Chapter 9: Sharpshooter Surprise
It’s been ages since I last sat at a computer.
Sure, I went to PC bangs during military leave or snuck in some gaming time, but sitting at a home computer like this?
It’s been forever.
Wait, hold on.
People might think I ended up here right after discharge.
No, it was a bit—a bit—after!
Why am I getting defensive?
“Wanna start with the practice range?
Gotta get used to the controls first.”
“Okay.”
Yukari, sitting beside me, pointed at the screen and smoothly guided me to the practice range.
Man, what even is this situation?
I came here just to say hi, and now I’m suddenly playing a game for her.
By the way, this is totally PUBG, right?
It screams PUBG.
“Chicken” for first place, the familiar level-3 helmet…
Sure, the character visuals and sounds are slightly different, but it’s basically the same game I know.
In the practice range, I picked up my trusty AK.
No need to hide it—I’m a sharpshooter, both in PUBG and real life.
Of course, the shooting’s different.
In the military, it was single shots, one by one; in the game, it’s full-auto sprays.
But the point is, I was called a sharpshooter in both.
“AK?
It’s got heavy recoil, but… you’ll be fine, right?”
I hear a worried voice beside me.
I get why Yukari’s concerned.
For a beginner, a low-recoil gun with less damage is better.
But I’m different.
I’m like a second-life newbie.
Just in case, I equipped a compensator from the practice range attachments and summoned a training dummy.
This is way different from the PUBG I knew.
The dummy moves!
Not like military targets, but a human-like dummy reenacting various scenarios.
The feature I always wanted in the original is here…
Oh, right, this is the future.
Makes sense.
“Hmm…”
Let’s start with some burst-fire to test the recoil.
Yuzuki Yukari was stunned.
Her jaw dropped, uncharacteristic for a teenage girl, but no one could scold her.
Everyone was just as shocked.
[11 Kills]
[Due to your AK…]
Massacre.
That’s the word anyone would think of seeing this screen.
Yukari stared blankly at IA, engrossed in the game.
This girl, who seemed to have zero gaming experience, was playing for the first time.
That was clear.
She didn’t know basic keybinds or the map layout.
But her adaptation was too fast.
First match: top 80 out of 100.
A chaotic early fight helped—pure luck, so it was brushed off.
Second match: top 60, with 4 kills.
Seemed like a fluke.
The opponent was clumsy, and she got kills with a grenade from afar while others fought.
Third match: top 30.
That’s when it felt off.
Instead of landing safely in a quiet spot, she dropped into a crowded city and racked up kills methodically.
And now, IA was in the top 10.
[What’s this?]
[Hidden pro?]
[Using an AK at that range?]
The chat was in chaos.
They expected her to fail after a few rounds and toss some pity donations, but this newbie’s skill was beyond imagination.
Her reflexes were insane.
The moment she heard a sound, her crosshair snapped to it, spotting enemies instantly and pulling the trigger without hesitation.
Watching live, no one could suspect hacks.
This was pure talent.
Ambush, counterattack, chaos—she dominated every scenario.
When she looted an M24, her range extended even further.
[13 Kills]
Every shot drew blood.
Since Yukari’s underage, blood was censored yellow, but the hits were clear.
IA wasn’t always one-shot-one-kill, but her second shot always dropped the enemy.
Even with a sniper rifle, she casually racked up kills at distances where targets were mere specks.
Awe-inspiring.
“Two left…”
IA’s murmur snapped Yukari back to reality.
The shrinking playzone was now the size of a school field, with the final three players gathered there.
IA didn’t rush.
She crouched in some bushes, calmly using an energy drink and painkillers.
Normally, with so few players left, people play it safe until the zone shrinks further, leading to a boring wait.
But…
“Huh?”
IA suddenly lobbed a grenade.
Her target: behind a rock on the opposite side.
Was she just throwing it blindly?
No more grenades left.
But Yukari’s guess was dead wrong.
“What?!
She knew they were there?!”
[????]
[What’s that?]
[Yo, host, map hack??]
Right after the grenade exploded, a faint medkit animation appeared behind the rock.
It didn’t kill, but grenades deal heavy damage.
A perfect chance to finish them.
Sadly, no more grenades.
So, a direct rush?
IA’s character started moving—not toward the rock, but somewhere else.
“Huh?
Where’s she going?”
Even sniping wouldn’t work from there due to a blind spot.
Moving recklessly could let the last player swoop in for the win…
Ratatat!
[Due to your AK…]
“What?!
No way?!”
Shockingly, IA ran straight to a bush where the last target was hiding and shredded them with a 7-round burst.
It was one-on-one now.
IA leisurely looted grenades and a Molotov from the body, then threw them all behind the rock.
The enemy bolted out.
With the zone shrinking and those throwables hitting, they had no choice but to run.
IA, as if waiting for this, pulled out her AK.
Only a few bullets left after the last kill, no reload.
Yukari was about to say something when…
Ratatat!
[Due to your AK…]
[Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!]
“…Huh?”
Yukari’s brain froze at the message on the screen.
That was fun.
It’d been a while since I played PUBG, but my skills hadn’t rusted.
My aim and reflexes were always freakishly good—people used to call me a macro user.
Here, that talent shone through unfiltered.
The game’s mechanics being the same as the PUBG I knew helped a ton.
Five matches, and I got a chicken dinner.
Satisfying.
Back in the lobby, I glanced at the stream.
As expected, the chat was going wild.
Fair enough.
If I saw a newbie who’d never played pull off kills like that and win, I’d be shocked too.
But what can I say?
I’m like a veteran rookie.
It’s not even ranked, so no shame!
Anyway, I did my part, so time to step back.
It’s Yukari’s stream, so I should get up.
Wow, past 10 PM?
I got too into it.
“Yuzuki-san?”
But the stream’s host was just staring blankly at the screen.
Wondering what’s up, I waved a hand in front of her face.
She flinched, and I couldn’t help but think she was kinda cute.
“Huh?!
Oh, yes!
Great job!
You must be tired.
I’ll settle up tomorrow, so why don’t you rest?
Maki-san will show you to your room.”
“I was gonna do that anyway…
Why do I feel annoyed?”
“No, no, misunderstanding!
Haha…”
“Hmm, I’ll let it slide.
Let’s go, IA.”
“Okay.
Good work, Yuzuki-san.”
“No need to be so formal!
Just call me Yukari.
We’re the same age.”
Even if she doesn’t seem like it, Yukari’s an extrovert too.
Approaching someone she just met so boldly…
“Okay, Yukari-san.”
Leaving a slightly dissatisfied Yukari behind, we exited the room.
I’ll use her name, but I can’t drop the honorifics yet.
No idea how long I’ll keep this up, but probably for a while.
It’s weirder to drop them right after meeting, especially for an introvert like me.
“By the way, where’s Akari?”
I haven’t seen her since I started playing.
“Akari?
Probably off eating a late-night snack.”
“Still?”
“Yeah.”
She ate that* much at dinner and is already snacking again?
Growing kids are something else.
Wait, hold on.
If she’s been eating this whole time I was playing, what’s the state of her stomach…?
A strange fear crept in.