"Oh no, please don't crash," Kenji whispered, leaning closer.

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap outside made him jump. A sudden power surge flickered the lights in his room, and his laptop screen glitched violently, filling with static.

Kenji stared at the glowing cursor on his laptop screen, the soft hum of the cooling fan filling his quiet bedroom. It was past midnight, and the rest of the world was asleep. On his screen was the download page for a game that had become legendary among his circle of friends: the visual novel that had recently spawned the infamous adaptation Honoo no Haramase Doukyuusei .

Kenji had spent the last two weeks trying to unlock every single ending. He was aiming for the elusive "True Ending" with the class representative, Satomi. In the game, Satomi was the strictly organized, glasses-wearing student who constantly scolded Kenji for sleeping in class. But as the visual novel progressed, her icy exterior melted away, revealing a deeply caring person.

With every correct choice, the affection meter on the top corner of the screen ticked upward. He was getting closer.

Kenji leaned on his desk, his eyes locked on the beautifully drawn 2D sprites. He clicked through the dialogue boxes, making careful choices. "Offer to help her carry the textbooks." "Walk her home after student council duties." "Tell her she does a great job."

On the screen, a new dialogue box appeared, typed out slowly as if someone was actively writing it: “Kenji? Can you hear me?”