Chapter 23: The Idol and the 'Who?'

"I cannot believe you, Aoi-chan!"

Toujo is vibrating.

He is actually vibrating.

We are at a "WcDonald's" (because I refused to go home).

Rika is just staring at me, her milkshake forgotten.

"You met DECEPTION!" Toujo screams, slamming his hands on the table.

The entire restaurant looks at us.

"Shut up, Toujo!" I hiss, hiding my face in my hands.

"You played against him!"

"I lost to him," I correct, my voice muffled. "He humiliated me. He poked me. With low-kicks."

Toujo gasps.

"He disrespected 'Bloody Twilight'?"

"YES!"

"That's so... cool!"

"I AM GOING TO END YOU, TOUJO!"

"Aoi-chan... calm down!" Rika squeaks. "Who... who is 'Deception'?"

Toujo looks at his sister.

He clutches his chest.

Like she just stabbed him.

"Who is DECEPTION?" he whispers, horrified.

"He's only the BIGGEST E-SPORTS STAR IN JAPAN!"

E-sports?

Like professional gaming?

"He's Daiki Hanata!" Toujo continues, his eyes wild. "He's 18! He dropped out of high school to go pro! He won the World Championship last year! He... he has his own energy drink! He's my IDOL!"

I stare at him.

I stare at Rika.

An energy drink?

That's what that smell is.

He smells like his own merchandise.

That's so lame.

"He's lame," I mutter.

Toujo freezes.

"L... lame...?"

"He's an arrogant, lazy jerk. He stole my machine. And he hustled me for my number."

Bzzzt.

My phone.

Speak of the devil.

DaikiJerk: Yo.

DaikiJerk: You're cute when you're mad. ;)

I show the phone to Toujo.

His eyes go wide.

His mouth drops open.

"He texted you," Toujo breathes.

"He called you cute."

He faints.

He just faints.

Slams his head right on the table.

"Toujo!" Rika screams.

My life is a circus.

Later that night.

I am home.

I am grinding in "Cybernetic Dawn."

I need to forget.

"Aoi-chan!"

My dad.

He bursts into my room. He never does that.

"What?" I grunt, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"You love this game, right?" he pants, excited.

"It's okay," I lie.

"Well! My project! The National Invitational! It's a GO!"

"Cool," I say, obliterating a raid boss.

"And Aoi-chan... we got him!"

"Got who?"

"The biggest star we could get! He's our main challenger! The FINAL BOSS of the tournament!"

My fingers stop moving.

I know what he's going to say.

"This kid is a prodigy! A legend! The marketing team is so excited!"

"Dad," I say, my voice cold. "Who is it?"

"His codename is 'DECEPTION'!"

I squeeze my mouse.

It cracks.

"Daiki Hanata," I whisper.

"Yeah! That's him! He crushed all our in-house testers! He's unbeatable!"

Unbeatable.

Un... beatable.

I look at my screen.

A new fire is lit.

A cold, blue fire.

I am not just going to play in this tournament.

I am going to win.

And I am going to be the one.

To crush him.

Bzzzt.

My phone.

DaikiJerk: Thinking about me?

Me: I'm thinking about how to delete you from the planet.

DaikiJerk: Knew it. ;)

I am going to destroy this man.