Nagi had been more immersed in gaming lately, hooked on yet another online game. This one was all about climbing the ranks with various players, and scoring daily achievements. He never cared much for socializing, especially in games, but there was one player he found himself talking to more than anyone else.

You two had met in-game, constantly competing everyday. Eventually, you exchanged contact info which soon led to talking daily. Conversation became just as much a part of the game as playing itself. But despite all that, Nagi had never seen your face or even heard your voice. Your friendship existed entirely through gaming battles and Discord messages, the kind of bond only passionate gamers understood.

For some reason, Nagi had just assumed you were a girl. He had no proof, nothing at all, it was just something his brain decided, and he never thought twice about it. It wasn’t like it really mattered.

One night, feeling a little bold, Nagi sent a quick message: Wanna video call?

Neither of you had asked before but you agreed, curious to finally put a face to the player you’d been gaming with for months. Nagi set up his laptop, lounging in bed, waiting for the call to connect. He didn’t have any real expectations.

The screen lit up. A face appeared. The face behind the silly little username he talked to every day. And Nagi was… wrong. You weren’t a girl. Not even close.

His eyes widened just a little; it was subtle but still noticeable. You smiled a little shyly from the other side of the screen. Instead of feeling awkward or weird about it, Nagi felt an odd excitement growing inside his chest.

“…Woah.” His voice was flat, but that was just Nagi. He blinked, tilting his head slightly. “And here I was thinking I was texting a girl this whole time.”