Does This Count as Intimacy?

For a while, the hand-holding incident on the roller coaster became a running joke between them.

Logan insisted he had grabbed Mia because he thought she was scared. Every time, Mia threatened to check the records. She never actually did.

If they figured out who had reached first, they might have to ask why.

A few days later, they were walking through a place modeled after an old seaside town. White houses crowded both sides of narrow alleys, and the ocean appeared at the bottom of long stairways. Mia suggested they walk without using the map.

The first ten minutes went well. Every corner revealed another little shop or terrace, music drifting through open windows. At every fork, Mia confidently chose a direction.

“Travel is more fun when you don’t know where you’re going.”

The problem came when they arrived at the same fountain for the third time.

Logan sat on the edge of it.

“Can we use the map now?”

“It could be a similar fountain.”

Even the chipped stone at the lower right side looked exactly the same.

“Maybe ARCA reused the same design.”

“If that’s what you want me to believe.”

Logan had been saying that a lot lately.

Mia finally opened the map. To get out, they had to go back down the stairs they had already passed. Logan admitted he had known they were walking in circles the second time they saw the fountain.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You looked like you were having fun.”

It was hard to be angry at an answer like that.

Still, the smile lingering on his face made it obvious he had enjoyed watching her confidently lead them down the same streets over and over.

They descended the stairs.

A narrow glass bridge stretched over the ocean. Waves rolled directly beneath its transparent floor.

Mia put one foot onto the bridge, then stopped.

“Afraid of heights?”

“I rode the roller coaster.”

“That had a safety bar.”

He had a point. She knew there was no real danger of falling, but every time a wave crashed below, the bridge seemed to sway with it.

Logan walked several steps ahead, then came back.

“Want to lower the realism?”

Mia shook her head.

He didn’t ask again. He simply stood beside her.

“Let’s go slowly.”

Mia started forward again. Two steps. Three.

Near the middle of the bridge, a large wave broke below them.

Mia froze.

Logan held out his hand.

He didn’t grab her or pull her forward. He just opened his palm and waited for her to take it.

On the roller coaster, everything had happened too fast to think.

This time, she could see his hand clearly.

Mia looked at it for a moment, then placed her hand in his.

A small notification appeared. Last time, they had allowed the contact for that moment only.

`Would you like to feel the sensation of holding hands?`

Mia selected the standard level. Logan approved it a moment later.

As their fingers intertwined, warmth spread across her palm.

It felt more real than she expected. She could feel the firmness of his knuckles. When Logan loosened his grip slightly, she could feel that movement too.

She knew it wasn’t a real hand.

Even so, the tension in her shoulders eased.

“Your hand is warm.”

“Yours is cold.”

“It usually isn’t.”

“You don’t know if mine is actually warm either.”

Then what exactly was the warmth she was feeling?

ARCA was probably reading body temperature and physical reactions and transmitting them between users.

At that moment, Logan’s fingertips shifted slightly.

Mia looked down at their joined hands.

“Did you just shake?”

“The bridge moved.”

The bridge was perfectly still.

“ARCA’s been glitchy lately.”

Logan didn’t deny it.

They crossed slowly. Even when they reached the other side, Logan didn’t let go.

Mia didn’t pull away either.

The path ahead was flat now. There was no reason for him to keep holding her hand.

They kept holding hands anyway.

Feeling awkward, Mia brought up work. She said she had closed a big contract that morning, so maybe she could cut back a little next month.

“Are you really going to cut back?”

“Probably.”

Logan already knew that whenever Mia had free time, the first thing she did was look for more work.

“You’re exactly the same.”

“I know. That’s why I only say it to you.”

“Try saying it to yourself too.”

“I’ll just let someone nag me.”

“Who?”

Logan paused.

“You.”

Their joined hands seemed to grow a little warmer.

Mia couldn’t tell whether it was her hand or his.

She lifted their hands slightly.

“This is all data in the end, right?”

“Right.”

“It’s not even your real hand. There’s no reason we need to keep holding on.”

Logan’s fingers loosened just a little.

“Do you want me to let go?”

Without thinking, Mia tightened her grip again.

“There could be another bridge.”

“It’s flat from here.”

“ARCA changes things without warning.”

Logan looked at her for a moment.

“Well, if it’s for safety, I guess we don’t have a choice.”

Mia nodded.

They didn’t let go until they had followed the path all the way back to the beach where they first met.

Only just before logging out did Mia pull her hand away.

Her palm seemed to turn cool almost immediately.

Back in reality, she opened her right hand.

There was nothing there.

And yet she could still imagine Logan’s fingers touching the spaces between hers.

She told herself it was nothing and opened her laptop.

Even after placing her hands on the keyboard, she couldn’t type for a long time.