FFD 4

Ginko clasped the fan delicately, her gaze fixed on the vibrant and exquisite characters adorning its surface. A faint blush painted her cheeks, adding a touch of subtle warmth to her expression.

"If you happen to have some free time tomorrow, it would be great if you could come and watch my soccer match. Enhancing your calculating ability is crucial to overcoming your current bottleneck in shogi, and physical fitness plays a vital role in brainpower. Following the match, I can arrange targeted physical training tailored specifically to your needs."

As Ginko recalled about Hayama's parting words, a flutter of excitement danced within her heart. Contemplating the prospect, she wondered, 'Should I go to his school tomorrow?'

When Kousuke dropped Hayama off at his house, the clock already showed half past one in the morning, signaling the lateness of the hour. Exhausted, Hayama planned to take a refreshing bath and retreat into a well-deserved sleep. However, just as he stepped into his house, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. "I think I forgot to read the message Kato sent."

Swiftly retrieving his phone from his pocket, he unlocked it and launched the LINE app. Three messages from Kato appeared on the screen:

21:46:12 - "Hayama, I've arrived home."

22:18:55 - "Hayama, haven't you come home yet? It's getting late!"

22:59:59 - "It seems like Hayama hasn't checked his phone. Goodnight."

Although these messages seemed ordinary at first glance, an unshakable feeling of impending danger washed over him. He sensed that unless he clarified everything at this very moment, he might find himself facing an uncertain danger the next day.

He rapidly tapped on his phone's screen to compose a reply. "Sorry, Kato, I was engrossed in a shogi match at Mr. Kiyotaki's place and forgot to check my phone."

Upon receiving his explanation, Kato's reply came quickly.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Kato, weren't you planning on going to bed?" He replied.

"I just remembered there's this late-night TV drama that I've been wanting to watch. It's about to end soon, and I don't want to miss it," Kato explained, her reply swift and in line with her reputation as a member of the "always-on-the-phone" club.

"Oh, I see." he hesitated for a moment, uncertain of how to broach the topic of Ginko to Kato.

"Actually, Ginko's friend already mentioned that matters to me," Kato seemed to have mind-reading abilities as she suddenly sent a terrifying message.

His unease deepened as he wondered how that someone conveyed the information to Kato. "Um... How did this friend bring it up to you?"

With a touch of blunt honesty, she replied, "She mentioned that Ginko is a shogi fanatic. It seems she has been completely consumed by her passion for shogi and doesn't seem to care about anything else!"

Although it was somewhat harshly put, he surprisingly found it quite fitting.

"Moreover, she mentioned that Ginko's health is not in the best condition. When Ginko becomes emotionally overwhelmed or pushes herself too hard, she tends to experience difficulty breathing. Hayama, I believe you've also noticed this, and that's why you decided to keep an eye on her, isn't it?"

He acknowledged that he had indeed noticed some signs of Ginko's health issues, but his underlying reason for following her was far simpler. He was afraid that if he resisted, her joints would become dislocated.

"But, Kato, during our time in the board game room, you barely exchanged more than three sentences with Ginko's friend. How did you manage to become friends with her?" He suddenly realized something was off.

"Oh, I simply asked her if she wanted to be friends, and she agreed. Hayama, your words are a bit too harsh, don't you think?"

She added, "Now that the TV drama has ended, I think it's time for me to get some rest. Hayama, you should also try to get some early sleep since you have a soccer match tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Kato,"

"Goodnight, Hayama,"

Kato slid her phone under her pillow, "Hmm, I'll probably have dark circles under my eyes tomorrow. Maybe I should apply some makeup to hide them," she mused to herself. However, a hint of resignation seeped into her thoughts. "Oh well, it's not like anyone will pay much attention to me anyway."

...

Hayama stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, allowing the scalding water at 40 degrees to cascade over his body. The intense heat caused his senses to blur, "Ginko is a shogi fanatic, but what does that make me in my previous life? Was I a math fanatic?"

Indeed, the "friend" Hayama was referring to was none other than himself—his experience from a previous life.

After succumbing to kidney failure, instead of traversing through the usual cycle of rebirth, his soul had taken an unexpected detour, finding its way to this new world, where he was reborn as Hayama.

In this life, Hayama not only possessed a remarkable intellectual prowess surpassing his previous life, but he also boasted a strong physical body. If he dedicated himself to further research, it was certain that within the span of two or three years, he would fully comprehend and unravel the enigma of the Goldbach Conjecture. However, he found himself lacking the same obsession that had consumed him in his past life.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he picked up the folding fan and opened it.

...

On the football field the next day, the exhilarating match unfolded before the students' eyes.

"Header! Hayama wins the aerial battle! The super ace effortlessly gains possession of the ball!" the commentator's voice boomed through the field, resonating with excitement.

"Hayama displays his exceptional skill, dribbling past two defenders with his footwork. Truly a future superstar in the making! He's just one step away from his absolute territory—the penalty area!" the commentator continued, his words fueling the anticipation in the crowd.

Suddenly, a turn of events occurred. "Oh no, Hayama has been fouled! It's number 14 from the opposing team, recklessly tackling him from behind. Hayama manages to break into the penalty area, leaving no doubt that this should be a penalty!"

"By the way, Hayama seems to be fine. It's worth mentioning that the super ace has a flawless 100% penalty conversion rate!

"Wait a moment, it seems the referee has awarded a free-kick instead. I can't help but question the leniency displayed by the referee. Is he some sort of undercover spy referee?" The commentator's incredulous tone hinted at a hint of suspicion, questioning the decision made on the field.

"Regardless, let's focus on the action. It's a free-kick, and once again, it's Hayama who steps up to take it! He truly embodies the epitome of all-around excellence in the forward position! In the previous match, he showcased his remarkable ability by scoring directly from a free-kick!"

"And it's a spectacular dragon-tail curved free-kick! It's a goal!!!" The commentator's voice surged with excitement as Hayama's perfectly executed strike found the back of the net.

"Let's shout out the name of the goal scorer, ladies and gentlemen! The ruthless king of goals—Hayama! Congratulations to Hayama for netting his fifth personal goal of the match!"

Ginko stood on the sidelines, clutching a sleek black umbrella with a slender handle, her gaze fixed intently upon Hayama. "I never anticipated that he would possess not only remarkable talent in shogi but also such exceptional skills in soccer."

As Hayama gracefully scored a goal, he made an unexpected decision to request a substitution. With a mere fifteen minutes remaining until the game's conclusion, he knew that if the opposing team managed to score six consecutive goals within that narrow window, it would be his fault for having joined with the wrong team.

Hayama approached Kato, finding her still engrossed in her phone. She asked, "Is your foot okay?"

"It's perfectly fine. Look," Hayama reassured her as he lifted his foot, performing a series of warm-up movements.

Not bothering to glance up, Kato simply pointed at the ground and uttered, "Milk."

On the pavement lay three bottles of milk, catching his attention. He swiftly collected them, placing them inside his backpack, "Why did you buy so much?"

"Ginko came to watch your match, so shouldn't you treat her?" she finally raised her head, directing her gaze toward the opposite stands. There, amidst a sea of male students stealing glances, stood Ginko in a striking sailor uniform, clutching an umbrella, commanding attention with her presence.

Hayama reached out, gently taking Kato's phone and tucking it away into her pocket. Her protest came quickly, "Um, that's a bit too much!"

"I didn't think you'd mind, would you?"

Kato hesitated for a moment before conceding, "Just a little!"

As the duo approached Ginko, He took the initiative and spoke up, "Are you ready to start working on your physical fitness?"

Ginko's gaze briefly met his, and in that moment, the sunlight seemed to envelop him, casting a shimmering golden light that made her cheeks flush. Swiftly averting her eyes, she murmured, "Only muscle freaks would consider exercising on such a sunny day."

A mischievous smile played on his lips as he couldn't resist teasing her adorable response, "Oh, really? Do you want a glimpse of my muscles then?"

Unbeknownst to them, Kato, standing on the sidelines, silently retrieved her phone, ready to take action. With a deadpan expression, she said, "Hayama, I'm dialing 110."

Note: Dialing 110 is the emergency number in Japan equivalent to dialing 911 in the United States.

...

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