Transmigrated as the ill 2nd Prince (BL)

EXTRA Chapter (Rewritten)

7 Years Ago Before Christmas

"Damn! Why are we still in school when Christmas is so close? Is the school insane? sigh."

An 11-year-old boy named Kenta Bernardo grumbled as he shuffled down the sidewalk.

Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air, sticking to the edges of his jacket, which he wore over his school uniform. The streets were lively, with cars driving by and stores slowly opening for the day. A few blocks later, Kenta reached the school gates, where students gathered in noisy clusters, sharing the same frustration about school schedules.

Despite his ordinary academic performance, Kenta was well-known—not for being a genius, but because people admired his voice. He had a natural gift for singing, and many students thought his voice was as smooth and calming as snowfall. He greeted his schoolmates with easy smiles as they called out to him.

"Good morning, Kenta!"
"Yo, Kenta!"
"Kenta! Morning!"

"Good morning, everyone!" he responded cheerfully, making his way to his classroom.

Inside, he headed to his usual spot by the window, where his deskmate Aki was already sitting, flipping through his notes.

"Morning, Kenta," Aki greeted.
"Morning," Kenta replied with a yawn, dropping into his seat.

"Still sleepy?" Aki teased.
Kenta gave a lazy pout. "Wake me up when the teacher shows up, yeah?"

"Got it."

The bell rang, and students scurried to their classrooms. Kenta drifted off into a light nap while Aki kept an eye on the door. Minutes later, the teacher arrived, and Aki gently nudged Kenta awake.

"Teacher's here," he whispered.

Kenta stretched and sat up, just in time for the class to begin. They endured the lessons, waiting eagerly for the breaks between subjects. When the bell finally rang for lunch, Aki turned to Kenta with a grin.

"Let’s get some food?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," Kenta said as they left for the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was packed, filled with the chatter of students. Kenta and Aki waited in line, grabbed their meals, and found a small table for two. Other students smiled as they noticed the two boys sitting together. Though some joked about them being an inseparable pair, no one really cared that Kenta was openly gay. It was common knowledge, and most of the students accepted it without issue.

Aki, however, was more of a mystery. Some thought he might also be gay, while others believed he was just a loyal friend who had been by Kenta's side since childhood. Either way, their friendship was well-known throughout the school, and people respected their bond.

After finishing lunch, the two boys returned to the classroom. The next class was canceled due to the teacher being called into a meeting, leaving the students with an hour of free time.

"Hey, Aki! Kenta! Come play chess with us!" one of their classmates called out, holding up a board.

Kenta waved them off. "Nah, I think I’ll nap again."

Aki chuckled, though his expression flickered with something unreadable for a moment. "I'll play," he said, standing up to join the group.

The game quickly became competitive, with the stakes set: whoever lost would buy the winner’s lunch. Aki easily defeated his first opponent, earning cheers and groans from the onlookers.

"Who's next?" the so-called referee challenged, looking around the room.

Kenta, meanwhile, stretched his arms after waking from his nap. As he raised his hand, a classmate misunderstood his gesture and shouted, "Kenta’s up next!"

Kenta blinked in confusion, but it was too late. The students were already hyped, urging him to play. Aki, for some reason, smiled.

"You in?" Aki asked, already resetting the board.

Kenta scratched the back of his neck. "Man, I haven’t played chess in years. But okay, let’s do this."

The students cheered as the two boys took their seats, ready to face off. Kenta, though rusty, tried to remember the basics as he arranged his pieces.

Aki went with black, leaving Kenta to make the first move.

10 minutes later, The match was surprisingly close. The students around them were glued to the game, murmuring in disbelief at how well Kenta was holding his ground.

"Whoa! Kenta, you’ve lasted this long against Aki!" the self-appointed referee exclaimed.

The two boys remained silent, focused entirely on the board. Each move felt like a conversation between them, carefully chosen, deliberate.

"Check queen," Aki announced, testing Kenta’s next move.

Kenta furrowed his brow, then smirked. "Not giving up my queen that easily." He shifted his pieces, setting up a counter. "Check king."

The crowd erupted in cheers. The match, initially casual, now felt like an intense battle between two evenly matched opponents.

"You’re good," Aki said, grinning.
"Not as good as you," Kenta replied with a laugh.

The game continued for another ten minutes. Their classmates, who had grown bored earlier, were now back at the table, captivated by the tension between the two friends.

Finally, with one decisive move, Kenta leaned back and declared, "Checkmate."

The room went silent for a moment before bursting into applause.

"No way! Kenta won!"

Even though Aki had lost, he smiled as the students congratulated Kenta. "Looks like I owe you lunch," Aki said with a playful sigh.

Kenta chuckled. "Tell you what—how about you buy me something on Christmas? Consider it a present."

Aki blinked, surprised but pleased. "Deal."

____

Christmas Day, the school break had begun, and the streets were covered in a blanket of snow.

Kenta and Aki met at the park, as promised. Aki handed him a warm meal, and Kenta grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Aki. This is perfect," Kenta said as they ate together, sitting on a bench.

After finishing, they decided to walk home. The snow crunched under their feet as they chatted about anything and everything. Their houses were next to each other, making it easy for them to linger just a little longer in each other’s company.

"You know," Kenta began, "I was really surprised I won that chess match."

Aki laughed. "You were amazing. Guess your singing isn’t the only thing people admire about you."

Kenta nudged him playfully. "Yeah, well, I had a good opponent."

As they reached their homes, Aki gave Kenta a small smile. "Merry Christmas, Kenta."

"Merry Christmas, Aki," Kenta replied, feeling grateful for the simple joy of their friendship.

And with that, they parted ways, both knowing that no matter how ordinary the days might seem, having each other made every moment special.