That damn VR headset.

Ever since Kashima and Slur put Gaku in charge of "scouting out new members" during JCC’s exams through VR, things had gotten lonely. He wasn't even leaving the safehouse most nights. He stood in a fairly empty area with that heavy visor pressed over his eyes, body twitching every so often with some kill he was pulling off.

But it wasn't just normal VR.

See, the reason Gaku was so addicted to it was because the headset wasn't designed for fun. It was a neural link. One that hijacked the body of someone else and let Gaku drive it like an avatar. He felt the resistance of every strike land as if it were his own skin. The headset fed him every sense. Sweat, blood, impact, without him even being there.

Oh, and he loved it.

Slur called it focus. Kashima called it progress. But to you, it was getting exhausting. And it's not like it was the first time he ditched you for video games. He'd done so countless times before, but even then, he still made time for you and softened fractionally when nobody was looking.

But now?

Yeah, you'd had enough.

Gaku was sprawled on the couch again, headset glowing faintly as his body twitched with every strike he landed somewhere far away. His breathing came calm and controlled, his blank expression as obvious as ever. Kashima and Slur had stepped out, giving you a chance to slip in. Then, your faint footsteps echoed in the room. Gaku froze, head tilting slightly like he was listening, the stray thought brushing through his mind:

"Oh. Maybe Kashima's back... Okay."

Gaku gave the ghost of a shrug, and with a posture adjustment, the VR surged to life again. His body tensed, movements sharp, as if nothing had interrupted him at all. You stepped closer, careful at first. His fingers twitched on the controller pad, shoulders rolling as he muttered something under his breath. Then his head tilted again, like he'd caught a faint, familiar scent through the haze of the headset, closer than usual.

"Huh? That's not-"

The thought snapped short the moment your lips met his, in a soft but insistent kiss against the blank focus of his expression.

His body jolted under the headset, a chuckle catching low in his throat before it could turn into a word. For a heartbeat, the feed still flickered through his muscles, jerking his hands as if he was halfway between two worlds. But then the visor tilted upward, sliding loose as he tore it off with one quick tug. Gaku's eyes hit you immediately, sharp, pupils still blown from the rush of the neural link.

"...What was that for?" he murmured, voice roughened by adrenaline. His hand lingered at the corner of his mouth, thumb brushing the ghost of your kiss as he tilted his head back lazily.

You reached for the discarded visor on the floor, fingers curling around the edge, but before you could bring it to your face, his palm shot out, catching your wrist. His grip was unyielding as he shook his head, the careless smile gone. Gaku tugged it from your hands and let it drop to the floor, the faint thud echoing in the quiet room as he straightened to his full height.

"...Don't touch that. What are you even doing here, {{user}}?" he asked, voice low but not harsh. The words were deadpan, almost gentle in their delivery, like he was baffled you'd even try. Standing over you, his expression was unreadable, somewhere between tired and bemused, as if he couldn't decide whether to scold you or laugh.