The "SAO disastrous launch incident" sparked widespread public discussion. The current schadenfreude was as intense as the initial media hype had been fanatical. The secret games and confrontations remained unknown to the public, who could only focus their attention on the operating company.
Although the Yuuki family's [Rect] was of a considerable scale, it was clearly not the center of the media storm. Most of the attention was focused on two individuals: Akihiko Kayaba and Kuse Ryu.
However, Kayaba had already "retreated behind the scenes," and the media couldn't find him at all, so all the firepower was ultimately unleashed on Ryu.
And the person at the center of this firestorm, Ryu himself—
Being an honor student, he was diligently attending school.
Now that he had achieved his goal and raked in a huge pile of coins, he was in an extremely comfortable mood and completely unbothered by the strange looks from others. Whether it was the audacious reporters trying to intercept him or his classmates with their complicated expressions, he magnanimously granted them the treatment of being ignored.
Seeing Ryu's attitude, everyone just assumed he was in a bad mood from losing money. No one actually dared to approach and press him for details. Even the teachers became much more cautious during lectures, fearing that some sensitive word might set off Ryu's anger.
"Ryu-chan, when is SAO going to relaunch?"
"They're all saying there's a problem with the 'NERvGear' quality. Is the headset you gave me also faulty?"
"You must have lost a lot of money this time, right?"
"In the end, why did the servers crash? I was happily grinding mobs at the time."
"Will the new servers be able to transfer data? My administrator account, ahem…"
—There are, of course, gossips who aren't afraid of death.
As expected of Fujiwara-san, she said everything we were too afraid to say!
"Hey, hey Don't ignore me"
"...Are you that free? If you have this much time, you should be studying!"
"You sound just like my mom again!"
Fujiwara huffed lightly and turned her head away in defiance. "I study hard every day. Playing games is just for striking a balance between work and rest."
"You study hard every day, yet your grades are only mid-tier~"
"There you go again! Now you sound just like my dad!"
Fujiwara scratched her hair in frustration, sat on the chair in front of Ryu, and turned around to lean over the backrest, looking at him with a rather wronged expression.
"My monthly allowance keeps getting smaller and smaller, and it's all your fault, Ryu-chan."
"If you're going to whine, go find your aunt and uncle. I have no obligation to indulge you," Ryu retorted with a purse of his lips.
"What kind of friendship do we have? Can't you take care of your cute childhood friend just a little?"
It had to be said, Chika's personality and looks were naturally sweet and endearing. Even when she was a bit clingy, it wasn't annoying. Instead, it came off as a refreshing sort of genuineness—but Ryu had long since become immune to it from childhood.
Speaking seriously, Chika did have a reason to resent Ryu:
Her grades were actually quite good, but it was impossible to tell when she was around Ryu. After all, since kindergarten, Ryu had been the quintessential "other family's kid."
Having long been in an environment where someone was always a head taller than her, Chika's competitive spirit was suppressed. She never had any motivation to strive for "first place," and she gradually slacked off, instead becoming absorbed in things like magic tricks, board games, and manga.
—Okay, actually, she just liked those things herself. Even without Ryu, she still wouldn't have become a top student.
There was only one area where Ryu was truly excessive: in every field his childhood friend excelled at, he would eventually catch up and completely surpass her.
Chika could speak five languages, whereas Ryu was fluent in the six official languages of the United Nations in addition to Japanese (Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic);
One was a child prodigy talented in music who had won a gold medal in a world-class piano competition; the other was a monster with little interest in music who reached the same level after just one month of intense practice!
"Where did the old 'aloof genius' Fujiwara Chika, who dominated the world stage, go?"
Ryu complained, "You were more motivated as a kid! That genius girl has now been reduced to just acting cute and begging for favors… Tsk!"
"This is all your fault, Ryu-chan."
Chika tilted her head. Her face should have been puffed up with anger, but now she was smiling.
"If it weren't for you, I would have become a much more outstanding woman by now.
—So please take responsibility."
"..."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't just treat piano as a personal hobby, I wouldn't think about how to have fun all day, and my grades would definitely be better, hehe!"
As a political family, the Fujiwara family's discipline toward their children was relatively relaxed, but they still subconsciously provided an elite education, especially since Chika had shown an early interest and talent for music.
For mature adults, cultivating a child's specialty in which they are interested and talented is a natural investment. After all, it's far better than forcing her to learn something she dislikes.
At first, Chika was very happy, completely immersed in the world of music… but gradually, as her skills improved, the joy she felt diminished.
It was as if her hobby had suddenly turned into a job!
It was no longer a natural outlet for rich emotions but daily, scheduled professional training, which quickly exhausted the passion within the child.
Even though this was the musical path she had chosen for herself, it eventually became an invisible shackle on her.
—Until Ryu heard her play once.
The melody and rhythm were precise in every detail, the performance flawless, and technically, she was in a league of her own among her peers.
The only thing missing was the emotion of the performer herself!
It was like a precise automaton playing the piano.
Chika didn't remember much about that time. She only knew that Ryu asked her a few questions, and not long after, this man went from a complete novice to a professional-level player, stunning everyone at a competition and easily surpassing her years of hard work.
Normally, she should have been jealous or even resentful of Ryu; the gap in talent is always despair-inducing… but in fact, Chika's life became much easier after that.
She never participated in any competitions after that. Although she still played the piano, she only did so whenever she felt like it, completely returning to the time when it was just a hobby.
It would be too pitiful for little Chika to have to compete with Ryu—thinking this, the Fujiwara parents naturally stopped making any demands on Chika, from her studies to her talents, mostly letting their daughter do as she pleased.
And for Fujiwara Chika, no matter what role Ryu played—be it a white knight saving her from distress or an arrogant villain—she only knew that it was Ryu's actions that had allowed her to live happily to this day.
So even if Ryu was indifferent to her, Chika still liked to tell him about things at school and at home.
"Give me an improved version of the gaming helmet, and I'll forgive you."
—She also had ulterior motives.
"One helmet isn't a big deal."
Ryu shook his head. "But the new game isn't online yet. Even if you get the helmet, you won't have anything to play."
"Ugh… Damn it!"
Chika slumped down completely dejected. Although she had only played for two hours before the server automatically went offline, the surreal scenery and the tangible sense of reality made her eagerly await the relaunch.
But not long after her disappointment, the optimistic Chika once again came up with a good idea to pass the time:
"Come with us to find Sukuna tonight!"
"What?"
"A new member just joined the board game club, so let's have a test of courage for the welcome ceremony!"
"That sounds more like something for the occult club," Ryu retorted mercilessly.
Chika didn't mind. "I hope Mieruko doesn't get scared and cry. Our board game club is very professional in this area~"
"Mieruko… who?"
"Yotsuya Mieruko, a first-year high school student—you definitely don't know her."
Don't know her? I know her all too well!
"A test of courage? That's so cruel to her… I've decided to join!"
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