The next day during school, Kibe's classmates were all at gym class. The girls were playing volleyball while the boys were doing some track. The boys were running around the track and practicing some long jumping and hurtling. All dressed in gym clothes.
Kibe was standing on the side lines thinking about yesterday and his talk with Mi about the audition. Thats when he heard mumbling behind him. He turned his head to see some boys sitting on the bench looking and talking to one another.
"Seems I've gotten famous. Just my luck." Kibe said
"Hey!" shouted a voice near Kibe, he looked to his left and saw a boy running over to him. He had black hair and brown eyes, he a slim build, but not too different from Kibe's own.
"Hey man, I wanted to talk to you today. Mind if I stand next to you?" asked the boy
"I don't own the space around me. Knock yourself out." Kibe said, the boy nodded and watched as the others played and ran track. The sound of the wind and remains of the summer heat were all here. The sun beating down on them too. Mi was enjoying some volleyball while the boys ran the track to best see who was faster.
"My name is Moriyama Kenji. I already know you of course, everyone does by this point." Kenji said
"Likely not because I won the Olympics." Kibe said, Kenji chuckled for bit before getting closer to Kibe.
"But for real, everyone is looking at you and talking about you. I want to take the attention away from you if I can." Kenji said
"What?" Kibe asked
"Ok ok ok, ya got me! I really just want someone to join my club! Pllleeeassseee!" begged Kenji putting his hands up.
"Theres nothing that your club would benefit to me. I have no reason to join." Kibe said, Kenji looked at him disappointed in his answer.
"Hey! You two! Stop slacking off and get to running!" shouted the P.E teacher, Kibe and Kenji began to start jogging, other students stopped as they had gotten tired. As they ran Kenji tried his best to stay close to Kibe.
"Look, I get it. The club may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me and my friends." Kenji said, Kibe continued to jog in silence.
"We'd really appreciate it if you joined, we only have three members and if we don't get a fourth member they'll close our club." Kenji said, Kibe was just about over socializing with people. Everyday it seemed someone wanted to talk to him. It was like as if the world was trying to force him out of his own bubble, like it was sick of him being alone.
"...What club is this anyway?" Kibe asked, Kenji looked at him excited
"Its the chess club. In the east wing, classroom 2-B." Kenji said
"Isolation and independence aren't the same thing. One of them involves cutting off all connections with others while the ladder is that of someone who thrives from being alone and can function perfectly fine without outside interference or social needs. In order achieve this, one must decide if they are willing to be alone, but not be isolated. To be disassociated, but not unfamiliar. " Kibe thought as he kept running.
"...I'll think about it." Kibe said. The two continued to jog around the track as thy saw other classes also running along with them and other girls showing up too.
"Man, I wish I could be with the ladies. I they look like they're having fun." Kenji said as he ran behind Kibe.
"Hey! Kibe!" shouted a familiar voice, Kibe and Kenji looked over to see Ryota running to them. Kenji looked at Ryota, he saw how well built the guy was and saw how easy it was for him to catch up to them.
"H-Hey Ryota, what brings you over?" Kenji asked
"Same as you guys, got gym class too so I'm here. Isn't nothing better, yes?" Ryota smiled, eventually all of them would stop and take a small break from running.
"...My god, I don't think I can run anymore, or my legs are gonna fall off." Kenji said as he breathed heavily while Ryota didn't seemed fatigued all that much along with Kibe. Ryota looked around at everyone, he saw some girls swimming, others were running and chatting. The place was filled with laughter and the flamboyant lives of people brought into this world. People, walking around completely unaware of where they're lives will go and yet walking that line of unreal uncertainty regardless of the drawbacks or possible dangers to come. They were characters, following a plot unknown to them. In this uncertainty there was certainty, a path of constant absurdity.
"Kibe, you doing anything this evening after school?" Ryota asked, Kibe looked at him.
"Possibly. Why?" Kibe asked
"Well, that martial art weight training club are indeed of some new blood, so I thought maybe you'd be interested." Ryota asked
"...I've got a few things I need to do. So no." Kibe said as he looked over to Mi and saw her talking with others. Thats when Ryota would throw a punch at Kibe, but would freeze just a few inches from his face.
"WOAH WOAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Kenji said in shock, Ryota looked at Kibe with a focused look and looked deep into Kibe's eyes. Kibe was looking at him with his same calm and absent expression, completely unfazed.
"Nothing, not even a flinch or sign of eye movement. Its like he knew I would do it or that he wouldn't be hurt. What is he? A sort of machine?" Ryota thought to himself
"Hey man, just what the heck are you doing?" Kenji asked
"He was testing me." Kibe said
"What? Why would he do that?" Kenji asked
"That is a good question, why." Kibe said, theyre eyes were locked, Ryota's eyes pierced into Kibe's yet it did nothing. It was like a steal gate or impenetrable wall kept him from seeing him. Thats when he'd catch a glimpse, Kibe's eyes would open just a little bit more and with that Ryota's were now the ones being looked into. It was like Kibe too a knife and peeled back at whatever imaginary wall, imaginary mass held back what may have been Ryota and now Kibe could see him.
Kibe's eyes were like a hot knife and Ryota's eyes, butter. Elsewhere though, looking through blinds, the student council were all sitting down while
"Alright everyone! Thats going to be all for today. Go ahead and head back to class." said the P.E teacher. As the day came to a end Kibe got his stuff together and Mi would run up to him.
"Are you still coming to the audition tomorrow? I know you asked me yesterday, but I figured I'd ask again so you wouldn't forget." She said
"I hadn't forgotten, I just needed time to deduce what I wanted to do. Takashi so far seems to be one step ahead. Rather he was behind Akia's suicide or not, hes put me in a pickle. Gotten everyone's eyes on me and now I'm resorting to club activities to keep a low profile. I can still remain unseen, but that won't change the fact that when I come back into reality again. Eyes will be on me.
Whatever Takashi said or forced Akia to say to make her commit such an act, theres only one way to get it out of him- " Kibe then got his bag and stood up.
" Its to beat him at his own game. Complete, unhinged and unadulterated domination. Irreversible." Kibe thought to himself, he then walked with Mi through school.
"Did you hear what some of the horrible things people have been saying about you? Its horrible." Mi said as she looked at Kibe.
"Its just words, people just need something else to focus those words on." Kibe said as they then reached the entrance of their school.
"Go ahead Mi, I have an activity to go to." Kibe said as he began walking to the east wing, as he did. He thought about some of the things that were likely being said. He'd eventually arrive there and would open the door, as he walked in he saw two other people and of course Kenji there. Kenji turned around and got a smile on his face. The other two were boys as well, one of them had a bob cut and wore glasses. Brown hair. The other one had short blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Kibe! I'm glad you could make it. Hika, Yos, meet Kibe. Hes our latest new member." said Kenji, Kibe looked around and looked at them. The room was filled with a few bags, likely theirs and obviously two chess boards. Hika was the blonde one and Yos was the one with glasses.
"So, have you played before?" asked Hika
"I dabble." Kibe said as he walked over and looked at the pieces on the board, one side was white and the other red.
"Hey, uh Kenji. Isn't this the guy whoes all over the place? Didn't he kill that girl?" said Yos, Kibe then set his bag on the chair next to him.
"You often come to conclusions without proof?" Kibe asked, Yos looked over at him. He and Kibe shared eye contact. Yos then put his hands up and shrugged.
"Alright man, I wasn't trying to-"
"I know. You were curious. Trust me Yos, If I wanted the girl dead. I wouldn't throw her off a building during school hours." Kibe said, Hika chuckled while Yos gave a nervous smile. Kenji was just watching them.
"Alright guys, enough questions about that junk. Cause thats all it is. Anyone who makes an assumption about someone with no proof just makes a ass out of themself. Thats why assumption is spelt with ass at the start." Kenji said as he walked over. Kibe looked at him and then he others.
"Alright then, how about Yos starts first huh? Show Kibe here we got some skills." Kenji said, Yos nodded and went to sit down with Kibe already being seated.
"Go ahead, I'll let you go first." Kibe said, Kibe watches as Yos moves his first white piece, as they continued to play chess Kenji watched. He watched as Kibe moved his pieces around, he thought that at first Kibe was throwing the game or wasn't good, but soon he realized it. The normal and most obvious strategy of chess is to take the center spaces, but Kibe seemes to have given it away. A sort of means of coming off as incompetent.
However what Yos didn't even realize that Kibe had lured him into thinking he had the upper hand. Because by giving him the center space, Kibe had made him reliable on only a few set strategies while Kibe had hundreds to go from to counter the taking of the center space.
Kibe had won, but making his opponent belive he did.
"Check mate." Kibe said as he then fixed his tis. Yos looked in total shock.
"Impressive, he has some great skills. He completely manipulated the entire game." Kenji said, seems that they had found a new member and Kibe a new cover to get away from the eyes of gossip.