Ruko took a slow step forward.
The sounds of the café seemed to fade into the background as he stopped beside Inori's table. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. They simply looked at each other, as if trying to reconcile the years that had passed with the person now standing before them.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ruko's mouth.
"...I never expected to see you here."
Inori laughed quietly.
"I could say the same."
He folded his arms.
"Didn't you tell everyone you were planning to move to Korea?"
"I did."
She shrugged lightly.
"Plans changed."
Her eyes drifted toward him, studying him with the same calm expression she had worn countless times before matches.
"...And I never expected to see you playing Nervanox again."
Her smile softened.
"Mitsuru told us... something happened."
Ruko's expression stiffened.
"...Mitsuru?"
"You've talked to her?"
A hint of surprise crossed Inori's face.
"...Wait."
"You really haven't met her in person?"
Ruko slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Huh..."
Inori let out a small, amused laugh.
"And here I was looking forward to something that would've happened by now."
She rested her chin on one hand.
"She told me she was going to do something the last time we spoke."
Ruko's heartbeat quickened.
"What was it?"
For a second, it looked as though Inori might answer.
Instead, she smiled mischievously and shook her head.
"Nope."
"Even if it's you."
"It's a secret."
She lifted a finger with a playful grin.
"A promise between two maidens."
Ruko sighed.
"...You're impossible."
"I've been told."
Before either of them could continue, Kazuha gently tugged on Ruko's sleeve.
"Ruko..."
She lowered her voice.
"I think we're interrupting their meeting."
Only then did Ruko notice the expressions around the table.
The other Ishika players had gone silent.
Some looked curious.
Others...
Clearly annoyed.
One of the boys folded his arms and scoffed.
"So you're the famous Gaming Club everyone's talking about."
His tone carried little interest.
Only mockery.
The atmosphere around the table noticeably cooled.
Kazuha gently released Ruko's sleeve.
Realizing she had yet to introduce herself, she took a small step forward and offered a polite bow.
"...I'm Kazuha Shirogane."
"The current president of the Gaming Club."
"It... it's nice to meet you."
Inori's attention shifted from Ruko to the girl standing beside him.
For a moment, she simply observed her.
Then a small smile appeared.
"...Inori Nakai."
She inclined her head in return.
"Nice to meet you too."
Kazuha smiled politely.
Before Inori could continue the conversation, the scraping of a chair interrupted the peaceful atmosphere.
One of the boys sitting at the table leaned back with a scoff.
He had striking red hair, neatly combed despite its vibrant color, and a pair of black rectangular glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
His confident grin carried an unmistakable edge of arrogance.
"So..."
He looked Ruko up and down.
"You're the famous new star player from that Gaming Club."
His eyes drifted toward Kazuha.
"And you're their marksman?"
He chuckled.
"I expected more."
The other students at the table exchanged uncertain glances.
"Sukachi..." one of them muttered.
The red-haired student ignored the warning.
"My name's Sukachi Kiminari."
He folded his arms.
"You know, I don't understand why Inori-senpai is wasting time talking to you two."
His voice grew louder.
"In two weeks, you're going to lose anyway."
"I heard your club hasn't won a single proper match."
He laughed to himself.
"Honestly, you'd save yourselves the embarrassment if you just didn't show up."
The café fell noticeably quieter.
Several nearby customers glanced toward their table.
Kazuha lowered her eyes but remained composed.
Ruko simply watched him without responding.
Sukachi mistook the silence for weakness.
"What?"
"Nothing to say?"
"I figured as much."
He smirked.
"You should—"
Splash.
A cold drink struck him squarely across the face.
Green matcha latte dripped from his glasses, hair, and uniform.
The entire table froze.
Sukachi slowly wiped the liquid from his eyes before turning in disbelief.
"...Inori-senpai?"
She stood beside him, the now-empty cup still loosely held in one hand.
Gone was the relaxed smile she had worn moments earlier.
Her expression had become calm.
Cold.
Disappointed.
"I don't care what you think of me."
Her voice remained even.
"I don't care who you choose to dislike."
She set the empty cup onto the table with a soft clink.
"But know your place."
No one spoke.
"You can challenge people."
"You can criticize them."
"You can even defeat them."
Her eyes settled on Sukachi.
"But don't talk down to someone whose path you haven't even reached."
The confidence in her voice silenced the entire table.
She gestured toward Ruko without taking her eyes off her teammate.
"Do you know who you're mocking?"
"You're mocking someone who stood on the stage every competitive player dreams of reaching."
"The stage the rest of you are still chasing."
Sukachi's expression stiffened.
Inori continued.
"Ruko's skills are every bit as refined as mine."
"We fought together."
"We won together."
"I know exactly how good he is."
She folded her arms.
"So don't confuse rumors with reality."
Her gaze briefly shifted toward Ruko.
A competitive smile slowly returned to her face.
"As for the exhibition match..."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"I don't see it as Ishika High against your Gaming Club."
The café seemed to hold its breath.
"I don't see it as us five here against their main starter five"
"I see it as something much simpler."
She met Ruko's eyes.
"It's just between me and you.... Ruko"
"Let's see which of us has grown more."
For the first time since entering the café, Ruko smiled.
Not out of amusement.
But because he recognized the expression on Inori's face.
It was the same expression she always wore before stepping onto the biggest stages.
The smile of someone who wasn't looking for an easy victory.
She was looking for a worthy opponent.
The tension lingering inside the café gradually settled.
Neither side spoke for several moments.
Inori broke the silence first.
She folded her arms loosely and looked directly at Ruko, the competitive spark in her eyes impossible to miss.
"...You know," she said with a faint smile, "I was actually looking forward to playing against you."
Ruko raised an eyebrow.
"Against me?"
She nodded.
"Ever since Nerva disbanded, I've avoided participating in exhibition matches whenever I transferred to another school's esports team."
Her gaze drifted toward the café window.
"It never felt fair."
"The gap in experience was too large."
"I'd rather let the students grow on their own."
She chuckled softly before looking back at him.
"But when I heard our exhibition opponent was your school..."
"...I changed my mind."
Ruko remained silent.
"I figured Mitsuru would be there."
A nostalgic smile crossed Inori's face.
"I just never imagined you'd be standing on the other side of the stage again."
For a brief moment, memories of countless matches flashed through both of their minds—hours of practice, victories, defeats, and the bright lights of arenas that now belonged to the past.
Ruko let out a quiet breath.
Then he smiled.
"...I'm looking forward to it too, Inori."
It wasn't a declaration.
It wasn't a challenge.
It was simply the acknowledgment of an old rival and teammate.
Inori's smile widened just a little.
"...Good."
Ruko turned toward the exit.
"Come on," he said quietly to Kazuha.
She nodded and followed beside him.
As the café door closed behind them, the bell above the entrance gave a soft chime.
The table remained quiet for a moment.
Finally, one of the girls seated beside Inori leaned forward with a curious smile.
Purple hair framed her face as she rested her chin in one hand.
"You look happy, Inori."
Inori laughed under her breath.
"I am."
"I was starting to get bored."
She looked toward the door through which Ruko had just disappeared.
"I never thought coming back would give me a reason to get excited again."
Her smile carried the unmistakable anticipation of a competitor waiting for the opening whistle.
"Looks like this exhibition match might actually be interesting."
The bell above the café door rang softly as Ruko and Kazuha disappeared into the evening crowd.
For a few seconds, nobody at the Ishika table spoke.
The earlier laughter had completely vanished.
Sukachi quietly wiped the remaining drops of matcha latte from his glasses, still too stunned to say anything.
Across the table, Inori remained standing.
Her gaze lingered on the café entrance long after Ruko had left.
A small smile slowly formed on her face.
"...So you're really back."
There was excitement in her voice.
The kind only someone who had finally found a worthy challenge could produce.
She had spent years searching for opponents capable of pushing her beyond her limits.
Most matches had become predictable.
Most victories...
Routine.
But seeing Ruko again had reminded her of the countless hours they once spent refining strategies, arguing over drafts, and adapting to impossible situations together.
For the first time in a long while...
She genuinely looked forward to a match.
Then, almost as quickly as the smile appeared...
She sighed.
"...Guess Mitsuru still hasn't done what she told me about."
The sentence slipped out naturally.
None of the students around the table understood what she meant.
One of the girls tilted her head.
"What are you talking about?"
Inori simply smiled.
"...Nothing."
"It's just an secret between me and an old teammate."
She reached for the fresh glass of water the waitress had just placed in front of her.
"Let's just say..."
"...some promises take longer than expected."
She quietly looked out the café window once more before taking a sip.
"Hopefully..."
"...she won't keep waiting forever."
Outside, the evening breeze carried the scent of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery.
Students filled the sidewalks as they made their way home after another day of school.
Kazuha walked beside Ruko in comfortable silence for several minutes before finally letting out a long breath.
"...That was..."
She searched for the right words.
"...certainly unexpected."
Ruko gave a small nod.
"I wasn't expecting to run into Inori today either."
Kazuha glanced back toward the café.
"I've never seen anyone throw a drink at their own teammate."
A faint laugh escaped her.
"And then defend the people they were insulting."
Ruko smiled slightly.
"...That's just like her."
Kazuha looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?"
He adjusted the strap of his school bag before answering.
"Inori has always valued one thing above almost everything else."
"Respect."
"If she thinks someone earned it..."
"...she'll acknowledge them without hesitation."
He paused for a moment.
"But the opposite is also true."
"If someone disrespects another player without understanding what that person has accomplished..."
"...she won't stay quiet."
Kazuha listened carefully.
"So today's..."
"...was normal for her?"
Ruko nodded.
"Pretty much."
His expression gradually became more serious.
"But don't misunderstand what happened."
He looked ahead toward the road stretching into the distance.
"Her defending us doesn't make the upcoming match any easier."
"If anything..."
"...it reminds me how dangerous she really is."
Kazuha quietly waited for him to continue.
Ruko let out a slow breath.
"Inori never underestimates an opponent."
"And she never walks into a match unprepared."
A determined smile appeared on his face.
"Which means we'd better do the same."
The evening sun dipped lower beyond the buildings, painting the street in warm shades of orange as the two continued walking home.
Ahead of them waited another day of practice.
And with every passing day...
The exhibition match drew closer.