Chapter 22

He wasn't someone who put the cart before the horse—having a few extra bugs was just extra insurance.

Besides, idle time was idle time.

He couldn't just stay cooped up at home playing video games all day, could he?

First came C programming, then all sorts of other code. Honestly, programming was complex. Even for him, it took a month to get the basics down.

It was the 21st century, after all. People stored most of their wealth online—social platforms, digital transactions, you name it.

That made the internet a massive stage.

The digital age laid almost everything bare, provided you had the know-how.

That's why Naoki Kirigaya had taken up computer skills.

He glanced at his phone. It was June 4, 2014—a Saturday, 6:00 AM.

Looking outside, the living room and hallway were pitch black. Midori Kirigaya was, without a doubt, a failure of a mother. Ever since she'd discovered Naoki's knack for cooking, her visits home dwindled. Eventually, she only returned once a week, throwing herself fully into her career.

The morning air was chilly, but he still stepped out for a run in a short-sleeved shirt.

He grabbed breakfast at a shop along the way.

Then he headed toward Asuna Yuuki's house.

Asuna usually left home around 7:00 AM. If he timed it right, he could catch her on her way out.

Asuna's house was huge. Her mother, Kyoko Yuuki, was a university professor who took her daughter's education very seriously. Weekends and holidays were packed with extra classes and tutoring for Asuna.

Today was no exception.

But lately, Asuna didn't mind her mother's strict schedule as much. A while back, she'd met a really handsome boy.

Seriously handsome. She'd never seen a guy this good-looking before.

He was about ten years old, a bit shorter than her, with striking golden hair and soft features. Though still youthful, it was clear he'd grow into a stunningly handsome man. His rare golden eyes caught her off guard—when he looked her way, Asuna felt a flutter of nerves.

Truth be told, she'd attended an all-girls school since childhood and rarely interacted with boys. Seeing someone this attractive, she couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.

Those glances didn't go unnoticed, and that's how their first meeting sparked a connection.

After a few words, she found him incredibly interesting.

On the surface, Asuna never complained about her mother, but the dense schedule of classes gnawed at her. She longed to vent to someone. Years of intense study had left her with few friends at school, so she bottled up a lot.

Chatting casually with the boy, she learned his name was Naoki Kirigaya. When the topic shifted to daily life, she couldn't hold back her gripes.

"You have no idea how strict my mom is. She never lets me have my own hobbies—it's always 'grades, grades, grades,' nonstop," Asuna ranted, sounding like a little girl unloading about her mother.

Before she knew it, they'd reached the tutoring center.

Naoki glanced at it curiously and asked, "So, Asuna, you take classes here?"

Asuna's face flushed. She stared at his innocent eyes, speechless. When she didn't respond, he tilted his head in confusion.

"Who calls someone by their first name right after meeting them?" she muttered under her breath. In Japan, using someone's given name was a sign of close familiarity.

Asuna had never heard a boy call her that before. Even among girls, it was rare—her social circle was tiny.

Mostly, only her family addressed her that way.

Naoki looked puzzled. "You don't like me calling you that?"

"It's not that I don't like it," she said, "it just feels a bit off since we've only known each other for a little while." She jogged to the tutoring center's entrance, waving goodbye. "I'm studying English. I've got to head up, or I'll be late."

Naoki nodded and left.

Since then, he'd made a habit of swinging by in the mornings to chat with Asuna—small talk, catching up.

Asuna was straightforward. After that initial venting about her family, she mostly listened with curiosity as he bragged about how great he was at gaming.

Today was no different. He stood outside her house early, holding two drinks. When Asuna stepped out, he waved. Spotting him, she hurried over and pulled him aside, whispering, "My mom's inside. Keep it down. If she finds out I've made friends with some random guy, she'll flip."

Naoki thought for a moment, then said, "I've got an idea. I could get your mom to willingly let me hang around you—and you wouldn't have to go to those tutoring classes anymore."

"Huh?" Asuna scratched her head. She almost laughed but held it in, pretending to take him seriously. "Alright, let's hear it."

Naoki eyed her. He could tell she didn't believe him.

"I could be your English tutor. And not just English—I can do French, German, whatever. Though I'm best at Chinese," he said with a straight face.

"Pfft." Asuna burst out laughing. She pointed at Naoki, who was shorter than her, then at herself.

She reached to pinch his cheek, but he dodged with a blank expression.

Naoki calmly spoke a few sentences in English, then switched to Chinese, French, and German. Asuna's jaw dropped.

She pointed at him, her face stiffening. "Wait—where do you go to school?"

Naoki gave her an odd look. "School? I taught myself all this. Oh, and by the way, I've already self-studied my way to a bachelor's degree."

Asuna fell into deep thought, then it hit her.

No wonder this guy had so much time to game.

He'd already finished what most people were still working toward.

The realization made her want to cry.

If she had that kind of talent, her mom would probably wake up laughing in her sleep.

Clearing her throat, Asuna put on a serious face. "So, how do I get out of tutoring classes?"