Chessboard Gambit (Seeking Everything)

"Nice to meet you, Classmate Sakayanagi. Please, have a seat." Watanabe Hayabara wore a smile, performed a standard, elegant gentleman's bow, and gestured with his right hand for Sakayanagi Arisu to sit.

Seeing this, the corners of Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth curled into a polite, charming smile. "Thank you, Classmate Watanabe Hayabara," she said softly. She then walked lightly to the chair and sat down with graceful, effortless poise.

The two sat opposite each other at a small café table, the atmosphere slightly stiff. Suddenly, Kamuro Masumi, who was standing to the side, spoke up: "Hayabara, you two are taking up the small table, so you're just going to leave me standing?" Her voice carried a hint of coquettishness.

Hearing this, Watanabe Hayabara turned to look at Kamuro Masumi, his smile deepening. He gently took Kamuro Masumi's hand and whispered, "Doesn't this just give you a legitimate reason to sit on my lap, Masumi?" With a slight tug, he pulled her toward him, settling her onto his lap.

Kamuro Masumi was clearly shy, but she complied, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Watanabe Hayabara wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly into his embrace.

Once settled, Watanabe Hayabara looked up to meet Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze. His eyes held a hint of scrutiny and probing, as if he were observing her reaction. Faced with his stare, Sakayanagi Arisu showed no signs of discomfort; she maintained her polite smile and asked softly, "Is there something you needed to discuss with me, Classmate Watanabe?"

Watanabe Hayabara's lips curled into a faint smile. "I just wanted to offer a reminder: Classmate Sakayanagi, don't go getting any ideas about my little Masumi." His tone was light, but the warning behind it was unmistakable.

Sakayanagi Arisu's smile remained unchanged. "How could you think that? Classmate Watanabe, I don't have any such intentions toward Classmate Masumi." Yet, a flicker of imperceptible cunning flashed through her eyes.

Watanabe Hayabara was clearly unsatisfied with her answer. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that so? I'm afraid I can't easily take Classmate Sakayanagi at her word."

"I prefer to get straight to the point now. You've discovered that my Masumi has a habit of stealing, haven't you, Sakayanagi Arisu?" Watanabe Hayabara said, opening the Space Gate. He stared directly at her, trying to catch a hint of a reaction in her expression.

Sakayanagi Arisu seemed surprised by such a direct question, but she remained perfectly composed. Putting on a look of astonishment, she said, "Classmate Kamuro's behavior is indeed more cautious than most, but wait—Classmate Kamuro has a habit of stealing?" Her tone was laced with confusion and curiosity.

Watanabe Hayabara's mouth curved into a faint smile as he continued, "One million points. As long as it doesn't jeopardize my interests, Classmate Kamuro is yours to command. How about it?"

However, Kamuro Masumi, who had been quiet in his arms, suddenly grew unhappy. She pinched Watanabe Hayabara's cheek and said indignantly, "You're just going to sell me off like that?!!" Her face was full of dissatisfaction and anger; she was clearly displeased with his proposal.

Watanabe Hayabara didn't mind her reaction. He smiled and explained, "This way you won't be idle, and you won't have the spare time to go stealing, right?" His tone was casual, as if he thought it was a brilliant idea.

Sakayanagi Arisu kept her smile, watching the pair of lovebirds quietly. Her expression held a hint of teasing as she said, "Could Classmate Watanabe and Classmate Kamuro please stop showing off your affection? As an outsider, I'm starting to feel a bit envious."

"So, how does Classmate Sakayanagi feel about my proposal? I think having an errand runner in Class A would be quite convenient," Watanabe Hayabara said lightly, as if it were a trivial suggestion.

Kamuro Masumi interjected, "Hayabara, how can you bear to sell me off like this?" Her voice held a hint of a pout, reminiscent of a cute kitten.

Watanabe Hayabara chuckled and patted Kamuro Masumi's head to soothe her. "Don't say it like that, Classmate Kamuro. This is a chance for you to get some exercise, too."

Kamuro Masumi blinked, seemingly still hesitant.

At this moment, Sakayanagi Arisu spoke up. "That's fine, Classmate Watanabe, but you have to agree to one thing for me."

Watanabe Hayabara quickly asked, "What is it? Please, go ahead, Classmate Sakayanagi."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, a cunning expression appearing on her face. "How about a game of Chess?"

Watanabe Hayabara teased, "Classmate Sakayanagi, with your professional-level skills, you really do love to bully people. But I have a bit of research into Chess myself, so please, enlighten me with a game or two."

Sakayanagi Arisu seemed prepared; she took a folding board from her small white handbag and unfolded it on the café table.

After arranging their pieces, the two locked eyes. Sakayanagi Arisu raised her hand first and said, "Would you mind if Classmate Kamuro acted as the referee?"

Kamuro Masumi nodded slightly, and Sakayanagi Arisu responded with a smile.

"Please, Classmate Watanabe."

"Then I shall take the first move, Classmate Sakayanagi."

Watanabe Hayabara's right hand hovered over the board, his index and middle fingers pinching the King's Pawn with precision before pushing it forward two squares. e4—the most direct King's Pawn Opening.

Sakayanagi Arisu's lavender eyes didn't even look at the board; her fingers had already pinched the c5 pawn to respond. Sicilian Defense—a choice as elegant and counter-attacking as she was herself.

"Just as I thought." Watanabe Hayabara pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his gaze sharpening behind the lenses. He had been prepared; he quickly moved his knight to f3, building a classic attacking formation. Sakayanagi's response was equally swift, pushing her d6 pawn forward as if to say: bring it on.

The first eight moves were like two armies lining up; Watanabe Hayabara's pieces gathered strength on the kingside, while Sakayanagi Arisu secretly massed hers on the queenside. But on the ninth move, Watanabe Hayabara suddenly changed tactics—he boldly pushed his bishop to c4, aiming directly at the weak f7 square.

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyelashes flickered almost imperceptibly. Not simple. He's been hiding his strength.

Sakayanagi Arisu focused her attention on the game. She couldn't afford to be careless now; she had underestimated this "monster" from Class D.

She paused for a full twenty seconds—an eternity for her—before moving her knight to c6 to defend.

Watanabe Hayabara noticed her left pinky finger unconsciously drawing a semicircle on the table; it was her micro-expression when encountering a thorny problem.

[Found a crack.]

Watanabe Hayabara decisively pushed his d4 pawn, forcing the center open. The crisp sound of pieces colliding was exceptionally clear in the quiet venue.

Sakayanagi Arisu captured the d-pawn with her c-pawn, and Watanabe Hayabara immediately recaptured with his e-pawn, completing the central exchange.

The situation on the board was like the sea before a storm, calm on the surface but with turbulent undercurrents.

Just then, Watanabe Hayabara made a risky decision that would secure his victory: he moved his bishop to b5. It looked like an attempt to trade pieces, but in reality, he was intentionally exposing his bishop to the attack range of Sakayanagi Arisu's a6 pawn.

"Sacrificing the bishop?" A flash of surprise crossed Sakayanagi Arisu's mind. "Is this a mistake, or..."

His pupils contracted slightly. Her slender fingers hovered over the board for an unusually long three seconds before she slowly pushed the a6 pawn to capture the bishop.

As her fingers left the piece, Watanabe Hayabara caught the paleness of her knuckles—she was nervous. More fundamentally, her physical condition was struggling to support her through the game.

A fleeting smile appeared at the corner of Watanabe Hayabara's mouth. He quickly used his d-pawn to capture the knight on c6, simultaneously opening the d-file. The exchange looked like a loss, but it actually cleared a critical line. Sakayanagi Arisu's queen was forced to retreat to c7, and her formation loosened.

Watanabe Hayabara felt his temples throbbing; he was getting excited. He pushed his f-pawn to f4, further strengthening his kingside attack.

Sakayanagi Arisu's response was nothing short of perfect—she moved her bishop to e6, defending a key square while maintaining the possibility of a counterattack. But Watanabe Hayabara noticed she had taken fifteen seconds to think this time, five seconds longer than usual.

[Her mental concentration is already failing.]

Watanabe Hayabara made a mental note and decided to increase the pressure, pushing his queen to f3 to aim directly at the Vinster King's position. The move looked aggressive, but it was based on precise calculation—if Black captured the g2 pawn, she would fall into White's carefully laid trap.

Sakayanagi Arisu's breathing rhythm changed subtly. She chose to move her rook to c8 to strengthen her defense rather than accept the challenge.

Watanabe Hayabara felt a surge of excitement—she had recoiled! This was the first sign that her psychological defenses were beginning to crack.

The next five turns were like two armies locked in a standoff, with Watanabe Hayabara's offensive coming in wave after wave. He pushed his h-pawn to h5, threatening to open the h-file; Sakayanagi Arisu launched a counterattack on the queenside, attempting to distract the white pieces. But Watanabe Hayabara remained unmoved, firmly executing his kingside attack plan.

[Are you trying to drag me into a stalemate?]

Sweat trickled down Watanabe's temple.

Kamuro Masumi, who had been watching from the sidelines, did not understand the nuances of the game or who held the advantage. However, seeing the beads of sweat on Watanabe Hayabara's face, she took out a tissue and wiped them away—a move that undoubtedly dealt another heavy blow to Sakayanagi Arisu.

Watanabe Hayabara responded to Kamuro Masumi with a smile, a pure smile. He felt his focus wavering slightly.

However, with the game reaching a tense point, Watanabe Hayabara threw himself back into the match, staring at the board and calculating every possibility. Suddenly, his eyes lit up—he saw a hidden killing blow, a move that could potentially end the game.

He took a deep breath and moved his queen to h3. This move appeared to place the queen in danger, but in reality, it laid the groundwork for a subsequent checkmate. Confused whispers rippled through the audience, and even the commentator was momentarily struck speechless.

Sakayanagi Arisu's body stiffened for a split second. She stared at the board, the light of calculation flickering in her pale purple eyes. Watanabe Hayabara could tell from her slightly constricted pupils that she was re-evaluating the entire situation.

For the first time, Sakayanagi Arisu's fingers trembled visibly. She chose to capture the h2 pawn with her rook; it looked like she had gained a piece, but she had actually fallen into Watanabe Hayabara's trap. Without hesitation, Watanabe Hayabara used his bishop to capture the rook on h2, completing the exchange. Now, on the board, White appeared to be down a piece, but the Vinster King was exposed to danger.

Watanabe Hayabara moved his rook to d1, strengthening his control over the d-file. Sakayanagi Arisu's response was slow—it took her a full minute to decide to move her king to f8. This was the first time she had spent over thirty seconds thinking.

[The Ice Queen has begun to melt.]

[Whether it's defense or offense, you will be crushed by me.]

Watanabe Hayabara pushed his g-pawn to g6! This sacrifice was like throwing a boulder into a calm lake. Sakayanagi Arisu was forced to capture with her h-pawn, further weakening her king's defenses. Watanabe Hayabara quickly moved his rook to h1, completing the lethal maneuver.

Fine beads of sweat seeped out from under Sakayanagi Arisu's silver hair. She tried to use her queen to defend the h-file, but Watanabe Hayabara had already foreseen this—he used his bishop to capture the g6 pawn, simultaneously delivering a check! The Vinster King was forced to move to g8, completely exposed to White's firepower.

Watanabe Hayabara moved his queen to h7, completing the final preparations for the checkmate. Sakayanagi Arisu's face turned pale; she realized she had nowhere left to run—no matter how she responded, she would be checkmated on the next move.

Sakayanagi Arisu's fingers hovered in the air, unable to descend. Finally, she gently tipped her king over, signaling her resignation.

"An exquisite variation of Boden's Mate," her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "You started setting it up from the twelfth move, didn't you?"

Watanabe Hayabara nodded slightly, the afterglow of victory flickering in his eyes behind his lenses. "By the time I pushed to h5 on the eighteenth move, you were already trapped."

A barely perceptible arc appeared at the corners of Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth, the first time she had come close to smiling throughout the entire match. "I won't let you get away with it next time, Hayabara-kun. I will transfer 1.5 million points to you."

"I only need 1 million points. You can transfer the remaining 500,000 to Masumi. It has been a long time since I've had such a thrilling match; I look forward to our next game, Miss Arisu."

"My physical condition is not ideal, and I am feeling a bit unwell, so I shall take my leave now." Sakayanagi Arisu packed up the chessboard, stood her cane upright, slowly rose to her feet, removed her beret, and bowed.

"Could I trouble Classmate Kamuro to assist me back?" Sakayanagi Arisu looked at Watanabe Hayabara and smiled.

Watanabe Hayabara nodded gently. "Masumi, please see Classmate Sakayanagi off."

Kamuro Masumi rose reluctantly, walked over to Sakayanagi Arisu, and helped her up.

Watanabe Hayabara stood and performed a gentlemanly bow. "Masumi, Miss Arisu, please go ahead. I won't see you out; I have to settle the bill."