Lincoln Loud liked to think of himself as a person of great patience and endurance, living with ten sisters had at least taught him that much already while dealing with their daily shenanigans. Not that he didn't like helping his sisters, but when you are the only brother in a big family of ten sisters with different interest, it kind of gets exhausting really fast, and not to mention taxing for his body. Even at such a young age, he had learned not only how to schedule his time properly for each of his sisters but also the importance of choosing between his need and desire, what should be his priority and what he can live without.

Of course with each decision, he was also meticulously planning ahead like he always does with everything in his daily life. With each purchase, new possibility would also arise with the involvement of his sisters into the equation, a variable in his life he always made sure being accounted into his plan. Anything could happen with them being around. Though it was never really a problem to him. Even when his plan failed which was not really a surprise to him by now, he just couldn't help but put his sisters first as his priority. He don't know how or when it even started becoming like this for him, but somehow between his need and desire, his sisters were also there in his mind as an afterthought. Though honestly, he didn't think much of it since every siblings were probably also like that, after all it was only normal to think about your family when you're buying something.

Like how he can't just look at anything chocolate related being put up on a great sale without thinking of his sisters, if he need to put it in a simpler way it was like an urge pushing his priority towards the girls. Sure he would spend quite an amount of his allowence to buy it with how many sisters he have, but would it be worth it to see them smiling while enjoying the chocolate. Weirdly enough, that thought somehow managed to rise between his need and desire. A funny thing he had learned about himself with how easily they can influence his decision.

Maybe he was just a pushover like Lynn said he was. Oh well if seeing his sisters happy meant so, he can't see why he should argue with himself about it. It was kind of pointless, really.

Anyway let's get back to why he was starting all of this in the first place. It was kind of hard for him to remember how it went back then since it was quite a long time ago but there was once a moment in his life where his curious mind would led him into a train of thought which his young self struggled to comprehend. It was only normal for him to be well aware of what other kids his ages at the time would get from their parents while he could only wonder deep in thought. The toys and sweets their parents would gave to them while they happily cheered at the surprise. It didn't bother him that much, if anything he was only curious at the sight of the scenes. He wasn't sure how he should take it, there was a vague feeling lingering in his heart, a slight discomfort of sort building within his conscious.

That feeling was perhaps what that pushed him to ask mom and dad if they could also get the same stuff for him, only for them to say that it wasn't good for his health or he won't need them as gentle as they could. Being a young kid he was, he never pushed them further for the reason, putting it to an end there. If his parents said so he didn't see why he should bother them more about it. They were already busy with their respective works to provide their family, he don't want to disturb them with his unnecessary question.

Though, it didn't take long either for him to realize that he wasn't the only one getting the treatment since his sisters also received the same answers mom and dad gave him when the girls asked for something from them. Unless if it was something really important, then they would consider buying it for them. And it was even sooner for him to realize the hidden meaning behind their reason, as much as he don't want to admit it, their family couldn't afford that type of luxury.

Looking back at it now it was kind of obvious with how many times Lori would also say the same thing as mom and dad to the rest of them. If it was hard for them, it must have been much harder for her who need to put them first before herself. She was the oldest, she must have realized their family financial condition much better than them at the time.

It was funny really, even at the realization nothing really changed in his life. He did learn from Lori that the feeling he was going through before was envy and jealousy at what those other kids could have while he could only watch, but seeing what he have instead kind of put that feeling far away from his heart. Maybe he was just too young and naive that nothing else really mattered to him, but at that time he would rather spend his day having fun with his sisters over everything else. He don't see why he would need anything more when he have his sisters keeping him busy with their exciting activities. It was never a moment of silence with them around and he would take his sisters over any toys and sweets the world has to offer. But he would never admit that to them, they will only tease him more if they find out about it.

It was only recently when dad finally quited his job as an IT guy and opened his own restaurant that their financial improved for the better. Not that there was anything wrong with his previous job, but he was more happy now serving many dishes and delicacies as a renowned chef, a dream of his that he never thought would be a reality. But here he was with already consistent and rising amount of regular customers coming back for what delicious food the restaurant, Lynn's Table has to offer. Even with the family current comfortable lifestyle, they would still spend their money carefully as if it was already imbedded deep into their conscious of the luxury they couldn't afford before. And the white haired boy over everything else just appreciated that his parents taught him the value of money at such a young age, even if he need to figure most of it out for himself.

Needless to say, Lincoln know for certain he will always put his need as a priority over his desire. Thinking back to what he couldn't afford before, he was only more careful with his purchases, making sure that each item he would buy is important and will prove to be useful to him.

But this, no, this isn't up for discussion. No one can change his mind, not even himself with how much he had contemplated and considered his decision. He know what he wanted, he just need to get it.

It was probably three months ago when he first found out about it from Clyde during one of their online chat. A news about an amazing and sensational video game finally being released soon. With how excited and eager Clyde was during their chat, he almost expected his friend to play a trick on him, but that wasn't the type of friend he was, that would probably be Rusty if need to choose an example. He thought the making of the game would have taken much longer, but he was shocked to see the release date of the game actually being put out by their company's official websites out of curiosity. After ten years of development, the video game was finally coming out. He was excited just as much as Clyde was, perhaps even more with how shocking it still was to hear about the news.

With how much video games had improved over the years, from pixelated to almost real life graphics, it wasn't only a video game anymore, it was a change of an era, a new revolution in the world of entertainment. A game appealing not only to the gaming society but also to all sort of people without caring for their ages or genders. He was glad he was actually here to see the release of the game. As an avid gamer himself, he know that he was watching an actual history being make. It was without a doubt a great achievement he could be proud of.

But that was already expected from the studio responsible behind the making of the game. One so famous for their high resolution graphics, interesting storyline and unique game mechanic, always putting up their players satisfaction first over everything else. This upcoming game would definitely be their greatest creation yet after all the amazing games they had produced in the past still getting recognition today.

And the name of the video game 'Hardcore 101: Extreme Guide For Survival' by Apocalypse Studio has quickly becoming a hot topic in social media since the reveal of the release date.

From famous streamers, popular podcast, let's players, even the veteran gamers are coming back from their retirement to play the game. They were all as any gamers would be, excited with the new possibility and entertainment the game has to offer. Of course they were also some doubt regarding the quality of the game from those who were sceptical about the high praises being given to the studio. It was only normal for some people to say something was overrated due to their expectation, but it was the internet after all. It might be a free place of speech but it doesn't mean you need to listen or believe whatever they say.

From what he had read from the studio's official websites, the game would be about a lone survivor trying to get through their days without getting killed by whatever danger might be lurking in their surrounding after being thrown into a post apocalyptic world full of violence and horror. It was an open world video game with challenging environment, harsh weathers, vicious wildlife and rough terrains to explore while surviving the new cruel world trying to kill them. If that premise wasn't cool and hardcore enough he don't know what else it could be.

The players would also be given a few classes to choose from before their characters would be thrown into a random place on the map. By then, it was only up to them to choose how they would survive with the small amount of resources provided by their classes as a beginner while learning about the world the game developer had presented to them. They were given the choices to survive either by joining a community for better protection or just by being a lone wolf and roaming freely on the map. In a world where trust, companion, and information would be the most important resources to avoid being killed, every choices no matter how simple it may be would be important. Even the thought itself was so exciting that he could barely stop himself from squealing.

As any other good video game would be, they were also some criticism saying that it was too violent and not suitable for younger audience. There might be some truth in what they were trying to say with the mature concept of the game, but it wasn't enough to stop the studio from creating a game that would be bringing to life the full experience of a lone survivor and joy to their players.

Ignoring Clyde who was still talking excitedly through the screen, Lincoln closed his laptop, got up from his bed, and began pacing back and forth in his small room. His mind already making multiple plan, calculating the risk and success rate to figure out how he could get the video game without raising unnecessary scene. It was an adult rated game so it was already quite a hard obstacle he need to overcome if he want to convince his parents regarding him owning the game in the first place. And knowing how Clyde's parents are, he highly doubted the McBrides would even consider getting the game for Clyde with how much they avoided violence in their entertainment.

Plus he already spent some of his saving to buy a gaming PC a few months ago. It wouldn't be a surprise if mom and dad rejected his request to use more of his saving to buy the game. He need to think of his plan more carefully. It can't be like his many other plans that would usually failed before, it need to be more precise if he wanted this to work. He can't afford to make mistakes, not for this.

After reaching a conclusion he was satisfied with, Lincoln finally put his plan into motion. It would be a long term one, but it will be worth it. He know it would be. Lincoln Loud is a person of great patience and endurance, if there was anything that he took great pride of, it was definitely his convoluted and complicated plan. He is not called the man with the plan for nothing after all.

During the three month until the release of the game, Lincoln did his best to help mom and dad with whatever task they needed him to do, even to the point of dealing with the chores most of his sisters would usually avoid from doing. When he got the chance to be alone with his parents, he would mentioned about the game in their conversation, slipping the information to them while not making it too obvious. It wasn't an easy task considering the amount of people living in the house almost putting his plan in jeopardy but he managed to make it work. They were also some suspicion coming from his sisters but they didn't think much of it since he was also making their life easier by doing the chores they don't want to do. It was all going as he planned.

When the game was finally released out, Lincoln continued doing what he always does while avoiding any sort of spoilers about the game. If he need say what would be the worst part of his plan, it was definitely ignoring the excitement coming from those who were already playing the game. He almost fell for the temptation and his curiosity if not for the thought of his plan still being put into motion lingering at the back of his mind. It was hard but that won't be enough to ruin his still ongoing plan. He was almost there, he already got this far, it would only be a waste if he decided to stop now. He can already see himself holding the game in his hands with how little time left before his plan will reach the end.

And here he was in the present, three weeks after the release of the game, his birthday. All of his planning was leading him to this certain day, the only reason why this specific plan have the highest chance to work in the first place. If it was any other day, he doubted this plan would even be possible. It was only because it was his birthday that he believed his parents would be more willing to buy the game for him. Thinking back on it, he was kind of lucky that his birthday was close with the release of the game. He couldn't help but smiled slightly at the thought. Luck...

...

With a small smile, Lincoln slightly bent forwards and blew all the candles until the light were off followed by cheers and clapping from his sisters gathered in the living room. Unlike how it has been in the past, Lynn didn't push his face into the cake like she always does during his birthday before. Which he was grateful for since he was hoping his shirt won't get dirty this year. If he need to guess it was probably because she don't want to ruin the cake since it was her favourite. It was definitely a good decision that he mentioned he was yearning to eat some chocolate cake to dad a few days prior. He was kind of hoping that the others would also come but they already had plan of their own. Even Clyde was out with his parents for a family trip. He did apologize for not being able to be there for his birthday but Lincoln told him he didn't need to and asked him to enjoy his trip instead.

"So how do you feel dude, you're 12, almost a teen now, a few more years and you will be in highschool like the rest of us?" Luna asked while wrapping her right arm behind his shoulder, pulling him closer towards her side. Looking up at her cheerful face, he returned her gentle smile with his own.

"I still felt the same I guess, I don't think anything really changed that much." He replied, reaching for the plastic knife before slicing the chocolate cake for each of his sisters. He then gave the first plate of chocolate cake slice to Lori who was standing on his left side. She looked at the plate in his hand, hesitating for a moment before finally taking it from him.

"You say that but you are already taller than Lynn now." Luan pointed out with a teasing smirk, ignoring the hard glare coming from said girl receiving her slice of cake from Lincoln.

"Pfft, what's a few more inches would do for him if Stincoln can't even beat me in anything, he might be a bit taller now but I'm still much stronger than him." Lynn proudly said while enjoying her cake.

"But who know how much longer it would stay like that." Luan teased her more with a small grin, further provoking her frustrated younger sister.

"Cut it out you two, can't you see I'm trying to eat my cake here." Lori warned them with a glare, though the intensity that she usually held in them were no longer there. She was much more calmer and lenient now while dealing with them than how she used to be.

Taking a small bite from her cake, Lori stole a quick glance at his direction as Lincoln responded with a smile smile which she quickly looked away from much to his confusion. After thinking for a moment, he finally reach a conclusion for her strange behavior.

"Thanks for coming home for my birthday Lori, I know you're already busy with your stuff at Fairway, I really appreciated you being here." Lincoln said, finally enjoying his cake after giving a slice to Lily who was already stuffing her mouth with the sweet treat. It was delicious and he reminded himself to thank dad later for making it for him, it was probably even better than what was sell at the stores.

"Um, oh, it's... It's fine twerp, I don't really mind coming back home once in a while." She hurriedly replied. "Seriously, you don't need to worry so much about this, it's your birthday after all Lincoln." She added to assure him.

"Well, I guess I'm just glad that you are all still around for my birthday." He reasoned, taking her by surprise with the sincerity in his voice. He was right after all, Lori was already studying at Fairway and soon enough Leni would also followed her step and leave the house. With each coming years, the house would be much emptier and quieter with most of the residents out to chase for their own life and dream. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Someday he would also be like them.

"Come on dude there is still a long way ahead for that." Luna said as the corner of her lips twitched slightly at the thought.

A squeal escaped from his lips when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind in a tight embrace before lifting his body slightly up from the floor. "Like you don't need to worry Lincy, I will totes always be here for you!" Leni cheerfully said as she playfully brushed her cheek against his, eliciting a few chuckles from him.

"T-thanks Leni." Lincoln barely choked out when she tightened the hug. He know not to take what Leni said too seriously, she usually don't understand what she was trying to say without causing a confusion. He could have corrected her but seeing her bright smile right now, he don't think it would be a problem to just let her have it.

"Put him down Leni, you're literally choking him." Lori rolled her eyes before taking another bite of her chocolate cake.

"But Lori you also said you would missed him the most before you left." Leni blurted out while letting her brother down, startling the oldest sister who almost choked on her cake.

"Leni that was supposed to be a secret!" Lori raised her voice, her frantic eyes met his for a moment before she quickly averted her gaze away.

"Don't worry brother, we would still be here for you when they are gone." Lucy assured him in her usual monotone voice, ignoring the cold look she was receiving from most of her elder sisters.

"Yeah, you can always hang out with us if you wanted too." Lana cheered on with a smile, her cheek stained with melted chocolate.

"Hmm, I suppose I wouldn't mind letting you join my tea party more often." Lola said while holding her empty plate out towards him. Knowing what she wanted, Lincoln sliced some more of the chocolate cake for her as her eyes brightened at the treat. Noticing her twin, Lana also asked for second which he gladly served to her.

"You are always welcomed to assist me with my experiment male sibling unit." Lisa fixed her round glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"He is not going to be one of your test subject Lisa, clearly he would prefer doing something more safe rather than putting his life in danger with one of your experiment." Lola commented as Lisa simply rolled her eyes at the crude remark.

"Jeez, you're all talking like we are not here anymore." Luan retorted in annoyance with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowed at each of her younger sisters, seizing for their reaction.

"Yeah, besides I still need to train Stincoln here if he want to survive middle school with that noodle arms of his." Lynn added teasingly. To be honest he can't say he was surprised that Lynn was still quite frustrated after finding out he was taller than her. Ever since she learned about their height difference she had been much rougher with him than usual, not that he mind it that much, he just hoped she would tone it down a bit.

At the sight of their parents coming out from their room, Lincoln could feel his heart skipping a beat at the wrapped gift mom was holding. This is it, the moment he was waiting for. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and placed his plate down. He slightly shook his head in amusement when Lily wasted no time to stuff her mouth with his slice of cake.

"Lincoln, we have something for you dear." Rita gently said while stepping closer towards him with a small smile. She held out the wrapped gift as Lincoln turned around and looked at them with eager anticipation.

"We know how much you have been wanting this game so we decided to get it for you sports" Lynn Sr pointed out while holding his shoulder. After a short moment of awkward, Lincoln slightly lifted his head when he realized the strange look dad was giving him. "But to make it clear, just keep it to yourself alright." His father's smile slightly tensed as his grip on his shoulder tightened a bit. If it was under any normal circumstances he might have been worried at what his father was implying, but right now that was the type of reaction he was hoping for.

Lincoln carefully held the long awaited present in his hands as if almost in disbelief. He could barely stop the smile from growing wider on his face as he began unwrapping the gift in anticipation and excitement, only to froze with his eyes wide open at the unfamiliar looking cover slowly filling his vision. Ignoring his doubt, he teared more of the wrapper apart, his throat getting more dry with more part of the gift being revealed. As the final piece of wrapper silently dropped to the floor, his heart instantly sank in fear at the sight of the game he was holding. It didn't take long either for him to realize what was actually happening and figuring everything out in his head.

This... This isn't what he wanted.

"Are you alright sweetie?" Rita asked with slight concern in her voice. Lincoln broke out from his trance and lifted his head to look at both his mother and father staring at him with confusion and worry in their eyes. He must have been thinking for too long that they were starting to worry about him. They... They don't need to...

Lincoln took in a deep breath and quickly leapt forwards before hugging both of them in his arms. "Thanks mom, dad, I really can't ask for anything more from you... Thanks, for everything." He muttered out, slightly tightening his embrace. Recovering from the shock, they eventually returned his hug as Rita softly patted his back.

"It's fine sweetie, you've been such a nice son to us and also a good brother for your sisters, this is the least we can do for you." Rita simply responded. "We believed that you are responsible enough for this." She added.

This... This isn't their fault. It was his, it has always been his own stupidity that dragged him down huh? How foolish of him to think that it would be any different now. They don't need to know about this. It might be his birthday, but he still wanted them to be happy. Unlike him, they truly deserved happiness for all the sacrifices they have done for the family, for all of them.

So what was he scared of? Was it because he was afraid his smile won't be genuine enough when they look at him. That they can sense the disappointment leaking from his breaking facade, how long can he play this character of his? Even putting on a smile was a struggle with his fragile heart slowly breaking apart.

Putting his thought aside, Lincoln finally pulled away from the hug to see mom and dad smiling at him. He can't tell for sure but from the satisfied and happy looks in their eyes, he was probably smiling back at them, at least he hoped so. It was hard... Really, really hard to tell.

But a smile is what he wanted them to see right now.

'A fool.'

...

Night eventually arrived as most of his sisters were already getting themselves ready to sleep. Due to their insistence, he eventually relented to their offer and used the bathroom first. If he need to guess, they were probably still treating him nicely since it was his birthday. Well, not that he was complaining, it was nice to use the hot shower once in a while. He might as well enjoy it while he still can, after all everything will get back to normal tomorrow. Perhaps that would make him feel a little bit better.

Sighing in defeat, Lincoln opened his tired eyes and stared at the ceiling of his small room. He was lying back down on his bed with his legs hanging over the floor, almost touching it since he was much taller now. Clad in his usual orange pajama, he looked at the content of his room, all of his belongings that he had accumulated over the years since he first moved into the linen closet after leaving the room he used to share with Lynn. He can barely remember those times anymore with how long it has been since then. Though there were admittedly some memories from those days that he still hold dear, small yet meaningful fragments of his past.

And unfortunately, there were also some moment in his life that he just wished would be slightly better. Plan after plan, all of them were only going to fall for the same result. Failure after failure, and he still learned nothing from his mistake. Can he really call himself the man with the plan with how little to none his plan ever worked in his favour. Seriously, why can't his plan just worked like he wanted them to for once, was it really too much to ask for? He don't know why he was getting so riled up over this with how many times he had been in this situation already. Wasn't this supposed to be a normal thing to him by now.

What was he so angry of? That his plan failed, that he wasn't getting the game he really wanted, that more than three months worth of planning was all for nothing? Or was it simply because he was tired of putting his hope up only to be met with disappointment. Well, maybe he was just unlucky. He can't say he was surprised if that was the reason.

A few knocks hit his door as Lincoln slightly lifted his head up to look at the direction the sound was coming from. His sisters would usually just barged into his room without asking first. Hearing any of his sisters knocking on his door first was quite unexpected to say the least.

"Hey, it's me Lori can I come in?" She asked for his permission further confusing him even more with the polite request. Not knowing how to respond, he sat up on the edge of his bed and looked at the door.

"Um, sure... Come on in." Lincoln said, watching the door slowly cracked open as Lori slipped into his room before closing it back behind her. She looked at him for a moment and let out a sigh as if trying to dissipate the awkward air between them.

"So, how are you feeling?" Lori asked while rubbing her left arm.

"As usual I guess, I can't say I'm used with hearing anyone knocking on my door before, it was kind of... Unexpected." He replied with a shrug.

"Oh, sorry about that." She apologized, which was far off than her usual self he had known his entire life. He don't mind if it was little bit awkward between them, he would rather have that than having a reason to worry about his sister.

"It's fine, I'm pretty sure I'm used to it by now." He did his best to assure her, though he don't think it was working like he hoped it would. Honestly, he don't know if he should be surprised or not.

"That doesn't mean you need to let it stay being like that." Lori closed her eyes and sighed in resignation before looking seriously at him.

"Look, I know what you're trying to do." She sternly said, startling him a little as Lincoln averted his gaze away from her.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about Lori." He replied, his voice betraying his lie. He was slowly losing composure with how tired he was still feeling from earlier. The emotional strain was just too much for his mind to take without proper rest. Just how long does he think he can keep this up?

"Cut it out Lincoln, I know everything, I know about Hardcore 101: Extreme Guide For Survival, and I know for certain that mom and bought you the wrong game." She asserted with her arms folded over her chest, waiting for his response. Not that he have many choices to choose from. Being stuck in this position, it was kind of pointless for him to lie his way out. He might as well come clean with everything. It's not like his day can get anymore worse than this. He almost can't believe that his birthday was also one of the worst day of his life. Was he selfish for thinking so?

Well, it was kind of his fault for making it be like that. Maybe if he never know about the game, he would never wasted his time and enjoyed his birthday instead as if nothing ever happened.

Letting out a long sigh, Lincoln looked at her with a defeated smirk plastered on his face. A joke without humor was just painful. "How long have you known?" He asked as Lori slightly turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Leni still keep me up to date about everyone in the house, she told me she was happy that you've been helping mom and dad a lot lately. When I heard about the new game coming out, it wasn't really that hard to figure everything out from there." Lori explained. Was it really that obvious.

Groaning in frustration, Lincoln buried his face in both of his palms, wishing that he could just make himself disappear. "Did the others know about this?" He tiredly asked, his weak voice slightly muffled beneath his hands.

"No, I doubt they know what you're doing so I told them not to bother you too much." She replied with a sigh, getting his attention as Lincoln lifted his head to look at her. "I thought it could have helped you a bit but I guess I didn't count mom and dad literally buying you the wrong game." She eventually stepped forwards and took her seat beside him on his bed. She was still taller than him that the room almost seemed much smaller with her inside.

"You're helping me?" He wasn't sure if he was more surprised or confused by the revelation.

With a small smirk, Lori ruffled his white hair with her right hand, not in her usual teasing way but more affectionate and soft that he didn't know how to react. The feeling was quite unusual, but not one he was displeased with.

"Remember what happened downstairs earlier, even after you realized mom and dad got you the wrong game, you still kept yourself together. Most kids would have make a scene if something like that happened but you're different than them, you're more mature. You always take everyone feeling into consideration even to the point of putting them first before yourself. I can't believe it took me this long to realize this about you but you have always been like that." She paused, her gaze lowered to the floor, picking her next words carefully until she decided to just be honest with him.

"And sometimes I don't know if I should be happy or worried for you." She confessed. "It's nice of you think about everyone else, I just don't know if it would be good for you to continue being like this." Lori added with a small frown.

She was caught off guard when Lincoln suddenly poked her cheek with his index finger, breaking her from her thought. "What was that for!?" She raised her voice while narrowing her eyes at him only to back down at the glare Lincoln was giving her.

"Stop making that face." He said in a serious voice. "If I'm really that mature then I would have handled this situation in a better way, instead of making all of this pointless plan I should have just told mom and dad about the game. They might have been reluctant at first but they would probably get it for me." He reasoned. "You're talking like all of this is your fault, it was my plan and no matter what happened I always took responsibility over them even when they failed." Lincoln asserted.

"But still, I could have done more for you." Lori said in a low voice.

"You already did, it would have been much harder for me if the others also got involved and I can't thanks you enough for that." He replied as a small smile curled on his lips. "So just listen to me and stop worrying about this alright, it's not like it would change anything now. I might be upset about it for a few days but I'm pretty sure I will get over it soon." He assured her as Lori simply sighed in defeat.

"You're literally too mature for someone your age twerp." Lori slowly shook her head in amusement. A gentle smile graced her lips as she started messing with his white hair, slightly frustrated her brother was taking all of this much better than her.

"Hey, stop that!" He let out a genuine chuckle while struggling to push her hand away.

"Listen Lincoln, if there is something you really want, you can just tell me alright." Lori offered before retracting her hand back to her side.

Her eyes widened when Lincoln suddenly wrapped his arms around her, gently tightening the embrace while holding her close with his face on her chest. It was warm, like an old ember slowly being reignited between them. A fond memory being dug up from their past. With their age gap, it wasn't unusual that they didn't spend much of their time together since they didn't have much thing in common. Unless if it was for family activities, it was rare that they found something that only both of them enjoy. And even then it was mostly Lincoln helping her with her stuff.

"Sorry for not saying this often enough but I also missed you Lori." He admitted. "You've always been there for us that this house feels different with you not being around." He added.

"If I can ask for anything from you, I just hope that you can come visit us when you've got some free time to spare." He eventually pulled away from the hug with a soft smile, not noticing the sad look Lori was giving him. She still wore her smile but that was nothing compared to the wet glistening in her eyes.

"You literally don't need to worry about that." She assured him with her smile slowly falling apart.

Wiping her eyes, she sniffled before doing her best to change the topic. "S-so, what exactly did mom and dad got for you?" She asked as Lincoln thought for a moment before smirking at her.

"It was a dating simulator game." He bluntly said, startling the eldest sister with how ridiculous it was hearing that coming from her brother.

"Wait, what?" Lori repeated with one of her brow raised in confusion.

Lincoln picked up the game from his nightstand and gave it to her as she reluctantly looked it over.

He don't exactly know how a dating simulator game would look like since he usually played action, adventure, horror or pvp online game, but the game definitely filled the criteria with the bright pink color scheme and red heart pattern dotting each surfaces of the cover. There was also a blonde haired girl in white sundress aiming a bow and arrow towards the top of the cover. It wasn't really that bad to him since dealing with Lola had at least made him more tolerance towards such colors.

The title of the game was 'Harem 101: A Guide For Dummies' by Cupid's Arrow Production. Neither a familiar title or company to both of them.

"W-what is this? I've never heard anything about this before." Lori remarked while scanning the cover. It didn't even show the rating for the game!

"I know right, I already tried searching about the game and the company earlier but I can't find anything." Lincoln said, a sliver of excitement slipping into his voice. "There was never a history of the game ever being make, this might as well be the only copy of it." He added.

"I understand how mom and dad would mistaken this with the game you wanted, but still I literally can't believe that they actually bought this for you. Where do they even get this thing?" Lori groaned in frustration.

"I don't know, it might just be a virus though so I'm still not sure if I should play it." He replied.

Lori turned her attention from the game towards her brother. It didn't take long for her to realize that she didn't really have a say in this. It was his gift after all. He will decide what he wanted to do with it and she believed he will make the right decision.

"So, what will you do about this?" She asked while giving the game back to him.

"I will try to see if it is really a game or not I guess, it would be a waste if I just let the game collecting dust after mom and dad bought it for me." Lincoln answered with a shrug. "And I can't really call myself a real gamer if I would judge a book by its cover." He continued.

Letting out a sigh, Lori looked at the door before turning back to him. "If it was a virus just give it to Lisa, she might be able to do something about it. If it wasn't..." She paused, massaging her temples at the headache coming her way. "Just don't let the other come in here while you're playing it alright." She added.

"What, I thought you're the one who said I'm too mature for a kid my age." He smirked in amusement.

"I know, seriously if I ever heard anything about this from the girls, I will LITERALLY come back from Fairway and turn you into a human pretzel." She warned him with a hard glare. That was the sister he know.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He waved her worry off. After all, she knew he was responsible enough to keep this type of stuff far away from their younger sisters.

"Fine, I should get back to my room now before Leni start looking for me." Lori said, already opening the door when Lincoln spoke, halting her step immediately.

"Oh right, love you Lori and good night." He bluntly said, not noticing his sister flinching slightly in shock at the door.

"L-love you too Lincoln." She stuttered before finally leaving his room and closing the door. He was a little confused but decided to just shrug it off for the moment.

After all there is something more important that he need to deal with right now. More or less the strange game with unknown origin resting on his bed. He never played a dating simulator game before and would avoid that type of genre since it rarely piqued his interest. But this one was different. An unknown game with no known information regarding the development or company behind it. Even for someone like him, it was enough to get his attention at the mystery waiting to be revealed. It might not be the game he wanted, but it still caught his interest nonetheless in a way he least expected it to.

With Lori out from his room, Lincoln stood up from his bed, locked the door, and carried the game to his gaming PC. He then inserted the game disc into the slot and got onto his chair, waiting patiently for the screen to appear.

Tomorrow would be weekend, it wouldn't hurt if he want to check the game for a moment tonight. Even if he stayed awake much later than usual, he can just fix his sleeping schedule later if he need to. This wouldn't have been his first time sleeping late, and he can't say it would be the last either. It was just a dating simulator game, it can't take that long to finish it. If he is lucky it wouldn't even take him more than two hours and then he can put the game with the rest of his collection.

Well, he never played a dating a dating simulator game before, it can't be that hard.

Right...

...

Two days later.

"Yo Stincoln, how much longer you want to be trapped in your room like this, it's been two days already, what the heck are you doing in there!?" Lynn shouted while banging her fist against the other side of his door. Most of her sisters were also gathered worriedly around her.

Has it really been two days already, he can't tell for sure, everything was like a fleeting images and dialogues in his head. Choices after choices, slides after slides, dates after dates, new and unexpected path just kept spreading for an ending. By now he had already found 99 of 100 ending and almost completing the game with full achievement. This is the only path left to make, the hardest path among all with how complicated and intertwined every threads were with each other. After dating and having sex with 50 different girls with distinct features and personalities of their own, which was perfectly done in great details and artworks, he is finally reaching for the final path, the full harem ending. Ha, ha ha... ha.

How long has it been since he started playing this game exactly? How did he got so engaged with the game? And how the hell did this unknown Cupid's Arrow Production managed to create such a masterpice without anyone else knowing about it. Even if it was just like any other trashy dating game, it was much more better with comprehensive and great storylines, drama, suspense, betrayal, emotional twist, and most of the plot actually make sense instead of the usual dating game cliches. Each characters was just so wonderfully done that he almost felt like he was actually falling in love with them. It was so good that when he started a new path he could feel his heart breaking a bit for not being able to be with them anymore. He had learned so much about their characters, from their personalities, traits, liking, dislikes, kinks, even the curve of their bodies. What the hell is a 12 years old boy doing playing an intense game like this!

Honestly, he don't know, he thought this would only be a scam or a low budget game, he wasn't expecting this massive of an experience and emotion from a dating simulator game. In fact, he can't say he ever expected something like this in anything to begin with.

Did he even sleep? Huh, funnily enough among everything else he can't seem to remember that.

Well that would explain the weird screen of his computer almost seeming as if they're coming to life. He was beginning to hallucinate from the sleep deprivation. Or he was just going insane, there really isn't that much different at this point.

"Dude, are you alright in there?" The soft and raspy voice of Luna barely reaching his ear with the theme song being played through his headset.

With his tired and heavy eyes, Lincoln looked at the screen of his computer in confusion.

...

[Congratulation, you have found all 100 endings and completing all the achievements. You have finished 99% of the guide and has been deemed worthy to receive the next installment of the game, do you still wish to continue...]

( ) Yes

( ) No

...

What, there are more!? How big can this game be, aren't 50 characters more than enough, and what does it mean by 99% completion, wasn't this supposed to be the ending? He already got the harem ending, what else are there to look for. Was it something that he missed, a hidden character perhaps, but he already found three of those.

Fine! If this is how the game want to play it, he will put his pride as a gamer and a completionist to see the end of this. Do not challenge a fool in a dancing contest. He will dance like there are no tomorrow.

...

[Congratulation, you have found all 100 endings and completing all the achievements. You have finished 99% of the guide and has been deemed worthy to receive the next installment of the game, do you still wish to continue...]

(/) Yes

( ) No

...

Lincoln stared at the loading screen appearing on the monitor of his computer. He don't know how much longer he can stay awake with how much his eyes kept threatening to shut down. He might as well get some rest after this, that is if his body didn't give up on him first.

With his sleep deprivation growing stronger so was his hallucination. If his screen seemed to be alive before, now it was hovering over his face in bright blue. What is this, the term and condition?

...

[You have now gain access to your Status/Skill System/Inventory/Achievement/Relationship Status]

Loading Status/ Completed

Loading Skill System/ Completed

Loading Inventory/ Completed

Loading Achievement/ Completed

Loading Relationship Status/ Completed

[Due to your excellent performance, you will also be given a - Unique Skill - depending on your character development throughout your dating journey]

[You can access your Database by pointing at the red heart shaped circle at the bottom corner of your right vision. Thank you for finishing the guide, you may now start the game]

-(New Game)-

...

Huh, that was fast. Raising his right hand and ignoring his mouse since it suddenly decided to stop working, Lincoln clicked the new game button, feeling the solid press of his finger against the hovering transparent blue screen over his face.

In a sudden flash of a blinding light, he could feel a shock of electricity surging through his head before spreading throughout his entire body, sending him into a petrified state before he fell down from his chair. He didn't even groan in pain when his face met the cold floor, mostly numb from the stinging sensation as his tired eyes barely functioning with the fatigue slowly seeping in.

Huh, that's where his mechanical pencil went, he has been looking for that thing for who know how long now.

With his tired mind making everything much more worse, Lincoln could barely register anything going through in his head or around him for that matter. He didn't even realized Luan worriedly rushing into his room soon followed by the rest of his sisters as they gathered around him.

Their concerned voices were frantically calling for his name but he was just so tired to respond to them. In a final moment of clarity, Lincoln let out whatever sound he could from his mouth.

"Hey girls..." He said with a dopey grin. "How's a date sound to you?" Lincoln mumbled before finally closing his eyes and falling unconscious.