Ask the Sinners

3K/Merry Christmas

  There was a man waving to me from outside my windows. He was waving so enthusiastically that even watching him made me smile.

  "Come out here!" he called. I could just barely hear him through the glass. "I have something for you!"

  Giving my apartment once last glance, I threw on a coat and headed out. Nyoze smiled as I arrived. He looked so happy. It made me smile softly.

  "I brought a game! Let's play!" he exclaimed. His scarf was caught by the wind, and it lifted up. I bit my lip. Nyoze saw my hesitation and flopped onto the ground. "I brought chess."

  "And if I had said no?" I asked.

  Red took over his face. "I, uh, thought you would say yes, so I took it with me." Then he grinned again, looking like a middle schooler.

  Taking a seat beside him, I watched as he spread the pieces out. "You're telling me you brought a whole game over without knowing if I'd say yes? You're confident."

  A grin split his face in two. "I know you well enough. Besides, I know you've been wanting to learn chess. So....yay."

Wind blew around us, and I shivered. Without a word, Nyoze tied his scarf around my shoulders. I met his eyes then looked at the game.

"Teach me," I said. "Michelle's been bugging me enough. With Gallerian being busy, I'm basically the only other person there to help her."

Nyoze spoke as he set up the board. "Bruno can't play with her?" Once he was done, he looked up at me eagerly.

"Ha, no. He's working with Gallerian at the courthouse. And the other servants are too busy. I'm the only one, and I don't even know how to play."

"You're a good sister." Then he moved his knight.

"Wait! How do you play? I don't know how!" I exclaimed.

Laughing, Nyoze began to instruct me. "You can first move a pawn or a knight. Knights move in a half T-shape: two spaces in a line in any direction, then one space to the left or right." Nodding, he continued. "Pawns can either move two spaces ahead or one."

Going off his advice, I moved one of the pawns two spaces ahead. He moved one of his. I moved another one two spaces ahead.

"Ah, no, sorry. I meant to say that you can only do that once. I'll let it slide since you didn't know," Nyoze told me.

Now embarrassed, I accidentally knocked my king over, causing that line to fall. Sighing, I put them back in place.

  We kept playing until Nyoze was about to win. He flashed me a smile and took my king. Then, he took his own king and did something unusual. He opened it. Out came a ring.

  "So, I, uh, wanted to do this sooner, but I figured it was better to wait a bit. You know, after all that's happened. But, Nemesis Sudou, will you marry me?" he asked.

  My body seemed to stop functioning. The only thing I could hear was my blood rushing throughout me.

  "I, umm....." I managed to awkwardly stutter out. "Yes! Yes, I will!" I threw my arms around him, scattering the few pieces still on the board.

  Nyoze slid the ring on my finger.

  "Oh, would you look at that? It's time for the party. Hey, should we tell everyone now or later?" he wondered.

  I stopped to think. "Later. I don't want the engagement to overshadow the party. Apparently, Michelle is singing."

  "And you said your mom'll be there? I can't wait to meet her," Nyoze said.