Chapter 17: Internet Addict Gabriel
It was finally the end of the day. The moment the bell rang, Kouya grabbed his bag and got ready to leave, his patience with the world already stretched thin. The classroom buzzed with chatter, desks scraped across the floor, and the faint sound of laughter drifted from groups of students discussing after-school plans. Kouya, however, had no desire to linger. The rumors still clung to him like an invisible fog, and the thought of another curious glance made his temples ache.
Just then, a clear and gentle voice called out behind him:
"Kouya-kun, please wait a moment."
He stopped in place and slowly turned around.
The one who called him was a tall, elegant girl with long black hair cascading like a waterfall, her uniform immaculate and posture perfect. A soft, almost natural grace radiated from her, and even her tone carried a touch of calm authority.
"Hmm?" Kouya looked at her questioningly, raising an eyebrow.
He knew this long-haired beauty, of course. Not because he had any particular affection for her, but because she was one of those students everyone seemed to admire—the type who smiled politely to teachers, never missed a deadline, and made others unconsciously straighten their backs when she walked by.
Yes, the class representative herself.
Machiko.
Under his gaze, the black-haired girl blushed faintly, clutching a file against her chest. "Kouya-kun, Gabriel-san lives near you, right? I wanted to visit her on behalf of the class. Since I don't know the way, could we go together?"
Her voice was calm, yet the faint tremor at the end revealed her nervousness. Even the class rep wasn't immune to the strange aura that Kouya exuded—a quiet pressure that made people hesitate.
Kouya exhaled softly. "Hmph, might as well let the class rep see her too. Maybe that'll finally shut those rumors up."
He cleared his throat, ready to reply, when another bright voice broke in—full of righteousness and optimism.
"Perfect timing! I'll come see Gabi-chan too. Let's all go together!"
The sound was cheerful, confident, and brimming with warmth, as if sunlight itself had taken human form.
A flash of vibrant purple hair appeared beside them.
Of course—it was Vigne.
Kouya could already imagine how this was going to go. When Vigne decided something was "the right thing to do," there was no stopping her.
…
Meanwhile.
Inside a dimly lit room where daylight no longer reached.
The curtains had been pulled tight, the faint smell of instant noodles and potato chips filling the stagnant air. The only illumination came from the cold, flickering glow of a computer monitor that bathed the space in pale light.
A blonde girl sat cross-legged at her desk, her eyes bloodshot yet sparkling with unhealthy enthusiasm. Her hands moved swiftly across the keyboard as she muttered under her breath.
"My name is Gabriel…"
"Two days ago, I heard the distant call across space and time…"
"The world of Arad has fallen into endless war, teetering on the brink of destruction…"
"As the top graduate of Angel Academy, it is my sacred duty to save the world…"
"I shall lead the charge, staff in hand, guiding my comrades through trials of blood and iron, to destroy the source of chaos and bring peace and hope to all who suffer—"
"Ah! I died again!"
The girl slammed her mouse with both hands, groaning. "Damn it, lag again! I swear this boss is rigged!" She scratched at her golden hair furiously, grabbed a half-open bag of chips, and shoved several pieces into her mouth in frustration. Crumbs rained down her uniform like snow.
"This boss is impossible… Fine! Let's look up a guide."
Her eyes darted to the search bar. "Eh? 'Luck can't change destiny—only spending money can.' Hmm… I don't really understand, but it sounds oddly philosophical."
There are many things in the world that, once touched, become addictions. A harmless curiosity that evolves into a habit. A single spark that turns into wildfire. Gaming, shopping, or… microtransactions.
Gabriel's pupils dilated as her cursor hovered over the "Shop" button. The screen glimmered, revealing the limited-edition Shadow Priest Set. Her breath caught. "Just one purchase… just to test the stats…"
Knock, knock, knock!
A crisp knocking shattered her trance.
"Gabi-chan, are you there? We came to visit you!" Vigne's cheerful voice called from outside.
Gabriel froze. "No way…" She minimized the game in a panic, shoving empty snack wrappers under her desk.
Kouya, standing in the hallway, folded his arms. He could already sense trouble. "Let's see what this idiot angel is up to now."
Footsteps shuffled behind the door. After a long pause, a click echoed, and the door opened.
Blinding sunlight streamed in, stabbing at Gabriel's eyes like knives. She hissed softly and turned her head away, shielding her face. "Oh… Vigne-chan. What brings you here? And, um… who's this?"
Machiko: "..."
Does the class rep really have this little presence? Unbelievable.
"This is Machiko, our class representative," Vigne explained, a crease forming between her brows.
"Oh, the class rep, huh? Sorry, I only just transferred here, so I didn't recognize you." Gabriel stuck her tongue out playfully, absolutely unapologetic.
"Something's off…"
"Very off!"
Kouya pressed his fingers to his temple. "What the hell happened to you, you fallen angel?"
Wasn't this girl supposed to be strict, disciplined, the very model of celestial virtue? What stood before him now was a creature of pure sloth.
He stepped inside—and immediately froze.
Holy hell.
I must've stepped into a war zone!
Just last weekend, her place had been spotless—clean windows, polished floor, the faint smell of soap. Now it looked like a disaster site. Half-empty bottles rolled on the floor. The curtains sealed the light like a coffin. The faint hum of her computer fan filled the silence.
A thick, greasy smell clung to the air. At first, it was faintly savory, but the longer you breathed it, the more nauseating it became.
"This smell… instant noodles," Kouya muttered darkly. "Of course it is."
He had lived that life once—long nights, bad posture, cup noodles as dinner companions. He recognized every symptom of self-inflicted ruin.
His gaze swept the room: a glowing laptop, snack crumbs across the desk, a soda can balanced precariously on a book, piles of unfolded laundry, and slippers abandoned far apart. His eyes stopped abruptly at something else—blue-and-white striped panties draped over the headboard, accompanied by a frilly white bra.
Vigne moved like lightning, scooping them up and glaring daggers at Kouya.
He ignored her, still scanning the room with grim familiarity. It felt almost nostalgic. "This… feels too familiar."
"Gabi-chan?" Vigne asked, voice rising slightly. "What happened here?"
"Hehe…" Gabriel scratched her head, laughing weakly.
"It's only been a day! How did you become like this already?" Vigne sighed deeply, folding the clothes and gathering trash like a mother scolding her child.
Machiko tilted her head, clearly baffled. "Gabriel-san, are you feeling unwell?"
Gabriel blinked, paused, then nodded far too quickly. "Yeah! I was sick, so I stayed home. Totally sick."
Before she could say another word, her computer let out a dramatic victory jingle.
Vigne raised an eyebrow and approached. "What's that?" She grabbed the mouse and clicked.
The monitor exploded in color—shimmering outfits, golden effects, and a chatbox filled with chaotic text.
"Wha—must've been an ad pop-up!" Gabriel stammered.
Vigne didn't even answer. She moved the mouse, and the in-game character—a female priestess with glowing wings and a shining staff—began moving gracefully. Message bubbles appeared above her teammates:
"Angel Onee-chan, did you get rid of the real-world nuisances?"
"You're late! The raid started!"
"The fate of the world depends on our healer!"
"Yeah! Real friends are boring. Raiding with beer and chicken is the dream!"
"..."
"So this is your 'pop-up ad,' huh?" Vigne's voice was dangerously calm, her eyes narrowing until the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.
Even Machiko could sense the tension, her face pale. "Gabriel-san… have you been gaming all day?"
Gabriel fidgeted, poking her fingertips together. "I-I couldn't help it! They're my new friends. They needed me for the dungeon, and I didn't want to disappoint them…"
Vigne crossed her arms, her aura blazing. "You're going to school tomorrow."
"N-no! I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I'm… I'm still not feeling well!"
"You look perfectly fine to me."
"But the war for Arad's salvation is reaching its final stage!" Gabriel cried dramatically.
"No discussion. You're coming." Vigne's tone was firm, righteous, and absolute. "I'll personally drag you there if I have to."
Gabriel whimpered, her wings drooping as she slumped to the floor like a defeated dog.
Kouya watched the scene unfold, one eyebrow twitching. The image was almost comical. This once-proud angel—now reduced to a lazy, weepy mess surrounded by trash and snack crumbs.
Then it struck him.
This was exactly how his past self had lived.
Endless games. Instant noodles. Isolation. A slow, comfortable decay.
He sighed, looking down at her.
The angel Gabriel—the model of discipline and virtue—was gone. In her place sat a new creature entirely: the slothful, hopeless, utterly addicted gamer known as Internet Addict Gabriel.