Chapter 62

Rea​d on K​atRe​adin​gCafe

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A Sudden Encounter?

It was only a short while after I started walking hand in hand with Toya when her pace began to slow.

Toya usually matched her steps to mine, walking gently and patiently. So for her to slow down even more than usual… it could only mean one thing: she’d spotted someone she knew.

“Ragu-sensei?”

“Who—ah…”

A person with messy hair draped down like dry straw, her face hidden behind a pair of thick glasses. Even those glasses couldn’t hide the heavy dark circles under her eyes. Rather than intriguing, her appearance leaned more toward worrying.

I couldn’t help but wonder if she was seriously ill or something. And I say that as someone who doesn’t exactly look full of life myself—but she had it worse.

Wait––

“Did she just say Ragu-sensei?”

“Hey, Toya.”

“Sensei, are you okay?! More importantly, what brings you out here…?”

From the way Toya spoke, it seemed like Ragu-sensei rarely left the house. That somehow made her feel… weirdly relatable.

Maybe she’d been up all night gaming and just came out looking like that. Honestly, I used to look the same after pulling all-nighters playing games—before my body changed, anyway.

“…Had something I needed to pick up.”

“Pick up?”

“…More importantly, who’s the kid with you?”

Ragu-sensei’s gaze shifted to me. It felt like she was only just now noticing I was here.

Well, I am kind of small—easy to miss, maybe.

I bowed slightly in greeting. She was the one who had designed the Ichinose Natsu avatar, after all.

“Hello…”

“Sensei, remember the photo I sent you before? This is Natsu! Natsu!”

“…Ah.”

It’s not my real name, but it’s close enough. My real name is Yeoreum—“Summer”—so Natsu fits.

Still… her gaze was intense.

Was it my hair color? My eyes? That pure white hair and crimson red eyes combo—you’d usually only see that in fantasy characters, right?

Honestly, I’m still not used to how I look now either.

“Thanks for using the avatar.”

“Ah, n-no! If anything, I should be thanking you! R-really, thank you so much!”

I shook my head in a panic. It felt weird, getting thanked like that—especially when I was the one who owed her so much.

She looked genuinely grateful too, which only made me bow my head deeper.

“I figured we’d meet eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be like this…”

It was so sudden that I didn’t even have time to feel nervous. Just stunned, like my brain hadn’t caught up yet.

I felt her eyes still lingering on me, and I ended up quietly slipping behind Toya.

…Maybe I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t even register how overwhelmed I should be.

“I’ll see you again, Ragu-sensei.”

“…Sure. Take care getting home.”

After that, Toya and Ragu-sensei chatted for a bit before we parted ways.

Even during their talk, I could still feel Ragu-sensei’s eyes on me.

She waved goodbye with a somewhat quiet air, and I waved back without thinking.

What was that…?

It felt like something I’d experienced before, even though I obviously hadn’t.

“Let’s go, Yeoreum.”

“…Hey, Toya?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“What kind of person is Ragu-sensei?”

It was a sudden question, sure—but to me, it felt important.

I had never met her before, and yet… she felt so familiar.

Toya gave a thoughtful hum.

“She’s, like… the boss’s ex-girlfriend? I think. She seems like she’s got a lot of baggage. But if I had to sum it up—she loves games. You two would probably get along.”

“…I see.”

So nothing especially strange or mysterious then.

Still, hearing she liked games stirred something in me.

There are tons of people in the world who love games, but not many you can actually play with.

Maybe I’ll reach out sometime, I thought as I walked along at my usual pace.

…But seriously, I can’t shake that weird sense of déjà vu.

—

“I’m back~ Wait, are you still sleeping? I went and got your keyboard and mouse fixed and everything…”

“…”

I placed the tiny keyboard and mouse I’d picked up on the table and let out a sigh.

After all, she’s the reason I even started gaming. Tch.

I never used to care about games until she got me into them—and now she’s just sleeping instead of playing?

Still, I wasn’t going to wake her up. Sleep means recovery.

“Hey, Koyuki? I saw someone today who looked just like you.”

“…”

I pulled a chair over and sat down with a sigh.

Saying I didn’t notice her before because she was small would be a lie—her appearance was just too striking.

Snow-white hair and crimson eyes.

The kid sleeping right in front of me—Koyuki—had eyes exactly like that.

Honestly, if her eye color had matched perfectly, I might’ve called out Koyuki’s name right then and there. That’s how much she looked like her.

“I tried not to look… really, I did.”

Seeing the photo Toya sent was enough to stir everything up again.

A girl using an avatar modeled after Koyuki… what were the chances?

That photo had even gotten me drawing again—something I’d sworn never to do.

“Whenever I started drawing, it was always you. In a way, maybe it was a good thing my hand gave out.”

“…”

I couldn’t draw with my ruined right hand, and the drawings I made with my left were terrible. Part of me thought it was for the best.

Because when I looked at your sleeping face, I couldn’t think of anything but drawing you.

I spent half my time drawing, and the other half playing games with you.

It took an accident—one that wrecked my hand—to finally snap me out of that life.

And yet…

“…Seeing her photo, I just couldn’t hold back.”

That kid in the photo had a shy look on her face—but she was smiling gently, just like you used to.

So I decided to pick up the pen again.

I never thought I’d draw with these hands again, but I still had one left. That was enough.

I kept practicing with my left—drawing, redrawing, struggling again and again—

“When you wake up, I think I’ll be a little better at it.”

“…”

“Oh, and when you do wake up, don’t ask, ‘Did you draw me? Was that me?’ Okay? I’m drawing her—Ichinose Natsu.”

Even with that final line, Koyuki didn’t respond.

Who knows how long she’ll sleep this time.

A day? Two? Three? A whole week?

Or maybe she’s so mad I didn’t draw her that she’ll never wake up again.

“…Koyuki.”

When you wake up, let’s play together.

Okay?

—

[Ragu-sensei posted a new drawing!]
[(Image: Two SD-style Ichinose Natsus smiling brightly)]
“Bit by bit, I think I’m improving. Take that, reality.”

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but… Ragu’s drawings really are getting better lol

Is she drawing with her left hand now? Rehab maybe?

Yeah, she said she hurt her wrist and stopped drawing—probably not her right hand anymore

Guess we’re never seeing her old style again, huh…

Still, I’m just happy my favorite illustrator is back

Natsu is SO cute though

Even as SD she’s ridiculously adorable lol

(Natsu: I’m cute, right?! Emote)

Oh? Natsu emotes are out now?

Yeah, emote factory guy made them

I hope Ragu-sensei makes some Natsu stickers too…

[Ichinose Natsu’s official V-Spe emotes are now available!]
“Check them out~ Check them out~”

(Natsu: Gaming Pro Emote)

(Natsu: Gaming Noob Emote)

(Natsu: I Fight with Skill! Emote)

(Natsu: I’m not Han Yeoreum Emote)

(Natsu: Who’s Han Yeoreum? Emote)

(Natsu: Yuri Lover Emote)

(Natsu: I Love Toya Emote)

They really made a ton lol

Emote Factory Guy’s at it again…

Did he switch oshis again? Every time he does, new emotes drop

Nah, he didn’t switch—he just finds her cute lately

Can’t blame him. Natsu is cute.

(Natsu: I’m cute, right?! Emote)

(Natsu: Not Korean Emote)

(Natsu: Not Japanese Either Emote)

So if she’s not Korean or Japanese… where is she from?

Apparently she’s a cyber girl and has no nationality~

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