EX-istential Crisis

Chapter 7: The Punch King's Duel

Nelly strolled into Cyberton University, headphones on, trying to keep a low profile after the recent chaos in his life. But as he passed the main courtyard, something unusual caught his eye—a large crowd gathering near the arcade machine section.

"Man, what's going on over there?" he muttered to himself.

He couldn't help but overhear the murmurs in the crowd: "Who can beat the new high score on the punching machine?" and "If you hit 4200, you'll earn the title of Punch King!"

Nelly's heart dropped. He remembered that fateful day not long ago when he accidentally broke the machine, hitting a score of 4200 when it should have only gone up to 4000.

Flashback: Nelly hesitated for a moment, but the pain inside him was too much. He slipped the gloves off, bare-knuckled now, and prepared for another punch. His friends exchanged worried glances but didn't stop him. This wasn't just about a game anymore—it was about Nelly confronting everything.

He pictured Miro's face. He saw the guy she left him for. The promises that shattered like glass. His entire body shook with emotion as he pulled his fist back and unleashed a devastating punch.

BAM!

The machine's score shot up—4200 points. His friends stood speechless for a second.

But Nelly wasn't done. Fueled by rage, he wound up for another punch, even harder this time.

3800 flashed on the screen before the machine sputtered, lights flickering and making weird noises. It couldn't take any more.

"Uh... time to leave," Ein muttered.

Without missing a beat, the entire group burst into laughter and sprinted out of the arcade, leaving the broken machine behind.

Present Day

"Crap, that's me!" Nelly thought, trying to keep his cool. "Maybe if I just sneak past quietly, no one will recognize me."

But luck wasn't on his side. As he tried to slip away, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.

"What the—?" Nelly barely had time to react before he felt a mask being placed over his face, his vision going digitalized.

"Gotcha! It's your time to shine, bud!" Shin's voice said with a mischievous laugh. Before Nelly knew it, his friends had dragged him toward the machine.

The crowd parted as they pushed Nelly forward. He tried to resist, but the moment he caught sight of Mira standing among the onlookers, his plan to punch weakly vanished. She was looking directly at him, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Nelly's pulse quickened.

The Arcade Master stepped forward, holding a cybercard scanner. "Alright, let's see your Cybercard, buddy. You're up next." He swiped Nelly's card into the machine.

As the machine lit up, Nelly muttered, "Okay, just pretend to punch weakly... No big deal."

But then, something changed in him. He glanced at Mira again, and without thinking, he slowly peeled off his gloves. His friends noticed the shift immediately.

"I don't think you should take off your glove-", Arcade staff said and then the Arcade Master grinningly said "Let him cook".

Shin, Dan, and Ryan stood frozen. The atmosphere changed, thick with intensity.

"Uh oh," Ryan whispered, nudging Dan. "He's getting serious..."

Shin gulped, backing up slightly. "This... was your idea, Dan. We should run after this."

Nelly took a deep breath, focusing all his energy. He closed his eyes, imagining every ounce of frustration, hurt, and anger from his past—the betrayals, the embarrassment, the pain.