" Bye bye , Nii-san " Aya greeted Hiroshi.
Hiroshi went to drop Aya on the weekend which was the next day after the incident took place at her mother's place after everything sorted out. But her mother was not present at the moment.
" Take care , Aya " Hiroshi patted Aya's soft and smooth hair with his soft hand and happy eyes. Then he leaved the house and returned to his apartment's locality.
" Sure was rough these last days " Hiroshi thought to himself while relaxing on his bed. He was eating chips which were delicious for Hiroshi.
"Well , tomorrow's the announcement of The upcoming tournament or more like an event " Hiroshi said while munching.
The time flew by and the next day came. Hiroshi prepared himself for the day and leaved for school.
"Good Morning , Hiroshi " said Makoto with a cheerful smile.
" Morning , Makoto " Replied Hiroshi while placing his things on his alloted desk which is right next to a window.
"Today's , a big day " Makoto said while placing his hands on Hiroshi's desk.
" Yeah , let's see what will happen " Hiroshi added with a blank face. He was not the type to get excited over events and all.
"Good Morning , everyone Please proceed towards the ground hall peacefully." Nakamura instructed everyone to go to the ground hall.
Everyone formed a line and went down te stairs to the hall. They took their alloted place for the assembly. The weather was chill and perfect for holding an assembly for an important event.
Everyone weared a puzzled look on their face about the upcoming announcement. They looked In excitement to the stage of the assembly which was decorated nicely.
Hiroki Arata is the current Chairman of the School. He is a man of serious demeanor and strict regarding rules. He is tall and is in his 30s.He climbed onto the stage.
"Good morning, students," Arata began, his voice projecting clearly throughout the hall. "I'm pleased to announce that our school will be hosting a prestigious Chess tournament next month."
A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd, accompanied by whispers and excited chatter. Makoto's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, while Hiroshi remained composed, listening attentively to Arata's announcement.
" You will be provided a rule-book by your respective class teachers. Make sure to obey by the rules mentioned in the Book " He said with a serious tone.
The assembly concluded with Arata outlining the details of the tournament schedule and encouraging students to start training and preparing for the upcoming event.
Hiroshi remained thoughtful, considering his role in the tournament and the opportunity it presented for personal growth and achievement. Meanwhile, Makoto bounded with energy, already planning to gather his friends for practice sessions and team meetings.
Everyone went inside their respective class and got settled in. Hiroshi took a sip of his water bottle and got ready for the first class.
" Good morning Students " Nakamura entered into the class with a bundle of small diary like book.
" Well , this is the rule-book you're supposed to follow." Nakamura distributed the rule books to every students.
Hiroshi opened the book and found that there were many rules to be followed.
" Well , game rules are the same as that of an original chess match. But let me explain the point system to you." Nakamura said " There will be 6 matches for us. Winning 1 watch match will give you 5 Game Points. Ending in a draw will give you 2 Game points. But Losing 1 game will cost you 2 Game point. It is also mentioned that 1 Game point is equivalent to 50 Player points."
"Sensei , what is role of the player points ? " Makoto asked Nakamura
" Well , The player points is important for you all. You can use it to purchase or sell anything. There is a special section for utilizing the player points. But be careful not to use up all the points because it will be important for you in the upcoming time."
Hearing this made many students confused as well as happy that they wouldn't need their own cash to buy foods, Games, books etc.
Makoto leaned over to Hiroshi, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "This is going to be so much fun, Hiroshi! We should start practicing together right away."
Hiroshi nodded in agreement, though his expression remained composed. "Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds."
As the class settled into discussions about the tournament, Hiroshi couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation building within him. Despite his initial reluctance to get swept up in the excitement, he found himself intrigued by the challenge that lay ahead. This wasn't just about winning a game of chess; it was an opportunity to test his skills, push his limits, and maybe even discover something new about himself in the process.
While everyone was busy discussing the rules. Nakamura ordered them to pay attention to the next thing she was about to say.
" You may have a doubt on how we are going to decide opponents and players ? " She said " Well at the penultimate page , you will find that we'll play 2 matches each with the other sections in total 6 matches and we will decide our players by voting. Those who achieve the highest vote will be chosen to play the next match."
"Sensei , we will know before that who is our opponent? Makoto asked
" No, this information will be disclosed right before the Starting of the match." Nakamura explained.
With excitement the day went on and eventually came to an end. The rules of the upcoming tournament was weird as well as interesting as it is the main reason for tournament to be interesting.
The loser will be penalized quite rough.
This was Hiroshi wondering about the tournament with a dead face with no expression while returning to his home. As he reached the entrance of his house , He entered his house , changed his dress and sat on his sofa to relax for some time.
Soon , he got a message from Makoto saying that he wanted to come over for some fun the next day because the next day was off. Hiroshi replied If you want to come it's OK but don't behave like a little kid.
Huh !do you think I am a kid. Be assure I will behave like a good boy.
After a little bit of fun chatting , Hiroshi told Makoto to come over after 10 a.m. Usually Hiroshi dislike people coming over to his home but since he was a close friend or more like the only friend He would not mind him.
After a little bit of playing games , Hiroshi stood to get his dinner. From the fridge, he took out packed omelets and chopsticks.
He heated the omelets and started having his dinner. Yes this was all Hiroshi ate everyday because he is lazy enough to cook food. So he usually purchase something from the convenience store for eating. After finishing his dinner , he washed the plates and went to his bedroom to sleep. He fell asleep directly waking up the next day at 8 a.m.
He took his time getting ready and having his breakfast by 9:30 a.m. Soon after half an hour the door bell rang, Hiroshi went to open the door. As expected by Hirosui , Makoto was at the door. He opened the door and Makoto entered into the house.
"Nice house you have " Makoto complimenting Hiroshi's house while placing his bag on the table.
" Yeah but be careful not to destroy something " Hiroshi added with a chuckle.
" Yup , I will make sure Sir " Makoto said with a playful smile on his face.
They sat on the sofa and chatted for some time. Then Hiroshi brought some snacks to eat for both of them.
" Hey , hiroshi you do have a nice setup for playing games " Makoto said while looking at his games setup.
" Maybe , I dont have anything better to do so I spent most of my times playing games " Hiroshi said with a sigh
" Let's play pvp I will defeat you for sure " Makoto chuckled
" Yeah let's see who've got skills " Hiroshi added.
Both of them sat down on a cushion and they continued playing games together with fun and laughter. After 2 or half hours had already passed as they continued playing games.
" Hiroshi, I can't beat you now " Makoto had a dead look on his face " I will upskill myself the next time we play "
" Yeah , it is enough for today It's already 1 noon " Hitoshi said with a tired face " Do you want to have something for lunch "
" Nah , I will return to my place now " Makoto replied while packing his things " Thanks for having me see you tomorrow "
" Yeah , See you " Hiroshi replied and closed the doors as Makoto leaved his place.
It was fun in a while
Hiroshi though while going over his day and relaxing on his bed. After few minutes had passed, Hitoshi fall asleep by 1 : 30 noon. He profoundly slept for 3 and half hours directly waking up at 5 in the evening.
As evening fell, Hiroshi's thoughts turned to Aya, the events of the day temporarily pushed aside by the sound of her voice echoing in his mind. Yet, as he drifted off to sleep, a sense of determination settled within him, a silent promise to protect those he cared for, no matter the cost.
He sat down to finish some of his school works that was alloted from the next day. He finished all of the works alloted by 8 in the night. He was feeling hungry so he went to eat his dinner. Today he had bought sushi for dinner and he finished eating his dinner. Then he washed the plates and sat on the sofa for few minutes to relax.
While he was relaxing. He heard "Please don't do this "
He moved outside to get a better look in why he heard this sentence.As Hiroshi stepped outside to investigate the mysterious voice, his senses sharpened by the urgency of the situation, he scanned the quiet streets of Sakura Grove. It was then that he noticed a commotion up ahead, near the intersection where Izumi usually walked home from school.
Heart pounding in his chest, Hiroshi broke into a sprint, his mind racing with worry for Izumi's safety. As he rounded the corner, his worst fears were confirmed. A group of masked figures surrounded Izumi, their intentions unmistakably sinister.
Without a second thought, Hiroshi charged forward, his adrenaline-fueled determination overpowering any sense of fear. But before he could reach Izumi, one of the masked figures grabbed her arm, dragging her towards a waiting van parked at the curb.
Desperation surged through Hiroshi as he lunged forward, reaching out in a futile attempt to grab hold of Izumi. But his efforts were in vain as the van doors slammed shut, sealing Izumi's fate and driving off into the night.
For a moment, Hiroshi stood frozen in shock, the reality of what had just transpired sinking in with chilling clarity. Izumi, his friend and confidante, had been snatched away before his very eyes, leaving him alone with the echoes of her terrified screams.
The End of Chapter 6