Suzume stared at the business card for twenty minutes before working up the courage to dial.

  She sighed for the third time in the last fifteen minutes.

  [This is stupid. She probably didn't mean it. She was just being polite.]

  The phone rang once. Then twice.

  And suddenly:

  "Yeah?"

  Kasumi's voice was different over the phone. Deeper. More relaxed.

  "Um, hi. This is Suzu-chan? From the maid cafe?"

  "Oh! Hey there, cutie. What's up?"

  [Cutie. She called me cutie.] She shook her head. [Focus.]

  "I was wondering if... if your offer still stands? About training?"

  "Of course! You hit Level 5 already?"

  "Not yet, but I'm close. Thing is..." Suzume took a breath. "I don't want to register with the Association yet."

  Silence on the other end.

  "That's interesting. Why not?"

  "Personal reasons. I just... I need to get stronger first. Before I deal with all that bureaucracy."

  "Hmm." Kasumi's tone was unreadable. "You know that's technically illegal, right?"

  "I know."

  Another pause.

  "Alright. Fuck it. Meet me at Yoyogi Park tomorrow. 6 AM. Northwest entrance."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, why not? The Association can kiss my ass anyway. See you there, cutie."

  The line went dead.

  Suzume sat there, phone still pressed to her ear.

  [Did that actually just happen?]

  ---

  Suzume arrived at 5:45 AM instead, wearing workout clothes that had seen better days. Her shoulder still ached from the Bark Hound, but the bandages held.

  Kasumi showed up right at 6, looking like she'd stepped out of a fitness magazine. Black sports bra, tight leggings, hair pulled back in a ponytail that somehow made her look even hotter.

  "Suzu-chan! You made it!"

  "Just Suzume is fine. I'm not at work."

  Kasumi looked her up and down.

  "Your hair's black."

  "Oh. Yeah. The pink is a wig for work."

  "Ohhh," She nodded slowly. "I like it better this way. Nice seeing someone who doesn't look like they're trying to cosplay their favorite anime character."

  [Is that a compliment? I think that's a compliment.]

  "Thanks?"

  "So, what class are you?"

  The question came so casually that Suzume almost answered honestly. She caught herself at the last second and instead replied:

  "Fighter."

  "Fighter? Really?" Kasumi tilted her head. "You don't have the build for it."

  "Maybe I'm a late bloomer."

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  Kasumi clearly doubted her but Suzume knew, now being an awakened herself, that Kasumi couldn't see that she was wrong.

  When inspecting another Player, all you could see was their level, HP, and MP. Everything else you kinda had to just guess, unless...

  [Unless you have one of those Association contraptions that register you. Hence why I can't just go along with them. My identity will be outed immediately.]

  "Fair enough. Show me your stance."

  Suzume tried to copy what she'd seen in MeTube videos. Feet apart, fists up, weight forward.

  Kasumi walked around her, examining.

  "Your center of gravity is all wrong. Here."

  She stepped behind Suzume, hands on her hips.

  [Oh god. Oh god she's touching me.]

  "Feel that? Your weight should be here, not there. Bend your knees more."

  Kasumi's breath was literally on her neck, so warm. Suzume's brain short-circuited.

  "Like this?"

  "Better. Now, when you throw a punch, it starts from your feet. Watch."

  Kasumi moved to face her, demonstrating a basic jab. The motion was fluid, her whole body working together.

  "Your turn."

  Suzume tried to copy it. Her punch looked like a wet noodle in comparison.

  "No, no. You're just using your arm. Here."

  Kasumi grabbed Suzume's hand, guiding her through the motion. Their fingers intertwined for a moment.

  [Her hands are so soft. How are her hands so soft when she punches monsters for a living?]

  "Feel the difference?"

  "Y-Yeah."

  "Good. Again."

  They spent an hour on basic punches. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut. Suzume's form was terrible, but Kasumi was patient.

  "The thing about fighting monsters," Kasumi said, watching Suzume practice, "is that they don't fight fair. A goblin will go for your ankles. An orc will try to grapple. You need to be ready for anything."

  "How do you prepare for that?"

  "Experience. And getting your ass kicked a lot in training."

  She grinned.

  "Speaking of which, let's spar."

  "What? Already?"

  "Best way to learn. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Won't even use any Skills."

  [Good, cause I don't actually have any Fighter Skills myself.]

  They squared up. Suzume's heart pounded.

  Kasumi moved first, a lazy jab that Suzume saw coming. She tried to dodge but moved the wrong way. The fist barely grazed her cheek.

  "Too slow. Again."

  Another jab. This time Suzume managed to lean back.

  "Better! Now try to hit me."

  Suzume threw a punch. Kasumi didn't even move. Just tilted her head slightly and the fist went past her ear.

  "Telegraphing. I saw that coming from last week."

  "How do I not telegraph?"

  "Practice. And this."

  Kasumi grabbed Suzume's shoulders, pulling her close.

  "Look at my eyes, not my hands. The eyes always give it away first."

  They were close. Too close. Suzume could smell Kasumi's shampoo. Something fruity.

  "R-Right. Eyes."

  They went back to sparring. Suzume still couldn't land a hit, but she started seeing Kasumi's attacks coming.

  "Good! You're a quick learner, aren't ya?"

  "Kasumi!"

  A voice called out. A girl with short brown hair jogged over. She looked younger than both of them, maybe sixteen.

  "Mika! What are you doing here?"

  "Morning run. Who's this?"

  "Suzume. I'm helping her train."

  Mika's eyes widened.

  "Wait, are you taking on students now?"

  "Just helping a friend."

  "Speaking of help," Mika pulled out an envelope. "Thank you again for this. The registration fee was killing me."

  "Don't mention it."

  "No, seriously. I never would have been able to register at the Association without you."

  Kasumi waved her off.

  "I always take care of my friends. Now get out of here before someone sees us training an unregistered Player."

  Mika laughed and jogged away.

  Kasumi turned back to Suzume.

  "Where were we?"

  Suzume blinked, eyes wide.

  "You paid for her registration?"

  "Is it that shocking?"

  "Most Players would rather fight a hundred goblins than give someone a yen."

  "Ha!" Kasumi cackled. "Well, what can I say? She needed it." She shrugged. "The Association fees are bullshit anyway. 50,000 yen just to get a license? Criminal."

  "That's... really nice of you."

  "I'm not nice. I'm practical. More Players means more people clearing dungeons, which means fewer outbreaks."

  She got back into stance.

  "Now come on. We've got another hour before the park fills up."

  ---

  They trained until 8 AM. By the end, Suzume was drenched in sweat and every muscle ached. But she'd managed to land exactly one punch on Kasumi's shoulder.

  "Not bad for a first timer," Kasumi said, barely winded. "Same time tomorrow?"

  "You want to do this again?"

  "Why not? You're fun to teach. Plus you're cute when you're concentrating."

  Suzume's face burned.

  "I... okay. Tomorrow."

  "Great! Oh, and Suzume?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Work on your cardio. You're gasping like you just ran a marathon."

  She winked and walked away, ponytail swaying.

  Suzume stood there, watching her go.

  [I'm so fucked.]

  ---

  Back in her apartment, Suzume collapsed on her bed. Everything hurt in the best way.

  Her phone buzzed. It was Yumi.

  "How's the shoulder?"

  "Fine. I found someone to train me."

  "Who?"

  "Just someone."

  "Mysterious. Well, there's another unstable dungeon in Meguro. You interested?"

  Suzume looked at her hands. She could still feel Kasumi's fingers guiding them.

  [Butterflies. Actual butterflies. What am I, twelve?]

  "Suzume?"

  "Yeah. Send me the details."

  She hung up and grabbed her notebook. Pages of monster data stared back at her.

  [Focus. People need you. You can't get distracted by pretty girls with perfect abs and soft hands and...]

  She shook her head.

  Then, she opened to a fresh page and started writing.

  "Fighting Techniques - Day 1"

  "Jab: Power comes from feet, not arms. Rotate hips."

  "Cross: Full body rotation. Keep guard up with other hand."

  "Hook: Horizontal arc. Target ribs or jaw."

  "Uppercut: Drive up from legs. Target chin or solar plexus."

  "Note: Watch eyes, not hands. Eyes telegraph movement."

  "Additional note: Kasumi smells like strawberries."

  She crossed out that last line.

  Then wrote it again in the margin.

  [Get it together, Suzume.]

  Her Rescuer class wasn't meant for fighting. These techniques might never work against real monsters. But she had to try.