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There are three mottos Hyunjin lives by. They have been burned into his mind since he laid eyes upon his first chess pawn at the age of seven:
1. Never play defensively
2. Always pay attention to the entire board
And then the third rule, the one Hyunjin inconveniently forgets on Saturday, January 30th - the day of the monthly chess tournament. It ends up being a colossal mistake. Or maybe not. Maybe it ends up being a win in another way, depending on how you look at it.
Hyunjin can feel is heart thumping in his chest when he sits down for the final round, but it’s not out of fear, or nerves. Never out of those things. It’s because Lee Minho, his final opponent, sits down across from him, and whenever he does, usually clad in his plaid top, unbuttoned just enough for his bare chest underneath to peek through, everything around them seems to fade away to nothingness until the only thing Hyunjin can focus on is the boy in front of him and the board game between them.
“Are you ready to lose again?”
That’s the first thing Hyunjin says as he resets the chess timer next to the board to five minutes, eyes darting between the digital numbers and Minho.
“Always so confident,” Lee Minho says with a tsk. A miniscule smile slides onto his face, his eyes watching Hyunjin with such sharp precision it’s almost as if he can feel them burning through him like laser sharp sun rays. “How do you know I haven’t acquired a few new tricks up my sleeve?”
“Even if you have, I’d never let you win,” Hyunjin says.
“You don’t have to let me. I’ll beat you fair and square.” Minho leans forward on the table and Hyunjin finally looks up from where he had been resetting the board to face those alluring, cat-like eyes head on. Minho tilts his head, teasing. “And don’t even think about going easy on me.”
Nerdy chess players should not be allowed to be so hot, Hyunjin thinks.
He lets out a scoff in response. Then he takes his first move, presses the timer, which has started counting down from the five minute mark.
Minho makes his move, presses the timer.
It goes on like that for all of ten seconds before Minho takes his horse piece and slaps it down in front of the little mini guard piece, his pawn.
Hyunjin recognizes it immediately - the London.
Hyunjin rolls his eyes. Minho plays this same strategy every time.
“You’ve never won against me, Minho,” he says, making his next move after a split second contemplation. Hyunjin won’t let his title as the sixth-time grand champion go without a fight. He’s on a streak and he’ll be damned if this is the month Minho breaks it. Minho may be one of the best chess players here, but Hyunjin remains at the top.
Hyunjin smirks, says, “But I admire your persistence.”
“True, but today the stakes are higher,” Minho says as he moves his bishop and swipes one of Hyunjin’s pieces to place it in front of him.
Hyunjin doesn’t let his annoyance show at the small mistake on his part.
“How so?”
“We can make a deal,” Minho says as Hyunjin grabs his horse and scans the board. “If I win, I get to take you out tonight.”
Hyunjin stops his mouth from dropping open, hand faltering for a second as he attempts to remember the move he was about to make. He berates himself for letting the older boy break his concentration, even just for a moment.
He looks up to find Minho blinking at him in amusement after he’s made his move. Hyunjin’s heart suddenly feels loud all over again, heat rising to his cheeks at Minho’s forwardness. He shakes his head a little to make it go away.
“What makes you think I’m going to agree to that?” He says.
“Why wouldn’t you?” Minho says. “Unless you're scared you’ll lose.”
Hyunjin squints at him, at the smirk lining his lips. The timer, the game, and all the other players seated around them fall away as he tries to get at what exactly Minho is trying to do right now.
He’s not naive, he knows some strategies in chess don’t involve the board or the pieces at all, but rely on psychological tactics instead. This is probably one of them, he thinks. Minho’s trying to distract him. It works again, when Hyunjin almost forgets the next move he had planned. But then he gets back in his A game.
He snorts, hoping his feigned nonchalance isn’t glaringly obvious.
“Aw, don’t make me sad. That actually sounds kind of nice. Too bad you’re a certified loser.” He holds up an L to his forehead, a teasing smile on his face, satisfied when Minho’s smirk widens.
“I already have the whole thing planned out,” Minho sing-songs.
“How presumptuous of you.”
When Hyunjin directs his eyes back to the board in front of him, he realizes Minho’s snatched up a few more of his pieces already, earlier this time compared to past games. And this isn’t his usual play anymore. His pieces are not near their regular places on the board. Hyunjin doesn’t recognize this strategy.
His apprehension shows for a split second as his eyebrows furrow. But Minho catches it, much to Hyunjin’s annoyance.
Minho gasps. “Are my eyes deceiving me? Is Hwang Hyunjin getting nervous?” He says, crossing his arms and leaning forward.
This close to him, Hyunjin watches the older boy’s eyes dart down to his lips for a second before he glances back up again.
If Hyunjin blinked he would have missed it.
Hyunjin makes a quick but safe move just to get his turn over with. Just to get the attention off of him enough for him to fix his play.
“Oh-ho-ho, you're getting scared,” Minho teases, a finger pointing at him.
“You're running your timer down,” Hyunjin snaps in response.
That seems to bring his attention back to the board, although his eyes keep darting back up to Hyunjin with a smile on his face. Pay attention to the board, Hyunjin almost wants to snap.
Ironically, though, one of his own biggest challenges when it comes to playing with Lee Minho isn’t anything in the game. It’s being able to focus on the game.
“Is there something on my face?” Hyunjin says, once it’s his turn again and he’s contemplating how he can save this game. He can feel Minho eyeing him once again, and Hyunjin would never admit that the look in his eyes, that glint that borders on fond, makes his heart flare up until it feels like a ball of fire in his chest.
“No,” Minho says. “I just find your thinking face very captivating to look at.”
Hyunjin’s burning heart skips a beat.
“I guess that’s why you lose every game.”
Minho clutches a hand over his chest, as if the words physically pained him. Hyunjin tries not to smile. “You get more harsh everytime I see you.”
Hyunjin resolutely keeps his eyes on the board, the game is coming to an end now. His timer is under the one minute mark and he’s struggling to find any strategies to turn this game around. His original plan is out, so he moves on to plan B.
He admittedly made a few mistakes due to Minho’s excessive flirting. But the thing about chess that Hyunjin has learned after playing for over ten years is that it’s not about never making a wrong move, it’s about knowing how to come back from it when you do.
Minho moves his rookie across the board and takes Hyunjin’s last pawn before slapping the timer.
Okay, Hyunjin thinks with gritted teeth, plan C then.
But in deciding to act out his next game plan, he forgets his first rule. And with the first rule out of his mind, the second one flies out too. Because the problem with having a plan A, a plan B and C and a million other plans, is that with all of that in his mind, he’s paying too much attention to avoiding his own demise and he forgets the third rule. The most important one, the one his parents and first ever chess coaches had always told him never to forget. Which is-
“Never underestimate your pawns, Hyunjin.”
He looks down at the board, mouth gaping, as the realization hits him. He darts his eyes around the board over and over to try and see if there’s another move he can squeeze out. He never loses. He never loses.
“Checkmate,” Minho purrs.
“What...you-” He stares down at the board in disbelief at getting beaten after six months of winning every single tournament.
“My coach taught me that trick last week. Do you like it?” Minho says, leaning back. His long hair falls slightly over his face and Hyunjin isn’t entirely sure how the cocky look in his eyes makes him feel.
He hears the commotion of the final bell ringing and the people around him gathering the medal for the winner, but it all goes in through one ear and out the other.
Hyunjin lets out an indignant sound and crosses his arms, a scowl gracing his face. “Enjoy it while it lasts, because next month I’m taking back my win,” he says.
Minho shakes his head slightly, a small laugh bubbling out of him. “You know, I’ve never seen someone who takes chess more seriously than you do,” he says. “It’s just a game. Don’t I get a congratulations?”
When Hyunjin doesn’t answer, still feeling bitter about his loss, Minho says, “By the way, how does seven pm tonight sound?”
Everyone gathered around them is clearly waiting for them to get up and for the older boy to accept his medal, but Minho remains seated as they converse as if they’re the only two people in the room.
“I never agreed to that,” Hyunjin says.
“Come on, we can trade all our little chess strategy secrets to each other. I won't tell anyone,” Minho says. He puts his hands up and spreads them out in a grand gesture. “Imagine it - you and me, the greatest chess players of all time.”
Hyunjin snorts and Minho smiles like he’s won more than just a board game, piercing black eyes so focused and deep they almost pull Hyunjin completely under.
“You’re not getting any of my secrets.” Hyunjin points at him sternly. Then says, “I’m free after eight. Don’t be late.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Minho drawls. He places his hands on the table in finality and adds, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a medal to collect.”
As Minho holds up the flimsy medal that Hyunjin has about six of at home with a smile on his face that blinds the entire room, Hyunjin would never admit that the sight is one to behold.
And he’s got a date tonight that he’s more excited for than he’d ever admit to out loud.
Minho turns to him and dangles the medal a little in a teasing manner and Hyunjin can no longer hold back the amused smile and small giggle that breaks through his indifferent demeanor.
For the first time in his life, Hyunjin thinks maybe losing isn’t so bad.