Chapter 33

"That’s not right! Didn't he just enroll yesterday like the rest of us?"

"He’s already caught the eye of a senior on his second day?"

"This Senior Tsukishima is too shameless. There are second and third-years she could choose from, so why is she snatching up a first-year boy from our grade?!"

Kondo Miki froze in place, biting her lower lip unconsciously, and muttered to herself:

"He must... just be passing by, right? How could a senior possibly fall for him..."

At the same time, Saionji Nanase also recognized Xia Xia Xia Mujun and was instantly stunned.

"Eh... the boy that senior is confessing to is actually Xia Xia Xia Mujun?"

Yukimura Suzune didn't speak; she only frowned slightly, her cold gaze silently watching the scene below.

Inside the teaching building at this moment, there was another anxious figure.

After hearing the news, Fujiwara Aoi had rushed to the corridor, watching the movements below nervously.

Although she had long known that Xia Xia Xia Mujun wouldn't easily accept someone else's confession, she truly panicked upon learning that the person confessing was the school's famous Senior Tsukishima Rin.

She was terrified that Xia Xia Xia Mujun would be moved by Tsukishima Rin's outstanding appearance and superior conditions and agree on the spot.

'This kind of situation could actually happen, right?!'

'Wuuu~ Xia Xia Xia Mujun, you absolutely cannot agree!'

'What will I do if you agree?'

Fujiwara Aoi looked at Xia Xia Xia Mujun and Tsukishima Rin under the cherry blossom tree, feeling both anxious and aggrieved.

She had finally met someone she liked and had intended to confess to him herself, only to learn that he didn't want to date for the time being.

She had originally felt that waiting a while was fine, but she hadn't expected to be intercepted by an incredibly excellent senior in the blink of an eye.

How could there be such logic in this world?

Was Heaven doing this to her on purpose? ===== CHAPTER 67 =====

Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s gaze passed through the falling cherry blossom petals and landed on the young lady waiting quietly under the century-old cherry tree.

The pink petals swirled lightly in the spring breeze, like a silent, fine rain.

A few petals rested gently on Tsukishima Rin’s long, jet-black hair and her slender shoulders.

The tear mole just below her left eye was like the final stroke carefully placed by a painter, adding a touch of poignant charm to a face that was already gentle and intellectual.

Sensing Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s approach, Tsukishima Rin’s fair cheeks instantly flushed with a faint red, and her clear eyes were filled with an undisguisable shyness and a trace of imperceptible hesitation.

Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her elegant skirt, exposing the nervousness and turmoil within her heart.

"...Are you Miss Tsukishima Rin?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun didn't know what the person who wrote the love letter looked like, so he had to politely confirm her identity.

He didn't want to cause an awkward scene by recognizing the wrong person.

"Yes... it's me." Tsukishima Rin lowered her head slightly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum, her earlobes turning completely red.

But then she thought, since she was the one who took the initiative to hand over the love letter, she should be the one to speak first regardless.

Tsukishima Rin nervously clutched the corner of her clothes, took a deep breath, and slowly raised her head, bravely meeting Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s gaze.

However, the moment she truly met his eyes, her heartbeat suddenly went out of control, thumping violently in her chest.

This feeling of losing control instantly reminded her of that moment yesterday which changed everything.

It was the morning of the first day of school.

Groups of students were walking along the cherry blossom path toward the depths of the campus.

The orchestra's practice room happened to be on the first floor of the B-block teaching building on the right side of the road.

In order to prepare for the grand opening ceremony on Friday, even on the first day of school, the orchestra members had to arrive early to rehearse the opening performance pieces.

Therefore, she had arrived at school earlier than most people.

And Tsukishima Rin’s heart had harbored a hidden worry since childhood.

Arrhythmia; her heart rate often hovered around 60 beats per minute, far lower than the average person.

Strenuous exercise and intense emotional fluctuations were taboos strictly forbidden by doctors, as they could easily trigger dizziness and suffocating breathing difficulties.

Over time, she became accustomed to suppressing her emotions and words; only the violin melodies flowing from her fingertips could slightly soothe that deeply hidden loneliness.

However, the price of this suppression was enormous—toward most things in the world, she felt as if she were separated by a layer of glass, unable to feel intense joy or sorrow.

Even after years of treatment, her heart condition had long since improved.

But even when riding a roller coaster to the peak, entering a haunted house to face scares, or standing alone on a stage under the spotlight, enduring the baptism of thousands of gazes from the audience... her heartbeat remained as steady as a windless lake.

She felt like a cold machine, lacking the real sense of being alive.

Only music was her permitted, sole outlet for emotion.

When she played the violin, those surges of passion, sorrow, and ecstasy that she couldn't perceive with her body could finally be told through the strings.

The reason her performance could shock people was precisely because she poured all the passion for "life" that she couldn't experience in reality into her music.

She had originally thought that she would live in this vacuum of emotion forever.

She had thought such days would last forever.

Until yesterday.

During a break in rehearsal, she looked out the window unconsciously.

At that very moment, she saw Xia Xia Xia Mujun walking along the cherry blossom path.

It was like a thunderbolt tearing through the silent night sky, or an electric current instantly piercing through her entire body—that heart which hadn't truly pounded for years suddenly began to beat wildly and vividly in her chest!

That electric feeling still vibrated faintly, unable to be shaken off.

At that very moment, it was the first time she had so truly felt the reality of being alive.

At this moment, facing Xia Xia Xia Mujun head-on, this feeling became stronger than ever before!

Tsukishima Rin felt the violent heartbeat in her chest, took a deep breath, and her previously wavering gaze became firm.

She summoned all the courage of her life and confessed solemnly in a slightly trembling but clear voice:

"Um... Xia Xia Xia Mujun, from the first moment I saw you yesterday, I fell deeply in love with you!"

"Please—please, by all means, go out with me!"

After the confession, her heart was still beating wildly; this was a vivid experience she had never had in her seventeen years of life.

This palpitation that made her dizzy made her firmly believe—Xia Xia Xia Mujun was the person destined for her.

She raised her slightly flushed face, her eyes filled with a mix of shyness and incredibly eager anticipation, locking onto Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s eyes, waiting for his response.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was not an ignorant person; he had a clear understanding of his own appearance.

From childhood to adulthood, there had been no shortage of girls confessing to him, and the reasons often couldn't escape "love at first sight."

However, regarding feelings, he always upheld caution and seriousness.

He never believed that a fleeting glance could support a long-lasting companionship.

Compared to the ethereal "love at first sight," he was more inclined toward a slow-burning understanding, natural affection, and a deep bond where both parties knew each other well.

What's more...

At present, he was carrying the heavy burden of a major family change, with too many matters needing to be dealt with pressing on his shoulders; he really had no extra energy or time to manage a relationship that required investment.

But—a confession made with such solemnity deserved an equally solemn response.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun took a slight breath, his expression extremely serious, and looked at Tsukishima Rin with sincere apology:

"I'm sorry, I cannot respond to your feelings."

The light of anticipation in Tsukishima Rin’s eyes suddenly froze, then quickly dimmed.

She stood there blankly, her face losing its color bit by bit, turning as pale as paper, her voice trembling with disbelief:

"Wh...why? Isn't it true that... you don't have a girlfriend..."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun shook his head gently:

"That is true."

Tsukishima Rin knew very well that her family background, academic performance, and appearance were all outstanding among girls.

Being rejected so directly at this moment, a strong sense of self-doubt instantly gripped her, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was really that unappealing in his eyes.

Her eye sockets quickly turned red, and crystalline tears welled up uncontrollably, swirling in her eyes, her voice filled with a heavy nasal tone and grievance:

"Then... is there something about me... that doesn't fit your preferences? Or is there something about me... that makes you think I'm not good enough?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s gaze remained calm and frank; he shook his head again, his tone peaceful:

"No, you are very beautiful and have an outstanding temperament."

"Among the girls I have met, very few can surpass you." ===== CHAPTER 68 =====