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Clotted Cream, one of the most renowned students at Crème Campus. Diligent, prim and proper, not to mention, quite handsome. As the Student Body President, he is the perfect role model that many simultaneously look up to and despise with all of their atoms.
Though of course, such a prestigious reputation doesn't come without cost. The blond was just about to leave to continue his work at home, documents and files stacked above his laptop.
"Need help with that?"
A voice spoke up. Financier, vice president of the student body, leans on the doorway watching her leader carry more than he should be. She's just as well known as Clotted Cream, though not as uptight as he is.
"Ah, Financier. No thank you, I'm perfectly capable."
"Last time you brought a stack of papers so late, you almost got mugged."
She teased lightly, taking half the papers so the weight doesn't paralyze Clotted Cream's arms. They'd continue the conversation along the way to the dorm.
"Please, that was years ago. I've improved in my strength and awareness."
"Still, don't you have any free time?"
"Of course I do… but I'd rather be productive."
She only sighed, Clotted Cream has always been.. annoyingly persistent and diligent, sometimes to the point of hospitalization.. She’d turn her gears harder for a moment.
"How about joining a club?"
"You know I don't make time for extracurricular activities."
"But you have a gap between after hours and your scheduled home time."
"Yes, and I use those times to go over my assignments and documents regarding student activities."
"Then maybe I could.. do that for you? I have more free hours besides my club days."
"That won't be necessary, but thanks."
Another defeated sigh escapes her. At this point she might just have to assign Clotted Cream to a club herself.
… Wonder if that’s allowed.
They’d eventually reach his assigned dorm, Clotted Cream faced Financier to have her put back his papers.
“I’ll take it from here, thank you.”
“Nope, I’m getting these to your room.”
“… Haha, suit yourself.”
The day ends just like usual for Clotted Cream, he continued working away, falling asleep due to the faint night breeze seeping through the ventilation window of his wall, with documents and printed assignments stacked neatly on the bed behind him.
—————
Financier
Good morning.
I’ve assigned you to a chess club.
5:45 AM
You
What are you, my mother? 🤭
5:45 AM
Financier
You really need that break.
Play some games for a bit.
5:46 AM
You
… Are you serious?
5:46 AM
Financier
Yes.
Room 2.2 at 3 PM.
5:47 AM
— — — — —
Clotted Cream steps to the second floor, heading towards wherever the chess club is supposedly in. Somehow, getting signed up by a close friend is.. allowed. Perhaps he could clear up the misunderstanding that he wasn’t informed properly, and he can continue using his free time for more useful things.
He saw a couple students sitting on the waiting chairs outside a room, checkered sweaters and vests, they’re presumably the members. He braced himself before approaching them.
Two twin children of bright and dark brown color schemes; renowned “HellHound” of the campus, Red Velvet; and…
“Ooh, look what the cat dragged in~!”
Black Sapphire.
Just looking at the dark haired boy with his own eyes, he can feel his veins begging to burst, and his eyes twitching. Notorious rumour-monger, well known leader of his radio club, and the one who tried to stain his hard-worked reputation to the ground just last semester. The only reason he hasn’t gotten expelled was because he is, presumably, being tutored by who was once the most respected and influential lecturer of this campus.
Clotted Cream exhaled calmly, he’s only here to quit.
“Didn’t think you’d be a chess guy, prez!”
“Don’t start with me. I’m only here to set some records straight. Who’s the club’s leader?”
“It’s us!”
“That’s us.”
The twins answered gleefully, and in synch. How interesting… Were these the new young prodigies he heard of previously? He wasn’t expecting them to look.. eight.
“You’re both.. the leader?”
“Yep! Pawn White!”
“… Pawn Black.”
Do they even have permission to set this up? No, the chess club has been around for some time, who was the previous leader again?
“I… see. I’d like to discuss with you two regarding my.. insertion, into this club."
“Oh yeah!”
“Your friend said you’ll come.”
“Yes, well… I wasn’t aware that signing up someone else was allowed.”
“It’s not. She only informed us that you were willing to enter and to expect you. We would’ve presumed you were uninterested, had you not come here.”
Red Velvet chimed in. So he could’ve just, not arrived? This might as well be a trap for him to miss out on working.
“How nice of your friend~ The club didn’t have much applicants, you see.”
“Yeah! The previous members have already graduated!”
“Black Sapphire was our newest member since last week.”
“… I see.”
Hearing that he couldn’t help but feel a little… guilty. Seeing as there’s only two other members besides the twins, it does seem pitiful, and the two seems very enthusiastic in sharing their skills. That’s something Clotted Cream could relate with as a prodigy.
“… I suppose I can make room in my schedule for this-“
The twins didn’t miss a beat hearing that, immediately handing Clotted Cream the registration form for their club; with joy in their faces that only guarantes that Clotted Cream wouldn’t back down.
He supposed, his existence in it could garner interest for this, and when the club has more members he could simply leave, continue on his usual routine.
He couldn’t help but acknowledge Black Sapphire staring at him.
“I’ll only be here temporarily.”
“Mhm, sure. Say, how about a short match?”
Clotted Cream raised his eyebrows at that.
“With me?”
“Yeah. You’re not here by interest, how could we be sure you can actually play chess?”
The annoying smirk that emerged afterwards only further challenges Clotted Cream to hold himself from breaking his jaw by teeth gritting. Bold of him to assume Clotted Cream, out of all people, have never played chess. He can spare a few minutes to put the rumour-monger in his place.
“I’ll have you know that I held quite the victory streak on practically everything.”
“But is chess one of them?”
The twins, enthusiastic as ever at the challenge, set down the chessboard for the two to fight it out. It’s a simple game, all he had to do is make sure he wins fast, like always. He sat on one of the waiting chairs, facing him directly now. He’s trying to ignore how long his eyelashes are for a man.
“May the best wins~”
“Don’t put too much expectation on yourself.”
Black Sapphire held out his hand to shake, Clotted Cream only returned the gesture for the sake of politeness.
And so the match begins. Clotted Cream having control with the white pieces, Black Sapphire with the black pieces. How fitting.
It started out normal at first, unfortunately Clotted Cream hasn’t encounter a window where he could end the game quickly with a checkmate. And it seems Black Sapphire is quite skillful with his defenses. Clotted Cream tried to play the waiting game, give mixed signals, catch his opponent off guard, or wait for him to cave in to the pressure.
The blond glanced up at Black Sapphire, has been for the past few minutes. The void black pupils focusing on him more than the board, with the violet slit feeling as if it’s piercing through him like a needle. All completed with his long white lashes.
“Something caught your eye, Prez?”
The radio host’s smooth voice broke him out of his trance.
“It’s your turn.”
“I know.”
He might’ve sounded a little defensive there, and the warmth across his face isn’t making things better, but no matter.
Clotted Cream made another move, how much longer should this cat and mouse game continue? No matter how many quick glances he had on Black Sapphire’s, it doesn’t seem like he’s breaking down anytime now to get reckless. How frustrating.
A singular idle cough disturbed his focus for a moment, first he’s already being toyed with by Black Sapphire, now there’s a passerby? He turned his head to shush or atleast send him away for now.
Until he found out there were.. apparently more than one person watching him. Even the janitor had stopped in his tracks to watch.
“Ohoh, looks like we got quite the audience~ You wouldn’t mind that, right Prez?”
Clotted Cream went quiet. Another thing that caught his attention was the window nearby, it’s already dark outside. He could barely see the streetlights around the campus.
“… What time is it?”
“6:45.”
Red Velvet said after checking his phone. His answer didn’t help at all on Clotted Cream’s case. He wasted 3 hours of his day, for THIS? The neutral glances he had on Black Sapphire since earlier turned into a glare, before the other eventually gets up to stretch.
“Heh, it’s fine Prez, I’ll take the loss~ I know you won’t be able to handle it.”
He snickered and waved goodbye as he left, a collective and disappointed “aw” was heard from from the crowds as Red Velvet tries to disperse them. The blond could only let his eye twitch in annoyance while he helped the twins clean up.
— — — — —
The dorms have long gone quiet, it’s lights barely illuminated the hallway. Despite doing nothing productive for the past several hours, Clotted Cream was already exhausted. For once in his life, he didn’t bother to change before going to bed, laying on his back to heal it from hunching over since earlier.
His mind is yet able to let go or forget of that radio host. He’s never seen him in person properly, maybe his looks is the source of his large following, and voice. His annoyance mostly came from Black Sapphire’s taunting, and how strangely alluring his voice was. He couldn’t help but be reminded of his hair as he stared into the darkness of his room, the only thing missing is that nice purple gradient.
“…”
There’s no use in thinking of it, he should get the rest of his work done, he knows this. But something about that match drained him mentally, the motivation and will to even write the first letter wasn’t there anymore. Maybe Black Sapphire really did toyed with him.
He grunts, covering his head with a pillow in an attempt to sleep. But the faint outlines of those long, pretty eyelashes haunts him.
The last thing he’d hope for is for words about his embarrassingly long “casual” chess match to go around the campus.