[Go Soul Natsume's Book of Friends] Guang Xia

See.Is Qing Lan safe?Fujiwara Sakai. "

"Qing Lan'an, of course, a millennium is gone, Zhu Xian is broken, a bright mirror is missing, and people will never see each other forever." Zuo Wei murmured, something seemed to be falling apart in his blue-purple eyes.

"Zhu Xiandu... What a Zhu Xiandu!" He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Natsume, his voice and body trembling like dead leaves in a heavy rain, "Guizhi, your life is at stake, you lied to me with Qian Cong ! Lied to me for so long!!”

This is the first confrontation between Zuowei and Natsume.Natsume was obviously shocked, and tears welled up in his brown eyes.I stared at them in astonishment, completely unresponsive.I only heard Natsume shouting with a trembling voice: "Zuowei! I just don't want you to break the strings like a green onion! Then, everything Qing Lan has done for you will be in vain!"

Breaking the strings like Asagi...everything Qing Lan does...I caught a certain kind of information from their conversation, which was unbelievable and vaguely frightening at the same time: "What do you mean...it's not Asagi who made Zuo Wei came back, but—but—”

Zuo Weiyou stood up, his eyes were bloodshot, his body swayed slightly, and he said sadly, "Hime Sugawara died for me!"

I have never seen Zuo Wei like this, as if all the vitality suddenly disappeared from his body.My body moved faster than my brain, and I rushed over and hugged him tightly.Zuo Wei's body was so cold that there was no warmth at all.

He choked with tears in my arms: "In the Green Leaf Festival thousands of years ago, I rescued her in her infancy beside the reeds... I wrote her the small character 'Qing Lan', and I prayed in front of the Buddha, wishing her a safe life ——"

Zuo Wei's voice was unprecedentedly bleak, and even had a hint of tragedy. I was shocked: "Zuo Wei!"

"I want to ask the Buddha!" ​​Zuowei was so excited that he couldn't restrain himself, he broke away from me with tears, "I want to ask the Buddha, why the Buddha is merciful to all living beings, but he doesn't listen to my prayers and ask Sugawara Hime to do it for me. Such a sacrifice!"

<<

The Kamakura Buddhist Temple is built on the Saga Peak next to Kamakura Shiba Park. It towers into the sky. It was built in the early Heian period. The architectural style is modeled after the Changan Buddhist Temple in the Tang Dynasty.

The mountain road is steep, the ancient trees are towering, and the sound of chanting sutras can be heard in the distance.Snow-white robes slid across the fallen leaves all over the stone steps, Zuo Wei hurried on the road by himself, lost in spirits, not saying a word.Natsume and I followed behind, not daring to breathe.

I never knew that there was such a deep and sad past behind that quiet and beautiful girl in Tsing Yi.I also felt uncomfortable after reading the loose-leaf paper. Zuo Wei's feelings can be imagined.

Natsume next to him has long been speechless, with all kinds of emotions in his eyes, worry, sadness, annoyance, remorse... It's not incomprehensible, Natsume and Qiancong's painstaking efforts.However, the truth is suddenly revealed in such a thrilling way, Zuo Wei, should he follow the example of Asacon? !

I was terrified and didn't dare to think about it anymore.Zuo Wei, you must not do stupid things!

A Buddhist event was being held in the Daxiong Palace, when Zuo Wei broke into it, all the monks were alarmed.The older abbot in front stepped forward and said, "Mr. Fujiwara, if you want to play chess today, you will have to wait a while..." Obviously, he had played chess with Zuowei.

"No, I'm not here to play chess." Zuo Wei still had tears on his face, "I have something that I really can't accept, and I want to ask the Buddha!"

Zuo Wei's tone was extremely sad, with sobs, like needles piercing my heart.It took me a lot of effort to hold back the tears, Natsume turned away, clenched his fists, biting his lower lip white.

The abbot saw that our expressions were not right, and he looked at the other monks in blank dismay.

"Mr. Fujiwara, there are two more, please come to the next hall with me and wait a while, and come to discuss in detail after the Buddhist ceremony is over."

The second hall, the Great Compassion Hall, is built next to the Daxiong Hall, with a bodhi tree planted in front of it.Under the luxuriant linden tree, there is a bright mirror stand with plain white sunset flowers growing on it.

When Zuo Wei saw the Xiyan flower, tears flowed from his eyes again, "The Xiyan flower is beautiful and fragrant, and it is always hazy in the dusk. How can I get a glimpse of Xiyan's true face...Xiyan, the flower of fate..." He couldn't go on, the clothes Sweeping through the little beautiful flowers, stepping into the Hall of Great Compassion.

The iron horses on the eaves are clanging, the white marble statue of Sakyamuni is at the front, and the eighteen arhats are lined up on both sides.It was the first time Natsume and I entered and exited such a place, and we couldn't help feeling awe.

A gust of wind swept into the Great Compassion Hall, swirling bodhi leaves all over the sky.Surrounded by majestic treasure statues, I looked around blankly, and finally, my eyes slowly fell on Zuo Wei.

Zuo Wei stood in front of the huge Buddha statue, tears fell on the glazed platform patter, patter, his eyes gradually turned gray blue.His knees softened, his long light purple hair lifted up, and Zuo Wei knelt on the futon in front of the Buddha.

This scene broke my heart.Originally, I wanted to hug Zuo Wei in front of him, but I didn't dare to go between the Buddha and Zuo Wei, so I could only stand beside him, not knowing what to do.

Natsume stood by the incense burner, staring at Sakai sadly and tenderly.I looked at him with concern, and the prayer flag fluttered behind the young man in white.Natsume's expression couldn't be said to be calm, but it was so calm, like the bright mirror stand under the bodhi tree.

I thought to myself, he who owns "Book of Friends" must have seen too many similar stories.Zuowei and I are just like a page in his "Book of Friends", turning over lightly in Natsume's life.Suddenly I understood a little bit, the mission and meaning he said.

Xia Mu walked to the glazed platform, took a stick of incense, and lightly lit it in front of the stove.He put the incense in the incense burner, and white smoke rose.I don't know what Natsume thought of at that moment, the brown eyes reflected the ripples of countless sorrows and joys floating in his mind, and finally, they returned to the front of a certain nothingness.

For a long time, silence.

The author has something to say: "When the soul comes back, the king's heart is bitter."

——Bai Juyi's "Mrs. Le"

"Thousands of years are gone, Zhu Xian is broken, the mirror is lacking, and people have a long fight, and life and death will never be seen again."

——Adapted from Zhuo Wenjun's "Farewell Book"

"The evening face is gorgeous and fragrant, and the dusk is always dim. How can I get a glimpse of the true face."

——Excerpt from "The Tale of Genji"

☆、Two Cities and Thirteen Egos

Two Cities and Thirteen Egos

The bell rang, and the Buddhist service was over. Several monks came to the Hall of Great Compassion, saw Zuowei kneeling in front of the Buddha, with a worried expression on his face: "Mr. Fujiwara, what is bothering you so much?"

Zuo Wei moved his pale lips, but couldn't speak.The abbot looked at us who were silent for a while, and then said to the monks: "You all go down."

The monks made no further objections and left quietly.The plain gray-blue monk robes slipped over the threshold one after another, and several monks turned their heads uneasy.I was a little surprised.I only knew that Zuo Wei often went to Kamakura Buddhist temple to play chess and talk about Buddhism, but I didn't know that Zuo Wei had such a high reputation among these monks.

In the huge Great Compassion Hall, Zuo Wei knelt by himself, and the old abbot didn't ask any questions. He lowered his eyebrows and looked at him kindly, and put his hands together in front of the Buddha.

Xia Mu stepped forward to salute.I just realized that I didn't say hello to the abbot, it was really rude, "Master," I forgot the honorific when I was nervous, "You... no, hello, I am..."

"Young talent, you are Shinto Mitsu-kun." The abbot kindly rescued me, the calmness in his eyes washed away my worries like water, but there was something meaningful in the old voice.

"Mr. Fujiwara, you just said that you have something to ask the Buddha, but you want to let go of yourself for thousands of years?" the abbot asked Zuowei indifferently.

I was taken aback, and I was about to ask something, at this moment, Natsume held my hand, as if telling me to stop talking and calm down.

But he was wrong, and I was even more restless.I rudely broke away from his hand and stepped on his foot in frustration.Natsume suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, and was a little at a loss, her delicate face flushed slightly.When I saw it, I was so angry that I wanted to grab a handful of chess pieces and throw them in his face.

Zuo Wei choked with sobs and said, "I never knew—that my existence caused the death of an old man whom I had never met a thousand years ago..." After intermittently talking about Qing Lan's past, Natsume helped to add Some.Thousands of years ago, hundreds of ghosts, monsters, Zi Shibu, Qing Xingdeng... It was an unbelievable story to others, but the expression of the old host did not fluctuate at all.

"Mr. Fujiwara, all creatures in this world have their own karma. You saved Sugawara Hime's life by the lake a thousand years ago, and she gave you back a thousand years later. This is the cycle of karma, which is your own. Due to karma." The abbot said calmly.

Zuowei lowered his head slowly in grief, as if repenting, "Buddhas should not be persistent. Fujiwara worshiped Buddha for thousands of years, but he never gave up his obsession with playing chess. Until today, I really understand that my obsession not only occupies the The lives of Toranojiro and Hikari have even affected the old people from thousands of years ago! I am happy, but others are suffering.”

My heart skipped a beat and I shouted, "Zuowei! I've never felt bitter—"

But I couldn’t go on, the past scenes of my youth reappeared in front of my eyes, my strong self-esteem, the pride in my bones, the resentment and loneliness, like a mirror.A faint voice sounded softly in the ear - is it?Hikari Shinto, don't you feel bitter?

The weak me next to the strongest is like the dust under the sun that no one is looking at, and I don't even have the right to complain. Twelve years have passed, and I have forgotten many things, but the me when I was possessed by Zuo Wei, the round-faced little boy in the dream, still stubbornly stays in my memory, in... in chess.

Zuowei turned his head to look at me, his eyes were deep and sad, as if he was looking at me, or at Torajiro, and more like at... Qinglan who died for him.

I suddenly understood his silent murmur, and Zuo Wei was actually saying—I'm sorry.

Just at that glance, it was like a basin of ice water was suddenly poured from the top of my head.On a steamy summer afternoon, the chirping of cicadas on the linden tree was so loud and lively that I froze in place, and my hands and feet quickly turned cold.Natsume opened his mouth, and before he could say anything, I looked at Zuowei and asked, "What are you thinking?"

no answer.

Natsume was very disturbed.I knelt directly beside Zuo Wei, looking at Zuo Wei's blue-purple eyes glistening with tears: "All chess players...no, all people have suffered——

"Zuo Wei, for me, the hardest thing is losing you."

Normally, Zuo Wei would have been so moved that he would have cried and opened his arms to hold me in his arms, but now, he didn't respond.He froze like a puppet.

"Zuowei? Are you listening?" I tugged on his sleeve.

At this time Natsume also came over, knelt down, and said word by word: "Zuowei, you never knew Qinglan a thousand years ago, but I did. Qinglan and I are actually very similar. When I was in the mirror, I even had an illusion that I was Qing Lan, and Qing Lan was me——

"Qinglan has never been accepted by anyone since she was a child. All her feelings are pinned on Xiangzi and Nuozi who accepted her, just like...just like I pinned on Guang - that feeling is not only Emotional, more like some kind of doom."

I looked at Natsume in surprise.Natsume continued to Zuo Wei: "Qing Lan has not been able to escape. She has waited for you for a thousand years, it is a reward, a redemption, and she is looking for a proof - the thousand years have passed, only Zuo Wei you, remember Xiang Zi and Nuo when they were alive child.

"She has no way to watch you disappear on the chessboard like this, so she goes to another ending." Sighing, "Zuo Wei, do you understand? These are all things that can't be helped."

The blue-purple eyes were as calm as cold pools, but Zuo Wei still didn't respond.

The huge Buddha statue looked at us with compassion.The wind rolled up the prayer flags behind, and there was a rustling sound.My whole body was drenched in cold sweat, my heart panicked, and I felt a sense of absurdity for no reason.

——Is the ego, the thousand years of obsession, in the eyes of the Buddha, is it just a momentary smoke and dust?

"Guang-kun, Natsume-kun, I think, let Mr. Fujiwara meditate in the temple today." The abbot said, "If the matter of life and death is not handled properly, it will cause great pain to those who stay behind, so it should not be sloppy. "

Before leaving, I lit a stick of incense.The green smoke curls up, like the figure of a young girl dancing gracefully.

"Zuowei, please, master." I said to the abbot, "I will come again."

The abbot looked at me and said indifferently: "Guangjun also has his own things that need to be abandoned."

I was stunned. "How do you..."

"Your fate is written on your face, and only those who can read it will read it out one by one," the abbot said warmly.

At this time, Natsume was standing under the lush linden tree outside the hall, and the shadows of the tree fell mottled on his white shirt. His short light-blond hair fluttered with his sleeves, and his brown eyes looked at the sky far away, as if looking forward to What.

After so many years, I still feel that Natsume is extremely lonely without Mr. Kitty by his side.

At that moment, I remembered a dream I had many years ago.Following Zuowei's gaze, he saw Natsume's lonely figure.At that time, I had a very strong concern in my heart—do I want to go over there?

"Eight years." I murmured, "...now, he is leaving."

Then, I clenched my fists: "I'm not letting him go."

☆、Twin Cities Fourteen Entering Vine and Natsume

Two Cities, Fourteen Jinteng and Natsume

"I won't go back to Yayuan for now...well, when Zuowei gets better...do you want to move? Do you want to move? After Guang and Zuowei finish their chess games—"

Beside the Dai River, Natsume was talking to Shigeru Fujiwara with her mobile phone, seeing my darkened face, her voice weakened.

"Light……"

"Let me tell you this, Natsume Takashi." I stopped and turned around, embracing my arms, "You want to go back to Yahara, unless you step over my dead body."

Xia Mu's eyes widened: "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

I show no weakness: "Tell you my determination!"

Natsume got angry: "Nervous!"

"You're crazy, do you want to fall on the same place for the second time?!" I cursed back.

Lifting the curtain of the ramen shop, the aroma of the thick soup hits the face.The staff greeted us one after another.Everyone is very familiar with us.

"I have seen a lot of male friends, but I have never seen a type like yours with completely opposite personalities." Once, a female high school student who worked part-time said with a smile, "It's like real brothers."

Natsume said to the girl seriously: "Don't look at the strong light, in private (lowering your voice)... is a brother-in-law."

So, I got a stupid nickname in Daizhen Ramen Shop: Brother Kong.Zuowei laughed at me all night when he heard them call me that.

"Just laugh, laugh, you are not as good as Guizhi - Guizhi is a younger brother, you are a pet, a pet who can play chess." As I said that, I threw the pillow towards Zuowei.

Zuo Wei... I am very concerned.

"You two, why don't you order seafood ramen?" The female high school student who worked part-time came forward with a smile, and found that Natsume and I had a bad face, "What's wrong with you?"

"My younger brother was dumped." I said depressingly.

"Don't listen to his nonsense." Natsume said to the stunned female high school student, "Please bring two bowls of seafood ramen."

"I don't want to eat seafood ramen today!" I said firmly.The high school girl looked at us in bewilderment.

"Then, please have a bowl of tonkotsu ramen and a bowl of seafood ramen—"

"Who said I like tonkotsu ramen?!"

"You don't need to say what you like?"

Natsume's indifferent words left me speechless.The atmosphere was a bit depressing. The female high school students swiped to place the order and couldn't help but sneak a glance at us from the corner of their eyes when they brought brown rice tea.

I drank the brown rice tea in one gulp, trying to calm down: "You want to go back, isn't it because of Mr. Cat and wanting to help monsters, just like when you returned your name from "Book of Friends"?"

Natsume nodded: "You understand me."

"But I won't let you go." I slammed my teacup on the table with a strong tone, "You can go back to Yayuan on weekends, but you can die and move back to live your life."

My commanding tone made both the boss and the high school girl turn their heads in surprise.

Natsume's expression didn't change a bit. "I knew you would," he said quietly.

"Now that I know, what more can I say?" I asked in disbelief.

"Because that's my business, Hikari." Natsume stared at me deeply.

"Your own business?" I repeated incredulously, my heart was sore and astringent for a moment, I wanted to scold him, the impulsive words rolled down my throat a few times but I couldn't say it, suddenly, I sighed, "Guizhi, don't you feel selfish when you say that?"

The female high school student served the ramen, and finally couldn't help it: "Natsume-kun wants to go back?" She then persuaded me, "Is there any reason to go back?"

I sneered: "Yes, the reason why I have to go back is that there are a group of guys who want to kill him every day."

Natsume hurriedly raised his head when he heard the words: "That's not the case! Hikari, not all monsters are..."

I waved my hand impatiently: "No matter what reason you find, I will not agree. Once you move back to Yayuan, I will drive you once - say I am overbearing or unreasonable, offend the Fujiwara couple and monsters That’s fine, I’m in charge of this matter!”

Natsume stopped talking, but his face was slightly pale.

We each had our own thoughts and ate a ramen meal.It tastes like chewing wax, so it's better not to eat it.

Go straight west along the Dai River, and return home in silence.

The house without Zuowei suddenly became quite empty.Natsume's house was extremely quiet, only the washing machine was beeping vaguely.

I felt bored and sat on the wicker chair in the yard.The loquat tree I planted many years ago is as graceful as a cover, and the thick and thin loquat leaves are shaking above my head.

Suddenly I feel like a fool.I paid with all my heart and soul, and never thought that others would not want it, or that I couldn't afford it at all.

After being in a daze for some time, Natsume walked out of the entrance with clean clothes in her arms.I walked over, took some, and unrolled the clothes to dry on the rack.Natsume and I stood on both sides of the hanger and were busy, the fragrant hunting clothes and shirts danced lonely between us, but there was still silence.

You Lizi asked me to play online Go, and sent me a message as soon as she saw me online.

YURIKO: Shinto, I lost to Zhao Shi today QAQ

Liked by pears with emojis.Over the years, nothing has changed.I feel a little warmth in the low.Review the game and look at the chess game.Zhao Shi has become stronger, and he is worthy of being the top three chess players in the siege.

YURIKO: I'm about to be eliminated from Siege TT

Originally, what kind of siege do girls participate in!I cursed.She comforted her a few words later, but Yuli Zi still seemed in a bad mood.

YURIKO: I sent Yang Hai and Lu Li on the plane today, I want to fly back to Tokyo with them.

I was stunned.

HIKARU: Yang Hai and Lu Li are coming to Tokyo?

YURIKO: The International Amateur Go Tournament is held in Tokyo, and the leader is your opponent Taya-kun.

——Amateur Go Tournament, what's the matter with Yang Hai and Lu Li?

YURIKO: They came to see Sato play chess.The day after tomorrow, isn't it Taya Ryo VS Saoi?Chinese newspapers are overwhelmingly saying that Zuo Wei will challenge the title of celebrity and play Juban chess at the same time.

more and more worried.Zuo Wei...the competition is fierce and tight, you must not be in trouble.

Play chess with Yulizi.For some reason, I couldn't concentrate.I turned on the fan, but it wasn't cool enough.I turned on the air conditioner and felt bored.Open the door, too hot.Natsume was doing something in the room, turned his head and found that he had turned off the light.went to bed so early?Damn, don't even say good night.

YURIKO: Shinto, what's wrong with you?

I woke up like a dream, only to realize that I had misjudged an important move.

HIKARU: Don't be complacent, I'll turn around in a while.

After 2 minutes, I reversed the board.Review, review.Open the refrigerator and get a bottle of sake, too light.Changed to fruit juice, too sweet.Why is there a rustling sound in Natsume's room, as if she is packing something.Why turn off the lights - do you still want to go?

At the end of the review, I have absolutely no recollection of what I said.

YURIKO: How is Natsume-kun?

Yuriko always talks about Natsume after playing chess with me. This "tradition" has lasted for seven years.

I suddenly became irritable.After seven years of thinking about a boy who has no feelings for her, how much can they expect to achieve?woman!

HIKARU: That kid is very nice!

I turned off the screen and went to knock on Natsume's door.The door opened quickly, and before Natsume could say a word, I said arrogantly, "Let's squeeze together tonight."

"Hey, light!"

I threw my own pillow and quilt on Natsume's tatami.

Unlike my room, Natsume's room is almost all light in tone.There are some fruits on the window sill, and there is a coffee table in front of the tatami.There is a row of books on the desk.The whole space is pure and bright, just like Natsume.

Natsume didn't sleep, just sorting the things in the cardboard box by the moonlight.I stretched my legs and sat by the coffee table, watching him carefully put the cardboard box into the closet.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he inadvertently glanced at the book on the table. Murasaki Shikibu's Diary is in that row of books.It's even better this time, I just want to punch someone.

How can you compare yourself to Qing Lan?If it wasn't for Zuo Wei, Qing Lan would have entered the palace with the two talented women long ago.Qing Shao Nayan wrote "Pillow of Grass" for Qing Lan, and Zi Shibu's room was decorated exactly like Qing Lan's meditation room.There is no way for them to separate!

And you, you don't want it yourself!This is still your house, with your own paintings carved on the wooden floor, and you want to leave!

Is it you who choose to be lonely, or am I not worthy of your stay?

"Sleeping!" I yelled angrily, lay down on the tatami, pulled Natsume's quilt over my head.

"Hikari, you will suffocate like this." Natsume said helplessly.

"That's my own business." I angrily imitated him.

I heard the sound of approaching, and a hand tried to lift the covers from my face, and I pulled the covers presciently.I don't know how long it took to snatch the quilt, Natsume said: "Guang, don't be like a child..." He tried hard.

When Natsume really exerted his strength, I couldn't match him, and the quilt on his face was thrown off suddenly.

Then, he froze.

Because, my tears are falling from the corners of my eyes, soaking the pillow.

"Hi...oh, no, Hikari—" Natsume's face turned pale, he quickly climbed onto the tatami, turned around my body, wrapped his arms around my neck, and held my head in his arms.My tears dripped onto his shirt.

"I...I'm worried about Zuowei..." I said intermittently in his arms, "I'm sorry, I...I really..."

"I'm the one who wants to say sorry." Natsume's voice came from above her head, full of annoyance, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have recorded it."

"No, you are not wrong. I was too reckless... I was too careless..."

Yes, I was too reckless, I was too careless.Knowing you, I gradually learned to be gentle.I don't know what else I have to do to make you happy and not lonely anymore.I was too focused on the chess game, and often I didn't take care of the feelings of the people around me...I understand these shortcomings, and I am correcting them.

So, please, stay with me!

"Don't go." I said with a sob.

"...Guang, what did you say?" Natsume didn't hear clearly.

"I said, don't go!" I straightened up from his arms, and my words were still crying, "I will worry about you!"

Natsume couldn't believe it.I stared at Natsume stubbornly.Those long and quiet brown eyes were soaked in the moonlight, crystal clear and transparent, like two mirrors, completely reflecting my face.

You are like my mirror.Being reflected by you is always extremely reassuring.It's you who changed me.It was you who let me know that there are miracles in this world.

Natsume slowly extended his hand.He parted my golden bangs, approached carefully, and touched my forehead with his lips.

I was stunned, completely stunned.Before I could react, Natsume nervously hugged my head to his chest.I heard his heart beating, eager and violent, as if to overwhelm me.

"Hikari, I promise you." I heard Natsume say solemnly, "I'm not leaving."

"Really?"

Natsume let me go, looked away, blushed embarrassingly: "... Hikari, you look at me with that look—don't say no, even if you tell me to go up the mountain of swords and down into the sea of ​​fire, I will be willing." Bar."

Natsume is a person who does not make promises easily, but what he says is what he says.So I knew he meant it.

I rushed forward and hugged him again.Natsume also took my shoulders and clasped them gently.

I like the feeling of hugging.Only by warming each other can we feel that we are really alive.

Natsume and I slept under the blanket.

"Really, I've convinced you." Natsume lay beside me, stroking my bangs helplessly, "I would have known that today's decision would be like this... I didn't have to worry about it for so long before."

"Originally, you shouldn't have left..." I yawned, "Hey, can your hands not be slicked like a dog's fur?"

"Guang, sometimes you are like a little fluffy golden animal."

"Ha, then I hope I'm a little thinner than Mr. Kitty."

"Go to sleep, I have to go to Zuowei's place tomorrow... Ah, wait a minute!"

Natsume yelled, startling me.

"I'll go somewhere tomorrow morning! Maybe I can help Zuo Wei!"

☆、Twin Cities Fifteen Black Summer

Twin Cities Fifteen Black Summer

"When you encounter Natsume-kun, you lose your mind." Taya said while turning the steering wheel.

"Stop talking about this, it's endless." I put on my tie in the passenger seat facing the rearview mirror, "Gao Yongxia and Hong Xiuying are here, you should tell me such big news as soon as you walk in!"

Rewind time to this morning.

I woke up and heard the sound of several strings being touched.Taya and Natsume were talking in the living room.

"...is that all right?"

"That's enough, thank you Taya-kun... Hikari should be waking up soon, do you want to call him?"

"No, I'll just wait a while."

"Then Taya-kun, let's go to the chess room first. Sorry, I have to go out, so I can't entertain you well."

I want to laugh.As two of my most important friends, Taya and Natsume get along so well.Taya is also very polite to others, but that politeness is usually perfunctory and distanced.It's different for Natsume.Taya really respects Natsume.

"Natsume-kun." Taya said suddenly, with a subtle tone, "Excuse me, will you become a demon exorcist in the future?"

I was folding the quilt, and I couldn't help but prick up my ears.

"Of course not." Natsume was surprised at the same time, "Taya-kun, you...know about me? Just told you?"

"Shinto didn't say that. I saw you at cousin Natori's place last time...Excuse me, did I bother you by saying this?"

"No, no. I was worried that I would cause trouble to you, Taya-kun." Natsume said understandingly.

"Um……"

"Taya-kun, just say it, it's okay."

"...is it really that important and hard to let go?" Different from his usual force, Taya's voice was as soft as smoke, "Are they in your hearts just like Go is to us? "

Natsume thought for a while and said, "Maybe it is. Because both happiness and pain are too deep."

"...I see. I won't interfere with his decisions anymore."

That's when I opened the door.Taya said good morning to me.The morning light was pleasant, Natsume stood on the porch holding the banjo brought by Zuo Weiqiu, said a few words, then left and went out.

I said to Taya: "You were talking about Natori just now."

"You heard it all."

"I finally understand why you were so angry at that time." I said with empathy, "It is the most irresponsible behavior to make people who care about worry about it every day."

Taya was puzzled, so I briefly explained the dispute with Natsume.

"Fortunately, he promised me not to leave. Otherwise, the house, the name of "Book of Friends", and everything I did for him would be a joke." I said angrily.In fact, I don't necessarily think so in my heart, I'm just a little angry.

"I think Natsume-kun will go back in the end." Taya said thoughtfully.

"Huh?!" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Why don't you respect Natsume-kun's choice?" Taya asked lightly.

"What are you talking about?!" I stared at Taya unhappily, suspecting that this guy came to provoke me early in the morning.

"Didn't you hear what Mr. Fujiwara said to me?"

"You and Natori are the same as us?!"

……

As they talked, they started arguing like elementary school students, even eating a cold sandwich.With Ryo Taya, my 24 years seem to have been in vain.

In the end, Taya couldn't bear it anymore and stopped: "Shinto, I have something to tell you and Mr. Fujiwara!"

"Zuowei is not here." I was annoyed.

"Mr. Fujiwara is not here?" Taya asked in surprise, "But tomorrow—"

"If you beat you tomorrow, Zuowei will challenge Mr. Taya for the title of celebrity." I was straightforward.

Taya said seriously after silence: "I've been waiting for this round."

"I know." I said vaguely, while swallowing the last bite of the sandwich, Taya handed me a tissue impatiently: "Do you and Mr. Fujiwara want to come to this afternoon's reception?"

"You mean the reception of the International Amateur Go Competition?" I thought about his work schedule.

Taya thought about it: "The people present are not just amateur chess players."

I remembered what Yuri said last night. "And Yang Hai and Lu Li."

"It's not just them. I also just received the news not long ago, so I came here specially."

I suddenly had a vague premonition: "Is it someone I know?"

Taya observed my expression, "Gao Yongxia and Hong Xiuying are here too."

"!!"

Half an hour later, when I got out of Taya's car, I was still scratching the cuffs of my suit in embarrassment. "It's such a big news, thanks to the fact that you still have the mood to argue with me at the level of a primary school student."

I don't know if it was because of nervousness or something, but there was a spasm in my stomach.Suddenly he understood: Ta Yaliang himself was also nervous, right?

Taya did not forget to go down the mountain: "I will let you eat cold sandwiches later."

"How can someone who doesn't have a good lunch have the right to criticize me?!"

Walking into the venue, I heard discussions such as "Mr. Fujiwara", "Sai's game", "the battle of the two centuries", etc., and my ears were buzzing.I was not mentally prepared at all, and was very surprised: "Isn't this the reception for amateur chess players?"

Taya explained: "All the amateur chess players present will stay to watch Mr. Fujiwara's chess game. They have already informed the chess academy."

I felt a headache at the same time as I was shocked, and I became more and more worried about Sakai who was far away in Kamakura.I should go to Zuo Wei this morning. Why did you come here excitedly when you heard about Xiuying and Gao Yongxia?

Yi Jiao was receiving Yang Hai and Lu Li not far away, and he also had an astonished expression of being unable to react in time.It was Yang Hai who told him not to be nervous: "We came too suddenly."

"I originally wanted to go to the scene to watch the game in a low-key manner, and didn't want to disturb other amateur chess players, but I didn't expect the Nihon Ki Academy to call us this morning..." Lu Li said apologetically.

The potbellied Kurata stepped aside, and I suddenly saw a head of dazzling red hair——wasn't it Gao Yongxia who was talking to President Amano?

As soon as I saw Gao Yongxia, my chest instinctively surged with blood, and I clenched my fists. This guy is ranked number one in Korea. I really wish I could play a game of chess with him now to compete.

No longer as arrogant and impulsive as when we were young, Gao Yongxia and I have long since settled down.After the Beidou Cup and the LG Cup, we played against each other several times, winning and losing.Chess meet opponents, cherish each other.It's a pity that Gao Yongxia and I always missed each other in official events because of Ryo Toya getting in the way (damn it).

Xiuying and I are also very good friends.Many years ago, the strength was still close, but as time passed, Xiuying and I gradually widened the gap.But Xiuying never gave up the idea of ​​defeating me.

Both Gao Hong and Zuo Wei played chess.I'm actually not surprised that they came to see Zuowei play.But Zuowei is still in Kamakura right now.I'm really worried.

Although I really want to go to greet old friends, but now seems not the time.Xiuying looked around behind Gao Yongxia, and I ran to the backstage before I was caught by him.

"What's going on, they're here, how can there be no news from the Chess Academy?" I asked the work