Chapter 1:

One Last Day in Peace

August 5th, 2003. Extra Timeline

(Hiiragi District. Takeru's House.)

[Takeru]

"Come on, you have to straighten your hair! You can't meet her with these looks, Takeru!" Mom nags at me with a frown, getting closer and brushing my fringe, trying to 'fix' my hair.

So I raise an arm in defense, taking a step back. "That's enough, Mom! Leave my hair alone. And… it's not what you think. We're just meeting to pass the time, that's all."

"Yeah, right. And I'm a three-headed monkey," giving me a side glance for a second, she takes out her perfume and starts to shower me in it. "After all the prep work you did yesterday. You're not fooling your mother, young man!"

"Come on, sto- Cough! Stop it with the perfume! Do you wanna kill me or what?!" Coughing a bit, waving a hand to send away the clouds of vanilla she had poured on me, I take a few steps back towards the door. "Really, it's… just a meetup, nothing more."

Narrow eyes, pursed lips, she then shakes her head. "Fine, whatever. But at least do your hair again. Why haven't you cut it already? It's the middle of summer, too."

"Shut up. It's not even that long, anyways," curling some of it behind my ears, rechecking everything was on me already, a shiver ran down my spine. Finally, it's time to set off. "Well, I'll be back before it's dark."

"Yes, you do that. But if you end up… sidetracked, make sure to at least call to-"

"Mom!"

"What? Come on, Takeru. Read the hints!" waving a finger at my nose, her eyes start blazing. "You didn't do all this prep for nothing, right?"

"Sigh. Just… It's complicated."

"Ha! Now you finally look like an adult." smiling much, she gives me a strong pat on the back. "Have fun, and don't be too nervous, okay?"

"Yes… Thanks, Mom. Later," putting on my shoes, giving a nod, I walk to the door.

"And if you do go to a hotel, make sure to use a cond-"

"MOM!"

Crossing her arms, she sighs and shakes her head, telling me to be careful out there in the city. Sighing, feeling empty all of a sudden, I just open the door almost apathetically and step outside. Taking a sharp breath, feeling the heat of the sun on my skin, I start making my way to the station.

Luck seems to be on our side today, though. We've had random rains every day recently but for now the sky is clear, it's nicely hot and according to the forecast it's not raining today.

As I walk out on the street of another summer, parents with their children on a trip, couples huddling close, and the usual bustling of the season, the soft caress of the wind reaches my face as it blows around. This summer has been weird, with all of these random rains, but it's also not that humid heat that always brings my mood down. It's nicely warm, yet not oppressing.

And yet, as I breath in, my legs grow heavy, a quiver in my ankles delays my steps. Running a hand over my hair, I can't help but to sigh. Plucking my lips as I see my reflection on a house's window, can't help but to wonder if she'll come.

And even if she does… What do I tell her? I gulp, placing both of my hands on my jean's pockets. Kicking the air as I pick up my pace, feeling the coldness of my keys and the odd shape of my wallet, I close my eyes and try to remember the lines I had practiced to break the ice, and yet my mind comes as blank as the clouds up there.

"Sigh… What's wrong with me?" Everyone else is gonna be there too, at least.

"Takeru-chan! Wait up!"

A voice I know well snaps me out of my inner worries. As I stop walking and look back, I see a red little storm running towards me.

Dressed with a cerulean sleeveless blouse with lines of white, cream colored shorts and her trademarked yellow ribbon, the woman in question leaves a cloud of dust in her trail as she rushes towards me.

"I said wait up! Why're you leaving without me?!" Sumika says, or rather shouts, while flailing her arms in the air as she tries to catch up to me.

Fuck… I totally forgot. Me and spacing out, name a more iconic duo. Thanks to Mom's nagging, it slipped my mind Sumika insisted on us going together to the meetup, even if it meant waiting for me. Looks like, for once, I was ready before her.

"Sorry, my bad," giving her a small bow, I try to rise a smile as she comes closer. "Mom was being real nosy, so it kind of slipped my mind."

"You're horrible!" puffing her cheeks to the brim, she hits my shoulder once she arrives by my side. "I always, always wait for you. Why didn't you ring the bell to tell me you were ready?"

"I would have, but Mom was… well, being nosy."

"About what? You're not just lying to cover the fact that you forgot, right?" and again, that dubious side glance, that tilt of her head.

"Sigh… I'm not, she just got too bothersome at the last second. That my hair is too long, that I didn't put on perfume, to remember to use a- A-Anyways, sorry for not waiting."

"Well… Doesn't matter. So, everything's good?" her usual smile back up, we start walking to the station.

"Yeah, same as always."

Making small talk, we keep going our way to the station. Crossing the streets, squeezing through the crowds that grow when we leave the calmness of the neighborhood, dodging rushing kids and douches that decide to make out in the middle of the fucking road, the station becomes visible in the distance. Just a few minutes more… Gulping, I hide my hands on my pockets, aware of my heartbeats for a second.

"H-Hey, don't walk so fast!" Sumika complains, slowly dodging the stream of people to come back near me with a light jog, and puffed cheeks.

"Come on, Sumika. I ain't even walking fast, you know?" I scratch my head, readjusting my jacket while she catches her breath once she comes closer.

"Lies, you're marching as if it were the end of the world. You didn't even slow down in the middle of that giant crowd."

"What? It's not like I was trying to. I just dodged the people, that's all."

"…Hmm. But really, don't walk so fast. We still have plenty of time, right? Let's just chat for a while, it's been so long since we had time off to hang out."

"…Did you forget why we're out so early today?"

"What's with the glare?" plucking her lips, she again punches my sides as we wait for the red to turn green. "But yeah, I get how you feel. I'm anxious to meet everyone after so long, too. Being in college sure is hard, right?" she lets out a small sigh as I nod in complete agreement, but Sumika quickly recovers her smile as we start walking again. "So there's a lot of catch up to do today, especially about how we did on our tests! But, I wonder what should we eat? Takeru-chan, think some ice cream before coming back sounds good?" she asks with a tilt of her head and a smile.

So, she really forgot about it. How did someone with such a short attention span ever made it to college is a mystery to me.

Sumika has been in a great mood since she passed two major tests with a really good score and hasn't shut up about it for a single second, so it's understandable she's so eager to meet again with the gang. And yeah, ice cream before we part ways sounds real nice.

However.

I, on the other hand, have something to do today. Sure, meeting up with the gang is gonna be fun. But there's another reason why I made sure to get up early today.

Leaning closer to her shoulder, I narrow my eyes. "Sumika-kun, surely you did not forget why we're meeting specifically today, right?"

So she pouts. "What's up with that tone? We're meeting today because the weather has been awful lately and Yoroi-kun asked us to-" she stops mid-sentence as the realization comes to her, eyes going wide. "The tournament! You're gonna be late for the registration!" so she shouts while a single hair of hers starts to convulse violently as a few sparks fly off it, drawing the stares of a few onlookers.

Now that I think about it that antenna is always on the move, almost as if it reflected her feelings. What's the deal with her hair?

"If you remembered then let's hurry, if I don't make it in time you'll have to apologize to Mikoto."

As soon as the light gave us the okay, I start to pick up the pace. So Sumika starts shouting at my back to not go so fast. She keeps at it until we finally reach the train station, despite the onlookers. Despite the whispers, smiles, and gazes that assume the wrong thing about us.

A few minutes later.

(Train.)

Par for the course for this time of summer, the train is packed. Little children happily play with their Game Guys as their parents relax on their seats, friends chat away their excitement about something or the other, and a few lucky fellows lean closer to each other, speaking in whispers. Absentmindedly, I look out the window, towards the city that stretches far and wide. So little has changed, yet so much has.

"But for real, I think everybody is going to be shocked when they see you," Sumika says with a grin.

"It's just been half a year since we last got together. It's not like I got a new haircut or anything," I look away from her shiny eyes, choosing instead to play with the keys on my jean's pocket.

"Just look at you! You're so diligent now, you wake up super early to go jogging, haven't failed a single test yet, and you even learned to cook!"

"Well, I have to keep my shit together now. Can't be bothering my parents anymore and eating something you make yourself is a really nice thing, you know." It really is, I don't know why I didn't start cooking sooner.

Sumika gives me a dubious look as she pokes my arm, groaning a bit, clearly dissatisfied with my answer. "Then, what about this? You've been obsessed with training as of late. What's gotten into you?"

"I just want to be fit. With all the time I spend sitting if I don't exercise a bit I'll end up slow as a slug."

Not satisfied with my answer yet again she keeps poking my arm as the train shakes. "Really? Then, why are you so jacked? Just being fit is not the same as being a bodybuilder. Are you going to enlist in the army or something?"

"Maybe. 1st Lieutenant Shirogane… It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" I smirk while moving my brows up and down, to try to lighten the mood.

"…What's up with that?" Expression sobering up, her shoulders fall as deep as her tone. "Joining the army? What about your studies, or your parents, or…" she trails off, her eyes locked on the floor.

Lightly hitting her sides with my elbow, I shrug back at her. "I'm kidding, you know? I'm not dropping out of college or anything."

"Okay, but you better not go join the army for real or-"

"I'm not. My bad, my bad. Sheesh, you're so dramatic as of late," I let out a small chuckle as the announcer marks our stop, as Sumika's stare falls down, as she says not a single word more.

Once the shaking ceases, I exit the train along the stream of people, someone stepping on my foot, making me bump into someone else, which then turns into the usual complains that happen when the trains are this packed. Waiting for her nearby, we double check everything is still on us before going to the stairs and out to the street. And again, we squeeze through the waves of people, Sumika complaining as a few rushing suits almost bump into her, me cursing them under my breath.

"But, hey, why are you so insistent on training as of late?" she asks once we begin walking side by side again.

"…I need to do something besides studying, that's all," I shrug, rolling my eyes. She holds my gaze, a finger on a cheek. I know I gained a lot of muscle in the last months but you really need to lay off.

"Well, whatever," she regains her smile, taking a few steps forward. "So, how do you think everybody else is doing?"

I reply with hums, thankful that she dropped the questions. It's been real hard to talk with you as of late. Always asking about why I do stuff, saying I'm being weird. I know you mean well but give me some space already. I'm not a kid anymore.

…I know. I'm a coward. I shouldn't have left things in the air. And now I can't bring myself to crush her hope.

Though, I do kind of understand her, since I did change my usual routine. Then again, Sumika wasn't this bothersome when I started to do stuff on my own, and stopped her from coming to wake me up. Wonder why now of all times…

"So, hey…" Sumika speaks up as we cross a street, her voice getting low, her shoulder touching mine. "You feeling fine today?"

"Yeah? What's up? Do I look sick to you?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that," her gaze burrows away, the hand holding her purse tightening its grip. "You didn't have any of those nightmares today?"

"…Don't worry. I've got the thing under control."

"Are you sure? If you want to talk about it, I'm-"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I slept as well as I haven't in a long time. Don't worry, Sumika."

"If you say so. So… Oh! Did Meiya-san reply in the end?"

"…No. Mom told me nobody called, so I don't know if she'll accept the invitation," I look down, letting a sigh out.

"You didn't say anything weird when you called her, right?" that tilt, that sideglance again.

"Of course not. Tsukuyomi-san just cut me off suddenly. We might just be bothering her now that she's the head of the group," sighing again, my shoulders drop a bit.

"Well, yeah… Shame, I wanted to chat for a while with her," Sumika also sighs, a hand playing with her hair. "You think it's because of that scandal?"

"Yeah, I'm sure they must still be very sensitive towards showing themselves in public. I was hoping Meiya would find some minutes to come to a place she was comfortable with, but since they didn't call me back…"

We both look down, I pluck my lips again as I start to slow down, remembering that talk. I had never heard Tsukuyomi-san being so cold and direct to me. I don't know if I should be happy or not. On one hand, I don't have to be so nervous about what will I tell them today, on the other, I still wanted to see them, even if only one last time.

"Come on, Takeru-chan," Sumika pulls my arm, again getting as close as she used to back in school. Close enough to let me see my reflection as her eyes remain on mine, as she gives me a wide smile, bright as the weather today. "There's nothing we can do now. You called them and invited Meiya-san. If they come or not, that's their decision. Let's just chill and enjoy the day. And if Meiya-san doesn't come, we just call her later tonight. Okay?"

"Sigh… Yeah, I get it. Sorry for getting so down."

"It's fine. I wanted to see her too, after all this time," she moves back, making a small smile while looking up, slowing down her pace. "But don't get so upset, it's been a long while already. Let's not make Meiya-san remember that, instead let's give her one good present! Especially if, well, she can't find the time to see us anymore," she barely squeezes the words out, pace slowing down.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I nod, still looking up. Can't have my guilt of not having reached out then acting up now. Shouting at bystanders or getting into fights with idiots who talk shit only served to make me feel better about myself after all, when I could have ignored the bullshit and done something that mattered.

We stop at another crossroad, waiting for the light to change. Yet, the conversation dies down silently, like the Dreamcost. Still, she's stealing glances at me. Sigh… You just won't stop looking after me, no matter what I tell you. Though, it's not like I can blame Sumika. My worries about Meiya aside, I have been unable to rest well lately.

These stupid nightmares are still fucking with me even during summer break. I had thought it was the pressure from the exams that was getting to me, but they don't stop coming. Always that same wasteland that extends everywhere, always that same feeling of emptiness in my gut as me and the guys from school get sent to war or some shit. Sometimes I survive and I see that eternal wasteland littered with corpses and debris, and a lot of black fire. Sometimes I die and feel like I'm being devoured by some horrible monster.

Maybe I'm scared of the eventual grind that will come once we enter the workforce? I mean, everybody seems rather tense lately about the economy and junk.

…But still, there are a few things that are way too weird and disturbing, even by my dreams' standards. There's this girl with silverish white hair in the dreams, a girl I've never seen before. She looks really sad for some reason but when I try to reach out she runs away from me. There's also a lot of other people with uniforms that are kinda mixed within the wasteland, buried or fused into it as they get devoured by the shadowy monsters. I knew I shouldn't have read Furiae, that damn eclipse must have fucked my brain up. And here I was, thinking the Dark Blader arc was too metal already.

But, thing is, that wasteland is not the most disturbing thing I see in the nightmares. Looking to my side, pacing right alongside me, vibrant and bright. She looks so full of energy, maybe a bit too much. The complete opposite of the Sumika I see in the dreams. Lying in some sort of bed, dressed in some perverted skin-tight suit, holding something close to her chest. And completely still, unmoving. And every time the dream gets to that part the girl with white hair appears, saying that Sumika is dead.

Focusing on my studies has been hard as of late, so jogging, cooking, and exercising have done wonders to keep my mind clear of the images and screams from my dreams. I haven't yet told Sumika about my nightmares in detail, but she kept insisting that I was being weird. The things being so vivid I sometimes couldn't even look at her in the eye, she got real nosy about what was going on. So, I once told her I have these recurring nightmares and that it's been hard to sleep sometimes.

That was the worst mistake I've made in this year since it only made her worry more.

Today, however, there were no nightmares, no echoes stuck on my ears, no cold sweat covering my back as I wake up. A welcome change, it was F-ing time this stopped. I absentmindedly look at the sky, so clear today with only a few rebel clouds dancing above. It's so different than the one I see in my dreams, turned gray and intoxicated. And yet, somehow, that emptiness comes back to my gut and I swallow the breath I was about to release.

Why does it make me feel so sad, thinking about these dreams?

Sumika keeps making small talk as we move towards our destination, with me answering in hums. About what to talk about first, what to eat, poking fun at how we'll play in the tournament.

"But really, it's such good luck today's so nice!" she says, as bright as the sun when her face enters my view to get my attention.

"Well, the fucking rain had to stop at some point. You all have been trying to find a good date, we just got lucky everything coincided like this," I shrug, nodding.

"Yeah, no joke. Sakaki-san and Miki-chan really pushed to see us all again but the weather was so shitty for so long. Lucky you, Takeru-chan," smirking, she chuckles as she sways, moving a finger at me. "You get to finally spend some time away from the text books, worrying about your grades, to play your beloved Valgern-On."

"Oi, don't get cocky. Just because you got some good scores doesn't mean you're suddenly a genius."

"Oh, I dunno. All I know is, you haven't scored anything near a ninety yet!" pointing a finger at the sky, flashing an evil smirk, she cackles for a second. "But really, are you two serious about the tournament?"

"Yeah? Why, got a problem?" narrowing my eyes, I eye her sideways. You better not have something against my beloved Valgern-On, Sumika-kun.

"Sigh… Just don't start sulking when you lose, okay?"

"Who's gonna lose?"

"You, of course."

"…Say that again, you punk. I fucking dare you."

"Hohoho, why so mad, Takeru-chan? Why so defensive all of a sudden?" again chuckling, she bumps her shoulder on mine.

"Ugh, shut up. You're such a bother, really."

"What? Not my fault you're so serious about a game."

"It's not just a game!" feeling my eyes blazing, I rise a fist and inhale sharply.

"C-Come on, don't shout. People are looking."

"The reason why Mikoto asked us if today was a good day wasn't just because there's a Valgern-On tournament in the Tokyo Grand Salon. The winners not only get prize money but they also get to try the new version of the game one full month before its release! Don't you get it, Sumika?"

"…I get the money part but, why are you so hyped about a new game? Isn't it just the same thing but with different graphics?" she says, void of fire and motivation, giving me a sideglance as we hurry to cross a street.

"Not at all, you stupid idiot. The engine's completely new, and Zegga said they want to make it their flagship series for the fighting genre, to strike back at Nientendo's Squash Mereenge. After how the Dreamcost failed, they're pumping everything they've got into their upcoming games," circling a finger in the air, I retell as we stop for a sec to catch our breath, nodding to myself.

She doesn't seem too enthused, merely blinking in silence as she crosses her arms. "Huh… But if it's just that, why not wait a month to buy the new game?"

"Because there hasn't been any leaks yet. Nobody knows what's the new game like, what new units will there be, or what the story mode is about, so that's why I wanna at least give this a serious shot." Also, because it's gonna come out in the PlayStallion 2 and I don't have the money to buy one.

"But if it's all about fighting robots, I don't think you'll be missing out much, right? Not like you have the time to regularly play in the arcade anymore."

"…Siiigh." my weakness hit, shoulders sag as my feet drag a bit over the indifferent asphalt.

"Come on, don't get so down," patting my shoulder slowly, she gets a bit closer again. "If we endured the allnighters until today, we'll brave all the ones coming right up!"

"Yeah, I guess. But still, I miss playing Valgern-On."

"Then manage your time well, and play it on the Dreamcost."

"It's just not the same as doing it on the cockpit or against other people. And there's only so much you can enjoy replaying the same story mode over and over again. That's why I really am looking forward to anything that's shown of the new game during the event. Maybe not at release date, but I really wanna see how they handle the sequel in a small PV or something like that," smiling again, picking up the pace, I place both hands behind my head.

"But, why are you so hyped about it?" brows crossing, she stares as her arms overlap. "It's just giant robots exploding all over."

"Sigh… Not at all, Sumika," coughing, straightening my posture and pushing back both shoulders, I inhale to fill my stomach with as much air as I can. To make a good teaching impression, a stoic voice. "You see, Valgern-On's original setting was all about human warfare, about fighting off the cyber legion made of automatons commanded by Tango, a quantum supercomputer. All the foreshadowing points to the next game happening right after Tango's self-deletion, but some people in the forums have brought up a few finer details in the most recent updates, as if there were something else lurking behind curtains besides the threat of the automated robots going rogue. Many theorize that's the real reason why Tango spared the life of the main character instead of simply letting him die. So, since the game's remained under wraps for so long, this event is expected to be a very competitive one, since all the fans want to be the first to enjoy the new version. Don't you get all exited when you get to try out a new recipe or something, even if it's a variation of a dish you already knew?"

"Ah… Yeah, I can see that. Some spices and different steps can make a totally new plate," smiling, she nods in agreement. "But still, to think you'd be so hyped about a game… Oh, how childish of you, Takeru-chan," and again, she chuckles at my groans while doing that tilted side glance.

"I know I should be dropping the games now that I'm in college, but Valgern-On is that one game I can't let go off."

It's even making a nice impression in America and it looks like there's going to be official tournaments there too, but with the console and PC versions of the game. Poor Americans, they will never know the glorious feeling of playing in the arcade cockpit.

Sumika, you will never understand this feeling, this rush one feels when duking it out in the cockpit. Moreover, since this tournament was made to promote the online multiplayer functions of the new version, the format is going to be a two player team battle. Between my studies and the nightmares I wasn't planning on even going to watch, but when everyone else agreed to meet today and Mikoto asked me if I'd like to team up with him I couldn't say no. And so, today I go to my first, and probably last, competitive Valgern-On event, the Tokyo Salon Fighters tournament.

"Well, whether I win or not is besides the point. All that matters is, I get to play with Mikoto again, even if we don't learn anything new about the game."

"Yeah, I get that. Kinda surprising, how fast time flies. I swear, I think graduation was just a few months ago."

"Same. I think the books and towers of papers have warped our perception of time."

"More like they distorted time-space itself! It's been two years since graduation, and I still wake up some days thinking I have to climb that hellish hill," she then laughs, and I can't help but to join her.

Yeah, time sure flies, doesn't it? Two years, huh. It's kind of surprising, honestly. Maybe that's why Mikoto was so pushy on meeting up today. It has been a long time since we got to play together, and we only cross paths when we leave our classes nowadays.

However, games aside, I thought this could be a good time to… well, see if we could talk with Meiya again. That enough time had passed, that she would be under less pressure now to at least come and say hi. It does seem like my invitation wasn't well received, though. Either that or she's being extra careful not to give the vultures any openings. Sigh… I'm sure she has a lot on her plate, being the Head of the group and all, I just hope she can accept at least one last gift or something, to properly say goodbye.

"Oh! Takeru-san, Sumika-san! Good afternoon!" a cheerful voice returns me to reality as a small girl with pink hair approaches at full speed.

Wearing short jeans and a clear turquoise t-shirt with images of cat pawns all over it, along a small black purse, Tama waves her hand in the air vigorously as she crosses the street.

"Hi, Miki-chan! How's everything going?" Sumika moves to greet her, returning the vibrant smile.

"A-OK, I just scored a bit less on my last test than I expected. But everything else is good! How about you two?" she asks with her usual smile, slightly bouncing up.

"I'm great! I scored over ninety on my last two tests, can you believe it?!"

Why am I not surprised that's the first thing she mentions. Tama looks surprised as she asks about the questions and how Sumika studied for the tests. They exchange some tips as we move again to the TGS.

"Takeru-san, how about you? How's college treating you?"

"That's 1st Lieutenant Shirogane for you, civilian Tamase," I say in an exaggerated stern tone, giving her a stoic gaze, trying to poke fun at her.

"Eh? What's this about? 1st Lieutenant?" Tama's brows start to narrow as she slightly tilts her head.

"I dropped out of college to answer the call of du… honor to serve our nation, and I now am no longer the man you used to know." Straight and firm as a pillar, I strike a pose like the ones in my dreams to add more effect to the speech. "I am now 1st Lieutenant Shirogane of the Squad 207B of Yokohama Base. But to answer your question, life is treating me just fine," I say with a nod.

"Awawa… You joined the army? When? How? Why?"

"Miki-chan, he's just messing with you. He made the same joke to me when we were in the train."

She just had to go and ruin my fun. Teasing Tama is one of the things I miss the most of school. Damn you, Sumika.

"Takeru-san, you meanie! But it looks like you're fine. Are you doing okay with the tests?" quick to forgive, she gives me a curious gaze.

"Yeah, my grades aren't that great but I haven't failed a single test yet," I declare with a smile, puffing my chest in pride.

"Um, Takeru-san, when did you… get so fit?" Tama asks, trying to not stare.

"I began exercising around half a year ago, but I just started seeing the fruits of all the training," I scratch my head, looking up. It's kinda embarrassing to see her fidget like that.

"He's been obsessed with training, I tell you," Sumika says with a grin, poking one of my arms. "He even learned how to cook just to keep track of how much protein he eats. I think the pressure of college was too much for him and broke his mind," she giggles, making circles with a finger near her forehead, which makes Tama also start giggling.

Sumika, you have no idea how much I wanna flick your forehead right now, you little devil. Well, it's still all fair game. I laugh quietly along them as we walk.

"But if training makes you feel better then more power to you! I haven't been able to practice much with my bow as of late."

"For real? That's a damn shame, you were real good after all."

"Ahaha… I still get really nervous from time to time," she says while scratching the back of her head, then narrows her brows and loses her smile. "I do have to start training again, since I have a rematch coming up."

"Oh, about that thing that came up during the lacrosse match?" Sumika asks.

"Right, you had some sort of duel back then, didn't you?"

She laughs weakly, making a small fist and rising it to the clouds. "This time I'm gonna win for sure. But enough about me, how have you two been?"

We keep on doing some small talk as we go our way to where we'll meet up with the rest. Since the entrance for spectators is really cheap and there's supposed to be a resto bar in the building it's a perfect place for the meetup, and thankfully it seems Tama also has enough money just in case. So she's in full agreement with getting ice cream after the tournament. As we get closer to the TGS, through the crowds of people I spot a few familiar figures. Everyone is already waiting near the entrance.

Or so I thought, everyone except one person. So she really didn't accept the invitation, huh?

A short boy wearing an orange shirt with small red dots on it and white trousers starts jogging towards us as soon as he sees us. "Oooh! Takeru, long time no see! It's been like three years since we last saw each other!" Mikoto shouts as he gets in close range, followed by a strong high five between us. As lively as always, never change, Mikoto.

"Long time indeed, buddy. How's everything?"

"Hehehe, perfectly! Man, I can't believe I'm keeping up with the lectures," he laughs again jokingly, scratching the back of his head.

"Good for you, man. Frankly, I'm on the same boat," we both share a grin, then he turns towards the other two.

"Miki-san, Sumika-san, long time no see! How are you?"

"Hi, Yoroi-kun. I'm in a reaaally good mood, because I got two-" and while Sumika starts to brag about her scores, I go to greet the other two girls of the group.

The first one, with her brown hair let loose and her usual glasses on, was wearing an olive shirt with white stripes, and a matching white purse.

"Hey Class Rep, how's it going?"

"Hello Shirogane, all's good. You're still going to call me Class Rep after all this time?"

"Yeah, it just feels right."

"Haha, always doing your thing without a care. How are you holding up? You wouldn't be worrying Kagami again?" Despite the smile, she taps her glasses as her eyes bore into me.

The real meaning not lost on me, I smirk and look up, try to throw some misdirection. "Heh, I'm a disciplined student now Class Rep. I even learned to cook by myself!"

"Huh?! Really? That's a surprise."

"Chizuru-san, good afternoon!" Tama came over to greet Class Rep, saving me from her questioning.

I let 'em talk as I go to the raven haired girl eating a yakisoba sandwich. Her red blouse is doing a rather a poor job at hiding her deadly frontliners, but she looks as expressionless as always. A dark trouser reaches just above her ankles, and a pair of matching bracelets are on both wrists.

"Yo, Ayamine. All cool?"

"Yeah," as reserved as always, huh, "until some wild glasses appeared," she says with a slow, almost solemn, nod as she took a glance at Class Rep.

Oh God, not again.

"Ayamine, what do you mean?" Class Rep looks at her with furrowed brows.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't mimic me."

"Do I look like her?"

"No, you don't." Please guys, don't start fighting now.

"Oh, thank God." Ayamine says, with a dramatic sway of her hair as she wipes her forehead. I think Class Rep just popped a vein.

"You haven't changed at all!"

And there they go arguing again, here thar be dragons. I think Ayamine missed trolling Class Rep. And she doesn't seem to be that upset, I think they actually get along really well now. Ever since the lacrosse match, they stopped quarreling as they did before. Who would have said they'd end up as friends. Life is weird.

"Takeru, let's go register before they run out of spots!" without warning, Mikoto grabs my arm and starts pulling me to the line. Sadly for him, with all the muscle I gained lately, he can't even move me an inch.

"Don't pull me! I can walk."

"Takeru, did you gain weight? You shouldn't just eat junk food, you know," he says with a worried look, waving a finger at my face as he gives me a once over.

"Dude, it's not like that. I've been training since-"

"You know, I read this article about a guy that lived only on coke and hamburgers."

"Mikoto, I learned to cook. I'm not so lazy to-"

"So, one day he collapsed on his job! His cholesterol was really high, between his horrible diet and all the pressure from his work."

I'm not going to get through him, am I? Sigh…

"Takeru, are you listening?"

"You're the one who's not listening!"

"Huh? About what?"

"Been training. Learned to cook. Got muscle." perhaps if I speak in short sentences he'll listen.

"Really? Wow, you're right," a surprised look fills his face as he pokes my arm. "What happened? Is there a girl in your class you wanna date?"

And with that simple sentence and an innocent smile, Mikoto opened the gates to hell. I can feel the piercing gazes of the four girls standing behind us, with an overflowing killing intent.

He just had to go and say it. I know, he doesn't even register the teasing or the tension, but you really need to start paying attention, dude.

"…Takeru-chan, what's this about dating a girl in your class?" Sumika's eyes turn dark as that one hair stands upright with sparks flying out of it. Seriously, what's wrong with her hair?! Her tone may be small and calm, but it's hiding a scythe behind her teeth.

The other girls just stare silently at me. A knot forms on the base of my neck, preventing me from gulping or breathing in. No, I have no one in my sights, but if I let the conversation flow into the romantic realm I know what they'll ask.

And I don't want to answer.

"Mikoto, let's go register in the tournament. Ahora!" swiftly yanking his arm away, I pull him towards the line.

"E-eeeeeh! Wait, don't pull meeeee!"

"Don't run away, Takeru-chan!"

A minute or so later.

(Salon's Reception.)

The roof has many rows of lights ready for the night of the event, some marble pillars decorated the entrance of the TGS alongside a dark blue carpet. Above, covering part of the upper part of the entrance, a banner with Valgern-On's logo and all the sponsors of this event hangs as it's swayed by the wind. The reception is no different, with its shiny white floor and walls, with some seats to the side.

As we take our place on the line, I let go of Mikoto's hand and finally sigh. His swirly eyes took a second to stabilize, letting out a groan he recovers his usual expression and gazes around. The line was not as big as I expected it to be. Well, Valgern-On is more of a niche game and its competitive scene isn't that big yet. Considering that, the people behind us, and the hour it is, I say some might get left out.

"Seriously dude, don't joke about that. You should know by now that the girls are really touchy about all the love business," shaking my head, feeling my back cold, I stare into his eyes.

He laughs weakly, nodding in apology. "Sorry. But it's truly a surprise to hear you're exercising, since you were always so lazy. Did anything happen?"

"No, not really. I just felt like doing something to not be sitting all the time. By the by, how much have you been practicing?"

"Once a week on Sundays, except when there's a test close. Valgern-On is that hobby I just can't drop."

So we are just the same in that regard. Great minds think alike. "I totally get what you mean, I can't believe we have tournaments that have to take place outside of an arcade. Two years ago this would have been a pipe dream."

"Yeah, after the console version was ported to America and Europe last year it totally blew up! All the net was in an uproar about it!" bouncing up, rebounding upon himself in excitement, his eyes shine bright.

"Yeah, it was great seeing all their reactions in the forums. Oh right, guess what? I finally got to play Magorea's Mask recently."

"For real?! So, what do you think?" getting closer, he hurries.

"Man, you were right. Ocarina of Ages just doesn't compare."

"Hehe, I knew you were gonna like it more," he grins, nodding once. "I personally loved the Ice Temple, which one was your favorite?"

"Mmh… You're gonna hate me for this, but the Water one."

"Huh?! Really?"

We keep talking about games, about what little we did in our sparse free time until we reach the counter.

"Good afternoon, the inscription for the tournament is 5000 Yen per person. Please hand me your GR cards to register you in the tournament."

When she inserts the cards on the readers, our stats gradually pop up on the screen. Man, seeing my stats always gives me such a thrill. 48% Win-rate? Eh, I've been worse. My mech play-log is so unbalanced, 97% Kaiser usage. Haha, I really did use it exclusively for a long while. Wow, Mikoto has a 53% Win-rate. How the hell does he do that? Well, he is really good.

"Here are your passes with both your personal ID and the terminal's ID that you are to use during the event. Have fun!" the receptionist smiles as she hands us our cards and the passes.

"Hey Mikoto, how much time do we have before the tournament starts?"

Looking at his watch on his left hand, he groans a bit. "Less than an hour, wanna go to the bar with the others and grab something to eat?"

"Yeah, let's go."