by KazumiNovels
Three years ago, Ruko stood at the pinnacle of esports. As the strategist of the legendary professional team **NERVA**, he led his teammates to countless victories alongside the team's enigmatic roamer, **Mitsuru**. Their flawless coordination made them the most feared duo in competitive gaming, earning the admiration of fans across the world. Somewhere between late-night practice sessions and championship victories... Ruko fell in love with the person behind the screen. But after winning the biggest tournament of their careers, his long-awaited confession was met with a single sentence that shattered everything. > "I'm a boy." Believing he had been deceived, Ruko walked away from esports, abandoned his professional career, and convinced himself that trusting someone online was nothing more than a mistake. Now a high school student determined to live an ordinary life, he has no intention of touching competitive gaming again. Until one unexpected discovery changes everything. A farewell post from the retired team **NERVA** contains a hidden clue connected to his own school. The impossible suddenly becomes possible. Mitsuru was never gone. And the girl he had been searching for all these years may have been closer than he ever imagined. Forced to return to the game he left behind in order to save his school's struggling Gaming Club, Ruko finds himself surrounded by four very different girls, each hiding secrets of her own. **Kazuha Shirogane** — his sharp-tongued childhood friend and the seemingly perfect Student Council President. **Risa Yukimura** — a silver-haired genius whose frightening analytical mind can dissect a match within seconds. **Hikari Amamiya** — a popular school idol whose knowledge of Ruko's past raises more questions than answers. **Kana Fujisaki** — an energetic food vlogger whose unpredictable instincts often defy logic. As the club climbs from complete beginners toward the national stage, friendships deepen, rivals appear, and the line between the virtual world and reality begins to blur. Because the greatest mystery isn't who Mitsuru is. It's why she hid the truth. In a story about hidden identities, broken promises, second chances, and the courage to step beyond the screen, Ruko must uncover the truth behind the legendary player who changed his life... ...and finally meet the girl behind the screen.
