
“Whatever. Wait. What’s happening with you and Minecraft girl?”
Megan’s heart drops. Oh. Shit. She forgot to tell Shelly she’d be out today.
She grabs her phone, opens Minecraft, and drops into her world. Shelly’s online. Megan immediately sends a game request, fingers flying over the chat bar the second Shelly joins.
meiyokie: I’M SO SORRY
meiyokie: I FORGOT TO TELL YOU I HAD A DATE WITH YOONCHAE
softshell: It’s fine. I was out today too.
Megan blinks, interest sparking.
meiyokie: ooouuuuuu
meiyokie: what were you doing 👀
softshell: I was out with someone.
Megan’s heart sinks for some reason she can't quite name, but she forces herself to type out a response.
meiyokie: OUUUUU
meiyokie: like out on a date???
softshell: Kinda.
meiyokie: omg BOTH of us are thriving right now
meiyokie: we’re both pulling people
meiyokie: three cheers for shelly and mei!!! 🎉
softshell: Yeah. Three cheers for us.
Megan works on a few last details on her house before heading over to Shelly’s mansion. Shelly’s always had a thing for hyper-realistic builds, so Megan helps her with a shower. Stone buttons placed just right, looking like real knobs.
Shelly walks her character forward, setting down a few panes of glass. Pink, obviously, to match the rest of the house. They both step back.
The shower is perfect. Pristine.
Megan smiles, fingers hovering for half a second before flying over the keyboard.
meiyokie: okay so like
meiyokie: i really like playing with u
meiyokie: and i’d really like to know who u are
meiyokie: when r u gonna tell me :(
softshell: Soon.
softshell: I promise.
Megan beams at the screen.
meiyokie: yayayayyayayy!!
meiyokie: ok imma head out now TEST TOMORROW WOOHOO!!!
meiyokie: gn shelly <3
softshell: Good night, Megan.
Megan freezes, heart skipping hard enough she can feel it in her throat.
She stares at the screen, fingers hovering uselessly over the keyboard, the pink glow of Shelly’s mansion suddenly way too bright.
Before Megan can question it anymore, she taps the menu and hits “Save and Exit.” The familiar blocks dissolve around her, Shelly’s mansion vanishing into darkness.
Her dorm room feels quieter now, almost peaceful. She curls under her blanket, phone tossed to the side, and finally lets her eyelids fall. Sleep takes her quickly, soft and unbothered.
-
The next few days pass in a blur of screens and sunsets. Afternoons are spent building with Shelly. Swimming across rivers, stacking blocks, laughing over text chat. Evenings are for Yoonchae. Quiet walks, shared fries, the way her fingers curl into Megan’s without a second thought.
But there’s a tug in Megan’s chest that she just can’t seem to shake when she’s with Shelly. She’s known she likes her as a friend, ever since Shelly had just appeared in her world, casual and confident. But now there’s something sharper. Every tease, every snarky comment in chat, sends a little thrill through her, a warmth she can’t explain. She’s never even met her in real life, but Megan feels like she’s starting to understand her. Almost like she’s reading her through the words, the timing, the little quirks.
And then there’s Yoonchae. Sweet, soft-eyed, laughing with her whole body. Every time Megan looks into those chocolate-brown eyes, she melts a little. Slowly, the realization claws its way up.
She likes both of them.
And it’s confusing.
-
Megan knocks on Sophia’s door, a single rose clutched in her hand. Yeah, totally cliche, but she doesn’t care. Yoonchae will probably think it’s silly, maybe even laugh at her. And that’s fine.
Sophia opens the door, eyes lighting up. She pulls Megan into a hug, and Megan lets out a surprised grunt, almost dropping the rose.
“Yoonchae’s at her desk,” Sophia says, stepping aside. “I think she’s playing a game.”
Megan’s chest flutters. Maybe she could join her. Maybe Yoonchae liked games, maybe she was a Minecraft girl, maybe… maybe she could see this side of her too.
“She’s in the room,” Sophia adds, nodding toward the door on the left. Megan’s hand trembles slightly as she pushes it open, trying to make it a surprise. She freezes for a second, staring at Yoonchae at her desk, fingers flying over the iPad. Minecraft. She was right. Megan grins, slipping quietly into the room. Yoonchae doesn’t even notice her.
The mansion on the screen catches Megan’s eye. Pink walls, amethyst accents, the same porch and windows… it looks a lot like Shelly’s mansion. Her brow furrows. What?
“Yoonchae?” Megan says, stepping closer.
Yoonchae spins around, eyes wide, then looks back at the screen, realization dawning. Her mouth opens slightly, no words coming out at first. She looks almost guilty, and Megan doesn’t get it at first.
“I wanted to tell you later,” Yoonchae says, voice quiet, “but there was never a good time, and then Sophia introduced me to you in person, and—”
Megan’s head spins. She connects all the dots at once. The seashell keychain Yoonchae picked up at the aquarium. Shelly mentioning a sister. Yoonchae, too. The way Yoonchae could never go on dates when she and Shelly were playing. The periods in Shelly’s chat messages, the texts from Yoonchae. Both of them giving off that same serial killer vibe.
“You’re… softshell?” Megan says, voice a little breathless, eyes wide. The rose slips from her fingers, dropping to the floor.
Yoonchae nods, shoulders slumping. “I was bored one day, and I saw your world pop up. I wanted someone to play with. Your username is your middle name. Figuring out who you really were wasn’t that hard.” Her eyes glisten, and she looks so soft, so guilty, that Megan couldn’t even find a reason to be upset. What would she be upset about?
“No, Yoonchae, don’t cry!” Megan says quickly, stepping closer. “This… this is the best thing to happen to me. Honestly, I kinda knew I liked both you and ‘Shelly.’”
Yoonchae laughs, breathy, eyes still glossy, fingers trembling on her iPad. Megan steps closer, leaning over the chair and wrapping her in a careful hug. She pulls back just enough to see Yoonchae’s lips. Yoonchae’s tongue peeks out as she licks them.
“Can I kiss you?” Yoonchae whispers, voice shaky. “I mean, I’ve always wanted to, and you’re… amazing, both in person and on Minecraft, and I just—”
Megan silences her with a kiss, soft and tentative at first, then pressing closer. Vanilla chapstick. Warm and sweet. Her hands tangle gently in Yoonchae’s hair, pulling her a little closer.
Yoonchae pulls back first, cheeks flushed a soft pink. She looks so perfect. Everything Megan has loved about both ‘Shelly’ and Yoonchae all rolled into one.
“Megan?” Yoonchae murmurs, tugging Megan onto her lap. Megan’s hands land on Yoonchae’s shoulders for balance, strands of dark and pink hair falling around them like a curtain.
“Kiss me again.”
So Megan does.
-
Things don’t really change after that. Megan still goes on dates with Yoonchae, the two of them settling into a comfortable rhythm. Unlike Lara and Sophia, Yoonchae asks her outright if she wants to date, and of course, Megan says yes.
The one thing that does change is where they play. Instead of being five dorms apart, they’re in each other’s rooms most of the time. Sometimes Megan swings by Sophia’s dorm, but usually it’s Yoonchae sitting next to her on Megan’s bed, iPad in both hands.
It’s nice. Really nice. Yoonchae right there, laughing, talking, not hiding behind the chat. Megan can’t resist teasing her, this time about her avatar.
“All the stuff on Marketplace is so expensive! I just took what they had.”
Megan bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach even as Yoonchae smacks her shoulder.
“I’m a fashion major, Yoonchae. And I’ve just got to say that your character is having a full-on fashion crisis.”
Yoonchae rolls her eyes, but the smile never leaves her face as she leans in closer to Megan, their shoulders brushing as the blanket over their laps shifts.
They play until midnight, the weekend giving them free rein. Megan screams as she dies in the Trial Chambers they stumble into, her inventory scattering across the copper floor. Yoonchae dies right after, muttering curses in Korean as they both respawn at their separate houses.
“I hate this game!” Megan whines, dropping her phone onto her lap and burying her face in her hands.
Yoonchae laughs, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, then kissing Megan’s temple. Megan’s cheeks flush pink, and she sets the phone aside for a second, launching an attack of soft kisses on Yoonchae — nose, forehead, lips — until Yoonchae giggles.
“Megan!” Yoonchae says, laughter spilling into her voice. “We have to go back! I’ve got more supplies.” Megan grins, giving in.
“Only because I want to see if we can get our stuff back.”
They do. Most of their inventory is restored, and they make it through the Trial Chambers without further incident. They haul some goods back, almost too much to carry at once. Megan silently thanks Yoonchae for the extra bundles she brought along.
Once everything’s back in her house, she yawns, eyes drooping. Yoonchae leans her head against Megan’s shoulder, and Megan presses a quick kiss to the top of her head before guiding her character over to Yoonchae’s mansion.
There’s a new addition. Beds. Yoonchae’s mansion has a bright orange bed, clashing slightly with the pink, placed right next to her own pink bed. Megan has mirrored it in her own house, placing a pink bed for Yoonchae beside hers.
Yoonchae walks her character over to the bed, and Megan watches as her screen dims. She moves her own character to the bed next to Yoonchae’s, and the screen dims for both of them. Megan logs out, reaching for Yoonchae’s iPad and setting it on the nightstand. She switches off the lamp and pulls Yoonchae into her arms.
The girl fits against her chest perfectly, fingers tightening in Megan’s hoodie. Her breathing evens out, slow and steady, and Megan presses another kiss to the top of her head.
Her last thought before sleep takes her is that she can’t wait to play Minecraft with Yoonchae again tomorrow, and all the days, months, and years after that.