Chapter 625: The Next Morning, A Call with Anna
The next day, Sheva got awoken by the alarm that rang next to his bed. The boy groaned lightly, narrowing his eyes slightly when he noticed the sunlight escaped through the curtain. It took a moment before his soul was finally back on the mortal plane.
’7:15, huh?’ Sheva checked the time on his phone with a hum. ’Not bad... If only Indonesia’s work hours could be this late, it would be wonderful to wake up around this time every day...’
Well, yeah, unlike any country in the world, Indonesia’s normal work hours start at around 8, with some of the offices being even more barbaric, requiring the workers to come at 7 in the morning. This was due to the fact that Muslims, who were the majority of people back home, had to pray quite early in the day, so people assumed everyone was also doing the same.
Not that Sheva didn’t like it, though, as a habit formed since he was a child made the boy enjoy waking up early. However, it was nice to be able to wake up according to his biological clock naturally.
’Bagas has already gotten himself a breakfast, huh?’ Sheva could smell the savory aroma of the bakery that they had been ordering in the last couple of days. ’Man, I’d better start preparing for myself as well. Today will be a big day.’
After completing his quick morning routine, Sheva was ready to go down for breakfast. He didn’t go down to that particular bakery, though, just taking the one that Bagas had been preparing for, grinning mischievously while imagining how his best friend would react.
’Eh, sorry, Gas, but you can order again later.’
As he was enjoying the light, savory taste of the bread—he didn’t even know the name of the bread was, for God’s sake—his phone suddenly buzzed. When the boy checked it, the grin on his face widened as he accepted the call.
"Hey, Anna? How are you doing? It should be afternoon back home, right?" He greeted the person on the other side of the call casually.
"I am good! Better, actually!" The person on the other side greeted with a hearty laugh. "I finally gained my precious freedom back! No need for any exam again!"
That person on the call was Anna, and honestly, Sheva couldn’t help but feel amused when he saw the girl losing her coolness like this. It wasn’t often that she expressed her feelings so openly, but that was what a stressful university entrance exam would do to anyone.
"So, the exam is done? Are you with Laysa as well?" Sheva asked.
The only answer he got, though, was an annoyed hum. "Why are you assuming that Laysa is here? Do you really like hearing her voice?" If Sheva could see the girl’s face, he would notice a slight pout forming there.
"Eh, not really. Just wondering, because usually, you both will always go together." Sheva smiled awkwardly, somehow sweating on his back. "Anyway, how is the exam? Are you confident that you can get to the unis that you want?" He changed the topic immediately, navigating himself like a pro through a landmine.
"Well... I am not that confident with the exam, but don’t worry! My chess record will help me a lot in this case!" She chirped happily, completely discarding the last topic.
Yeah, in Indonesia, the entrance exam wasn’t just about academics. If students had a good achievement in another aspect, they could show it to the organizer for an additional point. In Anna’s case, she was the winner of the national tournament two years in a row before the girl got dethroned by Laysa last year, so that record would definitely boost her points later.
"By the way, I am not bothering you, right?" Anna’s tone was full of concern. "I forgot to check the time first before making a call. Are you still in the middle of your preparation, or have you already gone to the venue?"
"Eh... Don’t worry, it is still quite early right now. The game will only begin in four hours." Sheva laughed, trying to hide his guilt.
In fact, he wasn’t really that prepared for this game; he didn’t do any extensive research on his opponent today. Not that he was underestimating Arjun here, of course. Hell, no! If anyone said that, he would be the first one to deny the accusation strongly.
However, after all the build-up for the game yesterday, just to find himself only getting a draw, somehow, Sheva’s mood sank to the bottom of the rock, and the boy couldn’t even muster any energy to open his phone and start researching last night.
So, all he got right now was an old intelligence, charging blindly while also hoping that Gukesh was just bluffing yesterday, and Arjun didn’t really change since their last encounter in Dubai last year.
"Well, it is good that you are still taking everything seriously. I heard that you get cocky and suffer from a lot of draws in the tournament, but I know that it is only because your opponent is way more difficult, right?"
Even though Sheva couldn’t see her face, he could hear the scary tone that was usually paired with a sweet smile, and the boy couldn’t help but nod unconsciously. "Yes, yes, yes! My opponent’s rating is way higher compared to the tournament in Jakarta last year! It is unrealistic to win all the games here!"
He would never dare to say out loud that, in some games, he was indeed trying to slack off. Not to get a quick draw, of course, but he would make some inaccurate moves in the middle of the game that, when he was locking in, the boy would never go for that blatant mistake.
"Good! I know you are not that kind of person!" Anna’s voice was still way too cheerful for Sheva’s comfort. Then, a hint of teasing could be heard as she added, "Anyway, don’t you dare slacking off and fall behind, because you promised us that we are going to Biel together! I don’t want to go with a loser, okay?"