GAME IN LOVE

Budi had always been a dreamer. Growing up in Jakarta, he had never imagined a life without ambition, but the road he traveled was not one of comfort. It was filled with determination, struggle, and a constant fight against the world’s indifference. His dreams, however, were complicated—he was studying medicine, a field that demanded his focus and dedication, but he was also deeply passionate about video games.

At first, it had all seemed manageable. His medical studies at one of Jakarta’s renowned universities had occupied his days, while his nights were dedicated to coaching gamers, honing his skills, and occasionally competing in online tournaments. It was a balance he’d worked hard to maintain, and he had managed to carve out a niche for himself. His name had even become well-known among gamers, earning him respect and admiration in the community.

Budi had always been a natural at games. He understood them on a deeper level, not just as entertainment, but as a strategic challenge, an art form. His analytical mind, shaped by his medical studies, was perfect for games that demanded quick thinking, pattern recognition, and decision-making under pressure. Soon enough, he became a coach, guiding others to improve their skills and navigate the competitive gaming scene. It was a dream come true for him—he was doing what he loved and making money from it.

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The team he had been coaching—his second family, as he often referred to them—decided to drop him unexpectedly. The reason? A trivial disagreement over a minor decision that, in Budi’s opinion, shouldn’t have mattered. It wasn’t about his ability, his contribution, or even his character—it was a matter of politics and ego. The team had claimed it was an “irreversible conflict,” but to Budi, it felt like they had discarded him without a second thought. He was crushed, not just by the loss of his position, but by the betrayal of people he had trusted.

For Budi, it wasn’t just the loss of the game that hurt. It was the realization that in the world of professional gaming, loyalty was often a fleeting thing. Even if you gave everything to your craft, it could be taken away with a single, arbitrary decision. His dreams seemed to crumble overnight, and the life he had built for himself felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

With no team and no income from coaching, Budi found himself facing an even harsher reality. His finances were in ruin. Without a solid backup plan, he couldn’t survive on his own. The skills he had cultivated in gaming weren’t enough to get him a job in any conventional field, especially not in the medical industry, where experience and credentials were everything. He had no choice but to accept the only option available to him—he took a job as a PC room guard.

PC rooms, or internet cafes, are a staple in Jakarta. They are places where young people gather to play games, surf the internet, or simply hang out. The job was not glamorous, and it certainly wasn’t what Budi had imagined for his future. As a PC room guard, his responsibilities included monitoring the gamers to ensure they followed the rules, keeping the machines in working order, and managing any issues that arose. It wasn’t the job he had dreamed of, but it provided him with the basic income he needed to survive.

His days now consisted of waking up early to attend medical school, then heading to the PC room in the evening for his shift. The long hours spent in front of a computer screen were a far cry from the high-octane world of professional gaming. Still, Budi couldn’t help but find some solace in the familiar sounds of keyboard clicks and the intense focus of the gamers around him. In a way, it was like he had never left the world he once knew.

Yet, despite the routine, Budi couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. He was studying to become a doctor, but his heart wasn’t in it. His passion was still with gaming. He knew that in order to be truly happy, he needed to find a way to integrate both parts of himself—the medical student and the gamer. The hustle and bustle of Jakarta’s streets, the constant noise, the endless movement—it all served as a reminder of how far he had come and how far he still had to go.

During his shifts at the PC room, Budi would often sit behind the counter, watching the gamers as they played. Some were young, others were older, but all of them shared the same drive—the same hunger to succeed. It was a world he knew well. He would catch himself offering tips to the gamers from time to time, subtly guiding them as they faced challenges in their games. It was clear that the love for gaming still burned within him, even if the opportunity to make it a career had faded for the moment.

Despite his circumstances, Budi refused to give up. He knew that this was just a temporary setback. While many people might have resigned themselves to their fate, Budi’s mind was always working. He would study between shifts, keeping up with medical textbooks, all the while thinking about the future. He had to be practical—he couldn’t ignore the reality of his medical studies. But he also knew that his passion for gaming wasn’t something he could easily walk away from.

One evening, as Budi was sitting at the counter, a gamer walked in—a young woman with a determined look in her eyes. She had the sort of confidence that immediately caught Budi’s attention. She sat down at one of the computers and began playing a game that was taking the world by storm—League of Legends.

Budi couldn’t help but watch. The way she moved through the game, the decisions she made, her sense of strategy—it was clear she had the potential to go far. A part of him felt an instant connection to her—he had seen that same passion in himself years ago. It was a reminder of what he had lost.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Budi couldn’t resist striking up conversations with her. He found out that her name was Aria, and she was an aspiring professional gamer, just like he had once been. She had dreams of making it big in the gaming world, but like him, she was struggling to get noticed. She was stuck in a cycle of practice and frustration, constantly battling to break through the noise and gain the recognition she deserved.

Their conversations soon turned into coaching sessions. Budi shared his knowledge, his experience, and his insights with Aria, helping her sharpen her skills. In turn, Aria gave Budi a sense of purpose—a reminder of why he had fallen in love with gaming in the first place. It was like a spark had been reignited within him. He wasn’t just a PC room guard anymore. He was still a coach, still someone who had the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

Slowly, things began to change. Budi realized that he didn’t have to give up on his passion for gaming just because his career as a professional coach had ended. He could still make a living from it, even if it wasn’t in the way he had originally imagined. Aria wasn’t the only one he could help—there were countless gamers out there who could benefit from his experience and guidance. It wasn’t about the prestige or the money—it was about rediscovering the joy he had once felt in helping others achieve their dreams.

Budi’s days were still filled with the hustle and bustle of medical school and his shifts at the PC room, but now there was a renewed sense of purpose. He was no longer just struggling to survive—he was rebuilding his future, one step at a time. He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but it was one he was willing to walk.

In a world that often seemed indifferent to his dreams, Budi had found a new path—a path that blended his love for gaming with his desire to help others. It was a path that was uniquely his own, and though it wasn’t the easy one, it was the one that would ultimately lead him to where he was meant to be.