Ch.61 : Pro Player Girl

The next morning, Nic woke up with a mild headache and a sore body from sleeping on the floor. Slowly, the aches faded as he stood up and stretched his arms.

Today, Nic decided he needed some alone time. It had been a while since he played games freely. Ever since getting so many girlfriends, most of his time had been spent with them, and now, he missed his old gaming life. Feeling refreshed, he made up his mind to visit a nearby internet café.

When he got there, the first floor was packed. Not a single seat was available. Without wasting time, Nic went up to the second floor, hoping to find a free spot. Unfortunately, it was the same story—completely full. Except for one spot in the corner, directly across from a girl who was intensely focused on her game.

As Nic headed toward the empty seat, he overheard someone complaining about the place being full. His friend pointed at the empty spot and suggested, "Why don't you sit there?"

"Are you insane?! I'm not sitting there! I'm not trying to get destroyed," the guy said, visibly spooked.

Nic, now curious, asked, "What's the deal with that seat?"

One of them explained, "Bro, if you sit there, she'll force you to play against her."

"Her?"

"Yeah, that girl. She's a pro. Like, never-lost-in-her-life level pro. She's crushed every tournament. She's so OP, the local esports scene told her to retire and only show up for global matches. If we go against her, we're toast."

Nic's eyes sparkled. Instead of backing off, that only made him more interested. Without hesitation, he sat in the empty seat.

The entire café went quiet.

Everyone stared at Nic like he'd just signed his own death warrant. The girl slowly lifted her head and locked eyes with him, her stare sharp and icy.

"You new here?" she asked in a flat tone.

"Just passing through," Nic replied with a shrug.

She narrowed her eyes. "If you sit there, you play me. Pick a game."

Nic grinned. "Let's play KOF."

Some people shook their heads. "He's done for…"

The match began. Nic gave it his all, but it didn't matter. Everything the others had said was true. She was a monster. Within minutes, she demolished him. Not a single one of his characters survived.

"This is insane…" Nic muttered, leaning back in his seat.

The girl didn't react, calm and composed like this was just another day. Without giving Nic a break, she asked, "Want to go again?"

Nic sighed, walked closer to her, and smiled. "Okay. But this time, let's play an FPS."

She raised an eyebrow. "FPS? You sure?"

Still smiling, Nic formed his fingers into a gun and shot an imaginary Love Shoot at her. "Let's play."

They went again. Same result. She destroyed him. Nic didn't even win a single round. Frustrated, he messed up his own hair and groaned.

People nearby chuckled. "Dude's losing it."

Nic finally gave up—for today. He stood up and looked at her with determination. "I'll be back tomorrow. Just wait."

The room buzzed with whispers and laughter.

"Is he serious? He's coming back?"

"Does he really think he can win?"

"No way. Who does he think he is—some kind of game god?"

The girl looked at him and gave a faint smirk. "Alright. I'll wait."

Nic left the café, burning with resolve. Tomorrow, he'd turn things around.

---

The next day, Nic returned to the internet café at the same time. As he reached the door, a system notification popped up.

[Rika's affection toward Master Nic has reached 100%! Skill 'One-Sided Love' activated!]

[Skill 'God of Games' acquired!]

Nic smirked at the notification. "So her name's Rika, huh?" he muttered, letting out a small laugh like a villain who had just cornered his prey. He couldn't wait to face her again.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense. People began whispering the moment Nic entered.

"No way. He really came back."

"Didn't he get completely wrecked yesterday?"

"Maybe he enjoys getting crushed."

Nic ignored them and walked straight to his seat. As he arrived, he saw another guy slump away from the station, looking completely drained, like his soul had been ripped from his body.

Nic sat down casually and looked over at Rika, who was still wearing that sharp, focused expression.

"So, you ready?"

Rika, typing away, froze. Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at him. "How do you know my name?"

Before Nic could reply, she shook her head and waved it off. "Whatever. Doesn't matter. Let's begin."

Nic noticed her face was slightly red. Rika, meanwhile, was trying to ignore the strange fluttering in her chest. Her heart was beating faster than usual. She felt... nervous? That never happened. Not to her.

The game began.

But within minutes, Rika realized something was wrong.

"He's… reading all my moves?"

And just like that, Nic won the first round.

BANG!

Rika slammed the table. Everyone turned in shock.

"Whoa, what happened?!"

"Did Rika just lose?!"

"No way. This has to be a dream."

Before anyone could get closer, Rika shouted, "DON'T BE NOSY! STAY IN YOUR SEATS!"

The room fell silent again. Everyone quickly pretended to focus on their screens. Nic calmly crossed his arms and smirked.

"Want to keep going?" he asked.

Without saying a word, Rika picked a new game.

It didn't matter. Nic crushed her again. Every move she made, every strategy she used—it was like he had already seen them all.

"This… this can't be happening…!" she growled. "Are you cheating?!"

Nic chuckled. "Check for yourself."

Rika rushed over to Nic's desk, cheeks slightly red. She started inspecting his setup—monitor, keyboard, everything. But there was nothing. No cheats, no illegal programs, no weird software. Clean.

Nic watched her with amusement. "You feeling okay? Your face is kinda red."

"SHUT UP!" she snapped.

The more she checked, the more frustrated she got. There was nothing unusual!

Finally, she grabbed Nic's hand and yanked him up.

"Whoa, where are we going?" he asked, surprised.

She didn't answer. She was surprisingly strong and dragged him into a small private room inside the café—apparently her personal space.

"Who are you, really?!" Rika demanded, pointing at him. "Are you some kind of undercover global pro? Pretending to be a noob just to recruit me into your team?!"

Nic blinked. "You're overthinking. I'm just a regular customer. Haven't played in a while 'cause I've been busy."

Rika narrowed her eyes. "This place belongs to my dad. If you're a regular, then he must know you. What's your name?"

"Ask him. I'm Nic," he replied with a slight smile.

Without hesitation, Rika called her father. As soon as the line connected, she asked, "Dad, do you know anyone named Nic?"

On the other end, her dad answered casually, "Oh, that kid? Of course. He used to come here every afternoon by himself. Haven't seen him in a while though. Why are you asking about him?"

Rika hung up without replying, clearly surprised.

Nic leaned back in his seat. "So? I told you. I've been coming here for a long time."

Rika wasn't satisfied. "If you're not a global pro… how the hell are you so good?!"

Nic shrugged. "I wiped all your data from the internet, watched every match you played, studied your style, and copied it."

Rika's jaw dropped. "You did all that just to beat me?!"

Nic grinned. "Winning's all that matters, right? Noob."

Rika clenched her fists. "FINE! Now we play on PlayStation!"

Some time later…

Rika was lying on the floor, eyes blank, lips trembling, her gaze lost in space. She kept mumbling, "This can't be happening… This just… can't…"

Nic relaxed in his chair, thoroughly enjoying her total defeat.

Suddenly, Rika grabbed her phone and made a call.

"Hello? Get to the internet café. Now. It's urgent."

Nic raised an eyebrow. "Uh… who are you calling?"

Rika gave him a mysterious smile. "You'll see."

To be continued…