Ring, ring~
The school bell rang, and with the students' laughter, the campus instantly grew lively.
The first-year students gathered in groups, discussing where to go and enjoy their free time after school.
But this enthusiasm was limited to them. Most of the second- and third-year students were busy with their own club activities, looking especially engaged and occupied.
As for club recruitment for their year, that would not begin until a week later.
There was a full half-month between the start of school and club recruitment, and that time also gave students a chance to familiarize themselves with the campus, adjust to their surroundings, and learn about the various clubs.
This buffer period was not just for dealing with practical matters; it also gave them a chance to choose the clubs they might become deeply involved in over the next three years.
After all, joining a good club meant not only taking part in a variety of activities, but also having the chance to earn valuable point rewards by winning competitions.
Of course, these upperclassmen, who clearly had more points to spare, were precisely the targets of Onizuka's second phase of action.
But obviously, they couldn't come out for club activities during class time, so Onizuka had waited until now.
...Chess Club...
Onizuka walked through the Chess Club's doors, and the scene before him took him by surprise. Two players were engrossed in their game, with quite a few spectators gathered around them. The atmosphere was extraordinarily tense and quiet.
Since he was already here, he might as well take a look.
He squeezed through and asked a student who was watching nearby. Only then did he learn that this, too, was a match between a first-year student who had come to challenge the club and the Chess Club president.
Moreover, before this, the visiting first-year student had apparently challenged everyone in the Chess Club and beaten them all, eventually forcing the president to step in.
Onizuka turned his attention to the two players. One of them looked very nervous, repeatedly wiping the sweat from his forehead with the handkerchief in his hand.
And what about the one facing him?
Her short silver-white hair shimmered faintly under the lights, like stars glittering in the night sky. Her beret tilted just so to one side, adding a touch of playfulness and mystery.
Her delicate features were sharply defined, her skin smooth as white porcelain, and her faintly upturned red lips gave her a confident yet gentle air.
Even Onizuka's discerning eyes could hardly find a single flaw in her face.
If he absolutely had to pick one, perhaps it was that she was flat-chested...
A woman's cane rested beside her. Its smooth surface gleamed with a warm luster under the lights, as if it were a carefully polished work of art.
Onizuka looked closely and noticed that the wear at the tip of the cane was clearly the sort that could only come from years of use.
Then he looked at the legs of the cute silver-haired girl. It was hard to imagine that such a pair of straight legs concealed such an unspoken difficulty.
Perhaps she sensed Onizuka's impudent gaze. The silver-haired girl turned her head and glanced around.
He hurriedly looked away and quietly blended into the crowd.
Getting caught at a moment like this was a little awkward, after all, he was still something of a gentleman... probably.
He shook his head, pulled back his rather wandering thoughts, and continued watching the match played by the [Chess Club president].
If he had to describe it in four words, they could only be: utterly overwhelming.
There was no more fitting phrase. It seemed the Chess Club was suffering from a dearth of new talent.
The president was so strong, yet the club members had been beaten by someone like this? How pathetic.
Onizuka looked contemptuously at the man still wiping away sweat. He was nothing but a frog in a well. He had beaten a bunch of mayflies and grown complacent; that showed his talent was nothing special.
The match ended quickly, with a result that was beyond doubt-the silver-haired girl won.
She gently set down the piece in her hand, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly with the composure of a victor.
However, Onizuka was not the sort of person to go easy on someone because of her cute appearance.
He stepped forward and looked straight at the boy who had just lost.
Unfortunately, Onizuka was not someone who went easy on women.
He walked up and looked at the defeated man.
"Since you lost the challenge, how about letting the next person take your place? I'd like to test the Chess Club president's skill, too." Onizuka's tone was calm, but the provocation was obvious.
The man opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only lower his head helplessly and silently give up his seat.
Onizuka set his schoolbag on the floor to one side, then knelt in the player's seat and looked at the cute silver-haired girl who was about to stand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm a new student in Class D this year. I wonder if the [club president senpai] would be willing to give this junior some guidance?"
Onizuka still had a certain degree of respect for people with ability.
But the silver-haired girl did not stop what she was doing. She continued to stand up on her own and picked up the cane beside her.
"Unfortunately, I don't like giving guidance to [juniors]."
"Ninety thousand points. I can offer more, too!"
At those words, the silver-haired girl stopped and looked at Onizuka with a sly smile.
"One million. How about that?"
She wasn't tall, yet she somehow had a commanding presence. Onizuka couldn't help turning his gaze to her delicate face and smooth silver hair. She was so... lovely that he almost didn't want to take her on.
"Fine!"
After a flurry of commotion, the onlookers settled down.
After the two of them signed a contract with the Shogi Club's instructor, the wager was established.
"Ladies first."
"How elegant. Pawn to e4."
"But you're not holding back at all, are you? Pawn to e5."
"Surely there's no need to be too polite to a [junior] who came looking for a challenge, is there? Knight to f3."
"Hmm... That's true. I suppose I am an unwelcome guest in the [senpai's] eyes. Knight to c6."
"Mm-hmm, you certainly know your place. Pawn to d4."
"Of course. If I hadn't figured that out, I doubt I'd have had the courage to sit here. Pawn takes d4."
"Well~ More than that, I'm much more interested in the one million points in your hands. Knight takes d4."
"That's the one thing we have in common~ [Senpai]. Knight takes x6."
As they clashed across the chessboard, the pieces fell one by one. At last, at a delicate moment, both of them sighed.
-A draw-
After getting their respective points back from the instructor, Onizuka walked over to the girl leaning on her cane.
"Do you need any help?"
At that, the silver-haired girl smiled gracefully.
"I'd be delighted. Sakayanagi Arisu."
"Onizuka Tsukasa."