Chapter 40

He had originally imagined countless possibilities in his heart—Xia Xia Xia Mujun might have had a girlfriend long ago, might have had no feelings for Tsukishima Rin at all, might even be a scumbag who played with feelings, or might have used the opportunity to reject Tsukishima Rin to improve his status in school, etc., etc...

Only he didn't expect that this handsome freshman who was the focus of attention in the academy would reject an excellent girl like Tsukishima Rin to carry the heavy burden of his family.

If the boys in the academy who pursued Tsukishima Rin knew this reason, they would probably be shocked to the point of dropping their jaws...

The students of this private Moonlight Academy mostly had affluent family backgrounds.

Many people had never experienced the hardship of working, and had never been troubled by economic distress.

People like Xia Xia Xia Mujun who had to shoulder the responsibility of supporting his family at a young age were simply few and far between.

He remembered the former glory of the Xia family; it was a pity it collapsed in one day...

Regardless, the maturity and responsibility Xia Xia Xia Mujun showed at this moment made Yasui Ryoto unable to ignore it, and he had already recognized it in his heart.

Although he knew Xia Xia Xia Mujun made his beloved girl cry in the classroom for an afternoon, after hearing this reason for rejection, he really couldn't blame him.

Araki Jua covered her mouth in surprise to the side.

She obviously didn't expect that the truth of Xia Xia Xia Mujun rejecting Tsukishima Rin was so heavy.

And didn't expect that this dazzling and handsome junior in front of her was carrying such a difficult family situation.

It was a pity she had previously held prejudice, thinking that a handsome guy like Xia Xia Xia Mujun must be a scumbag who played with the world, and wouldn't be short of money at all.

It could even be said that with Xia Xia Xia Mujun's looks, even if he were poor, he could completely rely on sweet talk to cheat girls out of money.

This was really no joke.

If Xia Xia Xia Mujun went to be a host or a star with these looks, he would probably have a bunch of die-hard fans throwing money blindly.

But now the truth was in front of her—this handsome junior was not only mature and steady, but also had a great sense of responsibility!

No wonder even an excellent girl like Tsukishima Rin would be attracted to him.

Even she, as she was now, couldn't help but feel a bit moved by Xia Xia Xia Mujun after hearing these words...

Araki Jua glanced at Yasui Ryoto with some pity, only feeling that the childhood sweetheart she secretly loved didn't lose unjustly this time.

Saionji Nanase widened her eyes after hearing this, looking at Xia Xia Xia Mujun with flickering eyes.

Yasui Ryoto took a deep breath, raised his hand and patted Xia Xia Xia Mujun's shoulder heavily, his strength carrying a trace of understanding and respect:

"That chessboard is indeed in the storage room of my house now."

"It might take some effort to find it; the storage room is very full, and things are a bit messy."

"After I find it, I will bring it to school for you."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun thanked him sincerely:

"Thank you."

Yasui Ryoto seemed to have thought of something and asked with some curiosity:

"By the way, you want to get that chessboard back so much... is it because you, like your father, have been studying shogi since you were a child?"

He looked Xia Xia Xia Mujun up and down:

"Are you an amateur player now? Or did you enter the training association? What rank are you?"

Araki Jua's eyes lit up and she immediately responded enthusiastically:

"Yes, yes, yes! If you know how to play chess, would you consider joining our Shogi Club?"

Her little abacus was beating fast—with a big handsome guy like Xia Xia Xia Mujun sitting in town, wouldn't club recruitment and funding applications be easy to get!

Xia Xia Xia Mujun shook his head, his tone frank and carrying a trace of apology:

"To be ashamed... from childhood to adulthood, I have played shogi a total of more than ten times, and I haven't joined the Shogi Association, so I don't have any rank."

Yasui Ryoto originally had a trace of expectation rising in his heart.

He remembered the "New Sharp Shogi Competition" that had recently opened in Tokyo, with generous prize money.

As long as you keep winning, you can make the prize money double continuously, which attracted many players, and the Shogi Club president, him, and Araki Jua had all signed up.

He had thought that if Xia Xia Xia Mujun had a certain strength, he could be pulled into the club to participate together.

But since the other party had almost no contact with it, joining the Shogi Club now really didn't have much meaning.

Shogi is a game that is extremely dependent on talent and deep accumulation, requiring years of studying chess manuals and honing skills.

Even a talented beginner is hard to contend with an experienced veteran player in the short term.

However... thinking about it, Xia Xia Xia Mujun not playing shogi might not be a bad thing for him, Yasui Ryoto.

Otherwise, with the other party's looks and attention, plus chess skills... his status in the academy's shogi circle would probably be challenged.

Yasui Ryoto sighed with some relief and some pity: "I see... then that's really a pity."

"Yeah..." Araki Jua also echoed softly, her tone hard to hide her disappointment.

At this time, Saionji Nanase blinked her lively eyes and asked curiously:

"By the way, I remember Student Council President Mido Orihime is a female five-dan player, right? Is she also in the Shogi Club?"

As soon as this name was mentioned, the expressions of Yasui Ryoto and Araki Jua became subtle, and they shook their heads at the same time:

"No."

"Student Council President Mido... has never joined the Shogi Club."

Saionji Nanase was puzzled:

"Why?"

Yasui Ryoto lowered his voice, his tone carrying a trace of awe:

"As for why she doesn't join the Shogi Club, I can't explain... anyway, you will understand after you meet her."

Araki Jua, who had been straightforward just now, had a serious expression at this time, and her voice sank, as if reminding of some taboo:

"Don't say we seniors didn't remind you; it's best not to discuss the student council president's name and things casually, otherwise sometimes you might... cause unnecessary trouble."

"If you are unlucky enough to meet her, either greet her respectfully or hide as soon as possible."

Although Xia Xia Xia Mujun didn't understand why the two said this, it seemed that they were not very willing to talk about the student council president Mido Orihime.

Even looking a bit scared?

It seems he needs to be careful.

It's just that this student council president seems to be a female five-dan, so she should have participated in the New Sharp Shogi Competition, right?

Hope not to meet her on the competition field, so as not to get into any trouble. ===== CHAPTER 81 =====