Chapter 21

Thinking it would be a quick write-up, I was taken aback by how difficult this side story turned out to be.

"Hey, Sylvie, thank you for agreeing to this interview with us from 'Gigabyte' today."

Sylvie: "Hi, I always read your magazine."

"Really? Hey, Bob, look, Sylvie is reading the magazine you stayed up all night to make."

Sylvie: "It would be great if you could add more articles about fighting games, though."

"HAHAHA, Bob might make it all about fighting games, so please spare us."

"Alright, what I want to ask you today is none other than... the end of your undefeated legend."

"And your announcement that you will be taking a break from activities... 'Gigabyte' readers are very curious about why you are stopping your activities."

Sylvie: "Well, first of all, let me say that it's not because I'm depressed or anything like that."

Sylvie: "I did lose to Kei, but the battle with Mr. Pumpkin Head was also incredibly exciting, right on the edge of winning or losing."

"Ah, the hidden bomb from the Explosive Squad."

"The sudden appearance of Real Cursed Prison caused a big panic in the community, as you might remember."

Sylvie: "I really want to have a rematch with him... but anyway, this defeat feels like the time had finally come."

Sylvie: "To me, defeat always seemed like something that happened to others."

Sylvie: "After all, I was always the one giving out defeats."

Sylvie: "But this time, by losing, I finally experienced what it's like to receive a defeat. It's a valuable experience."

"So, how did you feel about losing?"

Sylvie: "..." (Sylvie smiled gently.)

Sylvie: "I'm so, so, so, so, so frustrated! I swear to God that the next time I fight Kei, I'll beat him to a pulp!"

"Oh... We thought you were disappointed about losing."

Sylvie: "Hehehe, I'm surprised myself. I thought I was pretty calm."

"So, Sylvie, why are you taking a break from activities?"

Sylvie: "Ah, that's because of my contract with 'Zodiac Cluster.'"

"What?"

Sylvie: "You see, I've been undefeated for so long that a few years ago, I accidentally told my sponsors..."

Sylvie: "I won't take a break until I lose! If I lose, give me a vacation for that long..."

"Ah, so..."

Sylvie: "That's the longer vacation my sponsors gave me, taking me seriously."

"I see, so you're not retiring as a pro gamer, then?"

Sylvie: "That's a silly question. If I retire now, I'll make all my fans and all the gamers who haven't beaten me sad."

"Absolutely, if you said you were retiring in this interview, we'd have to wear mourning clothes from tomorrow."

Sylvie: "So, let me restate this. I'm not retiring, and I'm not broken by this defeat... I'll be back after enjoying my vacation, so look forward to it!"

"Just hearing those words, the issue featuring this interview might sell out."

"Ah, by the way, Sylvie, you said you're going to enjoy your vacation. Where are you going? Hawaii? Or Guam?"

Sylvie: "Hehehe, that's a secret?"

"…………fufufu"

In a room of a certain apartment, a young man read the translated article on his mobile device, a smile appearing on his face. The young man's name is Kei Ushio. He is a central figure in the major upheaval that has shaken the pro-gaming community, and until just recently, he was extremely busy. He achieved the remarkable feat of marking the first loss on the otherwise undefeated record of Sylvia Goldberg, a pro-gamer (who, incidentally, immediately crashed after boasting). He was also the only person who knew the leads to the mysterious duo known as the "Explosive Squad's hidden bomb," and he was constantly asked about them.

On one side, there was Clockfire, described as "more evil than the original," and on the other, Real Cursed Prison, who went head-to-head with "Real Mithras." Being repeatedly asked about their true identities, even though he managed to dodge the questions, was exhausting for Kei, despite it being a result of his own doing.

So, on this rare day off with no plans, it was understandable that he would lie in bed, reading the interview of the American champion he had defeated, with a lazy smile on his face.

Then, the intercom of Kei's apartment rang.

"…………?"

Kei was puzzled. In the apartment where he lived, most processes were handled at the ground-floor entrance. Packages were processed and automatically delivered to the recipient's room, and visitors could be confirmed via the monitor without going downstairs. Therefore, the use of the intercom on the room's door was a rare occurrence, and the only plausible explanation was that a resident of the building had pressed it.

"Come to think of it, the moving company came yesterday."

The apartment where Kei lived was in a relatively affluent area, as he, a professional gamer, earned a decent income, enough to cover the expenses of two people staying in a hotel. There were many boxes labeled in the alphabet, so it seemed someone new had moved in from abroad. Perhaps this intercom was for a neighborly greeting.

"Alright, I can still get up and answer the door even on a day off..."

The electronic sound beeped, and the door opened automatically.

"Hello, who is it...?"

"Hello, Kei!"

The door was manually closed with a beep.

"……? …………?？？？？"

The door opened again.

"Here, this is moving soba! Japanese 100% buckwheat!!"

Thud! A large box, too big to carry with one hand, was placed on the floor. A quick peek inside revealed it was packed with soba, soba, soba...

"But 100% buckwheat doesn't mean that... and why are you here, Sylvie!?"

The person who rang Kei's intercom and stood at the door was none other than Sylvia Goldberg, the other central figure in the recent upheaval.

"Fu, Fu, Fu…… It's a surprise!"

With a mischievous grin, as if she had just pulled off a prank, Sylvie proudly explained why she was there. Having just read Sylvie's interview, Kei understood the meaning of her words and the implications of the current situation, his face contorting into a strained smile.

"Wait... you're moving in next door?"

"Exactly (That's right)!"

The fact that Sylvie Goldberg would be his neighbor and that he would be eating soba for every meal for the next week... Kei, known in some circles as "Unique Spontaneity Can't Happen Man," was about to embark on a very unique daily life. It seems that every night, she wouldn't let him sleep (as seen in previous works like Galactic Heroes and Shanfuro). Concerned about his 80% delivery-based diet, the situation was practically a cohabitation, and he was already several moves behind. Kei, try your best!