NPC Friendship Training
- Sio
- Mar 12
- 2 min read
Life Reset Journal by Sio
I really want to make some Japanese friends, but I was too shy for bars, and people at meetups were too young. So I went on HelloTalk, firing off a hundred friend requests like shooting in a video game.
The first reply came fast, she even asked me out the next day. I said yes instantly, then the chat froze like a crashed screen.
It was already Game Over, disappointed, yet I kept refreshing the page.
Then came a young mom who picked a café and a date. I thought this round might level up, but when I confirmed the time, silenced again .
Another Game Over. I felt like a failure, I reread the chat, wondering what I’d done wrong.
Each broken promise cooled me a little.
The most absurd one was a woman from Fukuoka. After 2 days of chatting, she said she’d fly to Osaka for me, then 2 days later invited me to go skiing in Hokkaido.
After a month, I realized—they were just NPC dialogues. Taking it seriously meant losing.
I knew Japanese people often said the opposite of what they meant, but their tatemae skills exceeded imagination. What really hurt wasn’t their empty politeness, but my hunger to be accepted.
I tried too hard to fit in, as if being invited meant I was worth something.
But restarting life isn’t about being accepted, it’s learning to accept yourself.
Game Over? So what. As long as I still have the courage to press Restart, I’m already a winner in life.
Sio
Resetting life in Osaka after years in the UK, France, Spain, Canada & Argentina. Seeing Japan from the outside, living it from the inside.
