If You're Bad, Practice More

After Kushida Kikyo left, Uesugi Hara was the only one left sitting there. He cradled the cup of extra-sweet coffee and took a leisurely sip.

"Kushida Kikyo..."

He stirred his coffee with a spoon, recalling scattered scenes from high school.

"A monster desperate for recognition..." he murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint, casual smile. "She's got all those people's secrets in her hands, but has no idea how to use them. What a waste of talent."

"But what's that got to do with me?"

He swirled his cup and watched the sugar dissolve completely into the coffee, then chuckled. "I couldn't care less about your mess, but if you're dead set on giving me money... I guess I'll graciously accept it."

"Next month... we'll have a proper chat..."

He finished the rest of the coffee in one gulp.

"Sweet really does taste better."

He left the café.

It was only three in the afternoon.

"Ahh—" Uesugi Hara stretched.

Another boring day.

He had a fortune on hand and no idea how to spend it.

He wandered aimlessly through the shopping district.

Uesugi Hara's attention was suddenly caught by a patch of colorful, flashing lights up ahead.

"Is that... an arcade?" Uesugi Hara stopped, a vague memory flickering through his mind.

He had been to an arcade before, but not to play. Back when he was looking for part-time work, he'd applied for a job there, but hadn't been hired because he didn't know anything about the games.

"Maybe I'll go in and try it out?" He scratched his head, hesitating a little. He'd never actually touched those machines in his life.

After a couple of seconds of deliberation, he decided, "I'll go in and see how other people play first." Then he set off toward the arcade.

As soon as he pushed open the glass door, loud music and the clatter of buttons washed over him.

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow and glanced around.

People were showing off in front of the basketball machines, a crowd cheered around the racing simulators, and even a few girls stood by the claw machines in the corner, clutching tokens.

"Huh, I didn't think it'd be this lively here. There aren't that many people at school." He muttered under his breath.

He looked around in every direction.

Uesugi Hara's attention was drawn to the fighting games not far away.

A crowd had gathered around the fighting game machines. On the screens, the red and blue sides were battling fiercely, their moves flashy and ruthless.

People nearby kept shouting, "Dodge!" and "Use your super!"

He edged closer and rose onto his tiptoes, watching two boys' fingers fly over the joysticks and buttons. One moment they were pulling off special moves with dazzling effects; the next, they were blocking and counterattacking.

From what the people around him were saying, the game was called King of Fighters.

Uesugi Hara watched their gameplay and quietly absorbed what he could.

Light Punch (A button)

Light Kick (B button)

Heavy Punch (C button)

Heavy Kick (D button)

Blocking, jumping...

And special moves using the directional stick, plus super moves.

Before long, "KO" flashed across the screen, and the red side was soundly defeated.

"Damn it, I lost again!" The losing boy grabbed at his hair and kicked the machine's leg in frustration.

"Haha, come on, senpai, a bet's a bet. Don't try to wriggle out of it." The winning underclassman patted his shoulder, sounding smug.

The upperclassman's face flushed red. Reluctantly, he opened his Terminal and transferred over 10,000 Points.

"You can do that?" Standing behind the crowd, Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. Earning Points from playing games was way more interesting than just playing for fun.

"Anyone else? Come on, someone give me a challenge!" The winning underclassman put his hands on his hips and arrogantly scanned the crowd, drawing a few chuckles.

"Now that guy's cocky." Uesugi Hara thought it to himself, feeling his fingers itch to play. But then he remembered he'd only watched a few matches and hadn't figured out the game yet. He held back. He'd wait a little longer.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, a bespectacled boy pushed his way out of the crowd. "I'm in! Don't get too cocky, underclassman. I'll teach you a lesson!"

He talked tough, but within minutes, the underclassman had beaten him three rounds in a row without giving him a chance to fight back. He'd been swept three to nothing.

"Tsk, that's embarrassing!" someone in the crowd heckled.

The boy's face turned red. He hurriedly transferred the Points and pushed his way out of the crowd without looking back.

Uesugi Hara watched another three or four matches from the sidelines. Seeing how his opponent executed moves and timed his blocks, he gradually got a feel for the game. He thought he was about ready.

"I'll give it a try." He stepped forward. His voice wasn't loud, but the other boy heard him.

"New guy? Never seen you before." The boy looked him up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"It's my first time playing, so go easy on me." Uesugi Hara scratched his head and offered a slightly bashful smile.

"First time playing, and you're already betting Points?" The boy laughed and pointed at the machine beside them. "Why don't you practice over there first? Wouldn't want you to lose too badly."

"No, no. I watched a few matches, so I've got the gist of it. Let's just start." Uesugi Hara waved him off, sounding confident.

"Fine, you've got confidence." The boy raised an eyebrow. "You know the rules, right? 10,000 Points per round." When Uesugi Hara didn't object, he went straight to character selection.

Uesugi Hara picked three characters based on the team he'd watched earlier. He was indeed clumsy at first, fumbling with the joystick, and lost the first round quickly.

"Brother, I told you to practice first."

"It's fine. I've just got the hang of the controls. Let's go again." Uesugi Hara didn't look the least bit rattled. He promptly transferred over another 10,000 Points.

Seeing that he wouldn't take the advice, the boy said no more. He grinned, pocketed the Points, and started the second round, then the third...

By this round, Uesugi Hara's moves still weren't as smooth as his opponent's, but his reflexes were absurdly fast. Several times, his opponent tried to pull off a combo, only for Uesugi Hara to block it with perfect timing. Even when his opponent finally built up enough energy to unleash a super, Uesugi Hara read it and blocked. In the end, he turned the fight around with a sliver of health left.

"Whoa, you're good, brother! You've got some skill!" The underclassman perked up and rubbed his hands together. "Again, again!"

The outcome was obvious. Once Uesugi Hara had figured out the game's rhythm, it was as if he'd switched on a cheat. In just a few short rounds, he went from barely winning to sweeping two opponents, then finished with a clean sweep of all three.

"No way... I got swept three to nothing?" The underclassman stared blankly at the screen. The crowd erupted. This new guy had looked like a total beginner a moment ago—how had he suddenly become a pro?

"I'm Ishizaki Daichi from Class 1-C. What should I call you, brother?" Ishizaki Daichi came to his senses and hurriedly asked, no longer sounding cocky.

"Uesugi Hara, Class 1-A." Uesugi Hara rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. Over the past dozen or so rounds, Ishizaki Daichi had "contributed" well over 100,000 Points to him.

"Hey, Uesugi, wait!" When he saw Uesugi Hara turning to leave, Ishizaki Daichi quickly grabbed him. "I'll go get my big brother to play you!"

Uesugi Hara glanced at the time on his Terminal. There was still a while before dinner, so he nodded. "Sure."

As soon as Ishizaki Daichi heard that, he took off toward the karaoke rooms on the arcade's second floor. His eagerness was a complete contrast to how dejected he'd been after losing his Points.

Inside a karaoke room, the lights flashed. A purple-haired man lounged on the sofa with his arms spread out, his eyes lazy but faintly menacing. It was Ryuen Kakeru.

"Big brother Ryuen! Someone's picking a fight!" Ishizaki Daichi rushed in, panting, his voice full of indignation. "He's from Class A. He pretended to be a beginner and hustled me out of 120,000 Points!"

"Oh?" Ryuen raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with mockery. "Ishizaki, you can't handle an opponent? What a loser."

"No, Big Brother Ryuen!" Ishizaki Daichi hastily tried to explain. "That guy was terrible at first, then after a few rounds it was like he'd become a different person. He was definitely faking it!"

"Interesting." Ryuen stood up, a playful smile curling his lips. "Someone's got the nerve to fleece one of my people? Lead the way. Let's see who's so bold."

He wanted to find out who could beat Ishizaki Daichi so badly. Ishizaki was one of the best players at school, and since the semester started, Ryuen hadn't seen anyone beat him at a fighting game—except for himself.

"Big Brother Ryuen, that's him!" Ishizaki Daichi hid behind Ryuen and pointed at Uesugi Hara, who was fiddling with a token not far away. A trace of his earlier grievance still lingered in his voice.

Uesugi Hara looked up and raised an eyebrow. Four or five people followed behind Ryuen, including a burly, intimidating-looking guy. They'd come in force.

He wondered to himself, Did he lose at a game and come back with backup to start a fight? If they actually throw hands, should I take a punch on purpose and hit them up for medical expenses?

"You're Uesugi Hara from Class 1-A, right?" Ryuen sauntered over with his hands in his pockets, chin raised. He was even more arrogant than Ishizaki Daichi. "I'm Ryuen from Class C. Heard you're pretty good at games. Want to play me?"

So your name's Ryuen Kakeru? I thought you were called Ryuen the Conqueror.

"Sure, I'll play." Uesugi Hara immediately pushed the thought aside and put on a timid expression, hunching his shoulders. "But if you lose, you're not going to beat me up, right?"

"Heh." Ryuen scoffed, his eyes full of contempt. "I'm not that low. Are you playing or not? 30,000 Points a round. Don't tell me you're scared."

"30,000?" Uesugi Hara's eyes lit up. The last game had been only 10,000 a round. This was triple the amount.

"Of course. Stop dragging your feet. Are you in or not?" Ryuen frowned, clearly impatient.

"I'm in! Why wouldn't I be?" Uesugi Hara immediately went up to the machine and picked his characters.

Before long, "KO" flashed across the screen again, and Ryuen's character was knocked down.

"No way! You even reacted to that?!" Ryuen stared at the screen, utterly shocked. He'd hidden that move so well, yet Uesugi Hara had still blocked it!

"Um..." Uesugi Hara scratched his head and quietly offered his opinion. "Isn't that something anyone with hands could react to?"

The crowd fell silent. Everyone stared at him as if they'd swallowed a fly.

What did he mean, "anyone with hands could do it"? That comeback he'd just pulled off had been inhuman. Ishizaki Daichi shrank back, feeling that his own losses had been completely deserved.

"Again!" Ryuen clenched his fist, a vein twitching at his temple. "It was just luck! I don't believe you can keep getting this lucky!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Again..."

"Big Brother Ryuen, stop!" Seeing Ryuen about to call for another round, Ishizaki Daichi hurried over and grabbed him, his voice practically pleading. "We're almost out of Points!"

"Bullshit!" Ryuen shoved him aside, furious. "I've got over 300,000 Points. How could I be out already?" As he spoke, he tapped open his Terminal—

The number on the screen was unmistakable: 73,520.

???

Ryuen's pupils contracted. He drew a deep breath, his knuckles turning white as he clenched them. He looked like a gambler who'd lost control: "Again..."

"Don't." Uesugi Hara raised a hand to stop him and glanced at his Terminal. "I'm going to get dinner. Let's play another time."

He paused, then added, "And you're getting a little carried away."

"Besides, we've been playing for ages, and you keep getting worse. It's no fun."

"That's it. I'm heading out. We'll play another time."

With that, Uesugi Hara tucked away his Terminal, turned, and walked off, disappearing through the arcade entrance without looking back.

Ryuen was left frozen in place, like an abandoned statue in the noisy arcade.

"Big Brother Ryuen..." Ishizaki Daichi cautiously edged closer, afraid to look at his face.

Ryuen lowered his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. No one could see his expression. They only heard him ask in a perfectly calm voice, "Ishizaki, am I bad at this?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Ishizaki Daichi immediately shook his head, afraid to wait even a second. "You're amazing, Big Brother Ryuen! That guy was pretending to be a beginner to set you up! He came here looking for trouble!"

"Is that so?" Ryuen slowly raised his head, menace swirling in his eyes.

"Definitely!" The people around him hurriedly agreed. "Next time, we'll make him pay double! We'll show him our Points aren't easy to take!"

Ryuen took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. A sinister smile curled his lips. "Uesugi Hara... I'll remember you. Just wait until I get the chance."