Every single day I sit at my desk, I don't do math. I make TikTok edits on mathematics, where I show off my math knowledge by editing an extremely niche math equation and posting Ramanujan glaze videos. I was recently messaged on TikTok by a fellow larper, and it opened up my eyes. I would wake up at 11:47 a.m and look at the 17 mathematics books arranged on my chair. The books weren’t for reading. They were decorations. I owned Principles of Mathematical Analysis, which meant I understood analysis. I owned an abstract algebra textbook, which meant I understood calculus or something. I once placed a bookmark approximately forty pages into my topology book, and I took a photo of it and put it as my profile picture. Sometimes I would move the bookmark forward without reading anything, just to simulate intellectual progress. But that was nothing; after reading the fellow larpers message I realised the truth about larping isn't bookmarks or edits. His profile picture was a photograph of Gödel, Escher, Bach or something with glowing red eyes. His username was “quantum devil” and had several numbers that I assumed represented either his birth year or the digits of a mathematical constant.
"Bro do you actually do math?"
Crap... I stuttered over my text...
"W- What do you mean d- do?"
I was sweating.
"Like, do you do math equations and study it? Also, why are you stuttering over text?"
I thought I was cooked, and then I realised. I'm a larper!
"Define "do""
I said.
I cooked him.
"I larp too bro."
What? Did he see through my rouse? No way... I have to end this now.
"Larp what? Mathematics?"
If I say mathematics, I'll sound smarter.
"..."
He didn't reply.
I'm sitting here and contemplating this right now. Should I admit I'm a larper? I kind of want a friend.
