Volume 2: Chapter 9 – A Champion's Reward
[Scene: School Gymnasium - 1 Week Later]
(The gymnasium is transformed. Banners hang everywhere: "CONGRATULATIONS KENTA MORIK – WORLD CHESS CHAMPION!" Cameras. Reporters. The whole school. Even the mayor is here.)
Sui: (squeezing Kenta's hand) "Kenta-kun... this is insane."
Yui: (squeezing his other hand) "The whole city is here!"
Kenta: (calm) "I see that."
Takahashi Kenji: (appearing) "DUDE! You're famous! Like, REALLY famous!"
Professor Hayashi: (crying already) "I've never been so proud!"
Principal: (at the podium) "Ladies and gentlemen, students and faculty, distinguished guests... today we honor Kenta Morik!"
(Thunderous applause. Kenta walks to the stage. Sui and Yui watch from the front row.)
Principal: "Not only did Kenta achieve a perfect score at the International Mathematical Olympiad, but he also won the National Chess Championship AND the World Chess Championship! All in his first year of high school!"
(More applause. Whistles. Cheers.)
Mayor: (stepping forward) "On behalf of the city, I'd like to present Kenta Morik with this award of excellence."
(He hands Kenta a plaque. Gold. Engraved.)
Kenta: (quietly) "Thank you."
Mayor: (grinning) "And that's not all. The school board has decided to make a special donation in recognition of your achievements."
Principal: (beaming) "Kenta, your winnings from the chess competitions have been matched by the school and local businesses. The total donation is..."
(He pauses for effect.)
Principal: "Fifty million yen."
(The crowd GASPS. Sui and Yui grab each other.)
Sui: "FIFTY MILLION?!"
Yui: "THAT'S INSANE!"
Kenta: (blinking) "Fifty million?"
Principal: "This money is yours to use as you wish. For education. For living. For your family."
Kenta: (thinking) "Fifty million. I can..."
(Flashback.)
---
[Flashback: 5 Years Ago - Age 12]
(Young Kenta watches his mother cry at the kitchen table. Bills scattered everywhere.)
Young Kenta's Mother: "I'm sorry, Kenta. I can't afford... I can't..."
Young Kenta: (quietly) "It's okay, Mom. I'll fix it someday. I'll earn enough so you never have to cry again."
Young Kenta's Mother: (hugging him) "My sweet boy..."
---
[End Flashback]
Kenta: (voice slightly thick) "I know exactly what to do with it."
---
[Scene: Press Conference - After Ceremony]
(Reporters swarm. Cameras flash.)
Reporter 1: "Kenta! What are your plans for the prize money?!"
Kenta: "First, I'm expanding my room. It's too small for three people."
(Laughter. Sui and Yui blush.)
Reporter 2: "And your mother? What about her?"
Kenta: (pause) "She's worked her entire life. Alone. After my father died. I'm going to give her rest."
Reporter 2: (softening) "That's beautiful."
Kenta: "She deserves it."
---
[Scene: Kenta's Room - Construction Begins]
(Walls knocked down. The room doubles in size. A real bed now. Big enough for three. A larger desk. More space for their things.)
Sui: (watching) "Kenta-kun... this is amazing."
Yui: (also watching) "We're going to have so much room!"
Kenta: "You won't have to fight for space anymore."
Sui: (hugging him) "We never fought!"
Yui: (hugging from other side) "We just... competed!"
Kenta: (ears red) "Same thing."
Sui: (kissing his cheek) "For the new room!"
Yui: (kissing his other cheek) "For fifty million yen!"
Kenta: (touching his cheeks) "Two more."
Sui: (grinning) "You're going to need a vault for all those kisses!"
Yui: (laughing) "Kiss treasury!"
---
[Scene: Kenta's Mother's House - 2 Weeks Later]
(Kenta stands at the door of his childhood home. Sui and Yui behind him. He knocks.)
Mother: (opening) "Kenta?! What are you—"
(She sees Sui and Yui. Gasps.)
Mother: "The girls! From before! Come in, come in!"
(They enter. The house is small. Modest. Worn.)
Mother: (flustered) "I'm sorry it's messy, I wasn't expecting—"
Kenta: "Mom. Sit down."
Mother: (confused) "What?"
Kenta: "Please. Sit."
(She sits. Nervous.)
Kenta: (kneeling in front of her) "Mom. I won some competitions."
Mother: "I know, baby. I saw on TV! World champion! I cried for days!"
Kenta: (almost smiling) "There's more."
Mother: "More?"
Kenta: "I won prize money. And the school matched it. And local businesses donated."
Mother: "How much?"
Kenta: "Fifty million yen."
Mother: (freezing) "..."
Mother: (processing) "..."
Mother: (screaming) "FIFTY MILLION?!"
Sui: (giggling) "That was our reaction too!"
Yui: (also giggling) "We couldn't believe it!"
Mother: (grabbing Kenta) "KENTA! THAT'S—THAT'S—"
Kenta: "It's yours, Mom."
Mother: (freezing) "What?"
Kenta: "I transferred half to your account. Twenty-five million yen."
Mother: (voice breaking) "Kenta... no... I can't—"
Kenta: "You can. You worked your whole life for me. Sacrificed everything. Now it's my turn."
Mother: (sobbing) "My baby... my sweet boy..."
(She pulls him into a hug. Tight. Long. Sui and Yui are crying too.)
Sui: (whispering) "This is so beautiful..."
Yui: (whispering) "Our Kenta-kun..."
Mother: (pulling back, wiping her eyes) "You're not staying here tonight. You're staying with me. All of you. I'm cooking dinner. A REAL dinner."
Kenta: (almost smiling) "Okay, Mom."
---
[Scene: Mother's House - Evening]
(A feast. More food than the tiny table can hold.)
Mother: (serving) "Eat! Eat! You're all too thin!"
Sui: (mouth full) "This is AMAZING!"
Yui: (also eating happily) "Kenta-kun, your mom is the best cook!"
Kenta: (eating) "I know."
Mother: (watching them, eyes wet) "Kenta... you have a real family now."
Kenta: (looking at Sui and Yui) "Yes. I do."
Sui: (reaching for his hand under the table)
Yui: (doing the same)
Kenta: (squeezing both)
---
[Scene: Mother's House - Night]
(Small house. Only two bedrooms. Mother insists they take her room.)
Mother: "I'll sleep on the couch. You three take my bed."
Sui: "We can't—"
Mother: (firmly) "You can and you will. My son and his girlfriends. In my bed. I won't hear another word."
(They end up in her bed. Full-sized. Cozy. Tight.)
Sui: (snuggling) "Kenta-kun... your mom is the best."
Yui: (snuggling) "The absolute best."
Kenta: (between them) "I know."
Sui: (kissing his cheek) "Goodnight."
Yui: (kissing his other cheek) "Sweet dreams."
Kenta: (touching his cheeks) "Two more."
Sui: (grinning) "Count them all!"
Yui: (giggling) "You'll need a new bed just for kisses!"
Kenta: (almost laughing) "Maybe."
(They fall asleep. Three together. In his childhood home. In his mother's bed. Peaceful.)
---
[Scene: Next Morning - Goodbyes]
(Mother at the door. Hugging each of them.)
Mother: (to Sui and Yui) "Take care of my boy."
Sui: (nodding) "Always."
Yui: (nodding) "Forever."
Mother: (to Kenta) "You've made me so proud. Your father would be crying right now."
Kenta: (quietly) "I know."
Mother: (hugging him tight) "I love you, my champion."
Kenta: (holding her) "I love you too, Mom."
(They leave. Mother waves until they're out of sight.)
---
[Scene: Back Home - Kenta's Expanded Room]
(The room is finished. Beautiful. Big bed. Large desk. Space for everything.)
Sui: (spinning) "KENTA-KUN! IT'S SO BIG!"
Yui: (also spinning) "WE HAVE SO MUCH ROOM!"
Kenta: (smiling slightly) "Now you won't complain about space."
Sui: (tackling him onto the new bed) "WE NEVER COMPLAINED!"
Yui: (jumping on them) "WE JUST OBSERVED!"
(They wrestle. Laugh. Roll around.)
Sui: (suddenly) "Kenta-kun... we should celebrate."
Yui: (eyes lighting up) "Celebrate how?"
Sui: (grinning mischievously) "The new room. The money. Everything. We should have a... private celebration."
Kenta: (ears red) "What kind of celebration?"
Sui: (leaning close) "The kind where we don't leave this bed for a while."
Yui: (also leaning close) "The kind where we show our champion how much we appreciate him."
Kenta: (trapped between them) "You two are..."
Sui: (whispering) "Yours."
Yui: (whispering) "Completely."
(They kiss him. Both at once. Lips. Soft. Warm.)
Sui: (pulling back) "For the world championship."
Yui: (pulling back) "For fifty million yen."
Sui: (leaning in again) "For being you."
(More kisses. Cheeks. Lips. Neck. Kenta's ears are burning.)
Kenta: (breathless) "This is... a lot."
Sui: (grinning) "You deserve a lot."
Yui: (also grinning) "The most."
(They don't stop. Clothes shift. Yukatas from the closet. Soft. Loose.)
Sui: (adjusting her yukata) "Kenta-kun... your room is bigger, but we're still going to be very close."
Yui: (doing the same) "Very, very close."
Kenta: (looking at them) "I don't mind."
(They pull him onto the bed. Three together. Yukatas slipping. Shoulders bare. Legs tangled.)
Sui: (against his chest) "Kenta-kun... can I ask you something?"
Kenta: "What?"
Sui: "Are you happy? Really happy?"
Kenta: (long pause) (looking at them) "I have you. I have Mom. I have a home. I've won everything. Yes. I'm happy."
Yui: (tearing up) "Kenta-kun..."
Kenta: (kissing her forehead) "Don't cry."
Yui: (laughing through tears) "Happy tears!"
Sui: (kissing his lips) "Love you."
Yui: (kissing his lips) "Love you."
Kenta: (holding them both) "Love you both. More than any trophy. More than any money. More than anything."
(They hold each other. Tight. Warm. Perfect.)
Sui: (drowsy) "Kenta-kun..."
Kenta: "Hm?"
Sui: "This is the best celebration ever."
Yui: (also drowsy) "The best."
Kenta: (closing his eyes) "Yeah."
---
[Scene: Middle of the Night]
(Kenta wakes. Sui is draped across his chest. Yui is curled against his side. Yukatas have slipped everywhere. Bare skin against bare skin.)
Kenta: (thinking) "This is... a lot of skin."
(He tries to move. They tighten their grip.)
Sui: (mumbling) "Kenta-kun... warm..."
Yui: (mumbling) "Don't go..."
Kenta: (smiling in the dark) "I'm not going anywhere."
(He settles back. Holds them. Watches them sleep.)
Kenta: (thinking) "Fifty million yen. World champion. New room. Mom resting. And these two. Always these two."
(He kisses Sui's forehead. Then Yui's.)
Kenta: (whispering) "Thank you. For everything."
(He falls asleep. Surrounded. Loved. Complete.)
---
[Scene: Morning - The Aftermath]
(Sunlight streams through the window. Three bodies tangled together. Yukatas everywhere.)
Sui: (stirring) "Mmm... morning..."
(She realizes her yukata is completely undone. Blushes.)
Yui: (also stirring) "Nn... five more minutes..."
(She also realizes her state. Also blushes.)
Kenta: (already awake, staring at ceiling) "Good morning."
Sui: (covering herself) "K-Kenta-kun! Did you—did we—"
Kenta: "Nothing happened. We just slept."
Yui: (relieved but also something else) "Oh. Right. Sleeping. Just sleeping."
Sui: (pouting slightly) "Just sleeping?"
Kenta: (looking at them) "What else would you want?"
Sui: (face red) "I—nothing—I mean—maybe—"
Yui: (also red) "We're not saying!"
Kenta: (almost smiling) "Okay."
(He gets up. Starts making tea. Sui and Yui watch him. Bare shoulders. Calm movements.)
Sui: (whispering) "He's so beautiful."
Yui: (whispering) "Our Kenta-kun."
Sui: (whispering) "We're so lucky."
Yui: (whispering) "So lucky."
Kenta: (without turning) "I can hear you."
Sui & Yui: (in unison) "WE KNOW!"
---
[Scene: Breakfast - New Routine]
(They cook together. Bigger kitchen now. More space.)
Sui: (flipping pancakes) "Kenta-kun, your mom called. She wants to visit next month."
Kenta: "Okay."
Yui: (setting table) "She said she's never been more relaxed. The money changed everything."
Kenta: (quietly) "Good."
Sui: (kissing his cheek) "You're a good son."
Yui: (kissing his other cheek) "The best."
Kenta: (touching his cheeks) "Two more."
Sui: (grinning) "Breakfast kisses!"
Yui: (also grinning) "New tradition!"
---
[Scene: Kenta's Desk - Night]
(Nine items now.)
· Father's astrolabe
· Competition trophy
· Professor's medal
· Olympiad gold
· District chess trophy
· National chess trophy
· World championship trophy
· Photo of Sui and Yui
· Photo of his mother, smiling, at her house
Kenta: (looking at them) "Nine."
(He adds one more. A photo from last night. Sui and Yui asleep on him. Peaceful. Happy.)
Kenta: "Ten. Perfect."
(His phone buzzes. Two messages.)
Sui: "Kenta-kun! Today was perfect! The new room, the celebration, everything! Sleep well, our champion! "
Yui: "My prince~ today was magic. Your mom, the money, the bed... I'll never forget any of it. Goodnight!"
Kenta: (smiling) (typing back to both): "Goodnight. Thank you for everything. For loving me. For being here. For making every day worth living."
(Immediate replies:)
Sui: "HE SAID WE MAKE EVERY DAY WORTH LIVING! "
Yui: "KENTA-KUN IS MAXIMUM ROMANTIC NOW! PROGRESS! "
Sui: "SWEET DREAMS OUR CHAMPION!"
Yui: "DREAM OF US! (WE'LL BE RIGHT HERE!) "
Kenta: (putting down the phone) (looking at the ten treasures)
Kenta: (thinking) "Father. Mom. Professor. Sui. Yui. Every victory. Every moment. All of it. Worth it."
(He joins them in bed. Three together.)
Sui: (already half asleep) "Kenta-kun..."
Yui: (also half asleep) "Love you..."
Kenta: (holding them) "Love you both."
(He closes his eyes. Smiling.)
Kenta: (thinking, last thought) "This is the greatest victory of all. Not chess. Not math. This. Us. Together."
(He falls asleep. Happy. Complete. Loved.)
---
End of Chapter 9
Ready for Chapter 10?