Chapter 606

"I estimate I can finish it within today."

Xuecun Lingyin heard this progress, and the cold expression on her face seemed to soften by an imperceptible bit.

She made an imperceptible "Mm" sound, as if in approval.

Immediately, as if remembering something, her gaze still didn't turn to him, but her tone carried a bit of deliberate indifference as she pursued:

"Already halfway... how... does it feel?"

Natsume Chikage blinked, seemingly a bit surprised:

"Are you asking for my thoughts after reading?"

Xuecun Lingyin's eyebrows furrowed significantly this time; she finally turned her face and glanced at him, that look seeming to say "What's so strange about this."

"Yes. Is it strange to ask someone you know for their opinion on your work?"

Her counter-question carried a hint of faint, stubborn persistence that even she herself hadn't noticed.

Natsume Chikage smiled and shook his head:

"No, not strange at all."

He thought for a moment and gave a cautious and honest answer:

"Having read halfway, I think... it's quite good."

"However, for more complete thoughts on the whole book, I think I'll wait until I finish reading it all. I'll tell you my detailed feelings then, is that okay?"

Xuecun Lingyin listened, her gaze fell back to the book pages, and the lines of her side profile seemed to soften a little bit.

She nodded with a very small amplitude, her voice light and slow:

"... Mm."

Private Moonlight Academy.

On the cherry blossom path leading to the teaching building.

The cherry blossom season was nearing its end, and the pink-white flowers on the branches were much sparser, but there were still sporadic soft petals spinning in the cool morning air, drifting down slowly.

On the sports field on the left side of the path, the morning training of the baseball club was in full swing.

"Bang!", "Hey!", "Pass it over!"

The crisp sound of baseball and bat colliding, the energetic shouts of the team members, and the sound of running footsteps intertwined into a background sound full of vitality.

The baseball club's ace hitter, second-year Shinohara Shingo, was standing in the batter's box, his eyes sharp.

And on the pitcher's mound, Zhongdao Satoshi was somewhat absent-minded.

His gaze was firmly locked on the two figures walking side by side on the cherry blossom path—Natsume Chikage, and the outstandingly tempered black-haired beautiful girl walking beside him, Xuecun Lingyin.

It's Natsume Chikage again!

And, the person Senior Tsukishima likes... is walking with another such beautiful girl right now!

Thinking of Tsukishima Rin and seeing this scene, Zhongdao Satoshi only felt a nameless fire mixed with sourness rush to the top of his head, making his teeth itch with hatred.

But once he remembered the bet from the Student Council before, he had already been completely defeated and was forced to promise not to look for trouble, so he could only watch, unable to do anything.

This feeling of frustration made him even more irritable.

But he didn't disapprove of Natsume Chikage.

On the contrary, because he was completely defeated by Natsume Chikage, and even knowing the reason why Natsume Chikage didn't date, he had already acknowledged Natsume Chikage.

He even felt that it would be completely fine for Natsume Chikage to date Tsukishima Rin.

But what made him feel most angry was.

Tsukishima-san likes you so much, hurry up and agree, don't let Tsukishima-san be jealous because of the girls around you!!

"Hey! Zhongdao! What are you spacing out for?!"

Shinohara Shingo's loud and impatient voice sounded like a thunderclap.

"I only came back to participate in club activities after school started for so long, and you kid show me this? Hurry up and pitch!"

Zhongdao Satoshi was startled by the roar, quickly gathered his mind, and responded:

"Yes, yes! Coming!"

He set his posture and threw a ball hard.

Shinohara Shingo frowned; he was very dissatisfied with Zhongdao's distraction just now, but still swung the bat.

"Clap!"

The ball was hit solidly and flew toward the outfield, a beautiful hit.

But he didn't pay much attention to the landing point of the ball, but followed Zhongdao Satoshi's gaze just now and looked toward the cherry blossom path.

When he saw the side profile of the girl beside Natsume Chikage clearly, Shinohara Shingo's pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

Xuecun Lingyin?!

He would never recognize her wrong.

That was his junior in junior high school, and also the only girl he had truly pursued during his entire middle school era, only to be rejected miserably.

He even clearly remembered the reason she rejected him—"I'm only interested in people who can resonate with me in literature, or even have the same talent."

For this sentence, he, a sports specialist, had plunged into the library for the first time, gnawing on those difficult literary works, and even secretly tried to write novels.

He planned to take the results of his "effort" and confess to her again when graduating from junior high.

However, on the eve of his summoning courage, Xuecun Lingyin won the famous "Gunzo Newcomer Award" at the end of her second year of junior high.

At that moment, he felt his world collapse.

He understood that the chasm between them called "talent" and "world" was already unfathomable.

This unrequited first love was deeply buried by him, and he came to this Private Moonlight Academy.

Now, although he had a girlfriend he was dating, that emotion could never be compared to the pure and intense palpitation of that time.

At this moment, seeing Xuecun Lingyin again unexpectedly, that emotion he thought had long been forgotten, mixed with memories of youth and regrets, suddenly rippled violently like a lake surface cast with a stone.

However, when he saw her actually walking side by side so naturally with another boy—a boy with quite outstanding appearance—Shinohara Shingo's face sank instantly.

In his memory, Xuecun Lingyin in junior high was always alone, like a high-mountain flower, almost never getting close to anyone, let alone walking so close to a boy.

Who is this boy?

"Shinohara-kun! Good hit!"

Zhongdao Satoshi ran over to pick up the ball and flattered him by the way:

"You went to accept special training from a professional coach these past few days, the effect is too obvious! That ball just now, the angle was tricky, and you were still able to hit such a beautiful hit!"

"If you can stably hit two or three hits in ten balls, this batting average is almost catching up to the professional level!"

Shinohara Shingo turned a deaf ear to these compliments; his mind was full of that scene just now.

He took a deep breath, walked to Zhongdao Satoshi's side, lowered his voice, pointed at Natsume Chikage and Xuecun Lingyin who were walking away, and asked:

"Those two people who just passed by... who is that boy?"

Zhongdao Satoshi was stunned for a moment, looked in the direction of his finger, and a complex look immediately appeared on his face, both unwilling and a bit wary.

He curled his lips and started to tell the "grudges" between him and Natsume Chikage, from the initial conflict to the bet in the Student Council that made him completely defeated...

Shinohara Shingo listened, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

When he heard Zhongdao Satoshi say that as far as he knew, Natsume Chikage didn't have a girlfriend at present, Shinohara Shingo's tightly locked brows relaxed a little.

"Then... that girl, Xuecun Lingyin, what is her relationship with Natsume Chikage?" he pursued, his voice involuntarily carrying a hint of tension.

Zhongdao Satoshi scratched his head, trying hard to recall:

"They seem to be classmates, right? And their seats seem to be quite close... as for the specific relationship, I'm not too sure. But seeing them often go to school and come home together, the relationship should be good."

Shinohara Shingo fell into a brief silence, his eyes changing uncertainly, seemingly digesting this information, and seemingly weighing something.

"I see..." he whispered, thoughtful.

Zhongdao Satoshi saw his appearance and couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Shinohara-senpai, why are you suddenly so interested in Natsume-kun's affairs?"

Shinohara Shingo immediately restrained all the strangeness on his face, put on a casual fake smile, and patted Zhongdao Satoshi's shoulder:

"Nothing, just suddenly discovered that the school has such an eye-catching 'celebrity,' just a bit curious."

"Alright, stop talking nonsense, continue training!"