When Imada woke up in the apartment chair, he instinctively touched his face. Considering his recent ordeal in the game, the reaction was understandable. However, his teeth and nose were intact and without a trace of blood. Despite the lack of physical evidence, the memory of the pain was still vivid, causing him to shiver with residual fear. If Yoko's touch felt genuine in the game, and the punches and kicks were equally as authentic in that virtual realm, then perhaps emotions like happiness and fear were also remnants of the game's experience that couldn't be removed. As much as he wanted to report this harrowing experience as a game bug to the development team, it was clear they were intentionally subjecting players to severe pain to study their reactions for the sake of advancing game development. The embedded microchips likely served this function, making it unnecessary for Imada to report his experience. It was becoming clearer why he was compensated so generously for his participation. He had never known such pain before—it was a torment straight out of a nightmare. No, there might be even worse things to come. He might be gouged in the eyes and held under water.

Setting aside the chilling aspects of the game, mending his relationship with Yoko weighed heavily on Imada's mind. Rumor had it that the game's narrative endlessly morphed based on interactions between players and AI, ensuring that no two experiences were identical. If he were to restart the game, there was a chance that his bond with Yoko, and perhaps even Yoko herself, could transform. Thankfully, the game provided repair points, allowing Imada to return to the moment of his most recent date with Yoko. However, as a penalty for failing Course A, he faced a week's wait before he could access the repair point. The game operated around the clock, and Yoko's life continued to unfold. Delaying their date by a week meant the story could take a different turn. In that time, Yoko might cross paths with someone else, and Imada might be rejected.

Then, he found a more pressing dilemma, burying his face in his hands. According to the game's rules, those who failed Course A were required to attempt the same course again. Imada had never ventured beyond his comfort zone in reality, so risking his life to save someone was unthinkable. He understood that confronting challenges and emerging victorious was the essence of heroism, but the memory of the excruciating pain he had endured filled him with paralyzing fear.

Imada couldn't come up with a good answer no matter how much he pondered, so he decided to step outside his apartment for a breath of fresh air. After walking for some time, he felt thirsty. Fortunately, he spotted a nearby coffee shop and decided to go in. As soon as he settled at a table, a waitress brought him a glass of water.

"What can I get you?" she said with a beautiful smile.

"I'll have an iced coffee, please," Imada requested.

"Coming right up," she replied.

As soon as the waitress left his table, three rough-looking men walked into the coffee shop. Almost instinctively, memories of being beaten up in the game flooded Imada's mind. He realized he lacked both the courage to fight and the physical strength to be a hero. "Are losers doomed to be losers, even in virtual worlds?"

When the waitress brought water to their table, the rough guys attempted to make conversation with her as they placed their orders. Even though she appeared uncomfortable, they pressed on with personal questions.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"So, wanna pick one of us three?"

One of the men said this, laughing loudly enough that it echoed throughout the entire shop. Imada's blood boiled at their behavior, but he felt forced to look away.

"Miss, what's your name?"

"...It's Yoko."

Imada's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned to study the waitress's face. She looked as if she was on the brink of tears. Just as the waitress was about to walk away from the table, one of the men grabbed her hand.

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"Excuse me, let go of me," she said, her voice trembling with fear. At that moment, Imada stood up and approached the men's table. This wasn't a game; a real punch could break his nose or teeth. He knew he wasn't likely to win a fight, but hearing her name changed something in him. He couldn't just sit idly by. "Enough," Imada declared.

The men looked up at him, sizing him up.

"What's your problem?" he said.

"I just called the police. Leave now, or they'll arrest you when they arrive." Imada said evenly.

"You think you're tough? You want to see what real pain feels like?" the man said.

Imada faced him without flinching.

"Threats don't work on me. Break my nose, shatter my teeth, or even gouge out my eyes, but I won't back down. You sure you want sexual assault and battery charges on your record?"

"You think I care?"

The man shot up from his seat and grabbed Imada's collar. Imada met his gaze, determination evident in his eyes. Just then, the third man, who had been quiet all along, rose and intervened.

"Enough," he said quietly. The bully immediately released his grip. "Let's go," the third man said. All three left the shop, hoping to avoid any police attention since they probably had criminal records. The shop owner, who had been hiding in the back, quickly came running and tried to comfort the waitress.

"Thank you very much," he said, looking at Imada with gratitude and shame evident in his eyes.

Imada noticed that both the shop owner and the waitress were gazing at him with genuine respect, their eyes reflecting admiration for his actions. He saw a new possibility for himself, someone who had never been respected in the real world.

“Could I take the ordered iced coffee to go? I'm in a bit of a hurry.”

“Sure, I'll bring it to you right away.”

The waitress came back with a large cup of coffee.

“Um, is a large okay?”

“Yes. How much is it?”

“Oh, I couldn't possibly take money from you,” she replied with a smile.

“Well then, I accept.”

“Please come again.”

Imada left the shop, feeling like a hero.

“That's right, I can do it if I try!"

As soon as he returned to his apartment, he immediately opened the game on his monitor and meticulously examined every detail displayed on the game's window. Upon opening the game's log file, he once again encountered the warning page for Course A. In the upper-right corner of the warning page, a small icon resembling a lamp caught his eye. When he hovered the mouse pointer over the icon, the word ‘Advice’ appeared. Leaning closer to the monitor, Imada clicked on the icon, revealing the ability points necessary to clear Course A. The 'Physical Ability' gauge had to reach a minimum of 100 points, and the 'Fighting Techniques' gauge also needed to be at least 100 points. It made sense, considering what had happened in Course A.

When Imada examined the list of fighting techniques, he encountered a variety of martial arts. While he believed that boxing and kickboxing were more practical in combat compared to karate, he couldn't shake a sense of unease when considering situations where he might be grabbed. Wrestling and judo seemed effective if someone were to grab him, but the absence of striking techniques concerned him. Imada wanted to acquire a range of fighting techniques, but he soon realized that his in-game account balance was insufficient for any purchases.

According to his research, MMA was said to be the most useful in real fights. Imada wanted to purchase 100 points for the MMA ability in 'Fighting Techniques.' However, he learned that he was not allowed to buy the points unless his 'Physical Ability' reached 200 points. It was probably because MMA required a high level of physical ability. But he didn't even have enough money to buy 100 points for 'Physical Ability.' Imada felt a sense of despair. Besides, being unable to play the game for a week, he couldn't increase his wealth. And under those conditions, he realized that attempting Course A would only lead to the same outcome.

Even after five days had passed, he couldn’t come up with a good idea. He opened the game and casually pressed the button to purchase 'Physical Ability' points. As expected, he saw the message about insufficient funds. However, Imada noticed a small lamp icon on the message window. When he clicked on it, a list appeared, detailing the selling price of a Bentley and the cars he could purchase after selling it. In the end, Imada sold his Bentley and bought a Range Rover. He still had enough money left to purchase sufficient points for 'Fighting Techniques' and 'Physical Ability.' Filled with hope for success, Imada's chest swelled. He believed that the next day would be his turn to beat up bad guys and become a hero.

The end of Chapter 2