Archive of Our Own

Conor lay sprawled across his bed, one arm thrown over his head, his thumb automatically swiping across his phone's screen. The room was dark except for the cold, bluish light of the display, and somewhere outside a car drove by; otherwise, it was quiet.

TikTok was a bad habit. He'd only meant to take a quick look. Now the little clock at the top of the screen showed that he'd been stuck there for almost an hour again.

He sighed softly. One more video, then he'd put his phone away. Really!

The next clip showed a guy trying to cut a giant watermelon with a small kitchen knife. Conor snorted. A few seconds later, a cat video came on. Then a cosplay. Then more commercials.

He was about to continue swiping when his finger suddenly stopped.

The clip showed a scene from a video game.

A beautifully animated harbor at night, warm lantern light reflected in the water. Soft music played in the background. In the foreground, a character with long blond curls leaned casually against a railing.

Above it, in large letters, was written:

" This gay otome game will destroy your heart. "

Conor raised an eyebrow. "Aha."

He wanted to swipe away. But the video continued.

The next moment, a glass fell from the blond character's hand and shattered. He grinned sheepishly at the camera. "I swear, I can usually hold onto things."

The clip cut to a new scene.

The same guy was now standing at the harbor, the moonlight glittering on the water. "Sometimes," he said thoughtfully, "I wonder if there's more out there."

Then the screen faded to a title.

Moonlit Harbor

Below that is a button: Play now

Conor stared at the screen for a moment. "This is 100 percent clickbait."

He swiped further. Ten seconds later, he swiped back. He looked at the still image of the character once more.

The long curls that fell lightly over his shoulders. The bright eyes. And that slightly chaotic grin.

Conor snorted softly. "He looks... nice."

His finger moved almost automatically. He clicked on the download.

"I have nothing better to do anyway."

That was at least the excuse he gave himself.

The game loaded surprisingly quickly. A few minutes later, the start screen appeared. Soft music played in the background while an animation scrolled across the screen: a small coastal town at night, lantern light reflected on dark water.

The title was re-released. Moonlit Harbor

Several buttons are included.

start

Load

Settings

Conor pulled his legs up and sat a little more upright. "Okay."

He clicked on Start .

The screen went black briefly. Then a message appeared.

Create your character

Including a simple menu.

Name:

Conor tapped briefly on the input field. He thought for a moment. Then he shrugged and simply typed: Conor

"If you're going to do it, do it right." The game let him choose a few more details. Hair color. Eye color. Outfit.

The whole thing wasn't particularly complicated, but enough to give the feeling that you were creating your own character. When he was finished, a short text appeared.

You're moving to Moonlit Harbor.

A small coastal town, somewhere between the sea and secrets.

You are hoping for a new beginning.

But some encounters change everything.

Conor grinned slightly.

"Dramatic."

Then the first scene began.

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The game character, his own created character, walked along a small street. Small houses with warmly lit windows stood on either side. In the distance, the sound of the sea could be heard. A narrator's box appeared.

The air smells of salt and summer.

Moonlit Harbor looks smaller than you expected.

But maybe that's exactly what you needed.

Conor clicked further. His character reached a small square. A few NPCs were milling about, a street musician was playing guitar. A message appeared at the edge of the screen.

Explore the city

Conor tapped curiously at various locations: a market, a small park. Finally, a new option appeared.

Bar at the harbor

He grinned. "Okay." He clicked on it.

The scene changed.

A small bar appeared on the screen. Warm light spilled from the windows, and voices could be heard through the open door. As his character entered, the music changed. Now a quiet jazz song was playing . The room was cozy. Wooden tables were scattered throughout, shelves were stocked with bottles, and a few patrons were chatting quietly. And someone was standing behind the bar.

Conor recognized him immediately. The blond guy from the advertisement.

Long curls fell loosely over his shoulders. A black shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up. Tattoos covered his right arm. The character was polishing a glass.

A name box appeared. Shane

Conor leaned forward slightly. "Ah."

The game showed a short animation. Shane looked up. His eyes were light blue, almost like the sea. "Hey," he said.

Then he leaned casually against the counter. Or at least he tried to. His elbow bumped against a bottle. The bottle tipped over.

Click.

Shane just managed to catch it. He glanced briefly at the bottle. Then back at Conor's character. "That was... part of the show."

Conor laughed loudly. "Okay, I like you."

The game displayed three dialogue options.

1. "Impressive first impression."
2. "Perhaps you should make less dramatic gestures."
3. "Should I pretend I didn't see that?"

Conor thought for a moment. Then he clicked the first one.

Shane grinned immediately. "Wait until you see me dancing." He put down his glass. "Even more dangerous."

Conor laughed again. That was… unexpectedly charming. Normally, characters like that were either super cool or super dramatic. Shane, on the other hand, seemed more like someone who was constantly getting into minor disasters.

"What can I get you?" he asked. At the same moment, he reached for a shaker. The shaker almost slipped from his hand. He just managed to catch it. "I swear," he said quickly, "I can usually hold onto things."

Conor grinned. "Sure."

He clicked through the dialogue. The scene was lasting longer than he'd expected. Shane talked a lot. A whole lot. He explained that he'd inherited the bar, that he sometimes played music. And that he'd once tried to invent a cocktail that tasted so bad a customer had to dilute it with water. "I called it Ocean Disaster ," Shane said proudly.

Conor shook his head, laughing.

The game forced him to make another decision.

1. Stay and continue the conversation.
2. Leaving the bar

Without hesitation, he clicked on Stay .

The next scene showed Shane trying to mix a new drink. He was mid-sentence when he suddenly stopped. "Wait."

He stared into the shaker. " Did I just... use salt instead of sugar?"

Conor muttered to himself, "Please say yes."

Shane cautiously smelled it. Then he grimaced. "Okay."

He put the shaker away. "We'd better not drink that."

Conor grinned so broadly his cheeks ached slightly. This was far more entertaining than he'd expected. He'd actually thought the game would be cheesy. Instead, it felt... alive.

Shane suddenly looked back at Conor's character. "You're new here, aren't you?"

The music became quieter. " Moonlit Harbor is small," he said. "But... sometimes that's not so bad."

Conor clicked on. He didn't even notice how much time passed.

Eventually, a message appeared.

Chapter 1 completed

New scene unlocked.

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Conor blinked in surprise. He had been completely engrossed in the game. When he glanced at the clock on his phone, he frowned. "Wait a minute." Almost two hours had passed.

He briefly placed his phone on his chest. The ceiling of his room suddenly seemed very still again.

But after a few seconds, he picked up the device again. He reopened the game.

And immediately searched for the next scene with Shane. As the night slowly deepened outside, Conor grinned slightly. "Okay," he murmured. "One more scene."

He had no idea that this game had only just begun to turn his life completely upside down.

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Conor had actually planned to only film one more scene. Well, that was yesterday. Now it was the next evening and he was lying on his bed again, just like that, his phone in his hand, the room lit only by the bluish light of the screen.

He stared at the Moonlit Harbor start screen .

"Okay," he muttered to himself. "But only for a short time today."

He pressed Continue .

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The game's music resumed immediately. Soft and calm, almost hypnotic. The camera glided across the harbor of the small town. The lanterns reflected on the dark surface of the water, and somewhere in the background, seagulls could be heard crying.

The next scene started.

Conor's character was standing outside the bar. A text box appeared.

You spent the evening unexpectedly long in the bar.

Maybe you should go home soon.

A dialogue option appeared.

Take another look

Conor grinned slightly. "Of course." He tapped on it.

The scene shifted back to the bar.

It was quieter than before; most of the guests had left. Only two people remained at a table, talking quietly. Shane was standing behind the bar.

He was sorting bottles. Well, at least he was trying to. The moment the scene started, a bottle slipped from his hand. He caught it with a quick reflex. He stared at it for a moment, then carefully set it down. "Okay," he murmured. "I'm going to win today."

Conor laughed. "You're such a disaster."

When Shane looked up and noticed Conor's character, his face immediately lit up. "Hey!" He leaned back against the counter. This time everything stayed put, which made him grin proudly. "See? Perfect." Then his elbow slipped slightly, but he caught himself just in time.

Conor laughed again.

The game displayed a dialogue option.

1. "Perhaps you should strike less dramatic poses."
2. "Everything under control, huh?"
3. "I think I've seen worse bartenders."

Conor clicked on the second one.

Shane nodded gravely. "Absolutely." Then he reached for a glass. It almost slipped from his hand. He caught it at the last moment. Pause. "...Ninety percent."

Conor shook his head, grinning. "Unbelievable."

The scene continued to unfold slowly. Shane began mixing a new drink. He poured some into a shaker, then some more. Then he suddenly stopped. "Wait."

He stared into the shaker. "That was... lime juice." He reached for a second bottle. "Right?"

Conor leaned a little further back against his pillow. He noticed that he smiled automatically.

Shane cautiously sniffed the bottle. Then he grimaced. "Okay." He quickly put it down. "That definitely wasn't lime juice."

Conor snorted. "What was that?"

Shane looked back at Conor's character. "I'm going to call this cocktail..." He thought for a moment. "... Mystery Regret ."

The dialogue options reappeared.

1. "That sounds dangerous."
2. "I think I fit in."
3. "I'll try it."

Conor thought for a moment. Then he grinned. He clicked on "I'll try it."

Shane looked immediately surprised. "Really?" He placed the glass in front of Conor's character. "Brave." Pause. "Or suicidal."

Conor grinned in the real world. "Both."

The scene jumped forward a few minutes. Shane was leaning casually against the counter again.

"So," he said, "you're really new to Moonlit Harbor."

Conor's character nodded. Shane lightly drummed his fingers on the counter. "Then maybe I should warn you."

Conor raised an eyebrow. The next text box appeared.

Warn?

Shane grinned. "This city has two problems." He held up a finger. "First: The wind ruins every hairstyle." Then a second. "And second: Once you're here, you never really leave."

Conor frowned slightly. "That suddenly sounded much more mysterious than expected."

Shane shrugged. "I'm a man of many talents." Pause. "None of them is bartending."

Conor laughed again. It was strange. He usually clicked through dialogues in games like this pretty quickly. But here… he paused briefly on every line. Shane felt somehow different from typical game characters. More unpredictable and chaotic, almost… real.

A new scene began.

The bar was almost empty by now. Only Shane and Conor's characters remained. Shane grabbed a towel and wiped the counter clean. "So," he said suddenly, "what actually brought you to Moonlit Harbor?"

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "I needed a fresh start."
2. "I don't know exactly myself."
3. "I simply got lost."

Conor clicked on the first one.

Shane nodded slowly. "I understand." He glanced briefly out the window. Outside, it had already grown dark, and the sea was now only visible as a dark expanse. "Sometimes you just need a new place." His voice was suddenly a little calmer.

Then he turned around again. "Or another cocktail." He reached for the shaker again.

Conor groaned. "Oh no."

Shane grinned. "This time it'll work."

He started mixing. The animation showed him throwing in the ingredients. Shaking. Then he suddenly stopped. "Wait." He stared into the shaker. "...Did I just put in lemon zest?"

Conor burst out laughing. "You're incredibly bad at it."

Shane looked offended. "That was... experimental."

He placed the glass in front of Conor's character. " Try it ."

Conor clicked. The next text box appeared.

You take a sip.

…

That's definitely too sour.

Conor laughed so loudly that he briefly had to cover his mouth with his hand. Shane looked at Conor's character expectantly. "So?"

A dialogue option appeared.

1. "Fantastic."
2. "That's definitely too much lemon."
3. "I think I'm dying."

Conor clicked on "That's definitely too much lemon."

Shane glanced into the glass. Then he nodded. "Okay." He took it back. "That explains a lot." Pause.

"For example, why my last guest wanted so much water."

Conor was still grinning. He didn't even notice how much time had passed. He just kept playing.

Scene after scene. Dialogue after dialogue.

Later, the scene shifted outside. Shane had closed the bar. Now they were standing at the harbor. The moon was reflected in the water, and the music became quieter.

Shane leaned against the railing, his curls moving slightly in the wind.

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “sometimes I wonder…” He paused briefly. “…if there’s more out there.”

Conor suddenly remembered the line from the advertisement. He smiled slightly. "There it is again."

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "More than this city?"
2. “More than the sea?”
3. "What do you think?"

Conor clicked on the first one.

Shane nodded slowly. "Yes." He looked out at the water. "More than... anything here."

For a moment, the scene fell silent. Then Shane looked back at Conor's character and suddenly grinned. "But hey." He tapped the railing. "As long as I'm here, it can't be that boring."

Conor laughed again. "You're really impossible."

The scene ended slowly.

A text box appeared.

Relationship with Shane +1

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Conor blinked in surprise. "Oh."

He briefly placed the phone on his chest, a slight smile still on his face. He had no idea why this game worked so well, but something about it… drew him in. After a few seconds, he picked the phone up again. His thumb hovered over the screen.

Then he clicked Next .

Because he desperately wanted to know what Shane would mess up next.

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Conor couldn't say exactly when a little experimentation suddenly turned into a routine. But somehow it had happened.

On the third evening, he was lying on his bed again, his legs half-tangled under the covers, his mobile phone close to his face. The clock showed just after midnight. And Moonlit Harbor was playing again.

"Okay," he murmured. "Just one more scene."

He had already said that sentence yesterday. And the day before yesterday.

The loading screen disappeared.

The familiar music began, and the camera glided across the harbor of the small town. The water moved slowly under the moonlight, and somewhere in the distance a small boat bobbed gently.

Conor felt that strange little sensation again. That… tingling of anticipation, and he knew exactly why. Shane was about to appear.

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The scene began in front of the bar. A text box appeared.

Moonlit Harbor for a few days now .

And somehow you always end up back here.

Conor grinned. "Same." His character entered. The bar door opened with a soft jingle.

And sure enough… Shane was back behind the counter. He was balancing three glasses in one hand.

Conor immediately frowned. "Oh no."

Shane looked up. "Hey!" He raised a hand in greeting. The three glasses tipped slightly. He caught two. The third fell. Clink.

Shane looked down at the broken glass. Then back up. “…That was the weakest piece of glass.”

Conor laughed loudly. "You're truly incredible."

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "Maybe you should stop trying to balance things."
2. "I'm pretending I didn't see it."
3. "Impressive."

Conor clicked on Impressive.

Shane grinned immediately. "Thanks." Pause. "I've trained for years." He grabbed a broom to sweep up the broken glass. In doing so, he bumped into a bar stool, and the stool tipped over.

Conor shook his head, laughing. "You're a walking disaster."

Shane put the stool back down. "I prefer the term creative chaos ."

The scene changed a few minutes later. The bar was packed today. Music was playing. A few customers were talking loudly. Shane was moving back and forth behind the bar, trying to take several orders at once. Conor noticed something. Even though Shane kept dropping things, he still seemed to be... nice to people. He grinned at customers, made silly comments, and somehow everyone liked him.

An NPC just said: "Shane, that's the third fake drink!"

Shane glanced briefly at the glass, then back at the guest. "Then today's menu is a surprise."

Conor grinned broadly. "I can't believe this guy runs a bar."

The scene shifted to a quieter moment. The guests had left; only Conor's character remained at the bar. Shane leaned against it, exhausted, his curls slightly disheveled.

"Okay," he said. "Today I maybe got three drinks right."

Conor laughed softly.

Shane looked at him. "Four, if you count generously."

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "That's a pretty bad rate."
2. "I believe in you."
3. "You're still entertaining."

Conor clicked on the third one.

Shane grinned immediately. "See?" He pointed at him. "That's exactly why you keep coming back."

Conor froze for a moment. Then he snorted. "Cheeky."

The scene continued. Shane started washing glasses, talking as he did so. "You know," he said suddenly, "most people come in here, have two drinks, and leave." He shrugged. "You always stay longer."

Conor sensed something strange. It was just a game. But somehow this line felt… more personal.

The next dialogue option appeared.

1. "Maybe I like the atmosphere."
2. "Maybe I like the bartender."
3. "Maybe I have nothing better to do."

Conor grinned slightly. Then he clicked on "Maybe I like the bartender".

Shane stopped mid-movement. The glass in his hand almost slipped away. He caught it. "Oh."

His cheeks flushed slightly. "Um." He quickly put down his glass. "That... uh..." Pause. "That was probably meant ironically."

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Conor laughed. "You're cute."

He only realized a second later that he had said it out loud. He cleared his throat. "I'm talking to a video game character."

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The scene in the game continued. Shane scratched the back of his head. "I'll still take that as a compliment."

A few minutes later, the scene changed. Now they were standing outside. The harbor was calm, the water moved slowly against the wooden pilings of the jetty, and the music had faded.

Shane sat down on the railing. His feet dangled over the water.

Conor noticed that he automatically moved closer to the screen.

Shane looked out to sea. "Sometimes I wonder..." He paused briefly. "...how big the world actually is."

Conor was familiar with this kind of scene, this emotional moment. But this time it felt different. Maybe it was because he knew Shane a little better by now. His silly comments, his clumsiness, and especially his smile.

The dialogue option appeared.

"What do you think?"

Conor clicked.

Shane shrugged slightly. "Well." He looked back at the water. "This town is small." Pause. "But sometimes I feel like there must be so much more out there." He glanced back at Conor's character. "Do you understand?"

Conor felt that strange pulling sensation in his chest again. He clicked. "Yes."

Shane smiled. Not that chaotic grin, no, a calmer one. "Good."

Then he suddenly jumped off the railing and almost slipped. He just managed to catch himself.

Conor burst out laughing. "Of course."

Shane raised a hand. "That was intentional."

The scene ended slowly.

A text box appeared.

Relationship with Shane +2

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Conor blinked in surprise. "Oh." He briefly put his phone down next to him. His room was quiet again.

But his mind was still half in the game. He thought about Shane, his curls, his chaotic smile, and how he was constantly dropping things.

Conor snorted softly. "You're just a game character."

Nevertheless, he reached for his phone again. His finger hovered over the screen.

Then he clicked on Next again .

Because somewhere in this small digital city, someone was waiting again, probably to drop a glass.

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Conor hadn't planned for the game to become a part of his daily routine. Nevertheless, that's exactly what it had become. Four days. Four evenings in a row, he'd fired up Moonlit Harbor as soon as he had a spare moment. Sometimes that was after dinner, sometimes far too late at night.

And every time he told himself the same thing: Just play for a short while.

It never worked.

It was early evening today.

Conor sat on his bed with his legs drawn up, his back against the wall. The window was slightly open, and cool air wafted into his room. His mobile phone lay in his hand.

The familiar start screen shone brightly before him.

Moonlit Harbor

He noticed that he was smiling before he had even pressed continue . "This is ridiculous."

Nevertheless, he pressed the button.

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The music started immediately. That calm, slightly melancholic theme that now sounded somehow… familiar. The camera flew over the small town. Then the scene began.

His character walked along a road that led directly to the harbor.

A text box appeared.

You're spending more and more time at the harbor.

Perhaps because the city is most beautiful at night.

Or maybe, Conor thought, because Shane kept showing up there. When his character entered the bar, this was immediately confirmed. Shane was standing behind the counter. He had an apron tied around his neck. And he was holding a lemon.

Conor frowned. "Oh no."

Shane looked focused. He held a knife over the lemon. Then…slipped, and the knife fell. He caught it, glanced briefly at his hand, then back at the lemon. “Okay.” He cleared his throat. “That was a warm-up.”

Conor laughed. "You'll hurt yourself eventually."

Shane noticed Conor's personality and grinned immediately. "Hey!" He pointed at the lemon. "I'm working on my bartending skills today." Pause. "Well... theoretically."

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "Should I be worried?"
2. "That sounds dangerous."
3. "I believe in you."

Conor clicked on the second one.

Shane nodded gravely. "Very clever reaction." He tried again to cut the lemon. The knife slipped slightly and the slice fell crooked. Shane looked at it, then shrugged. "Rustic."

Conor grinned broadly.

The scene changed a few minutes later. The bar was full again. Shane moved among the customers, trying to take orders. He jotted something down on a small notepad. Then he looked at it. "Okay." He glanced at a customer. "You wanted... uh..." He turned the notepad over. "...something with lime." The customer looked at him skeptically. "A margarita." Shane nodded immediately. "Exactly." He went to the bar, picked up a bottle, then a second, then stopped suddenly. "Wait." He looked back at the customer. "With or without lime?"

Conor clutched his stomach, laughing. "You can't be serious."

The scene shifted to Conor's character at the bar. Shane placed a glass in front of him. "I'm calling this cocktail..." He thought for a moment. "...Courage."

Conor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Shane grinned. "Because you need courage to drink it."

Conor clicked on the next option.

"You want to poison me."

Shane placed a hand on his heart. "I would never." Pause. "Deliberately."

Conor shook his head. He hadn't realized how much these scenes entertained him. It wasn't just funny. It felt... pleasant, almost like talking to someone he liked.

The scene later shifted outside. The harbor was quiet again, only the sea murmured softly.

This time, Shane leaned his back against a railing. His curls moved in the wind.

Conor noticed that he automatically moved a little closer to the screen again.

Shane looked at him. "You're here often."

The dialogue option appeared.

"Does that bother you?"

Shane immediately shook his head. "No."

Then he grinned. "I find it practical."

Conor clicked on. "Practical?"

Shane nodded. "Yes." He pointed to the bar behind him. "If someone survives my bad drinks, I automatically feel better about myself."

Conor laughed. "You're impossible."

Shane shrugged. "But entertaining."

Conor felt that little twinge in his stomach again. He knew exactly what the game did. This slow development and these small moments. Yet it worked.

Shane looked out at the water again. "You know..." He paused briefly. "It's strange." The music faded slightly. "Before, the harbor was just the harbor." Pause. "Now it feels different."

Conor clicked. "Why?"

Shane looked at him again. "Because you're here."

Conor blinked. Then he snorted softly. "It's just a game." Nevertheless, his face grew a little warm.

The scene ended.

A new message appeared.

New story sequence unlocked

Conor sat up a little straighter. "Oh." He immediately clicked on the next page.

The next scene began immediately.

His character was walking through the city again. A storyteller's box appeared.

You notice that you're thinking about Shane more and more often.

Conor paused. "Wait a minute." He laughed nervously. "The game knows me too well."

His character re-entered the bar. This time, Shane was standing on a small ladder. He was trying to get a bottle from a high shelf.

Conor sighed. "This is going to go wrong."

Shane stretched. The ladder wobbled, he reached for the bottle, then his foot slipped slightly.

He lost his balance.

Conor reacted automatically. "Watch out!"

At that same moment, Shane fell off the ladder, but Conor's character caught him.

The animation paused briefly, and Shane blinked in surprise. His curls fell across his face. "Oh." Pause. "Okay." He looked down. "That was... not planned."

Conor noticed his heart briefly raced. He stared at the screen.

Shane suddenly grinned. "But I'll take the dramatic entrance." He straightened up. "Thanks."

The scene remained silent for a moment.

Then a message appeared.

Relationship with Shane +3

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Conor briefly placed his phone on his chest and stared at the ceiling. "Okay, calm down! It's just a stupid game."

His heart was still beating a little faster. He laughed softly. "That's really ridiculous."

Nevertheless, after a few seconds he reached for his phone again. His thumb hovered over the screen. Then he pressed " Next" again .

Because by now he didn't just want to know how the story continued. He also wanted to know what Shane would drop next.

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It wasn't until a few days later that Conor realized Moonlit Harbor had become a habit.

Not one of those loud, obvious habits like coffee in the morning or music while studying. It was more… subtle and inconspicuous. But every evening, as soon as he had some free time, his hand automatically reached for his phone, and every time his finger eventually landed on the same app.

Today it was later than usual; the clock on his bedside table showed just after one.

His room was completely dark, except for the light from the screen. Conor lay on his stomach, the pillow scrunched up under his chest, as he pressed continue .

"Just for a minute," he muttered. He didn't believe it himself at all.

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The familiar music began. By now it felt almost soothing. The camera glided over the small town, over rooftops, streets, and finally to the harbor. The scene began. His character stood outside the bar.

A text box appeared.

You notice that you end up here more and more often.

Conor snorted softly. "This game is attacking me personally." His character entered the bar.

And, as expected, Shane was back. This time he was kneeling behind the counter.

His head only emerged when Conor's character approached. His curls stood on end slightly, as if he'd just bumped into something. "Ah!" He stood up. And in doing so, he hit the back of his head against the shelf. Clack . He grimaced. "Okay." Pause. "The shelf started it."

Conor laughed immediately. "Of course."

Shane noticed Conor's character and grinned. "Perfect timing." He reached under the counter, pulled out a glass, then a bottle, then another. He carefully placed everything down. " Today," he said proudly, "I'm going to make the perfect drink."

Conor raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

The dialogue option appeared.

1. "I want to see that."
2. "I am afraid."
3. "You will drop something."

Conor clicked on the third one.

Shane looked offended. "That's an assumption."

He reached for the shaker. The animation showed him pouring in the ingredients. Then he put the lid on. Shake. Once. Twice. Three times… The lid popped off and half the drink landed in his hand. Shane stared at the shaker, then at his hand, then back at Conor's character. “…That was intentional.”

Conor burst out laughing. "You're impossible."

Shane took a towel and wiped his hand. "Okay." He placed a half-filled glass in front of Conor's character. "Minimalist cocktail."

Conor clicked on. "You spilled it."

Shane immediately shook his head. "No." Pause. "I've... reduced it."

Conor grinned so broadly that his cheeks hurt.

The scene continued. The bar was quieter this time. Only a few guests were sitting at the tables.

At some point, Shane leaned against the counter next to Conor's character. He folded his arms.

His tattoos were clearly visible in the warm light. "You're here a lot." Conor noticed that this sentence had already been uttered a few times during the game. Even so, it felt different this time.

The dialogue option appeared. "Does that bother you?"

Shane immediately shook his head. "No." Then he grinned. "On the contrary."

Conor clicked on. "Why?"

Shane shrugged slightly. "Because you survive my experiments." Pause. "Most people just order beer after that."

Conor chuckled softly. He realized that he was actually looking forward to these conversations now.

It almost felt like... spending time with someone.

The scene later shifted back outside, as usual. The harbor was calm, the waves lapping gently against the dock. Shane sat on the railing, as he often did. His feet dangled over the water. "I've been thinking," he said suddenly.

Conor clicked. "That sounds dangerous."

Shane grinned. "Cheeky."

Then he looked out to sea again. The music became quieter. "I think," he said slowly, "you're the only person who really spends time here."

Conor frowned slightly. The game had many NPCs. But actually…most scenes only featured Shane.

The dialogue option appeared. "Maybe I just like the harbor."

Shane looked at him. His grin softened slightly. "Maybe." Pause. "Or maybe you just like me."

Conor suddenly felt his face warm up. "You're a video game character."

Nevertheless, he clicked on. "Maybe."

Shane blinked briefly, then grinned again. "Then I've won."

Conor laughed. "You're impossible."

Shane slipped off the railing and almost tripped over his own feet. He just managed to catch himself.

Conor groaned, laughing. "Of course."

Shane raised a hand. "I swear, the ground is moving."

The scene ended slowly.

A message appeared.

Relationship with Shane +4

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Conor briefly placed his phone beside him. He stared at the ceiling of his room. It was quiet, too quiet.

For a moment, the real world felt… somehow emptier than the game. He snorted at himself. He put something on. “Now this is getting really silly.” It was just a game. Just a few pixels! A few lines of dialogue! A program! And yet…

Thinking of Shane made him grin slightly again. He remembered his curls, his chaotic movements, the way he constantly messed things up.

Conor reached for his phone again. His finger hovered briefly over the screen.

Then he pressed Next again .

Because somewhere in this small digital city, someone was waiting again, probably about to knock something over.

-°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°-

Conor couldn't say exactly when the game had stopped feeling like a game. Maybe yesterday, maybe even earlier. But by now, it had gotten to the point where he sometimes automatically thought of Shane, even when his phone wasn't in his hand.

That was… strange. And a little embarrassing in some ways, because Shane was nothing more than a character from a dating game, made up of pixels and pre-defined dialogue.

Nevertheless, Conor was now lying on his bed again, the light switched off and the room silent, while Moonlit Harbor started on his screen.

"Just for a moment," he murmured again.

His thumb was pressed to continue .

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The familiar music began. The camera slid over Moonlit Harbor and finally to the small bar with the warm windows. Conor had noticed a pattern by now. The game almost always led him back there, and frankly, he didn't mind at all.

The scene began. His character stood outside at the harbor as always. The wind gently stirred the water, and the wood of the jetty creaked softly.

A text box appeared.

You spend almost every evening here now.

Conor grinned. "Yes, thanks for the reminder."

His character entered the bar. And immediately a noise was heard. CLACK. CLICK.

Conor briefly closed his eyes. "Of course."

As the camera panned into the room, Shane was seen standing behind the bar. He was holding a shaker, or at least half of one. The lid was once again on the floor, and some of the drink's contents had spilled over his hand. Shane looked at the mess, then slowly raised his gaze. "...That was an experiment."

Conor laughed loudly. "You really don't learn anything."

Shane noticed Conor's character and immediately grinned again. "Hey!"

He carefully set the shaker down. "You always come at my worst times." He reached for a glass and almost dropped it, then looked back at Conor's character. "But I'm working on it."

Conor grinned.

The dialogue options appeared.

1. "You need a new job."
2. "I think you're doing this on purpose."
3. "That was impressive."

Conor clicked on the second one.

Shane looked indignant. "What?!" He pointed at the glass. "I would never intentionally drop things." At that moment, the glass slipped slightly from his hand; he caught it again. Pause. "...Almost never."

Conor shook his head, laughing.

The scene later shifted back outside; the harbor was calm, the water moving slowly in the moonlight. Shane sat on the railing as he often did, his curls moving in the breeze.

Conor noticed again that he automatically moved closer to the screen.

Shane looked out towards the sea. "You know..." He paused briefly. "Sometimes I feel like something's not right."

Conor blinked. "Huh?"

The dialogue option appeared. "What do you mean?" He clicked.

Shane shrugged slightly. "I don't know." He looked back at the water. "Sometimes it feels like everything is repeating itself."

Conor's heart suddenly beat a little faster.

Shane continued. "Same days, same conversations, same people." He looked back at Conor's character. And suddenly grinned again. "But maybe I'm just overthinking it."

Conor stared at the screen for a moment. It felt… strange. Almost as if the game itself was commenting on it.

He clicked on. "Maybe."

Shane slipped off the railing and almost tripped over his own feet. He just managed to catch himself.

Conor laughed with relief. "There you are again."

Shane raised a hand. "The floor is to blame."

The scene ended slowly.

A message appeared.

Relationship with Shane +5

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Conor briefly placed his phone on his chest and stared at the ceiling, as he often did. His heart was beating slightly faster than usual. He frowned. This last scene had been different. Somehow… strange. Shane had said something. Something about repetition, about days that were the same.

Conor snorted softly. "You overthink things."

He reached for his phone again. The screen was waiting.

New scene available

Conor hesitated briefly. Then he pressed " Next" again .

He didn't know that this very decision would soon change everything.

-°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°-

Conor noticed something was changing. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it had started, but in the last few days, Moonlit Harbor felt … different. Not just the game world, not just Shane, no… he himself. Every time he opened the game, he felt a slight tug in his chest that was more than just being entertained. A little tingle that made him nervous and curious at the same time. It wasn't just enjoyment of Shane's jokes or his chaotic clumsiness. It was… more. Conor lay down on his bed, phone in hand, the room lit only by the bluish light of the screen.
His heart beat a little faster as he tapped " Continue ."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The music started, softly, as always. But Conor noticed his heartbeat adjusting to the rhythm. The camera glided over the city's rooftops, over the streets that now felt like old friends. The harbor scenes, the bar, the small lights…everything familiar.

His character re-entered the bar. Shane was there immediately. This time, he didn't seem to be sinking into his usual chaos. He seemed... more thoughtful. "Ah, there you are again," Shane said, nodding slightly. His grin was smaller, more reserved, almost shy. " I was expecting you... well, not expecting you, but... somehow... here you are again."

Conor blinked. This felt different. Shane seemed almost like a real person, not a programmed character.

The dialogue options appeared:

1. "You talk strangely."
2. "I'm still here."
3. "Everything OK?"

Conor clicked on the second one. "I'm still here."

Shane nodded. A small smile flickered across his face. "Good. I was beginning to think... maybe you're just another daydream." Pause. "Or another pixel."

Conor laughed nervously. "I'm definitely real... at least, I think so."

Shane shrugged. "Still weird, isn't it? That you're here. So often."

The scene shifted outside, to the harbor. The moon was reflected in the water, the air was salty, fresh, cooler than in Conor's room. Conor felt a slight chill, even though his body was still in his room.

Shane sat down on the railing as usual. His curls moved in the wind, which seemed almost too real. "You know..." Shane began, "sometimes I feel like I've already experienced everything. Not just today, but somehow... always. The same conversations, the same days."

Conor frowned. "You mean... in the game?"

Shane looked directly at him, seriously this time. "I don't know. Something feels different. Do you too?"

Conor felt his heart racing. "Yeah... weird... I don't know..."

Shane leaned back. "It's as if the boundary is blurring. Between me... and you. And maybe... between the game and your world."

Conor swallowed. That sounded strange. But exciting at the same time. "This is just a game. Right?"

Shane smiled slightly, a little embarrassed. "Actually... that should be it. But I don't feel the way I was programmed to anymore. Not like before."

Conor felt a pull in his chest. "You... mean ... that you're behaving differently?"

Shane nodded. "Yes. I do things that aren't in the script . I talk differently. I laugh differently. I... I don't know why. But since you've been here more often, I feel... more alive."

Conor swallowed again. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "So... you realize you're not just a program?"

Shane nodded again. "Yes. And I realize that you're real. You exist behind the screen. And yet you're here. I... I don't quite understand it, but I know it's true."

They stood silently side by side for a long time. The small town was asleep by then; only the soft lapping of the waves could be heard.

Conor suddenly felt his body change. A slight tingling in his arms, a warm pull in his stomach. Not just because Shane was so close, but because he wanted him. Really and truly! Not just as a game character.

Shane noticed immediately and smiled crookedly. " You're red."

Conor cursed quietly in his thoughts. "I'm talking to a game character. A damn pixel."

Shane laughed softly. "And yet you react like a human being."

The dialogue options appeared:

1. "You're weird."
2. "Maybe... I feel more than I should."
3. "I believe that's impossible."

Conor clicked on the second one. "Maybe... I feel more than I should."

Shane looked at him for a long time. Then, very carefully, he touched Conor's hand. Not programmatically or animatedly…really.

Conor felt a small shock run through his body. His heart beat faster. "You... are real."

Shane grinned. "Yes. As real as it gets."

The scene shifted back to the bar. They stood side by side, silent. Shane looked at Conor.
"I think... we should figure out what's going on. Why... why you're here. Why I'm different. Why all of this feels the way it does."

Conor nodded. “Yes. I… I don’t know how this happened. But it feels real. Too real.”

Shane frowned. "Maybe there's a way to reverse this. We have to try."

Conor felt a pull in his chest. "Try... okay. We can do this together."

Shane grinned again, chaotically, humorously. "I knew you had the courage to embark on a crazy adventure."

Conor couldn't help but laugh. "An adventure I can't even understand."

Shane waved it off. "Doesn't matter. The main thing is that we do it together."

The scene ended slowly.
A message appeared:

New story sequence unlocked.

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Conor briefly placed his phone on his chest. His heart was racing with all the sensations. Everything was still, too still. And then he noticed that his body felt different.
A slight dizziness , his surroundings blurred briefly, and suddenly the light from the screen wasn't enough.

Conor closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Shane was standing right in front of him.
Not on a screen or animated. No…real and alive.

His heart stopped for a moment. "What...?" he whispered.

Shane grinned slightly, still chaotically, but now with a touch of seriousness. "Welcome to my world."

And Conor knew: The boundary between game and reality had disappeared.

His heart was pounding, his hands were trembling slightly, and his mobile phone lay uselessly on the bed.

“Okay… okay… this is…”, stammered Conor, “this is impossible.”

Shane grinned crookedly, pulled a lock of hair from his forehead, and shrugged. "I know. Totally impossible. But here I am."

Conor stared at him. "You... you're real. Really?"

Shane nodded. "Yeah. Really. And you're still... well, you."
He took a step closer. "A lot more nervous than I expected."

Conor swallowed. "I should scream. Or... or do something to wake up."

Shane shook his head, laughing. "Don't do anything. I'm really here. And believe me... it all feels just as weird to me as it does to you."

Conor felt a pull in his stomach, a strange mix of fear, astonishment, and a vague longing. "How... how is that possible?"

Shane leaned casually against the foot of the bed. "I don't know exactly. At some point, when you were playing the game so much... I think the program changed something. Let me... out."
He shrugged. "I'm not just code anymore. Not just an NPC."

Conor swallowed hard. "So... you're... alive?"

"As alive as one can become after all that dialogue." Shane's eyes sparkled. "And apparently, you're the reason."

Conor sat up, still clutching the pillow. "I... I can't believe this."

Shane took a step closer, his muscular body looking even more impressive in the dim light of the room. "Yes. I'm real. And I need you to understand what's happening."

Conor stared at him. "What... how are we supposed to... solve this?"

Shane shrugged. "I don't know. But maybe... maybe we have to finish the game. For real."

Conor frowned. "The game? But you're here. We don't need a screen anymore."

Shane nodded, but his expression was serious. "Exactly. The rules... the endings... they still exist. If we don't finish the story, something will remain unresolved. Something... between us."

Conor swallowed. His heart was pounding. "So... you're suggesting... we play the game... in real life?"

Shane grinned. "Figuratively speaking. We're following the story, only this time we're making the decisions ourselves."

They sat down next to each other on the bed.
Shane was still nervous, chaotic, but the uncertainty somehow made him more relatable. "So... I'm here. You're here. Now what?"

Conor sighed. "Now we have to... remember the game. The scenes, the dialogues... the... moments."

Shane chuckled softly. "And if I remember how I used to constantly spill drinks, will it be easier?"

Conor laughed. "Maybe. It was... strangely sweet."

Shane looked at him with a mischievous grin. "You thought I was cute when I was a disaster?"

"Yes... and now even more so, because you're real."

Shane raised his forehead, a hint of seriousness in his blue eyes. "Really... hm? That's new."

Conor realized he was getting more and more nervous. "So... we're going to finish this game. Together."

Shane nodded. "Yes. Together."

-°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°-

They started with the bar scene.
Shane slipped back into his "bartender" role, deliberately tripping over imaginary glasses, and Conor caught him. "You've done this a thousand times in the game," Conor laughed. "Now it's real... and much more exciting." Shane grinned, a hint of seriousness in his ocean-blue eyes. "Better. Much better."

It was crazy, Conor thought. He was playing a game for real. Shane tripped, Conor caught him, they laughed, they replayed the scenes, but each time Conor felt that intense mix of heart palpitations, excitement, and closeness.
The tingling sensation he'd felt in the virtual scenes was now real, tangible.

The next scene took them to the harbor. The moon reflected in the water, the air was cool.
Shane sat on the railing, his feet dangling over the water. "You know…" he began, "this time it feels like everything is real. The music, the city… even the water."

Conor sat down next to him. "It's real," he said quietly. "And it feels... more intense than in the game."

Shane laughed softly. "I know. I feel it too. And I think that's the point."

They talked about everything: the game, the world they knew, the repetitions Shane had noticed in the game. About the pixels that had become people and about feelings that couldn't be programmed.

Conor realized he was thinking about Shane more and more. Not just as a character, not just as a game, but as a real person. His hands trembled slightly as he took Shane's hand. "It all feels so real... way too real."

Shane looked at him, his mischievous smile now soft and serious. "That's it. Really."

They had to recreate difficult scenes…the scenes programmed in the game as emotional high points.
For example, the scene where Shane usually appeared vulnerable and Conor had to make decisions. In real life, it was unfamiliar.
Shane showed a side of himself that he had only simulated in the game: his insecurity, his little doubts, his humor that lightened the tension.

Conor felt everything inside him burn. His heart, his thoughts, his body…everything reacted to Shane. It was more than the game, more than a simulation. And yet, it felt as if every decision, every glance, every moment influenced the outcome of certain rules in the universe.

Finally, they arrived at the scene that represented the game's greatest emotional climax:
the moment when the player truly gets close to Shane.

Shane looked at Conor. His blond curls fell across his face. "This time," he whispered, "it's all real."

Conor swallowed. "I... I know."

They stood facing each other, uncertain, nervous, tense. The game's dialogue options were suddenly irrelevant. Everything was spontaneous, everything was real.

Shane smiled mischievously. "Ready for the final step?"

Conor nodded, his heart racing. "Yes... I'm ready."

Shane reached for Conor's hand. "Then let's see how this story ends."

Slowly, cautiously, they approached each other, until their lips finally met gently. The first kiss was tentative, then it grew more intense. Conor's heart pounded, his stomach fluttered, his body reacting instinctively to Shane's every move.
It was no longer a pixel, no longer a script . It was the two of them, tangible, real, and so incredibly close.

Shane detached himself briefly, grinning slightly mischievously. "Level completed."

Conor laughed nervously. "And... now?"

Shane looked at him seriously. "Now... we've done it. Everything is finished. No more loops, no more pixels, just us."

Conor felt a relief he'd never known before. Everything that had seemed impossible before was now real. Shane, real, and her…together?

They sat down next to each other, their hands clasped. "We finished the game," Conor whispered. "And somehow... it was better than I ever imagined."

Shane smiled gently. " Because you played it with me."

And at that moment, Conor knew: The game was over. But their story had only just begun.

-°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°--°-

The afternoon sun streamed gently through the window, casting bright streaks across the wooden floor and warming Conor's back as he sat on the bed with Shane. They leaned back against each other, legs crossed, hands intertwined. It was quiet, except for the soft hum of their phone, which lay between them on the bed. "I don't think I ever thought we'd actually be sitting here," Conor murmured, his forehead resting on Shane's shoulder. "For real. Not in a game, no pixels. Really... just us."

Shane grinned, that typical mix of mischievousness and trust that Conor loved so much. "Me neither. But here we are now. And honestly... it feels a lot better than any storyline ever could."

Conor chuckled softly. "That's right. And honestly... I love how messy you are. Even without the animated glasses you drop."

Shane nudged him lightly. "Hey, my clumsiness is a trademark. But yeah... being really chaotic feels even more exciting."

They leaned back, heads side by side, and Conor took Shane's phone while Shane leaned forward curiously. "Okay, let's see what the internet is saying about Moonlit Harbor," he said, laughing. "Maybe someone's already figured out I'm not here anymore."

They scrolled through TikTok, laughing at meme remixes of the bar scenes, at funny clips of Shane dropping his drinks, and played short clips to each other. Time passed faster than they had expected.

And then they came across a video that made them both stop in their tracks. The screen displayed a dramatic filter, mysterious music played in the background, while text appeared on the screen:

"Missing character in Moonlit Harbor? Players report an NPC who was suddenly deleted from the game... or... simply gone."

Conor felt Shane's hand tighten around his. They clicked on the video. "It's about you," Conor murmured, looking at Shane in surprise. "It says... that you've disappeared from the game?"

Shane laughed softly, a slightly nervous but amused giggle. "Well... apparently I've become a conspiracy plot. Mysteriously ." vanished NPC … that's probably me."

The video showed screenshots from players pointing to the spot in the harbor where Shane always stood, and suddenly he was gone. The comments were full of speculation: some believed it was a bug. Others said it must be a "glitch in the Matrix."

Conor laughed, but could hardly believe it. "So... I just saw that the players are still playing the game... and they think you've just disappeared?"

Shane shrugged, grinned mischievously, and rested his head on Conor's shoulder. "I'd say... they have no idea I actually exist now. But hey... we do. And that's what counts."

Conor nodded and chuckled softly. "Yes. And that's kind of... our secret."

They leaned back, their phones between them, and remained seated like that for a long time. Shane played with Conor's hair while Conor ran his hand down Shane's back. The feeling was familiar, warm, and safe.

“You know,” Shane said after a while, “it still feels a bit like a game, only… without rules, without a script . And that’s the best thing about it.”

Conor nodded and smiled. "Yes. Just us. Real and chaotic and... infinitely close."

They laughed softly, cuddled up together, and enjoyed the silence, broken only by the occasional scrolling of TikTok. Shane playfully nudged Conor: "Hey, maybe we'll see each other again in the game sometime... just as a reminder."

Conor grinned. "Or we can make our own story."

Shane nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. That sounds perfect."

And so they sat there, laughing, scrolling, cuddling, the sun slowly setting, the city outside quiet, knowing that their story had only just begun. Not in a game. But in reality.