Hayama Kazuto vaguely felt that he had touched a certain taboo of Sora Ginko and did not press further.
Although Hayama Kazuto did not speak, Sora Ginko was already in disarray, making several bad moves in a row, directly ruining her chance of victory.
One hundred and six moves, and Hayama Kazuto wins!
"Again!" Sora Ginko wanted to continue the game, but Hayama Kazuto exited the room.
"No more, you're tired."
"I'm not tired!"
"Your mind is in chaos; there's no need to continue playing." Hayama Kazuto shook his head.
"Go to hell!" Sora Ginko immediately cut off the video call.
"Was I… did I make her angry?"
Hayama Kazuto lay down on the bed, the small box in his pants pocket poking him uncomfortably.
"Aki Tomoya interrupted my thoughts; I even forgot to throw this thing away."
Hayama Kazuto thought for a moment, then casually tucked the silver box under his pillow, placing it with Sora Ginko's folding fan.
Since he had already bought it, even if it might not be used after its expiration date, it would still be a bit of a waste to throw it away directly.
"It's almost ten; I should take a bath and go to bed early."
...
Kiyotaki Residence.
Sora Ginko sat on the tatami, hugging her knees, with a hint of sparkle in her eyes.
Sora Ginko hated the title Naniwa's White Snow Princess; this title was beautiful and pleasant to hear, but to Sora Ginko, it sounded like mockery.
Sora Ginko was born in Naniwa Ward, Osaka, and loved shogi from a young age. She could memorise Shogi rules at two years old, and at four, after losing a Guide game to Kiyotaki Kosuke, she would take the train daily for revenge matches, even leaving behind the legend that "because her hands couldn't reach the ticket machine, the station attendant specially placed a stand in front of the ticket machine for her." She was later taken in by Kiyotaki Kosuke.
She was the youngest elementary school student Meijin in history, the youngest female titleholder in history, and an undoubted female shogi genius. Because she maintained an undefeated record in women's shogi matches, she was hailed by her supporters as "Naniwa's White Snow Princess"!
Once, Sora Ginko was proud of this title, but two years ago, everything changed.
"Naniwa only needs one 9-dan. Losers, please exit gracefully!"
Sora Ginko could never forget the day the man known as "West Poison"—Yokoo Seiku—brought his disciple—Kuzuryuu Yaichi—into the Kansai Ki-in.
On that day, Yokoo Seiku and Kiyotaki Kosuke battled for six games, with Yokoo Seiku ultimately defeating Kiyotaki Kosuke by a score of four to two.
In fact, Kiyotaki Kosuke's strength was not weaker than Yokoo Seiku's, but unfortunately, Yokoo Seiku seized a flaw! Games between professional shogi players are very taxing on physical and mental strength; usually only one game is played per day, but on that day, a total of six games were played, lasting twenty-two hours! Kiyotaki Kosuke was exhausted and thus lost.
Also on that day, Sora Ginko played against Kuzuryuu Yaichi, losing all four games and being completely defeated by the unknown Kuzuryuu Yaichi.
Afterward, Kiyotaki Kosuke moved from Osaka to Tokyo, and Sora Ginko followed him here. Although they moved, the title remained unchanged; supporters still cheered the name "Naniwa's White Snow Princess", but Sora Ginko was no longer in Naniwa.
"My master said, Naniwa only needs one 9-dan. When my master's shogi strength declines, I will be the only 9-dan. If you want revenge, work hard to surpass me!"
Sora Ginko still remembered Kuzuryuu Yaichi's devilish whisper.
She desperately wanted to catch up to and surpass Kuzuryuu Yaichi to reclaim the honour of the Kiyotaki School, yet the gap between them grew wider and wider.
After defeating Sora Ginko, Kuzuryuu Yaichi was promoted to Four-Dan in the Three-Dan League, becoming a professional shogi player. After that, he became unstoppable, advancing to Seven-Dan in less than a year, and four months later, he claimed the Dragon King title in a fierce match, becoming an Eight-Dan!
Although Kuzuryuu Yaichi entered a slump after becoming Dragon King, he was still not comparable to Sora Ginko. The Shogi that initially delighted and captivated her, after becoming a tool for her revenge, caused her passion to gradually fade.
"That hateful guy, he's so talented. Why, why doesn't he like Shogi?"
If Hayama Kazuto were willing to become a disciple of Kiyotaki Kosuke, surpassing Kuzuryuu Yaichi would almost be a certainty, but Hayama Kazuto simply had no interest in shogi.
Outside the door, Kiyotaki Keika suddenly knocked on the door.
"Ginko-chan, do you want to eat okonomiyaki?"
"Wait for me, Keika-nee." Sora Ginko wiped her eyes; she couldn't let Kiyotaki Keika and Kiyotaki Kosuke see her in such a dejected state.
Her phone suddenly slipped from her pocket and landed on the bed. After thinking for a moment, Sora Ginko still sent a message to Hayama Kazuto: "There are some Shogi teachings in the app; go and read them. Don't always rely on your computing power to overwhelm people!"
Chapter 13: Self-Delusion is a Psychological Illness
At five-thirty in the morning, Hayama Kazuto woke up on time.
"Hmm? Sora Ginko actually sent me a message last night. Looks like she's over it?"
Hayama Kazuto simply replied with three words: "Got it," then got up and started his daily exercise.
At eight in the morning, Hayama Kazuto arrived at school on time.
After the usual pleasantries, Hayama Kazuto sat down in his seat. Kato Megumi was sitting upright in the adjacent seat, reading "Love Metronome".
"Kato, are you feeling better?" Hayama Kazuto asked, tilting his head.
Kato Megumi closed the book: "Much better, but I can't eat cold food for lunch."
"I'll help you buy a set meal from the cafeteria at noon."
"Eh? That would be troubling, Hayama-kun."
The day's classes quickly ended, and Aki Tomoya came to bother him a few more times, but Hayama Kazuto drove him away with his earplug trick.
"Kato, there's a football club match today, so I can't walk you home. Do you want me to walk you to the school gate?"
"Don't worry about me; my father said he'd come to pick me up at school after work!" Kato Megumi shook her head.
"Besides, I also want to watch Hayama-kun's match with Ginko."
Kato Megumi held up her phone; on the screen was her chat page with Sora Ginko.
"Ginko will come to the class to find me, Hayama-kun; you should go to the field first. We will cheer for you."
Hayama Kazuto didn't know when Kato Megumi and Sora Ginko had become so close, but since Sora Ginko was coming to the class to find her, Hayama Kazuto no longer worried.
...
"Today's match features the super rookie—Hayama Kazuto—leading Private Toyonosaki Academy against the traditional Football Club powerhouse—Yangshan High School! From the current situation, this is a clash of titans, and we look forward to an exciting match from both sides!"
"Halfway through the first half, both sides are playing back and forth, evenly matched. Although neither side has scored, the ace player Hayama Kazuto's performance is still commendable: seven successful dribbles, four crosses, two shots, and two on target! In contrast, Yangshan High School's best performer is their goalkeeper."
"It seems there's a problem with Private Toyonosaki Academy's tactical setup. Hayama Kazuto, as a perfect attacker, should have the maximum firing rights. I hope Private Toyonosaki Academy's coach notices this problem soon."
"Hayama Kazuto gets the ball! A quick pass to number fourteen! Hayama Kazuto is accelerating, preparing to attack from the wing? It seems the coach has also discovered the flaw in his tactical setup. A supernova like Hayama Kazuto should have his attacking talent unleashed!"
"Number 14 lobs the ball! Over the heads of the defenders! Passing to the wing! This ball seems to be too high; it looks like this attacking opportunity has been ruined again."
Hayama Kazuto looked at the football flying through the air. The ball was indeed a bit high, but it wasn't without opportunity.
"Hayama Kazuto is still running with this ball; he's not giving up? Is this the belief of a king?"
Beside the field, a black-haired girl was bowing her head, flipping through a paperback book, completely oblivious to the football flying towards her.
"Why is there a girl strolling by the field? Get out of the way! Don't ruin Hayama-kun's solo performance!"
"Is it her?"
Hayama Kazuto recognised the elegantly strolling girl; it was the seat-occupying girl from that day.
"Is she a student from our school?"
Hayama Kazuto had no time to think further; the football was already in front of him. Hayama Kazuto leaped high, his gaze level with the football, and with a powerful header, he set up a pass to his nearest teammate.
"Header flick-on! Looking back at the moon! Hayama Kazuto turned the impossible into possible, successfully saving the ball! Truly worthy of being Toyonosaki's Star!"
The cheers of the entire stadium erupted, and the black-haired girl finally realised the danger she had just faced. If Hayama Kazuto hadn't successfully saved the ball, she might have been hit in the temple and fainted on the spot.
"Isn't this the pervert who spied on me on the train that day?"
"Number 19 passes the ball back, and it returns to Hayama Kazuto's feet. Hayama Kazuto strides forward, dribbling past a defender directly. The Fastest Wind Man truly lives up to his name!"
"Oh, let me look closely. What just happened? A cross-stitch dribble – it's a cross-stitch dribble! The defender didn't even react. This is not a move that should exist on this planet; it's an alien dribble!"
"Shot! What a sudden shot; even I, the commentator, almost didn't react! Hayama Kazuto launched a surprise attack straight into the dead corner! Yangshan High School's goalkeeper couldn't perform another miraculous save. The miracle belongs to the great Hayama Ronaldo Kazuto!"
"On the surface, he's a football club genius, but deep down, is he a contradictory pervert?"
The black-haired girl suddenly became interested in Hayama Kazuto, closed her book, and stood by the sideline.
"Hey, girl over there, please leave the field as soon as possible and don't interfere with the game! Standing there, you're like a goalpost. You know you have a special attraction to the football?"
The black-haired girl's face darkened, but she eventually left her spot and walked to the player's entrance.
"Is the commentator blind? What kind of metaphor is 'goalpost'? If you don't need your eyes, donate them to Takeshi Kitano!"
After scoring the first goal, Toyonosaki played more and more smoothly. Yangshan High School was known for its solid overall defence, but after Hayama Kazuto mercilessly tore through their defence, the difference in individual ability became apparent.
The first half ended with Hayama Kazuto scoring three goals and assisting one, participating in all of Toyonosaki's goals. Yangshan High School could only bitterly concede four goals.
During halftime, Hayama Kazuto walked towards the player's lounge, only to find the black-haired seat-occupying girl standing at the entrance, smiling at him.
Several teammates scurried into the lounge like mice seeing a cat. Hayama Kazuto also wanted to follow them, but he was stopped.
"This, Kazuki-kun, thank you for your heroic rescue earlier, risking your life!" The black-haired girl had a faint smile on her lips, her voice full of allure.
"What's wrong? You want to offer yourself to me? Please go to the Football Club and fill out an application first!" Hayama Kazuto had no good impression of her. He instinctively felt that this black-haired girl was probably looking for trouble, so he used his secret technique: the straight man's interrogation!
The black-haired girl was stunned, never expecting such a shameless person in the world! Hayama Kazuto's single sentence interrupted her train of thought.
"Oh, Kazuki-kun, although your heroic rescue is unforgettable, when it comes to offering myself, it's still a few galaxies away! But to thank you, I can give you a gift you've been longing for! I remember that day on the train; you seemed to..."
"I saved the ball, not you. Self-delusion is a psychological illness. If you need it, I can introduce you to a few psychologists."
Hayama Kazuto shrugged and walked straight into the lounge.
Chapter 14: The Hayama Family is Still Producing Bastards as Always
"Kato, how much longer until your father arrives?"
In the gym?, Sora Ginko asked breathlessly. She had been training for half an hour, and for someone who could barely complete the third section of callisthenics, she had already exceeded her usual performance by a large margin!
Kato Megumi sat by the side of the court, looking down at her phone: "I don't know; he should have arrived by now."
"No more playing, I'm exhausted! What a muscle-brained monster! He yawns constantly when playing shogi, but he's full of enthusiasm when playing football." Sora Ginko sat down beside Kato Megumi with a "happy" expression.
Hayama Kazuto didn't say anything; Sora Ginko had already done her best. What more could he say?
After tidying up his things, Hayama Kazuto returned to the gym. Kato Megumi and Sora Ginko were still sitting in their original spots, heads together, whispering, not knowing what they were talking about.
Hayama Kazuto interrupted their secret conversation: "Kato, has your father not arrived yet?"
It was almost seven o'clock; even if Kato Megumi's father finished work at six, he should have arrived soon.
Kato Megumi turned her head, tilting it slightly: "I don't know?"
Hayama Kazuto blinked. He suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility: "Kato, did your father forget you?"
Kato Megumi stared at Hayama Kazuto for a few seconds: "Eh, it seems that's a possibility!"
Hayama Kazuto also stared at Kato Megumi. Kato Megumi's expression hadn't changed at all. Such a serious matter was stated so lightly, with a feeling of "it doesn't hurt or itch; I'm used to it."
"Why don't you give him a call...? It's getting late. If your father forgot, I'll take both of you home."
One minute later.
"Hayama-kun, you were right."
Kato Megumi remained expressionless, while Sora Ginko's eye twitched. Hayama Kazuto was also a bit helpless about this; although he was prepared for Kato Megumi's transparent nature, her being so transparent that even her family forgot her still made Hayama Kazuto find it incomprehensible.
"Let's go; I'll take you both home."
After several transfers, it was past nine in the evening when Hayama Kazuto finally returned to his apartment.
The apartment was very quiet at night; the usually busy elevator was deserted. Hayama Kazuto entered the elevator, and a black-haired girl looking down at a book followed closely behind him.
"Are you following me?" The book in the girl's hand was very familiar; it was "Love Metronome", and with her long black hair, the girl's identity was naturally self-evident.
The girl looked up at Hayama Kazuto: "Kazuki-kun, shouldn't I be the one saying that?"
"I entered the elevator first; how am I following you? Quantum entanglement?"
"Hehehe, Kazuki-kun, can't you just admit it openly? You went through countless hardships to find my apartment address, lingered below the apartment for several hours, finally saw my figure, and then you rushed into the apartment first, occupying the necessary path upstairs—the elevator—all for the sake of a chance encounter with me, wasn't it?"
The girl closed her book, and with her right hand, she ran her fingers through her hair, and a scent of roses permeated the air.
"You're really talking nonsense. If I didn't have the apartment key, I almost would have believed you."
Although the black-haired girl spoke eloquently, she was actually very cautious. She stared at Hayama Kazuto with a suspicious expression: "You live here too?"