Chapter 42

"I'm not sure if I'll have time yet, let's talk about it tomorrow..."

There was a hint of hesitation in Xia Xia Xia Mujun's voice.

He could not be certain if tomorrow's Shogi tournament would finish in the morning.

If things went smoothly, he might make it back to school by the afternoon.

If the tournament dragged on, making a special trip back and forth would not seem worth it.

There was a significant distance between the tournament venue and the school.

And in Japan, the cost of commuting by train was never cheap.

Over a few days, the transportation costs alone could add up to several thousand yen.

He didn't have any extra money right now, so in this situation, it was better to avoid unnecessary train commutes as much as possible.

Upon hearing this, a gentle, faint smile bloomed at the corners of Saionji Nanase's lips.

"Then let's decide when the time comes."

She gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and as if suddenly remembering something, she said happily:

"Oh right, Fujiwara-san, since you're planning to come along tomorrow too, why don't we add each other on LINE?"

"That way, I can contact you in advance tomorrow."

Fujiwara Aoi nodded repeatedly, delighted.

"Mm-hmm!"

"Let me scan you!"

She couldn't wait to take her phone out of her bag, her fingertips tapping lightly on the screen to open the QR code scanning interface.

Saionji Nanase also took out her own phone and brought up her QR code screen.

After the two added each other as friends.

Saionji Nanase naturally turned her screen toward Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, come to think of it, I don't have your LINE yet."

Her eyes were bright, and her tone was relaxed and natural, as if she were talking about the most ordinary thing in the world.

"Actually, the class set up a group chat, and most of the students are in it now, even our homeroom teacher, Mr. Sakai, is there. He said in the group to add the other students too, and he occasionally sends class announcements."

"But it seems you haven't joined yet? I'll add you as a friend and then pull you in!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun didn't actually care much about the class group.

However, he still needed to occasionally pay attention to the notices posted by the homeroom teacher.

He nodded slightly.

"Mm."

The three of them added each other as LINE friends.

Seeing Saionji Nanase obtain Xia Xia Xia Mujun's contact information so naturally, Fujiwara Aoi instantly froze in place, a faint sense of frustration inexplicably welling up in her heart.

To get Xia Xia Xia Mujun's LINE, she had racked her brains for nearly a week starting from the moment she first met him.

This girl had actually managed to do it so easily on the second day of knowing him?

Wait, this girl is being so proactive about getting his LINE, could it be that she also has feelings for Xia Xia Xia Mujun...

When Fujiwara Aoi felt anxious, she couldn't help but eat, so she subconsciously fished a bag of snacks out of her pocket, and while nibbling on them, she pursed her lips and secretly observed Saionji Nanase.

On the way out of school, she secretly observed for a long time.

But no matter how she looked at it, Saionji Nanase seemed like a purely airheaded girl.

Could it be her own imagination?

When they reached the school gate, Saionji Nanase stopped and looked at the two of them.

"Are you both heading in the direction of the subway?"

Her gaze drifted between Xia Xia Xia Mujun and Fujiwara Aoi.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun and Fujiwara Aoi nodded simultaneously.

"Mine is in the other direction..." Saionji Nanase said with a hint of regret in her tone, waving gently, "It seems we have to part ways here."

Her smile remained gentle.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

Fujiwara Aoi waved back, full of energy.

"See you tomorrow!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun didn't say "see you tomorrow," but simply said goodbye.

"Goodbye."

After saying this, he and Fujiwara Aoi walked side by side toward the subway station.

Saionji Nanase stood where she was, watching their figures as they gradually drifted further away.

Before long, a black Bentley slowly pulled up to the school gate.

Saionji Nanase recognized it as her family's car, opened the door, and sat inside.

On the way home, she took out her phone and opened the LINE app.

She carefully set the names for the newly added Xia Xia Xia Mujun and Fujiwara Aoi.

Afterward, she couldn't help but click on Xia Xia Xia Mujun's personal profile, curiously checking his status updates.

Finding it completely blank, she was slightly taken aback.

She had assumed that Xia Xia Xia Mujun, who liked playing games, would post game-related content or something else.

Now that there was nothing, it seemed he wasn't the type to post on his feed...

In the night of Shibuya, the neon lights flickered as brilliantly as a galaxy.

The streets were filled with a constant stream of people, the noise never-ending.

After finishing work at the coffee shop, Fujiwara Aoi and Xia Xia Xia Mujun walked home side by side.

As they moved further away from the city center, the pedestrians on the street became increasingly sparse.

Although it was already late at night, Xia Xia Xia Mujun felt no fatigue due to the increase in his "Spirit" attribute.

In his perception, the passing vehicles even seemed a bit slower than usual; he didn't know if this was just an illusion.

Fujiwara Aoi suddenly stopped, pointed at a small stall on the street corner, and excitedly tugged on Xia Xia Xia Mujun's sleeve.

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, there's an Oden stall here, should we go eat something together?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun had actually heard her and was prepared to answer, but his response was half a beat slower than usual.

This was a minor side effect caused by the imbalance between his "Spirit" and "Physique" attributes.

"Mm, let's go eat something."

If it were before, Xia Xia Xia Mujun rarely ate a late-night snack after ten o'clock.

He didn't have the habit, and he usually didn't feel hungry.

But for some reason, after his "Spirit" attribute increased to 6, he got hungry much faster than before.

When he ate his staff meal at the shop in the evening, his appetite had clearly increased a little.

Even so, he was actually hungry again now?

Xia Xia Xia Mujun pondered to himself, perhaps it was the developmental needs of his body returning to puberty?

Or was it that because his thinking speed was faster, his body's energy consumption rate had also become faster?

Seeing Xia Xia Xia Mujun agree, Fujiwara Aoi was overjoyed; she trotted over to the Oden stall and waved her hand high to signal him to hurry over.

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, there's no one here, hurry up!"

"Mm."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun walked over slowly, examining the small Oden stall.

It was a mobile, push-cart style shop.

The owner only needed to set out a few stools to open for business.

The stall owner was a white-haired old grandfather who looked quite advanced in age.

At the moment, there was only one young lady dressed as an office worker enjoying Oden in the shop.

As soon as he got close, a rich, savory aroma of broth wafted toward him.

Daikon radishes trembled slightly in the amber broth, the fried tofu was saturated with soup, and the fish balls looked round and cute.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun's stomach let out an uncooperative "rumble."

Fujiwara Aoi, who had already sat down, heard it, covered her mouth and giggled, and patted the empty seat beside her.

"Xia Xia Xia Mujun, hurry over."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun nodded and sat down beside Fujiwara Aoi.

The moment he sat down, that young lady from the publishing house, Matsuo Yuka, who had been wolfing down her food, suddenly froze.

Her demeanor became visibly elegant and dignified.

She was seen gently tucking up her hair, carefully blowing on a fish ball, and taking a small bite, her posture as ladylike as could be!

The Oden grandfather glanced at this regular customer, his expression somewhat strange—she had clearly been so carefree before, why had her eating manners suddenly become so refined?

Fujiwara Aoi stared at the bubbling Oden pot, happily picking out her order:

"Boss, I want daikon, crab sticks, fried tofu, udon noodles, fish balls, beef balls, and a boiled egg!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun hadn't expected Fujiwara Aoi's appetite to be surprisingly large; she had ordered so much.

But it seemed he could tell that usually.

He remembered that even after finishing her staff meal, Fujiwara Aoi would occasionally sneak snacks; she must be a little foodie.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun looked at the food boiling in the Oden pot and found that what Fujiwara Aoi had ordered were already the tastier items, so he said casually:

"Boss, just give me the same as hers."

Fujiwara Aoi didn't know what she was thinking, but her cheeks flushed slightly.

The Oden grandfather responded with a full, resonant voice:

"You got it!"

Just then, the beautiful lady Kondo Miyuki, who had been out shopping, happened to pass by this street.

The night breeze blew past, and her hair was gently lifted, brushing against her cheeks and causing a slight itch.

She subconsciously raised her hand, her slender fingers tucking the stray hair behind her ear.

This was an ordinary gesture, but paired with her graceful curves and bright, beautiful face, it exuded a breathtaking charm in the night, causing passersby to glance at her repeatedly.

Her footsteps paused slightly.

Her gaze suddenly locked onto the Oden stall—