Chapter 791

Clear confusion appeared in Natsume Chikage's eyes.

"What is it?"

Suzuki Takayuki's hands on his knees clenched involuntarily.

His knuckles turned slightly white.

His eyes became a bit unfocused, as if he had fallen into memories, and his voice became lower.

"Actually... I have liked Xiaoyue for a long, long time."

"Since I was very young... it has already been so."

He looked up, his gaze refocusing on Natsume Chikage's face, carrying a hint of bitterness.

"In the fourth round, when you and Xiaoyue were playing... I was not far behind you, playing against my opponent."

"So... I heard it."

He paused, saying every word with some difficulty.

"I heard Xiaoyue's confession to you, heard her hope to win against you, and then... the bet to date you."

Upon hearing this, Natsume Chikage was completely stunned.

Immediately, fine sweat seeped from his temples.

A premonition that "things have indeed become more troublesome" quietly climbed into his heart.

Suzuki Takayuki's obvious hostility recently...

All connected at this moment.

He sighed gently, his expression subtle.

"If you put it that way... I probably understand."

"Besides the so-called 'revenge', your other reason is probably because Asahina-san likes me, right?"

He tried to understand.

"If that's the case, I can understand. No one would be happy to see the person they like fall for someone else."

"You want to defeat me to prove yourself, right?"

Suzuki Takayuki shook his head slowly.

Complex and unspeakable emotions intertwined on his face.

"No... you guessed wrong."

"Although... there is indeed a little bit of that component... but the real reason is not this."

Natsume Chikage was stunned again.

"Then... what exactly is it?"

Suzuki Takayuki's face changed constantly.

There was struggle, unwillingness, heartache, all finally turning into a near-tragic determination.

He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to say that sentence.

"The real reason I am so eager to meet you..."

"Is that I want to have a bet with you."

"A bet exactly the same as the one Xiaoyue made with you at that time."

Natsume Chikage was completely confused.

"What? You want to bet too?"

Suzuki Takayuki was categorical.

"Yes!"

"If I win against you..."

His gaze was burning, staring fixedly at Natsume Chikage's eyes.

"I hope you—can date Xiaoyue!"

Natsume Chikage was instantly dumbfounded.

"Ah?"

"How come you are like this too?!"

Suzuki Takayuki was also stunned by his reaction.

"Wait... what do you mean by 'I am like this too'?"

Natsume Chikage realized that this person was probably unaware that Tianbian Youren and his thoughts were the same, and thinking of this, his expression moved to a strange topic.

"Cough... nothing, slip of the tongue, please don't mind."

He looked at Suzuki Takayuki again, his brows slightly furrowed, his face full of incomprehension.

"However... since you like Asahina-san, why do you want to facilitate her being with me instead?"

"Reasonably speaking, I didn't accept her confession, isn't that the best opportunity for you?"

Suzuki Takayuki's fists clenched tighter, the veins on the back of his hands appearing.

His voice was mixed with anger, sadness, and a deeper helplessness.

"You are right... that should have been the best opportunity for me."

"I could have approached her slowly when her emotions were frustrated and her thoughts were wavering, perhaps... there was still a glimmer of hope."

"But..."

His eyes dimmed.

"When I saw the post-match interview and heard her say 'I haven't given up yet'... I understood."

"As long as she still has you in her heart for one day, as long as she hasn't completely given up for one day..."

"I will never... have a chance."

"This point, perhaps it was already destined from the moment she met you."

The corners of his mouth pulled into an arc uglier than crying.

"It's ridiculous, right?"

"We clearly knew each other since we were young, we were clearly always so close, I clearly had so many years of time..."

"Yet because I was afraid of destroying this relationship, because I was hesitant, I delayed confessing..."

"As a result, I watched her fall in love at first sight with you, the 'latecomer'."

"I know, this is all my fault. It was my own cowardice and indecision that led to today's situation."

"I also know that it's too late to say anything now. Everything cannot be saved."

His voice trembled slightly.

"But... when I saw Xiaoyue crying so sadly in a place where no one was there because she was rejected by you..."

"Even if I knew I had no chance... I still... felt heartache."

"Because she is Xiaoyue..."

"The Xiaoyue I have liked since I was young, the Xiaoyue I cherish the most, want to protect the most, and can't bear to see her shed tears the most."

His eyes became extremely serious again, even carrying a near-paranoid light.

"So... so I want to bet with you!"

"I must have you date her!"

"Only in this way will she smile again, be happy, and be joyful!"

"My bet is only this condition."

"As for your condition..."

He did not hesitate.

"Whatever you want! Money, or anything else, any request!"

"As long as I can do it, go through fire and water, even if I risk this life, I will do it for you!"

After Natsume Chikage finished listening to this long string of near-confession and near-determined declarations, the expression on his face could no longer be described as "weird."

It was simply dumbfounding, and carried deep astonishment.

How come another one...

Suzuki Takayuki and Tianbian Youren, these two guys... how come they are all the same?

They say people who aren't of the same family don't enter the same door... no wonder these two could become best friends.

He really couldn't fully understand this brain circuit of "willing to push the girl he likes to someone else in order to maintain the stability of the triangle relationship."

In his view, if he met someone he truly liked, compared to worrying about the relationship breaking, he was more afraid of not even having the courage to try and losing the chance to get close forever. ===== CHAPTER 792 =====