Once we returned, done with the date with Kei, the next day after the date, I remembered my promise with Sakayanagi with a chess match

I had to contact her but I didn't know her phone number, but as I was going to the dorm buildings, I encountered Hashimoto

He must've sensed me so he looked to my direction at a few steps behind

"Hmm? Oh! It's King T-rex" he said loudly

Girls were confused why he called me that, honestly, his brazzenness

"About Sakayanagi"

"Hmm? Hime?" now he really needs to stop with all those royalty names

"I sort of promised her a chess match but, I don't when and where she would part take in"

"Gotcha, I'll relay her the message. I'll find you when I got her answer" he replied

"Thanks, owe you one"

"How 'bout you tell me on how you got that big weapon of your's? It's a serious lady-killer"

"Are you joking?" I said

"No, I'll think about the favor until tomorrow"

"Alright then"

After that, we returned to our dorms

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The next day, once classes are finished, I headed straight home since Kei was out hanging with her friends today. I went to the path which I took yesterday when I talked with Hashimoto and to increase the chances of bumping into each other. Fortunately, I saw that he was leaning against the wall next to a vending machine.

"Hashimoto" I called out to him

"Here"

"What's her answer?"

"Tomorrow, lunch sharp at the library, go directly there, she's currently busy right now so she sent me her chess match reply to you in her stead"

"Oh right! She also rented the whole library for your chess match at noon, she said that no one should interfere, no other noose should be heard unless it's the both of your voices and the sound of chess pieces moving, honestly, she sounded scary when she said that while having a smug smile on her face"

I can imagine that actually, but to think that she would rent out the public school library for a chess match between us with no interferance. Just how much she can do?

"I see, so what do I owe you?"

"A drink should be suffice" he said while pointing out the vendine machine next to him

"I can deal with that" I answered

We both bought drinks from the machine, after which, we went back to the dorm after talking about trivial things

The chess match tomorrow should be an interesting one, after all, it's Sakayanagi who will be my opponent. Her chess skills far surpassed that of grandmasters of chess in the public world, in talking honestly. Of course I won't back down on this either.

I called Kei and said that I would be playing against Sakayanagi in chess at the library noon, she was surprised and sounded a little bit jealous, the usual Kei I know. She remembered that both Sakayanagi and me promised a chess match before returning to school, after that, she accepted it and ended the call. I'll have to treat her to some food the day after tomorrow with my cooking as compensation.

I started racking my brain about chess strategies and other stuff and drifted asleep

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Classes before lunch break ended and I leaped out of my seat already because I was a little bit exhilerated about the chess match. My neighbor Horikita questioned me

"You seemed to be in a hurry Ayanokouji-kun"

"I just have something to do" I returned

"Is it about the chess match?" she said

It seems that she remembers that chess match between me and Sakayanagi, I'm surprised Horikita held onto that promise

"Yes, me against Sakayanagi, she rented out the whole library for now for just the two of us with no interferance"

"I see, well goodluck on your battle" she said while taking out a bento lunch box, I only nodded and started to walk to the library

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I entered the library with no one in it, no noise, no people, none except the librarian and Sakayanagi later on

"A Class 1-A rented this out for the whole lunch break, Sakayanagi Arisu, she is currently waiting for someone named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka" the librarian said

"That's me"

She then led me to a table only a chess board can fit and I saw a small, petite figure with lilac colored hair and on her head is a baret hat. It suited her very well

"Thank you" I said to the librarian

She nodded and went back to her station

"Ayanokouji-kun" Sakayanagi called out

"Sakayanagi, honor to battling against you again"

"The honor is mine, to think I'll be facing of the White Room's Masterpiece again"

"Now then, shall we start"

We begun our chess with me being white, ironic since my whole life is white.

Our strategy were both pawn-sacrificing, to eat away more powerful pieces. No matter how many pawns were eaten.

(A/N: I only have a small grasp of chess mechanics, since I know checkers and both of them are similar in a way)

I have to say, she improved greatly since the last time we fought, this just proves that she is a true and natural-born genius and improves as she gets older, but I also won't go down without a fight

In the end, I won, but her loss didn't dissatisfy her, it was the opposite effect

"This puts a smile on my smile to fight you in the opposite side Ayanokouji-kun" she said while having the smug on her small face

"You were by far the toughest chess opponent I ever faced Sakayanagi" after I said that she smiled even more

"You're overwhelming me with compliments Ayanokouji-kun, I would return the compliment to you"

"Thank you Sakayanagi"

We cleaned up the table and exited the library. There were no people going inside it since classes were about to start, while we were walking side-by-side, we just talked about our classmates and whatnot. After a few minutes, we parted ways

My classmates bombarded me with questions about why I was with Sakayanagi, I only answered them with "she needed someone to do some physical labor since her entourage weren't present". They seem doubtful but Chabashira-sensei entered to continue the class for the rest of the day

Classes went on like normal, but I suddenly remembered a certain memory flashed through me. Should I go to the rooftop to think for a little bit? Or go straight home?

After classes, I got out of my seat and glares were upon me, looks like they still want me to answer their questions regarding Sakayanagi, but I had other plans.

Once I exited the classroom, I stealthily went to the rooftop and good thing there were no presences while going there. Once I had peace and quiet, I played the memory that triggered my mind earlier with a smooth flow

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that man

That was currently on my mind, fresh as it is.

After I cleared my mind, I went downstairs and bought a drink, after that, I went back to my dorm and slept through the night.

(Author's note: I suddenly wanted to release this chapter, I'm not sure wether or not I'm going to upload more, busy schedule is the reason, this is less than 1750 words, and I feel like this is short and needs some more words, but this what I could only think of. Cheers and happy reading!)