Chapter 65

Just a moment ago, everything was going well, so why did it suddenly turn out like this?

Suki immediately intervened, sensing that the situation was turning bad.

"Wait a minute, Rin'ou, stop it."

"It's fine, I've played this game before."

"Huh?"

"Originally, my brother had it, and since Mui said she liked it, I borrowed it and practiced a bit."

Having a brother... I was a bit surprised, but on second thought, it wasn't that unexpected. Surely, he must have been educated as strictly as the boy who sat next to her, if not more so.

"Then it's settled! Hehehe... I'll crush you to pieces, just like Anochan Yui."

Suna smiled slyly and headed back to the living room first. The TV was still on, showing the game Suna had been playing just a moment ago... the same game Mui and she had played before. Suna, who had already connected a controller, sat down on the sofa and made space for Rin'ou to sit.

"Thank you."

Rin'ou sat down, ran her hand through her hair, and took the controller from Suna. Despite her usual calm demeanor, a little bit of practice wasn't enough to match Suna. This might end up like Mui all over again. Just holding the controller, Rin'ou felt a bit out of place.

"Who should I choose?"

On the other hand, Suna, remembering Mui from last time, was confidently scrutinizing the characters. While Suna's cursor was wavering, Rin'ou quickly chose a character. Suna glanced at Rin'ou's face, then quickly decided on a character and started the battle. Once the game began, Rin'ou's character started doing some strange movements on the spot.

"Huh? Don't you know the buttons? But there's no such thing as practice in this world! The world of competition is ruthless!"

Suna attacked mercilessly. It was too much, even for Yuki. While Yuki wanted to cheer for Rin'ou, it was painful to watch her being beaten one-sidedly. Just as the game screen became unbearable to watch, Rin'ou's character suddenly made a quick counter move.

"Ah!"

While Suna was shouting, Rin'ou dealt a series of rapid attacks, causing significant damage. Suna, who had been completely off guard, seemed to realize that her opponent was not to be underestimated. She leaned forward, focused on the TV, and quickly counterattacked.

"... This is a favorable position for the frame. I'll counter with a just guard."

On the other hand, Rin'ou muttered some mysterious incantations and easily turned the tables on Suna. After knocking Suna's character back, Rin'ou started a relentless projectile attack from a distance. This was a very unpleasant move. When Suna, unable to endure it, lunged forward, Rin'ou met her with a jump attack.

"You've been doing that the whole time! It's so unfair!"

"It's a competition, so it can't be helped."

"Ugh..."

Rin'ou repeated similar actions, dealing damage with flawless, precise movements. Suna, though cautious, was continuously caught by Rin'ou's superior tactics. Yuki, who didn't quite understand what was happening, watched the match, but couldn't really grasp what was going on.

"You're like a machine, it's creepy!"

Finally, Suna let out a scream. At the same time, a large "KO" appeared on the screen. Rin'ou had won decisively. Suna, who had unexpectedly lost, looked dissatisfied.

"Hmm... I can't accept this..."

"Maybe I was a bit unfair just now. I played to win... so let's play again without any tricks."

"Y-Yes, that's what I want!"

...

"Too strong, too strong..."

A few minutes later.

They changed characters, stages, and strategies, but in the end, all the matches ended in Rin'ou's victory. Finally, Suna dropped her head and let go of the controller, clearly defeated.

"Why... what's going on..."

Yuki was equally surprised by the unexpected result. Rin'ou, however, didn't celebrate like "Yay, I won, I won!" Instead, she calmly put down the controller, touched Suna's shoulder, and smiled gently.

"But you were good. You played the game thoughtfully. Not everyone can do that."

Instead of berating the loser, she even offered praise. Suna, who had expected a victory dance, brightened up at the unexpected kindness and nodded vigorously.

"Yuki-kun, look, I got praised!"

"That's great."

Whether Suna had ever been praised for playing a game before, Yuki couldn't tell, but if Rin'ou said so, it must be true.

"Still, Rin'ou is amazing. You're good at games too."

"I'm still far from the best. There are always better players."

Originally, it seemed she wanted to play with Mui... but if they played together, the skill gap might further strain their friendship. This thought crossed Yuki's mind, but he decided not to say anything unnecessary.

"Come, let's go to the room and study. Then, Suki, you can..."

Rin'ou stood up, rummaged through her bag, and handed over a few sheets of photocopied notes. It seemed to be a part of the notes for the upcoming test.

"Here, for now."

"Thank you."

Rin'ou handed over the copies and left the living room with Suna. What surprised Yuki was that Suna followed Rin'ou without any backtalk, seemingly acknowledging her as a strong player.

Left alone, Yuki immediately started studying using the notes Rin'ou had given him. The summary Rin'ou had prepared was concise and easy to understand, far better than he had imagined. He thought Suna might get bored and run out of the room, but it remained quiet, and no distractions came.

(This is really efficient...)

After an hour, two hours... Rin'ou and Suna came out of the room and returned to the living room. For some reason, Suna was beaming with confidence.

"I feel like I can do it... I'm a smart kid who can do it!"

Yuki didn't know what had been said to her, but she was incredibly motivated. Rin'ou, standing beside her, patted Suna's head.

"You did well today, Suna."

"Yes, Rin'ou-sensei!"

Sensei...? Yuki couldn't help but look back and forth between the two. They both smiled, and neither seemed to be forcing it. However, seeing Suna, who usually acted so differently, being so sincere was quite a shock.

"Wow... I'm surprised. Rin'ou must have had a tough time."

"Suna is naturally smart. She just wasn't putting in the effort."

"She's a genius... Suna is a genius!"

Suna, praised again, was over the moon. She raised her hands in a victory pose.

"Yuki-kun! I want a meal worthy of a genius today!"

"Then how about beef bowl?"

"Yay!"

It seemed like another troublesome character had been added to the mix. However, Yuki thought it was good that she had become more positive about studying.