The Debt Collector

Chapter Two: How Interesting

I took in the surrounding scene. The early light shining behind the girl, her piercing blue eyes watching every move I made, every breath I took. Normally, you would think someone here wouldn't be so obviously studying or examining their opponent, but she seemed to make no attempts at hiding her actions.

"Do you plan on moving your piece? Or forfeiting?"
She spoke rather suddenly, spooking me from my thoughts. Apparently I had zoned out when she was taking her turn. Embarrassed I moved a piece forward without thought, and she immediately captured my piece.
"What's your name."
Her tone was so monotone. Had I already bored her? Maybe she had already thought out all of questions and planned to rapid fire ask them. Or maybe she was just impatient. Most likely though, it was option one.

"Rei, Rei Tsubaki."
She smiled. Not a large one, and it surely wasn't fully sincere, but it was there, and it gave me some sort of courage.

I sat straighter, attempting to match her posture and overall energy throughout the game. Her aura felt like it would consume me had I not been aware of my situation. As she noticed my genuine attempts to win, her mood also seemed to improve.
Guess I'm not so boring after all

As the game went on, time seemed to move drastically slower for the players, then it was in all actuality.
As each piece made its way throughout its black and white battle field, questions were being tossed back and forth. More often then not each one of the girls was simply responding to the last ones questions.

"Have you ever gambled before?"

"Yes"

"Do you often wonder the schools gardens?"

"When I feel the day will be good, yes"

She took her turn, capturing my last piece besides my last Knight with her queen, put us both into a stale mate position, and made direct eye contact with me.
"Will you?"

I looked right back at her, doing my first genuine smile since the start of the game,

"Of course"

And she smiled back

As if it was all planed, my challenger stood as the bell for the students to start entering class rang. She walked elegantly to the school building, and I was left in a state of shock, unable to move for a few moments before I booked it to my class room.

—— At the Student Council's room——

Kirari stood beside her aquarium, one hand against the glass, smiling back at her reflection thinking about the girl, and their little game.
"How interesting"