Episode 3 – Checkmate Part 1

“All right, everyone is here. Stand up, attention, and bow !”

The gym teacher gave the order in a very loud voice.

My class had gathered in the gymnasium.

It was the fourth period, and today we were going to play ping-pong.

“I have no choice but to win !”

“Yo, that’s my boy Shun ! You’re on a different level.”

“Then shall we sweep the top three?”

A group of cheerful people were having a good time.

The leader of the group is SSuzuki Shun. The others were….who are they again?

Oh, Saito and Goto.

I’ve been told that those three are good-looking guys, but to me, who’s in daily contact with real good-looking guys and beautiful women, they’re not so much good-looking as they’re just good-looking in their own way. To be honest, I doubt they even have a good atmosphere.

Well, I’m not sure what a guy like me is talking about.

“All right, then, make a pair. You can pair up with whoever you want.”

As pairs were formed one after another around me, three people remained, including me.

Their names were Yamada kun and Yoshino kun.

Neither of them had ever been seen with friends before, probably on the same side as me.

“Hey, hey, there’s nothing but gloomy people left !”

“This is too bad……. If there are any left here, they’re finished as a person.”

“Well, which one of you is the real gloomy one? Gyahahahaha !”

Suzuki and the others started rambling. It’s really a sickening laugh.

Damn, even so, this is not good.

One of us would definitely be laughed at.

I moved quickly.

“Yoshino kun, why don’t you pair up with me?”

I’m sorry, Yamada kun. But I don’t want to be the center of attention.

“U-um. Do you want to play with me? Yamada kun.”

“Y-yeah. I’d like that.”

“Eh……”

However, Yoshino kun passed over my invitation as if he did not hear it, and paired up with Yamada kun. While everyone is sitting in pairs, I stand alone.

Ugh, are you kidding me….?

“That gloomy, even the other gloomy guy is ignoring him !”

“Don’t make me laugh, seriously ! Oh, my stomach muscles are aching !”

“The gloomy wins the introvert championship ! I can’t stop laughing ! !”

Suzuki and the others are pointing at me and rolling around laughing.

(Sigh……)

Even though I vaguely understood it, I let out a sigh.

All I can do is pray that this public execution will end soon–

“Okay, it looks like it’s decided. Nekura’s pair is Hazuki.”

“Eh?”

I must have misheard. Why Hazuki san?

Suzuki and the others were also looking at the teacher with a dumbfounded face.

Eh, I mean, why? Eh?

“Fufu, then please take good care of me. Nekura Ryoga kun.”

When I turned around, I saw Hazuki san’s smiling face.

I mean, the distance is too close…

“W-why, Hazuki san?”

“Today is Girls’ Day, so I’ve just arrived. By then, everyone had already decided on a pair. So it can’t be helped, right? Yeah, it can’t be helped.”

“N-no, wait a minute–“

“Then split into pairs and start with warm-up exercises.”

“Then let’s go over there !”

My voice is interrupted by the teacher and I move to the corner of the gymnasium as if pulled by Hazuki san.

The stares from the people around me, especially from Suzuki and the others, were painful.

Being with Hazuki san in this kind of situation is seriously hellish…

★

“Look, concentrate. You have to relax, okay? Ryoga kun.”

“N-no, I mean, it’s hitting my back……”

Hazuki san is covering my back with my legs open, so she was very close to me. What the hell is going on…

“Fufu, what’s going on? I won’t know if you don’t tell me properly.”

“N-no, like I said. Y-your chests….”

“Hey, what are you thinking, Ryoga kun? You have to be serious about it, right? Look.”

Hazuki san brought her body closer to me and whispered in my ear.

Kuh…..what’s really going on?

Why is Hazuki san so attached to me…..

“Hey, are you Ryoga sama?”

L-like I said, I don’t know anyone like that. I really don’t know him.”

“Liar. I know who you are. I know your voice when we bumped into each other in the hallway. That was Ryoga sama’s voice, right?”

“……”

“Why are you hiding it?”

“……”

“Well, I’ll leave it at that for now. I’m looking forward to working with you, Ryoga kun.”

“……”

Apparently, I’m on the verge of a checkmate.

–

–

If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate 🙂 Thank you in advance !

https://ko-fi.com/dasuitl

https://saweria.co/dasuitl