"Okay, hello, everybody! Welcome back to the third round of the tournament! Today we have a big match coming with our girl, Anna Marisa, who is going to take revenge on her sister's defeat yesterday against Bu Xiangzhi! Sheva, any prediction for this game?"
It was the afternoon of the gameday, and right now, Sheva had already found himself sitting on the media booth once again, just like himself in the last couple of days, becoming the commentator to help his best friend's live streaming. However, unlike the last couple of days, he lost his focus right now, staring at the screen blankly while also trying to fix the mess inside his head.
'A date… A proper one with Anna… Just us two alone with no Ia, no Laysa, and no other people… A date…'
Yeah, his mind was such a mess since the beginning of the day, still thinking that Anna's words last night were just a mere dream from him getting too tired of everything. This idea also got stronger when he saw how nonchalant the girl was this morning, not even blushing or showing any reaction after her invitation last night.
However, that thought was shattered instantly when the girl whispered to him before she went to the venue, right when everyone was too focused on themselves to notice that those two were having such a lovely chat with each other.
'Don't forget about our date, okay? After this tournament is over, I want a fun and romantic one, so you have to have a good plan.'
This definitely crashed his brain, and even when he was already at the media booth, he still hadn't recovered from the shock yet.
"Um… Sheva? Is there anything you want to add?" Bagas asked carefully, finally realizing that his best friend seemed not to be in his right mind.
"Uh… Ah! No, no!" Sheva was finally able to snap himself out of his own thought. His face flushed red, but he was still able to ask, "I apologize, what did you say earlier?"
If anything, this only made Bagas worry more. However, he also saw that Sheva wasn't really in a bad mood, and the goofy grin flashing once in a while also told him everything he knew.
'He should have been having a good time with Anna last night, right? My boy…' He gave a nod of approval, jumping into the wildest assumption possible. "Anyway, I am just asking here, what is your prediction about today's game?" He repeated his question.
"Oh, well, I think it will be another close match just like yesterday," Sheva answered. "Anna also has the same preparation card as Claudia had yesterday, so what her little sister knows, she also knows. This will make things easier for her, and as long as she did great in keeping her composure, I am sure she could steal at least half a point here."
"Oh, a bold statement coming from you!" Bagas exclaimed in excitement. This was definitely a good storyline for whatever happened later in the game.
"Also, this reminds me of what happened here last year. Remember when I had to face Yu Yangyi after that Chinese GM beat Sister Medina?" Sheva reminded his best friend. "Look at the occasion right now and compare that to what happened last year. An Indonesian player had to fight against the top-seeded player, who, coincidentally, is from China and had just beaten another Indonesian player; isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence? It was as if the universe aligns to make this happen, and if everything goes exactly the same, we can expect something good today."
Bagas had a sweat drop when he heard that long-winded explanation. "Honestly, I have never thought that you are such a superstitious believer like that." He remarked.
However, Sheva wasn't wrong here. Bagas could still remember last year how his best friend forced a draw against Yu Yangyi after the Chinese GM beat his compatriot, and while Sheva and Anna had a different foundation, the storyline indeed aligned.
However, it would still be far-fetched to conclude the entire result just based on that, so right now, they went into the venue immediately, getting ready to commentate on the game.
Meanwhile, Anna herself took a deep breath, staring at her opponent with eyes burning in determination. 'Today is not just for me… It is also a revenge for Ia and to show Sheva that I can do this… I cannot mess this up…' She clenched her fist unconsciously.
Bu Xiangzhi himself wasn't really bothered by her. No, the man just sat there silently, and honestly, if Anna didn't know better, she would be worried about him passing out in silence right now.
After waiting for a while, the alarm that everyone was looking for finally rang, and simultaneously, so many handshakes were formed in the building.
"Let's have a good game." Anna offered a handshake.
"Yes, let's have one." Bu Xiangzhi answered with his thick Chinese accent.
After that, the girl didn't hesitate, blitzing her way through the opening stage without wasting any time. She pushed her D pawn two squares forward, followed by the knight out to the F3 square and the C pawn push to complete the setup for the Queen's Gambit Decline one. This was also the same setup that Claudia pulled yesterday, one where the little sister lost her game.
It wasn't like Anna wanted to prove something here. While it would be nice if she could steal a draw with the opening that her little sister used, at the end of the day, she just picked it up since she was comfortable with it.
However, just like yesterday's game, Bu Xiangzhi suddenly pulled another strange variation. This time, instead of developing the piece normally, he let the bishop out immediately, threatening to take her knight on the C3 square. This early bishop move definitely messed up Anna's preparation, enough to make the girl frown for a second.
'What the hell is he trying to do?' She questioned herself. However, it only lasted for a moment, because after that, the girl shook her head quickly and put her focus back on her own situation. 'No need to care about him too much, let's just get into my own pace and deal with it later.'
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