Takeshi changed outfits four times. Currently wearing a casual button-up, jeans, and sneakers. His sister was leaning in his doorway judging him.
"You look like you're going to a funeral," she said.
"That's how I feel."
She laughed. "Relax. It's just Akari. She already likes you."
"That makes it worse."
His mother appeared with a smile: "Takeshi, you look handsome."
His father from behind: "Don't do anything stupid."
"DAD!"
"I mean have fun. But also don't do anything stupid."
Kill him now.
His phone buzzed. Sato in the group chat:
Sato: "IM DYING"
Sato: "WHAT DO I WEAR"
Sato: "IS THIS TOO FORMAL" [photo of suit]
Takeshi: "Dude no. Casual. We're going to arcade"
Sato: "RIGHT. ARCADE. CASUAL."
The system notification appeared unhelpfully:
ROMANCE QUEST: Active
TIME UNTIL DATE: 45 minutes
YOUR STRESS LEVEL: 87%
RECOMMENDATION: Breathe
Even the system thought he was pathetic.
The arcade district at 2 PM.
Takeshi arrived early because he was nervous. Checked his phone, checked his reflection in a store window, adjusted his shirt for the hundredth time.
Sato appeared looking equally panicked.
"Oh thank god you're here," Sato said.
"Same," Takeshi replied.
They stood together like soldiers before battle.
"I'm terrified," Sato admitted.
"Same."
"What if I say something stupid?"
"You definitely will. We both will."
Somehow that was reassuring.
Then the girls arrived.
Akari and Yumi walking up together, and they looked... really nice. Akari in a casual dress with a cardigan, her hair styled different. Takeshi's brain short-circuited: pretty pretty pretty abort abort.
Sato literally froze staring at Yumi.
Takeshi elbowed him: "Breathe."
Both girls giggled at them.
Takeshi managed: "Hi. You look. Um. Nice. Good. Great?"
Akari smiled: "You too."
Sato to Yumi: "Thanks for coming!"
Yumi: "Thanks for inviting me!"
Both too loud, too formal.
Awkward silence with all four of them standing there.
Akari finally broke it: "So... arcade?"
Everyone: "YES. ARCADE. LET'S GO."
The tension shattered and they started walking. Takeshi and Akari's hands almost touching. Both noticing, both too scared to grab.
This was already a disaster, but somehow a good one.
The racing games started it.
Takeshi vs Sato, both taking it way too seriously. Akari watched, amused: "You know it's not a real race, right?"
"It's about PRINCIPLE," Takeshi declared.
Sato crashed into every wall. Takeshi won and celebrated too hard.
Akari laughed: "Such a dork."
Takeshi froze: "Is that bad?"
Her: "No. It's cute."
CUTE. SHE SAID CUTE.
ROMANCE PROGRESS: +5%
STATUS: Adorable idiot
Then Yumi suggested Dance Dance Revolution.
"I can't dance," Sato said immediately.
"Me neither! Let's fail together!" Yumi replied.
They got on the platform and proceeded to be an absolute disaster, missing every step, laughing too hard to continue, eventually just jumping randomly. Game over: F rank. Both died laughing.
Meanwhile, Akari was surprisingly good at the basketball shooting game.
"Where did you learn this?" Takeshi asked.
"I have skills you don't know about," she said mysteriously.
Competitive energy activated. Both shooting intensely. Tie score with three seconds left. Both shot their final ball simultaneously.
Both scored.
Perfect tie.
They high-fived and Akari didn't pull her hand away. Neither did he.
ROMANCE PROGRESS: +10%
The claw machine section was pure chaos.
Sato determined to win Yumi something. Eight tries later: nothing.
Takeshi: "Let me try."
Five tries later: also nothing.
Girls trying: Akari won a giant penguin plushie on her first try. Yumi won a cat plushie on her second try.
Boys standing there shocked.
"HOW?" Takeshi demanded.
Akari handed him the penguin: "So you remember today."
He clutched it like it was made of gold: "I'm never letting this go."
Sato whispered: "Bro you're carrying a giant penguin around."
"I don't care. She won it for me."
They hit the photo booth. First photo: everyone awkward and stiff. Second: Sato making a weird face, everyone laughing. Third: Girls doing peace signs, boys caught off-guard. Fourth: Everyone actually smiling naturally.
Getting the photo strips, Takeshi immediately put his in his wallet.
Akari noticed, smiling softer.
Dinner at a small ramen place.
The four of them in a booth, boys on one side, girls on the other. The earlier awkwardness had mostly faded now. Natural conversation flowing.
Yumi was talking about how she noticed Sato at cram school: "He fell asleep on his textbook and had equations imprinted on his face."
Sato mortified: "You saw that?!"
"Everyone saw that."
"I thought it was cute though."
His face going red while under the table, Yumi took his hand.
His eyes went wide. Takeshi grinned at him.
Then Yumi said: "I've been following Tokyo FC's matches. The penalty save last match was incredible!"
Akari: "Right? I couldn't breathe during those final minutes."
Sato and Takeshi looked at each other. Having people who actually cared enough to watch meant more than they thought.
Food arrived. Everyone eating, talking naturally. Sato did an impression of Coach Tanaka that had everyone cracking up.
Then Akari stole food from Takeshi's plate.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Boyfriend tax," she said casually.
Everyone went quiet.
Akari realized what she'd said and started blushing: "I mean—"
"Is that what we are?" Takeshi asked.
Her blushing deeper: "I don't know. Are we?"
Sato and Yumi suddenly very interested in their food, giving them privacy in a crowded restaurant.
"We should talk about this," Takeshi said.
"Let's walk first?" Akari suggested.
"Yeah, okay."
They paid the bill (the boys insisted, the girls rolled their eyes), and outside Sato was already pulling Yumi toward the river: "You guys good?"
Takeshi: "Define good."
"Fair," Sato said, leaving them to it.
By the Sumida River at sunset.
The two couples naturally paired off—Sato and Yumi ahead, talking quietly. Takeshi and Akari behind, the giant penguin plushie between them somehow.
After a while, Akari said: "So. Boyfriend tax, huh?"
Takeshi laughed: "Yeah. That was... something."
"Sorry if I made it awkward."
"You didn't. I mean, it's awkward but good awkward?"
"Good awkward," she repeated, smiling.
Takeshi stopped walking, facing her properly. His adult mind told him to say something meaningful. His teenage heart screamed: PANIC.
"I like you," he said. "Like... really like you."
Smooth. Real smooth.
"Since Ajax camp? No. Before? Maybe always?"
Running his hand through his hair: "I'm bad at this. Dating. Feelings. Words."
"But I want to try. With you. If you want. To be. Together. Officially."
Akari was smiling that soft smile. The one that made his chest tight.
"You're really bad at this," she said.
His heart sank: "Yeah I know—"
"But I like that about you too. I like all of you. The football obsessed part. The awkward part. The part that disappeared for three years and came back fighting."
She stepped closer.
"The part that stays up late helping teammates. All of it."
"So... are we officially dating?" she asked.
"Yeah. We are."
Both smiling like idiots.
Then: "Can I...?"
He didn't finish but she knew. She nodded.
Leaning in. Both nervous. Their noses bumped first.
"Ow," she said.
"Sorry—"
"No I'm—"
Both laughing at themselves.
Trying again. This time: soft, brief, perfect.
Their first kiss.
Pulling back, both blushing hard.
"That was—" she started.
"Terrible?" he offered.
"I was gonna say nice."
"Oh. Yeah. Nice."
Both laughing again, foreheads touching.
✨ ROMANCE QUEST COMPLETE ✨
STATUS: OFFICIALLY DATING
REWARD: Emotional Support Buff (Permanent)
BONUS: Someone who believes in you
The walk back to the station, all four of them. Sato and Yumi holding hands. Takeshi and Akari holding hands. Both couples had achieved their goal.
At the platform, splitting directions. Yumi and Sato's goodbye was shy and sweet. Then Takeshi and Akari's.
"Text me when you're home?" she asked.
"Always."
Quick kiss goodbye (smoother this time).
On the train home, Takeshi clutched the penguin plushie, looking at the photo booth pictures. His smile wouldn't fade.
System notification:
NEXT MATCH: Wednesday
ROMANCE: Secured
LIFE BALANCE: Achieved
KEEP FIGHTING. YOU HAVE REASONS NOW.
He texted Akari: "Best day ever"
Her: "Agreed ❤️ Now get ready to win Wednesday"
Smiling at his phone.
Finally had something worth fighting for beyond survival. Football AND love.
Maybe this second life wasn't so bad after all.