Great Teacher Kiyotaka

Lesson 1

Inside the white walls of the facility, the sound of the chess pieces hitting the surface of the board, as well as the sound of the timer being ticked resonated.

"Checkmate."

Ten seconds on the clock and the final move has been made, putting the match to an end.

"How are you so good at this, Ayanokouji-sensei?"

Kiyotaka turned his attention from the board to Shoya, the person sitting in front of him. The eyes of his pupil sparkles with anticipation as he waited for his answer.

"I started playing when I was just a kid. Around your age. Since then, I've been practicing a lot."

"If I keep playing, would I be as good as you?"

"Eventually, yes. You can easily compete against a global master if you improve..."

Despite Kiyotaka saying this with a blank face, there's a gentle tone and amusement in his words.

"Do you want to continue?"

"Yes, please."

As they were about to re-arrange the pieces for another match, the door behind them suddenly opened and a tall man in a suit enters the room and approached Kiyotaka from behind.

"What do you want, Matsuo?"

"You're father is calling you to his office, Kiyotaka-sama"

"Can it wait?"

"It's a very important matter."

"....Fine."

Kiyotaka stood up from his seat and gave an apologetic look on Shoya before leaving the room. Matsuo pulled the chair and sat on it before putting the black chess pieces on the board, arranging them to their respective spots.

"How's your progress doing, Shoya-kun?"

"I'm still improving, at least according to what Kiyotaka-sensei told me."

This is the first time he has talked to Matsuo, and he's already feeling the intense air surrounding this man. Truly mysterious and intimidating at the same time, but Shoya kept his cool.

"Is that so? How many games have you two played so far?"

"Two hundred and forty-three matches, and I still haven't won a single game."

Throughout the entire time they've been playing chess, Shoya has never beaten Kiyotaka once.

"He's not even going easy on me."

"And are you frustrated about that?"

"Not really, I shouldn't be."

To bring out the potential in someone, they practice by going through easy steps to difficult until they can fully grasp the game to an extent. But for someone like Shoya who's been living in the white room, playing chess with his mentor, Kiyotaka, from the very beginning, he already mastered chess at a young age.

Kiyotaka doesn't want to spoil the fun by simply going easy on him. And if Shoya wants to grow and become more skillful, then it's essential for his growth to go up against stronger opponents.

"I'm glad that he's not making it easy for me. I learned a lot from him."

"That's good to hear. He may not look like it, but with proper training and practice, he'll be sure to look out for you."

"The way you talk makes it sound like you know him quite well."

"Hmm, I've been with him for quite a while, so I know a thing or two about him."