Chapter 31

Sakai Shion pondered for a moment, handed the phone back to Natsume Chikage, and changed the method:

"Leave can be granted, but I need you to take a few photos or connect to a video call online for me after you arrive at the competition site as proof."

"Only if you agree to this condition will I approve your leave."

Natsume Chikage heard her distrust, but he didn't care.

After all, he was indeed going to participate in the competition.

"Okay, no problem." Natsume Chikage agreed frankly, his eyes calm and waveless.

Sakai Shion frowned tightly and reminded him seriously.

"Let me state in advance, I hate students who lie very much."

"If you cannot provide valid proof, or if the proof is forged, then all your future leave applications will not be approved by me."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Natsume Chikage answered faintly:

"I understand very well."

Sakai Shion was silent for a long time, and her gaze stayed on his face for a moment.

These two days, she did notice that Natsume Chikage often played with his phone after class, looking like he was playing games.

Thinking back to his past records...

But she didn't point it out in the end, just closed her eyes and said in a flat tone:

"Is that so? Then the teacher wishes you success in the competition tomorrow."

After speaking.

She took out her phone and placed her LINE QR code in front of Natsume Chikage.

Natsume Chikage understood and added Sakai Shion's LINE.

After that, Sakai Shion didn't say more, opened the bento box, and quietly enjoyed her lunch.

Seeing that the leave matter had been settled, Natsume Chikage didn't disturb her anymore and silently finished the rest of his lunch.

The sun shone on the two of them through the gaps in the clouds, and only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the laughter of students in the distance broke this tranquility.

Not long after.

This tranquility was quietly broken.

After Natsume Chikage finished his lunch, he noticed that a girl was already standing under the cherry blossom tree, looking around nervously.

He wasn't sure if this was the one who gave him the love letter.

So he took the love letter out of his pocket and opened it to confirm the signature.

"Tsukishima Rin..."

After saying this name softly, Natsume Chikage got up from the bench and walked towards that century-old cherry blossom tree.

Sakai Shion looked at Natsume Chikage's departing back, her brows slightly furrowed.

She didn't expect Natsume Chikage to leave so quickly.

But thinking that his purpose for coming was to ask for leave, since the purpose was achieved, it was reasonable to leave after eating lunch.

However... she still hoped that what he said was the truth.

After all, Natsume Chikage's family is now in decline, and his parents are dead.

If he is still lying to ask for leave to play games, this is really...

If that's the case, she will definitely not agree to Natsume Chikage's leave again next time!

Yasui Ryoto and Nakajima Satoshi learned this news almost at the same time—Tsukishima Rin, whom they had been desperately pursuing for a whole year, was actually going to confess to some boy under the cherry blossom tree in the school's backyard today?

The two rushed out of the classroom at the same time and met head-on at the corner of the corridor leading to the backyard.

The moment their eyes met, anger that was hard to believe ignited in their eyes.

"The object of Tsukishima Rin's confession couldn't be you, right?!"

"The object of Tsukishima Rin's confession couldn't be you, right?!"

The simultaneous questioning echoed in the corridor, the two looked at each other, and then clenched their fists at the same time.

From the beginning of the first year of high school, they were both attracted to Tsukishima Rin, and for this, they launched a fierce battle that lasted for the whole school year.

It was a topic that had long been known to the entire second year of high school.

When they heard this news from Tsukishima Rin's best friend, their first reaction was that the other party had finally succeeded.

Thinking that the sweetheart they had been chasing for a year might be snatched away by the guy in front of them, anger and unwillingness surged in their hearts, but they inexplicably felt a sense of sympathy for each other.

After all, they both had to admit that the other party was a worthy opponent.

Yasui Ryoto came from a wealthy background, was handsome, and was the vice-captain of the Shogi Club.

He was quite popular on campus and received active confessions from 3~5 girls every year.

At only seventeen, he had already joined the Shogi Association and became a 2-dan player in the incentive group.

In the incentive group system of the Shogi Association, it is divided into two levels.

One is incentive group 6~1 level.

After being promoted from level 1, there will be ranks, which are incentive group 1-dan, 2-dan, 3-dan.

Once breaking through 3-dan, one can be promoted to a professional shogi player.

This was Yasui Ryoto's dream goal, and he had been working tirelessly for it.

Yasui Ryoto knew his talent well and was convinced that he could break through from 2-dan to 3-dan before the age of twenty to achieve this dream.

Those who can achieve this achievement at the age of twenty are rare, and this is also his most proud capital!

And such an excellent person as him had always cherished special feelings for Tsukishima Rin in his heart.

For her, he politely declined all the girls who showed favor to him.

Speaking of the origin of this feeling, it dates back to every morning of school.

Tsukishima Rin would always practice in the orchestral room on the right side of the cherry blossom road.

Every day when stepping into the school gate, what Yasui Ryoto looked forward to most was stopping to appreciate the beautiful figure of the girl he liked and listening to the melodious music she played before going to the teaching building.

Tsukishima Rin had an outstanding appearance and was a recognized school beauty.

What's more coincidentally, she was also Yasui Ryoto's classmate.

The time spent together day and night made this secret love more and more uncontrollable.

Therefore, since the first year of high school, he had been pursuing Tsukishima Rin wholeheartedly and had never accepted the feelings of other girls.

But what annoyed him most was that throughout the first year of high school, his pursuit path was interfered with by many of Tsukishima Rin's pursuers, the most annoying of which was Nakajima Satoshi!

"The person Tsukishima-san likes, it couldn't really be you, you bastard, right?" Yasui Ryoto glared at Nakajima Satoshi through gritted teeth.

Nakajima Satoshi didn't show weakness and retorted: "That's what I should say!"

Nakajima Satoshi was also a famous figure at Private Tsukikage Academy.

As the number two pitcher of the baseball club, his average pitching speed could reach 135 km/h, and he could even break through 140 km/h when in good condition.

This result could be described as outstanding among high school students!

Baseball club members are the focus of girls' attention in any high school, and Nakajima Satoshi also receives confessions from 3~5 girls every year.

But he had no interest in those favors, and only had Tsukishima Rin in his heart.

Speaking of the opportunity for him to fall in love with Tsukishima Rin, it dates back to the time when he walked through the cherry blossom road to school every morning.

When he first enrolled in the first year of high school, Nakajima Satoshi felt very inferior about his baseball strength.

The competition in the baseball club was fierce, and many team members were fighting for the position of number two pitcher.

With his strength at the time, it was difficult to stand out.

The motivation that supported him to persist was Tsukishima Rin.

The left side of the cherry blossom road was the baseball club's morning practice field, and the first floor of the teaching building on the right side was the practice place for the orchestral club.

One day, when he was scolded by the coach for a training mistake and was running as punishment, he noticed the orchestral club playing music outside the first floor.

At that time, he didn't pay much attention, until a crisp "Go for it" came from there.

Nakajima Satoshi looked up immediately and clearly remembered that Tsukishima Rin was watching him at that time.

That moment—he just felt that Tsukishima Rin must be cheering for him, and his heart beat faster!

From then on, whenever he heard the music played by Tsukishima Rin during morning practice, he would think of the encouragement of that day.

It was this motivation that supported him to stand out from many excellent baseball club members and finally win the position of number two pitcher.

It can be said that without Tsukishima Rin, there would be no achievement for him today!