Chapter 149 Tennis 37
Tokyo, Hyotei Academy.
"Is it my imagination? Lord Kurikawa seems to be in a very low mood these days."
"It seems to have started after I returned to school on Monday."
"I felt it too... Wait, Kurikawa-senpai said not to call her 'sama', just call her 'senpai'!"
"…I see!"
The cacophony of sounds around him reached his ears, impossible to ignore. Atobe Keigo frowned, glancing out of the corner of his eye. The source of the noise looked somewhat familiar; they were members of the Kurikawa fan club.
Or perhaps the reason he couldn't ignore those voices was because they mentioned her name.
——Kurigawa Sana.
The person at the center of the topic doesn’t know where he is at this moment.
It was just as they said, she hadn't looked right since she came back to school on Monday. She used to always have a bright smile on her face, but now she was always distracted for unknown reasons.
Atobe Keigo's already furrowed brows deepened.
His keen insight told him that something must have happened last weekend to cause the guy to be in his current state.
After the match with Kunimitsu Tezuka, Kurikawa Sana helped him get out of his self-wavering dilemma.
In return, he made a promise to Kurikawa Sana that the next time she was sad, he would reciprocate and provide her with a safe haven.
But now it seems obvious that she did not take his promise to heart.
Because, even though she was obviously sad now, she didn't tell him a word.
Atobe Keigo closed his eyes, raised his hand to touch the bridge of his nose, and massaged the center.
never mind.
He, Keigo Atobe, would never fall into an emotional whirlpool just because he was holding his breath.
Since he said he was providing her with a safe haven, it was natural for him to take the initiative to walk towards her.
After figuring this out, the young man put on a flamboyant smile, stood up and walked out.
…
*
That night, under a dim moonlight, the Hyotei campus was deserted. In the empty classroom, Kurikawa Sana stared down at the message on her phone, lost in thought for a long moment.
[Sana, how are you doing recently? ]
[It's been a while since we last met. Are you free this weekend? ]
Kurikawa Sana was stunned.
——This is a message from Shiraishi Kuranosuke.
Seeing her in a daze, the system remained silent.
Others don’t know, but the system knows that Sana’s troubles these days are due to this trip to Kanagawa.
Ever since that night when Yukimura Seiichi persuaded her to actively receive treatment and made a promise with the other party, she has been in this state now.
She had never felt guilty about conquering strategies in the past three worlds, but for the first time, her strategy was ruined because of someone.
That person is Yukimura Seiichi.
In the past, Kurikawa Sana was a high-energy and self-disciplined girl who raced against time every day to conquer and go on the road of conquering.
In the past few days, her progress in the game has almost stagnated. Even if she doesn't say it, the system can guess that it is Yukimura's illness that has made her feel unprecedented guilt.
Although Yukimura's surgery has an 80% to 90% success rate, there is a 10% to 20% chance of failure. If it fails, he will never be able to stand up again or pick up a tennis racket again.
The system can probably imagine how much weight Yukimura said to Sana in the ward on the night she was leaving Kanagawa.
Because of this, before she was 100% sure that Yukimura's operation was successful, before she was sure that he could stand up again, Sana was bound by some kind of emotional shackles and could not be as free and easy as before.
Just when the system thought so, it saw the girl's slender white fingers flying across the phone screen, and she quickly replied to the other party's message with tears in her eyes.
【sana: I'm free this weekend! 】
system:【………? 】
Didn't you say that you were worried about Yukimura Seiichi just a second ago and that it affected your progress in clearing the game?!
The system couldn't hold back any longer and couldn't help but say, "Sana, I thought you were emotionally overwhelmed by Yukimura's illness, and it would take you a while to get over it...?"
Kurikawa Sana wiped her eyes and sobbed: [That's right, but there's nothing I can do! If I don't do this, I'll die in the real world, uh...]
"Besides, Yukimura promised me that the surgery would be successful. I also believe in him, and I believe it will be possible. Excessive worry is unnecessary negative emotion for Yukimura, and will only bring him a burden. I just need to trust him—that's what Yukimura's eyes told me."
So, after a few days of brief worry, I should return to my normal life. I think this is what Yukimura-kun would like.
The system fell into an unprecedented silence.
In a sense, her and Yukimura's ideas...really fit together.
System: [That's good, Sana. It would be best if you could figure it out.]
Kurikawa Sana nodded and continued to look at the phone screen. Shiraishi Kuranosuke had already replied to her.
Shiraishi: That's great! Can I come see you?
The boy's straightforward and hearty speech seemed as if one could smell the fresh scent of grass mixed with the scent of sunshine through the screen.
【sana: Of course! o((*^▽^*))o】
Shiraishi: Good!
Shiraishi: As promised, I'll be the one to come to Tokyo to see you this time (wink.emoji)
Kurikawa Sana was a little dazed, and a certain scene flashed through her mind.
Under the castle light show at Universal Studios Osaka at night, the handsome boy asked her with a slightly blushing face when they could meet again.
[Sana: Okay, I'll wait for you in Tokyo, Kuranosuke-kun.]
With a "ding" sound.
[Shiraishi Kuranosuke, Favorability +2.]
Kurikawa Sana lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes hid the emotions in her eyes.
…
When I put down my phone, colorful lights came in from the glass windows of the classroom.
Kurikawa Sana blinked, a little dazed, thinking that the castle light show in her memory just now appeared in front of her again.
However, when she turned to look out the window, her eyes widened in surprise.
Outside the window, a deep, inky sky reflected a holographic image: a sea of roses. Within the sea of flowers, drones, gleaming with fluorescent colors, slowly flew across the sky, forming a line of words:
【Kurikawa, go up to the rooftop.】
Kurikawa Sana was stunned and stood up subconsciously, staring blankly at the dazzling and extravagant scenery outside the window.
——It’s Atobe Keigo.
System: [How can you be so sure?]
Kurikawa Sana tilted her head in confusion: [Needless to say? This sea of roses is his watermark.]
system:【………】
It seems so.
…
The stairwell leading to the rooftop is covered with flowers of various colors. Fiery red roses are wrapped around the handrails of the stairs, dotted among them with white roses. The fresh dew on the flowers is like stars in the night sky.
The stairwell is filled with the fragrance of flowers, and every step you take is filled with the aroma.
Just when Kurikawa Sana was stunned, the view on the rooftop was truly breathtaking.
With the sky dotted with drones and holographic projections as the background, a rose wall is built high on the rooftop, decorated with a firefly candlelight dinner, rose petals raining down from the sky, and the stars shining behind.
A helicopter landed on the helipad on the rooftop of the Ice Emperor's rooftop. Even inside the helicopter cabin, there were flowers winding all the way down to the ground, forming clusters of gorgeous flowers.
The young man with purple-gray middle-length hair standing in the middle of the rooftop was wearing a well-cut pure white haute couture suit today, which made his figure look even taller and straighter, and the teardrop mole under his right eye looked even more noble.
The young man held a bouquet of roses in his hands, a gorgeous smile on his face. "Ah, your expression is even funnier than I thought."
“……!”
Kurikawa Sana was completely shocked, "Atobe-kun, what are you doing..."
What's going on?!
Atobe Keigo raised his eyebrows. "As I said, courtesy is the key to reciprocity. Next time you're sad, I'll provide you with the most beautiful harbor."
Kurikawa Sana's mouth opened into an O shape.
...It is indeed gorgeous enough, a bit like a peacock spreading its tail.
Eh? Wait, Atobe just said that when she was sad?
"Atobe-kun, do you think I'm sad?" Kurikawa Sana looked at the other person blankly.
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? If you can't even see through this, then the insight I'm so proud of is useless."
Atobe Keigo twitched his lips. "You became depressed after returning from Kanagawa over the weekend. Was it because of Yukimura?"
Kurikawa Sana: "...!!"
"How did you know I went to Kanagawa..."
"Huh? Don't you know? The video of you playing basketball in Kamakura with those three guys who came back from the NBA is all over the internet." Atobe Keigo suppressed his smile. "The only reason you'd go to Kanagawa is Yukimura."
“………”
Kurikawa Sana was choked for a moment, not knowing how to answer.
"I want to ask you a question."
"…good."
"What on earth are you thinking?"
“……!”
Kurikawa Sana suddenly looked up and looked at him in surprise.
The other man's handsome face showed no emotion. He simply continued slowly, "Don't lie to me. I know you're still in contact with them."
…It’s over.
Kurikawa Sana's heart sank.
You can't hide anything from this guy; his insight is sharper than anyone else's.
I'm afraid it's better to tell the truth than to lie to temporarily get through a difficult situation.
Kurikawa Sana closed her eyes and gave a desperate answer: "...I'm sorry, Atobe-kun, I have reasons for doing this."
Then, she waited in fear for the notification sound that the other party's favorability had dropped significantly.
One second passed, two seconds passed.
Several minutes passed.
…
The imagined voice did not appear. Kurikawa Sana opened her eyes again in surprise. Atobe Keigo just looked at him calmly. There was no disgust in those eyes as deep as midnight.
"Is that so? I understand." Atobe Keigo said in a light tone, removing the "this lord" from his self-proclaimed title.
Kurikawa Sana was a little bit unbelievable, "Aren't you angry? I might have fooled you and everyone..."
Atobe was such a proud man, but after hearing her almost desperate response, he didn't even deduct his favorability points?!
"Angry? I've done that a long time ago. A truly strong person shouldn't be controlled by emotions, but should be the master of their emotions."
Atobe Keigo took a step forward, took her hand, and looked into her eyes with a sharp gaze. "As for the 'reason why you had to do this', I don't want to delve into it any further, because I only know one thing -"
"That is, no matter who my opponent is, I will not lose."
Atobe Keigo has absolute confidence.
No matter when or where, Atobe Keigo is absolutely convinced that he is the strongest.
So, he didn't need to know her reasons.
He won't lose to anyone.
"Kurigawa Sana."
Atobe Keigo read out her name word by word in his deep and magnetic voice.
"I admit that I have a crush on you."
“……!”
Kurikawa Sana's pupils constricted for a moment.
“Bang!!”
As Atobe Keigo spoke, the holographic images and drones in the sky disappeared, replaced by fireworks rising all over the sky.
Fireworks of various colors bloomed in the night, reflecting colorful and bright beautiful light, dyeing the night sky into beautiful colors, as if countless expensive crystals and gems were inlaid in the night sky, and the Ice Emperor seemed to be shrouded in a dream.
Amid the sound of fireworks rising and blooming, Atobe Keigo's voice was so clear.
"This time, let me come to you." - he said.
[Atobe Keigo, Favorability +10. ]
The boy slowly lowered his eyes.
She had confessed to him before, but he rejected her, which made her sad.
This time, he took the initiative to walk towards her.
When others are still confused about their feelings, he will be the first to take the first step.
Atobe Keigo lowered his eyes and looked at her, and saw his own reflection in her blue eyes filled with surprise.
“……!”
Kurikawa Sana's gaze paused, her eyes filled with disbelief, and finally turned into a look of deep confusion.
Walking towards her...?
"This bouquet of flowers is for you."
Keigo Atobe picked up one of the roses in the bouquet, put it in the breast pocket of his haute couture suit, and then stuffed the whole bouquet into her arms.
"From now on, I will always give you flowers, and I will keep one flower with me."
"Whenever the flower beside me withers, I know it's time to give you a new one."
Kurikawa Sana stared at him blankly, the rose bouquet in her arms was thorny but beautiful, "Atobe-kun..."
[Atobe Keigo's current total favorability is 80.]
"Yes, I'm here."
Atobe Keigo raised his hand and stroked her black hair.
Be it cheating or fooling.
He had seen through it in advance, so he was not deceived or fooled.
It's just two hearts moving closer to each other.
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