A Chill

Hesta glanced sideways at the entrance of the cafe. There was still no other figure within her field of vision.

The middle-aged person pulled out a cigarette. "If you cannot focus completely, I advise you not to begin."

Hesta moved the latte in front of her to the side, taking the initiative to unfold the folded wooden box into a chessboard. "Apologies."

The two of them set up their pieces, and then the middle-aged person pinched the black and white kings in the palm of her hand, changing hands back and forth under the table several times before raising them up in front of Hesta again. "Which hand do you want?"

"Left hand."

"I go first."

The middle-aged person smiled and opened her palm, handing the black king to Hesta.

The chess game began, and the cafe was dead silent. After passing the opening, the speed of the two people's moves quickly pulled apart; whenever Hesta thought for a long time and finally moved a step, the middle-aged person's next move followed close behind, and Hesta's brows furrowed tightly. Repeatedly doing this multiple times, she finally closed her eyes and let out a light breath to allow herself to temporarily escape from this intense sense of oppression.

"You are going to lose." The middle-aged person said.

Hesta glanced at the middle-aged person, then stared at the game again.

"You don't believe it?"

"You said the same thing to Teacher Chen last time." Hesta said softly. "And the result?"

The middle-aged person laughed. "Playing chess has a rhythm... If you cannot enter your own rhythm, you are bound to lose."

"I am only a bit slower." Hesta moved her pieces cautiously. "You don't need to sit here and try to scare me."

"It is not being slow; you lack intuition."

"Intuition?"