Mistaking My Childhood Friend for an NPC

I have a childhood friend, a chuuni boy wrapped in bandages. Apart from his handsome face, he's useless, and he's especially annoying. But my mother says I'm supposed to marry him someday.

I really want to tell Mother, but I've already “emotionally cheated” on him!

That's right, the one I'm cheating with is an NPC in an ultra-realistic mobile game. His name is also Osamu Dazai, but he's much kinder than the guy in real life! The game has incredibly interactive features, so I complained to him about my childhood friend in every possible way. It felt amazing.

Then one day, I found out that he was playing the game too. Huh, I guess he has decent taste. And then... the game developers announced that most of the characters in the game were real players.

I was dumbfounded. After repeatedly confirming the identity of the Osamu Dazai in the game...

This freaking... isn't an NPC. It's him... (benevolent smile)

1. The pairing is with Dazai.

2. I want to write a sweet romance. This is a just-for-fun project.

3. Please note that this is written in first person.

Theme: Gaming in moderation is good for the brain; getting hooked on games is bad for your health (emphasis)