The clubroom clock quietly ticked toward evening.
Outside the windows, the orange glow of sunset painted the school grounds in warm shades of gold and crimson. Long shadows stretched across empty walkways while the last remnants of student activity slowly disappeared from campus.
The Gaming Research Club had become one of the few occupied rooms left in the building.
The hum of computers filled the silence.
Ruko leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen.
Then he sighed.
A very long sigh.
A sigh that carried the weight of someone who had spent the last three hours watching a genius repeatedly lose a fight against basic rhythm.
"...Again."
Risa pressed Skill One.
Missed the beat.
The passive reset.
"..."
"...Again."
Skill Two.
Missed.
Reset.
"...Again."
Skill One.
Too early.
Reset.
"...Again."
Skill Two.
Too late.
Reset.
Ruko covered his face.
He wasn't even surprised anymore.
At this point it had become expected.
Some people struggled with mechanics.
Some struggled with map awareness.
Others struggled with decision-making.
Risa apparently struggled with music itself.
The irony was almost painful.
A hero named Melodious.
A girl who couldn't follow a melody.
It felt like a joke created specifically to torment him.
Across the room, Risa remained completely serious.
No frustration.
No embarrassment.
No anger.
Just calm analysis.
The same expression she wore while solving difficult math problems.
Which somehow made everything worse.
"...I missed."
"You don't say."
"The interval appears inconsistent."
"It isn't."
"..."
"It really isn't."
Risa narrowed her eyes at the screen.
Then replayed the sequence.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Eventually she removed her glasses.
Massaged the bridge of her nose.
And finally admitted something.
"...I think my ears are defective."
Ruko immediately laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was true.
And because hearing Risa blame her own ears felt absurd.
"You spent fifteen minutes trying to synchronize with a metronome."
"..."
"You somehow got worse."
"..."
"That's impressive."
"...Thank you."
"That wasn't praise."
"I know."
The room fell silent once more.
The clock continued ticking.
Outside the window, the sunset slowly faded.
Ruko eventually glanced toward the wall clock.
Then blinked.
"...Wait."
Risa looked up.
"What?"
"It's already six thirty."
For the first time all evening—
Risa actually looked surprised.
She turned toward the clock.
Then back toward the monitor.
Then the clock again.
"...That is unfortunate."
"Normal people call that late."
"We were making progress."
"You missed seventy-two consecutive beats."
"Seventy-three."
"..."
"..."
"...You counted?"
"Of course."
Ruko shouldn't have asked.
The answer was obvious.
Eventually he stood from his chair.
The bones in his back immediately protested.
Hours of sitting had caught up to him.
The clubroom was growing darker.
Most of the lights throughout the building had already been turned off.
Even the janitors had started making their rounds.
The practice session was over.
Whether they wanted it to be or not.
"...Tomorrow."
Ruko grabbed his bag.
Risa nodded.
"...Tomorrow."
"We continue then."
"Agreed."
"You need rhythm training."
"..."
"You need a lot of rhythm training."
"..."
"An unhealthy amount."
"..."
"I didn't realize someone could be this bad."
"..."
"I honestly thought you were doing it intentionally."
"..."
Risa slowly adjusted her glasses.
Her expression remained unchanged.
"Your criticism is statistically excessive."
"It's statistically accurate."
The two finished packing their things.
Monitors shut down one by one.
The room slowly darkened.
Chairs were pushed back into place.
Bags were slung over shoulders.
Then together they left the clubroom.
The hallway greeted them with silence.
The school felt entirely different during the evening.
Without students.
Without noise.
Without activity.
Everything felt larger.
Quieter.
Almost nostalgic.
The setting sun cast warm colors through the corridor windows as they walked side by side.
Their footsteps echoed softly against polished floors.
Neither spoke for a while.
The exhaustion of practice lingered between them.
Not uncomfortable silence.
Just peaceful.
Until—
Bzzz.
A phone vibrated.
Risa stopped walking.
Ruko glanced sideways.
"...What?"
Risa had already pulled out her phone.
The screen illuminated her face.
Several messages had appeared.
A group chat.
Dozens of notifications.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
"...Popular today?" Ruko asked.
"Not particularly."
She opened the messages.
Then paused.
A rare reaction.
Interest.
"...Hmm."
"What?"
Risa continued reading.
Then showed him the screen.
The group chat title read:
Former Class 2-B
Below it—
Several messages.
Mika: Risaaaaaaa.
Yui: Come hang out.
Haruna: We haven't seen you in forever.
Mika: Karaoke.
Yui: Karaoke.
Haruna: Karaoke.
Mika: Karaoke.
Yui: Karaoke.
Haruna: Karaoke.
"..."
"..."
"...Your friends are weird."
"They are."
More messages arrived.
Mika: We're already here.
Yui: Bring yourself.
Haruna: We miss our robot.
"...Robot?" Ruko asked.
"They used to call me that."
"...Used to?"
"They still do."
"That makes sense."
Risa ignored him.
Then continued reading.
Suddenly—
She froze.
A strange look appeared in her eyes.
One that immediately triggered alarm bells inside Ruko's head.
Because he recognized that look.
That was the look Risa made whenever she reached a conclusion.
And every time she reached a conclusion—
Someone suffered.
Usually him.
"...Ruko."
"No."
"..."
"..."
"I haven't even heard the question."
"I know."
"Then why are you saying no?"
"Because that look never leads anywhere good."
Risa stared at him.
Then slowly looked down at her phone.
Then back at him.
Then—
For the first time that day—
She smiled.
Not her usual small smile.
Not a polite smile.
Not a rare smile.
A dangerous smile.
An evil smile.
The kind that belonged on a villain.
Ruko immediately stepped backward.
"...Absolutely not."
"I haven't said anything."
"You don't need to."
"...Interesting."
"No."
Risa took a step forward.
Ruko took a step backward.
"...Risa."
"...Ruko."
"...Don't."
"...I have an idea."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
Her smile widened.
Just slightly.
And somehow—
That was worse.
Much worse.
"You need rhythm."
"I do not."
"You need rhythm."
"I really don't."
"You absolutely do."
Ruko pointed at himself.
"Why am I involved?"
Risa lifted her phone.
Then calmly answered.
"Because you're my coach."
"..."
"..."
"...What."
"Kazuha assigned you."
"That was for gaming."
"And music affects Melodious."
"..."
"Therefore."
"..."
"You are responsible."
The logic was horrifying.
Mostly because it somehow made sense.
Ruko immediately rejected it anyway.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because karaoke is a terrible idea."
"It is not."
"It is."
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
Risa adjusted her glasses.
Then delivered the final blow.
"My friends are already waiting."
"Not my problem."
"You should come."
"No."
"You should."
"No."
"You should."
"No."
The argument lasted several seconds.
Then Ruko made a fatal mistake.
He glanced toward the message list.
Specifically the participant count.
Four members.
Three girls.
Plus Risa.
His eyes widened.
"...Wait."
"Hm?"
"...Three girls?"
"Correct."
"Your friends are girls?"
"Correct."
"No."
"...No?"
"Absolutely not."
Risa blinked.
"...Why?"
"Because that's weird."
"What is?"
"I'm not hanging out with four girls."
Risa stared.
Then tilted her head.
"...Why?"
"Because that's terrifying."
"They are harmless."
"No female friend group has ever been harmless."
"They are."
"No."
"They are."
"No."
"They are."
"No."
Ruko pointed dramatically.
"Hell no."
The hallway echoed.
"I refuse."
"..."
"I don't want to be trapped with you and your three-dimensional female friends."
"..."
"That's a nightmare."
"..."
"I'm going home."
"..."
"Immediately."
"..."
"I'm leaving."
"..."
"Right now."
Silence.
Then—
Risa looked directly into his eyes.
Completely calm.
Completely composed.
Completely confident.
And said:
"Like it or not, 2D."
Ruko froze.
That nickname.
The one she occasionally used whenever she wanted to annoy him.
A nickname based entirely on his complete lack of social interest.
"...Don't call me that."
"2D."
"Stop."
"2D."
"Risa."
"2D."
"..."
"..."
"...Continue."
Risa adjusted her bag.
Then smiled.
A terrifyingly confident smile.
"The probability of you escaping me is zero percent."
Ruko immediately turned around.
And attempted to walk away.
A perfectly reasonable response.
Unfortunately—
Risa grabbed the back of his jacket.
"..."
"..."
"...Release me."
"No."
"Release me."
"No."
"Release me."
"No."
Ruko looked upward.
Searching for divine intervention.
Finding none.
Meanwhile Risa began dragging him down the hallway.
Literally dragging him.
With surprising strength.
"...This is kidnapping."
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
"It isn't."
"It feels like it."
"You are exaggerating."
"You're pulling me."
"Correct."
"Against my will."
"Technically."
"That makes it kidnapping!"
"No."
"It does!"
"It doesn't."
Students who happened to still be on campus watched the scene unfold.
Several stared.
A few laughed.
One teacher simply shook his head and walked away.
Apparently deciding it wasn't worth getting involved.
Which was probably the correct decision.
Ruko continued resisting.
Risa continued dragging.
The sunset painted the world orange.
Their argument echoed through the quiet school grounds.
And somewhere ahead—
A karaoke room awaited.
Along with three girls from Risa's past.
Three girls who had no idea she was bringing company.
And one unfortunate gamer whose probability of escape—
According to Risa's calculations—
Had already reached exactly zero percent.
Unfortunately for him—
Her calculations were usually correct.
The karaoke building stood brightly illuminated against the evening streets.
Warm lights spilled through the glass entrance while colorful signs blinked above the doorway, advertising private rooms, unlimited drinks, and late-night discounts.
For most people, it looked welcoming.
For Ruko, it looked like the entrance to a battlefield.
Specifically one he had been unwillingly drafted into.
The automatic doors slid open.
Risa continued dragging him forward.
Her grip on the back of his jacket remained annoyingly firm.
"Release me."
"No."
"I walked here voluntarily."
"That is debatable."
"It isn't."
"It is."
Ruko sighed.
There was no winning against her.
Not when she had already decided on something.
The receptionist greeted them politely.
Risa gave the room number she received from her friends.
A few moments later—
They arrived outside a private karaoke booth.
Music could already be heard through the door.
Laughter followed shortly after.
The room was clearly occupied.
Risa reached for the handle.
Then opened the door.
Immediately—
Three girls turned toward them.
The room fell silent.
Completely silent.
The song playing in the background continued awkwardly as everyone stared.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Then—
"EHHHHHHHHH?!"
The collective scream nearly ruptured Ruko's eardrums.
Three girls practically launched themselves from their seats.
"RISA BROUGHT A BOY!"
"THERE'S AN ACTUAL BOY!"
"OH MY GOD!"
The volume somehow became louder than the karaoke machine.
Ruko instantly regretted every decision that had brought him to this moment.
One girl with short brown hair pointed dramatically.
"Wait!"
Another girl gasped.
"No way!"
The third grabbed Risa's shoulders.
"IS HE YOUR SPECIAL BOY?"
"YOUR BOYFRIEND?!"
"Oh wow wow wow!"
"I never expected this!"
"Risa actually brought a boy!"
The room exploded into chaos.
Meanwhile—
The person responsible remained completely expressionless.
Risa calmly removed her shoes and stepped inside.
Then answered in her usual monotone voice.
"No."
The girls froze.
"Me and him aren't compatible romantically."
Silence.
Then she adjusted her glasses.
"Our incompatibility rating is ninety-eight point nine percent."
The room became quiet.
The girls stared.
Ruko stared.
Risa sat down.
As if she'd just announced the weather.
Inside his head, however—
Ruko felt personally attacked.
Ninety-eight point nine?
It increased?
It was ninety-seven yesterday.
What did I do?
She's the one who kidnapped me and dragged me here.
How did my score get worse?
The injustice was unbelievable.
The three girls stared at Risa.
Then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Yep."
"That's definitely our Risa."
"She's exactly the same."
"I missed this."
One of them wiped tears from her eyes.
Then smiled at Ruko.
"Nice to meet you."
Another nodded.
"We've heard absolutely nothing about you."
"Which is impressive."
"Risa never talks about people."
The third extended her hand.
"I'm Mika."
"Yui."
"Haruna."
Ruko introduced himself.
Then immediately found himself trapped in a whirlwind of conversation.
The girls were energetic.
Dangerously energetic.
The complete opposite of Risa.
Food was ordered.
Drinks arrived.
Snacks filled the table.
Music resumed.
Within minutes the karaoke room had transformed into complete chaos.
Songs played one after another.
The girls sang enthusiastically.
Sometimes well.
Sometimes terribly.
Neither seemed to matter.
Because they were clearly having fun.
Meanwhile—
Risa sat quietly in the corner.
Observing.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Exactly as expected.
Ruko eventually glanced toward her.
She wasn't touching the microphone.
Wasn't singing.
Wasn't participating.
She simply sat there while her friends laughed around her.
"...Aren't you going to sing?"
Risa looked over.
"No."
"Why?"
She thought about it.
Then answered honestly.
"I find this enjoyable."
"...Sitting there?"
"Yes."
"Doing nothing?"
"Observing isn't nothing."
Ruko sighed.
Of course she would say that.
Risa looked toward her friends.
A faint smile appeared.
Small.
Subtle.
But genuine.
"I've always been like this."
"..."
"I enjoy watching people."
"...That sounds creepy."
"It isn't."
"It definitely sounds creepy."
Ignoring him completely, she returned her attention toward the room.
The songs continued.
One after another.
Laughter echoed.
Voices overlapped.
Food disappeared.
Drinks were refilled.
The evening continued moving forward.
And slowly—
Something strange happened.
Ruko noticed it first.
Risa's fingers.
They had begun moving.
At first it was barely noticeable.
A small tap.
Then another.
Then another.
She was watching her friends sing.
Listening.
Observing.
Trying to follow the rhythm.
Trying to understand it.
The tapping continued.
Slowly evolving into clapping.
Soft.
Careful.
Experimental.
Almost like a scientist studying an unfamiliar life form.
Unfortunately—
The timing was terrible.
She missed the beat repeatedly.
Adjusted.
Missed again.
Adjusted again.
Ruko watched quietly.
Risa didn't seem frustrated.
But she was definitely concentrating.
Trying to solve music through logic.
Trying to calculate rhythm.
Trying to analyze emotion.
Trying to reduce something fundamentally human into numbers.
Eventually—
She noticed him watching.
"...What?"
"You look like you're trying to solve a math problem."
"...I am."
"No."
"Music contains patterns."
"It does."
"Patterns can be analyzed."
"They can."
"Therefore music can be understood."
Ruko stared at her.
Then shook his head.
"No."
"...No?"
"That's why you're struggling."
For the first time—
Risa looked genuinely confused.
Ruko leaned back against the sofa.
Watching the room.
Watching the people.
Watching the laughter.
Then spoke quietly.
"You'll never understand music if you think it's a formula."
Silence.
Risa blinked.
"...Explain."
"It's not something you solve."
"It's something you feel."
"You don't listen to music because it's mathematically correct."
"You listen because someone put their emotions into it."
The room felt quieter.
Not physically.
But for Risa.
As if everything around her had suddenly slowed down.
Ruko continued.
"When someone sings..."
His gaze drifted toward the girls laughing together.
"They're sharing something."
"They're happy."
"They're embarrassed."
"They're excited."
"They're having fun."
"That's what you're hearing."
Risa remained silent.
For once—
She had no immediate response.
No counterargument.
No calculation.
Nothing.
Because the idea itself was foreign.
Ruko stood.
Stretching his arms.
Then walked toward the others.
Without looking back.
"You should stop analyzing."
"And start having fun."
His voice reached her over the music.
"Try singing."
"Not because you're good."
"Not because you'll improve."
"Just because you want to."
Then he grabbed a microphone.
And joined the others.
The room immediately exploded into cheers.
Risa sat motionless.
Watching.
Thinking.
For the first time all evening—
Not analyzing the music.
Analyzing herself.
A few moments later—
Someone sat beside her.
Haruna.
The most observant of her former classmates.
She handed Risa a drink.
Then smiled.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"Something changed about you."
Risa blinked.
"If you're referring to my height, I did not grow."
Haruna laughed.
"If you're referring to my weight, I am going to pout."
The laughter became louder.
"I missed that."
Risa tilted her head.
"Missed what?"
"Your weirdness."
"..."
"It's adorable."
"I really missed it."
A rare warmth entered Haruna's expression.
Then she looked toward the group.
Toward Ruko.
Toward the chaos.
Toward the laughter.
Then back to Risa.
"But seriously."
Her voice softened.
"If this was you a month ago..."
"You wouldn't have brought anyone."
Risa froze.
"You wouldn't even think about singing."
"You would've sat in the corner."
"You would've gone home after thirty minutes."
"But you're here."
Haruna smiled.
"And you brought someone."
For once—
Risa couldn't deny it.
Because it was true.
The old her wouldn't have done this.
Wouldn't have invited anyone.
Wouldn't have accepted the invitation.
Wouldn't have remained this long.
Wouldn't have even considered singing.
Yet here she was.
Watching.
Laughing.
Listening.
Existing within the chaos.
And somehow—
Not disliking it.
Her gaze slowly drifted toward Ruko.
Who was currently arguing with Mika about song choices.
Looking completely exhausted.
Completely annoyed.
And somehow still participating.
A small smile appeared on Risa's face.
"I guess."
"Hm?"
"The club became fun."
Haruna blinked.
"The club?"
Risa nodded.
"Things became noisy."
"Complicated."
"Unexpected."
"And chaotic."
Haruna followed her gaze.
Then smiled knowingly.
"Oh."
Risa ignored the implication.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
She had been too harsh.
Too analytical.
Too focused on numbers.
Too focused on probability.
Slowly—
She remembered her calculations.
Ninety-seven percent incompatible.
Ninety-eight point nine percent incompatible.
Numbers.
Just numbers.
And for the first time—
They felt wrong.
Completely wrong.
A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
Haruna stared.
"...Did you just laugh?"
"Perhaps."
"Risa!"
Ignoring her entirely, Risa stood.
Then looked toward the stage.
Toward the microphone.
Toward Ruko.
Then quietly said:
"I believe my calculations were incorrect."
Haruna blinked.
"What?"
Risa smiled.
A genuine smile.
Rare.
Warm.
Beautiful.
"Our compatibility is approximately four point six percent."
"...That's still terrible."
"It is."
Haruna burst into laughter.
Meanwhile—
Risa walked forward.
Grabbed a microphone.
And joined the others.
The room immediately erupted.
The girls cheered.
Mika nearly fell off the sofa.
Yui looked ready to cry.
Ruko simply stared.
"...You're actually doing it?"
"I am."
"Are you dying?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Statistically."
"That's not reassuring."
For the first time—
Risa sang.
Not perfectly.
Not skillfully.
Not even rhythmically.
But she sang.
And she laughed.
And she smiled.
And she stopped thinking.
For a little while.
She simply enjoyed herself.
The way everyone else did.
The way music was meant to be enjoyed.
By the time the clock reached 8:14 PM—
The room was exhausted.
Voices were tired.
Drinks were empty.
Energy had finally begun fading.
Ruko collapsed onto the sofa.
Completely drained.
His social battery had died an hour ago.
Yet somehow—
He found himself smiling.
Across the room—
Risa stood beside her friends.
Still holding a microphone.
Still talking.
Still smiling.
Then—
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment.
Across the room.
And Ruko heard her voice.
Soft.
Almost hidden beneath the music.
"Tsank you."
Ruko froze.
The smile vanished.
The room disappeared.
The sound disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
Because that pronunciation—
That exact pronunciation—
Had existed somewhere before.
A memory surfaced.
Old.
Painfully familiar.
A voice.
A laugh.
A teammate.
A friend.
"Tsank you."
Mitsuru.
His heartbeat skipped.
For a moment he could almost hear her again.
The same accent.
The same strange pronunciation.
The same tiny detail.
His eyes widened.
Before he could stop himself—
The words escaped.
"...Are you Mitsuru?"
Risa froze.
Completely.
The smile disappeared.
"What?"
The reaction was immediate.
Confusion.
Nothing more.
Ruko blinked.
Then immediately looked away.
"...Nothing."
"...Okay."
Neither continued the conversation.
Yet something lingered.
A strange feeling.
An unanswered question.
One that neither understood.
The karaoke gathering eventually came to an end.
Bills were paid.
Goodbyes were exchanged.
The group exited together.
The night air felt cool after the warmth of the room.
Streetlights illuminated the sidewalks.
The city had settled into its evening rhythm.
One by one, the girls separated.
Until only Risa and Ruko remained.
The road split ahead.
Their routes home diverged.
For a moment—
Neither spoke.
Then Risa adjusted her bag.
And looked at him.
"Goodbye, Ruko."
Her voice was calm.
Gentle.
Different from before.
"Thanks for everything."
Ruko blinked.
Then raised a hand.
A simple wave.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"See you tomorrow."
Risa nodded.
"Tomorrow."
Then they walked in opposite directions.
The distance between them slowly growing.
Streetlights casting long shadows behind them.
And as Ruko disappeared into the night—
Risa found herself smiling.
Because for the first time in a very long while—
She had stopped calculating.
Stopped analyzing.
Stopped predicting.
And simply enjoyed the moment.
A result no formula could have predicted.
And perhaps—
That was exactly why it mattered.