Morning arrived with a dull gray sky.
Ruko didn't sleep much.
Not because he couldn't.
But because his mind refused to stop.
"…Find me before graduation."
The words echoed again.
"…Tch."
He turned slightly on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Kazuha wasn't Mitsuru.
That much was clear.
"…Then it's one of the three."
Risa.
Kana.
Hikari.
Three faces.
Three voices.
Three possibilities.
"…And all of them are lying."
Or—
"…one of them is just better at it."
Ruko exhaled slowly, dragging himself out of bed.
"…Whatever."
He grabbed his bag.
"…I'll figure it out."
The clubroom door slid open with a quiet click.
Ruko stepped inside—
And immediately felt it.
Energy.
Different from usual.
Focused.
Tense.
"…You're late," Kana said, spinning slightly in her chair.
"…I'm on time."
"…Barely."
Risa didn't look away from her screen.
"…You're three minutes past your usual arrival."
"…You track that?"
"…I observe patterns."
"…Creepy."
Kazuha stood near the front, a clipboard in hand.
"…Good. Everyone's here."
Her voice cut cleanly through the room.
The others turned toward her.
Even Hikari paused, pulling one side of her headset down.
"…We have an announcement."
Ruko leaned against the wall, arms crossing instinctively.
"…Sounds serious."
Kazuha nodded.
"…It is."
A small pause.
"…We've been offered a practice match."
Kana perked up immediately.
"…Finally."
"…Against who?" Hikari asked.
Kazuha glanced down briefly—
Then back up.
"…Hija High's gaming club."
Silence.
Then—
"…Wait, seriously?" Kana leaned forward.
"…They're strong," Risa added calmly.
"…Consistently ranked in local tournaments."
Hikari clicked her tongue softly.
"…So we're scrimming a real team now."
Kazuha nodded.
"…Yes."
Her grip on the clipboard tightened slightly.
"…Which means we can't afford to play like we have been."
The room grew quieter.
"…We'll treat this as a real match."
Her gaze moved across each of them.
"…Prepare accordingly."
Then—
She looked at Ruko.
"…That includes you."
Ruko smirked faintly.
"…Obviously."
Kana grinned.
"…Alright, now it's getting fun."
"…Don't get ahead of yourself," Hikari muttered.
"…You're one to talk."
"…Focus."
Risa's voice cut in, calm but firm.
"…We begin practice immediately."
The first match started quickly.
No wasted time.
No hesitation.
They queued.
Loaded in.
And played.
Ruko watched.
Carefully.
Risa—
Was improving.
Her jungle pathing—
Cleaner.
More decisive.
She moved with purpose now.
Not just calculation—
But intent.
Hikari—
Followed her.
Perfectly.
Rotations aligned.
Timing synced.
"…They're linking up," Ruko muttered.
Like a system.
One moves—
The other follows.
One sets up—
The other executes.
"…Good."
Kazuha supported well.
Holding structure.
Maintaining balance.
Everything—
Was working.
Until—
"…Kana."
Ruko's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something was off.
Kana charged forward—
Too far.
"…That's overextension," Ruko said quietly.
She engaged anyway.
Too early.
No backup.
She went down.
"…Tch."
Kana clicked her tongue, already respawning.
"…Again."
Second fight—
Same thing.
Aggressive push.
No patience.
No restraint.
"…She's forcing fights," Risa said.
"…More than usual," Hikari added.
Ruko didn't respond.
He just watched.
Third match—
Kana laughed as she charged in.
"…Let's go!"
Too fast.
Too reckless.
"…Kana, wait—" Kazuha started—
Too late.
Defeat.
The screen dimmed.
Silence followed.
Kana leaned back, exhaling sharply.
"…Damn."
But—
She was smiling.
Ruko noticed that.
"…You're enjoying this too much."
Kana glanced at him.
"…Huh?"
"You're not thinking."
Her smile faltered slightly.
"…I am."
"No."
Ruko stepped forward.
"You're chasing fights."
"…That's my role."
"Not like that."
His voice sharpened slightly.
"You're not creating space."
"You're throwing it away."
Silence.
Kana's grip tightened on her mouse.
"…You saying I'm playing bad?"
"…I'm saying you're playing wrong."
A pause.
"…There's a difference."
Kana looked at the screen.
Her reflection faint.
"…Tch."
She looked away.
"…Fine."
But her voice—
Didn't fully agree.
The next few matches continued.
Risa and Hikari—
Improved.
Noticeably.
Cleaner executions.
Better coordination.
But Kana—
Didn't change.
If anything—
She pushed harder.
Faster.
More reckless.
"…What's with her?" Hikari muttered quietly.
"…Unknown," Risa replied.
"…But it is inefficient."
Kazuha frowned slightly.
"…Kana…"
Ruko said nothing.
But his eyes stayed on her.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Because this—
Wasn't just bad play.
"…Something's off."
And in a game like this—
One mistake—
Was all it took.
The final match ended in another loss.
The room fell quiet.
Kana stood up suddenly, stretching.
"…Break."
Without waiting for a response—
She walked toward the door.
"…I'll be back."
The door closed behind her.
Silence lingered.
Hikari clicked her tongue.
"…She's throwing."
"…No," Risa said.
"…She's unstable."
Kazuha looked down slightly.
"…Something's bothering her."
Ruko leaned back against the wall again.
"…Yeah."
His gaze shifted toward the door Kana had just left through.
"…And if she doesn't fix it—"
A pause.
"…We're losing that match."
The room felt heavier.
More real.
Because now—
It wasn't just about finding Mitsuru.
Or winning games.
It was about the team.
And right now—
One piece—
Was starting to crack.