It has now been over two weeks since Sky and I started talking again. Even though I don't trust her, she is still a good friend and I appreciate her very much. I admit it's a shame what happened but there's nothing I can do about it, so holding a grudge will be stupid.
Today is Saturday; it's the weekend. Since this morning I've been glued to my game, I've been eating, stretching my legs and then I've been back in front of my camera. It's not just for fun.
A while ago, the developers decided to make the first national Versus Hunter competition - a way to advertise themselves, but also to introduce young talents to e-sport recruiters. According to rumours, the game will be considered as a competitive game in its own right and thus earn its place in e-sport next year, so the "Versus Hunter" H.V.H. tournament is the perfect opportunity for them.
So for more than ten days, a quota of kills had to be reached each day, which was bigger every day. If you didn't fulfil this task you were automatically disqualified for the previous events - I have to admit that my sleep rhythm deteriorated because I was forced to play more than seven hours a day non stop, but hey, that's the price when you like challenges!
Now there are only a thousand players left in each department and this number is still too high. So this afternoon - in less than an hour - I have to go to the meeting place for more information.
I take a quick shower and get dressed: a big black oversize sweatshirt, grey jogging trousers and white tubulars on my feet...
— Stop with this Riku deodorant! Shun stops me in my rush when I enter the room without knocking.
— Imagine that I was naked. I say as I put my bag away.
He looks at me in disgust, leaving my headphones on before he bids me out:
— No, thanks, you disgusting bastard! What's wrong with asking something like that?
He giggles before leaving my room. I don't answer anything and I am. My mother having surely gone out with my father I wrote them a message before leaving the house in the direction of the station. The time between late summer and early fall is a time I quite enjoy. During this time, Shun and I like to walk around in the outfits that many people wear to stay at home. Even though his baggy jeans and big t-shirt are classy with him, unlike my Sunday morning outfit.
*******
Arrived in the city centre -the place where the rest of the tournament will take place- we present our phones with a QR code that had been sent to us by email last night. Access to the giant train station was given to us after checking the code, we then take a different route than those who came to attend. The lane is narrow, a straight line that takes us to the arena: where the seats are arranged in several rings, that's when I realize that a thousand players is no small matter. I smile more and more, now I have only one desire...
But a foreign presence is slipping from my mind.
— Are you Rykuo and Astre? Ask a middle-aged woman in uniform followed by her blonde colleague.
We nod our heads before following her.
— The director wants to see, please follow us Mr. Rykuo. Mr Astre my colleague will take you to your seat.
The young woman does so, driving him to his seat while I take another path. I remain silent behind her, what does this director want from me? All this makes me lazy, I can't help but sighing in front of his desk before reaching into his pockets - an air of Weary on the face.
The tall man asks the woman to leave us. He is tall, dark and sturdy, the perfect cliché of the bodyguards in the movies; with the same shiny ball at zero.
— So Kik'x I won't beat around the bush, currently you are number one on the Japanese server so these formalities are not necessary with your level. Currently few players have yours so if you would like to withdraw while waiting for the final... It's up to you, we don't want to exhaust you...
— Please stop your bullshit, what do you really want from me? I ask looking behind him, that scornful gleam in his eyes is unbearable even for me.
— Listen, kid, a lot is expected of you. So if you want to have fun, be careful not to get in our way or a lot will fall, you're here to play and take responsibility. We know about your pills, don't fall off by then.
I don't answer anything. What he says is very suspicious but not enough to panic. I'll do as I please and hopefully I won't collapse. The nights I've been blanking on the game haven't done me any favours. They're spying on me there for sure, Emiko was right there's something going on, but like I said the other time, I'm just going to play the rest, it's not my problem.
— I don't care what you do, I don't want to know or waste time with all this. I'm going to play and I'm going to earn my place. I don't care about the rest, it's about to start.
— Good luck Mr Kik'x, sorry for the inconvenience. Let go of the girl from earlier by closing her boss's office.
In the corridor I am briefing Emiko on the situation. As soon as the message is sent, the vibrations of my phone stop me in my rush to the arena to believe that they don't want me to participate in this damn tournament. No time to see the name that appears on the screen and I answer:
— Are you all right my Riku? says Sky with a very warm voice from the other end of the phone.
— Ouch... But... But... Stop it... she moans
— Yo senpaï! This voice, this voice that has mutated but always the same, I have no trouble recognising it. I can't help but boil from the inside. So you accepted their proposal?
— Of course not and you?
— You wouldn't have wanted to fight me if I had accepted I had to accept. he says with a laugh.
— Take care of yourself Riku, it's about to start, I'm counting on you!
Then she cuts.
At that moment I want to play even more, one by one.
I arrive in the arena under the shouts of the audience, in front of everyone's eyes. All the players have their eyes on me, with astonishment. I don't understand what is going on before I meet my face on the giant screens with "Kik'x = Rykuo" written on it. I can see the panic in their eyes and I shout:
— I'M GOING TO FUCK ALL OF YOU !!!!
**********
Thanks for my reading. See you next week.