Behind the Screen

Okomani had always loved the rush of online games-the fast clicks, the teamwork, the thrill of surviving the final circle. Though an extrovert by nature, she kept her mic off during games. Talking wasn't necessary. She let her skills speak for her.

That night, though, something felt different. The usual excitement had faded, replaced by a strange sense of heaviness she couldn't explain. So, on a whim, she did something she never usually did-she turned on her mic.

"Cover left," she said during the third match, her voice clear through the headset.

"Got it," replied a new voice-calm, steady. It belonged to a player named Seng.

They didn't say much else at first, but something about the brief exchange felt... natural. Like they'd played together for months, not minutes. The third game ended with a shared victory, and a shared laugh.

"Nice game," Seng said.

"Yeah, not bad," Okomani replied, a small smile creeping across her face.

After three rounds of smooth gameplay, he spoke again. "I'll play again later tonight. Around 10, if you're on."

"Okay," she said without thinking, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through her.

At 10 PM sharp, she was there-headphones on, game launched, waiting.

But Seng didn't log in.

She waited five minutes.

Then ten.

Then an hour.

Still no sign of him.

He didn't just miss the game. He didn't come online at all.

The next day, she opened the app again, hoping maybe he had sent a message. But his status still showed offline. A whole day passed with no sign of Seng. And despite her own surprise, she found herself getting irritated. Why did she care so much?

Maybe it was because of the way his voice had sounded-genuine. Like someone who meant what he said. Or maybe it was because, in that short time, he'd made her feel seen in a space where she was usually silent.

Frustrated, she tapped open the chat and messaged him.

"I'm angry with you."

It wasn't dramatic or poetic, but it was honest. And then, she closed the app, not expecting anything to come from it.

The next evening, as she lazily scrolled through her notifications, her eyes caught a pop-up from the gaming app.

Seng is online.

Her heart jumped before she could stop it. She opened the game, only to find a message waiting for her.