I Am My Wife. (Discontinued)

Chapter 13.9: Island Exam IV

Sakayanagi Ayato's Soliloquy: The Lion of Deception and The Masterpiece

It might sound like I'm just making excuses because I wasn't able to win in all 28 matches in chess against Shiba-san, but I was definitely holding back my abilities in all 28 matches for one sole reason: to know how his mind works.

Knowing how your opponent's mind works comes many advantages especially if it comes to mind games such as the exam that's currently being held.

Confronting a formidable opponent such as I... (not that I am bragging or anything. I'm just that confident in my abilities, skills and intelligence.) makes people subconsciously reveal some extent of their mentality, or how someone's mind works.

But even after facing him several times, the only thing I noticed about his mentality or how his mind works, especially the last time we we played on the cruise was that he tend to sacrifice his officials and defeat me with his
newly-promoted pawns.

I had thought about it until now but the only conclusion I could make was he was just messing with me. In other words, he guessed some of my thoughts to some extent.

But starting this Island Exam... I promised myself that I have to come out on top and crush Shiba-san and his class. And after I destroy Shiba-san, I'm going after that girl, Ayanokouji Kiyone-san.

Speaking of those two, can Shiba-san win or even stand a chance against Ayanokouji-san if she ever goes all out? I wonder. Thinking about it won't answer my question, after all, Shiba-san's feats in New York almost scaled up to Ayanokouji-san, where Shiba-san earned his nickname of The Lion of Deception where he effortlessly deceived, manipulated and defeated every single one of his opponents back in New York who are also considered like him, a prodigy.

Ayanokouji-san on the other hand, effortlessly defeated bunch of grandmasters without breaking a sweat nor her stone face.

But there's only one thing that I am sure of. If Ayanokouji Kiyone-san knows of Shiba-san's feat back then, there's no doubt she will ask him to have a game with her or two and hope to get defeated and end the foolish ideals coming from her own mother.

Well, to be perfectly honest, to me, it doesn't really matter if Shiba-san is smarter or not. What matters is I will be the one to defeat her. And probably...probably just by a pure, dumb luck, the defeat I delivered to her might bring her cold, hardened heart closer to mine.

So, Shiba-san. Prepare yourself, I'm not holding anything back this time.

...

The third day finally came. After my plan on narrowing the leader's identity to either Shiba-san or Ayanokouji-san failed, I instructed Katsuragi-san to follow me to Class B's camp and personally investigate what's going on and find who is Class B's leader.

"I thought it was absurd at first because you claimed Shiba-kun and Ryueen-san both emptied their points, but I'm impressed they'd enjoy for 3 days straight. I guess Shiba-kun properly divided the way their points are spent each day by making daily activity log unlike Ryueen who spent all of her points in one go. Shiba-san is really impressive, right? Sakayanagi-kun?"

Amazed by how Shiba-san properly spent his class's points by making summer activity lists, Katsuragi-san voiced her honest thoughts out and asked for my opinion. "But I'm also curious on how long they'll manage to enjoy their vacation. After all, there's still 4 days left before the exam ends." Katsuragi-san continued.