Silence.
The kind that made your ears ring.
All four of them were staring at me.
"I can help you guys win."
I could still hear my own voice echoing in my head.
What did I just say…?
Kana was the first to react.
"…You?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Help us win?"
There was no anger in her tone.
Just disbelief.
Hikari let out a short, unimpressed sigh. "You just walked in here five minutes ago."
Risa tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp. "And you expect us to believe you can contribute at a competitive level?"
Kazuha didn't say anything.
She was just watching me.
Carefully.
I swallowed.
This is it. If I mess this up, I'm done.
"I'm serious," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I know how to play Nervanox."
Kana crossed her arms. "Everyone knows how to play. That doesn't mean you're good."
"I'm not just 'good.'"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"…Then prove it," Hikari said immediately.
I froze.
"…What?"
She pushed herself off the desk, walking toward one of the PCs. "If you're as good as you say, show us."
Risa nodded. "A practical demonstration would be the most efficient way to evaluate your claim."
Kana smirked. "Yeah. Let's see if you're all talk."
My chest tightened.
Of course it would come to this…
The screen flickered to life as Hikari logged into a guest account and slid the chair back.
"Go on," she said, stepping aside. "Play."
I stared at the monitor.
The familiar interface.
The menu.
The sound effects.
Nervanox.
My fingers twitched.
Memories flooded in.
Late-night matches.
Endless wins.
Her voice in chat.
Her messages.
Mitsuru.
"…What's wrong?" Kana asked. "Nervous?"
I clenched my fists.
I quit this game for a reason.
But then—
I glanced at them.
Kazuha.
Risa.
Kana.
Hikari.
One of them was her.
"…Fine," I muttered, stepping forward.
I sat down.
Placed my hands on the keyboard and mouse.
The moment my fingers touched the keys—
Everything came back.
"Queue us into a custom match," Risa said.
Hikari crossed her arms. "Let's see how you move first."
The game loaded.
Character selection appeared.
"Pick anything," Kana said. "It won't matter if you can't even last five minutes."
I hovered over a character.
Stopped.
Moved.
Stopped again.
"…You're hesitating," Hikari noted.
Of course I am.
Every character reminded me of something.
A strategy.
A moment.
A match I played with her.
Then I clicked.
"Wait—" Kana blinked. "That's—"
A high-difficulty hero.
One that required precise timing, map awareness, and perfect execution.
"…Interesting choice," Risa murmured.
The match started.
At first—
I was rusty.
My movements were stiff.
My timing slightly off.
Kana scoffed. "Yeah, this isn't—"
Then—
Something clicked.
My fingers moved faster.
Cleaner.
Sharper.
I dodged.
Rotated.
Predicted enemy movement before it even happened.
The room went quiet.
"…No way," Kana muttered.
I didn't respond.
I was focused.
Completely.
This wasn't just a game.
This was muscle memory.
Instinct.
I outplayed a 1v2.
Secured an objective.
Rotated lanes perfectly.
"…His map awareness…" Risa whispered.
"…It's not normal," Hikari added.
I didn't hear them.
Not really.
Because for a moment—
It felt like I was back there.
Playing beside her.
"…Ruko."
My hand froze for a split second.
Then a whisper.
Soft. Barely audible.
"…You've improved. I'm surprised you found me"
I froze.
My head snapped toward the voice.
No way…
It was her. Mitsuru.
I turned fully, heart hammering, but…
The voice was gone.
Only the weight of realization remained.
And then I noticed—four pairs of eyes staring at me.
The four queens.
Kazuha stepped forward, brow slightly furrowed."Are you okay?" she asked softly, concern in her voice.
Kana tilted her head, smirking, but curiosity clear."You seemed shocked… something happened?"
Risa's blue eyes were sharp, studying me intently."You look like you've seen a ghost."
Hikari crossed her arms, leaning back slightly, voice sharp."What's the matter?"
I swallowed.
None of them noticed the tiny whisper, the faint familiarity in the words.
I clenched my fists under the desk.
Mitsuru… you're here.
The match continued. My hands moved almost on autopilot, the old instincts kicking in.
Every rotation, every skill timing, every movement was precise, like muscle memory had never left me.
The girls watched in silence, expressions a mixture of disbelief, calculation, and curiosity.
Finally, the match ended.
Victory.
Victory flashed across the screen.
I leaned back slightly, exhaling.
"…That enough proof?"
Silence.
Then—
Kana smirked. "Not bad… maybe you're not just talk after all."
Hikari rolled her eyes. "Annoying, but useful."
Risa nodded, approving but calm. "You exceeded expectations."
Kazuha gave a small smile.
"…Welcome to the club, Ruko."
I looked at all four of them.
My chest tightened again.
They accepted me.
Just like that.
But that wasn't what mattered.
Because now—
I knew better.
One of them… was Mitsuru.
And the game I thought I had left behind?
It had just begun again.