They all have hidden attributes!

She lowered her head somewhat dejectedly, but when she looked up, her expression instantly brightened: "I absolutely love your songs. During summer training, when I was struggling to keep going, I listened to them countless times every day..."

As he talked on and on, Makoto Takahashi chimed in while observing the cafeteria entrance, wondering if Haruna Nekoya had gone to the convenience store again.

"Thank you for your support, I'm very happy."

He took out a chocolate from his pocket and gave it to Miu Takeda as a gift: "Do you know where Haruna Nekoya went? She didn't seem to come for lunch."

"I'm so sorry, I—"

Miu Takeda accepted the chocolate, her smile turning somewhat awkward: "No, wait, that's not right. After you go out, turn right, and the stairs at the end of the corridor lead to the top floor."

"Thank you. I'll ask Hina to give you a signed album. Which song do you like?"

"Um...is this alright? Hmm... 'Running Towards the Night,' thank you very much!"

After stammering for a while, she honestly said she was willing to accept the album, but her expression was a little unnatural.

Makoto Takahashi left the cafeteria, followed the directions, went up the stairs to the top floor, and pushed open the door leading to the outside.

On the shadowy concrete floor, Nekoya Hina sat listlessly on the steps, her head drooping and her eyes unfocused.

Her dull, chestnut-brown hair swayed in the cold wind, and the distant rumble of a tram rolling over the tracks could be faintly heard, casting a pall of despondency over the surroundings.

Makoto Takahashi walked slowly to her. Hina Nekoya looked up at him for a few seconds before managing a weak smile.

"Acheng, what brings you here?"

“I felt something was off about you last night. I just ran into a fan in the cafeteria who said you were here and looked guilty.”

Makoto Takahashi sat down next to her and asked curiously, "What happened? Did she take your spot?"

“Takeda? No, she doesn’t owe me anything. On the contrary, she has a very good personality.”

Hina Nekoya let out a heavy sigh, as if that would cheer her up: "I can't be happy if I lose, so don't worry about me."

"I heard you guys are having a practice match tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, we have 1 win and 3 losses today, but there's not much room for us to drop in the internal rankings anyway, we're just newcomers."

She comforted herself with this explanation, but the regret in her heart would not fade away.

He thought he had been given a protagonist's script, coming from the countryside of Hokkaido to Tokyo and shining brightly, but he encountered countless geniuses and couldn't even squeeze into the supporting roles.

There's even a hint that they're developing into villains, using connections to gain resources.

Thinking of this, Nekoya Hina's mood became even heavier.

“I was worried you wouldn’t make any friends here, but think about it, how could that be? You’re not A-Ye.”

Makoto Takahashi turned his gaze to the door he had just opened. Two girls were peeking in. Haruna Nekoya followed his gaze and looked over. She couldn't muster even the slightest effort to reassure her friend.

"You and that Takeda don't get along very well?" Takahashi asked.

"No, although she lost her spot yesterday, in terms of ability, it should have been hers in the first place."

Hina Nekoya looked up at the sky and said without any burden, "It is only natural to give priority to the strong players. Furthermore, everyone is equal on the court, and everyone can only rely on themselves."

"Not a bit resentful? I even promised to send her an album." Makoto Takahashi sincerely praised her awareness.

"No, Takeda gets up at 5 a.m. every morning and spends two hours getting here because everyone here is reducing their life force to become stronger."

Even so, I can still hear your resentment.

Makoto Takahashi gazed at her profile. Hina Nekoya bit her pink lips, holding back tears welling in her eyes, and choked out:

"I don't have their kind of innate talent."

"Although I don't know how to put it, they can all play by feel, they won't misjudge the ball's trajectory, and they won't..."

She hugged her knees tightly and buried her head to escape.

Makoto Takahashi patted Hina Nekoya's shoulder, and after her trembling body calmed down, he asked casually, "If having talent is all that matters, I can help you."

"For something like this, you should—"

Hina Nekoya, who had intended to say it was impossible, raised her face and met his gaze. Her calm yet unwavering eyes held back the words she wanted to vent.

"That can't be right, Hina?"

Makoto Takahashi gazed into her chestnut eyes and conveyed his feelings: "Even if you are less talented than others, you refuse to give up easily. You persevere and work hard. Your spirit is stronger than your innate talent."

After a brief pause, he adopted a half-joking tone: "Just like when we first met, you were so persistent in clinging to me."

“It’s you who makes people worry!” Hina Nekoya retorted.

"In my opinion, your greatest strength is your spirit and your perseverance are extraordinary. Even if Hanaori shows you the difference in talent, you will only work harder."

Makoto Takahashi stood up and extended his hand to her: "Didn't you frankly acknowledge Hanori's talent? Your strength lies in your fearlessness in the face of failure and your hard work compared to anyone else."

"So stop thinking about what you lack. There's only one reason why you're inferior to others."

Hina Nekoya got to where she is today through her own hard work. Even though she has stumbled along the way and even though she no longer trusts her own strength and talent, Makoto Takahashi cannot deny her efforts.

The plain words transformed into a strong wind, scattering the clouds, and sunlight fell on Nekoya Hina's tear-stained face, her moist chestnut eyes reflecting the light.

"It's so hot," she murmured to herself.

A tiny flame rose from the depths of the ravaged, burnt-out charcoal, and the cold January air filled my lungs, making my mind seem completely clear.

Even if she can't see the road ahead, she's not afraid of failure and works harder than anyone else. That's the spirit of Hina Nekoya.

She grabbed Takahashi Makoto's hand and stood up. In that instant when the firelight illuminated her heart, she felt so ashamed that she could hear herself gritting her teeth.

"Acheng, after you make it into Group B, go on a date with me. I mean, a date like the one with Ritsu-senpai."

“It’s fine if you want to be with her,” Makoto Takahashi joked.

"Scumbag!"

Nekoya Hina attacked his knee with a low kick, and incredibly, even though the situation in love and badminton was equally dire, the flame in his heart would not be extinguished.

When you can't see the future, the current situation is unfavorable, and you're almost at your wit's end, you must hold on tightly and never admit defeat.

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Shogi Federation headquarters.

"You win."

As Mieko Jingu lowered her head and conceded defeat, the media reporters swarmed around her like a flood.

Amidst the blinding flashes of the camera, only one voice echoed in my heart, amidst all the pain.

"I must become a professional Go player."

There are no guarantees about the future, only rigorous training and impenetrable reward sessions; only dreams are clearly visible.

"It wasn't a close battle."

"By move 56, I believed I would win."

"This world isn't so simple that girls can survive easily, even though female Go players..."

Matsumoto, a second-dan player from Kansai, didn't seem nervous at all, his face beaming with a smile, much to the astonishment of the media reporters.

Hearing the resolute assertion, Mieko Jingu trembled with tears, the wounds of defeat feeling as if they were being dug deeper.

This level of skill is still beyond our ability to defeat.

To become a professional Go player, one must at least reach the third dan level and then endure an incredibly brutal three-dan round-robin tournament, a goal that seems unattainable.

"Excuse me."

Jingu Mieko fled the game room as if escaping, and ran into the preparation room sobbing.

Not only did they lose, but they didn't even know where they went wrong, and even if they started over, they couldn't find a way to victory.

The power gap is too great.

If this continues...

My feet, waist, and back felt as if they had all shattered and scattered. If I couldn't even handle an opponent like this...

I took out my phone, turned it on, and with trembling fingers, I opened the text message.

[Where are you? I'm in the review room. That match was such a shame, I'll definitely win next time!]

Fujiwara Ai doesn't understand anything, and that's why I can't let her see me like this and worry for nothing.

Jingu Mieko thought to herself, her gaze falling on the unanswered text messages below.

In the blurry vision, the glaring text was exceptionally clear.

Do you believe in the existence of gods?

[The moment you pray to God is also the moment God responds.]

[On the rooftop of a café on the banks of the Meguro River]

The message came from Maya Uesugi, whose phone number was saved by Mieko Jingu.

She was already asleep when I texted her last night, and only saw it this morning. To be honest, she didn't believe it, but now that things have come to this—

The other party's surname is Uesugi. Fujiwara Ai had said a lot of bad things about her in the past, but the fact that she dared to show that kind of attitude to Fujiwara Nobuo says a lot.

If supernatural forces or secrets truly exist in this world, those in high positions, including the children of the powerful, would certainly know more about them than an ordinary person like myself.

Driven by this thought, Mieko Jingu calmed herself down with deep breaths and replied to Maya Uesugi's text message.

[Is the cafe located in the Aobadai area?]

When Maya Uesugi received the text message from Mieko Jingu, she was sitting in the back seat of a white sedan, returning to a detached house in the Tsurumizawa residential area.

She took out her phone and saw a strange text message. Several question marks appeared above her head.

When did we talk about coffee shops?

The coffee shop in Aobadai, Meguro Ward, likely refers to the building that Makoto Takahashi bought.

When it comes to gods, Tokyo specialties naturally come to mind, but he's not the kind of person who would coerce others.

"Tsk, pest."

With a hint of doubt, Uesugi Maya clicked her tongue slightly, and after a moment's thought, decided to wait and wait for the rabbit to come to her.

[Yes. ]

After replying with a cold message that could be felt even through the phone screen, she asked the driver, "I heard last night that the coffee shop in Aobadai is under construction?"

"I heard it was a rooftop renovation, personally inspected by Ms. Kashima, and it's already completed."