"No way," Darren, one of the other players, muttered, leaning closer to the screen. His eyes widened, and he turned to the others. "It's actually... it's really him."
Kyle's confident smirk faltered as he stared at the name on the screen. The whispers around the room grew louder, tinged with awe and disbelief.
"Wait a second," another player chimed in, his voice cracking with excitement. "The Shuujin? Like the guy who clutched against Immortal teams? I've watched his streams before!"
For a moment, Jay felt a flicker of pride, a tiny ember of validation in the overwhelming storm of anxiety. But just as quickly as the awe had appeared, it was snuffed out by Darren's sudden exclamation.
"Wait, look at his rank history," Darren said, squinting at the screen. "Silver 2?!"
The atmosphere shifted.
Kyle burst out laughing, leaning back in his chair. "Are you kidding me? Silver 2? And you had us thinking this guy was some kind of prodigy!"
The tension broke like a dam, and laughter rippled through the room. The awe and fear turned into mocking grins and derisive snickers.
"Man, you had us going there for a second," Darren said, wiping a fake tear from his eye. "Silver 2... That's barely above Bronze! This dude's no legend."
Jay's face burned with humiliation. He gripped the edges of the desk, his knuckles white. He wanted to disappear, to sink into the ground and never come back.
"Well, he isn't wrong though. I am kind of pathetic,.." Jay thought to himself.
But before he could spiral further, Lia stepped forward, her voice cutting through the laughter like a blade.
"Rank doesn't define skill," she said, her tone sharp and unyielding. "Don't you guys know that Shuujin doesn't play ranked matches?" The room quieted slightly as her words carried weight. "You all know as well as I do that smurf accounts exist. Or maybe he just doesn't care about grinding competitive ladders like you nerds."
"Haha. Nice try Lia. There is no way Shuujin doesn't play ranked. You expect to believe that rumor was true?" A guy from the crowed yelled and left the others to mock Jay again.
The tension in the gaming club room had settled into an uneasy hum, the kind that comes before a storm.
Kyle's grin returned, but it was sharper now, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he leaned back in his chair.
"Alright, Shuujin," he said, voice thick with mockery. "Let's make this interesting."
Jay stiffened, his hands frozen over the keyboard. He didn't like the tone in Kyle's voice—it was the kind that meant trouble, the kind that always ended badly for him.
"If you're really who Lia says you are, then prove it," Kyle continued, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "One match. One-on-one. If I win..." He glanced at Lia, his smirk widening. "You, Lia, have to go on a date with me. No backing out."
The room erupted into scattered whistles and laughter. Jay's stomach churned, his fists clenching involuntarily.
"And if I lose," Kyle added, his voice dropping into a mockingly serious tone, "then I'll make sure no one at school messes with Jay ever again. No more bullying, no more snide remarks. He gets a free pass for life."
Jay's heart raced. The stakes were ridiculous. This wasn't just about proving himself as Shuujin anymore—this was personal.
Lia crossed her arms, her expression unimpressed. "Seriously, Kyle? That's the best you've got? You're using a challenge to ask me out? Pathetic."
The room chuckled nervously, but Kyle's smirk didn't waver. "What's wrong? Afraid your little 'prodigy' can't back you up?"
Jay glanced at Lia, hoping she would shut the whole thing down. But to his surprise, she turned to him instead, her expression calm, even amused.
"What do you think, Shuujin?" she asked, her voice deliberately playful, though her eyes held something deeper. "Want to take him up on his little bet?"
Jay's throat felt tight. He wanted to refuse, to walk away and leave this nightmare behind him. But then Kyle's laughter cut through his thoughts.
"Figures," Kyle sneered. "He's probably too scared. Not surprising for someone who's barely Silver."
The mocking laughter rose again, and Jay felt his blood boil. His chest burned with humiliation and frustration, and in that moment, something inside him snapped.
"Fine," Jay said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, louder, more forceful: "I'll do it." as he averted his gaze over to Lia.
The room fell silent.
Kyle's grin widened. "Oh ho, this is gonna be fun."
Lia stepped closer to Jay, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You sure about this?"
Jay nodded, though his hands trembled. "I don't have a choice."
She studied him for a moment, her expression softening. Then she smiled, patting his shoulder lightly. "You've got this, Shuujin."
...
The Match Begins
The room buzzed with anticipation as Jay and Kyle set up their match. The chosen map loaded onto the screen, and the settings were finalized: first to thirteen rounds, a standard Valorant duel.
As Jay's screen loaded, his username, Shuujin#097, appeared in bold letters. The room fell quiet again as everyone stared at it. For all the ridicule and disbelief earlier, the name alone commanded a certain level of respect.
Kyle's smirk faltered for the briefest moment, but he recovered quickly. "Hope you're ready to lose, Silver Boy."
Jay's hands hovered over the keyboard and mouse, his heart pounding. This wasn't just a match. This was his two worlds colliding in a way he never wanted. If he lost, it wasn't just Lia's dignity on the line—it was his own.
The first round started.
Kyle's cocky demeanor carried into the game as he rushed aggressively, his movements reckless but confident. Jay, despite his nerves, fell into his usual rhythm. His aim, his positioning—it all came back to him like muscle memory.
The first shot landed with a crisp headshot.
Kyle's character crumpled to the ground, and the room erupted in surprised murmurs.
"Lucky shot," Kyle muttered, but there was a hint of unease in his voice.
The second round played out similarly, with Jay calmly outmaneuvering Kyle and landing another clean kill. The murmurs turned into excited whispers.
"Maybe he really is Shuujin," someone said.