Chapter 38

The students who heard this instantly quieted down.

The classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and no one dared to make a sound.

Jiu Jing Ziyuan's cold gaze fell back onto Natsume Chikage.

"Natsume-kun, you may continue."

Natsume Chikage nodded slightly, his thin lips parted.

He originally had no special hobbies, but thinking that he had to sign up for a shogi tournament in the afternoon and might need to ask for leave later, he changed his words temporarily.

"My current hobby is playing shogi, and my dream is to get into the University of Tokyo, that is all."

Jiu Jing Ziyuan heard this, and a hint of imperceptible confusion flashed across her earnest expression.

Natsume Chikage likes playing shogi?

She lowered her eyes, her fingertips quickly skimming the "Specialties and Hobbies" column of the student data—it was indeed empty.

Her gaze moved down, and when she caught a glimpse of the family information, her eyebrows moved slightly.

Oh, his father was an amateur shogi player...

She understood in her heart, but shook her head secretly.

With a father who was an amateur player, she figured he couldn't be that strong either.

The data clearly showed that Natsume Chikage had never participated in any shogi tournament.

Truly excellent shogi players had already made a name for themselves in elementary or junior high school, just like the student council president who had already entered the ranks of female professional fifth-dan players in her second year of high school—Yutang Xiang.

And he said his dream was to get into the University of Tokyo?

Jiu Jing Ziyuan's gaze landed on the glaring "D-" rating in the grade column, and her lips couldn't help but press tight, her face looking slightly strange.

As a graduate of the University of Tokyo, she knew better than anyone how strict the threshold of this institution was.

Even honor students with "A-" grades might not be able to step in; those who could stably get in had to be top students who maintained an "A+" level year-round.

With Natsume Chikage's past 'D-' grades, the hope was so slim.

However...

Jiu Jing Ziyuan thought again, and her gaze softened slightly.

This dream itself was good; it was a positive and upward-looking goal.