Chapter 543

"The first half about liking Yukimura-san in junior high and being rejected... Shinoara mentioned it many times every time training ended and they were chatting when he first joined the baseball team in his first year, so many old team members know."

"As for the second half, although he never explicitly said it, we can roughly guess based on his personality and his reaction after you appeared; the real reason is likely this."

He spread his hands helplessly.

"So, even without the match between you and Nakajima before... with Shinoara’s personality, he would sooner or later find other excuses to find a way to squeeze you, this 'potential love rival,' out, or even force you to withdraw from school."

"It can be said that this incident, whether for Nakajima or for you, belongs to an unprovoked disaster."

Natsume Chikage listened quietly to the end, his face not revealing too much surprise.

He had actually already guessed this possibility based on Hanyu Jinkai’s previous hints and Shinoara Shingo’s performance.

He nodded slightly and thanked them sincerely:

"Thank you for specifically telling me this inside information."

Nakajima Satoshi and Aoki Masao said:

"Then we've said what we needed to say, you train well this month, and take care of yourself."

"We're leaving first."

The two nodded at Natsume Chikage, bowed slightly toward Konoe Hitomi’s direction again, then said goodbye and turned to walk toward the baseball team’s training field, their figures gradually disappearing into the depths of the campus’s tree-lined path.

Natsume Chikage looked at the backs of the two leaving and was silent for a moment.

He didn't expect the two to have this side.

Soon.

Natsume Chikage and Konoe Hitomi walked out of the school gate and arrived at the side outside the school.

At this time, a black Maybach sedan with smooth lines and a paint surface that shone like a mirror slid silently in front of them and stopped.

A man in black quickly got out of the car, bowed ninety degrees deeply to Konoe Hitomi, his movements as standard as an etiquette textbook.

He didn't say anything, just respectfully handed the car keys to Konoe Hitomi with both hands, then quickly stepped back a few steps and turned to leave.

Konoe Hitomi took the keys as usual, as if this were just the most ordinary scene.

She opened the car door, sat in the driver’s seat, and then tilted her head slightly, signaling Natsume Chikage to sit in the passenger seat with her eyes.

Natsume Chikage didn't say much and naturally opened the passenger door and sat in.

The car was filled with a crisp and expensive light fragrance, and the interior was simple and luxurious.

Konoe Hitomi started the engine skillfully, and the vehicle drove into the lane steadily and quickly.

The street scene outside the car window began to flow backward rapidly.

After driving for a while, in the gap of waiting for a red light, Konoe Hitomi placed her hands on the steering wheel, looked straight ahead, and suddenly spoke without turning her head, her voice appearing exceptionally clear in the quiet carriage:

"Just now, when Nakajima Satoshi and Aoki Masao told you Shinoara Shingo’s real motive, you didn't look surprised at all."

Her tone was flat, as if she were just stating an observation result.

"Could it be that you already knew about this?"

Natsume Chikage nodded and explained candidly:

"Yes."

"Last time when I went to the teacher’s office to find a teacher, I accidentally ran into Vice President Hanyu, Tsukishima-senpai, and Araki-senpai downstairs."

"They happened to witness Shinoara Shingo confessing to Yukimura-san in our class and being rejected on the spot. They also saw Shinoara-senpai throwing a tantrum there afterward because he took his anger out on me."

"At that time, Vice President Hanyu simply explained the cause and effect to me."

He paused.

"So, this time Shinoara-senpai used the baseball team’s reputation as an excuse to find fault, I could roughly guess that his real target was me, and the so-called 'rectification' was just an excuse."

Konoe Hitomi’s slender eyebrows twitched upward imperceptibly.

"Since that's the case... you could have just stated the truth of this matter publicly in the Student Council at that time."

"In that case, everyone would immediately understand that Shinoara Shingo was using public office for private gain and making a fuss."

"Even, just based on the words he used to threaten you later, we would have every reason to make him withdraw from school directly, once and for all."

Natsume Chikage shook his head slowly.

"I know I could have done that."

"But in that case... I wouldn't have been able to make him pay a sufficiently 'heavy' price."

"Most people who can enter Private Tsukikage Academy don't have simple family backgrounds and have affluent economic conditions."

"Shinoara-senpai is likely no exception."

"If it were just making him withdraw from school, for him, it might not hurt at all. He could easily transfer to another private school and continue living his affluent young master life."

"Even, if he harbored resentment, after leaving school, he might instead continue to harass me or people around me even more unscrupulously."

"But if it’s according to the wager—"

Natsume Chikage turned his head to look at Konoe Hitomi’s beautifully lined profile.

"With the Student Council, or the 'binding force' you represent, once the wager is established, the result must be executed."

"If he loses, it won't just be as simple as withdrawing from school. He will be forbidden from contacting the baseball sport he loves, and he will also be forbidden from approaching me and the people around me again."

"Only such punishment can truly touch his core and make him unable to stir up trouble in the future."

"Once and for all."

Konoe Hitomi’s tone seemed to carry a trace of... interesting approval.

"I see..."

"It seems that you are... smarter than I imagined, and also have much more 'guts' than you look."

Natsume Chikage couldn't help but laugh and asked back:

"What do you mean by 'smarter and have more guts than imagined'?"

"In your eyes, what kind of person am I?"

The car fell into a brief silence, with only the low hum of the engine and the blurred city noise outside the window.

"...A person," Konoe Hitomi finally spoke, her voice lower than before, carrying some indescribable complex emotion, "who shouldn't have appeared."

Natsume Chikage was completely stunned.

"A person who shouldn't have appeared?"

He repeated this strange evaluation, his brows furrowing slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Konoe Hitomi didn't explain further.

She just tilted her head slightly, looked at Natsume Chikage extremely briefly, and then looked ahead again.

"You will... know later."

Her tone returned to that habitual flat and distant tone that kept people thousands of miles away, as if the complex emotion revealed for a moment just now was just an illusion.

Natsume Chikage looked at her appearance, his expression becoming a bit subtle.

Every time the conversation touched on certain key issues, or involved the "Mido family" behind her, Konoe Hitomi was always like this, using short sentences or silence to avoid it, and would never reveal more information.

Even if he pursued the question, there would be no answer.

Since that was the case, he was too lazy to pursue it further.

Some secrets, perhaps when the time comes, will naturally be revealed.

The vehicle drove steadily on the complex roads of Tokyo.

After a while, familiar scenes came into view again.

The black Maybach drove slowly into an open field and finally stopped in front of the magnificent and familiar building of the National Stadium.