Encounter

The sun rose as usual that morning, but something felt different about the day.

Akira woke up earlier. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he put on his running shoes and a windbreaker jacket. When he came down to the second floor, Fuumi was busy preparing breakfast for them. The girl was shocked to see her brother looking like an athlete on a mission to lose weight before the match.

"Hey, are you really my brother?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I want to look fit today."

"What?"

Leaving his sister bewildered, Akira leave the house, starting his morning run.

It was rare for Akira to exercise, especially in the morning. He usually didn't wake up until eight or nine.

Ever since Haruki joined the team, something had taken hold of Akira. It reignited the fire in his chest that had long dimmed, bringing back memories of why Quantum Esports was formed in the first place.

Akira might not be able to use his hands like before but still had a strong will to compete in the prestigious championship. However, he was realistic about his condition. So, he decided to fight for the top differently—by becoming a manager.

"I'll make Quantum Esports survive, no matter what!"

After that refreshing morning run, Akira started his first day of work with a new attitude. He headed to the office looking different than usual. No T-shirt, no jeans—he was dressed in a formal black suit with polished shoes. His slicked-back hair added to the sharp look.

When he arrived at the office, two of his employees were already there. They looked surprised by Akira's unusual appearance, especially Daiki. The skinny guy couldn't help but drop his jaw.

"Wow! Mister Takeda! You look so cool!" Haruki exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.

"Hey, hey! Maybe this guy came to the wrong place," Daiki quipped.

"If you can't recognize your boss, I'll fire you right now," Akira replied.

Daiki clasped his hands together, kneeling. "Of course, you're the Akira I know! How could I ever forget you! Hahaha!"

Akira sighed and shook his head, but he couldn't really blame Daiki. He always dressed casually, sometimes showing up to the office in short. Besides, he didn't enforce a formal dress code for the team. They came in just for practice, not for office work.

"Seeing how you're dressed, I guess something important is happening today. Are we going somewhere, Mr. Takeda?" Haruki asked.

"Yeah. But I'm only. You guys stay here."

"Eh! I thought we'd go find some sparring partners or something. It's boring just being here with this skinny guy."

Akira flicked Haruki's forehead when he heard the complaint. Naturally, Haruki winced in pain, rubbing his now-red forehead, while Daiki chuckled at him with a mocking gaze.

"Didn't you learn anything from the last match, huh? You almost lost to Daiki if it weren't for the power outage. You think you can beat other pros with your current skills?"

His words were like a dagger to Haruki's chest, hitting him right in his pride. The boy couldn't say anything, just lowered his head in shame. Taking advantage of the situation, Daiki seized the opportunity to mock him, patting his head.

"Hehe, hear that, kid? You think you're hot stuff just because you can pull off a few moves like aceu? Know your place," Daiki chuckled mockingly.

Haruki quickly swatted Daiki's hand away from his head. 

"You've got a lot of training to do," Akira continued. "There's a lot you need to work on, especially your macro play. I want you to learn as much as you can from Daiki, even if you don't like him."

Daiki gave Haruki a smug grin, but the boy pretended not to notice.

"And you, Daiki."

The skinny guy was surprised when Akira called his name.

"For the time being, you'll be in charge. As you can see, I can't play, and the team is in chaos. We're short on money, team members, and a lot of other things. Quantum Esports is like a sinking ship, but I'm trying to find some ways to keep us afloat."

Hearing about the team's condition made both Haruki and Daiki look serious.

"I might not show up to the office for the next few days. While I'm gone, keep practicing. I want you both to be better when I get back, especially you, Haruki."

"Yeah, I got it," Daiki responded.

Haruki just nodded, but nervous was written all over his face as if he'd just taken on a huge responsibility.

"Alright, I'm off. Keep this place clean while I'm gone."

"Yes, sir," Daiki and Haruki responded in unison.

As Akira was about to leave the office, he stopped at the door. Turning around, his eyes locked onto Haruki.

"From now on, you can call me Akira. We're teammates now."

Haruki's eyes widened at those words. Then, he nodded and said, "Okay, Akira!"

…

The hustle and bustle of Shibuya was palpable. Dozens of people crossed the street as the traffic light turned green. Though they were walking, their pace was brisk as if time itself was chasing them.

Everyone seemed busy with their own lives, and so was Akira.

"Calm down, Akira. You can do this."

He stood in front of a skyscraper. It wasn't the best or the tallest among the surrounding buildings, but its presence was enough to make Akira feel nervous. Taking a deep breath, Akira gathered his confidence before entering the building.

Inside, the lobby had only a few people, giving it a spacious feel as Akira walked tensely across it. He approached the reception counter near the entrance, where a friendly smile from the female staff greeted him.

"Is there something I can help you with, sir?" the woman asked gently.

"Uh… I'm here to see Mr. Kenji Hidetaka." 

"Do you have an appointment?"

Akira bit his lip. "No, but you can tell him my name is Akira Takeda. I'm sure he'll know."

"Alright, please wait a moment, Mr. Takeda."

As the receptionist made the call, Akira's attention was drawn to the company logo displayed on the wall behind the counter. It read "Yamaka Industries."

That company's name used to be on his team's jerseys before it pulled its sponsorship from Quantum Esports. And now, Akira was trying to win them back, hoping to secure the funds needed to keep Quantum Esports afloat.

"It seems he's in a meeting with another guest. You can see him another time."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll wait."

"Very well. You can wait in the lounge. I'll call you when the meeting is over."

Nodding, Akira headed to the guest lounge on the west side. He thought it would be a long wait, but after just a few minutes on the sofa, the receptionist called him to meet Mr. Hidetaka. Without wasting any time, he hurried to the elevator.

Alone in the small space, Akira steadied his breathing as he waited for the elevator to reach the 35th floor, trying to piece together the words he wanted to say to Mr. Hidetaka. When the elevator doors opened, five guys in jerseys and a man in a sharp suit stood before him. One of them was all too familiar, causing Akira's eyes to widen.

"Akira."

"Haruto?"

It had never crossed his mind that he would run into the friend who had betrayed him.