Because it was the weekend, the game hall was packed with people.
Tanaka Masao and Eriri each carried a box full of game coins, scanning the area for something to play.
Eriri looked left and right, hesitating, unable to decide.
Masao, however, already had his target in mind.
"How about we play a fighting game?" he suggested.
Eriri glanced at the bustling fighting game section and smirked confidently.
"Perfect. I'll show you how good I am."
If she hadn't been holding the box of coins, she probably would've struck a proud pose with her hands on her hips.
Although many people crowded around the machines, watching matches from the sidelines, Masao and Eriri quickly found an open seat in a corner.
Fighting games usually offered two setups: either two players shared one machine to battle online, or they played side by side on a large screen.
The latter was the setup Masao and Eriri chose.
Normally, the seats were roomy enough, but since Masao was a bit chubby, the space suddenly felt cramped once they sat together.
Eriri shifted over with a frown.
"You're taking up too much space—it's hard for me to play like this."
Masao shrugged helplessly. "Can't help it. Anyway, let's just pick our characters."
He moved the joystick and quickly locked onto a sumo wrestler.
Eriri raised an eyebrow at his choice.
"Really? You just had to pick someone who looks like you? Fine, in that case, I'll pick her."
She locked onto a blonde British beauty—who, at least in the face, bore some resemblance to herself.
But when it came to the character's glamorous figure… well, that was another story.
Masao wisely kept that thought to himself.
The countdown ticked down, and the match began.
"Take this punch!"
Eriri shouted as her character jabbed forward.
Masao countered with a left kick, taking advantage of the range to knock her down first.
While she was still stunned, he followed up with a whip kick.
A flurry of attacks later, Eriri's fighter went flying.
She scrambled to recover, carefully pulling back.
"Hmph, I didn't think you'd be this good."
Masao puffed up with pride.
"Now you see my true strength. Watch closely!"
Confident, he leapt forward with a flying kick.
But this time, instead of punching, Eriri hit a light kick—sending his character crashing out of the air.
Her eyes lit up.
"Now it's my turn!"
She mashed the buttons wildly, chasing him down.
By sheer luck, her frantic pressing connected into a combo, and Masao's character was knocked across the screen.
Watching a huge chunk of his health bar disappear, Eriri grinned in triumph.
"Well? You've seen how strong I am."
Masao scowled, unwilling to admit defeat.
"Tch, I was just careless. Next time you won't get the chance."
From then on, both played cautiously, poking at each other, though most of their attacks missed.
And whenever either saw an opening, they mashed every button possible.
No matter the move, it was full send.
······
Truth be told, neither was good at fighting games. Eriri was a rookie, and so was Masao.
Where Masao's confidence that he could "crush" her came from was anyone's guess.
Still, because they were evenly matched, they both got swept up in the fun.
Their clumsy but energetic play quickly drew attention.
"Their gameplay's awful."
"Yeah, reminds me of my first time—I just mashed buttons too."
"But for some reason… even though it's not exciting, it's really entertaining to watch."
"They look like they're having a great time. Maybe this is what games are really about."
Just as the crowd was enjoying the nostalgic vibe, someone suddenly blurted out:
"Wait, are they a couple?"
The lively atmosphere froze instantly.
The air grew heavy with resentment.
"Tch, another couple showing off."
"This lovey-dovey button-mashing is unbearable."
"Explode already."
The single guys in the crowd could only shed tears of envy.
Inside, they screamed:
[Why don't I have a girlfriend who'll play games with me?!]
······
Meanwhile, Masao and Eriri, completely absorbed, didn't notice any of it.
The score was tied one to one, and they had reached the final round.
Both fighters had less than a third of their health left.
Seeing Masao's character advancing, Eriri's eyes lit up. She instinctively threw out a kick.
Masao smirked.
"Gotcha, Eriri!"
His fighter ducked under the move and swept her legs, knocking her down.
"Ah!"
Eriri cried out in frustration.
"Tanaka, you're such a cheater!"
She shook the joystick furiously, her other hand slamming the buttons.
"Come on, get up! Don't give in!"
Masao's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"It's useless! Watch me finish this! Big, big, big, big, big!"
He was already picturing his victory.
But just then—maybe thanks to Eriri's desperate prayers—her character suddenly triggered a special move.
Masao's fighter froze.
"Ultimate move!" ×2
They shouted at the same time—one in shock, the other in disbelief.
Eriri's character unleashed the finisher, and in an instant, the match was decided.
"Yatta! I won!"
She leapt to her feet, raising both arms in celebration, her fang-like smile glowing with joy.
Masao, on the other hand, slumped in his seat, staring blankly at the screen.
"How… how could this happen…"