Chapter 2

The next day, just before noon.

I stood in front of a high-rise apartment building that was so tall it made me feel dizzy just looking up.

I greeted the security guard, whom I knew by sight but not well, and told the caretaker my business, asking him to contact Rin.

This apartment, where Rin lived under the overprotective care of her parents, was over a hundred meters above ground, on the 40th floor. The entire floor was bought out for Rin, supposedly for safety, but I couldn't help but think that the rich have strange ways when I heard that most of the rooms were unused.

Despite the somewhat out-of-place atmosphere, I managed to reach the 40th floor using the elevator.

When I pressed the stylish intercom, the door opened without a word in response.

"Welcome, I've been waiting for you."

"Yeah, I'm here."

I clung to Rin, who welcomed me, and entered the house.

It had been a while since I last came here. The last time was probably around when Rin graduated from high school, so it must have been about three years.

"Ah... It's been a while since I've had a dose of Nana..."

"Whoa!"

As I was about to move to the living room, Rin hugged me from behind, squeezing so tightly that it made a sound.

Rin has a very curvaceous and willful body, and she is 170 cm tall, which is quite tall for a woman.

At 155 cm, when she hugs me, I end up being enveloped by her soft breasts.

Feeling the softness that my own meager chest can't provide, I let myself be held.

"Rin, I can't move."

"Just a little longer... Just a little longer..."

I was held like that for about five minutes.

"Well, it's been a year since we last met. The last time we spent a significant amount of time together was probably since you graduated from high school."

"Yeah, I've been working part-time non-stop this past year."

"Every time I invited you, it was 'part-time, part-time.' Think about my feelings when you keep turning me down."

"Hehehe..."

While eating the meal she had apparently prepared for my visit, I laughed awkwardly at my best friend's complaints.

Actually, it's not entirely accurate to say I was working part-time to make a living.

Certainly, I needed to work to survive, but working five full-time night shifts a week was enough to cover my living expenses as a single person.

I had almost no material desires, so I had managed to save a considerable amount of money.

Still, I worked because I had no hobbies.

Lack of material desires stemmed from having no hobbies, and no hobbies meant no material desires.

If I had even one day off, I would do nothing and live aimlessly.

Feeling that this was a waste, I filled my free time by working part-time non-stop.

"Well, it's fine. We haven't seen each other in a while, after all."

Rin, who had been frowning, relaxed her face and smiled, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll have to look for a job again, though."

While drinking tea after the meal, I muttered this.

Yes, having become a NEET, I would have to look for a job again.

"That won't be a problem."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I was going to tell you about it on the phone yesterday."

Rin, who dismissed my gloomy feelings about job hunting with a confident expression, made me widen my eyes in surprise.

I remembered that Rin had called me yesterday because she had something to tell me, but I had brushed it off after hearing about my situation.

"Nana, do you remember what I'm doing now?"

"Um, I think it's something like, game tournaments and stuff."

"eSports. Well, it's not just that, but essentially, I'm a professional gamer. I'm affiliated with a company, too."

"The Takauchi Group?"

"Sure."

Rin nodded as if it were a matter of course, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The Takauchi Group, which even owns professional sports teams, is not at all out of place for having a professional gaming division. They have always been involved in a wide range of businesses.

Rin is a professional gamer and also streams games.

She is a very famous player in her field and has exceptional skills, even without connections.

We have known each other for a long time, and she has been a die-hard gamer since childhood, always being the best at games in our class.

I enjoyed watching Rin play games and often played with her or watched from behind.

"Nana, have you heard of 'WorldLive-ONLINE'?"

"WorldLive... Ah, maybe. I think one of the younger guys at my part-time job mentioned it. It's a virtual game, right?"

"Right. It's an online game that started service ten days ago. It's the talk of the Japanese VR community."

"WorldLive-ONLINE."

It's an incredible online game that was made with a huge budget.

A junior at my part-time job, who was a game enthusiast, had explained the game to me, but I only understood that much.

"Well, I don't think explaining the greatness of this game to you would make much sense, so I'll keep it simple. 'WorldLive-ONLINE' is a VR game where you can live stream while fully diving."

"I don't really understand, but is it something that couldn't be done before?"

"Exactly. The game itself is also of a much higher quality, but since you haven't experienced VR games before, that might not mean much to you."

Full dive. This is a crucial feature of VR games that allows your consciousness to enter a virtual space.

It has been practical for years, and I had the chance to experience it through Rin's connections back when it was still clunky. Now, I know it's much smoother.

In such full-dive games, live streaming wasn't possible.

Not all games are VR. In an era where you can make a living by live streaming games, VR games are not ideal for earning money. However, 'WorldLive-ONLINE' is a game that can change that.

"I see. So, you've been playing this game for the past ten days. As a professional gamer, you can't afford to fall behind the trend."

"Exactly. So, why did you tell me this?"

"You're not very perceptive. Well, it's no use explaining in a roundabout way, so I'll be straightforward. ...Nana, let's play the game together?"

Her words sounded casual, but they were serious.

Rin looked up at me with slightly moist eyes.

We've known each other for a long time, and whenever Rin asks for something, I always feel a bit anxious and overwhelmed.

It's not a request or an invitation, but more like a "plea."

And I am very weak for Rin's "pleas."

"Sure, why not? It's been a while since we played together."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

"You have a point. I'm glad. I was worried you might turn me down."

"Well, if I had a part-time job, I might have, but I don't have one now."

Rin probably meant that it was convenient for me to be available when she said it yesterday.

If I still had a part-time job, I might have turned her down.

But I don't think Rin couldn't imagine that.

I suspect there are things she hasn't explained to me to get to the core of the matter.

When I stared at Rin, who looked too relaxed, she suddenly tensed up.

"I'm a professional gamer and a streamer. I don't always live stream, but playing with me means you'll likely appear on my streams more often."

"Sure, that makes sense."

If I play a game that allows live streaming with a streamer, it's natural that I'll appear on the stream more often.

I don't mind, but I wonder how the viewers will feel.

"So, I've been thinking... Nana, why don't you try becoming a professional gamer?"

"..."

Rin's proposal, which came while I was thinking about all this, was completely unexpected.