Chapter 59: The "Dad" Test

My room is my safe zone.

He is in it.

He is looking around. Not judging. Curious.

"This is a lot," he says, looking at my five monitors.

"It is perfect," I say, flopping into my gaming chair. I kick my boots off.

"So. Punishment."

I throw him a controller.

He catches it one-handed. Of course he does.

"What are we playing?" he asks.

I grin my Bloody Twilight grin.

"Street Fighter X: Ultra Hyper Omega Edition."

His eyebrows go up.

"You play Street Fighter?"

"I dominate Street Fighter," I correct. "Prepare to die, FujiJerk."

He smirks that rival smirk.

I missed that smirk.

"You're on, Isuzu."

We play.

He's good.

He's annoyingly good.

He's technical. Precise. He counts frames. He's a nerd.

But I am Bloody Twilight.

I am aggressive. Passionate. Unpredictable.

I win.

Barely.

"HA!" I shout, jumping up. "IN YOUR FACE! I AM THE QUEEN! EAT IT, ICE PRINCE!"

He's just smiling, watching me do my victory dance.

"You're cute when you win," he says.

I freeze.

I am bright red.

This jerk! He is using compliments to win the real game!

KNOCK KNOCK.

The door opens.

My dad. He is holding two sodas.

"Room for one more?" he asks, his eyes on the screen.

"Dad, we're..."

"He beat you?" my dad asks Fuji.

"She did," Fuji nods respectfully. "Her mix-up game is flawless. I couldn't predict her overhead."

My dad stops.

He looks at Fuji. Really looks at him.

My dad is a Senior Game Developer.

Fuji is speaking his language.

"He's polite, handsome, AND he speaks geek?" my dad whispers to me. "Aoi-chan, MARRY HIM."

"DAD!" I hiss, mortified.

"Fuji-kun!" my dad booms, sitting on my bed, which groans. "You know Cyber-Blade Online?"

Fuji's eyes light up. "The MMO? Of course. My guild is preparing for the Summer Siege event."

My dad gasps.

I am lost. I don't play that nerd game.

It is the game my dad works on.

It is the game Daiki is famous for.

"You're in a guild?!" my dad shouts, excited.

"Yes, sir. I am the guild master, actually," Fuji says humbly.

My dad's jaw drops.

Oh, no. Fuji is winning the Dad Test. He is winning too hard.

The door opens again.

My mom. She is holding a photo album.

"Fuji-kun! I thought you might like to see Baby Aoi!"

My blood turns to ice.

"MOM! NO!"

"Look! Here she is in the bath! So chubby!"

"MOM! GET OUT!"

I am mortified. I am dying. I am hiding my face.

Fuji is laughing.

He is looking at my baby photos with my mom.

My dad is bragging about his game guilds.

My family loves him.

They love the Ice Prince.

This is so much worse than Daiki or Hiroto.

This is real.

Fuji looks up at me. He sees me hiding.

He smiles.

That soft smile.

It is over. My reputation is gone.

I am happy.

It is disgusting.