The exams were over. It still didn't feel real that the hell was finally behind us. The classroom had returned to its usual buzz — no deathly silence, no faces contorted with stress. Even the air smelled different; not of sweat and fear, but of the ink from freshly printed results and something sweet.
A lazy atmosphere hung over the club room. Ren was hunched over a well-worn book, like a cat curled up in the sun. I, meanwhile, was getting to know our new, ahem, "computer." My knowledge in this area was limited to computer science classes, and even then, only the practical parts. The rest of the time we just listened to our elderly teacher drone on about the "great future of digital technology."
The guys from the IT club had snickered at our prehistoric PC, but they still installed Windows XP on it. One of them said something about the latest version, but I didn't pay much attention.
While I was getting used to typing, Rei burst into the club room with a shriek like a fire alarm and immediately jumped at me.
"MAKOTO!" she yelled, almost in my ear.
I shoved my pinky into my ear. "What are you yelling for?!"
She slapped a sheet of paper with elegant, ornate handwriting onto the table. I glanced at it and picked it up. It was the exam results — just hers and mine. Did she seriously stand at the board and copy our scores? Math: I got a 90, she got a 78. Biology: 87 and 69. Physics: 95 and... 56. Before this, I'd thought we were roughly on the same level, but now it looked different.
"So?" I asked, handing the sheet back.
"Hmph! Don't be so slow! You're in the top three for exams. Thanks to you, our club is going to be mentioned on the school's honor roll in the center of the school!"
Oh, so that was it...
Honestly, I'd hoped she was just happy for me. Or maybe she wanted me to help her study. But it seemed everything was, once again, about her club. Our club...
"Cool," I said, giving her a thumbs-up and turning back to the computer.
I was slowly starting to figure out the interface. I'd asked the IT guys to install a couple of coding programs—some even came with manuals. I occasionally read them. Who knows, maybe I could find a way to combine occultism and programming. It even sounded prestigious...
"Are you even listening to me?!" Rei turned off the computer just as I was opening Solitaire.
"Yeah, I'm listening..." I turned to her. "So our club is in the spotlight now, but I don't think anyone will want to join us. Not everyone is into occultism. Especially with our official name..."
"You're such a buzzkill!" She flicked her bangs and plopped down in a vacant seat, pulling out her phone.
Me, a buzzkill? Ha! For the past week, instead of club activities, we've just been sitting around drinking tea.
Speaking of tea, we weren't lied to—Rei really did get a school account. They used it to buy a new tea set, an electric kettle, and a teapot. I was happy; I love tea, and now I didn't have to scrounge for money to buy it.
Watching the girl on her phone, I realized I still hadn't gotten her contact info.
"Rei, give me your number or email," I said, pulling out my flip phone.
"Forget it..." she grumbled.
"Are you mad?" I sat down next to her. She huffed and turned away. "What did I do?"
As I tried to figure out why she was upset, a muffled laugh came from the corner of the room. We both turned our heads to Ren.
"What are you laughing at?" we asked in unison.
"Oh, nothing... you two just look like a typical couple in the middle of a domestic spat."
Rei's cheeks immediately flushed, and I just scowled at him.
The rustle of book pages brought me back to reality. Rei was typing something on her phone. I wanted to hold out my old mobile again, but it had disappeared.
"Here!" She held out my flip phone.
On the screen was a new contact: "My Master."
"Are you serious?.."
"Well, if you're my servant, then who am I?" Her eyes gleamed. "Rename it, and I'll execute you!"
Damn it... It was better not to argue with her. I could just imagine the looks on my parents' or Kaito and Haruto's faces if she ever called me in front of them.
I turned back to the computer. This time, I was definitely going to finish that damn game of Solitaire! But it wasn't meant to be... Just as the game loaded, the club room door opened.
"S-sorry..." a quiet voice said.
Standing in the doorway was the same girl who had tried to help me with my bike. Those same lovely peach-colored hair, tied messily in a high ponytail. In her slightly trembling hand was a crumpled piece of paper. As we stared at her in silence, she surveyed the room with her big brown eyes, as if looking for a way to retreat.
She took a step inside and addressed the person closest to her—Rei.
"H-hello."
"Hey," Rei replied, a little surprised. Then, realizing the situation, she gasped. "Damn, a new recruit!"
She rushed over to the girl. The girl flinched from the sudden movement.
"Sorry I didn't welcome you properly!" she said, shooting an accusing glare at me. "Someone convinced me no one was going to come!"
Oh... She had a point there. I had just said exactly that. Although... Ren didn't object either! But since he's our "spirit," maybe he has his own criteria...
"Look at this little cutie!" Rei suddenly grabbed the new girl's cheeks and started squeezing them.
"A-ah!" was all she could manage to say.
If she didn't change her mind about joining after that... I'd be genuinely impressed.
"What's in the paper?" Rei let her go and took the sheet. "Hmm... Makoto! Read it!"
I took the paper. Was Rei being lazy again?
"Amano Sayuri, Class 10-B. Please accept me into the club." There was a space for a signature.
"Sayuri, huh!" Rei reached for her cheeks again.
Such a sweet and shy girl... I couldn't imagine how she would survive with the three of us around.
"Hey, give that back!" Rei snatched the sheet and quickly signed it. "Tomorrow, right after school!"
"Tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah, I have stuff to do!"
Oh, brother...
I looked at the monitor sadly. Solitaire was on hold again...
Ren closed his book, put it in his bag, and looked at me. His gaze was... suspiciously calm. He nodded, beckoning me.
Well, it was time for another walk through two buildings to that same gazebo. After our last conversation, it only brought to mind his strangeness. We sat down. He offered me a peach soda.
"A new member is a good thing..." he said, opening the can. "What do you think of her?"
"Sayuri? I don't know. She's nice, but terribly shy," I said, glancing at the empty stadium. "And I wouldn't be so quick to call her a 'member.' After that 'warm welcome,' I doubt she'll stay..."
"I said it correctly," Ren smiled. His smile was... unsettling. "Shall we continue our last conversation?"
To be honest, I didn't have a choice. If I refused now, he'd just come back later. Or... it would come back, if he wasn't human.
"What else do you want? To surprise me? To make me lose faith in my destiny? You've already done that."
"I think soon I'll be able to show you what I'm capable of. Or... make you look at our leader in a different way."
What did he mean by that?
I couldn't even imagine what he could show me that would make me change my mind about Rei. Although, maybe it wasn't just about her... Maybe I was just too stubborn. A month had passed since school started—we'd founded a club, survived exams, but I still hadn't seen Rei fight any ghosts. She didn't even claim to see them. Wasn't that a little too quiet for the head of a paranormal hunting club?
Maybe I was right all along. Rei just wanted attention. To play master of the shadows, to start a club to feed her ego... and to not be alone. It was amazing how often people hid their loneliness behind grand ideas.
"You two are going to drive me crazy..." I sighed. At that moment, Ren unexpectedly put his hand on my shoulder. I flinched.
"What's wrong?"
"I understand your confusion," he said, holding out his other hand. "Let's make a deal. I understand that where you come from, this is a sign of trust."
Where you come from. Just like that.
As if we were insignificant humans and he was some kind of extraterrestrial. He was definitely in his "enlightened idiot" phase.
But, to my shame, I still shook his hand. A chill ran down my spine at his touch, and my palm felt like it was pricked.
"If I turn out to be wrong, you can hit me," he added, as if it were a reward.
"With pleasure!" I smirked and squeezed his hand a little tighter.
It wasn't that I enjoyed hitting people... But it was too tempting to be officially allowed to punch someone who was tormenting me for the second time with their philosophy about being non-human.
We sat there for a little longer. We watched the sunset, like two old men lost in thought after a long life. It was a strange association, though...
Then we silently went our separate ways.
On the way home, I wondered how I'd ended up in such a strange social circle. Kaito and Haruto, fine, they were clear. They seemed normal. Well, "normal"... at least they didn't refer to people as "where you come from." But Rei and Ren were a duo worthy of their own chapter in a textbook on anomalous personalities. And now, Sayuri might be joining them.
I wondered what she was thinking when she came to our club? What attracted her: the idea, the people... or just the free tea?
"I'm home!" I yelled, closing the door behind me.
Usually, the response was something like "Welcome back!" or the lively pitter-patter of feet, followed by Momo, a hurricane of pigtails and energy, crashing into me. But now... silence. It was so deep it felt like the house was sad too.
"Is anyone here?"
I took off my shoes and walked deeper into the house. I heard soft sobs near my sister's room. I stopped and listened. Yes, someone was definitely crying.
"Momo?" I frowned and knocked on the door. "It's me. Please open up."
There was no answer—just a brief pause. That pause where a person quickly tries to wipe away tears to look "normal." Then, the soft patter of bare feet, the creak of a lock... and the door opened.
Momo stood in front of me. Her dark hair, braided into two pigtails, was a little messy. Her eyes—huge, brown, and tear-filled. She looked especially small in her light denim jumpsuit, clutching a crumpled sheet of paper in her hand.
I immediately knelt down to be at her level.
"Sis, what's wrong?"
She silently held out the paper to me. It had a drawing of a monster, deliberately angular, with a huge mouth and swirls of wind around it—as if it were creating fog. It was a child's drawing, but there was something unsettling about it.
"They..." Momo choked out. "They all laughed at me... I wanted to tell them I hear a scary whistling sound when it rains at night..." She took a shaky breath. "And I drew this monster, I thought... I thought everyone would be interested. But they... they..."
She didn't finish—she just burst into tears and buried her face in my shoulder. I hugged her and slowly stroked her head.
Sometimes even the strongest people fall. Momo had always been so feisty, so restless, with an imagination as wide as the sky. And now she was crying—not out of fear, but because the world was deaf to her inner self.
"Shh, shh..." I held her tighter. "They just didn't understand you, that's all. Mom and Dad always said you have a great imagination. I've said it too. And they... well, they're just boring. Like unsalted noodles."
Momo sobbed, wiped her eyes, and looked at me. There were still tear stains on her face, but that familiar spark flashed in her eyes. I couldn't help but smile.
"Do you want to tell me everything?" I offered, getting up from my knees. "Or maybe we can do something fun? To cheer you up!"
"Yes!" she yelled excitedly, with her usual Momo energy. "I want to play Hanafuda with you!"
Her enthusiasm was so contagious that I didn't even have time to remind her how she'd completely thrashed me last time. A minute later, we were sitting on the floor at a round table, and cards were flying everywhere as she happily built her combinations.
But here's the strange thing... I couldn't get that drawing out of my head. It was stuck somewhere between my temple and the back of my head. A jagged-edged monster, as if it had been outlined by the wind. And that whistling sound... Momo wasn't the kind of kid who was afraid of monsters under the bed. I had practically raised her—from a young age, she'd skeptically snorted at scary stories.
So what was it?
Maybe it was just a way to get attention? Or maybe she'd had a nightmare during a thunderstorm? Or maybe some drunk guy was just walking by and whistling in the rain? Who knows... But a strange feeling was itching under my skin, as if I was missing something.
Later in the evening, when that very rain began outside—not a downpour, but a rhythmic tapping on the roof—I was sitting in my room. Momo was already asleep. We'd played plenty, and when our parents came home, we had a delicious dinner. Momo even convinced Mom and Dad to play, and she fell asleep herself by the end. I carried her to her room, covered her with a blanket, and left her to snore peacefully.
But there was no peace for me.
I was looking at the drawing. The sheet of paper lay on my desk, a little crumpled, with shaky lines but a certain... nervous energy. It wasn't just a scribble—there was something to it. Especially the background—the diagonal lines, like rain, and the swirls of wind, almost musical. It was as if she was trying to depict not just a creature, but the sound associated with it.
What was I even doing?!
I'd never delved into the details of anything strange in our world, but life itself was slowly pulling me into the depths...
I decided not to go to bed right away. I would just... listen. I opened the window and sat by it with a mug of hot tea. The rain had indeed gotten heavier, rattling down the gutters. A car honked in the distance.
Looking up at the starry sky and glancing at the time, I heard something faint. A whistle? I tensed up and froze, listening intently.
No. It was probably just the wind hitting a crack in the frame. Or a wire swaying outside the window. Or was it?
I sat there, my ear pressed to the window frame, a half-empty mug in one hand and my phone in the other. It was already three in the morning... I waited... waiting for something, I didn't know what. By almost four, I started to feel ashamed of what I was doing... But nothing happened. Just the rain. Just silence. Just the night.
I don't remember falling asleep. I just opened my eyes at some point—it was already morning. A faint light filtered through the curtains, and the birds were singing away. I felt a chill in my hands—the mug was still there, but cold.
No whistling. No monster. I was once again convinced that all talk of such things was just empty nonsense.
It was a good thing I had a reflex for waking up early. My body wanted to sleep, my soul wanted to lie down, but my legs were somehow carrying me to school. By the beginning of the first class, I had already stepped into the classroom, where Kaito immediately greeted me.
"Whoa..." he said, looking at me with an expression like he'd just seen a living zombie. "You look like you were drinking all night... Why didn't you invite me and Haruto?"
"I just didn't get enough sleep," I grumbled.
Talking to this overly cheerful person was painful. But the funniest part was that sitting right behind me was someone who could be even worse—Rei.
She was, as usual, looking out the window—sometimes I thought she found it much more interesting out there. But as soon as I sat down... nothing. Not a glance, not a greeting, not even a single "we need to urgently discuss club matters!" Silence.
She slowly turned toward me, gave me a cold look, and... turned away again.
Sometimes I felt like solving Rei was like solving a Rubik's Cube with my eyes closed, while underwater, and tied up. Yesterday she'd left feeling active, almost friendly—today she was covered in ice.
"Usually in these cases, people say 'Hello'," I said, chuckling slightly.
She turned around again. And this time, she delivered:
"You didn't give me your number."
I froze.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said," she continued with emphasis, turning fully toward me now, "you didn't give me your number. But I gave you mine. And you also left yesterday so quietly and silently. What if I wanted to call you? Our club is practically dead, and you are my subordinate, in case you forgot!"
Well, good morning, I guess...
"Wait..." I began, blinking. "You... you were the one who shamelessly stole my phone! Couldn't you have just copied the number then?!"
"I could have." She crossed her arms and turned away. "But that would've been too easy!"
"Uh, right. Got it," I muttered.
"And what did you 'get'?"
"Me? Nothing." I sighed. "Next time, I'll write a riddle for you in Russian with my number and no access to a translator, if you prefer complicated paths."
Not wanting to get into "buzzkill" mode, I took her phone and added my contact—without any "originality." Just my name, no emojis, no nicknames, no "Club Master."
"Happy now?" I asked, handing her the device back.
In response, with a face that looked like she had just won the battle for control over humanity, Rei began furiously tapping the screen. She was obviously renaming it. I didn't even want to imagine what.
"The always-tired idiot"? "My personal buzzkill"? "Someone who has to follow orders"?.. Or just "Servant," as she'd called me on the first day of the club's creation?
I sighed. Honestly, even this was a little comforting. It was strange, but even her sarcasm had become part of my new, chaotic school routine.
The bell rang behind us. The class buzzed, and the teacher walked in as if nothing had happened. Everyone settled down, the class began, and I was still looking at the window.
In any case, I would definitely try to go to bed early tonight. And not forget to close the window; sleeping with an open window was a surefire way to catch a cold...
"Your move, Makoto," Ren said with a peaceful smile, looking at me.
Between us on the table was a battlefield of intertwined lines—a Go board. I wasn't a master at the game, but I could manage the basic moves. After all, it was the only game we found in the club to pass the time. That is, until our "lost-and-found" Rei showed up. As soon as the bell rang, her trail seemed to disappear into thin air. The new girl, Sayuri, wasn't there either; maybe she wasn't coming back at all.
And then, as if by some ridiculous coincidence, right as I was thinking this, the door slowly opened with a characteristic creak. A face with a strand of peach-colored hair peeked out from the gap. She cautiously looked around the room and asked:
"C-can I come in?"
"Of course, come on in," Ren said good-naturedly, then refocused on the board, contemplating his next move.
"Our supervisor hasn't arrived yet, you can relax," I added.
Sayuri slowly walked in, looking around, and sat down next to me. Her gaze was caught by the board, and as I was about to make a move, she quietly shifted one of my pieces.
"That's one of the best moves right now..." she whispered, not looking up. "I-I'm sorry if I interfered, I just..."
"I see you're pretty good at this," Ren said with the same calm smile.
"Y-yes," she nodded briefly. "I often played with my teacher in middle school."
Her shyness was a bit of a hindrance, but not in a bad way. It was clear she was a capable girl. Not everyone would carry tools to fix a bike, and be smart and pretty too. But even starting a conversation with her wouldn't be easy.
Ren made a move that cost me a large portion of my territory. The game was dragging on, and I was getting tired.
"That's it!" I stood up from the table and headed to the computer. "Where the hell is she anyway?!"
"You... you mean Rei?" Sayuri asked uncertainly, looking between the two of us. "I saw her. She was in the teachers' lounge with a form and was actively begging for something."
"Doing her crazy stuff again..." I muttered with a detached tone, opening Solitaire on the computer.
Today, I would definitely get to play a proper game, since something or someone always got in the way. The hard drive whirred, and... The club room door opened.
"Behold!" Rei entered the room loudly and ceremoniously, holding out a hand with a piece of paper.
"What is that?" I asked, looking up from the computer at her excited, glowing eyes.
Rei silently came up to me, turned off the computer, and forcibly sat me back down in my chair.
My game was ruined again...
The girl slapped the form on the table, which made Sayuri flinch slightly.
"Starting today, our club will be preparing for a chess tournament!"
"What?"
I understood that she was the club president and all, but why hadn't she asked anyone?! Although, she always acted like this—she'd do something crazy without asking. This club also didn't start with a question like, "Will you help me?" but with an order: "You will help me!"
"It's strange that it's not shogi or Go," Ren said, looking at the application form.
"That's the point! It means we can show our mental abilities." She spread her arms wide. "Everyone can play chess, right?"
Ren and I both shook our heads negatively; only Sayuri timidly said that she knew the rules. This is why you should ask first, then decide!
"Seriously?.." Rei dropped her head in despair. "At least Sayuri understands something. What kind of boys did I get in my club..."
"Hey!" I protested. "We're normal! It's just not a very popular game here!"
She sat down and took out her phone, and a minute later, I got a text. It was from Rei... but she was sitting six feet away from me! Why? Oh well... better not to ask.
"Tomorrow at noon at the shopping center."
When I looked up, the girl was staring intently at me, and once she was sure I'd read it, she got up and sat down at the computer.
What did her message mean? What was happening tomorrow?
Dealing with her was so complicated! She annoyed me not only with her paranormal nonsense but also with her mysterious behavior...
Since my spot was taken by our president, I spent the rest of the club time watching Sayuri and Ren play Go. It was funny to see the guy's tense face gradually contort as the girl drove him into a corner.
The day came to an end. As always, Rei rushed out faster than anyone, and today it so happened that I was the last to leave. As I was locking the club door, I suddenly flinched—Sayuri appeared right beside me and quietly spoke.
"Ah!" I jumped back abruptly. "S-Sayuri! Damn it..."
"I-I'm so sorry!" she quickly began bowing as if to make up for her mistake.
I felt a little awkward and hurried to stop her. She fidgeted for a while, unable to find the words or a place to stand, but gradually she calmed down.
"I-I didn't mean to scare you..."
"Did you forget something?" I asked, looking at her.
Sayuri shook her head negatively, then raised her big, uncertain eyes.
"I... I wanted to ask..." she swallowed, "I helped with the bike that time, so how is it doing?"
I turned the key in the lock and smiled.
"The pedal fell off after a few meters."
"W-what?!" Sayuri was loudly surprised and immediately blushed. "I... I... but I!"
We walked to the exit together, dropping off the keys in the teachers' lounge on the way.
"Don't worry about it so much," I started as we got to the bike rack. "At first, I thought you had just tightened it poorly, but then it turned out the nut was stripped and wouldn't hold."
After my words, Sayuri visibly relaxed, and a light, sweet smile appeared on her face.
I was already on my bike when the girl became slightly flustered again. She also rolled her bike out but stopped next to me. Her gaze darted from me to her bike to mine. I had a rough idea of what she wanted to suggest but couldn't.
"Do you want to ride together?" After my question, she turned her head to the side, blushed, but nodded briefly. "If you're not heading to the east side of town, we can go to the station and back."
She silently agreed again and sat on her seat.
It was already getting a little dark outside. Rei had no errands, so the whole club had stayed longer. Because of the time, we were able to ride side-by-side in a row.
Her face was very tense, and her hands were gripping the handlebars so tightly I thought she would rip them off.
She was the one who wanted this, and she was so nervous. Maybe I could help her relax?
"Hey," I started, slowing down a little. "Why did you choose this club?"
The girl followed my lead and also slowed down slightly.
"W-why?" Sayuri thought for a moment. "I-I guess you could say that the folklore of our paranormal legends has always interested me. D-don't think I believe in them... I-I'm just curious..."
Sure, sure, I've been in this club since the very beginning, but there's been no paranormal, no folklore, or anything of the sort. The only thing we do is sit around, sometimes discuss something, and that's just improving the club's appearance.
We arrived at the station, where we turned around and rode back to the school.
This was exactly what I was talking about. It was so hard to start a conversation with people like Sayuri, even though it was quite pleasant to talk to her, unlike the overly rude and hyperactive Rei. This girl was sweet and polite, even if she didn't initiate conversation.
We parted ways, and I went home. I was so exhausted from the long bike ride that all I had the energy for was dinner. In my room, I immediately fell onto my bed, forgetting about homework since tomorrow was a day off.
Suddenly, I remembered the message from Rei and realized that my day off could be spent on anything but rest itself. I opened our chat and asked the question that had been on my mind for a while:
"What do you want from me tomorrow at noon?"
I didn't even have time to put down my phone before a reply instantly came through.
"I said so, so you have to come, or you'll have problems!" followed by an angry smiley face.
More of her threats...
It wasn't that I was afraid of her or anything; I just knew it was better not to argue with someone like her. I'd also noticed that Rei was incredibly easy to offend—it had happened so many times. I figured sooner or later I'd lose my patience, but for now, I would let her do whatever she wanted.
With a slight delay, I finally squeezed into the train that would take me directly to the central shopping mall. To be honest, going somewhere on my only day off from school was a questionable pleasure. And it was the end of May—the heat was so intense you could practically cut the air with a knife. A couple more stops in this stuffy car, and I would officially turn into a fried potato. Crunchy. With a golden crust.
As the train began to slow down at the station, I spotted Rei from a distance. She was standing by a wall, impatiently tapping her foot and checking her phone from time to time—probably checking the time or wondering if I had ditched her. I slowed my pace a little, taking a good look at her: seeing Rei outside of her school uniform was a first.
She was wearing short denim shorts and a loose black t-shirt that had a certain carefree vibe. Her hair was down, and every gust of wind played with it as if it were alive. On her head was a green headband, which for some reason looked especially cute. A small, greenish cloth bag hung on her shoulder. And that's when it hit me—something about her casual look had thrown me off. I didn't even realize right away why my cheeks were starting to feel betrayingly warm. It looked like I might have... blushed?
"Hmph! You're late!" Rei said, sounding offended, when I got closer to her. "Don't you know it's rude to keep a girl waiting?"
"You know, I don't live next to the subway, and if I had ridden my bike, I would have died of heat in a few dozen meters."
She crossed her arms petulantly and walked towards the mall entrance, and I just stood there. She stopped at the door and turned around.
"Are you coming?"
You're supposed to just say you want me to follow you, not walk away offended.
We went to a small cafe inside the building and sat across from each other. Instead of food, Rei only ordered cheap drinks, and then she pulled out a foldable chessboard and pieces from her bag and dumped them on the table.
"What is this?" I asked, surprised. "Are we going to play here?"
"I'm going to teach you. What did you think?"
"You could have said that at the club instead of sending a secret message to someone six feet away from you."
"I couldn't handle teaching three people at once, even though Sayuri knows the rules, she doesn't have enough practice." She started setting up the pieces in their places. "And if I had started calling you out specifically in front of everyone, what would they have thought? There's already a nasty rumor going around the whole class..."
"'Nasty'?" I asked, starting to set up my side. "So you find any hint of a relationship repulsive?"
"And what's so great about them?" She switched my king and queen around. I must have set them up wrong. "I tried, but all that excessive care and sweetness just annoyed me!"
Before she said that, I had held out some hope that she might like me in some way and that her attitude might change, maybe soften a bit. I wasn't upset; I never really saw her as a potential partner anyway.
"Go!" She crossed her arms again, waiting.
Just like with Go, I only knew the surface, so I moved a pawn one square forward. Rei made her move. During the game, she occasionally told me how each piece moved, but I still messed up sometimes.
"Rei, maybe we should at least start with the theory?" I said, setting down a piece. "Otherwise, instead of a proper lesson, all I'm hearing is how much of an idiot I am."
"I think you're right..." She began methodically putting everything back in its place. "Alright, let's start with the theory!"
She slipped off her shoes and put her feet up on the sofa, making herself comfortable—she was clearly serious about the lecture.
"Listen carefully. In chess, there are three key stages: the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. The opening is the beginning of the game, where you position your pieces. The middlegame is the middle, where the real chaos begins. And the endgame is the finale, where only a few pieces are left, and every mistake can cost you the game."
I decided to use a good old technique: "If you don't understand, make an association." The stages of the game reminded me of a normal school day. Everything's easy and even fun at first..., but by the evening—you're a corpse.
"Pawns," she said with a serious look, raising her index finger. "They're like your subordinates. They're weak on their own, but if they reach the end of the board, they can become a queen. So don't underestimate them."
She paused, staring intently at the board.
"And a knight moves in an 'L' shape. It's incredibly awkward, but it can jump over other pieces. Smart and completely unpredictable."
I don't know why, but Rei immediately came to mind. Exactly, an association! Smart, maybe hard to understand, and since the moment we met, her actions could be beyond my logic.
"She reminds me a lot of you," I said with a smirk.
"Don't you dare!" she flared up instantly. "If we're talking about associations, then you're a slow bishop moving diagonally who constantly bumps into people without even realizing it."
"You don't even know me well enough to say that."
"But my intuition is flawless. And it rarely fails me!"
She didn't give me a chance to say another word.
"The queen—that's who's in charge. The strongest piece. She can move wherever she wants, however she wants. And don't even think about suggesting that could be you. The queen is me."
Who would have doubted it? In this world, there was only one Rei Tono. And everyone else, according to her logic, was at most a pawn.
"In that case, I guess I really am just a pawn..."
She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips twitched. It was that kind of smile you try to hide, but in the end, you have no chance.
"Enough talking!" she practically ordered. "If you want to play chess properly, you have to remember the basics. Don't bring out your queen too early, don't move the same piece twice in the opening, and develop your minor pieces—the knights and bishops—before you start an attack."
"If you want to play..." What if I didn't want to? What if I was just dragged into it without warning?
"Basically, it's just like life," I noted. "Don't show all your cards at once, don't rush, and don't pick a fight until you're ready."
She smiled again, this time openly. Then she turned the board, switching sides.
"Alright. I hope you absorbed at least something." She moved a white pawn forward. "Let's play."
We must have sat there for about four hours. We played, we chatted, she explained things, and then we played again. Judging by my success, Rei wasn't the best teacher. It felt more like a slow but merciless humiliation.
At some point, she just gave up. She silently gathered the pieces, put them back in her bag, and then, resting her cheek on her hand, stared out the large window. The mall buzzed with activity behind the glass.
"This is a disaster..." Rei said quietly.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's not just that we won't win this tournament... we won't even be able to perform properly!"
She sadly lowered her head and started swinging her legs, as if trying to distract herself. The expression on her face unexpectedly got to me. She looked like a disappointed child—just like Momo had recently. But there were no tears, and that made it even more painful to see.
"Rei..." I began, not really knowing what to say. "You're not alone. You started a club, and now Sayuri has unexpectedly joined—she's pretty smart, by the way. She's clearly the second strongest after you and will definitely be able to show her skills. As for me—I'm basically a total zero at chess, and I'm not even sure about Ren yet..., but we'll try. All of us. Together."
Before today, I would have never thought I'd be seriously supporting this feisty and audacious girl. But right now... it seemed to be exactly what she needed.
She lifted her head and looked at me.
"Trying..." she said with poorly disguised irony. "Even if you suddenly start working as hard as I want you to... we still have very little chance. I thought I could handle everything myself, but... a whole tournament is too much. I can't do it alone."
"I see..." I said thoughtfully.
It seemed like this was the moment when you had to say something you normally wouldn't say out loud. Especially not to her.
"I don't know what you imagine yourself to be, but you're the club president. That means you have a team. We might not be as great as you, but we're ready to support you. For real."
Rei's eyes widened slightly, and a faint, almost invisible smile appeared on her face.
"So... let's just try. Come what may." I, by habit, held out my hand as a sign of agreement.
She looked at it for a long time, as if weighing something, but she still shook it. And again—that feeling of a cold, prickly palm. Since when did handshakes give me such strange feelings?
"You're right!" she said, letting go of my hand. "No matter how hopeless you three are, damn it, at least I can rely on you."
She could have put that a little more gently...
"Starting tomorrow—intensive training for everyone!" Rei leaned in close to me. "You already know the basics, so you'll take on Ren. And I'll perfect Sayuri!"
She sat back abruptly and broke into a wide, almost predatory smile.
"And no 'come what may'! Only victory! And if not..." she drew her thumb across her throat. "The sentence will be carried out!"
Just like that, Rei came back to life. It was as if all the heaviness had slid off her, giving way to her usual audacity and energy.
We soon parted ways. And I began to mentally prepare for her upcoming insane training. The hardest part was that she had practically made me promise to win.
I really didn't want to put in the effort... but it looked like I had to.