Chapter Text
…START!
Momo, an enthusiastic gamer, played Re:Color every day after work.
Due to certain circumstances, he worked at a convenience store—not the most glamorous job, but it paid the bills and left him enough time to play, so he didn’t mind. He was a modest young man just vibing.
Not aiming for much—just a controller, a calm life, and a win every now and then.
That night, as usual, Momo arrived at his tiny apartment, set down his belongings, prepared some instant ramen for “dinner,” sat at his desk, and turned on the luxurious gaming PC he’d saved for months to buy.
—SilverSky_1000 joined the server—
SilverSky? Huh, what a fancy name... Momo chuckled.
But he didn’t pay much attention and just kept playing like always.
Three nights in a row now, and there he was again—SilverSky_1000.
“Okay, this guy’s starting to feel like a regular,” Momo thought.
He’s not the best at playing, but he insists on joining more matches anyway.
That night, Momo decided to casually play Re:Color’s team mode. Coincidentally, SilverSky_1000 ended up on his team.
Since Momo already knew the kind of player he was, he decided to watch his back. “Not the sharpest sniper, huh... but kind of persistent”.
–Already in the match–
SilverSky was clumsily shooting at an enemy, not really aware of his surroundings or how to take cover. He was just about to get shot when Momo noticed.
"Watch out!"
Momo dashed in and took down the enemy, saving SilverSky_1000 in the nick of time. Momo wrote on the game chat:
PinkSniper_100: Oof! That was close. Be more careful! If you’re not the best at defending yourself, maybe try shooting from a safer spot—somewhere with cover, so you're not out in the open.
Silversky_1000: thanks… I'm trying to enjoy this but it's somehow hard for me
PinkSniper_100: I Can Help You! But ughh… it's somehow hard trying to interact or explain through the chat of the game
PinkSniper_100: Mind if I DM you after this match? If we VC through Rabbicord, we can coordinate better—only if you’re okay with that, of course!
SilverSky_1000: That’s fine. I’m not very experienced, and I don’t really know anyone who plays these kinds of games. I’ll try my best not to slow you down.
PinkSniper_100: Yeh! Yeh! Let’s do our best. In the meantime, just try to be careful and use cover if you're not used to this
PinkSniper_100: Anyway! Let’s stop chit-chatting before someone ambushes us while we’re yapping! Haha
“Okay, it seems the zone is clear here” –Momo said
PinkSniper_100: follow me, since we can't talk properly that'll be the best
SilverSky_1000: Fine, I'll trust you.
Momo climbed up a tower on the map, with Yuki following closely behind. From up there, he would have a better view of the area and nearby players. SilverSky was walking along the narrow beams of the tower when suddenly—
Oops!
He fell
SilverSky’s character was eliminated. A death by fall damage.
“Are you kidding me?!” Momo shouted at the screen.
SilverSky_1000: I'm sorry… that was such a stupid way to die.
PinkSniper_100: no no! Dw Wait for me!—I’ll try to survive until the end. When the match is over, I’ll ask for your Rabbicord like I promised!
Just as the match ended, Momo messaged SilverSky through the game’s private chat.
PinkSniper_100: Yay! ^^ Hope that wasn't too long of a wait~ Here's my friend code for Rabbicord [sends code]
SilverSky_1000: Understood… I guess I’ll have to make a Rabbicord account. I won’t take long.
“Wait?! He doesn’t even have a Rabbicord account?!”–Momo thought.
So he’s not just new to this game, but to this whole world? What a curious situation… He’s not a kid, right? No— even kids are better at games like this.
Momo giggled.
—Incoming call on Rabbicord—
“Waaa! He’s already here. And wow, he has initiative”
No message beforehand, he just went straight to the call.
“Hi! Hi! Can you hear me right?”
“Yes. Can you hear me, PinkSniper?”
“Fwahaha! Maybe it’s a little weird if you call me by my username. I’m Momo! You can just call me that~ And you? Mr. SilverSky?”
“I’m Yuki. It’s a pleasure.”
“For a moment I thought you might be a kiddo, but now that I hear your voice… you sound very manly, hehe~”
“Well… yeah. I’m 26, actually. Hope you don’t think I’m too old for things like this…”
“Oh! I’m 25, so we’re not that different~ Don’t worry about your age! In fact, lots of adults play these kinds of games.”
“Fufu, what a relief.”
“So, so! Let’s start another match! Now I’ll show you how to improve your tactics! Be more careful around high places this time, haha!”
“What a shame… I’ll be more careful.”
Why was he so committed to helping this random player? Maybe it was his persistence—
There was something about it that sparked Momo’s interest.
After playing for a while, they finished one last match and were about to say goodbye.
“I’ll have to go. I work early in the morning tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I understand. Me too… Hope you have a good day at work tomorrow.”
“Thanks, you too. It was a pleasure, Momo.”
———————————
Yukito Orikasa was a busy CEO of a prestigious company owned by the Orikasa family. He was an influential figure, admired by many and living an affluent life—though far from restful.
Yet, Yukito, –Yuki as he preferred being called–, felt empty. Like something was missing.
Yuki began to think he may need to find a new hobby, something to distract him from his hectic lifestyle.
That day, when the sun had already set and Yuki was finally home, he typed into Rabbisearch:
“Hobbies to relax”
After reading through a long list, something caught his attention. He began searching again:
“Popular online games”
“Re:color” is a popular Online shooter game where you can interact and start a battle royal with other players in real time.
“Huh. Maybe I should try this… just to take my mind off things.”
Yuki had never been a dedicated gamer, but at this point, he was willing to try anything for the sake of his mental health. –That night, he started playing Re:color. The change it would have in his life was not expected.
The next morning, before heading to work, Yuki stopped by a convenience store to grab some coffee and snacks to keep his energy up throughout the day.
He quickly picked out a few items and made his way straight to the checkout—he was always a very direct man.
He glanced at the cashier for just a second.
Definitely not a teenager, but a young man with a bright smile and a gentle demeanor, even while working a job like that.
Yuki didn’t linger. He simply paid and left for the office, as always.
After arriving at home, he logged into the game, as it had slowly become part of his routine. But after a full week of consistently matching game times with Momo, this time was different.
"Maybe if I wait a bit, he’ll show up eventually," Yuki thought.
But even after playing for a while, there was no sign of Momo.
It just didn’t feel the same. Why?
They had only been playing together for a week.
Maybe it was because he felt safer with a pro by his side.
Or maybe... It was because the game felt more fun—more alive—when he was sharing the experience with someone else.
Yuki thought about sending Momo a private message on Rabbicord, wondering about the reason behind his sudden absence, but, even though his appearance was stoic and refined, he was very shy about expressing these kinds of emotions. "No… maybe it was just a one-time thing. He might not have logged in tonight for personal reasons… or maybe he just didn’t feel like it."
Yuki ended up playing for far less time than he usually did when Momo was around, before eventually turning off his console.