Chapter 913

Kondo Miki suddenly caught sight of Natsume Chikage. Looking at that incredibly handsome face, she couldn't help but slightly purse her red lips and fall silent for a moment.

After a thought, she reached out and gently touched her arm.

"Sana."

"At the door."

Akita Sana turned her head, following Miki's gaze.

Then, she froze completely.

In the light at the doorway, Natsume Chikage was standing right there.

The next second.

Akita Sana's face seemed to be lit up by something.

Those brows and eyes, already full of smiles, unfolded even more brilliantly at this moment.

She stood up from her seat almost as if she had been launched.

"Natsume-kun—!"

She didn't even finish the sentence she was halfway through with Asagiri Kazuya, leaving him behind and trotting toward the door.

Asagiri Kazuya, who had been smiling obsequiously, stiffened in place.

His outstretched hand remained in the gesture from their conversation, suspended in mid-air; he didn't know whether to pull it back or put it down.

Just a moment ago... Akita Sana had rarely shown him a smile.

Just a moment ago... they were still talking properly.

But now, Natsume Chikage had only appeared for a single moment.

The time that smile lingered on Akita Sana's face already exceeded the effort he had put in for who knows how long.

Asagiri Kazuya lowered his arm, his eyes dim.

He didn't understand.

Where exactly was he inferior to Natsume Chikage?

In terms of looks—he was only a tiny bit behind Natsume-kun.

In terms of sports—Natsume Chikage was indeed great at baseball, but he wasn't bad at basketball either; he was one of the starters on the school team.

In terms of background—Natsume Chikage was down on his luck now, while his own family was still so wealthy; he was a perfect match for Sana-chan.

Then why?

Why did it have to be Natsume Chikage?

Beside him, Shankou Hakuta watched his friend silently, not making a sound.

He felt a bit fortunate.

Fortunate that the one he had a secret crush on was Kondo Miki.

Kondo Miki wasn't the type to be moved by good looks like Akita Sana.

Moreover, Akita Sana liking Natsume Chikage was already an open secret.

As her best friend, it was absolutely impossible for Kondo Miki to have those kinds of feelings for Natsume Chikage.

Thinking about it this way, he was perfectly safe.

It was just—

He glanced at Asagiri Kazuya's slumped shoulders and sighed in his heart.

This guy Kazuya really had a rough road in love.

But it was fine.

With so many excellent girls surrounding Natsume Chikage, Akita Sana's ditzy personality... probably wouldn't have a chance, right?

Asagiri Kazuya suddenly stood up.

Shankou Hakuta was startled.

"Why did you stand up? Where are you going?"

Asagiri Kazuya looked at the two figures at the door who were about to leave, his tone somewhat hurried.

"I... I want to go see what they're going to do."

"What if Natsume-kun does something strange to Akita-san?"

Hearing this, Kondo Miki finally withdrew her gaze from the door, swept a faint glance at him, and felt somewhat speechless.

She didn't believe Natsume Chikage was excellent in other aspects.

But she had never questioned his character.

"What are you thinking?"

"Given Natsume-kun's situation, if he wanted to do something strange to a girl, he wouldn't need to wait until now, nor would he need to pick Sana."

"There are as many girls willing as he could want."

Asagiri Kazuya opened his mouth.

Then, like a deflated balloon, he slowly sat back down in his seat.

"... That's true."

He lowered his head.

"Someone as excellent as Senior Tsukishima, he rejected her."

"There are still so many girls in school chasing him, and he rejected them all, saying he had to work to earn money to support his younger sister..."

He gave a bitter smile.

"Sorry, I made a fool of myself."

Shankou Hakuta patted his shoulder, looking righteous.

"Kazuya, be strong."

"Didn't Natsume-kun just say it? He's just returning something to Sana-chan."

"The two of them definitely have nothing going on."

"And look, the person most familiar with Natsume-kun in school is Kondo-san, and she said so herself, so you can rest easy."

Asagiri Kazuya smiled:

"That's true."

In the corner of the hallway.

Akita Sana leaned against the wall, looking up slightly.

Her eyes were sparkling, and her smile revealed that sharp little canine tooth.

"Natsume-kun—"

Her tone rose at the end, filled with joy.

"What did you want to see me for?"

Natsume Chikage took a stack of banknotes out of his wallet.

Ten thousand denomination, ten bills.

He handed them to her.

"This is the one hundred thousand yen I owed you before."

"I said last time that I would pay you back after the tournament ended."

"I forgot when you came yesterday, but I just remembered now."

"Here you go."

Akita Sana looked at the stack of money and blinked.

Then, the smile on her face froze for a moment.

Immediately, that lively and cute face was filled with panic.

She waved her hands repeatedly, as if shooing away something terrifying.

"Wait—wait!"

Her speaking speed increased.

"You don't have to be in such a hurry to pay me back!"

"Didn't you just move into a new place, and you still have to support Ruri-chan..."

"Isn't this the time when you need money the most?"

"How about... how about later?" ===== CHAPTER 914 =====