The next morning, Leon reluctantly woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He got out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen, feeling groggy and disoriented. He grabbed a bowl of cereal and ate it mechanically, not really tasting anything. He was dreading the thought of going back to school, but he knew he had no choice.

As he walked to school, Leon's mind was filled with anxiety. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl and the group of guys she had been with. Who were they? What did they want with him? He felt a knot form in his stomach as he imagined all the possible scenarios.

When he arrived at school, Leon's nerves were on edge. He tried to keep his head down and avoid eye contact with anyone. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself. But as he walked through the halls, he couldn't help but notice that people were looking at him more than usual.

He tried to ignore it and focus on getting to class, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As he entered his first class of the day, he saw the girl sitting in the back row, surrounded by a group of guys.

Leon's heart sank as he realized that they were all looking at him. He tried to keep his cool and make his way to his seat, but he could feel their eyes following him. He sat down and tried to ignore them, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The girl suddenly got up from her seat and walked towards him. Leon could feel his heart rate increasing as she approached.

"Hey, Leon," she said with a smile. "How was your night?"

"It was fine," Leon replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"That's good," she said. "Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the arcade with me and some friends tonight. It's going to be really fun, and I think you'd enjoy it."

Leon hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to get involved with this girl and her group of friends, but at the same time, he didn't want to seem rude.

"I'll think about it," he said finally.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "I'll see you later then." And with that, she walked back to her seat, leaving Leon feeling more conflicted than ever.

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As the school day finally came to an end, Leon grabbed his bag and headed for the door. He was relieved that he could finally leave and go back to the comfort of his own home. But just as he was about to step out of the classroom, the girl called out to him again.

"Hey Leon, you are coming to the arcade with us today right?" she asked.

Leon hesitated. He didn't really want to go, but he also didn't want to hurt her feelings. He didn't have any plans for the rest of the day, but the thought of spending more time with her and her group of friends made him feel uneasy.

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Just then, a guy named Ryo walked over to Leon's desk. "Hey man, are you still coming with me to the PC Cafe after school?" he asked.

Leon was taken aback. He had never spoken to Ryo before, let alone made any plans with him. "Uh, I don't think I ever agreed to that," Leon said hesitantly.

Ryo chuckled. "Don't be shy, man. We talked about it last time, remember?"

Leon wracked his brain, trying to remember if he had ever met Ryo before. But he couldn't recall ever speaking to him. Nevertheless, Ryo seemed convinced that they had made plans.

Leon looked over at the girl, who was watching the exchange with interest. He thought for a bit before realizing that Ryo was trying to help him get out of the situation he was in now.

Leon felt a sense of relief wash over him as he realized what Ryo was doing. He gave him a small nod of gratitude before turning back to the girl.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Leon said, trying to sound apologetic. "I actually promised Ryo that we would go to the PC Cafe today. Maybe some other time?"

The girl looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Sure, maybe next time," she said before turning to talk to her friends.

Leon and Ryo walked out of the classroom, and once they were out of earshot, Leon turned to Ryo and thanked him.

"Thanks for covering for me back there," he said. "I didn't really want to go to the arcade with them."

"No problem, man," Ryo replied. "I could tell you weren't into it, and I didn't want you to feel pressured into doing something you didn't want to do."

Leon nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Ryo. I appreciate it."

Ryo clapped him on the back. "No worries. Hey, do you want to come to the PC Cafe with me and some friends? We were planning on going anyways."

Leon hesitated for a moment, but then he realized that he didn't have any other plans for the afternoon. "Sure, why not? That sounds like fun."

Ryo grinned. "Awesome! I think you'll really like it. We've got some pretty intense games we like to play."

Leon smiled back. Maybe this afternoon wouldn't be so boring after all.

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Leon and Ryo arrived at the PC Cafe and waited outside for Ryo's friends.

A few minutes later, Ryo's friends Ken and Sebastian arrived, greeting them with nods and hellos.

After a quick introduction, the group went inside and bought their seats. Leon noticed that the price was quite expensive compared to playing at home, but he didn't mind it too much. It was a nice change of pace to play with other people in a new environment.

"Hey, Leon, what game do you want to play?" Ryo asked as they settled into their seats.

"I don't mind, I'm up for whatever," Leon replied.

Sebastian suggested they play Valorant, and Leon was secretly relieved. It was his favorite game, and he had been hoping they would choose it.

"Sounds good to me," he said, smiling.

They all logged into their main account, while Leon decided to play on an Alt, since he didn't really want anyone to figure out his identity.

As the game progressed, Leon found himself getting more and more into it. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush that came with each round, and he was having a blast playing with Ryo and his friends. Despite the occasional teasing and trash talk, they all seemed to get along well.

As the hours passed, Leon found himself carrying the team more and more. His quick reflexes and accurate aim allowed him to take out enemy players with ease, and he was constantly racking up kills and getting compliments from his teammates.

"Ew! That was clean as hell!" Ryo exclaimed after one particularly impressive round. "How the hell do you do it?"

Leon just shrugged, trying to hide his grin. He didn't want to seem too cocky, but he was secretly proud of his skills.

As they played on, Leon began to relax and forget about the stresses of school and his social life. For once, he was just a gamer, having fun and hanging out with friends.

Eventually, their time at the PC Cafe came to an end as their hours ran out. They all logged out of the game and said their goodbyes, they exchanged phone numbers and went their own seperated ways. Leon was glad that he accepted going to the PC Cafe. It was a much-needed break from the stress of school.

As he walked home, he felt a sense of contentment that he hadn't felt in a while. He looked forward to the next time he could play games with his new friends.