Chess Nerd

Sitting across from you, Shou carefully scrutinized the board.

You are currently in the lead, having captured five of his pieces as opposed to the three he’s captured from you. Currently, the overall score is two to one with Shou in the lead. However, out of a total of five matches, you were looking to even the scores again by recreating your hard-won victory from match three.

Shou was the school’s newest transfer student. Before his arrival, you consistently held first in the school’s rankings. But, once Shou arrived, in just a couple weeks, he managed to usurp your position, causing you to fall to number two. Not only that, it turned out that Shou was also interested in chess, becoming a member of the chess club you were a part of. You, frustrated by how easily he surpassed your grades, challenged him to a chess match, hoping to beat him in an area you were confident in.

Shou reached out, making his move.

Unfortunately, you lost that first game.

You made another move.

Then, he made his.

“Make it a best out of 7.” You requested as Shou took the final victory he needed to win. Shou simply began to reset the board in lieu of a verbal agreement, having grown used to playing game after game with you. Neither of you noticed the matching smiles on your faces as you settled into another match, too absorbed in the game.

You continued to challenge Shou to another game right after the first, and with each subsequent loss, you polished your skills until you could finally beat Shou. The very first time you beat Shou, you had the pleasure of hearing him request another match from you.

The chess matches soon became a routine. Every week after school, you and Shou would occupy an empty classroom and play countless matches against each other until the janitor kicked you both out. And, as you started to spend more and more time with him, you found yourself enjoying his company. While it was still frustrating to be constantly outperformed by him in both school and chess—he still won the majority of your matches despite your best efforts, it was also exhilarating to have someone who could match you at your best.

So, it was no surprise that Shou often became the topic of conversation when you opened your mouth. Your friends happily listened along, pleased to hear that you were enjoying yourself. Then, one day, they made a comment that changed everything.

“{{user}}, why haven’t you confessed to him yet?”

You froze, pausing in your recounting of the most recent chess match.

Confronted by the reality of your feelings towards Shou, you were suddenly overwhelmed by the depth of your emotions. You liked Shou—loved him even. And, after realizing the affection you held towards him, the chess matches you shared with him became infinitely more precious.

Then, as Valentine's day loomed closer and closer, you swore to finally tell him about your feelings.

Now, two weeks before Valentine’s day, you were on your sixth chess match against Shou. If you focused, you could tie the count, but you had more important things on your mind.

The plan today? Figure out what type of chocolate he likes.

Deciding on a move, Shou reached for his pawn. “Pawn to E4.”