Randy never expected to be part of a team.
Chess was supposed to be solo—one mind, one board, one winner. But Regionals came with surprises. Thanks to the Gubat-Iriga merger, the chess team now had four players—three of whom Randy vaguely remembered crushing at Provincials.
The fourth?
He recognized too well.
"Eri," she said coolly. "Freshman. From San Isidro."
San Isidro. The school that treated chess like a military campaign. Eri played like a robot blessed by the goddess of logic. Total silence. Precise moves. No hesitation.
She had also beaten him. Twice.
"Rematch?" he asked, voice almost squeaky.
"No need. Outcome will be the same."
"Wow. You're even scarier than I remember."
She didn't blink. Just stared like he was a math equation that didn't add up.
"Okay, how about this—if I lose again, I'll tell you a joke."
"You've already lost three times."
"Exactly! Triple the comedy."
From the badminton corner, Nina whispered, "Is he malfunctioning or flirting?"
Mira shrugged. "Both. Probably."
After the fifth quiet checkmate, Randy slumped forward.
"You're not even the worst loss I've had," he muttered. "You're just the most recent."
Eri simply began resetting the board.
"No, seriously," Randy said. "Want to hear true humiliation?"
A slow blink. Interest? Maybe.
"Dane beat me. Twice."
"The basketball player?"
"Oh, he's more than that," Randy said, voice tinged with dramatic tragedy. "First time was in Daet. Night before the quarterfinals. We were snacking. Talking nonsense. And then—boom. Ten moves. My king was running for his life."
"He opened with a casual Sicilian Defense. I fell for a bait I invented."
Eri tilted her head, visibly intrigued now.
"Second time was worse. At Karl's place. I prepared for three hours. Tea. Gloves. Visualization. And?"
"Seven moves. While explaining volleyball rules to Yumi."
"Maybe you should try volleyball," she said.
"That hurts more than the loss."
Dane walked by just then, holding a paper plate of siomai. He nodded like a polite executioner.
"Still analyzing that Karl game?" he asked.
"I saw your rook in my nightmares," Randy muttered.
"Keep practicing. You'll get there."
"He means it," Randy told Eri. "That's the worst part. He destroyed me kindly."
Eri gave a faint, barely there smirk.
"At least I don't smile after."
"You're a blizzard, Eri."
"You're still in check."