Amidst the snowy night, Kevin walks after the woman with her purse in hand as he calls out to her.

Kevin: "Hey! Hold on a second"

The woman kept on walking, not paying attention to Kevin's calls. She quickened her steps as Kevin breaks into a sprint, The woman turns the corner with Kevin a few meters behind. When Kevin reaches the corner, he spots the woman walking into a public park across the street. 

Kevin tried keeping up with her, but once he reached the entrance to the park the woman was nowhere to be found. He began looking around trying to find any clue as to where she went, leading him further into the park. Not noticing the woman hiding behind a tree as she watched Kevin run further into the park.

He had checked every site in the park, every small pond, and miniature lake around the entire park but he had come up, empty-handed. Kevin slowed his pace when he reached a clearing of trees before letting out a long sigh of exhaustion.

Kevin: "This is the first *pant* I've run *pant* Since I started *pant* playing e-sports. *groan* I need to lay down"

He leans on a tree next to him before sliding down to the ground as he pants in exhaustion before looking at the purse in his hand. He took another deep breath before leaning his head on the tree behind him. 

When he stared ahead, he noticed a familiar scenery over by the strangely placed bench. He stood up and walked over to the bench before sitting down and being met with a pond shrouded with tall trees.

Kevin: "This park...I remember now, from back then, The day I had my first friend. Gosh this place changed a lot since the last time I was here"

[Flashback]

I was a small little boy, maybe 6-8 years old. I was having a short stroll around the park by myself along with my handheld console playing a cartoon skateboarding game. I walked around the park while playing the game, performing tricks while I race down the mountain ahead of a few ghosts of my character to try and beat my high score in Speed and Style. 

???: "Watch out!"

I was so engrossed in my game I didn't notice the bench in front of me until the last second. On instinct, I front-flip over the obstacle and land perfectly on the bench. I stood up from the bench and continued walking. I noticed that my surroundings got darker but I paid it no mind as my character rides off the ramp.

I then rapidly pressed buttons as my character began a variety of tricks while high in the air. The rapid rustling of grass filled my ears along with the sound of flowing water, but I was still engrossed in the game I failed to notice I was about to fall into the pond. 

I did a couple more tricks with my character, but when I was performing a trick, I felt my collar pull me back causing me to let go of my game from the sudden force that led me to fall into someone before landing on the ground with them. 

I looked over at the pond in horror as I saw my game console fall into the water just as my character face-planted down to the ground, resting my combo and style multiplier with two words displayed on the screen before being submerged in water

Wipeout!

???: "Hey are you-?"

I immediately stood to my feet and dove into the pond and fished out my console and put it to shore. When I held it in my hands, the screen was pitch black and the controls along with the rest of the console were drenched in water.

???: "Umm...Is everything okay?"

Kevin: "Rice..."

???: "Huh?"

Kevin: "Rice! I need Rice!"

I look up at the person next to me and began searching them, I noticed a pouch on their side. I quickly swiped it off of them and felt it in my hands.

Kevin: "It's not rice but it'll do"

???: "Hey, what are you-"

I quickly submerged my console in the pouch before sitting down along with the pouch and began staring at it.

???: "You can't just steal things from people, you know?"

I looked up from the pouch and saw a girl with her hands on her hips with a pouting face

Kevin: "You assaulted me and drowned my videogame"

Girl: "I just saved you!"

Kevin: "The pond wasn't that deep so I wasn't really in danger"

Girl: "Wait, really?"

I looked at the girl deadpanned, this time I got a good look at the girl. She had Auburn hair in pigtails, she has teal green eyes and wearing a light blue sundress.

Kevin: "Yes, so you didn't need to save me"

Girl: "Okay then...Can I at least have my pouch back?"

Kevin: "I can't, my console is still inside"

Girl: "Then take it out"

Kevin: "I can't, I need your pouch to dry my game"

Girl: "Well could you hurry it up? My parents are waiting for me"

Kevin: "Then you can go ahead, I'll just sit here until my game is okay"

Girl: "There's really nothing that can change your mind, isn't there?"

Kevin: "Nope"

I then looked away and continued staring at the pouch with my console

Girl: "Fine, in that case..."

The girl then walked up before taking a seat in front of me as we stare at the pouch together.

Kevin: *still staring at the pouch* "What are you doing?"

Girl: " *still staring at the pouch* "Waiting for your game to dry up"

Kevin: "Why?"

Girl: "Because I need my pouch back"

Kevin: "You sure your parents won't come looking for you?"

Girl: "They'll understand. What about you? Aren't your parents gonna worry about you if you stay out long?"

Kevin: "My game has a tracker, at least that's what my parents say. It stays on when I keep playing the game. Since I can't play, I'll just stay here until they find me"

Girl: "...This is gonna take a long time isn't it?"

Kevin: "Yep..."

Girl: *groan* "This is so boring!"

The girl then sprawled out on her back as she yells out in boredom, I followed after her, laying down on the grass and looking up at the trees that shroud us from the light of the sun. She then shot up to a sitting position, causing me to look at her intrigued.

Girl: "Since we're just gonna be here for a while...how about we play some games?"

Kevin: "But...that's the only game console that I have"

Girl: "Not video games, Silly. Like you play with your friends outside games"

Kevin: "I don't go out very often...I also don't have any friends"

Girl: "Well that changes today because I'm gonna be your friend!"

From then on, my world suddenly shined brighter. She boasted her statement proudly as she puffs up her chest before smiling at me.

Girl: "My name is Sam Summers, you could call me Sammy if you like!"

Kevin: "Sammy..."

Sam: "What about you? What's your name?"

Kevin: "It's Kevin Gatsby. But you can call me Kevin"

Sam: "Okay, Kevin. Let's be friends!"

Kevin: *nods* "Yeah!"

We then shook hands and smiled brightly at each other, I finally made a friend. My first friend. We then proceed to run around, playing tag and all in all having the time of our lives. Time flew by fast as we roll around and laughed at our antics. 

After that we lay down on the grass, we lay beside each other as we grin at each other playfully. When we looked down, we looked under us and saw the pouch still sitting there between us.

Kevin: "Oh your pouch!"

Sam: "I completely forgot about that"

We sat up before I opened the pouch and fished out my game console, now completely dry. I pressed the power button and prayed for it to turn on. Once I heard the boot-up music, I let out an excited 'Yes' as I stare at the start menu of my game. 

I sat my console aside and fixed up the pouch before handing it to Sam.

Kevin: "Here you go! Thanks for letting me borrow it"

Sam: "No problem, I had a lot of fun today"

Kevin: "So did I"

She took the pouch from my hands and attached it to its original place on her side before facing me once more.

Sam: "If it's alright with you, maybe we could play again sometime?"

Kevin: "Mhm! Sure. Same place?"

Sam: "Sure! *extends pinky finger* Pinky swear?"

Kevin: *interlocks pinky finger* "Pinky swear!"

And that was the start of my long-term friendship with Sam. A bond that I grew fond of more than any game.

[Flashback end]   

After reminiscing the past, Kevin stood up from the bench and walked toward the pond in his memories. As he heads to his destination, he pictured his young self along with Sam playing around him as Mirages, each playing a separate moment in time. 

He then reached the Mirage of his young self lying next to Sam as they stare at each other happily, He kneels next to his young self before shedding a tear and letting it fall down his cheek. 

Kevin then sat down in the place where his Mirage lay and placed the purse, that was still in his hand, down where the pouch was before lying down next to Sammy's Mirage before closing his eyes as sleep finally engulfs him.

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