Rendered in Code and Color

Chapter 3: Friendships Old and New

Before parting ways after their previous lecture, the new group of friends compared class itineraries. Kaori, Ayaka, and Miyuki all shared the next two classes. Their shared schedule was no surprise; they were all artists, after all. On top of that, Kazuki and Hiroshi both shared their next two classes.

For Kazuki and Hiroshi, this came as a pleasant social break. They'd hit it off with the girls, but the bubbly attitudes, especially Ayaka's, could sometimes be overwhelming. This was particularly true for Kazuki, who wasn't accustomed to such a lively social setting. It wasn't that Ayaka was annoying—on the contrary—but occasionally, a calm moment provided a welcome contrast.

This arrangement suited Kazuki and Hiroshi well. As the only two guys in the group, they cherished the chance to chat privately.

Kazuki wasn't a stranger to friendships. While he was a quiet, nerdy gamer type, he had a group where he belonged in his hometown. Unfortunately, he had to relocate across the country shortly after starting his second year of high school.

He kept in touch with his old friends through a popular voice chat app for gamers called Datcord. Their virtual hangouts on the chat server kept his connection with them alive, and they would even play games together.

In his new city, though, Kazuki hadn't quite settled. Perhaps he had built walls around himself, not by intention but by inaction. He didn't want to come off as standoffish, but he didn't make efforts to make friends either. Over time, this solitude transformed into a comforting routine. While his peers willingly interacted or collaborated with him, he remained on the outskirts of their intimate circles.

At times, he caught Miyuki — Tokyo's princess — casting gentle glances in his direction or appearing as though she wished to bridge the gap between them. Her kindness was evident in every gesture. He surmised that perhaps she sympathized with his solitary nature. It wasn't that he felt inferior to her; he simply couldn't fathom any other reason for her to notice him. To avoid putting her in a position where she might feel compelled to approach out of sheer courtesy, he'd sometimes depart school early or discreetly excuse himself, appreciating her goodwill from a respectful distance.

Kazuki hummed in thought. "Maybe that wasn't the case after all." He thought back to how Miyuki casually interacted with them in the previous class.

"What's not the case?" Hiroshi asked.

Kazuki glanced up, slightly caught off guard. "Oh, sorry. I just zoned out there for a moment."

Hiroshi chuckled. "Yeah, I get you. With how energetic Ayaka can be, spending some time alone feels like coming down from a sugar rush. But hey, don't tell her I said that."

Kazuki smiled wryly. "Said what? I didn't hear anything."

"Thanks, man. She'd roast me alive," Hiroshi said with a laugh. "On a different note, it's cool that we have the next couple of classes together. I didn't expect you to take a programming class, though."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to take a writing class either. But if my goal is to be the guy that can bring everyone's talents together to create a great story, I want to be able to help everyone on the team."

Hiroshi nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. You want to be as useful as possible. As for me, I don't want to just code the games; I want to help create their stories too. I mean, coding is already just a more technical version of writing anyway. Maybe with that expertise, I'd be able to bring a unique perspective to the creative side too."

Kazuki smiled, appreciating Hiroshi's perspective. "That's a good goal. The best video games are the ones that were a collaborative effort from all departments, like with Mihom Falcon's games. I think you'd have a lot of valuable input."