Cote: Elite in Action

The Invisible Board

Kayden smiled faintly, almost resigned.

"It's easier to move without attachments. If an emergency comes up, I can adapt without thinking about how it'll affect my teammates... or you. This exam is about strategy as much as endurance. Someone has to cover the unpredictable."

Honami sighed, letting her arms fall softly.

"I understand, Kayden. I really do. But..." she paused, lowering her gaze. "Sometimes I wonder if you understand how I feel."

"What do you mean?"

"That I worry about you always taking the role of the one who takes care of everyone but never lets anyone take care of you," her voice lowered. "It makes me feel... distant from you, even when you're so close."

Kayden felt a slight knot in his chest. She rarely spoke like that. Already fully sitting up, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

"Honami... It's not that I don't want to be with you. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd be by your side every moment of this exam. But I have to think like a leader. And as your partner, I also want to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me so much anymore," she murmured. "I just need you to let me be by your side, even in the chaos."

A brief silence fell between them.

"Then let's do this," Kayden finally said, his voice low but firm. "I won't officially be in your group, but if something goes wrong, I'll use whatever resources I need to get to you. That's my promise. Do you think that's fair?"

Honami blinked, surprised. Then, she smiled sweetly.

"That sounds like something a lovesick idiot would say."

"Maybe," he replied, lowering his head to kiss her forehead. "But it's the only thing I can do for now."

"Fine. But after this exam... you won't escape so easily. You'll owe me plenty of dates."

"I accept the conditions."

Honami hugged him tightly, and Kayden held her with the same delicacy one would hold something irreplaceable. The moment was brief, but it was full of meaning.

The sound of a notification pulled them out of their shared world. On the screen: the official details of the special exam.

"It's official now," Kayden murmured, reviewing the information with a sharp gaze. "Two weeks. This exam won't decide the fate of Class A... but it could open up some interesting doors for me."

Honami looked at him curiously.

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Several things. This isn't an exam we should worry about winning, but rather what we can build in the process. Contacts, observation, wear and tear... I want to see how certain pieces move when the pressure isn't on them, but on others."

Honami smiled, amused.

"Always thinking several steps ahead. I'm glad you're on my team."

"And I'm glad to be on yours," Kayden replied, taking her hand. "Even though this exam doesn't cost us anything... that doesn't mean we can't make the most of it."

Honami nodded, her expression firm but warm.

"Then let's go ahead. Play your chess, Commander. Just remember that, when the tide goes down, I'll be here, waiting for you on the shore."

Kayden looked at her silently for a moment... then smiled.

"I'll always find you, Honami. I'll always do so."

And with that silent promise floating between them, the chapter closed, not as the end of something, but as the prelude to a much bigger game, where the real pieces were just beginning to move.

Honami got up first, stretching gracefully before offering her hand. Kayden took it and stood up, giving one last glance at the warm room that so well represented its owner. For now, everything was calm.

But in his mind, the chaos had already begun.

When Honami left to prepare for the meeting with the rest of the class, Kayden stayed alone for a few more seconds, looking out the window with a neutral expression... until his lips slowly curved into a smile.

A different smile. Colder. Sharper.

"This exam won't decide the winners... but it will decide the future pawns, queens, and traitors."

His eyes gleamed with a mix of anticipation and strategy as he interlaced his fingers behind his back.

"There are those who already have their place at the top secured... and others who don't even know they've already fallen."

He paused briefly, his thoughts spinning like well-oiled gears.

"Some think this is just a competition for resources and points... but for me, it's a board. A huge one, full of pieces waiting to be moved. And the best part is that many still don't know what piece they are."

His gaze lowered slightly, as if he could see beyond the horizon.

"This island... will be the beginning. Not to win. But to build the future I choose."

And then, the smile faded, leaving behind a serene, calm face... as if nothing had happened.

Kayden Osawa turned around and left the room, ready for the exam.

The game had just begun