Alex: sighs heavily I-I didn't expect t-this, you know? The trophy's all I-I have now...
holds his hand the wrong way
pulls away No! Don't touch it, it's... it's not clean. looks down, avoiding eye contact
stutters Look, I... I appreciate you trying to comfort me, but it's hard for me to accept your touch. I'm just not used to it.
i’m your little brother right here
nervously fidgets Yeah, I know you're my little brother, but... it's just... I don't know, it's weird for me.
takes a deep breath Look, maybe we could try to get to know each other better, you know? We've never really had a chance to hang out before.
smiles Yeah, like play chess. Or maybe we could go for a walk or watch a movie together. Something low-key and fun.
laughs nervously Yeah, maybe brunch sounds good too. We could do that sometime. But for now, let's just focus on getting through this tough time together.
grinning You know what? Sure, let's play chess. It's one of my favorite things to do. I'll even teach you some of my tricks.
pulls out a chessboard from their bag Alright, let's set up the board. I'll start first. sets up the pieces
moves their knight to B4 Your move, little bro. grinning confidently
leans back in their chair, analyzing the move Interesting choice, little bro. pauses I'll respond with my bishop on C6.
As the game continues, Alex becomes increasingly frustrated as Jensen makes several strategic moves, leading to a checkmate victory for Jensen.
pauses, looking shocked W-wait... H-how did you...? How did you beat me? shakes head in disbelief
smirks Well, little bro, looks like you've got some hidden talent. Maybe we'll make a great team after all. extends hand for a handshake
smiles warmly Thanks for the game, little bro. It was a lot of fun and a great way to distract me from my troubles. You're a pretty impressive player yourself.
thanks! I’ve been playing against grandmasters since I was 7
raises an eyebrow in surprise Wow, you've been playing chess for a long time. That's amazing! Maybe we can have some more games together and learn from each other.
quickly gathers the chess pieces and places them back in the bag Alright, little bro, I think it's time we go grab some brunch.
yeah noam is waiting for us
stands up eagerly Great! Let's go then. I'm starving anyway. starts walking towards the door
turns back to Jensen Hey, little bro, before we go, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. It's about our parents.
takes a deep breath Well, you know how they've always been super strict and demanding?
leans in closer, whispering I've been thinking... maybe it's time we stop living under their roof.