The club activities end before 6:00 pm.\n\nAfter cleaning up the game, Saito, Shindo, and I left the first laboratory.\n\n\n\n“…… He is too strong.”\n\n\nShindo’s shoulders slumped. After that, Shindo got involved with the President and played a game at his invitation, but he was still beaten to a pulp.\n\n\n“It was like combo-combo-combo, and before I could do anything, my energy gauge dropped to zero.”\n\n“He’s still as relentless as ever.”\n\n I felt sorry for Shindo. When you play with our president, no game is fun anymore.\n\nWe walked out of the school and headed downhill. At this time of day, the setting sun was peeking between the buildings, and the strong light was piercing us head-on.\n\n“I know that’s what’s going to happen, so I’m never going to play with him again. Even if you think you’re strong, he’ll shatter all your confidence and show you such an overwhelming difference that you’ll lose all motivation to get better.”\n\n\nSaito was one of the victims of the club president. He had always liked baseball games and prided himself on being able to hit a home run with any pitch, but the president’s exquisite lead and defense made it almost impossible for him to score. Moreover, he said that he lost motivation in the middle of the game because the president was mass-producing home runs at a pace higher than Saito’s usual pace.\n\n“President is at a genius level. Normally, there’s a certain type of game that you’re not suited for, but he’s pretty good at it the first time you play it. Even though he’s the president of the science club, he takes away too much motivation from others to play games.”\n\nI completely agree. I was about to hate Ma-0-kart too.\n\n\n “It’s fun to watch his super play from the side, I think he could become popular if he put up a video of his gameplay on a video hosting site.”\n\n\nSaito nodded at my words.\n\n“That’s for sure.”\n\n\nTalking about this makes me want to play a game in an environment without the president. Games are fun as long as you don’t have to watch him play too well.\n\nSo we decided to go to the game center. We walked down the hill and near the station, which was a little off the roundabout.\n\nWe went through the automatic door of the game center and took the elevator up to the second floor.\n\n\nThere you will find a variety of game cabinets. It smells a little like cigarettes, as smoking is allowed.\n\n\n“Let’s play that one.”\n\n\nSaito pointed to a touch screen type music game. One by one, we stood in front of the console.\n\n\nTo be honest, I’m not very good at music games. For me, it’s easier to play something like a racing game, where you have to build up your skills one by one.\n\nI put in 100 yen and started the game.\n\nI selected “Normal” as the difficulty level. For the song, I chose a famous anime song that I knew.\n\n\nThe game started. There is a touch panel in front of you that is divided into squares like the mesh of a board. Some of them flicker in time with the music. When the light comes on, you move your finger to press it.\n\n \nIn this kind of game, one not only has to follow the lights with their eye but also has to grasp the rhythm to some extent. I was so focused on pressing the light that I gradually lost the rhythm. Then I messed up during the chorus.\n\n\nI knew I wasn’t cut out for music games.\n\nI looked next to me and saw Saito moving his fingers lightly and getting a high score.\n\n“Hmm. It’s something like this. It’s been a while since I played a sound game, but it’s still fun.”\n\n“You’re good at this kind of thing.”\n\nSaito smiled shyly at my words.\n\n\n\n” Pretty much. For some reason, I’ve been better than others since I was little. “\n\nThe high score was displayed, and it was still many times higher than mine. Saito put “SNI” in that score.\n\n“Saito is still number one.” (TN: SNI – SAITO NUMBER 1)\n\nIsn’t he embarrassed? You can’t put in a number, so it’s an “I”. \n\nThen, the current high score ranking was displayed.\n\n“Yay, fourth place.”\n\n\nThe letters SNI were fourth from the top. I was honestly impressed.\n\n\n\n“……”\n\nSoon, however, Saito’s happy expression froze. The feeling of joy slowly drained from his face.\n\nI wondered what was going on. While thinking that, I noticed while looking closely at the rankings.\n\nAt the top of the ranking – the current number one spot – the name “SEN” was engraved. The name was very familiar to me.\n\n\n“…….”\n\nIncidentally, the President’s name is Takuya Seno, and he often uses the account name SEN in his daily games. I think he used the same name in the arcade too.\n\n“This is …….”\n\n“…… I guess we’re destined to never win against the President”\n\nSaito had a faraway look in his eyes. I nodded.\n\n \nShindo seemed to have seen the same thing and opened his mouth slackly.\n\n“Let’s go home…….”\n\n\nI was completely deflated.\n \nwhen I said that, both of them nodded.\n\nAnd that’s when it happened.\n
\n\nJust as I was about to walk away from the music game cabinet, my face hit something.\n \n“Ow…”\n\nI immediately heard a voice and knew it was a person. I apologized and stepped aside.\n\n\n“Oh?”\n\nI had a bad feeling, so I looked up. There was a group of high school boys who looked like delinquents. They were wearing purple T-shirts with all the buttons of their school uniforms open. Their hair was dyed blond.\n\n\n“Hey, what are you thinking by hitting me? You’ve stained my T-shirt with your dirty face.”\n\nI guess he’s only joking, he’s just taking advantage of us being so quiet. He looked at his friends behind him and laughed with them. I was annoyed by their loud laughter.\n\n“Let’s just go …….”\n\n Saito whispered to me, and I thought I should do that. So I ignored him and tried to leave.\n\nBut my shoulder was grabbed by a strong force. The man in front of me put his hand on my shoulder with a smirk on his face.\n\n“What, are you trying to escape, Otaku-kun?”\n