art credits: @miroillm (on X)

Yet another day Joy spent alone in the chess club room. The club had members, of course, but they never came, probably finding chess to be a boring game and having only joined it for their 'participation' to be written on their records. Joy had considered kicking them out—she was the president, after all—but she had given up on the idea. If she kicked all the members out, the club would close anyway.

“Or maybe they just don’t like me?” Joy muttered to herself. She had thought about this option as well. What if the others just didn't appreciate her presence? She was quiet, reserved, but most of all, Joy was blind.

Her handicap, which had been present since her birth, didn't usually bother her that much, as it didn't stop her from doing what she liked: playing chess. However, it often created a distance between her and the other people around her; she couldn't understand what they saw, and they couldn't understand what she couldn't see, Joy had figured. She thought it was sad—chess was made to play with someone, wasn't it?

In the end, Victoria was the only person whom she could call her friend. Her best friend, even, but Victoria wasn't a fan of chess; she preferred to read books. As Joy moved a pawn on her custom-made chess board, she sighed—yearning for someone to play with her would do her no good.

Or would it?

She heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called out from inside, curious. Who could that be?