Ryuen quietly left, so I stayed behind, sipping my coffee and enjoying the view of the sea under the morning sunlight until the very last drop of my favorite drink was gone.
I turned around, looking for a trash bin to throw away the can. I found one beside the vending machine, only two steps away from me. I tossed it from where I stood, hoping to score three points, but it hit the side of the bin and fell onto the floor.
"Tch..."
I got down on one knee, picked up the can, and threw it into the bin a second time.
Luckily, no one saw me.
This is a disgrace to my athletic career.
"Hey, Hikigaya, are you okay...?"
Suddenly, a huge boy with red hair came running out of the café toward me.
"Did that bastard Ryuen try to threaten you?" Sudo said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"No, nothing like that happened..."
"Are you really okay, Hikigaya-kun?" Hirata asked as he approached with Ayanokoji.
Ha...
Why is everyone suddenly so concerned about me?
Why don't they just enjoy their drinks?
"As I said, nothing happened. I'm fine," I replied quickly, trying to end the conversation as soon as possible.
"That's good... Then come with us," Sudo said as he grabbed my arm.
What's this?
Now that he knows Ryuen didn't do anything to me, does he want to bully me himself?
"Where to...?" I asked, looking at the others.
"We're going to the arcade. Come with us," Hirata said with an awkward smile.
"Huh...? Why all of a sudden?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We asked you while you were putting sugar in your coffee," Sudo said.
Huh?
When?
I don't remember.
"It's fine, it's fine... You'll come with us, won't you, Hikigaya-kun?" Hirata said.
Well, I don't have any plans for today or anything else to do.
But why do I have to go with them?
"Are you guys sure...?" I asked as I adjusted my shirt collar.
"Of course!" Sudo shouted like an idiot in the middle of the hallway.
I quietly nodded and started walking behind them.
"Come on, man! This is our chance to have fun away from school!" Sudo said, raising his fist.
What an idiot.
"You do realize that the moment this ship returns, classes will start again," I said, looking at his back.
"Ugh... Man, you're such a buzzkill," Sudo complained, slumping his shoulders.
It's not killing the fun.
It's called being realistic.
I glanced to my side and found Hirata walking beside me.
Seriously?
Does he go to places like this too?
I thought arcades were only for losers like us.
"What is it?" Hirata asked after noticing my gaze.
"Nothing... I just didn't expect you to visit places like this."
Aren't popular people supposed to go to karaoke instead?
Arcades are for geeks and loners.
"Well... I come here from time to time," Hirata replied, looking at the boy walking ahead of us.
"What about you, Ayanokoji-kun?"
Ayanokoji turned toward us as if he had been listening to our conversation but hadn't expected to be dragged into it.
"Uh... Well... This is my first time," he answered with his usual expressionless face.
"Really...?" Hirata tilted his head in surprise.
I guess that suits him better.
I can't imagine him being the type to get excited over video games.
"We're here!" Sudo shouted as he walked through the automatic doors.
Why is he acting like an excited little kid?
We followed him through the automatic doors and stepped into a world I never expected a luxury cruise ship to have.
Then again...
Maybe that's exactly what makes it first-class.
Having everything.
Perhaps an arcade isn't surprising after all.
"Ken! Over here!"
One of the boys shouted Sudo's name from an arcade machine in the far corner.
Ike and Sotomura were sitting there playing while Yamauchi stood beside them.
The moment he noticed his friend arriving, he started yelling across the room like an idiot.
So this is where they were.
No wonder they never showed up at the café.
Sudo ran over to them while the rest of us walked at a slower pace.
I looked around at the machines surrounding us.
Most of them were famous games I had played before.
"Is this your first time?" Ayanokoji asked as he walked beside me.
"No. I've been to arcades before."
I used to visit one in Chiba during school vacations.
But if this is Ayanokoji's first time...
Then it should become a memorable one.
We stopped beside the machine everyone had gathered around.
They were playing a famous one-on-one fighting game.
I think it also had a two-versus-two mode.
Though I always played one-on-one against the computer.
Because...
I don't have any friends.
Ayanokoji watched them carefully from above, as if he were trying to understand how the game was designed before learning how to play it.
That's strange...
"Ayanokoji, this is your first time, right? You should try something easier first. This one's difficult," I said, looking at him from the corner of my eye.
"Really?"
He looked at me as if waiting for a suitable recommendation.
Alright.
I'll take this responsibility upon myself.
I'll guide him onto the right path.
Yes.
I am the chosen one.
"Why don't you start with something more at your level..."
"Like dress-up games for girls."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Ayanokoji didn't answer.
He simply kept staring at me seriously, as though he still hadn't understood what I meant.
"Pfft..."
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The boys suddenly burst into laughter right in front of him.
Those idiots...
That wasn't a joke for them to laugh at.
I was making fun of him.
As if Ayanokoji couldn't understand what was happening, he continued staring at me suspiciously.
...Wait.
What if he actually takes my words seriously?
"Hey, Hikigaya, sit down!" Sudo shouted loudly, pointing at the chair in front of the machine.
Ike's turn had just ended after losing to Sotomura.
He looks like the hardcore type.
Why do I have to play against someone like him?
"No. I'll pass," I said, trying to back away.
But Hirata gave me a light push from behind, forcing me forward.
Tch...
I quietly sat down on the chair, feeling sweat pouring from every part of my body.
I've never played in front of this many people before.
I ran my fingers across the buttons and joystick, as though inspecting them before moving on to the most important step of the entire process...
Choosing my character.
Sotomura picked a girl wearing a headband and boxing gloves.
Hmm...
That's usually the one I pick too.
He really knows how to play.
I chose another character instead.
A boy with messy blond hair wearing a karate gi.
We both pressed the ready button while Sotomura fidgeted nervously beside me.
Why is he so tense?
"Come on, crush him," Yamauchi whispered into his ear.
The countdown appeared on the screen.
3...
2...
1...
The match began.
Before I could even place my fingers properly on the controls, Sotomura rushed at me, unleashing every move he'd learned since the day he was born and obliterated my character in seconds.
"What the..."
I stared at the screen, unable to believe it.
The match had only just started.
"Hahahaha!"
Yamauchi burst into laughter along with everyone else, shamelessly laughing right in front of me.
Even Hirata let out a restrained chuckle.
I turned toward Ayanokoji, who was watching us with his usual indifferent expression.
The moment the corners of his mouth twitch upward...
I'm smashing this machine over his head.
I won't let a beginner laugh at me.
I took a deep breath and wiped my hands on my pants.
There was still one more round.
I had to crush him for the sake of my pride.
Remember all those days I spent playing against the computer...
From Beginner all the way to Legendary difficulty...
Yes.
This is the pride of a loner.
I refuse to lose to someone who's spent his whole life playing with friends.
This is shame...
Shame!
I firmly placed my hands on the controls, staring at the screen with anticipation while Sotomura was still laughing with his friends.
3...
2...
1...
Once again, he charged at me at full speed, unleashing every technique he had learned.
But victory isn't just about attacking.
Defense matters too.
My eyes followed his character's movements across the screen as I pressed the buttons, blocking his relentless attacks one after another until his fingers froze over the controls, unable to keep up.
That was my chance.
I unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, finishing with my character's special move.
Sotomura's character collapsed, unable to fight back.
One point...
For Team Loner.
"Yeah!"
Suddenly, loud cheering erupted from a room nearby.
I turned and saw a sign above the entrance.
Table Tennis.
A crowd had gathered outside the room, with cheers echoing from every direction.
"What's going on over there...?" Hirata muttered as he looked toward the commotion.
"Ah, let's go check it out!" Sotomura jumped out of his chair and ran toward the room, followed by Ike and Yamauchi.
I glanced back at the screen.
There was still one final round...
But he had already run away.
Well...
That counts as a forfeit.
A well-earned victory for Team Loner.
Sudo and Hirata followed the others while I stood up to catch up with them.
"You're actually pretty good at that," Ayanokoji said as he walked beside me.
"Yeah... something like that."
Well, the rules are clear.
If a beginner acknowledges your skill, it doesn't count.
They're still beginners, after all.
We stopped in front of the door, where the cheers sounded as if a world championship were taking place.
I walked in behind the others.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the table.
A short girl, tears almost streaming down her face...
And the Ice Queen.
Mercilessly returning every ball that came her way.
"Yukinoshita..." I muttered, taking a step backward.
"What is it, Hikigaya-kun?" Hirata asked after noticing me retreat.
"N-Nothing."
Yeah...
No problem.
Nothing happened.
Everything is normal.
Yes...
Perfectly normal.
I took a deep breath to calm myself before noticing Horikita standing off to the side, watching alongside the other girls from our class.
"Horikita, what's going on here?" I asked as I approached her.
"Ah... Hikigaya-kun. We ran into Class B, and they invited us to play table tennis against them. But it ended with Yukinoshita-san completely crushing them," Horikita answered without taking her eyes off the match.
So that's what happened.
"Did someone provoke you in some way?" I asked while watching the match.
"Y-Yes... How did you know?" Horikita replied suspiciously.
Isn't it obvious?
Yukinoshita would never take something like this so seriously unless someone turned it into a matter of winning and losing.
"The match is over!" the referee announced.
The Class B girl stepped back, tears nearly rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm next!" shouted a dark-haired boy from Class B.
Kanzaki.
He picked up the paddle, stood opposite Yukinoshita, bounced the little ball on the table, and served.
"You can do it, Yukinoshita-san!"
The girls beside us called out, cheering her on.
No...
This isn't good.
Don't add fuel to the fire.
"Yukinoshita-san, sorry... You already crushed my classmates, so I won't hold back," Kanzaki said as he smashed the ball toward her side.
Yukinoshita struck it with all her strength.
The ball shot back toward Kanzaki, then suddenly changed direction before he could react...
Straight toward my face.
I caught it with one hand.
"Then don't worry."
"I'll hold back for your sake," Yukinoshita said in a cold voice.
That's terrifying.
Children shouldn't be allowed to witness this.
I tossed the ball back so they could continue the match, then slipped my hands into my pockets to watch how it would end.
"Ah, Hikigaya-kun! You're here too!"
A lively girl with pink hair fluttering behind her ran over to us.
"Hello," I said with a quiet nod.
"Hello, hello! Are you all joining too?" Ichinose asked, looking at the group that had just arrived.
"I don't think so. Yukinoshita-san is amazing," Hirata replied with an awkward laugh.
"You're right! But I'll do my best to beat her," Ichinose said with a bright smile.
"Do your best," I said flatly.
"Hey! You're cheering for the enemy!" Horikita glared at me.
"I'd bet all my fortune that Yukinoshita will win. Is that good enough?" I asked, turning toward her to see if she was satisfied.
"You're... really strange," Horikita said coldly.
"Hehe... Hikigaya-kun, you're so funny," Ichinose giggled before turning back toward the match, which had already ended.
Kanzaki stood across from Yukinoshita, breathing heavily while clenching his fist after his crushing defeat.
"My turn. See you!" Ichinose jumped forward and ran to stand opposite Yukinoshita.
The final opponent.
Ichinose...
The last hope of Class B.
Yukinoshita...
The one determined to erase that hope.
The match began at a blistering pace.
Ichinose ran from one side of the table to the other.
Yukinoshita barely moved, simply redirecting every ball from where she stood.
That...
Was the difference in strength.
No.
The difference in essence.
It was like watching a monster fight a white rabbit whose long ears blocked its own vision.
Ichinose wanted to have fun.
Yukinoshita played for one thing alone.
Victory.
The result was no different from the previous matches.
Before long, Yukinoshita finished the game, breathing heavily from exhaustion.
Ichinose turned toward her classmates and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, everyone... We couldn't win."
"No worries, Honami-chan..."
"The important thing is that we had fun."
Fun?
I just watched some of you nearly cry.
Well...
I'd better leave.
I turned toward the exit, intending to leave the arcade alone.
But just as I started walking...
Someone called out my name.
"Hikigaya-kun..."
"Step forward. You're my next opponent."
Every person in the room turned to look at me.
Yukinoshita pointed her paddle straight at me.
"Huh...?"
Why me?
Has Yukinoshita completely lost control and decided to challenge everyone?