Deconstruction

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka left the dorm with a garbage bag,

but soon came back, this time holding a game console. Who knew how many points he'd spent on it?

Beihai's studies had to come to a halt. He looked at the other boy in confusion.

"Are you really that persistent?"

"Huh? You need to balance work and rest when studying. I think."

That left Beihai feeling a little unsure of himself. What was this guy trying to do?

So after all that, he'd just wanted to give him a game console, then sabotage his studies and throw him off his game?!

The two of them sat on the floor with the Switch in front of them. Its controllers had been detached and split in two: Beihai held the left one, while Kiyotaka Kiyotaka held the right.

"So what is it you actually want? I don't think someone like you would come looking for me."

Beihai controlled his character, as if he'd returned to his previous life.

He might not have been good at studying, but when it came to all the other things people called useless skills, Beihai knew a little about everything.

You never knew how far someone would go to teach himself just to play a dating sim.

But thinking of that reminded him of the idiots who would blurt out, "Where do you download it? What do you search for? Is the ending supposed to be aza or something?"

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka said nothing. He simply controlled his character, his expression utterly unchanged. Even when his character was defeated, he didn't react.

"Hey, are you going easy on me? Isn't that a little too obvious?"

Click. The button presses stopped. Kiyotaka Kiyotaka finally moved, turning his head to look at Beihai. "No. I just made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes."

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka felt that was a perfectly reasonable answer. Going easy on someone in a game could make the winner happier,

and it was also a way to bring people closer.

But the other boy's attitude was starting to bother Beihai. There was nothing wrong with going easy on him, but doing it in front of a top-tier gamer?

If it had been a genuine mistake, Beihai wouldn't have said anything. But the way he was playing made it obvious that he looked down on him!

Of course, some of that frustration came from his previous life. Nowadays, there were esports players, but back then, nobody called it that. Games were just electronic opium.

They'd been Beihai's one refuge. If his family in this world hadn't been so suffocating, and if he hadn't needed to study so hard, he would have started collecting games in earnest.

The Fallout series, for example. Sometimes games were like fine wine: the older they got, the better they tasted.

That was what had shaped Beihai's perspective. Some old games required not only great patience, but also a willingness to put up with clunky controls, mountains of text, and a fragmented storyline.

You had to piece it all together, discover things for yourself, and be patient for a long, long time.

"Kiyotaka, have you ever lost?"

The question struck Kiyotaka Kiyotaka right in the heart. His eyes finally showed a flicker of life, no longer still as a pond. This was unexpectedly interesting. Did Beihai want to beat him, or had he seen through his disguise?

But then he remembered that Beihai was a fellow pretender, just like him—and far better at it. It was only natural that he'd seen through him.

That also meant his disguise had been completely useless. Had he made the wrong move just now?

By deliberately losing, he'd only roused Beihai's competitive spirit.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka gave no answer, but he unconsciously straightened up. Both of them began to focus and play in earnest.

When the fighting game announced, "Round one, fight!" they immediately began testing each other with attacks.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka's speed and technique far exceeded that of an ordinary person. At first, he drove Beihai back again and again, but as the match went on, Beihai's attacks grew more and more ferocious.

It felt as though the other boy had seen right through him.

Was he being outmatched in this area because he'd never played before?

No, that couldn't be it. Even if he'd never played, a few rounds were enough to get used to the controls. After that, it wasn't difficult.

Fighting games had combos, but for the most part, they were just rock-paper-scissors: you guessed what your opponent would do.

Beihai had seen right through him!

Not only his every move, but even his next character choice!

Whenever Kiyotaka tried to change his strategy, Beihai seemed to know and countered him completely.

Before he knew it, Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was completely absorbed in the game. His Chun-Li had one-third of her health left, while Beihai's character was hanging on by a thread. Under normal circumstances, with their skill levels equal, Kiyotaka should have won for sure.

What's more, he'd been extremely cautious, advancing carefully and waiting for an opening before unleashing his special move!

The character lunged forward, then kicked once, twice, three times, four! Blocking still chipped away at your health.

But Beihai's character was still alive, barely. He'd made a perfect block, reacting within 0.35 seconds. Despite Chun-Li's barrage of rapid-fire attacks, he'd blocked every single one!

As soon as the defense ended, Beihai counterattacked, taking Kiyotaka's character out with a single combo.

"I lost."

He uttered the two words calmly, though at some point during that match, his heart had started racing and his hands had begun to tremble. Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was curious about what this feeling was.

"You lost, but that's normal. Your thinking seems a little rigid, almost like a machine.

"You either try to maximize your gains or suddenly go berserk halfway through. But sometimes, being too cautious and blocking all the time actually limits what you can do."

"Again."

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka wanted to find that feeling again, something unlike anything he'd ever learned. He also wanted to deconstruct Beihai in the same way.

Beihai didn't refuse. The other boy was genuinely skilled, and he improved quickly.

Time flew by. Beihai couldn't win every round, either, but that was only natural. Games had winners and losers. No matter how skilled you were, sometimes some reckless kid could charge straight through your defenses.

Before they knew it, the sun had set. It wasn't completely dark yet, but the room had grown dim, and they had to turn on the lights to see.

"I had a great time today. That game console must have cost you a lot of points. If you've spent too much, you might not have many points left next month. Kiyotaka, will you have trouble getting by?"

It was already dark, and they hadn't eaten. They could either go grab a bite together or head back to their own rooms. Beihai was just making conversation.

"It's nothing. We're friends now, right?"