Chapter 39

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, carrying thick shyness.

"...Please take care of me from now on!"

The last few words were almost squeezed out.

Even as intellectual as she was, she couldn't hide her current shyness; before the words were finished, she turned around like a frightened deer and almost fled in a panic.

Leaving Xia Xia Xia Mujun standing alone in place, feeling a bit messy in the wind from this sudden "start over declaration."

He stood in place for a long time, and when he returned to the stall, Tsukishima Rin’s figure was indeed long gone.

Just then.

Saionji Nanase ran back to Xia Xia Xia Mujun like a happy little bird, her face filled with excitement.

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, there's a cow!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was stunned by her nonsensical words:

"Cow? What cow?"

Saionji Nanase’s star-like eyes flashed with the light of discovering a new continent, pointing to the distance joyfully:

"I just saw a club! It's called 'Flying Water Buffalo Pasta Club'! Their club logo is a water buffalo! It feels very interesting, do you want to go see it?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was dumbfounded:

"Okay."

He remembered she had just gone to experience instruments, and asked:

"But weren't you trying out instruments at the orchestra side just now? How did it feel?"

Saionji Nanase showed a shy smile embarrassedly:

"It was very interesting... but after trying it, I found that I seem to be a bit tone-deaf, and my sense of rhythm for music is also particularly poor; I can't play it at all."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun looked at her frank admission and smiled slightly:

"I see, then let's go see that 'Flying Water Buffalo Pasta Club' you mentioned now."

Saionji Nanase nodded happily:

"Mm! Okay!"

After leaving the orchestra department's stall, the two walked and looked along the lively club recruitment area.

Saionji Nanase was full of infinite curiosity about various novel and interesting club stalls, stopping Xia Xia Xia Mujun from time to time.

Walking all the way, Xia Xia Xia Mujun found that Saionji Nanase beside him had many more things on her.

He saw that she had a wreath made of colored paper flowers hanging around her neck, several bracelets of small beads of different colors on her slender wrists, and she was holding several small toys and keychains won from various stalls in her hands.

She was like a "beast of curiosity," unable to help but contact, try, and understand anything she was interested in.

So she almost played through everything along the way and got quite a few prizes.

When the two walked to a relatively quiet stall, Saionji Nanase remembered one of the purposes of Xia Xia Xia Mujun's trip.

She pointed to the "Shogi Club" sign hanging above the stall and reminded:

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, the Shogi Club stall is here!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun nodded slightly and walked to the stall.

The stall was somewhat deserted, with only a girl with short hair who looked quite capable guarding it, looking bored.

"Excuse me, do you know Senior Yasui Ryoto?"

Araki Jua raised her head upon hearing the question, and the moment she saw Xia Xia Xia Mujun's face, her eyes lit up, as if she had discovered some interesting target.

"Senior Yasui? Of course I know him! He is our Shogi Club's vice-president..."

She carefully looked Xia Xia Xia Mujun up and down, the corners of her mouth hooking into a meaningful smile.

"However... you are Xia Xia Xia Mujun, right?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was a bit surprised:

"You know me?"

Araki Jua acted as if she had heard something extremely funny, suddenly slapping the table and laughing forward and backward:

"Pfft hahaha! Know! Of course I know! How could I not know!"

She laughed until tears were almost coming out, pointing at Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

"After all, Senior Tsukishima Rin, who confessed to you, is the goddess that our Vice-President Yasui has been pursuing for a whole year and still hasn't been able to chase!"

"Now in the entire Shogi Club, if there is still anyone who doesn't know you, Xia Xia Xia Mujun, that would truly be strange! Hahaha!"

"This..." Xia Xia Xia Mujun froze in place.

Saionji Nanase heard this, covered her surprised little mouth, and when her lively eyes looked at Xia Xia Xia Mujun, it seemed to carry a bit of curious laughter. ===== CHAPTER 79 =====

Just then.

Yasui Ryoto happened to return to the stall.

The moment his gaze touched Xia Xia Xia Mujun, he was obviously stunned for a moment, then his whole body tightened like facing a great enemy, his eyes sharply examining the other party.

And Araki Jua, who didn't think the excitement was big enough, immediately pointed at Yasui Ryoto and shouted with a teasing smile:

"Hahaha, Vice-President Yasui! Xia Xia Xia Mujun has something to find you for!"

Yasui Ryoto narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering on Xia Xia Xia Mujun's face.

After the confession event at lunch break, he went to understand Xia Xia Xia Mujun's situation.

After understanding, he himself was also confused.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was actually the person his mother and Aunt Kondo entrusted him to return the chessboard to.

Yasui Ryoto gritted his teeth and said straight to the point:

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, you are here for that chessboard, right?"

Hearing this, Xia Xia Xia Mujun immediately remembered that Kondo Miyuki had mentioned that she had already communicated this matter with the Yasui family.

It seems Yasui Ryoto indeed knew the inside story, so he pointed out the theme directly.

That's fine too.

He was just pondering how to open the scene, and now it saved the pleasantries.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun nodded affirmatively:

"Yes."

Yasui Ryoto kept a straight face, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible scrutiny:

"I can return the chessboard to you... however, there is a prerequisite."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun understood in his heart; things really wouldn't be that simple.

"What prerequisite?"

Yasui Ryoto stared at Xia Xia Xia Mujun's eyes, his voice low:

"I want to know, at noon, how exactly did Tsukishima Rin confess to you? And you—how did you reject her!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was slightly startled, not expecting the condition proposed by the other party to be this.

To be honest, this condition itself was not difficult to achieve.

But to make him repeat the original words of a girl's confession, especially involving private emotional expression, was really not his wish.

He shook his head, his tone carrying persistence:

"Repeating the specific confession content of Senior Tsukishima, forget it. After all, this is her privacy, and I have no right to relay it at will. If you want to know the details, go ask her yourself."

He paused, and his words turned:

"However, the reason for the rejection can be told to you."

Yasui Ryoto watched Xia Xia Xia Mujun silently for a moment, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had thought Xia Xia Xia Mujun would sell out Tsukishima Rin's feelings without hesitation to get the chessboard back; he didn't expect the other party to protect her privacy like this.

"...Okay." He finally nodded.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun said softly:

"Presumably Aunt Miyuki has already found you, and you should also know that my family has gone bankrupt."

"Now, there is still a young sister at home that I need to take care of and raise."

"Our food, clothing, housing, and transportation all need money."

"In this situation, except for completing my studies, almost all my spare time is used to work and make money. I simply have no extra heart or time to manage a romantic relationship."

The expression on Yasui Ryoto's face froze instantly, his eyes full of astonishment.

He was silent for a long time, seemingly digesting this completely unexpected answer. ===== CHAPTER 80 =====