Sato logged into his account from when he was 19. Due to inactivity, the account's rating had indeed dropped and was now only 1500. This wasn't a problem for Sato as he was only planning to play for fun.
"Let us join a game then." Byron helped Sato start his matchmaking. Byron had selected 'Blitz', which was fast paced chess where players play with a timer. Within 3 seconds, his opponent was found and it had a rating of 1550.
As Sato was black, he was to move second. The metal pieces on the board started to change and show colour. The black pieces appeared on Sato's side of the table. When his opponent made a move, the white piece followed.
"What is your plan for this game?" Byron asked curiously. Since the rank mode was not monitored, Byron was allowed to be in the room and could interact with Sato.
"I don't really have one." Sato thought about it. Seeing that his opponent went for a normal pawn to E4, he decided to move pawn to c5.
"Sicilian Defense?" Byron recognised the opening move that Sato played.
"Yes. It is one of my more favourite responses."
Sato played the game out systematically and easily enough, due to time constraints, he had forced his opponent to make many blunders. The game was won and Sato's rating had increased by 10 points.
"Is the rating adjustment system still in the website?" Sato decided to ask after seeing how his rating had increased by a measly amount.
"Oh yes, the rating adjustment system is still available." Byron understood what the young lad was talking about. He proceeded to help Sato around the new website interface.
"Could you help me change the rating point system to +50 please?" What Sato was suggesting was that the matches that he wanted to play in would be able to warrant him 50 points gain if he won. However, should he lose, the points loss will be correspondingly higher. 50 points was already the maximum number of points anyone could gain at once.
"Here you go, little Sato. Go all out!" Byron laughed excitedly. He enjoyed watching his grandson's boyfriend play. There was something interesting when it came to Sato's spontaneity in his games. The boy rarely had any plans and just played clean perfect games. It was a refreshing sight for the old man.
What followed after the adjustment was nothing but shocking. In a span from 6 to 8 pm, Sato had played a total of 12 games. All 12 games he had completely stomped his opponents. With that, Sato was now 2110 and was an Expert ranked player.
"Grandfather, it is getting late already. I will be taking Sato with me now." Gray had came out of one of the study rooms, finishing up his conference call successfully.
"What? It is only 8 and you are already heading off? Why not you and little Sato stay in our guest room?" Byron complained.
"Mother had already boiled herbal medicine for Sato. Besides, Sato's body is quite frail and needs to rest more." Gray had to try his best to convince his grandfather.
"Ah fine, fine." Byron grumpily agreed to let the young man go. While they left through the hallway, Byron shouted out, "Come back another day and keep this old man company, alright?"
Hearing this, Sato and Gray could not help but let out a smile. Sato agreed amiably, "I will, grandfather."
With that, Gray and Sato left the main mansion of the Tobion compound. Although there was a distance of 200 meters from Gray's parent's home, the couple wanted to walk and enjoy the nice weather. The pathway was well lit up. Gray and Sato held hands as they walked slowly around the roundabout and turned right towards a different path. This was a scenic pathway that Gray wanted to bring Sato earlier in the evening when there was still light. However, he wasn't able to pry his boyfriend away from his grandfather. And so, only now was the couple able to enjoy it together.
"I still cannot believe that this entire compound belongs to your family." Sato shook his head in denial.
"Sometimes I too think that my family is rather affluent." Gray commented in an interesting way.
"Only sometimes? We are literally walking through a garden that has a greenhouse that contains the rarest Da Hong Pao tree in the world."
"Hahaha, yes sometimes." Gray looked above at the stars, "Although my family is monetarily rich, we still try our best to behave as a normal family. Every Friday and Sunday, they would have a meal together at my grandparent's home. In addition, even though we do business all over the world, my parents and uncle chose to stay in the same compound as my grandparents. After all, if we were all separated around the world, what even is a family anymore?"
"True. I should visit my parents more eh?" Sato thought back to his own family.
"Why not let your parents move in with us?" Gray suggested casually.
"You don't mind them moving in?"
"I don't mind at all, my love." Gray kissed Sato's forehead. "I have been meaning to ask you if you wanted such arrangements or not."
"I would have to ask my parents first, but I would love that. Thank you Gray."
"My family is your family. The same goes for me and your parents too. In the future, they will be my father and mother in law."
"Haha that would be nice. Though, I will have to try to properly convince your father otherwise." Sato was hopeful for a moment before thinking back to his biggest obstacle. No matter how much Gray told him to not care so much about his father, Alex, Sato did not want things to be sour between any of Gray's family. He knew that if he could prove his worth to Alex, then maybe, just maybe, he could be seen as a potential candidate for his son.