Quick heads-up:
( ) = Kaze's inner monologues
"Alright, class! Today we're going to play Bughouse chess with different groups!"
She announced, clapping her hands together with enough force to make her chest jiggle slightly beneath the strained fabric, a movement that lasted barely a second but was caught by every pair of eyes in the front row. The female students rolled their eyes at the boys' obvious distraction.
Groans rippled through the room like waves lapping against a shore, some students slumping dramatically over their desks while others exchanged looks of pure dread. It was mentally taxing, exhausting, the kind of activity that made you wish you'd faked a stomach ache that morning or suddenly developed a mysterious fever that required immediate bed rest.
"What's the point of this game, sensei..." a student muttered from the back, his head resting on his folded arms in a display of utter defeat.
"Yeah, we all know either Masakami-kun's group or Itsuki-san's group is gonna win!" another chimed in, gesturing vaguely toward the two prodigies.
Izumi-sen's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smirk that transformed her usually innocent face into something almost predatory, her eyes glinting with mischief. "That's right. So here's the deal — if any of you lose a game, you won't get any punishment. But each round they lose? They get a punishment. Deal?"
The shift in atmosphere was immediate and electric, like someone had flipped a switch that transformed the classroom from a morgue into a carnival. Students sat up straighter, their eyes lighting up with the fire of competition and the sweet taste of potential revenge. A few even pumped their fists in the air like they'd just won the lottery.
"Woo! That's a great idea!"
"I'm going all out! No matter what, I'll beat one of 'em!"
"But what's the punishment?"
Ah. The real question that hung in the air like a guillotine blade, waiting to drop. What exactly would happen to the losers? What humiliating, embarrassing, potentially life-ruining task would they have to perform in front of the entire class?
Izumi-sen tilted her head, tapping her chin with a perfectly manicured finger as she pretended to think deeply about the matter, her brow furrowing in an exaggerated display of contemplation.
"Hmm... I dunno, I just came up with this idea right after you all complained~" She flashed a "tee-hee" smile that was far too cute for a woman in her late twenties, complete with a playful wink that made her seem more like a mischievous older sister than a professional educator.
"Let us decide ourselves!"
"Yeah, students' rights!"
Izumi-sen glanced at Kaze, who was sitting near the back with Masakami Kento after being pared with him, and winked at him playfully, her tongue poking out slightly in a gesture of shared conspiracy. "Sure, why not?"
(Huh?)
(Seriously? Izumi-sen's more like a naive teenager than an actual teacher...)
Kaze didn't respond, simply staring ahead with the same blank expression he'd worn since the beginning of class, his fingers drumming a slow, lazy rhythm on the wooden desk.
The rounds were brutal and unrelenting, a gauntlet of mental warfare that left students slumped in their chairs with headaches and bruised egos. Groups threw everything they had at Itsuki's team, but it was like watching children try to knock down a brick wall with paper airplanes — futile, exhausting, and slightly pathetic to witness. The combination of the Top 2 student and the Top 4 student in the exam was basically cheating, an unfair advantage that made everyone else look like amateurs playing their first game of checkers.
"Kuh, that's just unfair..." a student groaned, rubbing his temples as he watched Sato effortlessly dismantle another opponent's defense.
"Not only academics, they're good at chess too! What's next, they can fly?"
On the other side of the classroom, Kento was playing like a man possessed by the spirit of a grandmaster, his eyes sharp and focused as he captured pieces left and right with surgical precision. He was sweating slightly, the strain of carrying the team evident in the tension of his shoulders and the way his jaw was clenched tight. Every game felt like he was dragging a dead weight across the finish line, and it was taking its toll on his usually composed demeanor.
"Unfair, LOL."
"It's only Masakami-kun doing all the work..."
"Takuya-kun is dragging him down so bad..."
Kaze heard the whispers but didn't react, his expression remaining as blank as a freshly erased whiteboard. He moved his pieces mechanically, without any real strategy or passion, like a robot going through the motions of a program it had long since stopped caring about, but still winning all of them.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived — the ultimate match-up, the clash of titans that would decide the fate of the entire tournament. Sato and Kazumi versus Kaze and Kento. The entire class gathered around the central table, forming a tight circle of eager spectators who didn't want to miss a single move of this epic confrontation.
Before the game started, Kento leaned in close to Kaze, his voice low and serious, barely above a whisper that was meant only for Kaze's ears. "Hey, Takuya-kun... I don't know what I did to bother you, but I apologize. So can you please take this seriously? You don't wanna do something embarrassing after losing, right?"
Silence stretched between them like a rubber band about to snap.
"They're tough opponents. If you keep acting like a slow sloth, we're definitely gonna lose."
"I know."
It's just a chess game, though...
"I trust that your mom was proud of you when you achieved something. So treat this game like that."
Nothing. Just the same blank stare, the same unreadable expression that made Kento want to shake him by the shoulders until some emotion, any emotion, appeared on his face.
"Alright, this is the last game!" Izumi-sen shouted. She was standing near the main board, her blazer now completely off and draped over her chair, leaving her in just the white blouse that was doing absolutely nothing to hide the curves beneath. "This time, we're not playing Bughouse — some of you reported it's unfair. So let's just play standard chess!"
She cleared her throat, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was unconsciously seductive. The movement made her blouse shift, pulling taut across her chest.
"Also, this won't be a pair game. You four play individually at the same time. That means two of you will lose. Punishment is inevitable."
The arrangement was announced with a flourish of her hand, as if she were revealing the final contestants in a game show rather than assigning seats for a chess match.
Takuya Kaze vs. Masakami Kento, Itsuki Sato vs. Yagami Kazumi
"Me against Takuya-kun?" Kento muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he studied his opponent across the table. Kaze was already seated, his fingers resting lightly on the edge of the board, his expression as unreadable as ever. "No matter what, I have to be careful."
The game began with the soft click of pieces being moved across the board, a sound that seemed to echo in the suddenly silent classroom.
*Note: You can skip this part
Kaze opened with e4. Standard. Textbook. The kind of opening that any beginner would play, showing no particular ambition or creativity. Kento responded with c5 — the Sicilian Defense, a sharp and aggressive response that immediately put pressure on Kaze's position. Kaze developed his Knight with Nf3, still following the most basic lines of theory.
"In the previous games, I was too focused on capturing pieces. I literally forgot to observe his playstyle... But I think it wouldn't matter."
Kento played d6, supporting his c5 pawn and preparing to develop his pieces behind a solid pawn structure. Kaze pushed d4, challenging him directly in the center, a move that showed at least some understanding of chess principles. Kento captured the pawn, and Kaze recaptured with Nxd6, bringing his Knight to an active square.
Kento analyzed the position for a few seconds, his mind racing through variations and possibilities. He was in the advantage — not by much, but enough to feel confident. He played Nf6, attacking Kaze's e4 pawn while simultaneously preventing Kaze from pushing his pawn again and gaining more space. Kaze responded with Nc3, defending the e4 pawn while also developing another piece, bringing his forces into the game.
Kento played a6, a quiet move that prepared to expand on the queenside. Kaze played Bg5, pinning the f6 Knight to the Queen and putting immediate pressure on Kento's position. Kento defended with Qe6, avoiding the creation of doubled pawns that would weaken his structure. Kaze pushed f4, strengthening his Bishop on g5 and creating a solid pawn chain in the center.
Kento played b5, launching a pre-emptive attack on the queenside, his pawns advancing like soldiers marching into battle. Kaze boldly pushed e4 to e5, attacking both the pawn on d6 and the Knight on f6 simultaneously, a double attack that required immediate attention. Kento captured with d6, removing the threat to his pawn, and Kaze recaptured with f4, now attacking the f6 Knight again with his pawn.
Kento noticed the game was getting interesting, the position becoming sharp and tactical. So he decided to shock Kaze with something unexpected, a move that would test whether his opponent was really paying attention or just going through the motions.
Instead of defending his Knight or moving it away from the advancing e5 pawn, he moved his Queen to c7, leaving the Knight hanging in the middle of the board like bait on a fishing hook.
The students gasped audibly, a collective intake of breath that filled the room.
"Wh-What is he doing?"
"Isn't that just a free Knight?"
"Shh, let them focus!" Izumi-sen hushed them, leaning forward over the table to get a better view. The movement caused her blouse to gape open slightly, revealing the top of her cleavage, but she didn't seem to notice or care, her attention entirely focused on the game.
Kaze paused. His eyes, which had been half-lidded and disinterested, suddenly sharpened, focusing on the board with an intensity that hadn't been there before. He scanned the position, his mind calculating the variations, seeing the trap that Kento had set. If he took the Knight with exf6, Kento would play Qe5 with a check, attacking the King and the Bishop simultaneously. Then wherever Kaze moved, Kento would capture the g5 Bishop and also attack the undefended f6 pawn, winning material and leaving Kaze's position in ruins.
Kaze played it safe. Qe2, defending the e5 pawn and refusing to fall into the trap.
Kento's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually composed features. He noticed. This wasn't the same lazy student who had been dragging his feet all day. This was someone who could see through tactics, who understood the deeper layers of the game.
He played Nfd7, moving his Knight to safety and preventing Kaze from capturing it. Kaze responded by castling queenside — O-O-O — a dangerous move that exposed his King to the queenside attack that Kento had been preparing, but also brought his Rook into the game and connected his pieces.
But Kento didn't attack immediately. Instead, he developed his Bishop to b7, putting pressure on the long diagonal and threatening to infiltrate Kaze's position.
Then it happened.
Kaze played Nxe6.
A Knight for a defended pawn. It was stupid. Unbelievable. Suicide. Kento scanned the board, confused, trying to understand what Kaze was thinking. He couldn't see any follow-up, any compensation for the lost material. He concluded that Kaze had simply blundered, and he captured the Knight with his pawn, earning a free piece.
Kaze played Qg4, attacking the e6 pawn and threatening checkmate if Kento didn't respond correctly. If Kento ignored the threat, Kaze would play Qxg7, attacking the Rook on h8 and threatening a devastating check on h8. To protect the pawn, Kento played Qc6, defending the e6 pawn and blocking the diagonal.
Then came the move that no one expected.
Kaze played Rd6.
A free Rook. The students gasped again, unable to believe what they were seeing. Kento couldn't capture it with his Queen because of the e5 pawn, but he could use his f8 Bishop. Trading a Bishop for a Rook was a good deal — he was already two points ahead, and this would increase his advantage even further.
But Kaze didn't recapture the Bishop on d6. Instead, he played Qxe6+, taking the e6 pawn with check, the Queen attacking the King from a square that the Bishop had just vacated. The Bishop had been blocking the Queen from defending the pawn, and now that it was gone, the pawn was completely undefended.
Kento had no choice. He played Kf8, moving his King to safety and escaping the check.
Kaze wasn't done. He sacrificed his Bishop with Bxb5, taking a pawn that was double protected by the a6 pawn and the Queen on c6. It was a shocking move, a piece sacrifice that seemed to come out of nowhere. Kento captured with the pawn, accepting the sacrifice. Then Kaze played Rf1+, bringing his Rook into the attack with check.
Kento's fingers trembled as he moved his Knight to f6, blocking the check and defending his King. But he knew. He knew that the game was over. Two more moves, maybe three, and it would be checkmate.
"No, no... Impossible. I didn't underestimate him. I never did..."
Then Kaze raised his hand. Toward Kento. Offering a handshake.
Kento was confused. Was he mocking him? Signaling that the game was over before it was finished, rubbing salt in the wound?
But it was true. He was losing. He could see the mate coming, could feel the noose tightening around his King's neck. He admitted it. He took Kaze's hand, forcing a smile onto his face.
"I resign. You win." Kaze said.
"Huh?"
"Y-You resign?" Kento asked again, his voice trembling with confusion.
"Yeah. I'm losing too many pieces."
Kento wanted to tell him the truth. He wanted to scream that he was winning, that he had the advantage, that he was about to deliver a beautiful checkmate that would be remembered for years. But then he saw Kaze's face.
That expression. The face of someone who had no interest in winning. The face of someone who tolerated him for maintaining a perfect reputation. The face of someone who was disgusted by showing off, who would rather lose than be seen trying too hard.
Kento nodded slowly. He accepted the surrender.
Then Kaze slammed his hand on the table. The chess pieces scattered everywhere, flying across the surface and clattering to the floor, a chaotic mess that made it impossible for anyone to analyse the final position. It was a deliberate act, a way of erasing the evidence of what had really happened.
"Such a naive kid! A loss is a loss, no need to throw a tantrum!"
"Yeah, I thought he was trying to make some brilliant moves, but it's just a drama he's acting alone!"
"Be respectful to our Masakami-sama!" the fan girls shouted, their voices shrill with indignation.
"Be quiet, class." Izumi-sen's voice cut through the noise, instantly silencing the room.
She walked over to Kaze, her heels clicking against the floor with each step. She stood in front of him, and then she reached down, placing her hand on his head and patting it softly, her fingers running through his hair in a gesture that was both comforting and intimate. The movement brought her closer to him, her chest almost pressing against his body. He caught a whiff of her perfume — something floral, mixed with the faint scent of coffee and the natural smell of her skin.
(Big oppai... I wonder how it feels to touch them...)
"Kaze-kun, look at my face when I'm talking."
He turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. She was smiling down at him, her face close enough that he could see the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, the slight curve of her lips.
"Yes."
The chess game had finally ended, the tension in the room dissipating like smoke after a fire. The winners were Sato and Kento, their names announced with appropriate fanfare. The losers were Kazumi and Kaze, the two students who would now have to face the judgment of their peers.
"And now, it's time for the moment you've been waiting for!" Izumi-sen announced cheerfully, clapping her hands together with childlike excitement.
Punishment time.
"So what do you suggest for them to do?" she asked, turning to face the class with an expectant look.
"Ask Takuya-kun to confess his love to Yagami-san!"
The suggestion was met with cheers and laughter, the students clearly delighted by the prospect of witnessing such an embarrassing spectacle while Kazumi smirked mischievously at Kaze.
(Of course they only think of "teen romance" punishments...)
(But this kind of bizarre and ridiculous punishment is prohibited.)
"Oh, nice idea! Let's do it then~"
Izumi-sen's response was immediate and enthusiastic, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she turned to look at Kaze and Kazumi.
"..."
Well, I forgot it's Izumi-sen...
Kaze sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of resignation.
End of Chapter