Inside the white walls of the facility, the sound of the chess pieces hitting the surface of the board, as well as the sound of the timer being ticked resonated.
"Checkmate."
Ten seconds on the clock and the final move has been made, putting the match to an end.
"How are you so good at this, Ayanokouji-sensei?"
Kiyotaka turned his attention from the board to Shoya Chiba, the person sitting in front of him. The eyes of his pupil sparkles with anticipation as he waited for his answer.
"I started playing when I was just a kid. Around your age. Since then, I've been practicing a lot."
"If I keep playing, would I be as good as you?"
"Eventually, yes. You can easily compete against a global master if you improve..."
Despite Kiyotaka saying this with a blank face, there's a gentle tone and amusement in his words.
"Do you want to continue?"
"Yes, please."
As they were about to re-arrange the pieces for another match, the door behind them suddenly opened and a tall man in a suit enters the room and approached Kiyotaka from behind.
"What do you want, Matsuo?"
"You're father is calling you to his office, Kiyotaka-sama"
"Can it wait?"
"It's a very important matter."
"....Fine."
Kiyotaka stood up from his seat and gave an apologetic look on Shoya before leaving the room. Matsuo pulled the chair and sat on it before putting the black chess pieces on the board, arranging them to their respective spots.
"How's your progress doing, Shoya-kun?"
"I'm still improving, at least according to what Kiyotaka-sensei told me."
This is the first time he has talked to Matsuo, and he's already feeling the intense air surrounding this man. Truly mysterious and intimidating at the same time, but Shoya kept his cool.
"Is that so? How many games have you two played so far?"
"Two hundred and forty-three matches, and I still haven't won a single game."
Throughout the entire time they've been playing chess, Shoya has never beaten Kiyotaka once.
"He's not even going easy on me."
"And are you frustrated about that?"
"Not really, I shouldn't be."
To bring out the potential in someone, they practice by going through easy steps to difficult until they can fully grasp the game to an extent. But for someone like Shoya who's been living in the white room, playing chess with his mentor, Kiyotaka, from the very beginning, he already mastered chess at a young age.
Kiyotaka doesn't want to spoil the fun by simply going easy on him. And if Shoya wants to grow and become more skillful, then it's essential for his growth to go up against stronger opponents.
"I'm glad that he's not making it easy for me. I learned a lot from him."
"That's good to hear. He may not look like it, but with proper training and practice, he'll be sure to look out for you."
"The way you talk makes it sound like you know him quite well."
"Hmm, I've been with him for quite a while, so I know a thing or two about him."
"...I admire him."
"I'm pretty sure most of the kids here in this place do."
"I want to ask you... What kind of person he is?"
Kiyotaka has been teaching Shoya during his time here in the white room when he's a child, and yet he still doesn't know a single thing about him. Their relationship until now has been nothing more than a mentor and a student.
Yet he couldn't help but wanting to know more about Kiyotaka, and Matsuo holds the answer he's been wanting to hear.
However, before answering Shoya's question, Matsuo lets out a smile and starts the timer.
"Unfortunately, that's something you should ask him yourself. I'm in no position tell you anything."
Even as someone close to Kiyotaka from the very beginning, there's still limited knowledge that he holds about him, like what's his favourite food, or what preference in music he likes. Things like that, but Matsuo knew those aren't what he wants to hear from him.
Shoya decided not to ask any further questions. And having the white as his pieces, he makes the first move and starts the match.
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Right outside the room, Kiyotaka stood behind the door, listening closely to their conversation with him being the main topic. He sighed in relief for Matsuo not to tell a single bit of information about him to Shoya.
A part of him wants his pupil to know him without any secondary party involved. He left the place and proceeded towards the empty corridor, walking on the red carpet leading to another room.
On the right side of the hallway, there's a glass that separates the inside of the facility from the outside. Kiyotaka glanced at the kids playing on the grass with smiles on their faces, enjoying every single moment along with their friends. Seconds later, he moved onto the destined room where he was being called.
Reaching the place, he knocked twice on the door before grabbing onto the knob and opened it. Inside, his father sat on his comfortable sofa while sipping on his drink. The two made eye contact and proceeded to stare at each other in silence, not uttering a single word.
"How about you take a seat? This might take us a while."
Kiyotaka did what he was told and sat in front of his father. This man is not someone who'd waste his time on any useless chat, and so is Kiyotaka. So the reason he was summoned to his office could be an urgent matter.
"So, what do you need me for?"
Wanting to leave as fast as possible, Kiyotaka urged his father to speak and get to the point. Atsuomi placed his cup on the table and sat his arm on the armrest before resting his chin on top of it.
"Me and the staff decided to pause the White Room's operation."
"Why is that?"
"To do some minor changes and research. That includes adding new curriculums as well as new staff to be in charge of handling the facility."
"And how long would that take?"
"The exact details aren't clear, though it might take years. It depends."
"Okay then, but what does it have to do with me?"
Atsuomi still hasn't stated the reason why he called Kiyotaka over. None of what he said has anything to do with his son, it only focuses mainly on the facility.
"You'll be temporarily dismissed from your duty. I was planning to send you to New York, but I know for sure that you wouldn't want that."
Despite having only rare occurrences of these two talking to each other, Atsuomi knew full well the thought process of his son and understood that Kiyotaka didn't like the idea of being forced to go somewhere, especially if it was against his will.
"I'm your property. So even if I don't want to go, you get to decide what to do with me."
"I guess you're right about that.
"If I were to ask, what do you want me to do by then?"
Kiyotaka asked the question with full interest, hearing that news could only mean that he'll be stepping out of the facility for the second time until it resumes its operation, but only in a long time. His father didn't answer his question, and instead sends the question back to him.
"You, what do you want to do, Kiyotaka?"
The young man couldn't believe what he just heard. The words that came out of this man's mouth were so unexpected that he wondered if this person is his father or not. Atsuomi, who ruined Kiyotaka's life is asking what he wants to do, and what kind of freedom he's willing to take.
"I want to... become a teacher."
"You want to become a teacher? Why?"
"..."
When Kiyotaka was asked this question, he couldn't come up with an answer. Atsuomi assumes that this is something that his son can easily achieve since he's been a playing that exact role in the White Room for a long time now. And yet Kiyotaka remained silent for a couple of seconds. Not because he doesn't want to respond or anything, but because he has nothing to respond to begin with.
The two stared deeply into each others' eyes. The only sound that can be heard is the noise the AC is making, as well as the voices of the children playing outside.
"...I wonder?"
That's it, that is the only thing his brain could process. The man in front of him wore a casual expression and appeared to be uninterested.
"I can't believe you'd say something like that and then say that you don't know why. Unbelievable."
As he was about to be dismissed, Kiyotaka's backup words immediately cut through the silence.
"....For my entire life, I've never once thought of what I've wanted to do, or what I wanted to be in the future. All I know is that you already had a path set for me, so all I needed to do was take it."
He spent his entire life since birth, training inside this facility, not giving a care about anything that might catch Kiyotaka's interest. Even if he did wish for something, Atsuomi would immediately brush it off. So in the end, he decided to not bother thinking of how his future would unfold and just have his father decide for him.
Fighting back is useless for someone like him who's powerless against this man, against this place. After all, Atsuomi's orders are absolute, and there's nothing Kiyotaka can do about it. But for the very least, he was thankful. Because of his time being a student at ANHS, he was able to find answers to his questions and learn a new things in only three years.
"Does that answer my question?"
"No, it probably doesn't."
It was sad, but he had to accept the fact that there can't be a happy ending in every story.
Despite all that, a part of him was hoping to attain that freedom for a second time. Wanting to go back to the outside world and experience what he wasn't able to get in this empty place. However, he already knows how his father is going to respond to this.
"...You may leave. I'll take care of the paperwork, and by midnight, I'll be sending you to New York."
Without a single care for his son's words, Atsuomi dismisses him, putting an end to their conversation. As the final nail in the coffin, the chance of Kiyotaka's second freedom was taken away from him. He headed towards the door and was about to leave the office, when all of a sudden, his father spoke to him.
"Don't expect me to be satisfied with just that."
At first, he didn't know what his father meant when he said that, but he didn't bother to think about it and quietly left the office.
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Kiyotaka kept walking in the hallway until he finds a lonely child sitting on a nearby desk.
"Nakamura?"
Nakamura Kaede, the little girl who was quietly watching her peers playing outside turned towards Kiyotaka who called out to her.
"Aren't you going to play with them?"
"I'm not that fun to be around, honestly."
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"
She turned towards Kiyotaka with a blank stare.
"Maybe because I'm a quiet person, and a clique tends to be filled with energetic people. Which is why I feel like I don't belong."
There are misconceptions that loners and introverted ones don't fit in a circle of friends. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way, even the quiet ones can easily join that circle and interact. There are just some roundabout ways that others tend to go about it.
"It doesn't change that fact that you want to play with them, whether you're the quiet or the brightest one out of all of them."
There was a hint of pinkish hue appearing on both sides of the her cheeks. She then looked down at the floor and slightly nodded.
"Alright then..."
Kiyotaka extends his hands in front Kaede and said.
"Let's go and play with them, I'll help you get to know them better."
She stares oddly at Kiyotaka and his hand in front of her. Hesitant at first, Kaede grabs it and they both proceed to go outside to meet the other kids. Kiyotaka can feel the coldness of her hands, showing how nervous and scared the child is.
"It's normal for humans to seek out companions and share interests with. So I don't think there's anything to be scared of."
"You don't understand, Sensei. What if they don't want me there?"
"We'll never know unless we try, don't you think?"
He knows this because this little girl is not an ordinary kid. Every single child inside this place was given an excessive education above the standard process a regular person could have. Including this one Kiyotaka's with. So her actions already surpass that of an adult, but still has the mind of a child.
"Let's not, please."
Despite not wanting to go, she still let him lead her outside, where they later encountered the kids and approached them. This caused Kaede to hide behind Kiyotaka and clenched his sleeves.
"What's wrong?"
"A gloomy person like me doesn't deserve to be around them."
"Seems like you're still going on about that."
"Because you're being persistent, Sensei."
"...It's not that you don't want to ruin their fun, it's just that you're scared of being rejected. Am I right, Nakamura?"
"E-Eh!?"
Nakamura stared at him wide-eyed and couldn't hide her shock after Kiyotaka revealed what she truly felt.
"Because of the way you conduct yourself, it prevents you from having any attachments to your peers. Deep inside, you want to grow close and become friends with them. Every second you keep thinking about how you should approach them, what words to say, and what behavior to show just to feel like you belong. But because you're scared of what others might say about you, you avoid them and prefer to be alone when it's the exact opposite."
Kiyotaka kneeled and gave little Kaede, who was on the verge of tears, a pat on the head.
"You can find courage by trying the first step. That's the best course of action to take. Again, we wouldn't know if they dislike you unless you try and talk to them."
"I... I'll try."
After thoughtful consideration, she wipes the tears off her face and walked towards the other kids. With the words of Kiyotaka backing her up, and all the courage that she gathered, Kaede doesn't have anything to fear anymore.
"Oh, Nakamura-san!"
"You wanna play with us?"
And seconds later, she was surrounded by the other kids and began talking to her. She was flustered at first but ended up forming a smile on her face as well. The fear that she once had was obliterated in an instant.
Since the White Room would stop for a while, it's important to make memories as early as possible.
Kiyotaka watched from the distance as the children started having fun. He felt satisfaction within this moment and felt proud of Kaede, who would treasure this moment, before heading back inside the facility and going to his room.
For the remaining time, he did nothing but read some books until he received a text message from his father, asking him to go and fix his stuff. Which means the time for Kiyotaka to leave this facility is near.
Kiyotaka placed the book back on the shelf and left his room. A couple of minutes have passed and he encounters Matsuo and his father who isn't surprised to see him without any luggage in the hallway.
"Why haven't you packed your things yet?"
"I've been thinking about what you said that time."
"Uhm, should I leave you two?"
Matsuo realizes that this is a private moment for the father and son to have, something that he feels like he shouldn't be involved with, and asks to leave the two for a second, but was told to stay by Atsuomi.
Kiyotaka continued to speak.
"I don't know if this would be enough of an answer, but I think I found the reason why I want to become a teacher."
"What is it?"
"Actually, before anything, can I tell a quick story?"
When Kiyotaka didn't receive any answers and was met with silence, he took that as a yes and continued.
"Remember when I requested for the kids to freely express their emotions while being nurtured?"
The White Room is a place where no freedom can be found. In exchange for great intelligence and education, anyone who steps inside this facility becomes subjected to its harsh environment and gets stripped off of their emotions, devoided of any love and care. Something that Kiyotaka can easily understand since it's exactly what he experienced as a child who grew up in this facility. Not to mention, his own father runs this place
"Yes, it was an absurd request that I was foolish enough to accept. What about it?"
"When I left your office, I found Nakamura all by herself, watching the other kids playing outside. She wanted to go and play with them but felt nervous over the idea of being rejected by them. That's why I stepped in and lend her a hand by giving her some encouraging words. Can you guess what happens next?"
A simple but tricky question. Since Atsuomi wasn't there to witness everything, he only has two choices to go with.
"She was accepted."
"Yes, she was. The kids invited her to go and play with them. However, can you imagine what would happen if I never made that request to begin with? What do you think would happen if those kids weren't as bright as you think they are, since the purpose of this facility is to build the most outstanding human that aims to be number one above anyone else, do you think Nakamura would be accepted?"
"..."
"She wouldn't. Someone like her who's emotions are weak is someone who wouldn't even survive a single month in this place. But Matsuo, tell me Nakamura's ranking and level compared to the other kids."
Didn't expect the baton to be passed over to him, so Matsuo spoke on behalf of Kiyotaka and gave the information to Atsuomi.
"She is the second top-ranked student, right below Shoya. She managed to pass every single tests and examinations with ease. When she was first admitted, she had a hard time socializing with other kids, resulting to her progress slowing down."
"Thank you, Matsuo. It was thanks to me that she was able to overcome her fear and grow an attachment with her peers. What I'm trying to say is that I somehow impacted her life and changed it for the better."
"I don't understand what you're trying to say. What does that have to do with anything?"
Everything that Kiyotaka has said so far doesn't fully answer his father's question. At this point, he's wasting time by telling a story that doesn't have any relation to what Atsuomi wants to hear.
And so Kiyotaka finally gets to his point and said.
"The reason why I want to become a teacher is because I want to see how much I can make an impact on people. See if I'm capable of changing them like the one I told you just a second ago."
"Is that all?"
"Honestly, no. I can't put into words what more I want to gain from leaving this place, but that's pretty much the summary of it. When I was a student at ANHS, I got to know more about human emotions and understand the outside world for what it is, and in three years, I guess you can say that I still have a lot to learn..."
Silence filled the empty hallway, and Kiyotaka waited patiently for his father's response. Matsuo can feel his own heart beating rapidly with the tension between the two growing more immense as time passes by.
"You only have limited time to spend, and being a teacher is not something to take lightly of. I wasn't expecting that from you, Kiyotaka."
"So, what is it gonna be?"
"Once this place resumes its operation, you'll be forced to return as soon as possible. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Yes, I have to leave my students behind to teach new ones."
Atsuomi and Matsuo started walking and passed by Kiyotaka who watched their backs as they left. He soon started following them from behind and continued their conversation there.
"Have you decided on a school to apply for?"
"ANHS."
The same school where he once stayed to escape his father's grasp. Now it's going to be his second time going back there.
"I knew you'd say that. Well, I have no control over what you'd do at this point, so feel free to do whatever you want."
Kiyotaka wastes no time and immediately goes back to his room to prepare for his leave. It may not seem like it, but he couldn't contain his excitement behind the blank face that he usual wears.
"It seems that you've been waiting for this change, Ayanokouji-sama. Is there a reason for it?"
Comparing this to his old ways of wanting to keep Kiyotaka locked, from seeking freedom, Atsuomi finally lets Kiyotaka decide for himself without being constrained, and that's what Matsuo immediately takes notice of.
"Time flies, that's all there is to it."
"Heh, I agree."
The two of them continued walking quietly in the hallway where only their footsteps were heard from across the place.
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That night, Atsuomi was gazing intently at the nightly city from outside the window. Seeing the darkness within the area be filled with different lights that are scattered everywhere.
He takes out his phone and dialed a specific number onto it before giving a call. After a few rings, the receiver answers it.
[I wasn't expecting a call from you, Ayanokouji-san. How are you doing?]
It's been so long since he has heard the voice of this person, but if felt like a few days since their last conversation.
"Nothing much."
[Well, there must be a reason why you called me, is there?]
The person on the other side of the phone knows fully well that Atsuomi wouldn't call them without any specific reason, especially someone who's been acquaintance with him for so long.
"You see, I want Kiyotaka to apply as a teacher in your school, ANHS. I was wondering if you could help him."
[Oh... Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. It's been so long since I've heard that name.]
"You'll finally get to meet him for the second time in years. Make sure not to go easy on him."
[I'll be sure to make things interesting for him.]
There are people within this world who knows how exceptionally capable Kiyotaka is, including this person. There's a hint of excitement within their voice and couldn't contain it any longer upon hearing the news.
"Thank you."
And with their conversation put to an end, Atsuomi placed his phone back to his pocket.
Now it's time for the bird to, once again, flap its wing and greet the sky with another welcome. All that is left is to wait and see how things would turn out.