Unexpected Reconnection With My Distant Childhood Friend—What Could Go Wrong? - 1 - The Side Quest I Didn't Ask For

“So by using this formula right here, we can get—”

“Haaahhh.”

Numbers. Symbols. Equations.

Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to make high school students suffer like this?

And to make things worse, today wasn’t just any ordinary school day. It was the release day of the long-awaited sequel to my favorite game, Eternal Saga: The First Adventure.

I’d been waiting months for this. No, scratch that—years. Every trailer, every leak, every tiny rumor had fueled my excitement. And now, the game was finally in stores. If I didn’t hurry, some other desperate gamer might snatch the last copy before I could get my hands on it.

“…and with that, we apply the theorem to solve for X. Simple, right?”

Yeah, no.

I twirled my mechanical pencil between my fingers, tapping my other hand against my desk impatiently. The numbers blurred together, and whatever the teacher was explaining had long faded into white noise.

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling sharply through my nose. Math is the absolute worst. It wasn’t that I was bad at it—I could manage to solve it if I try. But if I had to choose between deciphering ancient hieroglyphs or figuring out why X insisted on being so mysterious, I’d pick the hieroglyphs every time.

I glanced at the clock. 3:59 PM. Every tick of the clock’s hand feels a year has passed. Can’t it just make it move faster?

“Almost there.”

I flexed my fingers, counting down in my head.

Three…

Two…

One—

RIIIINGGG!!!!

The school bell rang, its shrill chime echoing through the classroom.

The teacher went outside, and everyone goes to their circle of friends. I was already packing up before the sound fully registered. My notebook? Closed. My pencil case? Stuffed into my bag. I didn’t even bother zipping it up as I swung my backpack over my shoulder, moving as fast as humanly possible without outright sprinting.

I was on a mission.

The moment my shoes hit the hallway, I weaved through the flood of students making their way out. Conversations blurred together, someone called my name, but I barely registered it. My destination is set I made my way to the outside.

The game store.

————–

The moment I stepped inside, all my exhaustion vanished.

Rows of shelves stacked with new releases, glowing screens looping game trailers, the faint scent of freshly printed manuals. This wasn’t just a store—this was paradise.

And there it was.

The very last copy of Eternal Saga: The First Adventure, sitting behind the counter like a divine relic waiting for its chosen hero.

“One copy, please!” I said, trying—and failing—to contain my excitement.

The cashier handed it over with a knowing grin. “Here you go. Enjoy your game, sir.”

I cradled the game case like a newborn. This was it. My weekend plans were perfect. I’d boot my game up, binge through the night, maybe pull an all-nighter—

And then, I saw her.

A silhouette in the crowd outside.

At first, I thought my gamer-addled brain was hallucinating. The streets were crowded—students laughing, office workers rushing, shoppers weaving between them. But amidst all the noise and motion, one figure stood out.

Long, flowing dark brown hair. Straight posture, yet a touch of hesitation in her steps. Familiar. Distant.

“No way…”

I turned fully, my heartbeat spiking.

And there she was.

Kisaki Fujiwara.

My childhood friend.

Three years. It had been three years since I last saw her. And yet, even in this sea of strangers, I could never mistake her. That hair, that delicate posture—still the same, but different. Sharper. More refined. More… grown-up.

And here she was, completely unaware of my existence, only a few meters away.

I should’ve walked away. That was the plan: buy the game, go home, escape reality. Simple. Clean. Safe.

But then—

I saw it.

A man brushed against her shoulder. Too close. Too deliberate. His arm shifted, his body leaning in—not an accident. His hand grazed her in a way that made my stomach churn.

Kisaki stumbled slightly but didn’t react. No glare, no words—just that subtle, uncomfortable shift. As if this wasn’t the first time.

That bitter taste filled my mouth. My body tensed. My brain screamed: walk away, this isn’t your business.

But my feet had already moved.

Before I knew it, I was standing between them.

The man scowled, clicking his tongue. “Hah? What’s your problem, kid?”

I clenched my fists. “…That’s my line, old man. What’s your business with her?”

“Business?” He sneered. “How about you mind your own damn—”

“You mean creeping on girls in broad daylight?”

His smirk dropped. He stepped closer, towering over me. “You got a death wish, brat?”

Honestly? Yeah, if you are a mob with a rare loot, but what you have is not an ordinary a loot, it’s a human being, and you are doing something wrong with it.

As he was about to swing his fist, a loud voice cut through the crowd.

“Hey! You there, stop!”

Two officers pushed through, eyes sharp towards where I am.

“Tch. Damn cops…”

The man spat, muttered something foul, and bolted into the crowd, running away from the police.

And me? My legs gave out, and I plopped onto the ground.

“Haaahhh… good thing someone called the police.” I muttered between breaths. “Way too much for me to handle alone.”

I glanced up—straight into Kisaki’s eyes.

She looked to my direction, meeting my eyes on her for the first time in years.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to say something—

“You two. Come with us to the station. We need your statements.”

But before she could, we were interrogated by one of the officers, telling us to follow him to the station.

I groaned, clutching my precious game tighter. “Seriously? I just wanted to grind dungeons, not get dragged into a side quest…”

This is going to be a long day.

***
A/N: Hope you like my new work! If you do, don’t forget leave a star, comment below on how good (and bad) my new work is lol. See you in the next chapter!