Sakayanagi Arisu's Defeat

"You...!"

Realizing he'd said the wrong thing, Yusoku Gyakukai immediately dropped to his knees in apology.

He hurried around the others and came to stand in front of Sakayanagi Arisu, looking at her face, which was flushed—whether from the fantasy she'd had earlier or from anger just now...

No, that wasn't the point!

"I'm sorry, Classmate Sakayanagi. Please forgive me for speaking without thinking just now.

"I didn't mean any of that. I actually respect you, your father, and your mother... Anyway, I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me."

When you did something wrong, said the wrong thing, and got hit, you had to stand there and take it.

That was a principle Yuki Gyakukai had always lived by. He understood that respect was mutual, so he had always kept his words and actions in check.

Even in middle school, though he was the school's discipline committee member and had the entire Hanyu Zaibatsu backing him, he never flaunted his influence.

He remained strict with himself. At school, there were often delinquents and flashy girls who insulted others and bullied their classmates.

He always stepped in to stop them. The methods he used amounted to fighting fire with fire and applying pressure through their social connections.

When people made serious mistakes, he would often use the Hanyu Zaibatsu's influence to dump them in Tokyo Bay or send them to deliver construction materials to building sites.

So, in his view, if he treated others so strictly, he had no excuse to let himself slack off.

Otherwise, he didn't know when he might turn into an urban legend himself...

Looking at Yuki Gyakukai, who had just been so rude but was now bowing to her with a sincere expression, apologizing,

his deferential posture, as though he would let her do whatever she wanted with him, made Sakayanagi Arisu breathe out a sigh.

Looking at Yuki Gyakukai afresh, she realized that if the Yuki Gyakukai she had known before was brash and clever,

then the Yuki Gyakukai standing before her now was humble, willing to admit his mistakes, and... a good boy?

This was terrible. Why had a phrase like that suddenly popped into her head?

Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head, trying to dispel the stray thoughts.

By now, most of her anger had faded. After considering it, she said:

"Your apology is sincere, but you did hurt me emotionally, so I can't quite accept it."

He had been the one to insult her first, and Yusoku Gyakukai understood.

After all, if anyone had dared speak to him that way, he would have used all sorts of methods to dump them in Tokyo Bay long ago.

So he calmly replied:

"I'm sorry for hurting you with my careless words. Tell me what you want, and I'll do my best to make up for the hurt I caused you."

Watching Yusoku Gyakukai still ask for her forgiveness, many people looked at him with admiration.

"Tomie, is Classmate Gyakukai always like this?"

A group of people who were close to Tomie gathered around her and began asking in hushed voices.

"E-ever since we met, he's always been like this..."

Tomie looked at Yusoku Gyakukai, still bowing as he apologized, her gaze complicated.

"He's been outstanding since he was little, and very capable. Everyone around him likes him.

"But because of that, he often hurts people without meaning to. Whenever he accidentally hurts someone, he always goes out of his way to make it right."

At that, Tomie couldn't help remembering when she was little and someone accidentally ate part of her body. The newly born Tomie had split open her belly and emerged right in front of her and Yuki.

Having been influenced by Yuki for so long, she still felt guilty about things like that.

Gradually, even she had come to feel that she was neither like Tomie nor like an urban legend.

"Classmate Gyakukai is so kind."

"More like responsible. He takes responsibility when he does something wrong. Tomie, you're so lucky to have a fiancé like him."

"When will I get a boyfriend like Gyakukai?"

"A boyfriend like Gyakukai? Keep dreaming."

"..."

At last, Sakayanagi Arisu reacted.

"It's simple. Play a game of chess with me. If you win, I'll forgive you. If you lose, keep playing me until you can beat me."

As she spoke, she somehow produced a chessboard and set it on the table.

The people around them tactfully made room. Yusoku took a seat across from Sakayanagi Arisu and began setting up the chess pieces.

"Do you know how to play chess?"

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't know why she had asked Yusoku Gyakukai to play chess with her.

After all, she had always judged whether someone was a genius by playing chess with them.

So far, she hadn't acknowledged many people as true geniuses. Even Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, in her eyes, was merely an artificial genius, not a true one.

Yusoku Gyakukai moved the pieces into place, setting up his king and queen, then replied calmly:

"I've only played chess a few times, but I know the rules. I've played the chess from the country across the sea most often. An app puts my rank at about 7-dan."

"Is that so? You know the rules and have some experience, so I'm relieved."

Once both sides had set up their pieces, Sakayanagi Arisu took black, and Yusoku Gyakukai took white.

"White moves first."

Yusoku moved a piece on the board. "I may not have much experience with chess, but don't underestimate me."

"We'll see," Sakayanagi Arisu said. She didn't bring her full strength to bear on the board.

After all, she had played against professionals before. There was no need to go all out from the start against someone who only knew the rules.

But she quickly changed her mind.

The two traded moves back and forth, playing faster and faster. Neither was willing to give ground, and the time they had to think grew shorter and shorter.

So Sakayanagi Arisu devoted all her attention to the board.

Both focused intently, controlling the pieces in their hands.

For Yusoku Gyakukai, it was still fairly easy.

Though he hadn't played many games of chess, the general rules for moving the pieces were similar to those of the chess played in the country across the sea.

Soon,

the game had reached move twenty-six. Sweat beaded on Sakayanagi Arisu's forehead, and layer upon layer of white mist swirled above her head.

Chess was a mental sport. The faster you played, the more brainpower it took.

Sakayanagi Arisu had always been frail. She hadn't wanted to show weakness, but her body couldn't keep up.

Now, all she had left were two pawns, a bishop, and her king.

Yusoku Gyakukai, who had control of the pace and a clear advantage, glanced at the board helplessly.

"Why don't you resign? Your king will be gone in about two more moves."

"No!" Sakayanagi Arisu clenched her teeth and bit her lower lip, refusing to resign.

Her only chance now was her two pawns. If they could promote to queens and rooks, then she could...

Tap!

A crisp sound rang out from the chessboard, and Sakayanagi Arisu stared at it, dazed.

"You've lost."