novelraw Chapter 49: This Is Not a Game, but Reality
Chapter 49: This Is Not a Game, but Reality
Jodi noticed Leon’s pensive look and thought he was simply feeling awkward, so she switched topics and reminded him, “Aren’t you going to join the girls’ conversation?”
“No,” Leon shook his head. “In fact, I’m thinking of heading back early to rest.”
Hearing this, Jodi shot him a disapproving glare and muttered, “What are you saying? Such a good opportunity, and you’re just letting it slip?”
“Or… is it possible that I’m simply not in the mood for that right now?” Leon raised an eyebrow and asked in return.
“Huh?” Jodi was momentarily thrown off, her mind twisting over his words. Just as she was about to respond, she saw Leon stand up.
“Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Jodi. Dinner was wonderful.”
After speaking to her, Leon turned toward the girls who had looked up when they saw him stand and said, “I’ll be heading out now, lovely ladies. Please continue your ladies’ night—I hope you all have a great time.”
He waved goodbye to everyone, giving Jodi a small, apologetic smile before leaving the room in an easy stride.
This wasn’t just a dinner gathering—it was a blind date event, and one that had been arranged without telling the participants. That alone was enough to leave Leon with a sour taste.
When something is built on the foundation of “elders worrying about the younger generation’s future,” the original lighthearted, pleasant atmosphere vanishes.Jodi was genuinely kind. The girls were indeed excellent. And Leon was a man with normal desires. But finding a girlfriend simply wasn’t part of his current plan. The resources he had now were far from enough to support his ambitions.
That was why he left so decisively. Staying would only risk making things more awkward—or worse, giving off the impression that he was trying to charm everyone at once, which would only put the girls on guard.
He wasn’t one to follow all the rules to begin with. The politeness and friendliness he showed upon arriving were simply to blend in better.
Stardew Valley had once been the idyllic escape he longed for during his hectic work life. Even with the odd, whimsical events sprinkled through the game’s story, it still offered him many beautiful memories when the real world felt overwhelming.
But now that this had all become reality, those NPCs had turned into living, breathing people with their own thoughts and awareness.
That meant some inevitable situations came to light.
Pam lying drunk outside the saloon with no one helping her. Jodi’s little trap of a dinner. The fact that all the town’s bachelors already had partners. Haley being ostracized… These were scenarios you’d never see in the game.
Tonight’s experience made Leon realize he needed to see this world in a new light.
Reality was far more unpredictable. This world no longer ran on the fixed, programmed paths of the game.
That meant his old habits of thinking had to change as well.
Bathed in moonlight, Leon walked back to his farm, his mind swirling with thoughts until he felt slightly dizzy. A deep, satisfying sleep was what he needed most.
Still, he didn’t head to bed immediately. Instead, he sat down on the wooden steps by the door, gazing at the moonlit crops.
Even though other changes were hard to accept, there was one reassuring fact—this farm was still his.
“Welcome to Stardew Valley. Welcome to Red Star Farm.”
Murmuring to himself, Leon looked over the silent farmland, then raised his eyes to the bright full moon. With a contented smile, he returned inside, took off his coat, lay on his narrow single bed, and soon drifted into sleep.
The next morning, the sun rose as usual. Leon’s early-riser instincts woke him the moment sunlight spilled onto his bed.
After a quick wash, he didn’t rush outside to water crops like before. Instead, he went to the fridge, picked out ingredients for breakfast, and paired them with the bread Abigail had given him yesterday. Only after eating did he head out to water the plants.
He didn’t want to repeat yesterday’s hungry working session. Plus, the thoughts he’d had on the walk home convinced him to change his lifestyle.
Take better care of himself. Put more effort into the farm. Be cautious with others. Keep his own judgment on matters. That way, life in Stardew Valley might be easier and more enjoyable.
Once he finished watering all the crops in the tilled plots, he checked his watch—it was still before noon. Cleaning the mud from his hands and pant legs, he walked over to the shipping box.
Opening it, he found it empty. The money from yesterday’s wild green onions hadn’t appeared.
He wasn’t worried. Instead, he turned to the mailbox beside it.
Inside was a letter—not from Lewis as he’d expected, but from Jodi.
Leon tore it open, skimmed the contents, then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it toward the firepit near his cabin. He’d burn it while making lunch—no need to go out of his way to throw it away.
It wasn’t that the letter was upsetting. Jodi had just written a greeting and shared some funny things that happened after he left, to fill in the gaps of his memory from the dinner.
But he didn’t think it was worth keeping. The follow-up to that gathering didn’t interest him. Jodi’s well wishes didn’t interest him. What mattered was whether Jodi had realized he wouldn’t play along with the so-called “good things” in the eyes of these elders.
Clearly, she hadn’t. To Leon, that made the letter nothing more than scrap paper.
Once he was done, he acted as though nothing had happened. The payment from the shipping box might take a few days; this wasn’t like the game where it was instant. So he returned to his cabin and turned on the TV.
This was his only way, for now, to enjoy some entertainment without leaving home.
The programs felt a bit outdated to him, but they weren’t boring—especially since the local news anchor was quite pretty and had a pleasant voice.
By lunchtime, Leon switched off the TV and prepared a simple meal. After eating, he dug out the bamboo fishing rod Willy had given him, slung it over his shoulder, and left the farm.
There wasn’t much he could do on the farm right now beyond watering crops and clearing rocks and overgrown trees.
But the cleared space was enough for now. Turning the farm into his envisioned layout would cost a lot of money. Until the crops matured, the only way he could think of making money was fishing.
Foraging was profitable too, but after exploring the area around Stardew Valley, Leon didn’t believe wild resources would conveniently refresh every day like in the game.
After all, this wasn’t a game. This was reality.