The game between Arashi and Ichinose finally began.
In the opening phase, nothing particularly dramatic happened. Both players moved cautiously, reading each other's intentions. Their points remained perfectly balanced, and a few pieces were exchanged early on, keeping the board fairly even. Neither side seemed to have a clear advantage, and the match progressed in a calm, almost predictable manner.
As Arashi carefully observed Ichinose's playstyle, a quiet confidence started to build within him. Even if I can't win, he thought, I can at least force a draw. That belief stayed with him as the game continued, move after move, without any sudden twists.
At one point, Arashi's gaze drifted toward the audience. What he saw surprised him. No one seemed particularly invested in the match. Faces looked bored, attention wandered, and the atmosphere felt dull rather than tense.
Let's just finish this quickly, Arashi decided to himself.
Ichinose, sensing his impatience, spoke with a faintly confident tone. "If that's what you want," she said, "then why not? In the end, you're going to lose anyway."
Arashi didn't respond. He ignored her words completely and returned his focus to the board, continuing the game without showing any reaction.
Soon after, Arashi made a move—one that instantly changed the mood of the match. His queen became trapped, leaving Ichinose with a clear opportunity to capture it. The moment Arashi realized this, a wave of tension ran through him. Losing his queen meant losing the most powerful and versatile piece he had left.
For the first time, doubt crept into his mind.
Once again, his eyes shifted toward the audience. This time, he noticed something different. Among all the spectators, only the Principal was watching the game with complete focus. No one else seemed to care.
That realization hit Arashi harder than he expected. His confidence dipped, and pressure began to settle in.
On the other side, a teacher seated right next to the Principal spoke quietly but confidently. "Sir," the teacher said, "Ichinose has been winning chess matches for the last three years. Today will be no different. She'll win again."
The Principal, however, didn't take his eyes off the board. His attention remained fixed on the game as he calmly replied, "Losing a queen does not mean the game is over."
After that, Arashi made a few more calculated moves, trying to trap Ichinose's queen as well. He searched for patterns, baited responses, and adjusted his positioning—but none of it worked. Ichinose stayed sharp and didn't fall for it.
The game was growing more intense with every move.
Arashi began to notice something troubling. He was constantly trading pieces, one after another. If this kept going, he would be left with nothing but pawns, while Ichinose would still retain at least one major piece. That imbalance would almost certainly decide the game in her favor.
This won't work, Arashi realized. If I keep playing like this, I'll slowly bleed out.
That's when he shifted his strategy.
He noticed something important—Ichinose still hadn't castled. Her king was exposed.
Then that's it, Arashi decided. I'll keep pressuring her king.
From that moment on, Arashi began giving her check after check, forcing her to respond repeatedly. The rhythm of the game changed. What had once been calm and balanced now felt sharp and aggressive, the tension tightening around the board.
During this exchange, Arashi suddenly saw an opening.
If Ichinose tried to block a check using her bishop, he could exploit that move—and capture her rook.
The moment arrived.
Ichinose responded exactly as Arashi anticipated.
Without hesitation, Arashi executed the move.
The bishop blocked the check—and in the very next instant, Arashi captured her rook.
The balance of the game shifted once again.
The game continued to grow more and more intense.
Slowly, a few students in the audience began taking interest. Whispers spread, and soon the microphone came alive as commentators started discussing the game openly. What had once felt dull was now drawing attention.
As Arashi made a few more moves, a harsh realization struck him.
If this keeps going… Ichinose will win.
No matter what he tried, it felt like she already knew what he was going to do. Every plan was countered before it could even take shape. With no other options left, Arashi began advancing his pawns, hoping to create something—anything—out of the chaos.
But instead of improving his position, he started falling even further behind.
Nothing made sense anymore.
He couldn't figure out what to do next.
That was when Ichinose spoke, her voice calm and confident. "Just as expected," she said. "I'll win."
Arashi felt deeply demotivated.
From the audience, voices reached him—sharp and unforgiving.
"Who even knows how this guy made it to the finals against Ichinose?" someone said. "I still can't believe it. No matter what happens, Ichinose is going to win."
Even students from Arashi's own class weren't holding back.
"This is the first time Arashi has ever participated in anything," one of them scoffed. "And even here, he's going to lose. Pathetic." "Our class almost always wins. We could've secured first place if this idiot had won. But whatever—what can be done now?"
Those words weighed heavily on him.
Arashi's eyes drifted across the audience, unfocused, until—
He saw Mizuki.
She was sitting far away, but the moment their eyes met, everything else faded. The noise of the crowd, the whispers, even the pressure on the board—it all blurred.
Arashi couldn't hear her voice.
But he saw her lips move.
Slowly. Clearly. Every word was meant only for him.
Arashi… look at me.
He felt his breath steady.
You didn't come this far to give up. You're stronger than this. I know how hard you've worked. I know how much this means to you.
Her eyes didn't waver.
Don't listen to them. Don't doubt yourself. Trust your moves. Trust your heart.
She placed a hand over her chest as her lips formed the next words.
I believe in you. More than anyone.
Then, almost shyly—but with complete honesty—her lips shaped the words that struck him the hardest.
I love you, Arashi. And I know you'll win.
In that instant—
Something clicked inside him.
The fear vanished. The noise disappeared. The doubt shattered.
His hands stopped trembling.
His eyes sharpened.
A calm, burning confidence spread through him—not the kind born from arrogance, but from being believed in by someone who truly mattered.
From that moment on, Arashi stopped thinking.
He started playing.
His moves came naturally—fast, decisive, fearless. While Ichinose hesitated, thinking for five… ten… fifteen seconds, Arashi responded in less than two, as if the board itself was guiding him.
Move after move, his confidence only grew.
Because no matter what happened—
Someone was watching him. Someone believed in him. And for Arashi, that was enough to change everything.
From that point on, Arashi began making moves without hesitation, almost instinctively. Yet despite the speed, his moves were brilliant. Where Ichinose took five to fifteen seconds to think through each move, Arashi responded in under two seconds.
One move after another.
Sharp. Precise. Fearless.
Ichinose noticed immediately.
What happened to him? she thought, unsettled.
The clock ticked down.
Only two minutes remained.
At that moment, Ichinose was just one pawn ahead. But as the game progressed, Arashi slowly began pushing her back. The tables turned—now Arashi had two rooks, while Ichinose was left with only one.
One of Arashi's pawns was on the verge of promotion—about to become a queen. Ichinose tried to block its path with her rook. In response, Arashi placed his king right beside the pawn, shielding it completely.
Ichinose's mind raced.
What should I do? I can't lose. I can't lose to someone like him. I have never lost a chess match like this.
The pressure overwhelmed her.
And then—
She made a single wrong move.
In the next instant, her remaining rook was captured.
Ichinose froze.
She couldn't understand what had just happened.
With no options left, she quietly resigned.
The chair scraped loudly as she stood up—and then she ran away from the board, unable to face the result.
For a moment, the audience didn't quite understand what had just happened.
The sudden shift in the game, the unexpected outcome—it left many confused. But even so, applause slowly filled the hall. Soon, everyone was clapping for Arashi.
Arashi quietly stood up from his chair.
He bowed slightly, thanked everyone with a calm voice, and then walked away from the stage. Outwardly, he looked composed—but inside, his mind was racing.
How did this happen? How did I win? I still can't believe it…
As he walked behind the stage, lost in thought, someone suddenly jumped onto him.
"Nagi—!"
Nagi wrapped his arms around Arashi in a tight hug, laughing loudly. "Did you see that? I told you! I knew you'd win! "And look at you now—you actually did it!" "Congrats, man. Seriously. That was an amazing game."
Arashi smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah… thanks," he replied. "You played really well too. Well done."
After that, Arashi returned and sat among the audience, blending back in quietly, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
A few moments later, the Principal stepped forward and addressed the students.
"Hello, students. I hope you're all doing well."
He smiled gently before continuing.
"I apologize if any of you felt bored during the match," he said. "But personally, I enjoyed it a lot. It was a very intense game. "I was genuinely impressed to see how talented our students are."
He looked around the hall.
"I hope you enjoyed it as well."
With that, the Principal thanked everyone for attending and added with a light tone, "Now, it's time to focus on your exam preparation. Best of luck to all of you."
And just like that, the festival came to an end.