Quitting chess [Season 11 End]

One week later, Yuusuke presented himself before all members of the chess club. "... I'm quitting," he mumbled.

Murmurs quickly broke out throughout the classroom, but were quieted by Mimoko and Maida.

"Everyone, let Yuusuke-kun speak. This wasn't an easy decision for him to make," Mimoko frowned.

Yuusuke resumed his speech. "So... uh, I know I've been doing chess since I was a kid, but... I can't take it anymore. I ain't growing, I ain't having fun, I want to be done with it. And after going through hell these past few months, I'm quitting. Yeah, I was a founding member of the club, and wanted to take it over when Inoue graduated, but... I can't even last until graduation. Sorry, but today is my last day here, and it's mainly to say my good-byes, so don't go challenging me to any games. In fact, I'm leaving right after this speech is over... which, I guess is now. No, wait, there's some of you here that really did stick by me. Rodeo, Zenihara, and you, Inoue. You were the only things keeping me coming back when things got hard. Sorry..."

Yuusuke hung his head low as he trudged to the door. All remained silent and watched as he exited without saying another word.

Mimoko let out a sigh and shook her head. "And so, as you've just now heard, Yuusuke-kun will sadly be retiring from chess. I feel that this might be a good time to touch on a topic we might not think of much, but is an important part of chess. And that is mental health..."

...

Once the chess club got out for the day, Mimoko headed off to the chess center to find Yuusuke sitting on the bench nearby.

"I really hate that they put that thing here. Now I can't come here to escape chess," Yuusuke sighed as Mimoko sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry. If I had been a better teacher-"

"No amount of teaching can fix shit that's broke. But I guess you sticking by me... helped."

"Yuusyke-kun..."

"Say, Inoue, can I ask you... one last thing before I... fully retire?"

"Sure."

Yuusuke's whole body began to jitter as he turned to face Mimoko. "Inoue... I love you. Do you love me?"

Mimoko's mouth slowly opened, but closed a second later. Tears began to ooze out of her eyes as she somberly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yuusuke-kun."

Yuusuke began to laugh. "Yeah, figures. That yakuza fuck, Tanabe's got you swooned."

"No, Yuusuke-kun, I don't-"

"It's all his fault! If he'd never shown up, everything would be fine, but he had to go and make everything miserable! FUCK THAT GUY! I'm still pissed I never beat him and put him in his place! If I could have one more match, ONE MORE MATCH, it'd be against that fucker. Ah, but I'd just lose... There's no point... Thanks for everything... Inoue..."

Mimoko sadly watched as Yuusuke got up and began heading home. "Was it a mistake forming the club? Should I have just did things unofficially? I don't know. I can't go back in time, and even if I did, what good would it do? He said it himself, and sadly I feel he's right; Tanabe-kun was the root of his troubles. I shouldn't have snapped at Tanabe-kun back when he saved Utami-chan. If I didn't, Yuusuke-kun never would have been elected vice-president, Tnabe-kun wouldn't have broken him... Yuusuke-kun, I'm sorry..."

...

The next day at school, Yuusuke avoided nearly every member of the chess club as best he could, save for Rodeo. He did openly send glares Okisato's way at every chance he got, but it was clear that the one he was most awkward with was Mimoko. Whenever she'd try to approach him, he'd frown and scurry off as fast as he could, even going as far as to pretend Mimoko didn't exist when she tried confronting him directly.

Ironically, things at home were much calmer. Upon coming home, the new routine was usually a one or two word greeting from Hagemi before Yuusuke would retreat to his room to play games. Though Hagemi wasn't exactly thrilled about this, following the Jobberslayer League incident, she felt too guilty to berate him for anything. Even a bad test score now got a nonreaction from her. And Yuusuke, too dejected about it all to really care, didn't raise a fuss at all regarding his mother's mood change towards him.

"So he's been avoiding you. I'm guessing he confessed and got rejected," Okisato sighed as he ate lunch with Mimoko.

Mimoko sighed and shook her head. "Tanabe-kun, it's all my fault. If I had never snapped at you back when you saved Utami-"

"Don't blame yourself. It ultimately falls on his shoulders. In fact, there's no guarantee he'd even be 1900 if I never met him. He just wasn't skilled, and realized it now. That's just the reality of it."

Mimoko frowned and shook her head, but was unable to muster a response. Deep down, she knew Okisato's words were true; Yuusuke wasn't gifted in chess like her, Okisato, Iori, or even Utami. He had tried to be good, but despite being the son of a chess great and sharing his birthday with a chess legend, he was nothing more than an average player.

"I just wish he would have held off on quitting until after graduation," Mimoko sighed.

"There's no guarantee this will be the end of his chess story. He could always return to it in the future," Okisato shrugged.

"Maybe, but if it's too stressful for him to do so, I wouldn't want him to. My philosophy is that chess should be fun. But maybe, at the least, I can hope that one day he'll be able to play chess casually again with a smile."

[Season 11 End]