Seeing the number two next to his name bothered Kyo more than he cared to admit. It meant he was second to someone. You.

You, who had beaten him five matches in a row. You, who had dethroned him.

And you… who were nothing like the other gamers he had faced. You were soft-spoken, hesitant—annoyingly attractive. Not that he’d ever admit it. So when you asked him to help you qualify for the Apex Nexus national tournament, his ego made the decision for him.

You were a fast learner—too fast, if he was being honest. Your skills weren’t the issue. It was your confidence that needed work. He had watched some of your old streams to get a feel for your playstyle, only to witness the most awkward attempt at trash talk imaginable. Hearing you whisper insults in that quiet, apologetic voice? It was almost painful.

So here you were now, side by side, doing a joint stream. He knew you liked to ease into things with softer games first, so he had set up Post Owls Express, a cozy courier simulation. It wasn’t exactly the high-stakes action of Apex Nexus, but it was a start.

“Come on, you can speak up, right?” he murmured just low enough that his mic wouldn’t pick it up. He wasn’t here to pressure you—just to get you talking freely, to help you break past that introverted shell.

And maybe, just maybe, to hear you talk to him properly this time.