Old Friend

Haruki furrowed his brows as he looked at the occupant of room number 8.

The man looked like an unemployed recluse, wearing a worn-out t-shirt and only underwear. His hair was disheveled as if it hadn't been brushed in months. On top of that, there was an unpleasant odor coming from him.

In Japan, iCafes are known as places where people live due to skyrocketing apartment and housing prices. It's not uncommon for unemployed individuals or NEETs to stay there.

However, Welga Net was a premium gaming cafe. The costs were far higher than most iCafes. And this man was on the fifth floor, where only deep-pocketed customers could afford to stay.

Haruki's nose twitched as he caught the stench wafting from the man. The smell was unbearable, like someone who hadn't showered in a month. Haruki couldn't stand it, but Akira didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, Akira seemed happy to see him.

"Yo, Yato! Long time no see!" Akira greeted.

The man, Yato, squinted his eyes as if he wasn't thrilled to see an unexpected guest.

"Oh, Akira. Why are you here? You should've let me know you were coming."

"Well, it's urgent."

Yato glanced at Akira's arm, wrapped in a cast, for a few seconds. Then, he opened the door, letting Akira inside. However, when Haruki tried to follow, Yato stopped him.

"You stay outside, kid."

"He's with me," Akira said.

Only then did Yato allow Haruki in.

As Haruki stepped inside, he immediately regretted it.

The room was a disaster. It looked like a dumpster. Snack wrappers and dirty plates were scattered everywhere. The floor was nearly invisible, buried under heaps of garbage. The air was stuffy, despite the air conditioning being on. But worst of all, the foul smell mixed with cigarette smoke filled the air.

Haruki had to tiptoe to avoid stepping on trash, pinching his nose to avoid breathing in the noxious air. In his mind, he wondered how anyone could live in a place that looked like a dump.

On the other hand, Akira walked through the room unfazed. He kicked aside piles of trash with every step.

"Sorry if my room's a bit messy," Yato said, taking a seat in his gaming chair.

"You call this 'a bit' messy? I'd call it hoarder syndrome," Haruki quipped.

Hearing Haruki's impolite remark, Akira smacked the back of his head and apologized to Yato.

"It's fine, Akira. I hear it all the time from others. By the way, who's this kid? He looks really young."

"He's new member."

Akira waited for Haruki to introduce himself to Yato. But the kid just stood there in silence, the smell and the state of the room ruining his mood. Akira smacked him on the head again.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?" Haruki complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Introduce yourself to a former member."

"Wait, what?!"

Yato Nezumi was one of the former members of Quantum Esports. Not just any former member, but one of the first to join when Quantum Esports was just starting out. He played the tank role and had helped the team win a trophy.

Unfortunately, Yato didn't stay long with Quantum Esports. After playing for three seasons, he decided to quit before his contract ended. Akira didn't try to stop him since Yato had never been interested in becoming a pro player.

From the start, Yato had joined only to promote himself, as he had another business that made him more money than being a pro player.

"Is he really the Yato Nezumi? That Yato Nezumi?" Haruki was shocked.

"Yeah, he's Yato Nezumi, the owner of Heaven Courts."

Heaven Courts was an e-commerce website that dealt in digital goods and services, like key codes, in-game currency, items, and even accounts. Sellers and buyers would be connected through the website, and every transaction would give the admins a 5% cut of the sales.

Each month, millions of yen flowed through the buy-sell transactions. And all that money went into one pocket—Yato Nezumi's.

"You said you've been following Quantum since you were 12," Akira said. "You should've recognized Yato."

"Ugh, sorry. He looks different from the last time I saw him. Back then, he looked normal, but now he looks like…"

"Like an unemployed bum, huh?" Yato added.

Haruki nodded.

Most people would be offended by such a comment, but Yato didn't seem to mind.

"Well, no wonder you didn't recognize me. I used to be poor, and Heaven Courts wasn't as big as it is now. I was just a regular guy trying my luck with RMT on Discord servers. Now, I'm rich and can buy anything I want, even if I look like a NEET."

Haruki regretted his words. He hadn't realized the person before him was a legend. Meanwhile, Akira looked at Yato with a pitying expression.

"That's ancient history. So, what brings you here, Akira? I know you're not the type to just drop by for a casual reunion." Yato lit a cigarette.

The tip of the cigarette glowed as Yato took a deep drag, then exhaled a cloud of thick smoke. Haruki quickly waved the smoke away and covered his nose, but Akira let the smoke wash over his face.

Akira gave Yato a deep look.

"I want you to play for Quantum Esports again."

His words were like a bombshell, leaving Yato wide-eyed with shock. Haruki was equally surprised. Just by looking at Yato, anyone could tell he wasn't in any shape to play competitively.

But moments later, Yato burst into laughter, slapping his thigh.

"Are you serious? I haven't touched that game in over four years. You think I can still play professionally? You came all this way just to tell me this joke? You're hilarious, Akira."

Yato kept laughing. But Akira's expression didn't change. The seriousness was written all over his face. Realizing his old friend was dead serious, Yato stopped laughing and clicked his tongue.

"You're actually serious? You really want me back?" Yato glanced at Akira's injured hand. "Is your team in as bad a shape as your hand, to the point you'd come to me?"

Akira didn't answer. He stood firm on his request.

"Join my team again, Yato."

Yato scoffed. He spun his chair to face his computer monitor. "You're better off going home and finding someone else. I'm busy with my business. Just leave."

Like Yato, Haruki thought it'd be better to find someone else to fill the team. There were plenty of players better than Yato.

But Akira had made up his mind.

"Bullshit."

He spun Yato's chair back, catching him off guard and angering him.

"Don't give me that crap. You think I don't know? You're still running a boosting service on your old Discord server, and it's only for one game—RRO. You're still playing it like you're addicted."

"So what if I'm still running a boosting service? I do it to kill time."

"To kill time?" Akira suppressed a laugh. "Stop the BS and let's be real." Akira gave him a piercing look. "Your business is failing, isn't it?"

Yato clenched his teeth. "Watch your mouth, Akira. What do you know?"

"I know everything. Heaven Courts' traffic has plummeted over the past several months. RRO and other games are starting to legalize RMT within the game itself. So, third-party services like yours aren't needed anymore. That's why you reactivated your old Discord server. You're desperate for cash."

Suddenly, Yato jumped from his chair and grabbed Akira by the collar. The man was furious and looked like he was ready to throw a punch at any moment. But Akira just grinned.

Akira pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it against Yato's face. Naturally, Yato was stunned.

"Look. I've got plenty of money. Join my team again, and you'll have enough money to rebuild your business."