The arcade was louder than usual today. Maybe it was the sound of schoolchildren during the holiday season. Maybe the machine volumes were turned up louder than usual. Kian puts some of the 20 of the 50 Ringgit he got for his recent PT3 results into the token machine. The sound of coins pattering within the metal collection hole was barely heard over the noise of the arcade. Kian picks them up and puts the heavy stash into his hoodie pockets. He looks upon the various machines, deciding on which game he wants to play. He didn't even know why he came here, but it was better than being home alone on his computer again.

Kian sits down in one of the racing machines, only because nobody else were at these ones and plopped two coins into the slots. He was almost done selecting a track when the screen showed a new challenger joining. He looked to the side and there was a figure sitting at the machine next to him. The figure wore a dark green hoodie, a cap and a mask making their face indistinguishable. He smiled at the figure but it didn't seem to give any response. Well, at least its going to get exciting.

Kian could not believe what happened after that. This mystery person kept beating him in every single race, which made him lose almost all of his coins. Now all he had were two more and at this point, if he didn't win, he didn't know what he would do with himself. Whoever this person is, they must have been really, really good but all he could think of at that moment was beating this person.

The last race was intense, he definitely felt sweat this time and his jaw was clenched the entire race. There were points when both of them were literally side by side on the track and it took all of Kian's know how and experience (even if it was very little) to push his car on.

"Finally got ya!" Kian exclaimed, pointing at the figure as he crossed the finish line ahead of them.

The mystery person slowly turned to look at him. He gulped. Did he do something wrong? Suddenly, the person gave a smile judging by its eyes, then took another two coins out of their pocket. Kian groaned, knowing this time he was really going to get it. The figure giggled in a high pitch which confused Kian, who thought it was a guy like himself. The mystery person entered the two coins into the machine as Kian looked forward once more preparing himself.

"OI!"

He suddenly heard an exclamation from behind him. The person and him both turned around to see a woman in a sundress walking towards the figure. The woman yanked the mystery person out from the machine by the arm and pulled off the hoodie and cap causing black, wavy shoulder length hair to flop out. Kian was right, it was a girl.

"Playing games again! Didn't I say those things will rot your brain? We are going home!" The lady aggressively said to the mysterious person.

He watched as the girl was led by the hand towards the exit. She turns back and looks at Kian who was suddenly awestruck by the fact a girl could beat him in a game.

"We can play again, ok?" he strained his voice trying to be louder than the screaming children and blaring machines around him.

▶

Kian felt a light tap on his shoulder. He removed his headset and looked behind him at a guy standing over him. The sun shone behind the guy but Kian knew who it was because of the curly hair and glasses. It was his course mate, Noel.

"Kris!" Noel exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing in here? You didn't attend class just now...AGAIN." Noel said.

Kian shushed him. "Dude, read the sign. No raising voices in the cyber café. And yea...but I noticed my ranking drop this morning. Needed to maintain my top 10."

"Attendance is literally 5% of your grade, it counts for something too, Kris."

"I'll make up for it in my finals," Kian puts on his headphones again. "It doesn't matter."

Noel takes them off. "I know you want to go professional my guy, but...until then, you still have a life and studies to take care of, you know?"

Kian rubs his neck. "I have been, ok?"

"Come on man, you're smart but you can't keep doing this y'know?"

Kian shrugged. "Ok, then let me play one more game."

Noel sighs. "Let's go for lunch then."

"I'll...pick something up along the way." He says clicking on the start button to queue for a game.

"Why not eat together with me?"

"I'm busy as you can see." Kian motions at the monitor.

Noel moves the mouse and stops the queue. "We are going to eat together."

"What the hell dude!" Kian said, annoyed.

"Watch your voice man, you said no shouting in here."

"Yea but you stopped my queue! You know how I don't like meddl-"

"I belanja you."

Kian stopped complaining. "You for real ah, dude?"

"You don't want can also." Noel started walking towards the exit.

"W- Wait!" He shouted. A few people shushed him as he packed his things. He headed to the counter beside the exit. "Boss, cancel saya punya satu jam ya." The clerk nodded and Kian ran down the steps.

He comes out of a narrow stairway and out into the shade of the shop lot. The Malaysian heat was blazing hot and Kian immediately felt sweat forming on his back. He looked across the road to see Noel waiting for him.

"Faster lah!" Noel shouted.

Kian adjusted his glasses and leaned back in his coffeeshop chair. He started a game on his phone while he waited for Noel to finish his meal. Kian was always a fast eater helped by the fact that he always needed to be ready for a game. Most of his family were surprised at how he could take a whole plate of nasi kandar and leave it clean within five minutes.

"Yo, you're president of the gaming club, right?" Noel asked in between a spoonful of rice.

Kian looked up from his phone and then looked back at it. "Yea, why?"

"Are you going to attend the fundraiser meeting tomorrow?"

"What meeting?" Kian continued looking at his phone.

"Dude, you're the president of a club and you're asking a secretary?"

"Because I don't remember a meeting like that."

Noel sighed. "The one where two clubs are drawn together to come up with a fundraiser for a charity?"

Oh yea...that thing. Kian remembered his vice president, Meng, mentioning something like that to him. Shame he was telling him while Kian was in the middle of a game.

"I...wait ah." Kian stopped mid-sentence to concentrate on his game for a while. After completing the round, he continued. "I...not really sure lah to be honest. I don't really know what it's all about."

"Your club didn't participate in the last one two years ago?" Noel looked puzzled.

Kian thought for a while. "Not sure. I think we just went out to buy a few consoles and headsets as prizes for the other club. Something like that."

"That's not really participating, is it?" Noel shoveled a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "Your club is pretty lame dude."

Kian shrugged. "That's what they all say."

"You got bring your car today?" Noel moved on to his soup.

"Nope."

"I'll drive you to class then. I brought my car."

"I...I'll take a grab don't wor- "

"You're going back to the cybercafe aren't you." Noel looked at Kian and pursed his lips.

"N-no."

"Don't lie to me Kris, I've been your friend since high school. I know you want to go back."

"But my rank..."

"We. Have. Classes, Kris."

Kian sighed. "Fine."

▶

The lecture hall was silent except for the voice of a lecturer explaining something about microcomputers. Kian sat in his favourite spot. The absolute farthest row away from the front. This was the only way he could be on his laptop watching gameplays without being noticed by people behind him. Not that he would have cared. But being caught looking at games in class is probably not what he wanted.

"All right class. We will continue this topic tomorrow. Please remember to sign your attendance. Thank you."

The hall became noisy again with students packing their bags and shifting out of their seats. Kian himself packed his bags and was going to head out before being stopped by a pair of students halfway towards the exit. One of them wore a Manchester United jersey and the other a white t-shirt, though Kian didn't recognize them.

"Um, you are Kian, right?" White t-shirt guy said having to slightly tilt his head upwards just to meet Kian's eyes.

"Yes?" Kian shifted his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"Yea, we are actually your group mates for the assignment in System Development Methods. Have you done your part of the assignment yet?"

Crap. "Actually...no lah." Kian scratched the back of his head and gave a guilty smile.

The two students looked at each other and then back at Kian. "You haven't read our messages in the group?" Manchester United guy asked.

"I...don't think so?" But Kian knew he hadn't because he never reads his messages.

Both of them sighed. "Kris, your part is due today you know? It's already Thursday. We need to compile it so that we can send it in by this Saturday and be ready for the presentation on Monday."

Kian was already tired listening to the guy say that. "I, um, ok. So...my part is?"

The pair were clearly getting annoyed but managed to keep their tempers in check. "Just check the group and you'll find it, ok? We hope you can send it in by tomorrow morning." The guy in the white t-shirt said crossing his arms.

"Ok then." Kian gave an ok symbol, a half assed smile and quickly walked past the pair of them. He needed to get back to his game before his ranking dropped. He exited the lecture hall and walked through a few corridors taking an elevator down one floor towards his favourite room.

The computer lab was basically eight different rooms full of computers in four rows for the usage of students whether it be for classes or for projects. All of them are reserved for classes except one. The gaming club decided to convert one of the rooms into their official club room and that was where Kian was headed. He opened the door and was greeted with darkness. The room was only lit by a lamp at the corner of the room nearest to the entrance for administrative purposes, LED lights on the ceiling and of course computer screens. It was empty today, perfect. He wrote his name down in a clipboard at the table and sat down at one of the computers feeling a sense of relief.

"Kris!" A voice called out of the dark.

Kian jumped a little and turned to his left. "Woi Meng, what the hell you doing under the desk?"

A guy with bleached, straight hair clambered out and sat on one of the gaming chairs. The LED lights shone on his face as Kian recognized it was Meng, his vice president. "I was expecting you and wanted to get your blood pumping." Meng laughed.

"I can get my blood pumping just fine after a few games." Kian turned back to the computer screen.

"You know, one of the student council members came here just now." Meng said as he rolled the chair towards the computer beside Kian and moved some hair from his eyes.

"And?"

"Well, the student council wanted to know whether our club was attending the fundraiser meeting tomorrow."

"I...don't know, Meng. I have a lot to do," Kian entered his username and password and started a matchmaking queue. "Besides, we aren't really that active anyways."

"Exactly," Meng started typing a few things into his computer. He pushed the monitor to face Kian. "Student council are on our asses because of that."

Kian turned his head towards the screen. It was an email.

To: [email protected]

CC: [email protected],[email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Club Inactivity

Dear Mr. Low Yi Kian,

We would like to inform you that due to your club's inactivity for the past two years, the club will be under investigation under section 2 of the university rules for clubs and activities for inactivity spanning more than one year.

The student council would like to encourage members of the club committee to participate in or hold any activity within this semester that may show the club's willingness to continue its running. Failure to do so will further the investigation and lead to the suspension of the club.

Best Regards,

STACY

Stacy P. Anderson

Secretary

Student Council

University of Malaysia National

Kian did not look phased at all. He looked back to his monitor, accepted a matchmaking invite and locked in his champion.

"Kris? You don't care ah? It's already September. Our club literally has three more months to live." Meng sounded worried. He pushed the monitor back in its original position.

Kian sighed. "Look man, I didn't choose to be president and I could care less. The previous members wanted the committee members to be decided using 1v1s and of course, I won."

"Well, that's true. But still, you have a responsibility to the club."

"An unwanted one. I just wanted to play games, ok? I have no idea about running a club or activities." Kian loaded into the game and started clicking away.

"And what about the members? They don't want to play?" Kian didn't seem to listen to him. "We are one of the only universities in the area with a gaming club and a computer lab of this magnitude."

A group of boys come into the room laughing. Kian and Meng turned and looked at them probably half-scaring the group. The boys lowered their voices into a state of whisper and wrote their names down in the clipboard before sitting down in one section of the room.

"This is a safe space for some of us, Kris." Meng pleaded. "Cyber cafes are getting more expensive, not to mention violent due to the gang fights. I doubt most of us want to play at home with the shitty internet we have."

Once again, Kian just continued playing, showing no signs of being stressed over the whole fiasco. Meng got up from his chair.

"Kris," Meng sighed. "I'm going to attend the fundraiser meeting. I will represent the club and whichever club we get drawn with; I will do my best to work with them." And with that Meng headed towards the exit leaving Kian to his game.

GAME OVER: CHAPTER ONE