Dedicated to my ex-boyfriend
What do you call, love in your reality?
A sob was heard in the room. A few tears fell to the floor.
"Monika~ Noooooo" A blonde haired girl cried, reaching her hand out towards the computer screen. On the screen, a glitched image appeared, along with a soothing voice, singing her feelings, hoping to reach the player.
After a box of tissues, the girl, known as Rin Kagami, scoured the internet, hoping to learn more about the fascinating game. It was then that she came across a video on YouTube, posted by the channel game theory.
(Disclaimer: I don't own game theory. Matpat and Stephanie are just my favorite YouTubers, so cool. I literally wake up at 8 am in the morning just to watch their live streams. Anyhow, if you're interested, watch their game theory on Doki Doki Literature Club, you'll understand much better.)
'Hmmmmmmm. Interesting. Base64 and Binary, huh? If I could use it, I could make riddles and have so much fun!' She thought.
The blue-eyed girl started to try stuff out with the newly learned computer language, turning texts into base64, then into binary, and reversing, seeing if the text would remain unchanged. 'This is so cool!' She started to think who her first victim would be.
'Mayu? Nah, she doesn't care...'
'Rinto-nii? He studies computer though, he'd probably figure it out in a heartbeat.'
The youngest Kagami thought and thought, but to no avail. 'Jeez, who's dumb enough to not know computer stuff, but curious enough to actually care?'
Beep! A sound came from her phone. A message from... Len?!
Len. The long-time crush of Rin ever since elementary school. Miraculously, they stayed in the same school throughout middle school and high school, and her feelings for him never faltered and instead, grew tenfold. She was always entranced by his mesmerizing winter crystal blue eyes.
Len: Hey
Rin: Hey yourself
Len: I'm bored, can I talk to you?
Rin: Hm, sure
Len: So, whatcha doin'?
Rin: Playing a new video game
Len: Games again? Which one is it this time?
Rin: Doki Doki Literature Club, a psychological horror game.
Len: Hm? What's it about?
Rin: Well, I shouldn't spoil it for you, but it includes depression, suicide, self-harm and abuse.
Len: Da hek...
Rin: Haha, I told you it was a psychological horror game
Then it suddenly clicked, Len was always curious, and she had a secret message she wanted to tell him. Why not use him?
Using various online converters, she turned her little declaration of love into a pile of letter vomit, then converting it into binary, and finally making the binary into an image with black and white static. Just like Monika's character file.
Len: Riiin, where'd you go?
Rin: Jeez, dummy, I'm back. I've got a code for you, wanna try cracking it?
Len: A code? Hm, sounds interesting... Lemme see
Rin: (black and white static image) Here you go
Len: Da hek
Rin: Hey
Len: Da hek
Rin: Come on, it's fun
Len: I'm confused at what I'm looking at
Len: Is dat a sandwich?
Rin: No, it's a computer language
Len: At least give me a hint
Rin: Fine, binary.
Len: I'm even more confused now...
Rin: Well, good luck~
She closed the chat and started looking for some mods to play, it would take a while after all...
One day later~
Len: Riiin, haaaalp
Rin: I see you're making wonderful progress
Rin: So? Where are you at?
Len: The beginning...
Rin: Jeez...
Rin: Here's one of the sentences in the paragraph: Who knows? By the time you decode this, you probably already forgot who I am.
Len: Now I want to know...
Rin: Then get to it!
Len's P.O.V
I stare at the static in front of me. What is this? Gosh, why does the love of my life love using riddles so much? Maybe Google searching would help...
Binary is a computer language that is made of 0s and 1s. In an image, zero is represented by black and one is represented by white.
Ok... Lemme search for binary image to text.
Ahah! Found one! Now convert...
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
W-what is this?!
Len: (letter vomit) Rin, this isn't some occult thing, is it?
Rin: You solved the first half of it, impressive.
Len: Riiin, haalp
Rin: You already solved the hardest part, it's easy then.
Len: Define easy
Rin: Basic computer language, I left clues throughout our chat, just look for them.
Clues? I reread everything we chatted about. One thing stood out to me, Doki Doki Literature Club. That psychological game.
I search for ddlc on YouTube. Two game theories? This game must be popular...
Two game theory episodes later...
That's it! Base64! That's the computer language she's using!
Using an online converter, I got the passage.
I love you. I always have and I always will. I love how the littlest of things you do can make me laugh in an instant. It's ok if you don't feel the same way, I'm fine with being your friend, as long as we are close. I know you still love her. Ironic isn't it, the boy who rarely falls in love loves a girl that isn't looking for a relationship. How lucky she is to have caught your eye. Meeting you was truly a blessing. Who knows? By the time you decode this, you probably already forgot who I am. That does not matter, for I will love you till eternity
No way... No freaking way...
She feels the same way?
The next day...
My phone gave a long vibration, a message from Rin.
Rin's P.O.V
I wonder how Len's doing with the code... For some reason, I really want him to solve it, but I also don't want to.
Rin: Any luck solving it?
Len: WW91IGFyZSBzdXJwcmlzaW5nbHkgcm9tYW50aWMsIGV5Pw0K
Wait... What? Uh oh... Warning bells ring off in my head, this is bad, this is bad...
I go to the website, what does he mean?
You are surprisingly romantic, ey?
Len: Not so bad, for a gamer girl
Keep it cool, keep it cool. It's not the end of the world... I think...
Rin: Congratulations for learning base64 and binary
Len: I only solved it so quickly because of the game theory episodes
Rin: So you did watch them... I probably gave you too many clues
Len: I don't know what to say
Len: Are u sure about dat?
Rin: If I weren't sure about my feelings, then why would I tell you them in the first place?
Len is offline.
I feel my world crash down around me. I ruined the friendship between the two of us... He hates me now. Tears pour down my face, gathering at my chin, before dropping onto my shirt.
Ding dong!
What? Who is it? I don't want to go out...
Ding dong!
Ugh... Fine...
"Coming!" I wipe my tears with my sleeve, rushing downstairs towards the door. I open the door to see, the most beautiful pair of cerulean eyes. He was holding a bouquet of crimson roses, each flawless and vibrant, filled with life.
"Hey Rin, would you like to be my girlfriend?"
This is the story of how I got my boyfriend once. No joke. Although the ending is a bit different, and he's ten times sillier than Len is. I helped him solve the binary part. So, dear reader, I encourage you guys to speak up and the somebody you care about them. I never thought he would be mine, but he did, well, not anymore. If you're going through a tough time, like I did because he dumped me, it's not the end of the world. For me, I listened to Irony, Meltdown and Just be Friends and talked to Clover33 and it made me feel much better. He wasn't the one for me after all, and I accept that.
And if he is reading this, thank you for being my first love.