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Instant message
By Fledermaus
03 July 2009
(23:04) Hiroshi comes online

(23:04) Jirou says:
Hi Hiroshi, how was work?

(23:05) Hiroshi says:
It's OK. How was Ur day?

(23:06) Jirou says:
Also OK. My boss suddenly came up with a lot of new files, but I don't want to talk about work now. Have you watched the League's match against the Clan?

(23:08) Hiroshi says:
Of course. They pwned them bigtime, LOLz.

(23:09) Jirou says:
Did you see how they finished that guy with the bubble-laser?

(23:10) Hiroshi says:
Yes, yes. That was great. I think it must be online somewhere. Wait, I'll find the link.

(23:11) Jirou says:
You mean, this one, haha. Was on my HD, LOLz.
- Jirou sends you the file Bubble-laser-pwnage.mp4. Do you want to accept it?-
- Downloading file -

(23:14) Jirou says:
Cool eh?

(23:14) Hiroshi says:
Wait. I haven't seen it yet. Computer is lagging. Hm. I'm tired.

(23:14) Jirou says:
How come? Tough day at work? Did anything happen?

(23:17) Hiroshi says:
There's this secretary girl, and I think she's cute.

(23:20) Jirou says:
Girl? So?

(23:21) Hiroshi says:
I can't talk to girls, but I think she's so cute.

(23:22) Jirou says:
I have no problem talking to girls. What's the matter? You like her?

(23:23) Hiroshi says:
Oh yes! But she probably has a boyfriend, and even if she has not, why would she like me?

(23:24) Jirou says:
Hm... Difficult. But you can try to find out. Just have a conversation with her.

(23:27) Hiroshi says:
Conversation with a girl, LOL. You must be joking? I cannot even speak to guys.

(23:28) Jirou says:
What's the worst that could happen?

(23:30) Hiroshi says:
I don't know. Girls are scary. Oh. I got your file...

(23:30) Jirou says:
OK.

(23:35) Hiroshi says:
LOL, LOL, LOL. So funny!

(23:35) Jirou says:
^_^

(23:28) Hiroshi says:
But you have no problems talking to girls?

(23:28) Jirou says:
No.

(23:28) Hiroshi says:
What do girls like?

(23:29) Jirou says:
I don't know. Every girl is different.

(23:30) Hiroshi says:
How to find out?

(23:31) Jirou says:
Ask around about her. Investigate. Or maybe you can just ask her?

(23:31) Hiroshi says:
Hm... Ask around.

(23:32) Jirou says:
What's her name?

(23:32) Hiroshi says:
Uh... I don't know.

(23:32) Jirou says:
You don't know her name ???

(23:33) Hiroshi says:
Stupid, hm?

(23:34) Jirou says:
OK, what does she look like?

(23:35) Hiroshi says:
Cute. Pretty face, nice hair.

(23:36) Jirou says:
So do many girls. What does she wear?

(23:39) Hiroshi says:
She's always very stylish, but I think she also likes cute girly things, for she often wears this Puppy thing in her hair.

(23:40) Jirou says:
At work? Maybe you can use that to start a conversation. What does it look like?

(23:40) Hiroshi says:
Yes. A pink Puppy hair thingy, with Puppy hugging a bunny.

(23:42) Hiroshi says:
Very cute.

(23:45) Hiroshi says:
Uh Jirou? Are you still there?

(23:50) Jirou says:
Hi. Sorry, I had to look something up. Where do you work?

(23:51) Hiroshi says:
At a bank. Why?

(23:52) Jirou says:
Just curious, trying to picture the situation. So where is your office?

(23:53) Hiroshi says:
In Tokyo, haha. You knew that.

(23:53) Jirou says:
Hm. OK. So what else about her appearance? What does she wear? What sort of haircut does she have? Does she wear glasses? A handbag?

(23:56) Hiroshi says:
Uh... She wears business clothes, her hair is quite short I think, till only halfway about her neck, and her locks are combed over her forehead. No glasses. No bag.

(23:57) Jirou says:
Like a bob cut with a fringe?

(23:57) Hiroshi says:
What do you mean?

(23:57) Jirou says:
Her hair of course.

(23:58) Hiroshi says:
No idea.

(23:58) Jirou says:
Does she have a favorite colour?

(23:59) Hiroshi says:
I think she likes this pinky, orange colour.

(23:59) Jirou says:
Salmon?

(23:59) Hiroshi says:
Guess so.

(0:00) Jirou says:
Maybe I know her?

(0:00) Hiroshi says:
Very unlikely, LOL.

(0:01) Jirou says:
Seriously, where do you work?

(0:02) Hiroshi says:
At a bank in Tokyo. But it's unlikely you know her. Do you know how many banks there are in Tokyo?

(0:03) Jirou says:
Do you work at Tokyo Financial Economy Corporation?

(0:05) Hiroshi says:
How do you know? This is scary!

(0:07) Hiroshi says:
Jirou? I want to know now!

(0:10) Jirou says:
I'm not really from Osaka, Hiroshi... I work at the same company as you do.

(0:11) Hiroshi says:
What do you mean ??? You're not from Osaka? You lied? why???

(0:15) Jirou says:
That girl... You're sure you do not know her name? It's not perhaps Haruko?

(0:17) Hiroshi says:
Wait. Wait. This is not about that girl. Who are you?

(0:28) Jirou says:
I'm so sorry Hiroshi. I think you are that guy with he black-framed glasses and the blue suit, who always looks to the ground when he walks past Haruko and never says hi?

(0:28) Hiroshi says:
This is creepy. Who are you? There's no-one called Jirou in our department.

(0:30) Jirou says:
Actually my name isn't Jirou, and I'm not really an engineer from Osaka. I'm not even a guy. My name is Haruko and I work as a secretary at the tenth floor of your building. I do like my Puppy hairpins and I like salmon clothes... Yet, whom of you guys would have talked to me if you had known I was a girl? If only I had known you were our own Hiroshi... Perhaps I can make it up with you with a cup of tea tomorrow?

(0:32) Hiroshi logged off

Reviews
Fabulous
Written by kevinrobson73 (781 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
Authentic realtime feel 
Cleverly constructed 
The little Twitter type exchanges were excellent

Written by Veronica_Milvus (1147 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
Funny - I like the way he logged off as soon as he found out who he was talking to!
Ha ha
Written by Josie (4035 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
Nice one!! I liked your story. I don't think most men have problems chatting up girls do they? I worked for the Police at one time and there were about five of us girls to more than 200 policemen. They were not shy - no, not at all!!! They were a b. nuisance to be honest!!
Hi again Ron
Written by jean.day (2908 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
To start with I didn't like this - and not being up to date with texting and twittering I had to make an effort to stay with it. But before long it became compulsive reading. As soon as she started asking leading questions, I was sure who he was talking to - but it didn't spoil it.  
 
Well done.

Written by Phil (8763 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
Nicely done - Jirou's last was perhaps a little long and the only one that didn't sound authentic. A lot of exposition in there. 
 
Enjoyed. 
 
Phil 
agree with Phil
Written by fellpony (2924 comments posted) 3rd July 2009
I read this this morning, Ron, and I thought then that one or two of the exchanges were quite long for online conversations.  
 
I half expected one character to find out the other was of a different sexual preference so the revelation of Jirou = Haruko was OK too. You let the reader get there first, which is fine.  
 
8)

Written by Fledermaus (4146 comments posted) 4th July 2009
Thanks all.

Written by Nick (786 comments posted) 5th July 2009
Hi Ron, 
 
Really liked this. Can't say much more than has already been said. 
 
Good stuff. 
 
Nick

Written by Fledermaus (4146 comments posted) 11th July 2009
Thanks Nick :-)

Written by Bottleblondesurfer (5077 comments posted) 11th July 2009
Brilliant use of messaging as this could only really happen with instant messaging. I did start to wonder as the plot developed but it didn't matter. You get these misunderstandings and misconceptions in Shakespeare plays but they were always so contrived [I'm not comparing,of course] but this was so plausible and and bang up to date. I might have liked a stronger ending but I suppose that was the most likely one,wasn't it? 
Excellent 
jane

Written by Fledermaus (4146 comments posted) 11th July 2009
Thanks Jane, 
Considering the guy's shyness, indeed it's the most likely :-)

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