The next day began with uncertainty.
Not the kind brought by difficult exams.
Not the kind caused by upcoming tournaments.
Not even the kind that came from learning a new hero.
It was the uncertainty of watching someone slowly struggle while pretending everything was fine.
And unfortunately—
Everyone in the Gaming Research Club had noticed.
Especially Kazuha.
The morning classes passed normally enough.
Teachers taught.
Students chatted.
Assignments were handed out.
The world continued moving exactly as it always had.
Yet every time Kazuha glanced toward Hikari's seat—
Something felt wrong.
The signs were subtle.
Small.
Easy to overlook.
But once noticed—
Impossible to ignore.
Hikari wasn't acting like herself.
Not even close.
Normally, Hikari possessed an overwhelming presence.
She walked confidently.
Spoke confidently.
Argued confidently.
Even when angry, there was a certain energy to her.
A fire.
A force.
Something undeniably alive.
Today—
That fire looked unstable.
Like a candle struggling against the wind.
She was quieter.
More irritable.
More distracted.
And despite trying to hide it—
Her frustration occasionally slipped through the cracks.
A classmate accidentally bumped into her desk.
She clicked her tongue.
Someone asked her a harmless question.
She answered a little too sharply.
A teacher called on her unexpectedly.
For a brief moment, genuine annoyance crossed her face.
Nothing major.
Nothing dramatic.
But enough.
Enough for someone paying attention.
And Kazuha was paying attention.
Very closely.
Because Hikari wasn't just a teammate.
She was a friend.
By lunchtime, concern had fully replaced curiosity.
By club activities—
It became impossible to ignore.
The practice session wasn't a disaster.
Not like yesterday.
But Hikari still wasn't herself.
Her gameplay remained unusually aggressive.
Her calls were shorter.
Her patience thinner.
Several times she seemed to lose focus entirely.
And every time it happened—
The same expression appeared.
Frustration.
Directed inward.
Not at the team.
Not at the game.
At herself.
Which somehow made it worse.
By the time club activities ended—
Kazuha finally reached her limit.
She found Ruko packing his bag.
Immediately—
She marched toward him.
"We need to figure out what's wrong."
Ruko glanced up.
"With Hikari?"
"Obviously."
"You say that like I know."
"You usually figure things out."
"I literally don't."
Kazuha crossed her arms.
"You're observant."
"No."
"You are."
"No."
"You absolutely are."
"No."
"Ruko."
"No."
"..."
"..."
"...Fine."
Ruko sighed.
"What do you want me to do?"
Kazuha immediately brightened.
"Help me investigate."
"..."
"...That sounds illegal."
"It isn't."
"It sounds illegal."
"It isn't."
"You're saying that very confidently."
"Because it's true."
Ruko wasn't convinced.
Unfortunately—
Experience had taught him that once Kazuha decided something—
Resistance rarely mattered.
Which was exactly how they ended up walking home together.
The afternoon sun hung low in the sky.
Students streamed through school gates.
Conversations filled the air.
The campus slowly emptied as clubs concluded and classes ended.
Kazuha and Ruko walked side by side.
Discussing possibilities.
Or rather—
Guessing wildly.
"Maybe it's family issues."
"Possible."
"Maybe grades."
"Unlikely."
"Relationship problems."
"..."
"..."
"...Why are you looking at me?"
"No reason."
"That look means something."
"It doesn't."
"It absolutely does."
The argument continued until they reached one of the quieter sections of campus.
A side staircase near the older school building.
Normally empty.
Normally ignored.
Which was exactly why Kazuha suddenly stopped.
Her eyes widened.
Then—
Without warning—
She grabbed Ruko's arm.
Hard.
"What—"
"Shhh!"
Before he could protest—
She pulled him behind a nearby corner.
Hidden from view.
"..."
"..."
"...Kazuha."
"Quiet."
"...Why are we hiding?"
"Look."
Ruko carefully peeked around the corner.
Then froze.
Hikari.
She stood alone near the stairway.
Nobody else around.
No friends.
No teammates.
Just her.
The expression on her face immediately caught his attention.
Because it wasn't anger.
Not exactly.
It was frustration.
The kind someone showed when repeatedly failing at something.
She pulled out her phone.
Unlocked it.
Opened an application.
Then stared.
And stared.
And stared.
The silence stretched.
Until finally—
She sighed.
A deep sigh.
The kind that carried genuine disappointment.
Ruko and Kazuha exchanged glances.
"...What's she looking at?"
"No idea."
Then Hikari spoke.
Very quietly.
But loud enough to hear.
"...Another forty-three."
Kazuha blinked.
"Hm?"
Hikari continued staring at the screen.
Her frustration becoming increasingly visible.
"No way..."
Her voice sounded genuinely upset.
Then she muttered something.
Something that immediately caught both of their attention.
"I went from six hundred seventy-seven..."
A pause.
"...to six hundred thirty-four."
Silence.
Ruko blinked.
Kazuha blinked.
Neither understood.
Until Hikari turned the screen slightly.
And they finally saw it.
An account page.
Profile picture.
Videos.
Follower count.
Username.
Ikari-Chan
Followers:
634
The realization hit immediately.
"...Social media?"
Kazuha whispered.
Ruko nodded slowly.
Apparently—
Hikari had a content account.
Neither of them had known.
Not a single clue.
Not even a hint.
Meanwhile—
Hikari continued scrolling.
Each movement looked increasingly defeated.
She opened analytics.
Viewed statistics.
Engagement rates.
View counts.
Comments.
Everything.
Then another sigh escaped her.
"...My last upload completely bombed."
Her voice sounded miserable.
A side of Hikari neither of them had ever seen before.
Not angry.
Not competitive.
Not proud.
Just disappointed.
In herself.
The realization slowly settled.
This wasn't about gaming.
Not entirely.
This wasn't about school.
Or family.
Or friendships.
It was about something else.
Something she clearly cared about deeply.
Her account.
Her content.
Her audience.
The followers she'd been losing.
The videos that weren't performing.
The effort nobody knew she was putting in.
And judging from her expression—
It mattered far more than anyone realized.
Kazuha looked genuinely surprised.
"I had no idea."
"Neither did I."
For a moment—
Both simply watched.
Not out of malice.
Not out of curiosity.
But because they had finally found the source of her frustration.
Then—
Hikari lowered her phone.
Another disappointed sigh escaped her lips.
And somehow—
That felt worse than all her anger yesterday.
Because now they understood.
She wasn't angry.
She was discouraged.
And that was much harder to fight.
Kazuha's expression softened.
"...Poor Hikari."
Ruko nodded.
Then looked toward the girl standing alone.
Staring at numbers on a screen.
Measuring her worth through statistics.
Through followers.
Through views.
Through strangers on the internet.
A dangerous thing.
A very dangerous thing.
Especially when things started going wrong.
For several seconds—
Neither moved.
Then—
Ruko made a decision.
Not a complicated one.
Not a calculated one.
Just simple.
He stepped out from behind the corner.
Immediately.
Casually.
As if he'd been there the entire time.
"Hey."
Hikari jumped.
Literally jumped.
Her phone nearly slipped from her hand.
Then—
She spun around.
Eyes wide.
The moment she saw him—
Pure panic appeared.
And somehow—
That reaction was even stronger than her usual anger.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Ruko blinked.
Then pointed behind himself.
Because Kazuha had also emerged.
Looking equally guilty.
"We got caught."
"Obviously!"
Hikari's face immediately turned red.
Not embarrassment.
Not entirely.
A mixture of embarrassment.
Panic.
Shock.
And frustration.
The worst possible combination.
Her phone disappeared behind her back.
Far too late.
Because they'd already seen everything.
The account.
The followers.
The analytics.
The frustration.
Everything.
For several long seconds—
Nobody spoke.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Then—
Kazuha smiled awkwardly.
And waved.
"...Hi?"
Hikari looked ready to throw herself down the staircase.
Which honestly might have felt less painful than this situation.
Because for the first time—
The terrifying Hikari.
The confident Hikari.
The intimidating Hikari.
Had been caught exposing something vulnerable.
Something personal.
Something she clearly never intended anyone to see.
And judging from the look on her face—
The next conversation was either going to solve everything.
Or become an absolute disaster.
The late afternoon sun painted the school stairway in warm shades of amber and gold.
Dust drifted lazily through the air.
The campus was gradually emptying as students headed home.
And in one forgotten corner of the school—
Three students stood trapped in one of the most awkward situations imaginable.
Hikari stood frozen.
Ruko stood awkwardly.
Kazuha stood guilty.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Nobody knew how to proceed.
The silence stretched.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen.
Eventually—
Hikari let out a long, exhausted sigh.
The kind of sigh that sounded as though all resistance had finally left her body.
"...You saw it."
It wasn't a question.
Kazuha immediately looked away.
Ruko rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Yeah."
Another sigh escaped Hikari.
Then another.
Then she pinched the bridge of her nose.
For a moment she looked like someone several years older than she actually was.
"...Fine."
She looked up.
The usual fire in her eyes had dimmed.
Replaced by embarrassment.
And vulnerability.
A side of her neither Ruko nor Kazuha had ever seen.
"You already found out."
"So I guess there's no point hiding it anymore."
Hikari slowly unlocked her phone again.
The screen lit up.
The account page appeared.
Ikari-Chan
634 Followers.
Several uploaded videos.
A growing but still modest channel.
Without saying another word—
She handed the phone toward them.
"Look."
Kazuha immediately moved closer.
Ruko followed.
Then Hikari opened one of her videos.
The screen transitioned.
The video began playing.
And both of them froze.
Because standing on the screen—
Wasn't Hikari.
Or rather—
It was Hikari.
But also not.
She was dressed as a Nervanox character.
An incredibly accurate recreation.
The costume was detailed.
The makeup was impressive.
The hairstyle perfectly replicated.
Even the mannerisms matched.
The way she moved.
The way she posed.
The way she spoke.
Everything had clearly required effort.
A tremendous amount of effort.
The video continued.
Transitions.
Editing.
Effects.
Voice acting.
Character interactions.
Small skits.
Battle poses.
Everything looked surprisingly professional.
Kazuha's jaw dropped.
Then—
Without warning—
She launched herself forward.
"HIKARIIIIIIII!"
Hikari immediately reacted.
A palm shot forward.
Directly into Kazuha's face.
Stopping her mid-pounce.
"No."
"But—"
"No."
"This is amazing!"
"No."
Kazuha continued trying to hug her.
Hikari continued pushing her away.
The resulting struggle looked absurd.
One desperately attempting affection.
The other desperately attempting escape.
Unfortunately—
Kazuha was stubborn.
Extremely stubborn.
After several seconds—
Hikari finally gave up.
Her shoulders slumped.
"...Fine."
The moment she surrendered—
Kazuha wrapped her arms around her.
"Hikari this is incredible!"
"You're so cute!"
"The costumes are amazing!"
"The editing too!"
"I love it!"
Hikari looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.
Meanwhile—
Ruko continued watching the videos.
One after another.
His eyes slowly widened.
Because the amount of work behind them was obvious.
Costumes.
Recording.
Editing.
Retakes.
Audio balancing.
Effects.
None of this happened by accident.
Each upload represented hours of work.
Days sometimes.
Possibly weeks.
The more he watched—
The more impressed he became.
Eventually Hikari noticed.
She crossed her arms.
Trying to hide her embarrassment behind annoyance.
"...What?"
"Hm?"
"Aren't you going to laugh?"
The question caught him off guard.
Ruko blinked.
"Why would I laugh?"
Hikari looked away.
"...Because it's cosplay."
"...And?"
For a moment—
Hikari didn't answer.
Instead—
An old memory resurfaced.
One she'd tried to forget.
A few months ago.
Walking home with several classmates.
Someone had shown a cosplay video.
A random creator online.
Nothing special.
Just someone clearly passionate about their hobby.
And then—
The laughter started.
"That looks ridiculous."
"The costume is terrible."
"Does this guy have no fashion sense?"
"Why would anyone upload this?"
Everyone laughed.
Everyone mocked.
Everyone moved on.
But Hikari remembered.
Because at the time—
She'd secretly been doing the exact same thing.
Building costumes.
Recording videos.
Learning editing.
Creating content.
She remembered smiling along with everyone else.
Pretending it didn't bother her.
Pretending those comments didn't hurt.
But afterward—
She stopped telling people.
Stopped sharing.
Stopped talking about it.
Because if strangers could get mocked—
Then what would happen if people found out about her?
So she kept it secret.
For months.
Nobody knew.
Not Kana.
Not Kazuha.
Not Risa.
Not even the Gaming Club.
Yet now—
The secret was standing exposed.
And somehow—
Nobody was laughing.
Ruko handed the phone back.
His expression remained completely serious.
"...Honestly."
"I'm impressed."
Hikari blinked.
"What?"
"You clearly worked hard."
The answer came naturally.
Without hesitation.
Without judgment.
Without mockery.
Just simple honesty.
Ruko continued.
"The costumes are good."
"The editing is good."
"The videos are good."
"And anyone can see how much effort went into them."
For several seconds—
Hikari simply stared.
Speechless.
Because that wasn't the response she'd prepared herself for.
She'd prepared for teasing.
For embarrassment.
For jokes.
Not praise.
Certainly not genuine praise.
Something warm stirred uncomfortably inside her chest.
A feeling she immediately tried to suppress.
Unfortunately—
Kazuha wasn't helping.
Because she had already started opening more videos.
One after another.
And every time—
Her excitement grew.
"This one is amazing!"
"And this one!"
"Oh my god!"
"Hikari you're actually talented!"
Hikari blushed cause she was embarressed
"Stop."
"No."
"Please stop."
"No."
"You're making this worse."
"It gets better every video!"
Hikari buried her face in her hands.
This was a nightmare.
A wonderful nightmare.
But still a nightmare.
Eventually—
Kazuha paused.
The excitement faded slightly.
And concern returned.
Because something still didn't make sense.
"Hikari."
"...What."
"If the videos are this good..."
She tilted her head.
"Then why are you so stressed?"
The question lingered.
The atmosphere shifted.
And immediately—
The smile vanished from Hikari's face.
Silence followed.
A heavy silence.
Then—
Hikari sighed.
Not annoyed.
Not embarrassed.
Tired.
Just tired.
Slowly—
She opened her gallery.
Scrolled through several pictures.
Then stopped.
"...Because of this."
She turned the screen toward them.
A photograph appeared.
At first glance—
It looked ordinary.
Two sisters standing together.
One was obviously Hikari.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Same eyes.
Same features.
Same smile.
But the person standing beside her—
Immediately drew attention.
Long dark hair.
Confident expression.
Professional uniform.
A face recognized by countless Nervanox players.
The moment Ruko saw her—
His eyes widened.
"...No way."
Kazuha blinked.
"Huh?"
Ruko stared.
Then looked again.
Making sure he wasn't mistaken.
But he wasn't.
There was absolutely no way he could mistake that face.
Because he'd seen it in tournament streams.
Professional matches.
Highlight videos.
Interviews.
Ranked leaderboards.
Everywhere.
The woman in the photograph was—
Makuri.
One of the fastest-rising professional players in the entire Nervanox scene.
A mage specialist.
A tournament prodigy.
A player many considered the future face of the competitive scene.
Kazuha's eyes widened a second later.
"WAIT."
She grabbed the phone.
Looked again.
Then looked at Hikari.
Then the photo.
Then Hikari.
Then the photo.
"...WAIT."
Hikari sighed.
"Yes."
"WAIT."
"Yes."
"WAIT."
"Still yes."
"THAT'S YOUR SISTER?!"
The stairway echoed with Kazuha's scream.
Several birds flew from nearby trees.
Meanwhile—
Hikari simply nodded.
A tired smile appearing on her face.
"...My older sister."
The realization crashed into both of them simultaneously.
And suddenly—
Everything started making sense.
The pressure.
The frustration.
The follower counts.
The stress.
The comparisons.
The impossible expectations.
Because how could she not compare herself?
When her older sister was one of the biggest rising stars in the entire game.
And she—
Was staring at a follower count that had just dropped from 677 to 634.
For the first time—
Ruko and Kazuha understood.
This wasn't just about losing followers.
It wasn't just about a bad upload.
It wasn't just about content creation.
It was about standing in the shadow of someone extraordinary.
And wondering if she'd ever be able to shine on her own.