[Chapter 2: "The Strategist Behind the Slouch"]
It had been a week since school reopened, and the usual chaos of the new academic year lingered in the air. Club posters, event announcements, and committee nominations cluttered every corner of the school's bulletin boards.
During homeroom, the teacher tapped the whiteboard dramatically.
"We'll be holding the annual School Strategy Tournament next week," he announced. "Each class needs to send two participants. It's a tag-team showdown using real-time strategy board games―think chess, but with plot twists and traps."
Groans echoed through the room.
"Sounds like brain rot," Takumi muttered.
"Sounds like something you'd win with your eyes closed," Yuri whispered with a poke to his side.
Haturo leaned in, grinning. "Come on, man. This is your thing. Outsmarting people while barely trying? That's peak Takumi."
"I specialize in minimal input for maximum results," Takumi replied flatly.
By lunch, his name was already written down—courtesy of Haturo, who claimed it was "for the good of the class and comedy value."
[The Day of the Tournament]
The school library had been transformed into a sleek game hall. Boards were set up with fantasy-style maps, traps, and rulebooks. Teachers acted as judges. Students cheered from the sidelines, some treating it like a gladiator match.
Yuri watched from the front row. "He acts lazy, but when he wants to win… he's unstoppable."
"I've only seen him nap and mutter about existential dread," Aoi said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, prepare to meet that Takumi," Yuri said, her eyes locked on him proudly.
Takumi sat down at the board in his usual slouched posture, rolling a dice lazily, but his gaze sharpened the moment the match began.
He predicted enemy moves like a seasoned general. Opponents fumbled while he manipulated the board like a storyteller guiding fate. His partner barely had to move—Takumi handled the strategy solo.
By the final round, whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who is this guy?"
"He's like a puppet master."
"He's… kinda hot when he's focused."
Yuri hugged her bag with a smile that said everything. "Tough luck, ladies. I found him first."
[After the Event]
Takumi rejoined the group, yawning.
"I need a nap and a donut. In that order."
"You crushed it," Yuri beamed.
"I also crushed my will to think for the next month."
"You're trending in the class group chat," Haturo said, holding up his phone. "They're calling you 'Silent Tactician.'"
"Tell them to remove me from existence," Takumi groaned.
Later that evening, as the group walked toward the station, Aoi and Haturo lagged behind a little, talking and laughing softly. Kana and Minato were playfully arguing about who messed up during a group presentation earlier that day.
Yuri leaned closer to Takumi. "See? When you try, you shine."
Takumi looked at her, a faint smile on his lips. "I don't need to shine. Just need you to see me."
Yuri's heart fluttered at his words, and she looked away, flustered. "D-Don't say stuff like that so casually."
Takumi chuckled.