This situation couldn't be more awkward...

Riu sat stiffly on the sofa behind the kotatsu, her hands neatly folded over her legs as Kazue placed a glass of tea with ice in front of her. His grandparents had retreated to the kitchen to prepare the meal, cheerfully urging the kids to spend time together and enjoy playing.

Across the room, seated at the dining table with his back to her, was the boy who had just emerged from one of the rooms. He turned his head to give her a look, and Riu could feel his gaze lingering on her like a hawk eyeing its prey—or more like a cat staring at you for no apparent reason, unblinking and vaguely unsettling. She couldn't quite decipher what was going on in his head, but despite his innocent appearance, there was something about him that made her feel oddly intimidated.

"Oh, right! I should probably introduce you two!" Kazue laughed, breaking the awkward tension in the room. He turned to the boy first. "Izu, this is my friend from school, Kuji- uh,- Furuse Riu."

He almost got my name wrong again!

Kazue then turned to her, flashing a wide, toothy grin. "And that guy over there is Granny Hibari's grandson, Sena Izuru. I guess you could say he's like a little brother to me. Our grandparents have been dating since we were kids, so we've been living together like this for a while now."

I see, so she really isn't his biological grandmother... What a unique family situation.

I didn't know elderly people still dated.

More importantly, why don't these boys live with their parents...?

Though she had many questions about it, Riu figured it would be disrespectful for her to pry.

"Izu, I know you're not great with strangers, but no being rude, okay?" Kazue chided gently, turning to Izuru, whose expression grew increasingly uncomfortable. He kept his piercing gaze locked on Riu, but after a moment, he finally turned away.

"Huh? Since when have I been rude? How am I supposed to react when you just bring a stranger into my house?" Izuru shot back.

"She's not a stranger, she's my friend! Right, uh, Furue?"

"You can't even remember your own friend's name? Doesn't sound like much of a close bond to me."

"T-That's just because I'm bad with names! I'll remember it properly soon!" Kazue stammered, somewhat flustered.

Riu remained silent as she watched their exchange, unsure of how to jump in. It was clear that these two boys were close, making it hard for her to find the right moment to introduce herself properly.

"Anyway," Kazue continued, turning to Izuru with a playful smirk, "she's going to be your senpai at school next year, so you'd better be respectful!" He moved over to Izuru and gave his pale cheek a teasing pinch. In that moment, Kazue really did seem like a big brother.

"Quit treating me like a kid... You're not much older than me." Izuru grumbled, swatting Kazue's hand away. "And technically, school hasn't started yet, so I can act however I want."

Kazue chuckled, turning to Riu with a grin. "See? You two are more alike than you think. You're both total tsunderes!"

You're not making this any better, to be honest...

Riu was still somewhat intimidated by how obviously displeased Izuru was by her presence, so she quickly rose to her feet and bowed politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry if my being here makes you uncomfortable..." she swallowed, her eyes squinting shut. "I-If you'd prefer for me to leave, I'll do that."

She was admittedly somewhat happy when Kazue invited her so cheerfully to celebrate his birthday with his family. After all, this was her very first time doing something special with someone who considered her a friend.

But if it means burdening his family...

Izuru sighed softly, and his expression appeared almost petulant. "Well, you're Kazu's guest, not mine. He decides what he wants to do with you."

"—And I say she stays!" Kazue beamed, his face alight with joy. As though there wasn't a single semblance of awkward tension there in the first place, he plopped himself on the sofa right beside Riu, like a puppy going over to its owner. "So whaddya wanna do together? Wanna watch a horror movie? Or play Morio Kart Deluxe?"

Riu blinked, confused. "Morio Kart...?"

She meant it as a question, not knowing what that was. But Kazue nodded once, before standing up and reaching for the remote to turn the television on. "Alright! Let's play! Izu, you join too!"

Izuru adjusted his body so that his arms rested on the back of the chair. There was still obvious discomfort in his turquoise eyes, and his next words came out in a grumble. "We've only got two controllers. You two play."

Wait a second, play?!

It was then that Kazue rummaged through one of the TV stand's drawers and procured a colourful pair of remotes, one red and one blue. Her jaw slacked in surprise.

There's no way... we're playing video games?!

For most young people, gaming was a way to escape the dullness of everyday life. For some, it was an occasional treat — a little break from reality. But for others, it was like a potent elixir, one that could easily turn toxic, sapping away their will to live a normal life. While she had always been curious about this digital wonderland, playing a video game felt like throwing everything she had been taught out the window.

It was forbidden territory. She had lost friends before, all because she had stayed away from this tempting nectar. Her father kept a tight grip on her free time, and video games were strictly off-limits. Why? Because they were a waste of time, he said. Fall into that rabbit hole, and all her hard work would go down the drain, leaving her as nothing more than a lifeless, screen-glued zombie.

Perhaps it was this deeply ingrained mindset that made Riu's face turn as pale as a ghost when Kazue finally set up the game. The screen blazed to life, flashing the start page of some neon-soaked racing game, and the colours were so bright they practically screamed at her.

Her eyes began to quiver from the onslaught. 

I-I have to say something—

"Here, you can borrow my remote!" Kazue handed her the red controller, plopping it against her skirt.

She flinched at the oddly shaped object, which sat menacingly before her like a creature with buttons for eyes—her gateway to the forbidden territory.

"U-Uhm..." Riu hesitated, holding her breath as she reluctantly reached out, her hands trembling as they closed around it. Her heart sank, knowing she was on the verge of disappointing him, but the thought of actually going through with this made her feel as if she were stepping off a cliff. She just couldn't do it.

"Alright, let's choose our characters! I'm picking Ponda!"

Before she could utter a word, Kazue had already moved on to the next part. The screen split in half, revealing a lineup of beautifully designed characters, each more eye-catching than the last. Riu's eyes widened as she watched the vibrant little figures flash by, Kazue expertly scrolling through them to find his favourite.

Realising she'd been sitting there like a statue, Kazue glanced up at her from his new spot on the floor. "Hm? What's wrong, Fusu? You gotta poop?"

Is that really the face I'm making?!

"N-No! It's just that—" she stammered, her voice unexpectedly loud as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Riu quickly looked away, shame creeping over her. "I don't know how to play..."

"Eh? Ah, a first-timer, huh? No worries! It's easy—just like any other racing game!" Kazue grinned, his enthusiasm shining through, but it didn't seem to reach her.

"That's not it..."

Kazue blinked in surprise as Riu leaned forward, her soft ebony hair spilling over her shoulder, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. He watched her expression darken, almost as if she were mourning something. Was she feeling guilty about something? Or... did she really just need to poop?

Riu kept her gaze fixed on the floor. "I've... I've never played a video game before..." she admitted quietly.

The room fell into a deadly silence. You could probably hear the drop of a pin. Riu was too petrified to look at his expression in that moment, knowing full well that he was going to be disappointed in her. After all...

"She isn't allowed to play video games?"

"Yeah, can you believe that? I even told her she could play them secretly at my place, but she didn't wanna!"

"Sheesh, such a goody-two-shoes."

"And that's why she's so boring! Like, what am I supposed to do with her—watch paint dry?"

"Heheh, I bet she'd actually enjoy that!"

The voices from a distant past echoed in her mind, their snickering and ridicule slipping through the cracks of her memory. They always thought she couldn't hear them. But she did. She always did.

Riu had disappointed every friend she'd ever had. Their silence, their whispers, the looks they exchanged when they thought she wasn't watching—it all pointed to the same conclusion. No matter how hard she tried, she always seemed to let people down, becoming the punchline of jokes made behind her back.

It's okay... I'm used to this, she reminded herself, bracing for Kazue's inevitable rejection.

"No way... You're still a video game virgin?!"

...What?

Those unexpected words shattered the silence, and when Riu's eyes flickered up to meet Kazue's, she didn't find the cold rejection she'd braced for. Instead, he was staring at her with his jaw practically on the floor.

Completely stunned, Kazue jumped to his feet and spun toward Izuru.

"Did you hear that, Izu?! S-She's still a baby!" he exclaimed, as if he'd just discovered the eighth wonder of the world.

What in the world...?

Izuru had glanced up from his phone, surprised and somewhat weirded out. "Seriously? Never? Even normies have played at least one or two in their lives..."

Riu's cheeks burned with embarrassment as Kazue continued to gape at her in astonishment. "It's not that big of a deal," she mumbled, trying to downplay the situation.

Kazue's expression shifted to one of excitement as he puffed out his chest. "That means I'll be your first!" he declared, a proud grin spreading across his face. "I'll teach you. Like, right now!"

Riu's face flushed even deeper, caught between embarrassment and confusion. "E-Eh?!"

Izuru's expression twisted into one of mild disgust. "You're just going to confuse her more with your terrible teaching skills."

"No way! This is the smartest girl at school, dude! She'll totally get it! Right, Fuyu?!"

I don't know if I'm ready for this...

Spurred on by Kazue's enthusiasm, Riu found herself with no chance to back out. Her fingers trembled, and her face tightened as cold sweat trickled down her neck while Kazue plopped down right beside her, their shoulders nearly touching.

"So, you hold this button when you want to go WHOOSH! And that button triggers the BAM! Oh, and this joystick is for steering the car," Kazue explained, his excitement palpable.

All I understood was the joystick...

More importantly—he's sitting way too close!

Kazue's red hair brushed against her head, and his long fingers tickled hers as he demonstrated the controls. Yet, only about ten percent of what he said actually sank in. Both because she found herself utterly distracted by the proximity, and because of Kazue's terrible explanation.

Izuru wasn't kidding about Kazue's teaching skills. But then again, what else could she expect from someone who'd scored just two out of a hundred on his exams?

The brown-haired boy let out an exasperated sigh before rising and walking over to them. Kazue and Riu glanced up as Izuru extended his hand, an irritated expression on his face.

"Hand it over. I'll show you how it's done."