CHANGED - Classroom of the Elite

26

Suzune waved goodbye to her friends before stepping into the library.

"Oh, Horikita-chan!" Hiyori ran right up to her before giving her a hug.

"I'm gonna guess you've taken up a new series?" Suzune inquired, gesturing to the pile of books on the nearby desk after being let go of.

"Yes! I was wondering actually if you wanted to read one with me." Hiyori took a step back and looked up with shining eyes, practically begging her to say yes.

Suzune sighed. "Sorry, Hiyori, but someone's already asked me to hang out. We can read at lunch time tomorrow though?"

Hiyori looked down with a smile that had a sad edge to it. "Alright... if you're not there I'll drag you here myself. Oh! And I've actually remembered the initials that I forgot to tell you about last time!"

"I'll hold you to that, and tell me quickly."

"There was only one letter: T." The shorter female sighed wistfully. "Which doesn't help me to find their identity whatsoever."

"'Kay... bye, Hiroyi." Suzune gave a slight wave. She turned to the stairs and began climbing up them. When she reached the top, Sakayanagi was there with a chess board already prepared, a smile on her face.

"Horikita-san." The violet haired girl tapped the top of her white King. Her smile abruptly sharpened. "Play me like you mean it, okay?"

Suzune sat down in her own seat. "That goes both ways, Sakayanagi."

The long hours of playing chess began.

---

"Say, Horikita-san," Sakayanagi moved her bishop across the board in a flash. Her movements were both elegant yet terrifying all the same.

"Hm?"

"What do you think about the word potential?"

Suzune paused in her thinking and looked up to meet the girl across from her in the eyes. "Like in general, or..."

"Mhm!" She didn't like how cheerful Sakayanagi sounded when she said that. Probably foreshadowing her loss for this round.

"Well, personally," Suzune moved her knight to trap Sakaynagi's horse. "I think that everyone has the potential to be someone that can contribute to society. It's just a matter of finding the right motivation, training, and trainers."

"Is that so?" Sakayanagi moved her queen for the first time that round. "Well, it seems like we share similar thoughts on that matter. Now, answer me this..." Her smile stretched wider. "What do you think about genetics?"

Suzune knew where this was going. "Genetics?"

"Mhm. Say, for example, if one were to be born a genius at something, and the other not, which would be victorious?" That's... a question, alright. And it comes down to one simple answer.

"'The next worse thing to a battle lost is a battle won.'"

Sakayanagi quirked up an eyebrow at her one-liner. "Oh?"

"When you lose something, you get the chance to learn and improve. That's the gift of making mistakes." Suzune moved her pawn, eyes catching Sakayanagi's slightly narrowed own at her movement. "Most people forget that there's more to life than winning. Most people don't think about what they're going to do after they win. They get so focused on winning the battle..."

Sakayanagi pushed her knight forward, trapping Suzune's Queen. Suzune had to bite her gums to stop herself from giggling giddily like a five-year-old.

"That they lose the war."