Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 136 Ji Yexue felt fear towards Dongzi

After returning home by car, Akizuki Makoto prepared to go to Chiyoda Ward to watch Shimizu Rei's match.

Akizuki Makoto watched as Touko put her little schoolbag back in her bedroom and said, "Touko, let's go."

"Brother, Dongzi isn't going."

Unexpectedly, Fuyuko shook her head and declined Akizuki Makoto's invitation to go out.

Akizuki Makoto was taken aback for a moment, then explained, "We went out to watch the ceremony."

He thought that Dongzi had just returned and was a little tired, or that there was some strange misunderstanding, and he wanted to create some space for him to be alone with Ji Yexue.

"Dongzi knows."

Dongzi spoke softly, walked over to Ji Yexue who was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, listening to their conversation, took her hand, and continued, "Dongzi wants to play with Sister Xue today."

"what?"

This time, not only Qiu Yuecheng was stunned, but Ji Yexue was also shocked.

In her view, Fuyuko had always followed Akizuki Makoto and was always clinging to him.

But now she's refusing to go out with Akizuki Makoto and wants to come and play with her instead?

"……I see."

After being shocked for a while, Akizuki Makoto suddenly understood something and nodded, saying, "Then I'll go alone."

Fuyuko probably thought that he and Shimizu Rei were having a falling out, and today was their last chance to make up, so she wanted him to go alone so that he could talk to Shimizu Rei.

Dongzi took Ji Yexue's hand, smiled sweetly, and asked, "Sister Xue, can you play with Dongzi today?"

"C-can it?"

Ji Yexue glanced somewhat awkwardly at Dongzi, then looked up at Qiuyue Cheng.

She had no objection to playing with Dongzi, as she had nothing else to do today.

However, she originally planned to go with Akizuki Makoto to watch Shimizu Rei's match.

Yi Yi was unaware that Akizuki Makoto and Shimizu Rei had a falling out and a fight, and that Akizuki Makoto's main reason for going there this time was to make up.

"Of course, if you'd like."

Akizuki Makoto smiled and said gently, "I'm entrusting Fuyuko to you."

"Fine……"

Ji Yexue nodded and agreed.

Although she really wanted to go with Akizuki Makoto to watch Shimizu Rei's match, so that Shimizu Rei wouldn't sneak away when she was alone with Akizuki Makoto.

From the moment she first saw Shimizu Rei, she noticed that the way Shimizu Rei looked at Akizuki Makoto was definitely not as simple as just childhood friends.

That's why she was so hostile to Shimizu Rei back then, and tried every means to make things difficult for her.

"Then I'll go first, bye."

"Brother, be careful on the road."

After saying goodbye, Akizuki Makoto went out alone. Himeyasu told him to just take the car downstairs to Chiyoda Ward, since the driver already knew him and treated him as Himeyasu's son-in-law.

In fact, all the servants in the Ji Ye family now regard Qiu Yuecheng as the future son-in-law of the Ji Ye family.

After Akizuki Makoto left, Himeyasu looked at Touko sitting beside her, obediently holding a black plush rabbit, and couldn't help but ask, "Touko, why did you have Makoto go alone?"

"Because my brother and sister Li had a fight before, they are going to make up today."

"quarrel?"

Ji Yexue was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why are you arguing?"

"Um……"

After thinking for a moment, Dongzi replied, "Because brother misunderstood sister Li?"

Ji Yexue didn't notice that Dongzi used a question at this moment. She was now thinking about what had happened between Qiuyue Cheng and Shimizu Rei back then.

Why did they argue, and why was there a misunderstanding—she cared deeply about this.

She wanted to ask Fuyuko, but it seemed that Fuyuko didn't know the details very well either. Otherwise, she would have explained it to her more clearly instead of just saying that Akizuki Makoto had misunderstood Shimizu Rei.

"So... are we going to make up today?"

Ji Yexue regretted her rash decision to agree to stay and play with Dongzi.

Although it was a dark situation, she didn't want Akizuki Makoto and Shimizu Rei to reconcile; she wanted them to break up.

most……

Akizuki Makoto has no friends; she's all alone by his side.

"...What are you thinking about?"

Ji Yexue shook her head, dismissing this dark thought.

Even if she knew beforehand, she couldn't possibly stop it, could she?

Putting everything else aside, it was Akizuki Makoto who misunderstood Shimizu Rei, which led to the argument. Moreover, Shimizu Rei was his childhood friend and neighbor, and their friendship must have been very deep since they were young.

If she really tries to stop Akizuki Makoto from reconciling with Shimizu Rei, then Akizuki Makoto will definitely be angry with her.

Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, her defeat today was already inevitable.

"Sister Xue, are you concerned about the relationship between Brother and Sister Li?"

Dongzi seemed to sense Ji Yexue's anxiety, and suddenly laughed, saying softly, "Brother... won't make up with Sister Li."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yexue instinctively asked, "Why?"

"Because... Sister Li lied and deceived Brother."

The words that came out of Dongzi's mouth made Ji Yexue's eyes widen slightly.

She stared in astonishment at the exquisite, beautiful, petite girl before her, who resembled a doll, and a sudden, inexplicable feeling of absurdity washed over her.

She actually...

I find Dongzi to have suddenly become very scary.

It's as if they see through everything and are interfering with and manipulating the future.

This idea is utterly absurd, because no matter how you look at it, Dongzi is so innocent and pure, like a little girl who hasn't grown up, and her words and actions are full of childishness.

But for some reason, this absurd feeling lingered in Ji Yexue's mind, refusing to leave, leaving her heart in turmoil.

She had never felt such a terrible sensation before; this fear seemed to originate from the depths of the human soul, a feeling of the unknown.

Just as humans revere ghosts and gods, she felt a similar sense of awe towards Dongzi.

……

……

the other side.

Makoto Akizuki took a car to Kitanomaru Park in Chiyoda Ward, then got off and walked into the bustling Budokan.

This massive building, situated in a prime location in Chiyoda Ward, features an octagonal design modeled after Horyuji Temple, while the main beam's ridgeline is inspired by Mount Fuji.

The interior has ample seating, accommodating approximately 10,000 people, and many seats are already occupied. Besides badminton matches, indoor competitions in kendo, judo, karate, and other disciplines will also be held today. The vast dojo has been divided into various areas.

Makoto Akizuki found the badminton area, sat down in a nearby empty seat, and casually took a picture of the venue to send to Rei Shimizu, indicating that he had arrived.

At this moment, there are still fifteen minutes before the start of the match, and Shimizu Rei should still be sitting in the backstage dressing room preparing.

She didn't come alone. There were several other contestants at the beginning, but now only her coach is still with her. The other contestants have been eliminated early and returned to Takamatsu City.

Five minutes before the start of the match, in the backstage dressing room, a woman with short, neat hair patted Shimizu Rei on the back and said, "Good luck, Shimizu-kun. The outcome of this match will directly determine whether you can get a guaranteed admission to Waseda University."

"Yes, I will succeed."

Shimizu Rei nodded, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her reflection in the mirror and the message popping up on her phone on the table.

"Not just the competition, but also my relationship, I want to win it all over as well."

She looked at the message on her phone screen from a contact named "Cheng" and muttered to herself in a barely audible voice.

What was once an unattainable dream is now within reach.

Last year, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals, not because of bad luck, but because her ability only allowed her to reach the quarterfinals. The people ranked ahead of her had overwhelmingly surpassed her in both physical strength and skills.

But this year, she achieved an overwhelming victory against her former rivals.

Just as Akizuki Makoto said, if you can beat him, winning the championship won't be a problem, after all, the gap in strength between the women's and men's groups is huge.

Although Akizuki Makoto is not a professional badminton player, he is exceptionally talented. Even without special training, he could easily make it to the semi-finals, if not win the championship.

The top four in the men's group would definitely win the championship in the women's group.

"Go on, it's time for you to take the stage."

Over the loudspeaker in the lounge, a countdown to the players' turn to play began. The coach watched as Shimizu Rei picked up her racket and left with a determined look in her eyes.

After walking through the long corridor, she stood on the stage she had always dreamed of, surrounded by spectators who had come to watch the competition.

They erupted in thunderous cheers, shouting and encouraging the contestants.

Rei Shimizu's gaze swept across the audience, finally settling on the boy sitting in a corner, whose strong presence was undeniable.

Seemingly noticing her gaze, the boy gave her a thumbs-up, then clenched his fist.

Seeing this, Shimizu Rei smiled and made a peace sign.

She not only wanted to win, but to win spectacularly, captivating Akizuki Makoto with her figure and showcasing her exceptional qualities.

After making the gesture, she walked into the badminton court and shook hands with her opponent across the net.

Her opponent comes from a well-known sports powerhouse in Tokyo, and has won the women's championship in the intercollegiate competition for two consecutive years. She is a player that she absolutely could not defeat a year ago.

"Please give me more advice."

"Please give me more advice."

After exchanging greetings, they each stepped back, and then the match began with a whistle from the referee.

From the very beginning, Shimizu Rei went all out, using her abilities to triple the strength of her nervous system to make herself more acute.

Naturally, the two-time champion, hailed as a genius, experienced a crushing defeat for the first time among his peers.

In a competition with a 21-point scoring system, she only scored six points, which can be described as a crushing defeat.

After this match, there will be a 15-minute halftime break.

Instead of returning to the dressing room, Shimizu Rei went to the audience seats and sat down in the empty seat next to Akizuki Makoto in full view of everyone.

Although she won this match beautifully, her physical exertion was three times that of usual.

At this moment, she was drenched in sweat, her breathing was uneven, and she was panting heavily.

"Are you okay?"

Seeing her like this, Qiu Yuecheng couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"It's a small, small problem..."

Shimizu Rei shook her head, laughed defiantly, and said smugly with her head held high, "How about that? I'm pretty strong, aren't I? Did I impress you?"

Perhaps because so much time had passed, they had both calmed down considerably, and they no longer argued like they used to, which was like before.

Now, they've both temporarily forgotten about it; they're still having a tiff, and they're both tactfully avoiding mentioning it.

"Well, that's great."

Qiu Yuecheng nodded and praised with a smile, "You've already surpassed me by far."

"Praise me a little more, I'm going to win the championship."

Shimizu Rei was somewhat dissatisfied with Akizuki Makoto's reaction. Although he was sincerely praising her, his reaction was too bland.

Moreover, Akizuki Makoto didn't think she was anything special, he wasn't amazed by her, and he wasn't moved by her energetic dancing.

"How else can I praise you? I really admire you and think you're amazing."

Akizuki Makoto smiled helplessly, feeling that Shimizu Rei was asking a bit too much of him.

"Hmph, you call yourself a great writer, and you also have such good grades, yet you don't even know how to give a compliment."

Shimizu Rei gave a soft snort and said resentfully, "You don't mean to think that even if I win the inter-school competition, it's nothing special, do you?"

"How could that be? The inter-school competition brings together the best students from universities across the country. Winning the championship means you are the strongest high school student in the country."

"Never mind, I was just saying it offhand."

"You can't just say things like 'etiquette' carelessly. If others find out, they'll curse us to death..."

Fifteen minutes passed quickly as they chatted, one sentence at a time.

Shimizu Rei said "See you later" to Akizuki Makoto, then picked up his racket and walked back into the venue.

In the second match, she didn't use the triple boost as before, but instead used the double boost first to avoid collapsing from exhaustion.

To be honest, he truly deserves to be a two-time champion. Even though he was completely crushed in the last match, his mentality remained unshaken, and his eyes were full of determination.

Unfortunately, her path to becoming a champion is destined to end today.

Even with Shimizu Rei having doubled her own nerve reflexes, she could only manage a back-and-forth fight with her.

In the second half, with both sides scoring ten goals and the score remaining close, Shimizu Rei gritted her teeth and resolutely increased the increase from two to three times.

At this point, the score became one-sided, with Shimizu Rei scoring continuously.

The final score was 21 to 13. Two clean and decisive victories in a row drew gasps from the badminton spectators.

"Ha ha…"

The moment the referee announced the end of the match, Shimizu Rei could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

The intense fatigue made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and her heart was pounding violently as if it were about to explode.

The coach, who was watching the game from the sidelines, immediately went over to help her up and called the medical team to take her back to the backstage dressing room.

Badminton is an extremely physically demanding sport. The high-intensity competition can cause even professional players who have trained for a long time to experience muscle spasms from exhaustion.

Moreover, Shimizu Rei's stamina was being depleted at three times the normal rate. The moment she deactivated her ability, her vision began to blur, and she almost fainted.

(End of this chapter)