Cherish the time

Chapter 150

Hikari Shinto and Sato Fujiwara sat opposite each other.

On the chessboard in the middle is the previous game with Kuwahara.

"Looking at it now, it's not unreasonable for Mr. Ogata to denounce Mr. Kuwahara as an old fox to his face. Shinto lightly stroked the round chess piece on his wrist with his fingertips, and thought deeply, "It is obviously a game that can be won, why choose a draw?" 』

Zuo Wei also said that he has no clue about this.

After thinking for a long time to no avail, Shinto decided to put aside this concern for the time being and discuss the chess game itself with Zuowei.

"In the prologue stage this time, your mind is too broad and you ask for too much. Shindo looked at the chessboard in front of him, replaying in his mind the order in which the two sides played each other one by one, "Not only does it not match your usual solid and steady style, but it also doesn't achieve the effect you want. 』

"Yes. ’ Zuo Wei agreed.

"Even if you later invaded Heizi Dalong and gained a slight advantage, the whole game still seemed vain, and it still didn't look like your style. 』

Zuo Wei nodded and said nothing.

"The move before the closing game should have been brilliant—if Kuwabara hadn't temporarily changed his intentions, it's a pity that it turned out to be a questionable move. 』

"Move 144 was completely reduced to an unreasonable move under Kuwahara's tough attitude, it shouldn't be. 』

『The 196th hand has done a lot of work on the lower right. It is a strong hand--down here, you have finally reached the level you should have. Unfortunately, the second catastrophe has come out, and there are many hidden dangers. It is obviously too late to recover. 』

Shindo kept talking, and Zuowei kept listening.

I don't know when it started, the two of them formed such a tacit understanding, one side's game will be commented on by the other side, and the side being commented on the way cannot interrupt or refute.

After Shinto finished commenting, Zuo also stopped tapping his palm with the folding fan, "I just want to try a new style - but I didn't expect it to be so difficult to learn." 』

Hearing his aggrieved explanation, Shinto laughed and shook his head, "You're not too nervous. 』

"Is it not good? ’Zuo Wei smiled and turned his head to ask back.

"Of course. Shindo also smiled, "Just remember to get back the lost part next time." 』

Having said that, there is nothing more to say about this game of chess, so Shinto packed up the chess board, took out a few chess books from the bookshelf, flipped them to the position they saw last time, spread them out and put them in the In front of Zuo Wei.

"Are you going to write chess records again? ’ Zuo Wei asked casually.

"That's right." After putting down the book, Shinto walked to the desk and sat down, opened the drawer, and there was a stack of brand new chess papers.

He took out one of them, thought for a while and started to write.

In another drawer, the completed chess records have been stacked a full centimeter thick.

In ancient Japan, July was also known as Wenyue.

The origin is the custom of "hanging bamboo in short books and expressing feelings with documents" on the Qixi Festival on the seventh day of July.

——Why did you mention this all of a sudden?

Because Mingming ran to Shindo's house with the list of the Tanabata Summer Festival and asked him expectantly if he wanted to go together.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you and Hegu went." Shinto held the flyer a little helplessly, "And 'LOVE? LOVE Summer Festival'..."

"I'm not used to it..." Mingming said vaguely while lowering his head, with a faint pink on the tips of his ears.

Shindo was immediately defeated by her shy appearance, "Okay, okay, I'll go with you."

"Then it's settled!" Akira Fujisaki raised her head suddenly, without any shyness on her face. She stuffed the admission ticket she had already held in her hand into Shinto's hand, and said with a smile, "Tomorrow night See you in front of the crow statue at eight o'clock!"

Shinto: ...

Did he promise something he shouldn't?

Although he had a lot of doubts and anxiety in his heart, the next night, Shinto still wore a kimono and dragged his clogs to the crow statue under the shrine.

Obviously, he saw Shinto with golden bangs from a long distance away, and waved his outstretched arms to greet him.

Shindo felt a "thump" in his heart.

Just because he saw another shy figure beside the cheerful Mingming and the helpless Hegu.

"That is…? 』Shinto narrowed his eyes slightly, 『…Who? 』

Zuowei glanced at it, and said happily, "It's Ms. Tsukino!"It's been a long time! 』

Shindo paused with his bare feet, for a moment he didn't know what expression to make.

"...We must take some time to play a game with He Gu." He said to himself, and then walked over with a suitably confused expression, "Good evening!...Eh, is this Mingming's friend? ?”

Hitomi Tsukino's eyes turned red when she heard that Shinto didn't remember herself, but she still saluted Shinto very gracefully, "...I'm Hitomi Tsukino, a new professional chess player this year. The one who followed Fuji-kun and said hello at the Wakashishi battle..."

"Ah... that's the one who asked me for an autograph... how do you..."—why are you here?

Shin Fujimoto wanted to use this sentence to force Tsukino to retreat, but Mingming who was standing aside mercilessly twisted it, and swallowed this ignorant question in his stomach in pain.

"Are you alright, Hikari? 』Hearing the silent mourning in Shinto's heart, Sato asked about Shinto's situation, while leaning a little away from Fujisaki.

"I watched the match between Shinto-kun and Kuwahara Inbo, it was amazing!" Tsukino Hitomi didn't care about his unspoken question, but expressed her heartfelt passion frankly, "Shinto-kun must, must be able to become Honinbo!"

"..." Hikari Shinto sighed softly, took advantage of the opportunity to take over Tsukino's words, and did not continue to say any hurtful words, "Do you have so much confidence in me?"

Hegu Yoshitaka and Fujisaki Akira smiled at each other, and walked in front of them holding hands.

"Very, very confident." Tsukino nodded vigorously, "From the first time I saw Shinto-kun playing chess, I knew that Shinto-kun would become a very powerful person!"

"Really." Shindo Hikaru tilted his head and smiled slightly, "Thank you for trusting me so much."

Seeing the gentle smile on his face, Tsukino Hitomi's face turned red, and she suddenly became at a loss, "That, that...I, I..."

"Don't be nervous." Shinto stretched out his hand and patted the top of her hair, and picked off a small dead leaf that fell on the top of her hair, "Since we're all standing here, it's too late to get nervous."

Hearing his pointed speech, Tsukino Hitomi looked up into Shinto's eyes in a daze.

There was no sarcasm or sarcasm in those clear brown eyes, they were full of kindness and gentleness.

Looking at those eyes, Tsukino Hitomi somehow relaxed.

"What... Shinto-kun knows what I mean..." She stroked the broken hair on her temples a little embarrassedly, "...But you don't want to accept it, do you?"

"I'm sorry." Shinto didn't explain anything, but just apologized to her, "It was my fault for pretending not to understand, in order to express my apology, do I have the honor to spend tonight with Ms. Tsukino?"

Tsukino Hitomi's eyes turned red, but she tried her best not to let the tears fall.

"Of course!" She smiled brightly, "You have to stay with me well tonight!"

From beating dolls to taking pictures, Shinto Hikari accompanied Tsukino Hitomi throughout the festival.

Finally, at the moment when the two hung the booklet on the bamboo pole, fireworks exploded in the dark night.

The brilliance of the fireworks illuminated everyone's pupils and marked the end of the night.

Tsukino Hitomi hugged the little rabbit that Shinto managed to get for her, and stared at the sky with wide eyes.

Shinto stood beside her with his head up and arms folded, a little helpless in such a situation.

"Shinto-kun." Tsukino asked softly, "Do you have someone you like?"

"No." Shinto Hikaru shook his head.

"Just...don't like me, do you?" Tsukino choked up, "Really...don't even have a little bit of liking...?"

"I'm sorry." Shindo Hikaru did not soften his heart.

"Is that so..." Tsukino Hitomi wiped her eyes with her sleeve, finally turned her head to look at Shinto, and smiled brightly again, "Then I know."

Shinto Hikaru felt awkward, but didn't say anything else.

——It is impossible for him to accept this wish.

It is a sin to let her keep even a little bit of extravagant hope.

"Shindo-kun," she called out softly, and stretched out the hand that was not hanging on the handbag, "I am Hitomi Tsukino, from now on, please continue to take care of me."

Shinto Hikaru looked at her expression, stretched out his hand, and held her hand together.

"Please advise, Ms. Tsukino."

The two hands were held together, and the warm temperature lingered in the palms.

Tsukino Hitomi smiled, and with the other hand on her chest, she tightly held the little fluffy rabbit.

—Ah... I was rejected.

But... this feeling of liking that has lasted for more than a year, what should I do...