Welga Net

The weekend was always a bustling time for Shinjuku. Among the towering buildings in the heart of Tokyo, one stood out for its minimalist design. Young people were coming and going, some yawning, and others full of energy.

This building was the hub where young people and gamers gathered. The most famous spot in the country. A paradise for gamers, where they got the best experience playing on high-spec computers—Welga Net.

Akira and his two team members, Daiki and Haruki, stood in front of the entrance. Haruki looked excited as if it were his first time. On the other hand, Daiki wore a sour expression. Anyone who saw his face could tell the skinny guy was reluctant to go inside.

"Are you okay?" Akira asked Haruki.

The kid didn't answer, only nodded in response.

Noticing the tension on Haruki's face, Daiki patted his chest.

"Hey, relax. It's not like we're entering a tournament or anything. Have you never been to a gCafe before?" Daiki asked.

Haruki frowned. "GCafe? What's that?"

Hearing the unexpected reply, Daiki snorted. He couldn't tell if this kid was really clueless or just playing innocent.

"A gaming cafe. It's like an iCafe but for gaming."

However, Haruki's frown deepened. Seeing his expression, Daiki instantly understood that Haruki was even more confused.

"Don't tell me you don't know what an iCafe is?" 

Haruki nodded like a puppy.

Hearing their chat, Akira wondered if Haruki had ever left his house before. No matter how rich you were, at least once in your life, you'd have gone to an internet cafe with friends.

"Well, basically, it's a place where you can play games—more like a place with gaming computers. You can play any PC game there, with your friends if you want," Akira explained.

"Really? There's a place like that?"

Akira nodded. "Yup, but this place is more than that."

His words left more curiosity on Haruki's face.

"Let's get inside."

As they entered, a red neon light bathed their faces. The entire room was filled with rows of high-end PCs. Every seat was taken, and the shouts of players echoed throughout the room, mixed with the rapid typing sounds of mechanical keyboards.

Young people, both boys and girls, were glued to their monitors, intensely focused on their games. Not only were mouse and keyboard lying on the tables, but dozens of food wrappers and drink cans were scattered around.

Staff moved around delivering food, while others cleaned up the computers. Some young people blocked the walkways, not playing games, just watching other players from behind.

The busy and noisy atmosphere left Haruki in awe, like a child entering a mall for the first time. On the other hand, Daiki looked completely uncomfortable. The skinny guy even covered his ears.

"I hate this place!" Daiki shouted, though his voice was drowned out by the noise inside. "Let's go to the counter."

Not far from the entrance was a counter where several customers seemed to be ordering computers. After waiting in line for about a minute, it was Akira's turn. A female staff member with a friendly smile attended to him.

"Are you stay or just here to play?" the female staff asked.

Besides offering gaming PCs, Welga Net also provided capsule rooms for its customers. So, players could spend time from morning to night, or even 24/7 if they wanted, playing games non-stop.

That's why Akira said Welga Net was more than just a gaming cafe. It was more like a gaming hotel.

"Just here to play. I'll take three computers, one for me and two for my friends."

"Alright. But the Regular and Premium sections are fully booked. Only VIP, VVIP, and Private are available."

"I go with Private."

Daiki was shocked when Akira chose the Private section. It was the most expensive package service at Welga Net. Besides offering the highest-spec computers, it also came with a private bedroom.

In his entire life, Daiki had never booked a Private section because the hourly rate was higher than the minimum wage in Tokyo Prefecture.

"Are you sure we're booking the Private slot?" Daiki asked nervously.

"Don't worry. We have plenty of money."

Even though Akira said everything was fine, Daiki still felt uneasy. Just a few days ago, their team couldn't even pay the electric bill. And now they were spending tons of money just to play at a gaming cafe? In his mind, Daiki wondered, how much funding did Akira receive from their new sponsor?

The female staff handed Akira three keycards. Before leaving the counter, Akira asked her something.

"Is Private Room number 8 occupied?"

"Yes. It's been booked for the last three months," the female staff replied.

"Thank you."

Welga Net consisted of five floors, with each floor representing the service package ordered by customers. The lowest floor was the Regular Class, while the highest floor was the Private Class.

Regular Class was the only package that didn't offer capsule rooms. For Premium, VIP, and VVIP Classes, they provided capsule rooms and daily facilities like washing machines and showers. The only difference between them was the computer specs and peripherals provided.

And lastly, the top floor of Welga Net, where customers could experience the best gaming with five-star hotel service—the Private Class.

Daiki couldn't help but drop his jaw as he entered the corridor. In his 23 years of life, this was the first time he had stepped foot on this floor.

"Oh my god! I thought they were just exaggerating. This floor is insane!" Daiki exclaimed.

Like the skinny guy, Akira was also taken aback. The Private Class floor was worlds apart from the others. If the previous floors had a cyberpunk vibe, full of neon lights and black epoxy floors, the fifth floor felt truly luxurious.

The floor was made of marble, covered with cream-colored carpets, and the walls were adorned with ornaments like those in a five-star hotel. Even the distance between the room doors was wider, indicating how spacious the rooms were, unlike the capsule rooms on the lower floors.

While Akira and Daiki were astonished, Haruki seemed entirely unimpressed.

"You guys actually like places like this?" Haruki asked.

"Of course, kid! When else are we gonna be on the Private Class floor?"

"Bumpkins," Haruki teased.

"What did you just say?!"

Before the two started bickering, Akira quickly stepped in to separate them.

"Can you guys not fight for one second? We're not here to mess around, okay?"

Both Daiki and Haruki grumbled, turning away from each other. They obeyed Akira, but neither of them was willing to drop their ego.

Watching their antics, Akira sighed.

"Take this." Akira tossed a keycard to Daiki. "Check out the room. Try the computers."

"Roger that, boss!"

Daiki immediately headed to his room, while Haruki stood by, waiting for instruction from Akira.

"You're coming with me."

They walked down the corridor. As they passed the room numbers, Akira seemed to be looking for something. Haruki wanted to ask but stopped when they arrived in front of Room number 8. Akira knocked on the door.

"I know you're in there. It's me, Akira. Can we talk for a minute?"

There was no response from inside, but Akira kept knocking. Until the door opened, and a man stepped out of the room.