Second Chance

The train felt like Akira's current mood—empty. He stared into blank space, lost in thought. The doctor's diagnosis had hit him hard. 

The injury to his hand hadn't just killed his career; it had also snuffed out his passion. He loved Rex Regum Online so much that he hadn't played any other game for five years.

As Akira shifted his gaze, he noticed an advertisement banner above the seat across him.

[Get ready for the big summer event---The RRO Regional Championship!]

[Register your team before the 17th!]

Akira couldn't help but hiss under his breath as he read the ad. It was like it was mocking him in his lowest moment.

"Seems like fate's laughing at my expense, huh?"

Not long after, the train stopped at the station. Akira got off soon after the door opened.

But on the way home, the sky suddenly turned dark, and it began to drizzle. While some people ran, covering their heads, Akira decided to stop by a convenience store to wait out the rain.

Sitting among other customers taking shelter, Akira used the time to think about his future.

He had no idea what to do now as his pro gaming career was over. He had no work experience in other fields, not even for low-paying jobs like a supermarket cashier or a restaurant server. Most of his life had been spent playing Rex Regum Online.

Sure, Akira could try something new. But what about Quantum Esports? What about Daiki? Even though Akira wasn't obligated to take care of him, Daiki was his subordinate. Besides, he was loyal.

When his best friend and other team members decided to leave, Daiki chose to stay. Not many people like Daiki existed in an era where people betrayed each other for better options.

"Daiki…" Akira muttered.

Still, keeping Quantum Esports running was a tough choice. Akira didn't have the funds to keep the team operational and pay the members' salaries. The best decision right now was to disband the team.

Besides that, Akira had a little sister to take care of. His dreams and career might be shattered, but he couldn't let Fuumi lose her future. She was the only family he had left.

"Looks like I don't have a choice," Akira mumbled.

Outside, the rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing. Some customers began leaving the convenience store.

Akira lost track of time. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the store's lounge. He reached into his jacket pocket to check the time on his smartphone. When he unlocked the screen, dozens of missed calls showed up.

"Daiki…," he muttered, frowning.

From the call history, it looked like Daiki had been trying to reach Akira for the past hour. Naturally, this worried Akira. Was something urgent happening? Akira rushed out of the store without a second thought. He ran all the way to the office.

However, when he got there, he was shocked to see something else.

"What the…"

Haruki stood in front of the office, soaked from head to toe. He was shivering so much that his teeth were chattering. Akira wondered why Haruki was in such a situation.

As Akira was dumbfounded, the window of the second-floor office opened, and Daiki stuck his head out.

"Akira! That kid's been standing there since an hour ago!"

"What?" Akira couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. He came here wanting to see you, but I said you weren't here and told him to go. But the kid's stubborn and wouldn't leave. So, he just stood there waiting for you."

"And you didn't let him in when it rained?"

"Well, I thought you didn't want him around," Daiki replied, shrugging.

"Oh my god, Daiki. You're an idiot!"

Akira couldn't believe Daiki could be so dumb, leaving someone out in the rain for an hour. He quickly went over to Haruki and brought him inside. When the boy saw him, he broke into a wide grin.

"He he he, I knew you'd come!" he said, grinning ear to ear.

Akira just shook his head in response. He thought Daiki was the only idiot here, but this kid wasn't much different.

"Come in. If you go home like this, your mom will kill me."

Once inside, Akira told Haruki to take off his wet clothes and handed him a clean towel to dry off. The office had some unused team jerseys, so Akira gave him one.

"Make him a hot tea," Akira ordered Daiki.

"On it, boss."

Suddenly, Haruki's stomach growled.

"And some instant noodles too," Akira added.

"Hehe, thanks, Maxfit—uh, I mean, Mr. Takeda."

Seeing Haruki grinning wide while rubbing his head, Akira sighed. He had no idea what kind of dream he had last night to end up in a silly situation like this today.

Not long after, Daiki returned with hot tea and a pot. When the pot lid was lifted, the room was filled with the steam and aroma of broth. Haruki quickly grabbed chopsticks and slurped the noodles straight from the pot. Naturally, it left Akira and Daiki speechless.

"Did this kid have no manners?"

Daiki was about to scold Haruki as the kid downed the noodles, but Akira stopped him.

"Take it easy. No one's gonna steal your food," Akira said.

"Mm, mm," Haruki nodded while slurping the noodles.

It didn't take long for the entire pot of noodles to empty. The hot tea hadn't even been touched.

"Wow. So this is instant noodles. It tastes amazing," he said.

Akira and Daiki couldn't help but exchange glances. They were genuinely puzzled by Haruki. Just how rich was this kid's family that he'd never had instant noodles before?

Seeing Haruki pat his stomach, Akira figured it was time to ask why the kid wanted to see him. He was sure he'd given Haruki enough of a mental blow to make him not want to show his face again.

Akira gave Haruki a serious look. "What were you thinking, standing outside the office in the pouring rain? What if I hadn't shown up? Are you going to stay out there until morning?"

"But you did show up, Mr. Takeda."

Akira sighed. "Okay, you win. Tell me why you came here."

Suddenly, Haruki stood up, his face serious. His sudden move made Akira and Daiki raise their eyebrows.

"Mr. Akira Takeda! Please give me a second chance! I really want to join your team. I'll prove that I deserve to be a part of Quantum Esports!"

Raising his eyebrows, Akira was a bit surprised. He didn't see it coming. At the same time, he was impressed with the Haruki's mentality. Most applicants who were rejected never came back. But this kid, he'd returned after a harsh rejection. Akira couldn't tell if Haruki had iron balls or was shameless.

One thing was for sure, it made Akira interested in him.

"Stop doing that," Akira snapped. "It annoys me."

"Sorry, Maxfit—I mean, Mr. Takeda!" Haruki straightened up, panicked.

Akira said nothing and started walking toward the stairs. Meanwhile, Haruki just stood behind, baffled.

"Why are you still standing there?" Akira barked.

"Huh?" Haruki still didn't seem to grasp the situation. "Why?"

"Do you want to join the team or not?"

"You mean, I'm gonna take the test?"

"Of course, what else?" Akira turned to Daiki. "You're coming too."

Haruki's excitement grew when he realized he was getting a second chance. On the other hand, Daiki scratched his head in confusion, wondering why he was getting roped into this recruitment test too.