They all have hidden attributes!

Hina Nekoya shook her head repeatedly. Makoto Takahashi smiled and asked her, "Has the matter of joining Team A been settled? Mrs. Igarashi sent me a message; she has done her best to help you."

"Is this a way of asking for credit? Should I not send a thank-you gift?"

"Need not."

"That's right, I'm not that stupid."

Hina Nekoya raised her face smugly, a little smug, and got down to business: "The date has been set. It just so happens that one player from Team A is injured and has to withdraw, and another player has been eliminated. I'm competing with other original substitutes for a spot. It seems like we'll be playing some kind of non-elimination points round-robin tournament?"

"Isn't it too difficult for you to understand?" Makoto Takahashi asked worriedly.

"As long as we win everything, that's fine, right?"

"That's true."

"Starting from the 22nd, there will be two matches every day for a total of 5 days. I'll send you the dates of the matches, so remember to come and watch," Haruna Nekoya requested.

“Okay.” Makoto Takahashi nodded in agreement.

There's no need to worry about her current strength; she's undoubtedly world-class.

If she still loses after this, Makoto Takahashi will have no choice but to raise her physique to the same inhuman level as himself.

"Acheng, do you want to eat curry beef rice?" Nekoya Hina suddenly asked.

Clearly, she really wanted to eat it.

"Haven't you had dinner yet?" Makoto Takahashi walked towards the restaurant on his left.

"Ah, this..."

Hina Nekoya touched her still-damp hair sheepishly and blinked, saying, "Let's go bowling later to replenish our energy."

“Okay.” Takahashi Makoto had a playful smile on his face.

Don't look at me like that!

Nekoya Hina nudged him with her shoulder, changing the subject by asking, "Hanaori looked half-dead before she left home today, saying something like 'I've resigned myself to my fate.' What happened?"

"Aya and Sachi are back together, I think," Takahashi Makoto said uncertainly.

"Make up? So they used to be on good terms?"

"Maybe? Anyway, we have pretty good chemistry."

After entering the curry restaurant and ordering, Makoto Takahashi gave a brief account of the feud between Maya Uesugi and Yuki Tachimi from his own perspective.

"Maya-kun, I wrote a book for you?"

Hina Nekoya seemed a little lost, her eyes widening in surprise: "Is that even possible? I suddenly regret choosing humanities."

“Isn’t your science subject even worse?” Makoto Takahashi said.

"Damn it, do I have no other special skills besides playing badminton?"

"Not really."

Under Hina Nekoya's expectant gaze, Makoto Takahashi said earnestly, "I really like that about your long legs."

That's not what I meant.

Seeing her slumped on the dining table, looking utterly exhausted, Makoto Takahashi smiled gently and comforted her, "There's no need to keep focusing on other people's strengths; just concentrate on your own growth."

"I see, Acheng, you really are a genius!"

"You're such an idiot."

"hateful!"

Monday, June 15th.

Under a clear blue sky, Makoto Takahashi and Hina Nekoya went out together, ate breakfast at a convenience store, and took the train to school for the first time in a long time.

From the moment she wakes up, Hina Nekoya is full of energy, radiating an atmosphere as vibrant as the morning air.

Not only is it comfortable, but being with her is also very relaxing.

After getting off at Waseda Station, the two chatted as they walked towards the gate of Tsurumizawa, bathed in sunlight.

"Acheng, your birthday is in a few days, right?"

Hina Nekoya's eyes lit up, and unsurprisingly, she inquired about the birthday party: "Lunch and dinner will definitely be very lavish, right?"

Walking beside her, Makoto Takahashi looked helpless and replied, "Actually, it doesn't have to be on special days. How about I take you to Ginza next time? There's a restaurant there that makes really good fish."

When I went on dates with the young lady, we went to many nice places.

"Fish?" Nekoya Hina asked indifferently, her expression seeming to ask, "[What's so delicious about that kind of thing?]"

She is a die-hard beef fanatic, and because she was born in a port city like Otaru, she has absolutely no interest in seafood.

"They were all freshly caught fish, neatly arranged in a counter piled with ice. There were probably dozens a day, all carefully selected by the chef," Makoto Takahashi recalled.

"How does it taste? Is it delicious?"

"The sashimi made with flounder was quite delicious."

"It doesn't sound as good as curry beef rice."

Nekoya Hina still showed little interest, while Takahashi Makoto laughed and said, "Grilled red braided fish is tastier, and it goes better with diluted whiskey than beer."

"Really?" Nekoya Hina was overly easy to understand.

"Going tonight?"

"Okay...no, I'll go tomorrow, after the exam tomorrow night!"

While chatting, they arrived at the gate of Tsurumizawa and saw Uesugi Maya, Tachimi Yuki, and Hanakawa Kaori walking together in the distance. Takahashi Makoto stopped and waited.

The distance between Uesugi Maya and Tachimi Yuki seemed a little subtle. The atmosphere wasn't exactly stiff, but she walked between them with a rather happy expression.

After all, Uesugi Maya's new book hasn't been released yet, and from a standpoint, she's still in competition with Tachimi Yuki, so that's not too bad.

"Ah, brother!"

Hanakawa Kaori saw Takahashi Makoto, waved to him from afar, and jogged over, her black twin tails swaying in the sunlight: "Good morning, and good morning, Hina-nee too."

When Hanakawa Kaori stopped in front of him, Takahashi Makoto habitually reached out and patted her head: "Good morning, didn't you stay up late last night?"

Hanakawa Kaori looked exceptionally energetic today, her youthful face radiating a vibrant smile, and every inch of her exuded peace and contentment.

"Because my brother works very hard, I like my brother the most."

"I stayed up a little while. Last night I played console games with Maya and Sachi. That boneless little character was too hard to control. I originally wanted to stay up all night to beat the game, but Maya was so strict that she grabbed me by the neck. Sachi wouldn't let me either."

When Hanakawa Kaori said these words, her expression showed no sign of resentment; on the contrary, her purple eyes shone brightly, and she seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"As long as you have fun," Makoto Takahashi said.

Hanakawa Kaori rushed over and hugged him, then pulled Nekoya Hina away and ran into the academy gate: "Hina-nee and I are going back to the classroom to prepare for the exam. Goodbye, brother."

After waving goodbye to the two, Makoto Takahashi stood there, waiting for Maya Uesugi and Yuki Tachimi to slowly walk over and for him to step into the academy with them.

Chapter 241 A Date During Spring Break

After two consecutive days of promotion exams, spring break officially began.

March 17th is three days away from Makoto Takahashi's birthday.

The sky was overcast, and according to the weather forecast, it would start to drizzle from the evening.

Makoto Takahashi carried the casserole pot out of the kitchen. Under the warm yellow light of the dining room, Yuki Tachimi and Maya Uesugi, dressed in casual clothes, sat facing each other on either side of the light wood dining table, each drinking black tea and coffee.

"Isn't it incredibly unhealthy to start drinking this kind of thing in the morning?"

As he spoke, he placed the casserole on the placemat, lifted the lid, and a rich aroma wafted out.

"Bamboo shoot rice. The bamboo shoots were sent by Hanaori's grandmother; they're fresh bamboo shoots from the mountains of Izu." Makoto Takahashi was full of confidence in his cooking skills.

Maya Uesugi put down her coffee and phone, looked up at me, and asked indifferently, "So you should start drinking cola in the morning?"

"No, I'm serious. It's okay if you drink black tea, but you're consuming way too much caffeine every day."

Makoto Takahashi spoke in a gentle tone. Maya Uesugi pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and then asked, "Is it less healthy than you bringing a casserole without wearing gloves?"

"It doesn't seem like it?"

"Bowls and chopsticks".

Makoto Takahashi went back to the kitchen to get some dishes and chopsticks, and while he was at it, he grabbed a can of Coke from the refrigerator for himself.

Back in the restaurant, after serving breakfast and placing it in front of Tachibana Yuki, she finally put down her tablet.

"Chengjun, although it is supposed to be a rotation, I still feel uneasy having someone like you, a recipient of the National Honor Award, serving me."

"Are you uneasy?" Takahashi Makoto's lips twitched slightly as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

On his birthday, he will be awarded the National Honor Award at the opening of the art exhibition. This has been confirmed, and the award will be presented in person by the Prime Minister.

"No matter what, it's one of the highest honors in Japan. It shows that you are an outstanding person who can bring hope to society. It's not good to waste time in the kitchen."

As he said this, a sly glint flashed in Tachibana Yuki's eyes.

Uesugi Maya stared straight at her, frowning as she asked, "What mischief are you up to now?"

"Saya is really too much, how could she say such a thing to me, Makoto~" Tachimi Yuki raised her hand to wipe away non-existent tears, pretending to be sad.

"It's nothing more than moving. For the past six months, Sachi has been urging me to move to Minato Ward."

Makoto Takahashi pulled the metal tab on his Coke and changed the subject, asking, "Speaking of the National Honor Award, it doesn't seem to be that rare. The former prime minister probably gave it out many times to boost his approval rating, right? And there wasn't much of a reward, just a souvenir."

"There is indeed controversy, but its value is undeniable."

Ignoring Tatsumi Yuki's feigned crying, Uesugi Maya said in a serious tone, "There is a lifetime pension system for those who have made contributions to culture. If you want one, you can go and say hello to Ms. Saionji. Minister Uesugi of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is worried about not finding an opportunity to get closer to her."

When she spoke of Ms. Saionji, her tone inevitably carried a hint of sarcasm.

However, the fact that she can easily bring up these things shows that Uesugi Maya no longer has many shadows from the past, which is a good thing.

"Who? Uesugi Tomoya? He's a minister?" Takahashi Makoto carefully observed Uesugi Maya's expression.

She was about to put the bamboo shoot rice into her mouth when she stopped, sighed, and said, "There's no need to look at me like that. Writing down the pain will make it pass, and the beautiful memories are more worth remembering."

Her tone was so casual, as if she were saying, "[It's a cloudy day]."

"I'd rather not, it would just annoy me."