Chapter 1: The production environment is completely different

"Which house is open?"

"All of 'em are taken."

"If you're gonna go in, maybe that old row house from before~?"

"Ain't nothin' else, right?"

"Smash it?"

"I can do it in a flash."

"What about the party downstairs~?"

"They'll get shoved outta the ring first over there."

"Hold out here till the last second?"

"Yeah."

"Which party's gonna come fishin'~?"

"One party in the building on the far side. But I think they'll clash with the party on the left."

"If we go with the ring, we'll be fine."

"Right. We'll jump on the chaos. OK?"

"OK."

"Okey-dokey!"

"Alright, gimme the signal. ...Not yet. Hold it. Not yet. Not yet──now! Go go go!!"

And so the three of us burst out the door as one.

Gunfire roared from all directions. The ring's ominous hum stirred anxiety in our wake. We slid down the stairs hugging the wall. About five meters ahead of us, the party hunkered on the floor below charged into the old row house. Just as Liz predicted.

"Shoot their backs and drive 'em in!"

I fired at their backs with the Brynhildr AR. The satisfying doggadoggadogg of armor chipping away filled my ears, and the cornered bastards had no choice but to dive into the row house. But like I'd checked earlier, there should've been another party inside.

Gunfire erupted from the row house. One of them turned into a gray box right in front of the door. Party wiped. I reloaded the Brynhildr and peeked inside through the open door.

There they were. Three of 'em. One inching toward a death box. Tryin' to swap armor. Not on my watch.

My Brynhildr spat fire. The sound of three sets of armor grinding down overlapped. Galing! One's armor cracked. Galing! Another one's cracked.

"Two cracked! Two cracked!"

"Nice nice nice!"

The moment the three enemies turned their attention our way, Liz and Mine burst in from the opposite door. I lobbed in a grenade, then ducked back out to reload.

"Done and dusted! Done and dusted!"

"Loot it quick! Think about the next move!"

By the time I peeked in again, all three enemies had turned into boxes.

For now, we've secured a safe spot. But the No-Stay Zone that mercilessly whittles down health is closing in right behind us. It's only a matter of time before this row house gets swallowed──

──My armor, displayed in the bottom left of the screen, dropped straight to zero.

"...!? Got shot from behind!"

"Huh!?"

"They're here they're here they're here!! Fishermen fishermen fishermen!!"

I bolted into the row house in a panic, but by then, my raw health had been shaved down by about half.

The enemy party, with the health advantage, piled in through the door I'd been at. I jumped, kicked off the wall, switched to the shotgun──

"──Sorryyy~! Didn't know there was another party lurkin' in the back..."

I heard Liz apologize with a grumble, mixed with some bitchin', while staring at the spectator screen of another player's view.

"Nah nah, we did all we could~ Like, in a betrayal safe zone like that."

Mine soothed her in her usual cheery voice.

I leaned back in the gaming chair and let out a huge sigh.

"Sorry... Shoulda just rushed into the building sooner..."

"No, Urumeru's not to blame... My scouting was sloppy..."

"Don't get all gloomy~! We snagged 4 kills, that's solid! Super solid!"

While we were goin' ahhs and oohs, the match wrapped up on the spectator screen.

And with that, the VACANT BLANK Global Series・Possibility Garden──all six matches of the East Asia division's group stage Match 1 were done.

Our total from the six matches' survival ranking points and kill points came to 25 points──12th in match ranking. Sure, there are four more matches, but damn, we ended this crucial first bout on such a lame note.

"...Can't be helped. Let's shake it off."

Liz──Exlz──said it with her usual pep back in her voice.

"It's just one out of the four matches. We're still gettin' used to the setup."

"Man, everyone was way more clumped up than I thought~ Figured since they all clawed through their national qualifiers, they'd be more aggressive."

Mine──M4ine──chirped in her cute-as-an-anime voice.

"They're all too chicken for a first match! It's nothin' like practice──feels like straight-up fraud!"

Liz is the IGL. She makes the final calls on team moves, and she's the one keepin' us together off-game too. Oldest at 21. College girl by day.

Mine's our rear guard. Lethal with a sniper, and our mood booster. 19, streamin' while divin' into the comp scene.

Add me on the front line──UltraMail──and that's the three of us makin' up team AlphaPlanetPG.

"Next week, everyone might loosen up and come at us hard~ That'd make it easier for us to set traps, though."

"Yeah. But their physicals are still beefier than in the Japan quals! Slack off and your armor's gone in a blink."

"As for physicals, we've got the top dog on our side! Right? Urumeru!"

Took me a sec to realize she was talkin' to me.

I fumbled,

"Uh, ah, yeah..."

"Oho. Confident in your top-dog status, huh. Looks like next week, the other teams are toast."

"Don't borrow a tiger's stripes or whatever. But for real, we're countin' on ya, Urume. Your physical game's unbeatable worldwide! Hell, it's straight-up winnin'!"

"...Yeah. Next week, we'll smash everyone."

The second those words left my mouth, the chat on the other monitor──the stream's──started flyin'.

I hadn't noticed, but my fist was clenched tight in my palm.

"Keep the cheers comin', everyone~♥"

"Don't pander to the viewers. I'm shuttin' down the stream."

"Me too~ Gotta be beat today."

"...Yeah, I'm callin' it too."

Alright, scatter, good work──

──VC cut out, comments stopped flowin', and I was alone.

The room's lights were off to keep me focused, so the monitors' glow dimly lit the ceiling.

I zoned out starin' up at it for a bit, but realized I couldn't just crash like this, so I hauled my heavy ass outta the gaming chair.

My body's kinda sticky.

Stomach's growlin'...

Bath or food... Gotta prep.

Decision made, I wobbled out into the hall. Down the stairs to the first floor──

"Meru─!"

"Good work out there─!"

Ranka-nee and Chinana, waitin' on the first floor, trotted over to me.

"So close! If those bastards hadn't shown up at the end...!"

"We totally got this! Not losin' to Asia at all!"

"You two... Watched the match?"

"We did a three-way cheer mirror stream~"

Kikuri-nee (in V form) answered from the wall monitor.

"Our viewers were all rootin' too! Insane concurrents!"

"Hey, Kikuri-nee! Quit with the pervy talk outside stream!"

"Yeah... Thanks."

Outside the window with the bright red Tokyo Tower in the distance, the sky was dyed in orange sunset. I'd figured the day was totally spent, but it was still just evening...

"Meru-nee, wanna eat? Kiminaga-senpai left some prepped stuff!"

"Oh, bath? I boiled water just in case!"

"Or maybe, me──"

"Why you gotta keep the dumb jokes goin' off-stream, sis!?"

Surrounded by the noisy sisters, I cracked a tiny smile and said,

"Guess I'll hit the bath first..."

"Ah, sure!"

"I'll get dinner ready in the meantime!"

Chinana and Ranka-nee bolted to the kitchen with way too much energy.

I headed back up the stairs alone, swayin', to the second-floor bathroom.

Family's cheerin' me on.

Fans are cheerin' me on.

Everyone's cheerin' me on.

──They expect from me.

In the changing room, I stripped off the uniform, ditched the stuffy bra, let my panties drop to my ankles, buck naked, and hopped in the tub.

The bath was filled to the brim. I scooped some with a bucket, rinsed off the sweat lightly, then slowly sank in from my toes.

Fatigue meltin' into the hot water.

Tension easin' in the heat.

──But my hands.

They kept tremblin' tiny, like they were freezin' in the snow.

◆

“‘…All right. Let me handle this matter for now.’”

Kikuri, seated in a fancy business chair, spoke those familiar lines with a solemn expression.

“…That’s what you declared so coolly a week ago, but any progress on that front, huh?”

“Sorry. Nothing.”

I answered, sitting seiza-style on the floor.

We were in Kikuri’s room—the master bedroom, the largest in the Kichijoji household. The bed dominating the center was big enough for three people to sleep in comfortably, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling window on the left wall, you could see a jacuzzi bathtub.

The lady of the manor, Kichijoji Kikuri, stood with her arms crossed like a teacher mid-lecture, her back to an L-shaped computer desk.

By the way, Kikuri’s outfit today was just an oversized dress shirt, bare skin underneath. Whether she was wearing anything else, I had no clue. The shirt, apparently, was a hand-me-down from her mom.

“Figured as much. A klutz like you trying to poke around discreetly? Doesn’t exactly scream ‘natural talent,’ does it?”

Kikuri shook her head with an exasperated tch.

It all started with a photo sent to me right after I began working at this house—a snapshot from seven years ago, showing me and the four sisters. It was a digital image of a physical photo laid out on a table, and we’d figured out the picture was taken in Meru’s room.

That made it highly likely Meru was the one who sent it. And, by extension, she could be the mysterious woman claiming to be my ex—Sakuraoto.

I needed to uncover Sakuraoto’s true identity and get answers from her. Why did the me from seven years ago fall for her? Could someone like me—born to a deadbeat father who only survived by leeching off women—really be capable of love?

To figure that out, I had to confirm whether Meru was actually Sakuraoto.

…Easier said than done, though.

“C’mon, give me a break! Meru’s got a different schedule, barely leaves her room, and I hardly see her as it is! Plus, she’s in the middle of some big tournament right now, isn’t she? I don’t wanna mess with her head by bringing up something like this!”

“There’s gotta be some way to handle it. Y’know, besides confronting Meru directly…”

“…? Like what?”

“God, how dense can you get? All you can think of is asking her straight-up? If she doesn’t wanna talk, she’ll just dodge the question, and you’re done. Never seen someone so ill-suited for detective work.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

Sure, I’ll admit I’m not exactly a master at playing mind games.

“Ugh, you’re hopeless, Kunshi-kun.”

Kikuri called me by the nickname only she uses, propping her cheek on her hand against the armrest.

“Seriously, what a useless guy. Can’t do anything without me. Can’t talk to people, can’t cross the street, can’t even wash his own hair.”

“I don’t recall ever asking for your help with any of that.”

“Just find the evidence.”

Kikuri said it casually.

“That photo? Chances are, the original’s still in Meru’s room. So, find it. That’ll prove my theory’s right, and you can confront Meru with it to get answers. Just search her room.”

“…You’re telling me to play burglar? No way I’m doing that.”

“You clean Meru’s room, don’t you? Just poke around while you’re at it. You’ve got the room owner’s permission, so it’s not burglary.”

“Mmph…”

She had a point. It was a solid plan. But even without a little sister of my own, I knew rummaging through a girl’s room without her okay was, y’know, morally sketchy.

“I get that your whole gentleman shtick is kinda charming, but sometimes you gotta be a little selfish, y’know? Keep acting like that, and you’ll never even get to first base.”

“Don’t mock me. I’ve at least—”

—…Sorry. I did it.

A dimly lit room. On a bed. Meru’s shy smile. The faint touch of her lips.

Kikuri’s face was suddenly way too close.

“Whoa!?”

“‘At least’—what?”

Her eyes gleamed like a beckoning cat’s, peering into me.

“You’ve done it? For real? With who? When? Where?”

“…N-no, I mean…”

I had a bad feeling about mentioning Meru. Besides, that was just an accident. Happened when I was half-asleep, y’know?

“M-my… sister! Yeah, my sister! When we were kids, messing around—”

“On the lips?”

“Cheek! The cheek!”

“Hmmmmmmmmmm…?”

Kikuri stared at me, her gaze boring into my soul like she was trying to dig up every secret. My whole body tensed, cold sweat soaking my back.

Finally, she pulled back, standing up with her hands on her knees.

“Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”

I had no idea what was “whatever,” but the tension drained out of me.

“If you’re such a ladies’ man, finding one little photo while cleaning should be a piece of cake. So get it done.”

“Look, ethically speaking—”

“Shut it. I’ll stick my tongue in your mouth.”

Kikuri bent down, staring straight at me from above.

Those intense eyes told me one thing.

She’s dead serious.

So, there I was, in Meru's room.

Of course, the main purpose was cleaning, and it was an official visit with Meru's permission.

As always, the desk was piled high with empty energy drink cans and juice bottles, and clothes were tossed haphazardly across the floor and bed. And... looks like another empty PC device box has cropped up. Just one week left alone and it turns into this mess.

I wanted to dive right into tidying up, but first──

Sunlight streamed in from the west-facing window, illuminating the white low table. It was the same table we'd used back when I was tutoring Meru here.

I pulled out my smartphone and brought up that photo I'd transferred over from my old flip phone.

The table's material around the edges of the photo... the color... yeah, they match this one perfectly. So this image really was taken right here.

The first time I stepped into Meru's room, this table wasn't here yet. I set it up after cleaning the space to make room. Which means the photo was snapped after I started handling her cleanings...? But it got sent to me the very next morning, so there's barely half a day's window.

...No point overthinking it now. First things first: secure the physical photo.

I pocketed my phone and scanned Meru's room again.

If someone's hiding something, where would it be? The PC desk has no drawers. No little organizers or anything in here either.

Which leaves──the closet, I guess.

I stepped left from the entrance and stood in front of the closet. It's a built-in type, recessed into the wall. She mostly just ditches her clothes around the place, so I doubt she uses it much...

I opened the upper door and peered inside. Sure enough, only three outfits hanging on the rack, the rest just empty hangers dangling forlornly. But hey, that makes it easy to see through—no sign of anything photo-like anywhere.

So then...

My eyes naturally drifted to the bottom of the closet.

There's a drawer there.

The underwear drawer──it was.

At first, Meru left even her undies laundry to me completely, but midway through, she must've woken up to some shame, 'cause she started doing it herself. So I haven't touched this drawer since. On the flip side, that makes it prime real estate for hiding a photo—totally out of my reach.

Can't exactly... skip checking it, huh.

Man, this feels wrong. Like I'm turning into some perv. But I can't dodge this. You gotta enter the tiger's den to snag the cub, right? Time to toughen up, steel myself, and rummage through Meru's panties and bras──

I hooked my fingers on the drawer's handle.

──Here goes!

I slid it open.

"...Huh?"

I tilted my head.

It was empty.

Weird. So where the hell are Meru's undies? Not mixed in with the scattered clothes around...

That's when I spotted the corner of a cardboard box peeking out from under the bed.

I thought, no way, but dragged it out anyway and popped the lid.

It was a jumble of panties and bras.

...That little shit... too lazy to fold 'em and stick 'em in the drawer, so she just dumps 'em in some random box... At least she's not leaving 'em on the floor or bed—progress, I suppose.

Anyway, that means the photo could be buried at the bottom of this thing too. No helping it—I plunged my arm into the sea of undies.

This? Nah, wrong. Black panties. Okay, this? Nope. Blue bra. Been thinking it since laundry days, but damn, Meru's got these high-end ones with fancy embroidery, all prim and proper, even though she treats 'em like crap. Guess this is what they call luxury.

Digging through panties, flipping bras—can't reach the bottom. Screw it, annoying as hell. Just dump the whole thing!

I grabbed the box with both hands, hoisted it overhead, and flipped it.

A rainbow of undies fluttered through the air, some raining down right on my head.

Click. The door swung open.

Meru's eyes met mine—over the strap of a bra.

"................................"

Plop. An F-cup bra tumbled off my head.

Meru stared at me, frozen in the doorway.

In the heavy silence, my brain kicked into overdrive, spitting out the line I should say right now.

"...Don't worry, Meru."

I said it, clutching a pair of panties.

"I'm just──rifling through your undies, that's all."

"What more should I be worrying about?"

Shit.

All I thought about was covering up the photo hunt.

◆

"I just found the box where your undies were dumped and was gonna put 'em away in the drawer—nothing shady, I swear──!"

I'd chased Shikimi out into the hall for his excuses, and let out a small breath.

I'd noticed it the second I opened the door.

Sure, I was shocked to see Shikimi drenched head-to-toe in my underwear──but just as much, I was stunned by that thing in the corner of my eye.

The open drawer in the closet.

Peering at the empty back side, I muttered,

"That was close."

On the underside of the drawer, a photo of kid Shikimi and us sisters was taped up with cellophane tape.

◆

“What a freakin’ mess I got myself into.”

“That’s what you get for doing something so freakin’ stupid.”

When I returned to Kikuri’s room to report the results, she gave me a look of pure exasperation.

“Taking a shower with a girl’s underwear? That’s some 20th-century perv nonsense. What are you, Happousai from Ranma?”

“Happousai? I mean, I don’t hate Chinese food or anything.”

“Ugh… whatever, forget it.”

I felt like she’d just given up on me. That hurt way more than getting chewed out…

“Anyway, if you poked around and didn’t find anything, getting your hands on the actual photo might be tricky.”

“Then I’ve got no choice but to ask her directly, right?”

“Even so, you gotta prep for that. You need to get her to open up—either so she’ll answer your questions or, better yet, bring it up herself. Hmm… maybe that’s a good short-term goal.”

Seemingly satisfied with her own idea, Kikuri crossed her pale legs, sticking out from under her oversized dress shirt.

“If you want something, you gotta give something of equal value. That’s just how the world works. If you want the truth from Meru, you’ve gotta offer her something in return.”

“No clue what you’re on about. Quit with the vague mumbo jumbo.”

“Fine, I’ll spell it out, Kunshi-kun—you’re way too uninterested in us!”

She pointed at me with a sharp snap, and I tilted my head, confused.

“That’s not true.”

“Oh, really?”

“I mean, I remember all your names.”

“That’s the lowest bar for interest!”

What’s that supposed to mean? Me remembering people’s names is a big deal, you know!

“What I’m saying is, you don’t care about what we do. Sure, you’re a bit better than when you first started as our housekeeper, but you still don’t get how valuable it is just to be sitting here talking to me!”

“Look, when I first met you, I had no idea you were some famous illustrator and VTuber. Cut me some slack.”

“Listen, Kunshi-kun, any VTuber with a decent following doesn’t just show up in person unless it’s for industry folks. Some have even attended publishing parties via tablet PC as their avatar. That’s how rare it is to get to talk to us offline like this.”

Okay, yeah, when I think about how we spent over two months chatting through a screen, I guess I have come a long way.

“People don’t open up to someone who doesn’t care about them. You need to get to know us better. Do that, and my sisters will naturally start spilling the truths they’ve been keeping locked up.”

Kikuri laid it all out with the air of some cult leader preaching gospel, then suddenly stood up with a clatter, striking a dramatic pose and declaring:

“—Kunshi-kun, you need to aim for the harem ending!”

“…Huh?”

My brain couldn’t keep up.

“If you get close to all us sisters, you won’t repeat the tragedy from seven years ago. Everyone’s happy, you find out their secrets, and you figure out who this Sakuraoto chick is. Two birds, one stone.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Did you just say harem? You want me to become some kinda Tokugawa shogun? And weren’t we talking about Meru? When did this turn into dragging the other two into it?”

“If you only get close to me and Meru, it might cause the same kind of drama as seven years ago.”

According to Kikuri, seven years ago, I picked one of the sisters as special, and that sparked bad blood between them.

“I’m not saying you have to woo us or anything. But you need to get close enough that we’ll open up to you. And to do that, you’ve gotta show more interest in us.”

“I mean… I get what you’re saying, kinda. But it’s not like I’m not interested. Hell, I’m practically a detective, observing you all from morning to night to support your lives. You might not realize it, but I’ve got a whole mental file on every one of you—”

“Stop, stop, stop. The more you talk, the creepier you sound.”

Why?! In a house full of girls, that’s gotta be the most important skill!

“Knowing stuff like that just makes us feel gross, not happy, Kunshi-kun. But if someone shows interest in what we’re passionate about? That’s a huge boost to their likability.”

“Hmm… is that how it works?”

“I can’t believe you’re this clueless about it. What a pain. A total validation-seeker’s nightmare.”

She sighed like I was some tragic lost cause.

“For now, you’re right—Meru’s the priority. Kunshi-kun, do you know the name of the tournament she’s in?”

“Uh… something-something Cup?”

“Thanks for the most infuriating otaku response ever. It’s the ‘VACANT BLANK Global Series: Possibility Garden’.”

“That’s a mouthful.”

“Or VBGS PG for short.”

Still kinda long. Sounds like a code from a puzzle game.

“VACANT BLANK is the game’s name. The Global Series is the world championship, and Possibility Garden is a women-only side event.”

Kikuri grabbed a tablet PC from her desk, swiped through it, and showed me the screen. Sure enough, there was the official page for the tournament with its ridiculously long title.

“It’s held regionally—sometimes, anyway. Meru’s competing in the East Asia division. If she places in the top two, she gets a shot at the main VBGS pro league.”

“Pro league? Wait, Meru’s not a pro yet?”

“It’s a bit complicated.”

Kikuri launched into an explanation with the air of a stern schoolteacher.

“Meru’s with AlphaPlanet, which already has a men’s team in the pro league. The league has a rule: one organization, one team. But if you go through Possibility Garden, the women-only event, you can bypass that restriction.”

“So… it’s like how you can only buy one of an item per person, but if you change your identity, you can snag another one?”

“If that’s how you understand it, fine, whatever.”

“It’s a messy setup. Doesn’t that mean Meru’s being forced to take the long way around because of her team?”

“She’s in a division created specifically for PG, so it’s more like, ‘Hey, maybe I can sneak into the pro league too.’ It’s a women’s tournament, remember? The player base is smaller, so the skill level’s generally a step below. Even so, I hear Meru’s one of the best.”

“Huh… like a female shogi player compared to a pro shogi master?”

“Exactly. Wait, you know about shogi…?”

Maybe tired of standing, Kikuri plopped down next to me on the bed.

“So, here’s the deal. The tournament has three stages. First, the national qualifiers—Meru cleared those before the midterms. Next, the group stage—that’s where she is now. Finally, the playoffs, which are held offline with all the players gathered in Japan.”

“Never heard of that setup… Not a regular tournament?”

“Of course not. Oh, right—you don’t even know what VACANT BLANK—VB—is, do you?”

“It’s an FPS, right? I know that much.”

“Thanks for the smug grandpa vibe, like you’re buying the wrong Pokémon version for your grandkid. FPS games vary, you know. VB is a battle royale FPS. Twenty teams, sixty players, drop onto one map and fight until one team’s left standing.”

Sixty players on one map—my mind conjured up an image of the Battle of Nagashino from a history textbook.

“By the way, the map’s way bigger than you’re probably imagining. Point is, it’s that kind of game, so a simple tournament like Koshien won’t cut it.”

“So how’s it work?”

“About the group stage—there are thirty teams, split into three groups of ten—”

And so, Kikuri went on, breaking down the tournament rules in exhaustive detail.

“Hmm… so, in terms of games played, that’s six games times four matches, so 24 games total, right?”

“Yup. You catch on quick. And regardless of survival rank points or kill points per match, the group stage ranking is decided by the total placement points earned based on match rankings. The top 20 teams advance to the playoffs, the final stage.”

“So, you just gotta make it to 20th place. Two-thirds of the teams qualify—sounds pretty doable, no?”

“Not quite. The group stage ranking also determines the order for picking landmarks in the playoffs.”

“Landmarks?”

“Where you drop first. In a massive map, where you start can make or break your game. I’m not a player myself, so I’m fuzzy on the details.”

“…This is way more complicated than I thought.”

“Way more complicated. You’re probably still thinking games are all 8-bit beep-boop noises, huh?”

“How old do you think I am?”

Games have been 3D with full-on orchestral soundtracks since I was a kid.

“So, where’s Meru at right now?”

“After the first match wrapped up, she was in 12th.”

12th… 12th… Got it. Eight points.

“Is that okay? She’s trailing the leader by, like, three times the points.”

“Yeah, not exactly a stellar start.”

Kikuri leaned back, hands planted on the bed.

“Even in the national qualifiers, she started off kinda shaky. But she pulled off a comeback to make it through. Even someone like Meru might get nervous early on, I guess.”

“Meru, nervous…? Hard to picture.”

All I could imagine was her spaced-out face. That laid-back chick, getting all tense? Does that even happen? …Maybe. Nobody’s completely immune to nerves.

“That makes it even harder to talk to her…”

“That’s where you come in, champ. Gotta support her like a pro. Cheer her up when she’s down—that’s when girls are easiest to charm.”

“What the hell do you want from me? One minute you’re acting all jealous about the other sisters, and now this?”

Now she’s spouting nonsense about a harem ending, egging me on like that… Didn’t she like me or something?

“I just want everyone to be happy, that’s all.”

Kikuri shot me a shady grin, her gaze softening.

“If that means putting up with you juggling four girls, I’m ready to deal.”

“Throw that mindset out the window right now.”

Four-timing? That’s disgusting.

If I ever stooped to something that sleazy, I’d probably choose to slit my stomach and die instead.

Even though Kikuri was all “charm Meru and get close to her” with her wild ideas, I still had no clue how to pull that off. So, here I was, back at school. It was early June, well into the rainy season, and the classroom had this damp, muggy vibe. But for some reason, the area around her always felt like the first day after spring break—lively as hell.

A girl spoke to Ranka Kichijoji.

“Ranka, I watched on Saturday! So close, huh?”

“Thanks! But there’s still two weeks left. Cheer for us next week too, okay?”

Then a guy chimed in.

“Dude, your aim was nuts in the second half! That last character control? Who even pulls off a wall kick there? And that shotgun had the enemy on their last legs!”

“Heh heh! Pretty badass, right? That’s my little sis!”

The chatter buzzed around Ranka, like flowers blooming in a garden. Usually, it’s mostly girls around her, but today, more than half the crowd was guys. Guess that’s what happens when the topic’s gaming.

Still, I never would’ve guessed Meru’s match would be this big a deal at school.

Like, say some sports team made it to nationals—would it dominate classroom talk like this? Maybe if it was Koshien, but Meru’s hype was giving that a run for its money. Never been to a school that made it to Koshien, so I’m just guessing here.

Part of it’s probably because Ranka, the classroom’s opinion leader, is hyping it up like crazy. But it’s also proof that FPS games—or e-sports in general—are a massive deal for our generation. That’s how much attention and expectation are riding on Meru’s keyboard and mouse.

An idea hit me, and I pulled out my phone, opened a video site, and searched for ‘VBGS’.

Scrolling past annoying auto-suggestions, I found the stream from Meru’s Saturday match. The thumbnail showed 240,000 views.

How many people does that translate to? Views are kinda hard to gauge.

As I kept scrolling, a familiar name caught my eye, and my finger froze.

‘Genius Girl Gamer’s Most Iconic Moments: UltraMail Montage’

That was the video’s title. The thumbnail had a picture of Meru, wearing a uniform with a corporate logo, looking off to the side with a blank expression—some kind of promotional shot, I guess. Why look away in a promo pic? But damn, it still works. She’s got that kind of presence.

I tapped the video, and it kicked off with what looked like a highlight reel of Meru’s best plays. Her screen whipped around as she mowed down enemies, all edited to some upbeat music.

This video? 500,000 views.

More than double the match stream. Sure, a highlight reel’s different from a live archive, but still…

I scrolled down to the comments, and the top one jumped out.

There were replies too.

The top comments started with jokey stuff about Meru’s looks, but plenty were straight-up awestruck by her skills, no mention of her appearance.

In any world, attractive people get attention. It’s a kind of stereotype. But when someone truly moves you, that whole beauty-or-ugly thing just vanishes.

Meru’s gameplay? It’s on that level.

And those people out there, they’re probably begging for more. Show us that moment again—the one that blew us away.

“Urume’s got this, right? She’ll pull a comeback in the second half like she did in the Japan qualifiers!”

“I heard PG is, like, semi-pro level. Urume’s gotta be a cut above the rest, yeah?”

Overhearing the guys’ chatter, I remembered Meru’s voice from way back, thrown at me like a punch.

—…Idiot.

No talent, no matter how great, comes together overnight.

“Here I am!”

I called out casually as I stepped over the threshold of the Kichijoji house, only to spot an unusual sight in the living room.

Meru was on the sofa, with the cat Hanasaka on her lap, staring blankly at a corner of the ceiling.

I set my bag down, leaned on the back of the sofa, and spoke to her, still as a statue.

“Meru, huh? Morning. You’re up early today.”

Weird thing to say, considering it was already four in the afternoon.

“Mm…”

Meru shifted slightly.

“Match starts at noon, so I’m adjusting my rhythm.”

“Got it. You eaten yet?”

“Bread and a banana.”

“That’s it? You’re probably getting hungry. Want me to whip something up?”

“…Katsudon.”

That’s rare. Her actually naming a specific dish?

“Alright, hang tight. I’m pretty sure we’ve got some chicken.”

I headed to the kitchen, grabbing eggs and chicken from the fridge. There should still be some rice left from yesterday.

Katsudon might seem simple, but it’s a dish that really tests your skills. The way you cook the eggs, the seasoning of the broth—every little detail matters. Time for Meru to taste the ultimate katsudon, honed by years of housework and part-time gigs.

While I worked in the kitchen, Meru sat there, petting Hanasaka and staring at me. It was the first time I’d seen her, so stoic usually, just wasting time like this. I wanted to ask what was up, but figured it’d go smoother once her stomach was full.

“Here you go.”

I set the steaming, perfectly gooey katsudon on the glass table in front of her. Meru slowly stirred, nudging Hanasaka off her lap and sliding from the sofa to the carpet.

She picked up a spoon and started eating the katsudon, almost mechanically.

Man, she really seemed off today. Same unreadable vibe as always, but it was like… she was missing some spark, some life.

I glanced at Hanasaka sauntering away, then sat down across from Meru.

“Hey, something up today? You look kinda down.”

Meru chewed on some chicken, staring at me for a while.

W-What…? What’s with that look?

I endured the awkward silence until she swallowed and spoke.

“Hey… Shikimi. Teach me to study again.”

Her words came out of nowhere, and my brain short-circuited.

“What’s that all about, all of a sudden?”

“There’s another test in July, right?”

“Sure, but… aren’t you in the middle of a big tournament?”

“…It’s fine. Studying’s a break.”

Studying as a break? Didn’t peg her for that type. But once she starts something, she’s the kind to go all in, I guess.

If she wants me to teach her, I’ll teach her… Then I remembered Kikuri’s words: ‘Show more interest in what we do.’

“Then keep your end of the deal from before.”

“…Deal?”

“I said I’d teach you if you taught me about gaming, remember? You’ve got a match this weekend, right? I wanna watch it knowing at least a little about the game.”

“…”

Meru’s gaze dropped, like sugar sinking in tea, settling on her half-eaten katsudon.

“You’re… gonna watch, Shikimi?”

“…? That a problem?”

“Not… a problem.”

She started eating again, moving the spoon slowly.

“Just… lately, it feels like everyone’s watching me… so I just thought, even you, huh.”

Her voice was vague, her movements sluggish, like she was chaining herself down. I caught a faint hint of what she was getting at.

“You feeling the pressure?”

“…Yeah.”

“Everyone’s expectations, their cheers… they feel heavy?”

“…Not that I hate it, but…”

As if it were an afterthought to eating, Meru started talking, bit by bit.

“Everyone believes I’m strong… expects me to win… probably because that’s how I’ve been until now. But then I wonder, what was I like before? And the more I try, the further away it feels…”

Her katsudon was gone. She set the spoon down.

“It’s weird. I can’t move like I usually do. Things I could do before, I can’t anymore. My head’s like… someone’s rushing me all the time…”

“That’s nerves. Everyone gets them in big moments.”

“Before, even if I got nervous, I’d forget it the second the game started. But now…”

I noticed it then.

Meru’s hands were trembling slightly.

She clenched them weakly, pressing them to her forehead.

“Fighting while carrying everyone’s expectations… it feels like this. I thought… I’d be fine.”

The pressure of being hyped up.

Meru’s probably been a star in the amateur scene, but this might be her first pro tournament. Can she really hack it as a pro? She hasn’t even proven that to herself yet, but everyone’s expectations keep piling up, threatening to crush her.

I let out a breath, choosing my words carefully before speaking.

“…How you deal with that pressure? That’s something you’ve gotta figure out for yourself.”

Meru lowered her fists just a bit, looking at me again.

“I can’t teach you that like it’s a study session. The most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done was entrance exams, and that’s nothing compared to what you’re facing. But…”

I looked straight at Meru—not the gamer, but Meru, the person.

“I can listen to you vent. I can hang out with you to take your mind off things. I can make your favorite food. Fans might not wanna see you looking weak, but… too bad for them, I’m not your fan. I’m just your housekeeper.”

Go ahead and fall apart.

It’s my job to cover for the parts you neglect when you do.

Meru looked down at her hands, as if chewing on my words.

Then she glanced to the side, up at the ceiling, swaying slightly.

What the hell? What kind of reaction is that?

While I sat there, baffled, Meru locked eyes with me again.

There was a spark in her gaze, like she’d made up her mind.

“Shikimi—be my mental coach.”

Another out-of-left-field request, and my brain filled with question marks.

“Mental… coach? What’s that?”

“Someone who encourages me, comforts me, cheers me up.”

“Oh, that’s it?”

I let out a small sigh and grinned.

“Sure, no problem. Compared to cleaning your room, that’s a piece of cake.”

“Then, let’s start.”

Meru reached her right hand across the low table.

“Hold my hand… warm it up.”

I looked down at her pale, smooth hand and hesitated. That’s, uh… doesn’t that have a kinda different vibe? But seeing how ghostly white her hand was, I couldn’t help but reach out.

My palm enveloped hers.

Her hand was cold as ice.

──Meru might be Sakuraoto.

She might be the one who sent me that photo, the mystery figure arbitrarily claiming to be my ex.

But even so──

──I just couldn't bring myself to shake off the hand of a girl trembling this badly.

◆

It had been a while since I'd become part of the Kichijōji family when we ended up moving to Korea.

I don't remember much about how I felt back then. Ever since I'd started living apart from my mom, I'd gotten used to changes in my surroundings, so maybe I just shrugged it off with an "Oh, okay" and went along with it. Anyway, by the time I realized what was happening, there I was in some unfamiliar foreign land.

The biggest difference? Hands down, it was the language.

Hangul characters—looking like nothing but weird symbols to me—were spilling over everywhere, making it feel like I'd stumbled into another world.

Of course, Yoshino-san wasn't the type to just wing it without a plan, so she set aside some prep time before we headed to Korea, and I used that to learn a bit of Korean. But that didn't make the anxiety vanish.

I felt so damn lost.

I'd always been the quiet type to begin with, and part of me figured it didn't matter if I could speak the language or not—it wouldn't change a thing. But I didn't truly get how terrifying it is to be surrounded by people casually tossing around words you can't make heads or tails of until I actually got there.

School was the same deal.

Sure, kids would come up to me out of curiosity and try chatting, but I could barely understand a word they said. Their pronunciation was native-level, and being kids, they mumbled a bit too, so it was worlds away from the classroom stuff I'd learned. And on top of that, with me being my usual silent self, there was no way I could've had a real conversation.

Even as a kid, I was dead certain of it.

I'd probably end up getting treated like some fragile lump that nobody touches, drifting through days without talking to a soul.

Hell, part of me was even looking forward to it—'cause if you're not talking to anyone, who gives a shit if you don't understand the words?

I'd gotten so damn comfortable with being isolated that I was already set on keeping up that routine in this strange country— that's when it hit.

“Ah... Konnichiwa?”

(Ah… Hello?)

A bit of sweet, accented Japanese suddenly piped up in the classroom, catching my ear.

I looked up in surprise, and there was this grinning girl staring right at me.

“Watashi wa, ah... Harin! Desu.”

(My name is Harin)

“...Harin?”

I echoed it back, all confused, and the girl nodded eagerly, looking thrilled.

“Harin!”

“Ha, Harin...”

“Harin!”

“Harin...”

She kept making me repeat it over and over, so I figured that must be her name.

The girl—Harin—spread out a notebook on her desk and wrote two kanji characters. “Karin”... apparently that's how you read it as “Harin.”

She'd taught me in kanji instead of Hangul—probably 'cause kanji's used in Japan too, so I'd get it. Just that alone told me she was really reaching out, trying to meet me halfway.

So I grabbed my mechanical pencil and wrote “Meru” under her characters.

I pointed to each one with the tip, saying them out loud.

“Me, ru.”

My name's the kind even Japanese folks wouldn't nail on the first try, so I was nervous it'd get lost in translation, but the girl—Harin—stared at the kanji I'd written and repeated it after me.

“Mei... ruu?”

“Me, ru.”

“Me, ruu?”

She kept at it patiently, over and over, until I'd taught her my name. It was the first real exchange I'd had with anyone besides Yoshino-san in ages.

“Meru!”

Once she'd nailed my name, Harin grabbed my arm and yanked it with a tug.

“Kuru! Basho aru!”

(Come! There’s a place!)

“P-place?”

“Asobi!”

(To play?)

Harin said it in this voice that sparkled like sunshine.

“Gēmu!”

(Game)

And after school that day, the spot she dragged me to was a PC bang.

Rows of desks like in a library reading room, lined with monitors. Not the clunky old ones from my Japanese elementary school's computer lab—these were sleek, shiny, top-of-the-line beauties.

I'd always been into computers, even as a kid.

Mom had one, so I'd been messing around with PCs like they were my toys since I was little. I'd heard later that Yoshino-san picked me partly 'cause I was interested in her job (IT stuff). Anyway, for a geek like me, that place looked straight-up irresistible.

Harin plopped me down in a seat and pointed at the screen, telling me to fire up a certain game.

VACANT BLANK.

It was this FPS that'd just dropped back then. Apparently, it was starting to blow up in Korea right around that time.

Once her stock of Japanese ran dry, Harin switched to machine translation to explain it to me.

“Watashi no suki gēmu! Issho ni yatte hoshii! Gēmu issho ni suru to nakayoku nareru!”

(It’s my favorite game! I want to play it together with you! When we play games together, we can become closer!)

I was honestly half-doubting it'd be any fun, but Harin's energy steamrolled me into starting the game anyway.

With her walking me through it, I somehow scraped by the tutorial.

First time with an FPS, but thanks to being handy with a mouse, Harin kept going, “Umai umai!” (Amazing! Amazing!)—praising me like crazy.

Next up was the shooting range, where she'd teach me about the characters.

“Which one should I use?”

I threw in the Korean I'd crammed back in Japan and asked her.

Harin mixed in her clumsy Japanese to answer.

“Mita-me de suki na no erande ii yo! VB wa ne, sugoku kyara kawaii kara!”

(You can pick the one you like based on appearance! In VB, the characters are super cute!)

The characters in VACANT BLANK had this modern anime vibe—hard to believe it was a shoot-'em-up. Maybe that's why I didn't feel too spooked and actually got hyped to play.

Back then, there were only about seven characters total. Out of 'em, one caught my eye.

“...What about this one?”

“O! ‘Yami’! Sono ko wa ne, meccha ii yo! Ninja da yo ninja! Kiete muteki ni nareru no! Ima mecha tsuyoi n da yo!”

(Oh! Yami! She’s awesome! She’s a ninja, you know—a real ninja! She can vanish and become unbeatable! She’s super strong these days!)

It was this long-black-haired girl ninja. Her eyes had this subtle melancholy vibe, kinda like the shadows I carried around myself. ...Though her outfit was tight and a tad too racy.

With Harin hyping her up like that, I went with Yami. Then she gave me the rundown on her abilities.

In VB, every character has a “Skill” and an “Ultimate”. Skills recharge in like 10 or 20 seconds—quick cooldowns—but the Ultimate (or “Ult” for short) takes a full minute or two. Skills are your bread-and-butter moves; Ults are the big finishers.

Yami's Skill: “Ninpō: Zesseki”.

Slip into a pocket dimension for a bit, go invisible, and turn totally invincible—no attacks can touch you.

Her Ult: “Ninpō: Kyoketsu”.

Dash at crazy speeds for a short distance, then punch a spatial wormhole connecting your start point to your end point—instant teleport for you and your team, keeping everyone safe.

“Zesseki's for when you think ‘Danger!’ Just pop it then! For now, stick to that and you're golden!”

Back when I could barely aim straight, obviously I couldn't master Yami's kit.

But even so, that brief escape from reality, shielding me from any threat—it gave me this weird sense of security.

“Rest is just practice! Real matches, real matches!”

Harin teamed up with me, and before I could psych myself up, she tossed us into the PvP meat grinder.

Of course, we got wrecked right off the bat.

Couldn't even tell where the bullets were coming from—boom, I was out in seconds.

Battle royale FPSes are a bitch 'cause enemies ain't always right in your face.

As I moped a little, Harin laughed it off.

“Everyone sucks at first! Listen, Meru. When you get shot, hit Zesseki right away and just haul ass toward where you can see my name. Then chill and scout the enemies.”

Second round. Did exactly like she said—Zesseki the instant I ate lead, bolted toward her player name.

Harin yelled, “There! There!” while blasting the enemy spot. I lined up my aim on the same place and mashed left-click.

Hit.

23 damage.

That damage pop-up and the garin of armor cracking—it echoed huge in my head.

Pretty sure that was awe.

Like, I did that? What a no-brainer now, but back then, that tiny-ass thrill hit like a revelation.

Wanted to land more.

How do I land more?

Even after we wiped, my brain was all shots, all the time.

“Meru, you improved tons this round! One more—”

“—Let's do it.”

I'd been dragged into this kicking and screaming—or so I thought—but somehow, my finger was already on the match button.

“One more. Let's go.”

Three days later, the top-right of my screen read “Remaining squads: 2 squads.”

“Armor cracked!”

“...!”

No bandwidth to call it out like Harin—I was just grinding, shoving my character forward, snapping aim to foes.

Unload the clip. Land it. Recoil control. Land another.

Br tch!—something ripping, and the enemy dropped to their knees.

Downed 'em. One squad left—

The second I scanned, the kneeling, knocked-down enemy turned into a loot crate.

【BLANK OCCUPIER DETERMINATION!!】

Big bold English splashed across the center. Didn't know what it meant word-for-word. But I got the gist.

“Naaace!!”

Harin launched herself from the next seat over. I nearly tumbled off my chair, but I just kept staring at that screen.

In battle royale FPS, you lose nine times outta ten—the game's over when you're done.

Everyone but the last squad standing? Losers. Out of 60 players, only three get to bow out without a wipe.

That day, I joined those three for the first time in my life.

First taste of winning.

The nail-biting final seconds, my sweaty palms sticking to the mouse, Yami standing tall on the results screen—I'll never forget a damn thing about it.

If there's a moment that turned me into an FPS gamer... no doubt, it was that one.

While I was in Korea, I hit the PC bang damn near every day, maining Yami nonstop.

Yoshino-san hooked me up with a spare PC to practice at home, honing my skills so I could handle her better.

A year in, I wasn't losing one-on-ones to Harin or any of the classmates anymore.

She dragged me into tournaments a few times. Our elementary squad held our own—“Next time, we'll crush 'em all!”—yapping on voice chat till late.

Then, two years after landing in Korea... Yoshino-san told me we were heading back to Japan.

Her gig here was wrapping up, she said, looking all apologetic. Sorry, just when you made friends...

I broke the news to Harin and the crew we gamed with.

They looked bummed, but Harin? She grinned like she was pumping me up instead.

“Meru, even if you're far away, we're still connected, y'know?”

She said it in the Korean I'd finally started picking up.

“Hook into the same server, and we can play just like always! Ping might suck a bit more, though! Let's keep grinding VB like old times!”

And that's when I cried for the first time since getting to Korea.

Harin saved me.

The game saved me.

No matter where I am, I've got games.

No matter what I'm doing, I love 'em.

So—

Aiming the crosshair at the dummy target.

Firing. Lowering the mouse to control the recoil. The dummy shatters into pieces.

Saturday of the second week in June. Just minutes until Group Stage Match 2.

I'm silently pumping rounds into the dummy, over and over.

Can't tell from the FPS view, but the character's Yami. Even now, whenever I drill aim practice or queue up for ranked, I stick with Yami.

She used to be a must-pick back in the day, but then nerfs hit her hard, and characters with way beefier mobility got added, leaving her in the dust of the meta. These days, hardly any pro teams run her in comp.

Still, I wanna pilot this girl 'cause it feels like my raw beginner fire's sealed up inside her.

Wanna land more shots.

How do I land more?

That kid-me, obsessed with just that one tiny thing—feels like she's still kicking around in this character.

Everyone's expecting big things from me.

Everyone figures I'll pull it off.

But that first version of me? Total scrub—couldn't even clock where shots were coming from, geeking out over a measly 23 damage like some normie chump.

All this now? It's just what came after chasing that wish harder: more shots, more shots.

So from here on out, same damn wish, same damn hunger, same damn goal.

If I trip up... I'll lean on Shikimi just a tad... then grind back at it.

That'll do.

“Urume, you're up in the room. Get ready soon. Watch your char pick.”

“Got it.”

I bail from the shooting range and head to the lobby screen to swap characters. Gotta avoid that glitch where your range pick locks in for the match.

Before switching, I glance at the ninja-clad girl and murmur in my head, real quiet.

—Be right back.

Then I tab over to the winged dragonkin—“Cloudcross”—and punch in the passcode for the custom room where the match is going down.

◆

I'd wrapped up my morning study routine for the day—part of my weekend ritual—and set down my mechanical pencil.

From the living room, I could hear Dad and Mom chatting away, but with Shino-mi out at club practice today, the house felt nice and quiet. When that boundless-energy ball of chaos is around, studying's a lost cause. Used to drive me nuts back in the day.

Time for a breather, I guess. Though Mom said she'd whip up lunch today, so... what to kill time with? Brain's drawing a blank on the spot.

Might as well check messages. I grabbed my phone.

I see smartphones as these devilish slabs luring humanity straight to ruin, so I usually steer clear. But those four sisters—especially Chinana—bombard me with texts nonstop, so checking's become habit. Ranka's the type to nag for a reply if I'm five minutes late.

And—bam, a notification.

It's the streaming app's go-live alert. I'd set it up that way to avoid accidentally knocking on a door mid-broadcast with the sisters.

Looks like Kikuri's streaming.

Title: “<VBG S PG> Lil Sis Hardcore Cheer Mirror Stream!!!! w/ Lanca, Ueno Chinana”.

The other two are in on it too? I'd heard the sisters team up for videos or streams now and then, but seeing it firsthand? Might be a first.

Whole crew's hyping up Meru, huh... Oh yeah, she mentioned matches kick off around lunchtime on Saturdays.

Since I stepped up as her so-called mental coach... guess I oughta tune in proper.

I tapped the notification and fired up Kikuri's stream.

“What'll it be for drinks—?”

“Oh, then gimme orange juice!”

Right out the gate, it's this cozy, everyday chit-chat spilling out.

Down in the bottom right, there's Kikuri (Kuriki Hisoka) as expected, and next to her's a square wipe showing the familiar Kichijōji living room sofa. Chinana's the only one plopped there, eyeing off to the left.

From that left side, Ranka pops in clutching an orange bottle, sets it on the table right in front of the camera, and drops onto the sofa next to Chinana with a pumped “Yosh!”.

“Prep complete! Match started yet?”

“Any sec now~”

Kikuri's voice chimes back.

Most of the screen's taken up by the game feed. It's in lobby mode, I think—tons of frames crammed with player names. Each one's a team, probably.

Bottom right's got a wipe of Meru from a slight angle ahead, looking all tense as she sinks deep into her gaming chair. Her long bangs are pinned up today, so both eyes are fully visible.

“Ahh, gettin' nervous~”

Ranka rubs her hands together, all fidgety.

“Haven't done jack yet and my throat's bone-dry.”

Next to her, Chinana takes a dainty sip from the orange juice she'd poured into a glass.

The chat's buzzing with stuff like “C'mon~” and “Heart pounding”—whole vibe's thick with tension. Watching it creep in on me too. Not like I'm the one fighting or anything...

I lean in close, peering at Meru crammed in that tiny wipe on my puny phone screen.

Has she figured out how to face the pressure?

Did my words even land?

Will her grind pay off?

All that'll shake out in the game kicking off any second.

“Oh, it's starting!”

The game screen shifts.

Load screen, I reckon—shows the map that's about to turn into a battlefield. Name's “History Pot”. “Pot of history,” huh—like a melting pot of races or something?

While I'm mulling that, Meru's already leaping from the airship.

“““You got this~!”””

The sisters belt it out in unison.

Meru's dropping into this zone with a massive tree spreading its canopy wide. Total fantasy vibes, but around the giant trunk, there's metal scaffolding rigged up everywhere, and circling that are these modern-looking buildings.

“So, for folks not super clued in, lemme break it down~”

Kikuri pipes up while Meru's screen shows her cracking open an item box. In the wipe, Ranka and Chinana ham it up with a synchronized ““Woo~”” and some over-the-top claps.

“In VB, normally everyone bails from the same airship at the start and scatters to their fave spots, but tourneys? Kinda different~. They've got like 23? 24? That many drop points preset around the map, and teams pick one ahead of time. So no overlapping drops and instant scraps at the jump-off.”

Meru gave me the quick lowdown on this last time.

Teams call their opener “Landmark” or whatever, and in comp, it's locked in beforehand.

Means squads rarely clash early—way more teams survive to endgame than in pubs.

“My darling lil sis Urume-chan's crew is hitting ‘Yggdrasil’ this round. South edge of the map, per my video deep dives. Eh, kinda meh spot, I think~. Central landmarks are usually the play.”

Right then, Meru pulls up the map on screen. The three arrows—her and her squad, I guess—sit smack at the southern tip.

And up in the map's top-left, there's this big white circle outlined. Inside that, on the left flank, a green circle pops.

Meru schooled me on this too. It's the “Ring”—timer ticks down, and you can't hang outside it anymore, or else.

Gas-like crap rolls in from the edges, shrinking circle-style, and sticking around out there chews your HP. So teams gotta hustle to the “Safe Zone” inside before it closes.

This loops like five times till the ring seals shut and safe zone's gone.

Staring at the map, Meru's jawing with her teammates.

“Where we headed?”

“Hmm... Final's prob the longhouse over Water City Bazaar, but might swing dungeon-side.”

“So we snaggin' Hell's Gate~?”

“If we can. If it's looted, flow to Bazaar. Jump tower it is. Watch for Earth Buckle squads.”

A ping dings, and a marker drops in the green circle. One teammate's calling the shot: “Rolling here.” I remember—it's a “Pin.” Damn, my memory's on point; I'm impressed.

“This green one's the next-next ring, scoped via char abilities. The trio's predicting final ring off this and beelining~.”

“Yessir! Air-guitar sensei!”

“Who you callin' air-guitar? What's up, Ueno-kun?”

“Final ring don't drop till like ten, fifteen minutes in, right! How they clockin' it this early—second ring in?”

“That's... uh... no clue!”

“Totally air-guitar.”

Ranka jabs, capping off the sisters' mini-sketch, but yeah—how the hell do they forecast rings three, four ahead from just the second? Some pro knowledge or tech, I bet... wild.

The green circle for Ring 2 loops from “Hell's Gate” over to “Water City Bazaar”. From inside, Meru's squad books it toward the top-left edge of Hell's Gate (Jigomon for short).

In VACANT BLANK, you loot weapons and gear from boxes and buildings to scrap.

Meru's team must've swept Yggdrasil's drops, but her inventory—whatever it's called?—looks pretty barren. Prioritizing speed over loot, looks like.

They zip up this towering vertical line, then glide hard from there, vaulting an elevated walkway to touch down south of “Earth Buckle.”

Another line shoots skyward from there; they take to the air again, zipping west along a rocky ridge, landing on what looks like a highway, then pushing north while side-eyeing the building to their right.

They skirt the right of the tall rock face, cut through a boulder-strewn stretch lengthwise, then aim for Hell's Gate via this 5-meter-wide choke point. But—

Gunfire cracks.

“Jigomon's hot! Jigomon's hot!”

—-

Kikuri: "Well then, this noob’s just gonna sit back and spectate!"

Chinana: "You’re admitting it, huh!”

—-

Atop a wide slope about 20 meters across sat this massive building blocking the path like a damn wall, its broad windows peeking out with enemy muzzles from another squad.

The sudden spike in tension made my hand gripping the phone go rigid, but one of Meru's teammates—this woman named Exlz—barked out instructions cool as ice, yet sharp as a knife.

“Ult to fly! Push as deep as we can!”

Meru's crew hustled back to the choke's mouth and triggered her character's Ult. It morphed her into a wyvern, letting her squad grab on and take to the skies.

The three soared high, then glided just like before. Over the rocky ridge to the Water City Bazaar side, nailing a safe landing at the building on its eastern edge.

They all slipped quick into the two-story structure.

Guess that's a breather for now. Indoors, no chance of getting picked off outta nowhere and wiped.

One full wipe, and the match is toast. Hell, plenty of times it ends without even firing a shot proper. Makes you wonder just how wired the players must be.

Time kicked off so quiet, you wouldn't peg it for a shootout game.

Sure, the pros were calling out other squads slipping into nearby buildings, trading sporadic potshots, keeping up this edgy standoff—but for the moment, it felt like dead calm.

—-

Ranka: "Ugh, so intense~... The first move’s always the most heart-pounding~..."

Chinana: "Yup, if you accidentally run into another team, it’s game over, right?”

—-

Water City Bazaar was this trippy neighborhood area where three or so buildings shaped like Chupa Chups—y'know, those lollipops—stood on a dried-up lake bed, linked by covered walkways snaking between 'em.

The spot Meru and her squad had holed up in was a two-story building on the east lakeshore. It had a basement too, and from the looks of it, that underground hooked up via walkway to a spherical structure smack in the old lake.

If some other squad came charging, it'd be either hoofing it from the south shore, the north, or barreling through that basement corridor. Hell, Meru’s crew was eyeballing all three angles, playing it cautious.

But Meru'd dropped this line too.

“In battle royale, the biggest risk is goin' out lookin' for a fight yourself. Even if you're dead sure you'd clap 'em no sweat.”

“Why's that?”

“'Cause even if you smoke a one-on-one squad, a third or fourth might come crashin' the party right after. Get jumped fresh off a scrap, and no matter how hard you won the last one on skill alone—you're eatin' dirt.”

—-

Kikuri: "Looks like we can chill in this building for a bit, huh."

Ranka: "Get closer to the ring already!"

Chinana: "Deep down, you wanted to push further in, didn’t ya?”

—-

“So that's the whole ‘third party’ thing, huh...?”

“Yup. Folks actually call jumping a fight that's just wrapped up ‘fishing the strays.’”

“Japanese turn everything into a verb, don't they?”

Cheap shots carry a fat risk of getting fished yourself. That's why, deep in rings packed with squads, things grind into a deadlock...

Talk about the calm before the storm.

Meru's out there poking her head beyond the building, calling enemy spots, chipping at their health. Even if they fire back, her character Cloudcross has wings for that 3D maneuvering, so she can dodge bullets and zip back to their holdout no sweat.

The shot-caller Exlz keeps lobbing these light-particle things at enemy buildings nonstop. It's her character “Hotaru”'s skill—anything those particles tag lights up their positions like thermal imaging. Total recon specialist.

The last one's M4ine, glued to her sniper scope the whole time, wrapping the doors in foam to reinforce 'em. That's “Bubblewalker”'s kit. Beyond barricading doors so foes can't bust in, she's got an Ult that slaps down a massive water barrier on the ground, blinding enemy sightlines.

—-

Ranka: "Hey, grab those tissues over there."

Chinana: "Eating chips till your hands are all greasy... You’re gonna gain weight, y’know?"

Ranka: "You’re saying that while looking at this figure?"

Chinana: "Grrgh!”

—-

They use Cloud Cross's ult to move to the inside of the ring as quickly as possible. Towards the end of the game, they combine Hotaru's enemy-spotting ability with Bubble Walker's water wall to perform a combo that allows them to keep shooting at the opponent while hiding their presence. That's the concept of Meru and her team.

I ain't seen that power in action myself, but... we'll see.

Ring two seals shut, and the third finally pops on the map.

It splits Water City Bazaar and Hell's Gate right down the middle. Their building's wedged right at the bottom edge, barely scraping in.

“Called it—longhouse central.”

Exlz nails it. North up the lakeshore from their spot's this long, low building sprawled sideways. That's the longhouse, I figure.

“No way this holds for the next ring, so I'd love a relocate if we can...”

“This area's gonna crowd hard, prob.”

“Eh, maybe. South building acts as a breakwater, so half might spill lakeside.”

“Nah, even lakeside's outta next ring, and access-wise for finals? This joint's prime bait.”

—-

Kikuri: "Oh, pretty close!"

Chinana: "Guess you knew it all along, huh?”

—-

They rapid-fire debate over the map, then kick into gear.

“Cover the rear. I'm scouting spots to bounce before it jams up.”

Meru slips out solo, jogging north along the shore. Off to scope that longhouse, looks like. Right then, the ring starts shrinking, orange gas creeping slow toward their building.

Meru hugs rocks and walls smart, trading shots with a player peeking from the longhouse door.

She dumps multiple rounds into that split-second poke, dishing big damage, but it's not enough to claim the building outright.

While she's at it, gunfire cracks from the spherical build on the left lake. It pins her down—can't press deep into the longhouse.

That's when it went down.

“Ah! Incoming incoming incoming! From below!”

“Urume! Fall back!”

She catches the edge in her teammates' voices and wheels back to the two-story pronto. But before she makes it, shots echo from inside the building. “Cracked!” “Sorry, HP's toast!” Reports flying. What the—? Did they time it for her being out?

—-

Ranka: "You’re going that far all by yourself!?"

Kikuri: "Scary~... Don’t wipe out, don’t wipe out…”

—-

The HP bars bottom-left go crimson on one. M4ine's downed. Right after, Meru finally rolls in, diving to the basement level.

Three enemies loom in the open walkway, backs to the light spilling through, rifles up. Exlz, firing back from the opposite stairs, is already shredded. Numbers game's brutal—no contest.

But,

“Heal up.”

She snaps it short to the surviving Exlz, levels her shotgun, and slides right into the trio's faces like silk.

Point-blank, she blasts the front one's dome with buckshot. 85 damage. Downed. She'd clocked the low-HP foe from their chatter.

No pause—she slaloms her character slick as oil, damn near floating. Most enemy rounds whiz right past her cheek.

Figuring they gotta close to chunk real damage, one foe pushes to three meters out.

—-

Chinana: "Things are lookin’ kinda dicey!"

Ranka: "Ughhh... Come on, you got this, you got this, you got this...!”

—-

But Meru's scatter waited there.

Three blasts back-to-back. Baling!—armor shatters like glass. One shot from bleeding out. Meanwhile, Meru's plating's only half gnawed.

Armor's basically bolt-on HP. Base flesh at 100, plus armor's buffer—that's your total.

Armor levels up white to blue to purple to red based on damage dished, but Meru's speed-run blue's at 50 HP. Enemy squad's only tagged her for 25 total.

“Healed! All-in, let's go!”

Exlz patches up and links. Now it's 2v2, and one foe's on fumes. No way they drop this.

The second their last guy's a crate, the sisters on co-stream let rip a shriek-scream cheer.

It was total mismatch... till Meru linked up, and boom—tables flipped.

That's Meru's chops—seeing it hit me, and bam, I flash on her trembling hands.

—-

Hyaaaah!!

—-

You faced it head-on, huh.

And you smashed through. That pressure chaining you down.

“I'll rez! Eyes out!”

Meru barks it fierce—voice I've never clocked—yanking M4ine up from her downed crawl.

HP hits zero, you drop to downed—crawl mode, where a teammate can revive you.

But take more hits or let time tick? You're “permadeath”—gray crate city. That's the “Deathbox,” stuffed with all that player's loot. Right now, Meru's rummaging one from the foes she smoked.

Luck held—no third parties crashed, and they patched the damage clean. But by then, next ring's up.

And this building? Ain't in it.

“Time's bitchin'! What's the play!?”

—-

Kikuri: "The ring’s insane!"

Ranka: "Ugh~... Too tense to even talk…”

—-

Can't squat here anymore. Plus, 13 squads left. Horde's gonna surge for ring—pressure's spiking, voices ramping loud across the squad.

“Urume! Any holes we can slip into!?”

“Wall-shadow before the longhouse—barely...! But lake sightlines might fuck us!”

“Then flank back slow! Rear full lockdown!”

“Roger that!”

While M4ine snaps back peppy, Meru's still laser-focused north on the longhouse.

And,

“Ah.”

Her eyes snag the roof.

“Roof! Clear! Ult's up!”

“—Got it!”

Exlz clocks Meru's shorthand report. “Regroup on Urume!” she hollers, and the other two ditch the plan mid-stride, piling to Meru on the basement stairs.

Wyvern shift, round two.

—-

Ranka: "Huh?"

Chinana: "Huh?”

—-

The trio blasts sky-high, then craters onto the longhouse roof like a meteor. Yeah—Meru clocked it: enemies inside, but roof's a ghost town.

It's the highest perch in the ring right now. Exlz sweeps the orange-walled zone and whoops.

“Niiice niiice niiice! From here, we own the sky! Spam those flanks—die trying!”

Ring shrink kicks in.

Same beat, seven-plus players swarm from the lake sphere, mobbing the longhouse.

Straight zombie flick from there. Hordes shambling for the longhouse? Roof squad mows 'em down, down, down. Ammo's flush from the last wipe. One, two, full squad—Meru's kills stacking fat.

Prime feeding frenzy, but I'm sweating that enemy squad squatting in the longhouse below. They mulch this zombie rush—then what for the foot-soldiers?

—-

Kikuri: "Oooh! This looks strong! Like, super strong!"

Ranka: "Go, go, go, go...!!”

—-

Answer dropped quick.

One squad bolts from the lake, dodges the hail, and ducks inside the longhouse. Then—shots crack from within.

“Floor fish! We movin'!”

Seize the moment—textbook. Exlz calls it sharp, and the three vault off the roof in sync.

Meru breaches the door just as that ducked squad turns to crates. The holdouts clock her and spin—but too late. Her assault rifle's barking.

One mag empties one to the dirt. The last duo crumples like wet paper—gone in a blink.

“Hell yeah! West flank's all ours! Hunker till the wire, wall up, bubble the zone, wallhack to glory!”

Exlz called the shot straight.

They purged every last west-side straggler, no loose ends, then bunkered in the longhouse till ring's boot threatened. Timed it for when outside squads started scrapping, then exploded out.

—-

Ranka: "Feels like we can do this! Feels like we can totally do this!"

Chinana: "Just a bit more, just a bit more!”

—-

First up: Bubblewalker's water wall. Slapped stem-to-stern across ring's edge, cleaving safe zone clean in two.

With fighting teams boxed behind the water, Meru pops Hotaru's Ult. Light-particle dome lights enemies crystal—even through walls. And that water? Blocks eyes, not bullets.

One-way spray through the veil—every foe melts to crates.

【BLANK OCCUPIER DETERMINATION!!】

“Naaace!!” “Naaaiiice—!”

Teammates holler as it fades in. Meru lets a huge “Haa...” sigh rip, slumps into her chairback—and flashes a low-key peace to the camera. To the fans cheering from the other side of the screen.

—-

Wooooo—!!!

—-

Meru's squad grinded steady through the next five matches, racking placements and kills, snagging overall first in VBGS PG Group Stage Match 2.

25 placement points banked—total 33. Jumped to second outta 30 teams, word is.

The co-stream sisters go full festival—waa kya chaos. Brainstorming victory interview Qs while they wait for Meru to emerge.

Me? Second I clocked the top spot, tension finally uncoiled from my shoulders.

Goddamn, what a nail-biter. Quit solo-scouting and near-death solo bullshit for real.

“Kiminaga-kun, whatcha starin' at?”

Voice hits from behind outta nowhere—I jolt and whip around.

There's my stepsis Shino-mi, fresh from practice, soccer ball netted and slung over her shoulder.

“Uh... ah... n-nothin'...”

Dunno why, but embarrassment floods hot.

How many hours was I glued to Meru?

I scramble for a deflection on instinct.

“J-just some... porn vid or whatever.”

“Nah, that's not the vibe for confessin' while you dodge—it's obvious.”

Shit. Figured she'd drop it if I played it off...

“Ease up, y'know? I always show ya mine.”

“Sisters don't count.”

She pouts all “Che—” bored-like, then yanks off her sweat-soaked shirt in one rough peel.

While she swaps threads behind me, I check my phone battery. Blood-red. First time it's drained this bad.

Three hours straight, huh...

...But hey, shorter than that all-nighter waiting for Meru's stream to wrap.

Before it flatlines, I fire up the chat app. Mental coach gig and all—gotta clock in proper.

<Nice.>

One word, short and sweet to Meru. Back zips a peace stamp, instant.

Dunno why, but that plain-ass sticker hits heavier than the real-deal peace I caught on stream.

The following Sunday, as I stepped into the apartment building’s entrance, I could finally peel off my stifling raincoat.

What a miscalculation. I hadn’t expected it to pour like this out of nowhere. If I weren’t the kind of guy who plans for every contingency, my shirt and underwear would be soaked through right now. I can’t help but wonder how all those short-sighted, careless folks out there—who didn’t think to bring a raincoat like I did—are faring at this moment. Just imagining it fills me with regret. Unforgivable. Damn this guerrilla downpour.

“Rough day, huh? Even on a day like this,” said Takimoto-san, the concierge, as she handed me the key at the front desk.

At first, I had to buzz the intercom to get the key, but lately, it seems I’ve earned some trust, and they just hand it over at the desk.

“It’s my job,” I replied.

“You’re so dependable, Kimi-kun. Me? On a day like this, I can’t muster the energy to do a thing,” she said.

“You’re definitely busier than me…”

Despite her polished role as the concierge of this fancy high-rise, Takimoto-san had a laid-back, almost leisurely air about her, like a retired sage living in seclusion.

It’s hard to picture her being bossed around by the bourgeois types, but I’ve actually seen her chauffeuring Ranka to school.

“Well, keep at it. I’ll be cheering you on from the shadows,” she said.

“Is this place a haunted building or something?” I quipped.

Bidding farewell to the elusive, ghost-like Takimoto-san, I took the elevator to the top floor.

Normally, I don’t work as a housekeeper on Sundays. Even those outrageous sisters have some concept of a day off. But yesterday, Kikuri and the others held a cheerleading stream, so it was an impromptu holiday, and today was the makeup shift.

I hope those girls didn’t leave juice cans and snack wrappers scattered all over the living room from their stream…

With that thought in mind, I walked about ten meters down the silent top-floor corridor and used the key to unlock the chicly designed door.

“Morning. Anyone here—?” I called out.

As my eyes fell on the living room to the right of the entrance, I froze.

In front of the sofa and coffee table stood three women.

One was Meru. Water dripped from her long bangs, and she was clad in a navy-blue bra and panties.

Just in front of her was a tall, toned woman with sharp, commanding eyes that gave off the vibe of a sports team captain. Her bra and panties were an understated gray.

Next to her, drying her hair with a towel, was a woman with slightly gothic makeup that caught the eye. Her hair, usually in twin tails, was half-down, and her underwear was a flashy wine-red.

All three were drenched, standing there in their underwear.

And the latter two? I had no clue who they were.

Strangers—intruders in the house!

“Who’re you!? State your names!” I demanded.

“You state yours!” the woman in gray shot back, her face flushing red as she charged at me and slammed a lariat into my neck.

“Sorry, you two. I forgot Shikimi was coming today,” Meru said in a breezy tone, utterly devoid of concern, after I’d been knocked flat onto the polished hardwood floor.

The two strangers, it turned out, were Meru’s teammates.

They’d been meeting offline for a strategy session when the sudden rain hit, and they’d taken shelter here. So, the short-sighted, careless folks were right here, huh?

Let’s see, their names were…

“Gray’s Exlz, and wine-red’s M4ine,” Meru clarified.

“Don’t remember us by our underwear colors!” Exlz snapped, dropping a fist onto my head as I sat seiza-style on the floor. I blocked it with my left arm.

“Liz, you’re getting too worked up~ It’s just a high schooler seeing us in our underwear,” M4ine said, lounging on the sofa like she owned the place, munching on cookies from the table. That anime-like voice did sound familiar.

“Act too chill, and they’ll come crawling back—those virgin-obsessed creeps you hate so much, Liz,” Meru teased.

“We’re not streaming right now! And Urume, you should be more embarrassed! A guy saw you half-naked!” Exlz retorted.

“Eh, whatever…” Meru tilted her head slightly, now changed into her usual loungewear.

“It’s not my first time.”

“What? Whaaaat!?” Exlz’s voice hit a fever pitch.

M4ine let out a small giggle, her shoulders shaking. “Losing to a first-year high schooler, lol~♪”

“Who’s losing what!?” Exlz barked.

“Face, chest, aim, character control, and… guy experience?” M4ine taunted.

“Alright, you. Meet me at the shooting range. I’ll school you one-on-one,” Exlz growled.

I only knew them from their in-game banter, but this was how they were in person? Just like regular friends, huh.

“Shikimi,” Meru said, approaching me. She placed her hands on her knees and leaned down to peer at me as I sat seiza-style.

“Sorry for the noise. You can get to work.”

“Hm? Oh… you sure you don’t need tea or anything?” I asked.

“Nah, we’re good.”

“No, no, hold up!” M4ine interjected loudly, beckoning me with a wave. “Shikimi-kun, was it? Come closer!”

Meru shot me a ‘just ignore her’ look, but I couldn’t exactly brush off a guest. I stood and moved over to M4ine, who was sprawled on the sofa.

“What’s up?” I asked.

Her original clothes were in the wash, and she was apparently wearing hand-me-downs from the other sisters or the chairman. But M4ine had somehow dug up a frilly blouse and skirt. I’d called her makeup gothic earlier, but paired with this outfit, could this be the rumored mine-kei style?

“Don’t just stand there, sit! Right here, c’mon!” she said, patting the spot next to her.

“Uh… alright,” I sighed, reluctantly taking a seat.

M4ine’s heavily shadowed eyes scanned my face. “Hmm… I heard about a guy doing housekeeping, but this is what you’re like?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“You good at housework?”

“Average. It’s just that the people in this house are too hopeless.”

“You did their taxes too, right?”

“I’ve studied accounting.”

“Anything else you’re good at?”

“I’ve worked a ton of odd jobs, so I can handle most things.”

“And you’re good at school too, yeah?”

“Not to brag, but I haven’t dropped from first in my grade in three years.”

What is this, a job interview?

“So… got a crush in your class?” she asked.

“? Nope.”

“What about a girlfriend?”

“Nope…?”

What’s with her? Her voice was getting… kinda syrupy.

“Really? A total catch like you? I’d think you’d be drowning in girls~”

“Am I?” I asked skeptically.

“Oh, yeah. If you’re not used to girls, wanna practice with onee-san?”

Like a snake slithering toward prey, M4ine’s arms wrapped around mine. Pressing the swell beneath her blouse against my elbow, she whispered, “(I kinda like serious guys like you…♥)”

W-what?

Could this be…!?

The fabled reverse pickup!?

A sweet, cloying scent—perfume, maybe—filled my nose, my brain holding an emergency meeting with no answers forthcoming, and—

“No,” a voice cut in.

Someone grabbed my other arm.

“Shikimi’s off-limits… Don’t touch him,” Meru said, sitting on my other side, pulling me away from M4ine with pleading eyes glaring at her.

M4ine grinned mischievously and let go of my arm. “What, did it look like that? My bad, my bad! Just teasing—ow!?”

Exlz chopped the back of M4ine’s head as she laughed it off. “Oi, you damn succubus. Stop throwing yourself at everyone—especially a high schooler!”

“I said I was just teasing! I wanted to see Meru’s reaction, that’s all!” M4ine protested.

Meru’s Meru, huh?

I tilted my head, catching sight of Meru, still clutching my arm possessively, her ears faintly red beneath her long hair.

“…”

Noticing my gaze, Meru loosened her grip and hid her face, pressing her forehead against my shoulder with a soft thunk.

“So bittersweet~♥ I wanna be a high schooler again~♥” M4ine cooed.

“With your personality, no relationship’s lasting, no matter what age you are,” Exlz shot back.

“Don’t wanna hear that from someone acting all maidenly at your age!” M4ine retorted.

“Don’t wanna hear it from someone whose love talk makes her stream audience cringe!” Exlz snapped.

As Meru trembled against my shoulder, still pressing her forehead to me, I couldn’t find any words to say.

I heard the entrance door close and poked my head out from the utility room.

Spotting Meru returning from the entrance, I called out to her from across the kitchen.

“Those two gone?”

“Yeah, just now,” she replied.

I couldn’t help but feel relieved. Seems I’m not great with older women. My little sister’s younger, after all. And Kikuri? She doesn’t feel older.

“I’m heading back to my room,” Meru said.

“Sure. …You want anything?”

“…Water, then.”

At that, I filled the large tumbler Meru always uses with water from the dispenser. Stepping out of the kitchen, I handed it to her as she waited by the stairs.

“Here.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking the tumbler with both hands. She turned her back to me and started up the stairs.

Watching her climb to the second floor, her ears peeking through her long hair, I couldn’t shake the image of her pulling me away from M4ine.

“Meru!” I called out.

She stopped mid-step on the stairs, looking down at me.

I don’t think I’m dense. But I also don’t want to be some self-absorbed jerk.

So it took courage to even consider the possibility. Why did she suddenly kiss me when I was tutoring her for midterms? Why did she open up to me about her vulnerabilities? Why did she try to protect me from M4ine? There’s a simple explanation I keep circling back to, yet hesitate to accept.

Does she… like me?

The old me would’ve dismissed it. No way, there’s no reason for that. But what if she’s Sakuraoto? The girl who kept loving me because of a me I don’t remember. If Meru’s her, that would explain her feelings perfectly.

Meru, are you the one who sent me those emails?

Meru, do you have that photo?

Meru, are you… the girl who made me fall in love?

Saying it out loud should’ve been easy. Just a few seconds.

But—

“…Never mind, it’s nothing,” I said.

Not now, the calm part of me warned.

Even if I asked, she wouldn’t answer straight. And Meru’s in the middle of a big tournament. I don’t want to distract her with something like this. My past? I won’t die not knowing. She’s fighting for her life right now. Love or work—it’s obvious which comes first.

“…Okay,” Meru said, unbothered by my awkward pause. She climbed the stairs and disappeared into the second floor.

◆

I entered my room, shut the door firmly, and leaned against it.

Staring at the floor, I let out a small sigh.

I could hear my heart beating—thump, thump—deep in my chest.

That look in Shikimi’s eyes. His voice, his words. Every time I replayed them, my heart picked up its rhythm.

Making sure no one could hear, I whispered softly, “Did he figure it out?”

◆

Time passed, and it was the third Friday in June.

Looking up at the gloomy June sky, I thought about tomorrow.

Meru’s got back-to-back matches. Matches 3 and 4 of the group stage—12 games total in one go. There’s a break in between, but it’s a long haul from noon to night.

As her mental coach, I plan to watch it all, but the real question is what comes after… When do I bring up the photo? If she advances through the group stage, there’s a two-week gap before the playoffs, so maybe the day after tomorrow is the best time…

“Hmm… tricky…” I muttered.

“Oi, Kimi! Stop daydreaming and grab the ball!” a voice shouted.

A soccer ball bounced lightly and rolled to my feet.

A tanned guy, the opposing forward, came charging at me, smirking. “Mine!” he yelled, lunging for the ball.

I rolled it under my foot, spun in place, and dodged him.

“What the!?” he yelped.

I kicked the ball hard, sending it upfield to our frontline.

The tanned guy scrambled, turning to chase it.

“…Kimi’s got some moves, huh?” one of the girls watching from the sidelines whispered.

“His sister’s in junior youth women’s soccer or something, right? He’s probably been dragged into her practice since forever,” another replied.

Compared to my part-time jobs, PE’s a breeze.

After the match, I moved to the edge of the field. Beyond the green netting surrounding the pitch, I could see the Minato Ward skyline from the equivalent of a sixth-floor vantage point.

This field was on the roof of the gym, right next to the school. The school building’s four stories taller, so if you ignore the netting, it feels like a regular ground-level field in front of a four-story building. It’s like a narrative trick in a novel.

PE was almost over. Maybe I’d review some English vocab in the meantime. The right moment to talk to Meru might hit me out of nowhere.

“…Hey,” a voice said.

Starting with A—huh?

I turned to see Ranka in her gym uniform, shoulders hunched like she was avoiding attention.

“What’s up? Rare to see you talk to me at school,” I said.

“No need to come to the house tomorrow. We’re streaming. That’s all.”

“Oh, business as usual. Meru’s cheerleading stream, right? I know.”

Ranka blinked, surprised. “How’d you know?”

“You guys did one last week.”

“…Wait, you watched it?” Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“So what?”

“You don’t even care about games…”

“It’s what the people I work for are doing. Is it weird to check it out?”

“Not… weird, I guess.”

She sounded skeptical, her words clipped.

“What’s up? Embarrassed I might watch your usual streams? Too late—I saw enough during tax season to haunt my dreams.”

“That’s not it—ugh, never mind,” she said, stepping back with her left foot, half-turning away.

That’s exactly how you sound when it’s not nothing. Funny how it bugs me when I’m on the receiving end.

“That’s all. …Don’t go feeling left out just ‘cause you’re not invited, okay?” she added.

“As if,” I shot back.

Ranka turned and walked off briskly.

I never figured out what was eating her.

◆

The next day, Saturday, I finished my study quota in the morning.

I made lunch for myself and my parents, ate, and returned to my room. My sister Shinomi had left early with a bento.

I picked up my phone from the charger. A stream notification had just popped up—Kikuri, Ranka, and Chinana’s cheerleading stream.

Who’d have thought watching a stream would ever make it onto my schedule?

I opened it and peered at the small screen.

In the picture-in-picture, Ranka and Chinana sat on a familiar sofa, introducing snacks on the glass table to fill time. Meru, mirrored from the main stream, sat in a chair with her eyes closed, focusing.

‘Here we go,’ Exlz said.

Meru replied with a short ‘Yup,’ opened her eyes, and pinned up her long bangs, revealing the eyes she usually half-hides.

Group Stage, Match 3, Game 1.

Like last time, the three landed in Yggdrasil, where towering trees spread their canopies. Using M4ine’s Bubble Walker ability, they scouted up to the second ring.

I hadn’t paid much attention last week, but Meru explained later:

‘VB characters are divided into five classes—Hunter, Thief, Spirit User, Priest, and Mage. Each has a class skill. Predicting the next ring is a Mage ability. You use those antenna things on buildings to check it.’

‘But how do you know the final ring’s location just from seeing the second one? Aren’t the rings random?’ I’d asked.

‘There’s a pattern. They tend to shift in the same direction or stick to the edge of the previous ring. Plus, the final ring’s shrink point is preset. If it was truly random and ended up in, like, an inaccessible mountain, the game wouldn’t work.’

‘Got it. So the final ring’s placed strategically to keep the game fair.’

‘Sometimes you get garbage safe zones with zero strategy, though.’

This time, the second ring formed far to the northeast, encircling Crack Bridge. Using ring patterns and final ring knowledge, Meru’s team aimed for the position with the highest win rate.

‘Ugh, it’s around the northeast parking lot at Crack Bridge…’ Exlz groaned.

‘So far! We’re on the total opposite side!’ M4ine whined.

‘Outer move?’ Meru asked.

‘Let’s do it. Time to gather magic!’ Exlz replied.

Seeing the final ring was far off, they ditched heading straight there. Instead, they moved away from the ring toward the Temple of Light to the east.

Meru had explained this too:

‘In VB, especially in tournaments, there are two main strategies: inner move and outer move.’

‘Inner move’s obvious—get inside the ring as fast as possible?’ I’d guessed.

‘Yup. Most teams wipe out either fighting or moving, so you take a spot near the final ring early to minimize both. It’s the default for most parties.’

‘So outer move’s the opposite?’

‘You roam the safe zone’s outer edges where fewer teams go, gathering supplies or upgrading armor. You can strengthen armor by collecting magic from crystals scattered around the map without dealing damage. Then you prep fully before fighting or stealing positions.’

Holding a position early is advantageous, but outer movers prepare enough to overturn that edge—like bringing triple the troops to a siege.

‘Fighting’s risky, so outer moves don’t guarantee high placements, but when they work, the kill count’s insane. I prefer outer,’ Meru had said.

‘But you guys usually do inner moves, right?’

‘Case by case. If the second ring’s super far or we need kills to catch up, we switch to outer.’

This was one of those “super far” cases.

After collecting magic from crystals to upgrade their armor to level 3, Meru’s team finally ran toward Crack Bridge.

Kikuri briefly switched the screen to the tournament’s main broadcast, showing a god’s-eye view with all players’ positions as icons.

Crack Bridge, inside the second ring, was two large buildings split by a massive chasm—like a giant ark cleaved in half with the ground. A gondola connected the two sides. Each ark was two stories, with the first floor split into three areas, enough for three parties. Outside, stacked wooden crates formed another safe spot for teams.

At least 10 parties—30 players—swarmed the area like ants waiting for prey. Meru’s team had to break into this mess.

They paused at Castle East in the map’s center, waiting for the first ring to fully shrink. Then, using an antenna on a decayed apartment rooftop, they scouted the third ring.

—

Kikuri: Yo, just poppin’ in to catch the main stream real quick?

Ranka: Whoa, what the hell is this?!

—

It was just as Exlz—and most teams—had predicted: the third ring pointed to the northeast of Crack Bridge. One half of the ark dominated the ring’s left side, with the rest made up of a snowy plain, wooden crates, and a long, narrow building.

If this had defied expectations, fewer teams would’ve camped out early, and Meru’s squad could’ve swooped in for a position. But in reality, most teams had nailed the prediction, and every decent spot was already taken.

Meru’s team eyed Ice Wave to the north—an area marked by a massive frozen wave—while planning their next move.

‘Go rightward…?’ M4ine suggested. ‘Messing with the Ice Wave crew sounds rough.’

‘Even if we crush Ice Wave, it’s outside the ring anyway,’ Exlz said. ‘If we’re gonna fight, might as well go for a better spot.’

‘How ‘bout the long house on the hill between Ice Wave and Crack Bridge?’ M4ine proposed. ‘If we hold the bridge in front, third-partiers won’t bother us much, right?’

‘Not bad,’ Meru said. ‘Let’s read enemy positions. If it’s clear, we ult to the bridge.’

‘And if it’s not clear?’ Exlz asked.

—-

Chinana: No way we’re putting that in there…

Kikuri: Looks like an ant nest. Wanna pour some molten aluminum in it? ~

Ranka: Can you not just casually drop your psychopath vibes like that?

—-

‘Maybe the rocks toward Judgment Hill,’ Meru suggested. ‘Nobody’s dumb enough to take that house in this ring. We could easily hold the outermost edge.’

As Meru had explained to me before, being the outermost team in the ring is a big advantage. No need to worry about attacks from behind.

What they sometimes call a ‘back cut’ refers to camping the safe zone’s edge, picking off teams pushed in by the shrinking ring or confirming no one’s behind them.

The bridge they’d aimed for was already held by enemies. So, as planned, they moved east to the rocky area north of Judgment Hill. It was inside the second ring but outside the third.

Meru peeked north from behind a rock. About thirty meters down a snow-covered slope, two long, caterpillar-like prefab huts sat—one directly ahead, the other diagonally to the right. Enemy characters kept poking their heads out from the doors of both.

Both huts were inside the third ring.

‘Let’s hit ‘em early,’ Exlz, the IGL—or in-game leader—ordered.

‘They don’t even know we’re coming,’ she added. ‘They haven’t realized this rock field’s outside the third ring.’

—-

Kikuri: When you see somethin’ all messy and tangled up, don’t ya just wanna dig into it? Like those dirt-scrapin’ mats at shop entrances.

Ranka: Uh, not really…

Kikuri: Like, those net-like patterns, makes me wanna rip ‘em all apart, y’know? ~

Ranka: What’s that about? You talkin’ ‘bout the darkness in your soul or somethin’?

—-

Got it. Only Meru’s team, lingering on the outer edge until the last moment, knows where the third ring will land. Antennas for predicting rings are in limited spots, so inner-move teams holed up in their positions can’t scout it.

They’re factoring in the enemy’s intel—or lack thereof. This really is a battlefield.

Peering through her assault rifle’s scope, Meru kept watch on the two prefab huts.

‘But there’s another team right next door, yeah?’ she said.

‘If we can’t wipe ‘em in ten seconds, we pull back fast,’ Exlz replied. ‘That’s why we hit now, before the ring pushes us.’

‘One shot, got it,’ M4ine confirmed.

‘Water wall to block the left firing line. Let’s move!’ Exlz commanded.

M4ine conjured a water wall on the left side of the slope, shielding them from enemy fire. They slid down the thirty-meter slope safely, and Exlz deployed a barrier to pinpoint enemy positions. Inside the narrow prefab hut, three heat signatures appeared, like a thermal scan.

—-

Chinana: Oh, looks like somethin’s startin’ up!

Ranka: Agh, no time to be weirded out by Hisoka-nee’s dark side!

—-

At the same moment, Meru opened fire on the players inside through the door.

The enemy’s HP drained satisfyingly fast, prompting cheers from Ranka, Chinana, and Kikuri.

‘Got one! One down!’ Meru called out.

‘Wipe ‘em out!’ Exlz barked immediately.

The three stormed the prefab, obliterating the enemy party in seconds.

But there was no time to celebrate. Just as Meru had warned, another party from the neighboring prefab attacked without missing a beat.

‘Buy time! Grab their armor!’ Exlz ordered.

M4ine, who’d taken minimal damage in the last fight, unloaded bullets and grenades at the door to block the new party’s advance.

Meanwhile, Meru and Exlz looted pristine armor from the downed party’s death boxes, restoring their HP to full. Realizing they were at a disadvantage, the enemy team retreated to their prefab.

Finally, a moment to breathe. Ranka and Chinana let out sighs of relief.

—-

Chinana: Waaaaah!!

Ranka: So freakin’ strong!

Kikuri: One-man mag!

—-

It looked like they’d secured a position pretty close to the final ring. But having an enemy team in the neighboring prefab was going to be a pain moving forward. So, the three started timing their attack to take out the adjacent team.

Meru slipped out of the prefab alone, trying to chip away at the enemy team’s HP to create an opening. The problem was one of the enemy’s characters: Garden.

This character could plant trees that spewed toxic gas, and one was placed right at the prefab’s entrance. Getting close meant taking damage from purple smoke and getting slowed down—a serious disadvantage. It made pushing in a real hassle.

‘That poison chick’s such a pain…’ M4ine grumbled.

‘Attacking’s gonna be rough,’ Exlz said. ‘Let’s focus on hunting outside for now.’

As the second ring fully closed, they picked off players fleeing from outside the safe zone. That’s when it happened.

The neighboring prefab team made a move.

Exlz, who’d been keeping watch, suddenly shouted, ‘Ugh, gross! They threw gas!’

—-

Kikuri: Poison granny’s here…

Chinana: She’s got that gorgeous big-sis vibe, so callin’ her ‘oba’ is kinda harsh, don’t ya think?

Ranka: Yeah, but she seems hella annoying~…

—-

When Meru turned around, Exlz was already engulfed in purple toxic gas, unable to escape. Three enemy players swarmed her in a coordinated rush. Exlz fought back but was overwhelmed and went down. M4ine tried to cover her but was silenced by the sheer numbers.

‘Run, run! Climb the ranks!’ Exlz yelled.

Left alone, Meru gave up on counterattacking. She bolted out of the prefab, taking fire as she fled.

Meru hid and survived for a while, climbing the placement ranks, but another team soon spotted her, and they were wiped out.

Game 1: 11th place, 5 kills, 6 points total.

‘Sorry… shoulda just run… I tried to fight…’ Exlz groaned.

‘It’s fine, it’s fine! For a safe zone on the total opposite side, we did alright~’ M4ine reassured her.

‘Yeah, we got plenty of kills too,’ Meru added.

It wasn’t a stellar result, but Meru and M4ine consoled Exlz as they shifted focus to the next game.

Game 2. The second ring stretched from the settlement east of Castle East across the mountains to Hot Spring Village. It was hard to predict whether the next ring would favor the settlement or the hot springs, but betting on the hot springs paid off. They fought fiercely in a long, corridor-like building, only to fall in the middle of the hot spring itself.

—-

Ranka: Huh?!

Chinana: Whoa!

Kikuri: Aaaah~…

—-

Game 3. The ring landed at Tower City in the northwest of the map, an area packed with buildings where multiple parties could coexist. Given its distance from their landing spot and the abundance of positions, Meru’s team opted for an outer move again. They geared up thoroughly before Meru used her flight ultimate to slip into the base of the central tower.

Despite being bombarded from the tower and surrounding buildings, they managed to survive, making it to the final ring fight in the parking lot north of the tower. They navigated a relentless series of battles, each demanding split-second decisions, but couldn’t hold out until the very end.

5th place, 8 kills. Total: 27 points.

A break followed.

Ranka and Chinana were griping about the ring, but overall, the team was sitting in 2nd place. Could this be another strong showing?

Just as I let myself relax—

Game 4. The ring hit Meteor Plain on the central-left side of the map. It was close enough for them to loot quickly and rush out of Yggdrasil to seize a vertical zipline—Jump Tower—the moment they grabbed it, something happened.

—-

Ranka: Ain’t the ring, like, always super far away?

Chinana: She keeps goin’ way too high up there!

—-

‘!? Crap, I’m getting shot!’

M4ine’s anime-like voice rang out in a frantic report.

A party appeared out of nowhere nearby, sniping M4ine as she climbed the Jump Tower third in line.

The two ahead of her dropped back to fight, but with one already down, they couldn’t turn the tide and got wiped out.

20th place, 0 kills.

‘Dammit… the Dragonsbed team, huh?’ Exlz muttered. ‘They’ve got no points, so they’re hunting top teams to catch up…’

I recalled what Meru had told me. When you’re low on points and need a comeback, you switch up your strategy. They’d fallen victim to that irregular move.

‘If luck’s against you, you can get crushed in an instant. That’s the scary part of battle royale,’ Meru had said.

This match was exactly that.

The sisters watching the stream seemed deflated, like they’d been doused with cold water. But there were still two matches left.

—-

Chinana: Ack!

Ranka: No way, seriously?!

Kikuri: Ugyaaaah~…

—-

Game 5. The ring landed at Mithril Quarry, just west of Yggdrasil. Finally, a close ring.

Still, after the last match’s disaster, I couldn’t help but feel on edge. Meru’s team used Cloudcross’s flight ultimate to cross the magma river, heading to the settlement in the map’s far southwest. They landed safely and slipped into a building, prompting relieved sighs from the watching sisters.

To move as fast as possible, they’d looted minimally, leaving all three critically low on supplies. But as the third ring shrank, an opportunity arose.

Another party flew into a different building in the settlement using a flight ultimate.

Spotting them, Meru attacked instantly. The enemy party, still disorganized from landing, took heavy damage and could only huddle together. From there, they were easy prey for grenades.

Looting the enemy’s death boxes to resupply, Meru’s team tried moving to the final ring’s shrink point—a rocky area northeast of the settlement. But a party already holding the rocks stalled them, and while they struggled, another team attacked, wiping them out.

3rd place, 9 kills. Total: 43 points.

—-

Ranka: Looks like we’re safe this time…

—-

‘Third overall, huh… Would’ve liked to climb a bit higher~’ M4ine said.

‘Let’s go all out ‘til the end. No change in strategy!’ Exlz declared.

Game 6. Something unprecedented happened.

There was no antenna to predict the next ring.

Antenna spawn points are fixed, but which ones appear is random each match. They’d planned to use one at Mithril Quarry if Yggdrasil didn’t have one, but this time, neither did.

With no clue where the second ring would be, the irony was that Yggdrasil was inside the first ring.

Maybe the final ring would land at Yggdrasil. If so, staying put was the play. But what if it was elsewhere? Moving to another landmark with an antenna could confirm it.

Exlz, the IGL, had to make a snap decision.

‘Ugh… no, it’s not Yggdrasil! Probably Temple of Light!’ she decided.

Meru’s team headed east to the Temple of Light.

But—

—-

Ranka: Ugh, why only this time~!

Kikuri: Man, she’s totally bottomin’ out…

—-

The sisters let out a collective scream.

From the main broadcast’s god’s-eye view, we could see the second ring tightening around Yggdrasil.

What a cruel twist of fate… Of all the times to lack an antenna, the ring just had to favor their landing spot.

Cursed by bad luck and missing a golden ring pattern, Meru’s team only realized their mistake after the first ring shrank. Cursing under their breath, they attacked a party holding a building south of Yggdrasil from their position at the Temple of Light.

With so many parties nearby, they figured third-partying wasn’t likely. But a desperate team, starving for kill points to stage a comeback, recklessly charged in. Unable to counter, Meru’s team was wiped out.

13th place, 3 kills. Total: 47 points.

Match 3’s overall ranking: 4th place.

This earned them 16 placement points, bringing their total to 49. They were now in 2nd place, just 4 points behind the leader’s 53.

If they could clinch 1st in Match 4, they’d almost certainly top the group stage.

—-

Chinana: Ah~! Don’t go~!

Ranka: That spot was perfect, though~!

—-

'Well then, I’m gonna cut the stream for now,' Kikuri said.

As Kikuri turned off Meru’s streaming screen, Ranka and Chinana scrambled out of the frame in a flurry.

Kikuri fiddled with the stream setup, zooming in on a camera feed showing the living room sofa. Just then, Ranka and Chinana came back from the right, dragging Meru along with them.

It felt kinda surreal. Meru, who’d been on a separate screen this whole time, was now physically moving into the same space.

Meru, looking exhausted and sinking into the sofa, was fussed over by the two. 'Need anything?' 'If we don’t have it, we’ll run out and grab it quick!' they offered, eager to help.

'I’m fine… thanks,' Meru replied, politely declining with a faint smile.

Chinana slapped her hands on the sofa, leaning in with enthusiasm. 'We’ve got this! Just a little more to hit number one!'

'You’re winning your fights clean, so if you keep that confidence, you’ll be fine, I bet~' Kikuri chimed in from her avatar in the bottom-right corner of the screen, sounding like she knew it all.

The final Match 4 was about to start right after this. With the schedule cramming four matches into three weeks, at least one week was bound to have back-to-back games. Even with a break thrown in, Meru had already been laser-focused for about three hours. No way she wasn’t piling up fatigue.

And in that state, she still had six more matches to go… Thinking about how she streams for hours every day, maybe it wasn’t that unreasonable, but still.

'C’mon! Chin up! You’ve got tons of people cheering you on over here!' Ranka said, shoving what must’ve been the comment section on her smartphone in Meru’s face.

I, knowing how Meru used to buckle under the weight of expectations, thought to myself, Don’t put too much pressure on her. But Meru herself just smiled, a little tickled, and said, 'Thanks, everyone… I’ll keep my focus and give it my all till the end.'

Her usual poker face made that expression stand out vividly in my eyes. Probably the same for the other viewers. In that look, I could feel something like Meru’s natural talent for being the one cheered on.

Had she stopped caring about the burden of expectations? Or was she still feeling their weight but pushing herself forward regardless? Either way, in this short time… she’d gotten stronger.

“…Still can’t clean her damn room, though,” I muttered to myself, staring at my phone.

A mix of joy and frustration swirled in my chest, hard to pin down.

'Wanna make sure she gets some proper rest, so we’re cutting this for now~ Probably back around 4 p.m.!' Kikuri announced, and the stream ended.

I set my phone on the desk and stretched my back with a groan. Sitting in the same position for so long left my back stiff as a board. Meru’s exhaustion had to be on another level…

I used to think Meru’s long streams weren’t that taxing since she was just moving a mouse and keyboard. But now, understanding more about what’s going on in her head during matches, I had to rethink that. Constantly tracking a chaotic situation with multiple teams, making split-second decisions one after another—it’s gotta be way more mentally draining than studying could ever be.

I’d heard pro shogi players lose kilos during a single hours-long match. They even have snack breaks just to keep their sugar levels up. If that’s the case, doesn’t Meru need something too? She brushed it off, but… can those hopeless sisters actually handle getting her what she needs?

…Worrying.

I stood up and paced around the room. Could I really trust those sisters with this? As a second, they left me with serious doubts. If it were me, I’d know exactly what nutrition Meru needs right now…

“—Argh! I can’t take it!”

I couldn’t just sit still.

I grabbed my phone. But calling Meru directly might stress her out… Maybe Ranka instead.

I dialed Ranka, putting the phone to my ear. After about three rings, she picked up.

'Yo? Kiminaga?'

“How’s Meru doing?” I asked, cutting to the chase.

There was a brief, surprised pause before she replied, 'Knew you were watching.'

“Your second game’s a bit shaky, so I’m worried. If she needs anything, I can head over now.”

'We’ve got snacks for sugar boosts all prepped, so chill. …You’re kinda overprotective with Meru, huh?'

“It’s ‘cause you lot are too unreliable!”

But well, if it was just me overthinking, that’s fine.

I was about to wrap up the call when Ranka’s voice drifted off. '…Huh? Yeah, it’s Kiminaga.'

She started talking to someone else. 'He was watching the match. Said he’s worried about us as seconds—huh? Fine, I guess… Kiminaga? Meru’s taking the phone.'

There was a rustle, like the phone was being handed over, followed by footsteps moving away from the others. Then, finally, '…Hello?'

Meru’s voice.

“Hey. You holding up okay?”

'Totally fine. Tired, sure, but a quick break’s got me recharged. I’m just focusing on not losing my edge.'

If that’s the case, was it even okay for her to be chatting with me? But then, she’s the one who took the phone.

'You watched the match, right? How was it?'

“How was it?”

'You’re my mental coach, right? Heap on the praise, boost my morale.'

Oh, got it. That’s how it works.

“Uh… your aim was killer.”

'And?'

“You turned around a lot of fights where you were outnumbered…”

'Anything else?'

“The screen was all over the place, and it was… kinda badass.”

'Was I always this bad at explaining, Shikimi?'

“Cut me some slack! I’m not exactly an expert here!”

Fine, I’d dig deeper for some specific praise. Then a scene from earlier flashed in my mind.

“When you came back to the living room with Ranka and the others just now…”

'…Yeah?'

“You looked like you’d given it everything—totally cool.”

…Saying it out loud made me feel a bit embarrassed.

Maybe because it was my honest take. People might feel shy when they speak from the heart.

As I fidgeted, Meru let out a small laugh on the other end. 'Didn’t expect “cool” before “cute.”'

“You think I’m the kinda guy who’d call a girl cute?”

'Guess not. …But maybe I’ll get you to say it someday.'

Huh?

Before I could press her on what she meant, 'I’m pumped now. Thanks, Shikimi,' she said, her voice fading as she handed the phone back.

Ranka was back on the line. '…What were you two talking about?'

“Nothing much… just some thoughts on the match.”

Pretty lame ones, if I’m honest.

Ranka paused, like she was thinking, then lowered her voice as if avoiding eavesdroppers. '…Hey, you… you and Meru dating or something?'

“What?”

Where’d that come from?

'Not that it matters… or maybe it does. Anyway, it’s a big tournament, so don’t go messing with Meru’s focus!'

She rattled on and hung up.

…That’s how it looks, huh?

Staring at my silent phone, I mulled it over.

I’ve got my own thoughts about Meru’s teasing attitude—but for now, I’m with Ranka.

Just… keep pushing till the end.

◆

Match 4, Game 5 was over, and we were sitting at 62 points, holding first place overall. We had a five-point lead over second place. If we could place high in this sixth game, we’d almost certainly secure the top spot in the group stage—meaning we’d get to pick our landmark freely in the playoffs.

And so, Game 6 began. The second ring pointed to the center-left of the map, just west of Earthbuckle. It wasn’t far from our landmark, Yggdrasil. We moved fast, securing a snaking, elongated section heading toward the hill west of Earthbuckle.

Earthbuckle was an area with a circular open space at its core, surrounded by four massive, futuristic buildings spread out like petals. There were plenty of positions to hold. The section we took—nicknamed ‘The Snake’—was a long, winding corridor stretching like a serpent toward the hill in the west. It was a decent spot, close to where the final ring was likely to close.

But… one concern popped up.

'Hey, there’s already a squad up on that hill~,' Mine whined, peering through her sniper scope at the cliff just five meters from the door.

West of Earthbuckle was a small hill—a high ground that could dominate most of Earthbuckle’s side with clear firing lines. It could even end up as the final safe zone. Problem was, it was a sheer cliff from the Earthbuckle side. The only way up on foot was through narrow slopes from the north or south, with next to no cover along the way. On paper, it was a killer position.

'Even if they hold it now, they’re gonna get lit up from the northern caves or ‘Riverside’ to the west. No way they can keep it,' Liz said.

'Right~?' Mine agreed.

It was one of those conditional positions you get in battle royales. Like Liz said, it only became holdable once the squads in those other positions—outside the ring—were gone. So, trying to hold it from the early game was supposed to be impossible.

'They’re still up there?'

The squad on the hill wasn’t budging. They kept taking potshots at us and the teams holed up in Earthbuckle. Sure, we could hear gunfire coming from the northern caves and Riverside, but the hill squad showed no sign of giving up their spot or getting wiped. They had to be burning through ammo and heals, so how were they still holding?

What the hell was going on?

The match pressed on despite my confusion.

As we predicted, the final ring closed right on that hill. And the squad that had been there from the start was still rooted in place.

'Three, two, one—go!'

Pushed by the encroaching ring, we burst out the door all at once. Hugging the cliff’s edge to avoid the hill squad’s firing lines, we had to climb one of the slopes—left or right. But at the same moment, another squad bolted out from a door 15 meters to our left, inside Earthbuckle’s buildings.

Our eyes met. Bullets flew. Voice comms erupted into chaos.

We were like damned souls crawling through hell, scraping through the dirt to knock anyone else down with us.

And all the while, the squad on the hill looked down like gods, firing at will with impunity.

'Sorry, I’m down…! Just leave me!'

'Push for a better placement!'

Liz and Mine went down in the chaos. I took hits but managed to scramble up the curving cliff path.

Clambering over countless death boxes, it felt like an eternity before I reached the top of the path. And there, waiting for me, were three gun barrels aimed right at me.

I fired my shotgun. Fired again. And again.

But I didn’t drop a single one.

We took second place. But only three kills.

Meanwhile, the squad that held the hill, took first place had racked up nine kills, stealing them from the chaos below.

And that squad? It was the second-place team that had been five points behind us.

They overtook us, and we finished Match 4 in second place.

The team that took first also topped the placement points.

'Second place in the group stage… that’s pretty damn good, right?'

After the points were tallied, Liz’s bright voice tried to lift our spirits.

'It all comes down to winning in the playoffs anyway. Second place means we can still pick a decent landmark, no?'

'Yeah, but like—what the hell? How’d they hold that position~?' Mine grumbled, sounding like a kid throwing a tantrum.

'It’s not supposed to be holdable that early, right? What were the squads in shooting range doing~?'

…There was nothing we could’ve done.

In that final ring, with them holding the hill, there was no way to win. Higher ground is king in FPS games—that’s just the rule. There’s no straightforward way to beat a squad perched on a sheer cliff.

Everyone knew the squad that took the hill would win. Yet no one could dislodge them…

There were two possibilities.

One, like Mine said, the squads in shooting range slacked off.

The other—they dodged every bullet and outshot everyone else.

The caves to the north and Riverside had tough firing lines, sure, but it wasn’t like there was no cover up there. If they used it smartly while suppressing those firing lines—basically, if they had god-tier aim and coordination to keep the enemy from even peeking…

'That squad—what was their landmark? Earthbuckle, maybe?'

'Gotta be, right? They got there before us.'

“…No, their character comp was different,” I said.

We’d run into the Earthbuckle squad a few times heading north. The three characters I saw then didn’t match the ones on the hill.

The hill squad’s comp was ‘Cloudcross,’ ‘Roost,’ and ‘Hexagon.’

There were a few teams with that comp… but the skins matching too? That narrowed it down.

“—Probably the team from Mizuto Bazaar. Remember Game 1 of Match 2? The one where we took first, and they were in the final ring inside the longhouse? I think that’s them.”

We’d gotten lucky that time—another squad fled into the building, and we fished them easily. But if we’d left them alone, they would’ve been the only team challenging us for control of that longhouse rooftop.

'They got from Bazaar to Earthbuckle faster than us…? They barely had time to loot!'

There was a jump tower on the way from Bazaar to Earthbuckle, so it was a faster-moving landmark. But they’d have to pass Riverside’s squad, and they must’ve been cutting it razor-thin on supplies.

“Maybe they looted one building and started moving in, like, 30 seconds… That’d let them claim the hill before anyone else.”

'Holding that brutal position with barely any weapons, ammo, or heals? If that’s true, that’s some next-level inner-movement squad,' Liz said.

At the very least, they’d practiced that play to death. No way they could pull it off in the most crucial game otherwise.

'Oh, the main stream’s starting the interview~,' Mine said.

I pulled up the tournament’s official stream.

The team that took first overall in the group stage was about to be interviewed.

When the caster asked a question, one of the team’s reps—a young girl with a smooth Korean accent—started speaking.

'A KR team, huh~,' Mine said.

'Sounds pretty young,' Liz added.

As the two tossed out casual comments, something nagged at me.

That voice… I’d heard it before… or maybe it just sounded similar?

Her player name was ‘Twist.’ Didn’t ring a bell. But…

After the interview wrapped up, the caster threw out a final question: ‘Any words for your rivals heading into the playoffs?’

And then.

The girl, who’d been speaking Korean the whole time, suddenly switched to Japanese.

'Meru, you listening? —I’m here to keep our promise.'

The two beside me let out a confused ‘Huh?’

In my mind, the face of a girl with that exact same voice flashed vividly.

“…Harin…?”

It was the voice of my old friend—the one who first introduced me to FPS games.

Kaori TL

[ENG] Tier 1 Sisters: The four famous sisters can't live without me Volume 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The production environment is completely different

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[ENG] Tier 1 Sisters: The four famous sisters can't live without me Volume 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The production environment is completely different

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