### Chapter 20 Biding Your Time and Moving Forward
When she got home, Night Star dived straight onto her bed and rolled around like a wild animal.
Over at Night Lan’s place, Zero Meow was keeping her occupied for a long time, so she could only come back now. She should be arriving soon.
Every evening, Night Star looked forward most to playing games with both bodies and snuggling up together before sleeping. No matter what, they never grew tired of it.
Of course, first things first, they had to eat their fill.
Night Star suddenly felt that ordering takeout wasn’t necessary anymore.
She thought it would be safer if Night Lan brought something back from their outings.
But right now, she was starving—so much so that she wished Night Lan could teleport back home. Then, she’d leap like a ravenous tiger, pouncing on the snacks Night Lan brought home and chowing down like there was no tomorrow.
“How much longer…”
At that moment, her doorbell rang.
Night Star tilted her head in confusion. “Hmm? Strange, the other me hasn’t returned yet. Who could it be?”
Night Star jumped off the bed and tiptoed to the front door. She moved a little stool over and stood on it, peering through the peephole.
“Uhh…”
It was a black-haired man she didn’t recognize.
“That guy looks suspicious. Could he be the legendary serial killer who breaks in?”
While Night Star was lost in wild thoughts, the person outside spoke.
“Hello, I’m your neighbor. I heard a door open just now and assumed you were back. Can we get to know each other? It might help build a friendly relationship so we can help each other out later.”
Upon hearing this, Night Star remembered moving day—it seemed the black-haired youth outside was actually her new neighbor.
So Night Star carefully cracked open the door a bit and stared at the black-haired man through the little gap.
“Hey… Hi, my name is Night Star. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Mo Tu. Is your name Night Star? That’s a nice name.”
“Thanks. Is there anything else?”
To be honest, Night Star didn’t really want this “friendly” neighbor thing. The socializing seemed annoying. As long as they didn’t invade each other’s lives, that was good enough.
Being a little socially anxious, she figured as much.
Mo Tu didn’t seem to mind Night Star’s wariness and maintained his ever-cheery smile.
“I made some snacks and ended up with a bit too much, so I thought I’d share them with my neighbor. If you don’t mind, please accept them.”
Mo Tu then handed Night Star a small bag.
Night Star subconsciously accepted it.
Feeling the warmth in the bag, Night Star hesitated a moment but decided to accept it.
“Thank you…”
Mo Tu nodded and smiled. “Don’t mention it. Consider it a welcome gift. Well, I’ll be heading off now.”
With that, Mo Tu turned and left, without doing anything that would make Night Star suspicious.
“Hmm…”
Night Star closed the door again and mumbled to herself, “That’s not too bad for a neighbor. I hope he keeps quiet when I’m sleeping.”
Night Star went back to her room and placed the snacks from the neighbor on the table. She planned to play games while waiting.
But as soon as she sat on the bed, her stomach started protesting.
Grrr…
“So hungry…”
Night Star frowned, rubbed her belly, and looked at the snacks on the table.
“Eating a bit shouldn’t cause any problems, right?”
The neighbor seemed nice enough, probably wouldn’t tamper with the food.
Night Star opened the bag and saw some cookies—looked very appetizing.
A faint scent drifted up her nose, almost making her drool.
“They look delicious…”
Night Star grabbed one and took a bite. Her eyes lit up immediately.
“Tasty! Making friends with neighbors also seems nice. He said his name is Mo Tu? Got it.”
There weren’t many cookies, but they did provide a temporary respite from hunger.
Overall, she felt more energized now.
“Time to start the game.”
As soon as she logged in, Night Star saw her game buddy still online. So she clicked and pinged him.
“Wanna play together?”
“Sure!”
After connecting, casual chatting kicked in.
Night Star even used a voice-changing system to avoid any misunderstandings.
“Do you play games all day? You’re always online. Don’t you have work?”
“Well… not entirely. Most of the time, I spend on the internet since I can’t do much physically due to my weak body. I just stay in bed most of the time.”
“In other words, you’re sick, huh?”
“Sort of.”
“Why not rest properly when you’re sick?”
“Because it’s boring. And playing games helps me relax. I’m happy whenever I’m with you.”
“Hehe~ Makes me a bit embarrassed. And I feel happy, too, when I play with you.”
What does “bidding time and moving forward” mean?
Night Star felt a tiny surge of happiness.
Logically speaking, this game buddy should be her first friend.
Though they’ve never met face-to-face, they’ve bonded mentally. They should count as friends, right?
And saying those awkward things made it feel like a meet-up was close.
But that goes against Night Star’s principles.
Trust is trust, but she’s still cautious about strangers.
Thoughtful, she asked, “Where do you live now? Just curious.”
“I live in Yun Chang City.”
“Oh wow? You live in Yun Chang City, too? Same here.”
Night Star was genuinely surprised. This seemed like a happy coincidence.
Her new neighbor also seemed taken aback.
“You live in Yun Chang City? How coincidental! Maybe we’re destined to meet.”
“Uh-huh!”
Then, Night Star felt an urge to meet this game buddy.
If they lived in the same city, it should be easier to meet in person.
But he mentioned having a weak body, so going out might not be easy. It meant she’d have to go it alone.
Feeling inspired but restrained, she asked, “Is your illness serious?”
“Well… hard to say. I’m not sure how serious it is, but it seems difficult to treat. No effective methods have been found yet. If left untreated, I don’t know where it’ll lead.”
“Whoa?! That’s serious? Sounds like a terminal illness.”
“A terminal illness? Could be seen that way. But my sis says hope was found; maybe a cure is possible.”
“Yeah… You’re optimistic. If I got a terminal illness, I’d definitely crash.”
Thinking about her own health issues and lacking someone to care for her made Night Star a bit sad.
“I’m not as strong as you think. But I worry less about people getting worried about me, so staying positive is better.”
“Wow, admirable.”
“Thanking me makes me feel awkward, but thanks for chatting.”
“No problem. Thank you too.”
