-2- Back to the Game Part 2

That went much better than I had expected. Honestly, I thought my mother would insist on me joining the student council, like she’s been hinting since last week. She always found a way to steer every conversation towards responsibility and leadership. I half-expected her to flat-out refuse my application to the VR Sports Club. But somehow, I managed to dodge that bullet—for now, at least.

“Well, at least I’ve got one more year of freedom before I get swallowed by the real world,” I muttered to myself as I stepped out of the meeting room, already feeling lighter.

As soon as I emerged, Tsukishima was waiting just outside, leaning casually against the wall with her tablet in hand. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “How did it go?”

“For better or worse, she approved it,” I said with a sigh of relief, trying not to show how much I’d been sweating it. “She said she’d sign off on the application online, so I should be good to go.”

Tsukishima nodded, her fingers tapping away on her tablet. “Let’s see… Oh, there it is. The member list was updated just now,” she said, her eyes skimming the screen. “Confirmed—Uozumi Ryouma, you’re officially a member of the VR Sports Club.”

“That’s great news!” I replied, feeling a grin spread across my face. For the first time in a while, something had gone right. I noticed Tsukishima smiling slightly too. “What’s up? Something good happen?”

She blinked, as if surprised by the question, then tilted her head in thought. “Oh, not really. I just thought I’d be the last person accepted into the club this year. It’s funny—turns out I wasn’t.”

“Oh, you have just joined the club too?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s right. I applied and got accepted yesterday,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “Honestly, I’m still not sure if I picked the right club.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? What made you apply then?”

“Well,” she began, her voice quieter now, “back in middle school, I was a library assistant. I was planning to continue with something like that in high school, maybe join the Literature Club or something similar. But when I tried to apply, they told me the club was already full.”

She sighed and glanced down at her tablet, fingers idly scrolling. “All the other non-physically demanding clubs were full too, seeing as it’s already the last week of applications. I didn’t have many options left, so I applied here. I mean, it's a club about virtual reality, right? Everything’s done digitally, so I figured it wouldn’t be as physically taxing as managing a traditional sports club.”

“That makes sense,” I said, nodding. “I guess if you compare it to being a manager for the baseball or basketball teams, VR Sports sounds less taxing.”

“I hope so,” she said with a small smile, though there was still uncertainty in her voice. “I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much,” I replied, trying to reassure her. “I’m new to this whole thing too. Who knows? Maybe this club will end up being way more fun than we both expected.”

Just then, a group of girls— the first year managers looking at their nameplates—hurried past us. “Excuse me!” one of them called out, her voice filled with urgency.

“Passing through!” another added, her eyes fixed ahead as they all rushed down the hallway, clearly in a hurry to get somewhere important.

Tsukishima and I stepped aside, watching them disappear around the corner.

“They look busy. Don’t you need to go too?” I asked, glancing at Tsukishima since she is a fellow first year student manager.

She shook her head. “No idea what they’re up to. They've been like that since my orientation yesterday. I’m still trying to figure out how everything works.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the downside of joining late. Everything’s already in motion.”

Before she could respond, a senior student approached us. The blue necktie she wore signaled her third-year status, and her nameplate read “Haruno Seirene”, “Chief Manager”. She held a tablet in her hand, looking from it to me with an expression that was more than a little annoyed.

“Are you Uozumi-kun?” she asked, her voice clipped as she looked up from the screen to meet my gaze.

I blinked, caught off guard by her directness. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes slightly as if she couldn’t believe her luck. “Oh my gosh… why did Uozumi-sensei added another Dungeon and Hunter Online player,” she muttered, more to herself than to us.

Her fingers tapped at the tablet rapidly, the annoyance clear in her voice. “And a latecomer too? Why did you apply just now? Today’s the last day of registration, for Pete’s sake. Couldn’t you have done this earlier? Now I need to figure out what team you will be joining. Luckily you are a semi-support player? Is that right?””

I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit sheepish under her scrutiny. “By registration, do you mean the Dungeon and Hunter Online 8th International Cup?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral, though I could feel the tension building.

Haruno’s eyes narrowed as she finally looked up from her tablet to focus entirely on me. “So you are aware of it, huh?” She sounded more irritated than relieved, as if my knowing about the event only added to her frustration.

“Well, yeah,” I replied, trying to keep things calm. “But you don’t have to worry about my registration. I already submitted mine last week.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief, her fingers halting mid-tap on her tablet. She blinked, as if trying to process what I had just said. “Wait… what? You already registered?”

I nodded slowly, feeling the awkwardness hang in the air between us. “Yeah… last week.”

There was a beat of silence where she just stared at me, clearly trying to wrap her head around the situation. “And on what team?” she asked, her tone sharp. “You’re a member of this VR Sports Club now—you can’t just go around doing club activities with people outside of the club.”

I frowned, not quite following her logic. “Oh… is that how it works? So… it’s okay if I registered solo?”

Her expression darkened as she pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly trying to stave off a headache. “Solo? This… this is giving me the headache of the year.”

I winced slightly, not sure how to respond to that. She looked about ready to explode, but I couldn’t help but feel a little amused by her dramatic reaction.

“I mean,” I started cautiously, “I didn’t know it was going to be such a big deal. I thought the point of the VR Sports Club was about a club helping students playing VR games you know? Chill and having fun playing games together? I thought this club would support students to play independently or with teams if they wanted to. ‘Let’s all have fun’, is that not our club motto?”

Haruno let out a long, exasperated sigh, waving her tablet in the air like it was the source of all her troubles. “That’s not how it works! The VR Sports Club has guidelines, and you have to follow them. If you’re part of this club, you can’t just go around acting like what you want. You have responsibilities now— like any sports club members do.”

I glanced at Tsukishima, who looked as bewildered as I felt. I hadn’t realized there were so many unwritten rules for a club based on virtual reality games.

“I… see,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I did. “So… what now?”

Haruno closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before addressing me again. “What now is that I have to figure out how to fit you into this club without messing up the entire system. Solo registration… honestly…” She shook her head, muttering under her breath as she tapped away at her tablet again.

“Well,” I said, attempting a grin to ease the tension, “at least I’m already registered, right?”

Haruno shot me a look that made it clear my optimism wasn’t helping. “This is going to be a long year,” she muttered, already walking away, still talking to herself about team dynamics and club obligations.

Haruno turned her sharp gaze toward Tsukishima, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she were trying to remember something important. “Wait… you’re the first-year that applied yesterday, right?” she asked, her tone shifting from irritated to inquisitive, though it still carried a hint of that no-nonsense attitude.

Tsukishima blinked, looking caught off guard by the sudden attention. “Y-yes… I am,” she stammered, fidgeting slightly under Haruno’s scrutiny.

Haruno folded her arms, tapping her finger against her elbow as if calculating something in her head. “You’re the one with not much experience in VR gaming and stuff, correct?” she asked, her voice softening only slightly, though it still had an edge to it.

Tsukishima nodded again, her posture shrinking a little. “Yes…” Her voice was barely a whisper now, her nerves evident in every word.

Haruno’s eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together suddenly, startling both of us. “Perfect! The two of you, follow me,” she said, turning on her heel and marching down the hallway before either of us could protest.

I watched her walk away, feeling a growing sense of dread. Something about how she suddenly seemed relieved sent a chill down my spine. My mind raced as I tried to process what had just happened.

Stolen novel; please report.

I don't like how she became relieved all of a sudden… like she’s concocting some on-the-go plan for us or something.

I shot a glance at Tsukishima, who seemed equally confused, and then, without much choice, we hurried after Haruno, our footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

Haruno’s pace was brisk, her presence commanding as she led us through the school, weaving through the hallways with the kind of confidence that told me she knew this place like the back of her hand.

“So,” Haruno began, not bothering to look back at us as she spoke, “now that you’re both officially part of the VR Sports Club, I might as well give you the rundown of how things work around here.” Her voice had returned to that authoritative tone, like she was giving us a crash course on the club’s inner workings.

“First thing’s first, we meet every day at 3:00 PM sharp. Classes usually end at 2:30, so you’ve got half an hour to get to the clubroom. No excuses for being late,” she said, glancing at her tablet again as she walked. “There are no morning practices, so don’t worry about getting up at the crack of dawn like some other sports clubs. But the club does run late. We officially end at 8:00 PM.”

“Eight?” I asked, trying not to sound too shocked. That was practically half my day gone.

Haruno nodded, still focused on her tablet. “Yep, we make full use of the time we’re given. The VR Sports Club isn’t just about playing games. We train, analyze, strategize, and sometimes host small internal tournaments. It’s not a place for slackers.”

I glanced at Tsukishima, who seemed to be absorbing this information quietly, her brow furrowed slightly. I wondered if she had signed up thinking the club would be a breeze, only to find out it was going to demand more time than she’d expected.

Haruno continued her rundown as we walked, her voice crisp and clear. “The locker rooms are on the second floor, just above the clubroom, so you can store your stuff there before heading to the third floor, where the VR pods are. Those pods are what we use for practice and competitions. We’ve got top-of-the-line equipment, so you won’t find anything better in the entire school.”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the level of detail in the club’s setup. “Wait, so you’re saying we will not bring our own VR Pods?”

Haruno glanced back at me for the first time, a smirk playing on her lips. “Of course? VR Pods are so heavy and it costs a transportation fee to transport them. The VR Club won a lot of tournaments, giving us the budget to buy our own VR Pods. This is the real deal. Full-dive VR pods, each linked to the club’s internal network for multiplayer training. We take this seriously.”

“Wow…” Tsukishima murmured softly, her eyes wide as she imagined the scene.

Haruno pressed on, her pace still brisk. “And the auditorium? That’s on the first floor. It’s where we hold major events like tournaments and screenings of big matches. When it comes to our annual interschool competitions or online events, that’s where the audience gathers. It’s equipped with VR screens so everyone can watch the action unfold in real-time.”

“Audience… live broadcasting… wow,” I muttered under my breath, already feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of everything.

Haruno gave a dry chuckle. “No pressure… yet. You two are still fresh members, so we’re not expecting miracles. But we do expect commitment. You’ll get used to the schedule soon enough. We’re here to improve and win, and that requires time and effort. Don’t think joining late means you get a free pass on that.”

Her words were firm, but there was no malice behind them. It was clear she took the club’s activities seriously, and she wanted us to as well.

We walked in silence for a moment, the school’s hallways echoing around us as we approached the auditorium. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything—daily practices, high-end VR pods, tournaments. It was all a lot to take in.

“So… what happens next?” Tsukishima asked, breaking the silence, her voice quiet but curious.

Haruno slowed her pace slightly as we neared a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. “What happens next is simple,” she said, pushing open the doors to reveal the wide, dimly lit auditorium beyond. “You get to work now.”

The auditorium buzzed with energy as we stepped inside. Rows of students filled the seats, their excited chatter blending with the soft hum of the lights overhead.

Up on stage, a group of seniors was busy setting up a presentation, connecting cables, adjusting screens, and getting everything ready.

I could feel the tension in the air—everyone seemed on edge, focused, as if something important was about to happen.

Just past the door, Haruno stopped, her fingers tapping rapidly on her tablet. She glanced up at me, her expression somewhat stressed and tired.

“Listen, the biggest event for Dungeon and Hunters Online, the most popular VRMMORPG, is starting tomorrow,” she began, sounding more tired than excited.

I stood there, feeling a little out of place. The auditorium felt bigger with all these people around, the weight of Haruno’s words settling in.

“You know this, right, Uozumi-kun? I mean, you registered alone for the biggest event in the game’s eight-year history.” Her sarcasm dripped with every word as she looked back at me.

“Yeah,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “I’ve been playing since the beta release.”

She raised an eyebrow at that, clearly a bit surprised. “O-oh… well, I guess you do know what you’re doing.” There was a pause as she processed this. “Let’s just conclude that.”

I watched her, wondering where this was going. She seemed to hesitate for a second before pointing directly at Tsukishima, who stood beside me looking as nervous as ever.

“Now, what I want you to do is teach this newbie manager about the game, okay?” Haruno said, her tone sharp but decisive.

Tsukishima blinked, looking between me and Haruno with wide eyes. “Wait, what?”

“And you, Tsukishima-san,” Haruno continued, ignoring her confusion, “you will be his manager. I’m sorry for this impromptu decision, but we’ve already assigned all the other freshmen managers to handle the existing teams for this event. They’ve been training for the past six months. It’s a huge deal for us.”

I felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, I understood the pressure Haruno and the other seniors must be feeling with such a massive event on the horizon. On the other hand, being paired with someone who didn’t know the game was definitely not how I imagined things going.

Haruno looked at the two of us, her expression softening slightly. “Can I trust the two of you to handle this? We’re really busy, and I need to help the others.”

Tsukishima nodded quickly, her face pale but determined. “I understand…”

I sighed and nodded too. “I’ll try my best.”

With that, Haruno turned on her heel and walked briskly toward the stage, leaving us standing by the entrance. I glanced at Tsukishima, who was still looking uncertain.

“Looks like we’re in this together,” I said, trying to sound reassuring, though I wasn’t sure how much comfort it would bring.

She offered me a small, nervous smile. “I hope I don’t mess it up…”

“No worries,” I replied. “We’ve got this. I’ll teach you what you need to know. One step at a time, right?”

She nodded again, her shoulders relaxing just a little. I wasn’t sure how it would all play out, but for now, we had to make it work.

Tsukishima and I made our way to the back of the auditorium, slipping into the last row of seats. From where we sat, I could see the room was almost packed, a surprising number of students for what I had assumed would be a niche club.

I also saw two teachers at the front row as well as two adults that seemed like the coaches.

“There are a lot of students in this club, huh. Never imagined that,” I muttered, still taking it all in.

Tsukishima glanced at me and nodded. “As far as I was told yesterday, there are 144 members this school year. Oh, wait—make that 145 because of you.”

“That’s a huge number,” I replied, shaking my head in disbelief. “Isn’t this school supposed to be a baseball powerhouse? When I was walking past the baseball field last week, there were so many players practicing. Did we actually beat the baseball club in terms of members?”

She smiled slightly. “Not quite. I’ve got a friend who’s a manager for the baseball club. She said they’ve got 168 members. It’s a real hassle, apparently.”

“An elite school for both academics and athletics, huh…” I murmured, impressed. I had known about the school's reputation, but seeing it first hand was a different story.

Before I could say more, the lights dimmed, plunging the room into darkness as the presentation at the front began. A figure stepped onto the stage, illuminated by a single spotlight. I squinted, recognizing her almost instantly—it was Haruno Seirene, the same third-year who had given us a hard time earlier.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” Haruno’s voice rang through the auditorium. “I’m Haruno Seirene, one of the chief manager’s and the club’s secretary.”

She began clicking the presentation at the LED Screen and the logo of the game I love the most was presented.

“As you know, the biggest event of the most popular VRMMORPG, Dungeon and Hunters Online, is set to begin tomorrow—the 8th International Cup.”

She continued tapping on her tablet, and a large projection behind her displayed various tournament statistics and details. Tsukishima and I paid attention to her, listening intently.

“As of checking the website this morning, there are over a hundred thousand teams registered for this event worldwide.” She sounded serious. “This will be our club's first international event to focus on. If you are still not taking this seriously, then let this meeting settle how serious our club is for this event.”

“As many of you are aware, the second- and third-year players have been preparing for this event since last year. Though it's a worldwide competition, we’re confident that the skills and resources we’ve gathered will allow us to perform at the highest level. This is what we’ve been working toward,” Haruno said, her tone growing more determined as she spoke.

I could feel the energy in the room change. The students were excited, some sitting up straighter, while others exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. Even I had to admit the prospect of competing on an international stage was exhilarating, despite the intense atmosphere.

Haruno continued, now focusing on the team structure. “There are eight main teams, each composed of eight players, who have been carefully selected and trained for months. These teams are supported by 16 managers—two managers per team—who’ve also been preparing tirelessly alongside them.”

Her words made me glance at Tsukishima. We weren’t part of the main group. We were just the latecomers.

“Additionally, we have seven ‘fresh teams’—these are the teams that freshmen have formed. They may not have the same level of experience as the main teams, but their role is to practice and gain exposure through this event. Each of these teams will be managed by one freshman manager,” Haruno explained, her voice steady and professional.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety creeping in. Tsukishima, who had just joined the club the day before, seemed even more nervous than I was. I tried to focus on what Haruno was saying, but my thoughts drifted back to our position in all this. Fresh team, huh? And just one manager each? This was going to be tough.

Then, as if Haruno had suddenly remembered something, her eyes darted toward the back of the room where we sat. Her tone grew sharp again, though she managed to keep it professional. “Oh, and there’s one additional team that applied on their own for the event,” she said. “I won’t be naming names, but you know who you are.”

I felt a knot form in my stomach as the other students shifted uncomfortably in their seats. It was clear she was referring to us—me and Tsukishima. Haruno didn’t even try to hide her annoyance, though she quickly moved on with the presentation.

The large screen behind her began displaying the names of the teams and their assigned managers.

Tsukishima and I exchanged a glance, neither of us saying a word.

This was it.

We were officially the last-minute additions to a world-class competition, and I could already tell we were going to be under a lot of pressure.

As Haruno continued her explanation, I leaned in slightly, eager to catch every detail. “The event will last for ten weeks,” she stated firmly, her gaze sweeping across the auditorium, ensuring everyone was paying attention. “It starts tomorrow and goes until the second week of July.”

Ten weeks. I let the information settle in my mind. That was a substantial chunk of time, filled with opportunities for exploration and adventure. The thought of diving into the game after a long day of classes felt promising.

Haruno pressed on, her tone serious. “Each week will feature five days dedicated to the hunting events, from Monday to Friday, with three hours allotted for each day. We can start anytime we want but the maximum hour is five hours per day resetting daily at GMT+9.”

Three hours each day felt generous. After a tiring class schedule, having that time to immerse myself in the game was enticing. I could almost envision the thrill of participating in this event as an excuse to play everyday, hahahaha!

Finally, I outsmarted my mother.

“And on Saturdays,” she added, “we’ll face off against a raid boss.”

The room buzzed with murmurs at this announcement.

The challenge of teaming up with others to defeat a formidable foe was something I’d always looked forward to.

“Excuse me, Haruno,” a student in the front row spoke up, his voice cutting through the murmurs. “Will the dungeons be new or old maps?”

Haruno paused, her expression serious as she glanced at her tablet. “According to the main website, all the dungeons for this event will feature new maps designed specifically for the competition.”

A wave of excitement rippled through the room at her words. I felt a spark of anticipation. New monsters to hunt and dungeons to discover—this was the kind of adventure I craved!

The man in the front row who seemed like the coach suddenly stood up. “New maps mean new challenges. Be prepared to adapt your strategies on the fly. Each dungeon could have its unique mechanics,” he added, his voice resonating with authority.

“Yes coach!” The third and second years answered in unison. Guess I was right on the bat that he was the coach.

I kinda like his mustache and cap.

Another hand shot up, and a different student asked, “What about the raid boss? Will those be new monsters too?”

Haruno nodded, her tone unyielding. “Based on the game developers’ announcements, all the raid bosses will consist of entirely new monsters.”

As the room filled with murmurs of excitement and curiosity, I glanced at Tsukishima, who was sitting quietly beside me. She appeared deep in thought, her brows slightly furrowed as she absorbed the information.

“Haruno,” another student called out, “do we know what types of monsters we might face in the dungeons?”

Haruno shifted slightly, a serious look on her face. “While I can’t give specifics on individual monsters, I can tell you that based on the event interviews with the developers, they said we can expect a mix of classic and innovative creature designs. It will be challenging. They want to keep us on our toes.”

The atmosphere seemed to be turning serious, and I could sense the energy in the room.

“Hey, Tsukishima,” I said, keeping my tone casual. “What do you think?”

She blinked, seeming to come back to the moment. “I mean… yeah! It does sound exciting!”

Yet, there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, as if she was still trying to grasp what all this meant. “But… it’s a lot to take in,” she added, her voice soft. “I guess I didn’t realize how big this event really is.”

I offered her a reassuring smile. “Just think about it,” I said, my voice steady but carrying an undertone of eagerness. “New monsters, new dungeons… it’s going to be an adventure.”

At that moment, the club adviser, my mother, who had been quietly observing, interjected with a smile. “Remember, teamwork is essential. While individual skill is important, how well you work together as a team will determine your success in this event. Be sure to communicate and support one another.”

The weight of his words lingered in the air. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie starting to build among the club members.

Is this perhaps still related to the student council deal? Is she perhaps aware that I’ve registered at the event alone? Without a team?

Well, whatever. We have a deal and I’m sure mother will not go back on her words.

I turned back to Tsukishima. “You’ll figure it out. Just stay curious and open-minded. That’s the best way to enjoy it,” I said, my voice encouraging.

Tsukishima nodded slowly, her expression softening. “I guess I’m looking forward to learning how to be a manager. It’s just... a bit overwhelming.”

I could understand where she was coming from. She was new to this game. And her first task is to manage players for the international event. The prospect of venturing into the unknown was exhilarating, but it also carried a sense of weight.

As the presentation continued, Haruno outlined more of the structure. “Remember, half of the total number of teams with the highest points per server will proceed to the next round. This means we need to stay sharp and focused.”

The thought of competing for points added another layer of excitement for me. This is what hunting should be. This is what Dungeon and Hunters online should be.

This is going to be interesting, I thought, letting a sense of anticipation settle over me. The prospect of five hours each day spent hunting and exploring felt like the perfect antidote to the stress of school.

I leaned back in my chair, allowing myself a moment to envision the adventures while Haruno continued explaining the team compositions of our club.