Glass Heart

Glass Heart - Chapter Eighty-Four

"... and that's the game." Izuku said, as Nezu beat him once again, placing Izuku's king into checkmate. Izuku had been able to defeat Nezu a few times at this point, but they were rare and not very often. However, most of their matches nowadays are always quite close, with many pieces taken on both sides and it always getting down to the wire.

Nezu nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "Well done, Izuku! If you had moved this piece to D6 five turns ago, you would have been able to take my queen here, and then checkmate me on turn 14, it was a really close match." Nezu pointed to the board while talking, making Izuku sigh with realisation, knowing that the opportunity missed his eyes. "However..." Nezu continued to speak, making Izuku's eyes flicker back up to him. "You are the only person I've played against that has ever beaten me before, or even come close. I greatly anticipate our future matches together!"

"O- oh, thank you, Sir..." Izuku smiles, Nezu says this, or something similar, every time, and yet whenever he does it makes Izuku smile. Nezu isn't a liar, so if he says Izuku is talented, then he really is. He's gotten to the point of being able to talk to Nezu normally, however compliments still make him stammer. His phone beeped – noting that Hitoshi was asking how much longer until he was done with his after school 'class' – and Izuku got up, intending to leave.

Nezu held up a hand to stop him. "Wait, Izuku." His kind, but commanding voice, made Izuku halt in his tracks, looking at Nezu with questioning eyes, unsure what Nezu wanted. "I did say you are quite talented at chess... so, why not hold a chess competition for your class? It would be a great way for everyone to bond. Being heroes is not just about physical strength, it's also about being strong on the inside, having mental prowess, just like you and me."

Izuku ignored the slight bragging tone Nezu had when comparing him and Izuku to Class 1A. "A chess competition? What would the prize be?" He wasn't sure what would make everyone work so hard to succeed, and – especially on Bakugou's end – he wasn't sure what would make everyone want to even join in to begin with.

Nezu's eyes glinted. "The winner would get to compete against you. If they win that game, they get full exclusion from every exam and test for this entire year and will get full marks for all of them!" He then went on to list all the exams, including the incredibly important summer exams which would be at the end of the year. This would be a very big deal.

"S- Sir-! Is something like that even possible?? We need those exams to run smoothly!" Izuku protested, looking concerned. Was beating himself at chess really such an ample display of wisdom – enough to get them out of all exams in the near future?

But after a bit more back and forth, Izuku relented. It wasn't like it was hurting anyone, and if Nezu was so desperate to see more chess within school, then so be it. "This is a school too, is it not? Of course we must have events like this!" Nezu had said when Izuku asked him about why he wanted a chess tournament in a place like this - for heroes to learn. Izuku couldn't really say no to that, so after a little more conversation, he left, grabbed Hitoshi and Shoto from the library, and then they headed home together, with Izuku explaining Nezu's thought process.

"A chess competition... with the opportunity to get out of all exams for the year on the line?" Hitoshi seemed quite excited by the prospect. However, when he learned that Izuku was the 'final boss', he quickly deflated. "Guess I'd still be in for the bragging rights."

"Father would want me to participate." Shoto seemed to not care about the tournament, but Izuku could tell from his slightly upturned lips that he's also looking forward to it. "Although if I won, he'd probably still want me to compete in the exams." Izuku and Hitoshi sent Shoto annoyed and exasperated looks, both of them wishing something could be done about his father. So far, nothing had been. Izuku was a hero yes, but he still needed proof before he could take down the second best hero in the entire country.