Venzel found a quiet spot beneath a broad tree and settled onto the grass, the shade casting a dappled pattern over his screen.
With a flick of his fingers, he opened the system space.
His avatar appeared onscreen, tiny, pixelated, and carrying a familiar farmer's hat, as it wandered through rows of digital soil, now bathed in warm afternoon light.
"Hah…it only takes thirty seconds to harvest potatoes. This really is like the game," Venzel murmured with a grin, watching a fresh batch of golden potatoes pop up like clockwork.
A sparkle of coins erupted as the sale of the potatoes completed, and a cheerful chime rang out.
[+60 Gold Earned]
The numbers flickered satisfyingly at the top of the screen, the small coin icon glinting as if proud of the reward.
He tapped open the land menu.
"Let's expand," he muttered, thumb hovering.
[New Plot Unlocked! Total Plots: 7]
The landscape widened on his screen, another empty stretch of fertile land now his. His little game avatar did a happy spin as if celebrating the growing empire.
With a bit more gold to spare and a new feature blinking excitedly in the corner, Venzel raised a brow.
"Oh right, the coop's unlocked."
He opened the building menu, scrolled through, and tapped the newly-available icon.
[Chicken Coop Purchased!]
A cozy wooden structure appeared near the edge of his farm, complete with a tiny fence and a straw-covered nest. Within seconds, a round, fluffy chicken waddled out, clucking cheerfully.
[1x Chicken Acquired 🐔]
The little bird flapped its wings and began pecking the ground.
Venzel chuckled softly, watching the pixels animate with life.
"Guess I'm in the poultry business now."
He leaned back against the tree, the real wind brushing against his cheeks while the in-game breeze rustled through pixelated trees.
"Venzel? What are you doing here?" Renji's voice cut through the quiet as he walked over, phone now out of sight and his tone casual, at first.
Venzel didn't move from his spot beneath the tree. He kept his back against the bark, legs stretched out, and gaze still half-focused on his screen.
"Enjoying peace. What do you think?" he replied, calm and dry.
Renji huffed and dropped down beside him, arms resting on his knees.
His tone shifted, edgy, with a hint of something biting underneath.
"Look, man. I'm not trying to belittle you or anything, but maybe you should cut it out with the whole goofy act around my dad, alright. You look pathetic when you do thay. You catch my drift?"
Venzel let the words hang in the air for a moment.
Then, without even a shift in his posture, he opened one eye and tilted his head just slightly to glance at Renji.
A pause.
Then venzel followed it with a quiet line:
"I wonder who you really take after. You really must have been adopted. Oh wait, you are."
Renji's jaw tensed immediately. His shoulders stiffened as if struck, and his brows pulled down tight.
The air grew heavier. A single breeze rustled the leaves above, but neither of them moved.
Renji clenched a fist in the grass beside him.
"You got something to say?" he asked, voice low and sharp.
Venzel closed his eye again and leaned his head back against the tree with a sigh.
"Nah," he said with a faint smirk. "You already said enough."
Renji's nostrils flared.
He stood up abruptly, towering a bit over Venzel who remained seated, unmoved, still leaning against the tree.
"You think you're clever, huh?" Renji snapped. "Just because you play the humble act and smile at my parents, doesn't mean I don't see through it. You are just trying to get a job through neopolist or whatever it is."
Venzel opened both eyes now, calmly locking onto Renji's.
His voice stayed level, quiet, but firm.
"Its nepotism, fool. And what exactly do you think you're seeing?"
Renji scoffed.
"You're just trying to worm your way in. Make yourself look like some tragic good guy, after whatever scandal you got kicked out of. You think sucking up to my dad makes you part of this family?"
Venzel gave a slow blink, his expression unreadable. Then he slowly pushed himself up from the ground, dusting off his hands, his face still calm but his eyes slightly sharper now, just enough to cut.
"I don't need to be part of anything," he said. "Your family invited me. I didn't knock on their door. Besides, they pretty much want you to even follow in my footsteps."
"Yeah? Well, maybe they don't know the full story."
A long silence passed.
Venzel looked at him square in the eye, the earlier humor completely gone from his tone now.
"Or maybe you're afraid they'll like me more than they like you. Little junior afraid he'll lose his mommy's love?"
That one hit.
Renji's fists clenched. His jaw tightened, lips pressed together, but his eyes flickered, just for a second.
A tell.
"Don't push it," Renji muttered, voice barely above a growl.
Venzel tilted his head.
"I'm not pushing anything," he said softly. "But you should figure out who you're really angry at. Before it eats you up."
Another silence stretch.
Then, without another word, Renji turned and walked off, his shoulders rigid and his steps loud against the dirt path.
Venzel let the silence settle, then lowered himself slowly back onto the grass, as if the entire exchange had been no more than a passing breeze.
"Appear," he muttered and watch the game-like screen appear, the glow of the game screen lighting his face once more.
"Potatoes are less dramatic and worth something," he muttered, tapping the screen. "Thank God for that."