Chapter 631

Seeing Natsume Chikage sitting opposite, the smile on her face was like cherry blossoms blooming in spring.

"Natsume-kun... it seems we are really destined." She sat down opposite him, her voice filled with undisguisable happiness.

Natsume Chikage was indeed a bit surprised:

"My opponent... is actually you?"

Asahina Akatsuki smiled and nodded, her eyes sparkling:

"Yes, I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence either."

"It seems that between the two of us, only one is destined to continue forward."

Natsume Chikage sighed lightly, his tone carrying a bit of complex emotion:

"Indeed..."

The smile on Asahina Akatsuki's face didn't diminish, but the topic quietly shifted:

"Although it's a bit regrettable to be opponents in this situation, thinking about it from another angle, this can also be considered a special kind of fate, right?"

She paused slightly, leaned forward slightly, and said in a suggestive tone:

"By the way, Natsume-kun."

"I remember when you played against Fukuda Tsukasa, you accepted a bet, right?"

"Although that senior's character isn't great... but his idea did add some fun to the boring match."

"For our duel today, just the match seems a bit monotonous."

"How about... we also have a small additional bet, how about it?"

Natsume Chikage, upon hearing this, raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a bit of interest:

"Oh? Interesting. Tell me your thoughts."

The curve of Asahina Akatsuki's mouth became more obvious; she tried hard to maintain the steadiness of her tone:

"If I lose, I will give all the prize money I get in this New Sharp Tournament to you."

Natsume Chikage followed her words and asked:

"Then, if you win?"

Asahina Akatsuki's heart slammed into her chest.

Then, it began to accelerate uncontrollably, faster and faster, so fast it almost wanted to pop out.

She took a deep breath, looked straight into Natsume Chikage's eyes with a burning gaze, and said word by word in a tone of unprecedented seriousness:

"If I win... I hope you can become my boyfriend."

This sentence was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake.

Suzuki Ryunosuke at the No. 10 competition table next door froze instantly upon hearing this, the blood drained from his face, leaving only unbelievable bewilderment.

What...?

Akatsuki... likes Natsume-kun?

She had clearly denied it herself before... why...?

Why on earth is this?!

And Mido Orihime at the No. 8 competition table in front, her originally quiet back paused imperceptibly.

She slowly turned her face, used those deep, demonic eyes to glance indifferently at Asahina Akatsuki; that gaze was calm and waveless, yet it seemed to be able to pierce through the human heart.

Natsume Chikage, listening to this incredibly direct confession and bet, couldn't help but flicker his eyes.

Although he had already learned of Asahina Akatsuki's feelings from Tanabe Yuto, hearing the person involved declare it so solemnly and directly with his own ears still had a different impact.

He was silent for a long time before asking:

"Can I ask... why?"

Asahina Akatsuki's gaze became distant, falling into memories:

"I... the first time I saw you, it was actually at this New Sharp Shogi Tournament too."

"At that time, you and I were not in the same session... but I sat in the spectator seats and saw you playing shogi through the big screen."

"The feeling at that moment... is hard to describe in words."

"If I have to find a word—" her gaze refocused on Natsume Chikage's face, firm and bright, "I think, that must be 'love at first sight'."

At that time, Natsume Chikage on the screen was just casually picking up a shogi piece and dropping it gently.

But that simple action, that focused side profile, seemed to be shrouded in light in her eyes, exceptionally handsome, and deeply branded in her mind.

"Although the live broadcast camera only gave you a few brief shots."

"But your posture when playing shogi had already been engraved in my memory long ago."

Her tone carried a trace of luck, and also a trace of regret.

"Later, I heard about you from Senior Sister Huang Mu Jie. I heard that you rejected many girls at school, and even rejected someone as excellent as Senior Sister Yue Dao Lin, just for your younger sister and life at home..."

"I felt very heartbroken... and I have always been worried that you would remain trapped in this state of being unable to accept anyone."

"But now, I can no longer suppress this feeling. So, please forgive me for proposing such a presumptuous bet... and I hope you can agree."

"Regarding this feeling—I am one hundred percent serious!"

Natsume Chikage stared at the sincerity and heat in her eyes that she didn't hide, and was silent for a long time.

After thinking for a while, he finally nodded:

"Okay... I agree to this bet."

Asahina Akatsuki's eyes were instantly lit up, her voice trembling slightly due to excitement:

"Really?"

Natsume Chikage affirmed:

"Really."

The ecstasy exploded in Asahina Akatsuki's heart like fireworks.

Her shogi skill was far above Tanabe Yuto's.

Natsume-kun already struggled against Tanabe; against her, wouldn't it be easy?

Thinking of having this incredibly handsome boyfriend soon, she could almost foresee the scene where she would be too excited to fall asleep tonight, and even where to go on a date after the match, how late to play, and what to do, were all planned rapidly in her mind.

However, Natsume Chikage's next words made her high spirits pause slightly.

"However... regarding the bet after I win, can I change one?"

Asahina Akatsuki blinked, although surprised, she still agreed readily:

"What do you want to change to? As long as I can do it, it's no problem."

Natsume Chikage recalled the small mirror she had taken out before and made his request:

"I want that compact mirror you used before."

Asahina Akatsuki was stunned and subconsciously confirmed:

"Wait... are you sure you want that?"

"That's just a very ordinary mirror, it's not worth any money at all."

"Do you want to change to something else? Something more valuable?"

Natsume Chikage shook his head, a slightly embarrassed smile appearing on his face:

"If you've heard about me, you probably know that I have a bit of a hobby of collecting... special small items. So—that mirror is fine."

Asahina Akatsuki, upon hearing this, felt relieved after the realization and smiled:

"I have indeed heard from Senior Sister Huang Mu Jie that you seem to have a hobby of collecting other people's things, like the baseball you won from that baseball player before."

"Since you say so, alright, I promise you!"

"As long as you win, my compact mirror belongs to you."

She shifted the topic, her tone becoming cheerful and expectant again, adding the crucial details:

"However, if you lose, you have to be my boyfriend. And, you cannot take the initiative to break up; only when I say break up will this relationship be considered over. Is that okay?"

Natsume Chikage nodded and agreed:

"Mm."

"I agree."

Just at the moment when the two established the bet.

A figure came silently to the side of the No. 9 competition table.

It was precisely that shogi referee who had an abnormal obsession with "adjudication"—An Tian Feng Jie.

I saw him with a serious face, but with a light in his eyes as if he had discovered a treasure, he spoke solemnly:

"The bet the two of you just made is very exciting, full of classical romance and determination." ===== CHAPTER 632 =====