The city was fully awake by the time Rio and Ryota reached the main streets.
Cars moved steadily through busy intersections while students in neatly pressed uniforms walked toward their schools in small groups. Shop owners raised metal shutters and arranged displays outside their stores, preparing for another ordinary day of business. The scent of freshly brewed coffee drifted from nearby cafés, mixing with the aroma of grilled street food from vendors setting up their morning stalls.
To everyone around them, it was a normal morning.
To Rio, it felt like the first day of a new life.
She walked slightly ahead of Ryota with her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. Her expression remained calm, but her thoughts never stopped moving.
Every minute mattered now.
Every decision mattered.
Behind her, Ryota occasionally looked around with quiet curiosity, taking in the sights of the city.
In a strange way, he looked like someone experiencing the world for the first time.
Perhaps he was.
After all, neither of them was supposed to be here.
Neither of them was supposed to have a second chance.
Several minutes passed in comfortable silence before Rio finally spoke.
"Ryota."
He immediately looked toward her.
"Yeah?"
Rio kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Are you actually going to help me?"
Ryota blinked.
"Help you?"
"With Evermount."
There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.
"Yes."
Rio stopped walking.
The sudden halt nearly caused Ryota to walk straight into her.
He barely caught himself.
Rio slowly turned toward him.
Her silver eyes locked onto his.
"Let me make something very clear."
Her tone was calm, but there was enough seriousness behind it that Ryota instinctively straightened his posture.
"You agreeing to help me does not mean I'm going to date you."
Ryota opened his mouth.
Rio continued before he could say anything.
"And it definitely doesn't mean I'm going to marry you."
A long sigh escaped Ryota.
"I figured."
Rio crossed her arms.
"I'm asking whether you're willing to help me seriously."
Ryota nodded.
"Yes."
Rio studied his face carefully.
His answer had come too quickly.
Too easily.
"...Why?"
Ryota thought for a moment before shrugging.
"Well..."
He scratched his cheek.
"If I'm helping you..."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"...then I want you to tell me what happened between you and Royal Knights."
Rio's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That was your old guild, right?"
The question immediately brought back memories she would rather forget.
Reina.
Arclight.
The message.
The betrayal.
The humiliation.
The feeling of having fifteen years of loyalty discarded like trash.
Rio exhaled slowly.
"...Yeah."
Ryota waited patiently.
Seeing that he wasn't going to push her, Rio resumed walking.
After a few moments, she began speaking.
"Royal Knights was the strongest guild in Evermount."
Her voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable heaviness behind her words.
"I joined during the early years of the game."
A faint smile briefly appeared.
"At first, everything was great."
She looked down at the sidewalk as they walked.
"We cleared raids together."
"Discovered hidden dungeons."
"Competed for world-first clears."
"We fought World Bosses and survived content other guilds couldn't."
For a brief moment, Rio remembered the good years.
The friendships.
The victories.
The excitement.
Then the memory darkened.
"I trusted them."
Ryota remained silent.
Rio appreciated that.
She continued.
"Eventually Arclight got engaged."
"Her name was Reina."
Immediately, her expression hardened.
"She hated the attention I was getting."
"The Silver War Goddess."
"The strongest female player."
"The face of countless world-first clears."
Rio's lips tightened slightly.
"Every time someone mentioned Royal Knights..."
"They mentioned me."
Understanding slowly appeared on Ryota's face.
"So she got jealous."
Rio nodded.
"She convinced Arclight to remove me."
Ryota stared at her.
"Just like that?"
Rio laughed softly.
The sound contained no amusement.
"Just like that."
Her gaze drifted toward the bustling street ahead.
"Fifteen years."
The words felt heavier than anything else she had said.
"Fifteen years gone because someone couldn't stand sharing the spotlight."
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
The sounds of the city filled the silence.
Eventually Ryota broke it.
"Well..."
Rio glanced toward him.
His expression was unusually sincere.
"Starting today, I'll stick by your side."
Rio stared at him.
"...Seriously?"
Ryota nodded.
"Yeah."
Rio rolled her eyes immediately.
"A few compliments aren't going to get you anywhere in my heart."
Ryota blinked.
"...Was that a compliment?"
Rio continued walking.
"That was cringe."
Ryota groaned.
"...Yeah."
He scratched the back of his head.
"It sounded cooler in my head."
Rio sighed.
Then, after a brief pause, she spoke quietly.
"But..."
Ryota looked at her.
"...Thanks."
The simple words caught him completely off guard.
Rio avoided eye contact.
"I appreciate the help."
A smile appeared on Ryota's face.
"I should be thanking you."
Rio raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Ryota looked around at the city.
The busy streets.
The people.
The ordinary world around them.
Then he smiled.
"Because I have a home now."
His voice was casual, but there was genuine gratitude behind it.
"In this weird timeline."
Rio fell silent.
For a brief moment, she didn't know what to say.
Eventually she looked away.
"...Don't get sentimental."
Ryota laughed.
"Too late."
Before long, the buildings around them began to change.
Colorful advertisements appeared everywhere.
Electronic billboards flashed brightly above crowded streets.
Large promotional posters covered the sides of buildings.
They had reached the gaming district.
And there was only one thing anyone seemed interested in.
EVERMOUNT
The game's logo appeared almost everywhere they looked.
Massive banners hung between buildings.
Advertisements played on giant outdoor screens.
Crowds gathered outside electronics stores discussing classes, guilds, and launch-day plans.
Even though the game was still a week away from release, excitement had already consumed the district.
Rio and Ryota entered one of the largest gaming stores in the area.
The interior was packed.
Groups of gamers filled every aisle.
Conversations about Evermount echoed throughout the store.
Rio immediately headed toward the VR hardware section.
If they wanted to get ahead of everyone else, securing their equipment was the first priority.
However, the moment she saw the display price, she stopped walking.
"...What?"
Ryota looked over her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
Rio pointed at the sign.
The price glowed brightly beneath the display headset.
Her eyes widened.
"...That's double."
Ryota blinked.
"Double what?"
Rio frowned.
"In my previous life, VR headsets weren't this expensive before launch."
Then understanding struck her.
"The hype."
Ryota tilted his head.
"Hype?"
Rio nodded slowly.
"Evermount became more popular than expected."
The pieces fit together immediately.
Demand had exploded.
Stores knew it.
Manufacturers knew it.
Everyone wanted VR gear before launch.
Naturally, prices rose with demand.
Rio clenched her fists.
"...Damn it."
She pulled out her wallet and quickly counted her money.
The result made her heart sink.
"...I can barely afford one."
Ryota looked at her.
"What about two?"
Rio shook her head.
"Not even close."
For the first time that morning, her carefully constructed plan hit an obstacle.
They needed two headsets.
Without them, Ryota wouldn't be able to play.
Without Ryota, many of her plans would become significantly harder.
As she considered possible alternatives, Ryota suddenly pointed toward the front of the store.
"Hey."
Rio followed his gaze.
A crowd had gathered around a small promotional stage.
A store employee stood in front of a microphone.
"Attention everyone!"
The employee raised a boxed VR headset high above his head.
Immediately, the crowd grew louder.
"To celebrate the upcoming release of Evermount..."
Excitement spread throughout the store.
People began moving closer.
The employee grinned.
"We're holding a special competition!"
Cheers erupted.
Then he raised the VR headset even higher.
"And the winner..."
The crowd leaned forward.
"...gets a FREE VR set!"
The store exploded with excitement.
Rio's eyes widened.
Beside her, Ryota slowly smiled.
"Well..."
He rolled his shoulders.
"...Guess I'll try my luck."
Rio stared at him.
"You're serious?"
Ryota nodded.
"Yeah."
Then he stepped toward the registration line.
Before Rio could stop him, he glanced back over his shoulder and grinned.
"If the odds are against us..."
His smile widened.
"...then I'll just beat the odds."
Rio watched him disappear into the crowd.
A moment later she sighed.
"That's not how probability works."
Unfortunately, Ryota was already gone.
The crowd surrounding the stage continued to grow as contestants signed up.
Rio remained near the back with her arms crossed.
She watched Ryota join a line of nearly thirty participants.
Her confidence immediately dropped.
What is he thinking?
Thirty people.
One prize.
The odds were already terrible.
Then the employee stepped forward again.
"Alright everyone!"
The room gradually quieted.
"For today's event, we're keeping things simple!"
He gestured toward a nearby table.
Several small boxes sat on top of it alongside a digital display board.
"This will be a luck-based competition!"
Rio froze.
"...What?"
The employee continued enthusiastically.
"Each contestant will draw a number from the box. The highest numbers advance to the next round!"
The crowd reacted positively.
Rio did not.
A cold feeling ran down her spine.
Luck.
Pure luck.
No skill.
No strategy.
No preparation.
No amount of game knowledge could help.
Everything depended entirely on random chance.
Rio slowly looked toward Ryota.
He appeared completely relaxed.
Her internal frustration intensified.
This is terrible.
The odds are already awful.
Now they're completely random.
One by one, contestants approached the box.
The employee announced each result.
"Twenty-two!"
"Seven!"
"Forty!"
"Fifteen!"
Some participants celebrated.
Others groaned.
Rio found herself watching far more closely than she intended.
Eventually Ryota reached the front.
The employee nodded.
"Next!"
Ryota casually reached into the box and pulled out a folded slip of paper.
The employee unfolded it.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"Thirty-nine!"
The crowd reacted immediately.
"Whoa!"
"That's high!"
"Nice pull!"
Rio blinked.
"...Huh?"
The employee nodded.
"Thirty-nine advances!"
Rio stared.
That was actually good.
As more contestants finished, the rankings were finalized.
Then came the announcement.
"Alright everyone!"
The employee pointed toward the stage.
"The top four contestants will move on to the final round!"
Rio leaned forward.
Her eyes widened.
Ryota was standing among them.
Top four.
Out of thirty contestants.
He actually made it.
Ryota spotted her in the crowd and waved.
Rio immediately looked away.
Don't celebrate yet.
The final round can still ruin everything.
The employee raised his microphone again.
"For our final round..."
He held up a single coin.
The crowd leaned in.
"We'll be deciding the winner with a game of chance."
Rio felt a headache coming.
Please don't say it.
"Each finalist will choose Odd or Even."
The employee flipped the coin into the air.
"The result determines the winner!"
Rio nearly choked.
That's it?!
A literal fifty-fifty coin toss.
No strategy.
No skill.
No control.
She looked toward Ryota.
He remained completely calm.
Meanwhile, Rio felt like she was losing years off her lifespan.
The finalists made their choices.
When it was Ryota's turn, he thought for a moment.
Then calmly replied.
"Odd."
The employee nodded.
"Very well."
The entire store watched.
The coin soared into the air.
Time seemed to slow.
The coin spun.
Higher and higher.
Then it fell.
The employee examined the result.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Odd!"
The crowd erupted.
"We have a winner!"
Rio's brain stopped.
"...What?"
Even Ryota looked surprised.
The employee raised his hand.
"Congratulations!"
"You've won a free VR headset!"
Applause filled the store.
Some contestants laughed.
Others groaned in disappointment.
Ryota stood there blinking.
Then he slowly turned toward Rio.
Holding the prize box high above his head, he wore the proudest expression she had ever seen.
Rio stared at him.
"...You're kidding me."
Several minutes later, the event ended.
With one headset won and another purchased using the remainder of Rio's savings, the two left the store carrying large boxes beneath their arms.
The afternoon sun shone brightly overhead.
The city seemed far more pleasant than before.
Mostly because a potentially massive problem had just been solved.
As they walked home, Ryota grinned.
"So..."
Rio already knew what was coming.
"Did I beat the odds?"
She sighed.
"...Yeah."
Ryota looked entirely too pleased with himself.
The trip home passed quietly.
Once they arrived at the house, Rio placed both VR headset boxes on the living room table.
For a few moments she simply stared at Ryota.
He tilted his head.
"...What?"
Rio folded her arms.
"...I'm sorry."
Ryota blinked.
"Huh?"
"I doubted your luck."
He laughed.
"Well, you weren't wrong."
"That was pure luck."
Rio continued studying him.
Perhaps luck really was a valuable stat.
Especially in Evermount.
After all, rare drops, hidden encounters, and random events could completely change a player's future.
Maybe Ryota's ridiculous fortune would actually matter.
The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable he became.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
Rio opened her mouth to answer.
Then—
Crunch.
The sound of tires rolling over gravel echoed from outside.
Both of them froze.
Rio's eyes widened.
"...Oh no."
Ryota blinked.
"What?"
Slowly, Rio turned toward the window.
Through a gap in the curtains, she saw a familiar car pulling into the driveway.
The color immediately drained from her face.
Her mother had returned home.
And suddenly, Rio realized she had completely forgotten one very important detail.
She still hadn't explained why there was a strange teenage boy living in her house.
"...My mom's home."
For the first time that day, even the Silver War Goddess felt genuine panic.