Crossover anime, Hachiman's childhood friend's growth diary

"Are you okay?"

He reached out and helped the swaying girl in front of him.

The next moment, Hongxia, her face pale, trembled uncontrollably and stammered:

"I-I'm fine, I'm just a little carsick, Hikigaya-kun, don't worry."

"Ijichi-kun, I have some medicine here. Please take some for now."

126 This is love!

Hachiman has plenty of motion sickness medication on hand, but if you take it after you've already gotten motion sick, the effect won't be as noticeable as if you took it right away.

Sigh, I'm really worried about this child. Why doesn't he say he's not feeling well?

"Thank you."

Her once-proud ahoge (cowlick) now looked somewhat droopy. Nijika managed a smile and, with Hachiman's help, swallowed her motion sickness pills with water.

"That doesn't seem to be working?"

"Idiot, it won't work that quickly."

Hikigaya, unable to contain himself, made a sarcastic remark, and then, in an attempt to divert the other person's attention, continued:

“Ijichi-kun, I’ve actually found a company that can contact your sister.”

"What, really?" Hongxia excitedly clung to Hachiman's arm, tightly gripping it. "Has anything happened to you, sister? And how did Hachiman-kun find out?"

Wait a minute, wasn't this child just looking like he was about to faint?

"Don't rush, calm down. I just happened to run into your sister and that talent scout on the street."

Hachiman carefully withdrew his hand.

Seeing this scene, Nijika suddenly realized that Hachiman didn't really like physical contact from others, and then she gave an embarrassed smile.

"Hehe, sorry, I got a little excited."

"Don't worry about it." As if to prove his point, Hachiman showed the business card. "That agency is in Tokyo, and not far from where your competition is being held."

"Really? Then let's go check it out together after the match, okay?"

"No, I can go by myself. Besides, given your current physical condition, it might be too much for you."

Hikigaya shook his head, refusing Nijika's request to go with him.

"But..."

"Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I find out the information."

"Well, all right then."

Perhaps because she was feeling a bit carsick, Hongxia didn't insist on continuing. The two of them chatted as they followed the group into the building.

The motion sickness medication probably started to work, because Hongxia's condition improved after she came in.

The competition venue occupied the first and second floors of the building, with dozens of chessboards set up on the wooden floor. The chessboards were separated into adjacent square areas.

It looks quite formal.

After observing for a while, Hachiman came to this conclusion: he originally thought that elementary school club competitions would mostly be just a matter of finding a place, setting up a few chessboards, and ending it hastily, but now it seems that it is not that simple.

Upon arriving at the venue, Mr. Koba clapped his hands and announced to the members of the shogi club that everyone could move around freely for a period of time before the official competition began, without disturbing others.

Upon hearing these words, the students, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately scattered like branches and leaves, quickly running towards the areas that interested them.

Hachiman adjusted his backpack, preparing to slip away, when he felt resistance coming from his clothes.

Looking back, I saw Teacher Xiaoba covering her lips with her hand and whispering:

"Hachiman, you're different from others. Stay here and behave yourself, or I'll tell your parents that you secretly ran away to Tokyo."

Hey, this is definitely a threat!

And even if we take a step back, I asked for leave through proper channels, so what if my mom and the others find out... no, I'm serious!

"I understand, Mr. Xiaoba, could you please let me go first?"

Hearing Hachiman's promise, Mr. Koba released him. With nothing else to do, Hachiman casually found a seat and sat down, but a few seconds later, he quickly stood up again.

"What are you going to do again?"

Mr. Koba was getting a headache from Hikigaya's constant startling.

"I want to go to the game."

Hachiman pointed straight ahead, and Koba-sensei's expression turned somewhat strange before he asked:

"Hachiman, are you still interested in shogi?"

"I just wanted to kill time."

"Okay, don't go too far, and don't disturb the other players' matches."

"Ah."

Hikigaya knew the rule of not speaking while watching a game, and besides, this was a formal competition. If he spoke carelessly, he would definitely be kicked out by the referee in the venue.

Wait a minute, wouldn't it be perfect if we got kicked out?

Hachiman's chaotic thoughts lasted only a moment before he quickly suppressed them; he wasn't about to do something so unethical for his own plans.

With the thought of killing time in mind, Hachiman walked casually toward the arena.

After walking around, Hachiman stopped in front of a chessboard.

On the left side of the chessboard sat a primary school girl about his age. She had brown hair and blue eyes and was very cute, but for some reason, her eyes revealed a hint of fierceness and infatuation.

img "https://e1.kuangxiangit.com/uploads/chapterimgsnew/712/52936/250603/1748921805-100435392-113431496.jpg" alt=雏鹤爱>

Hikigaya couldn't help but shiver, then looked at the other side of the chessboard, where a black-haired girl was also sitting. She had delicate features and was wearing a custom-made black dress.

Both players were intently focused on the chessboard in front of them. The game was now at its most crucial stage, and every move could determine the outcome of the entire game.

What's going on? Even I'm getting nervous.

Hikigaya also has some knowledge of shogi, but because he doesn't have any friends, he always plays online, and he usually loses more often than he wins.

After watching for a while, he quickly realized that the two elementary school students in front of him were incredibly skilled, and if he were to take their place, he would probably be defeated in no time.

Hey, are kids these days really this exaggerated?

Hachiman silently made a comment in his mind.

At this moment, although the situation of the match was still unclear, Hachiman had already seen a clear sense of defeat in the eyes of the black-haired girl.

In competitive sports, mentality is arguably the most important factor besides technique. If things continue like this, the brown-haired girl should win big, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The thought of the losing side in such an intense match causing them to sadly drop their pearls made Hachiman quickly leave the scene.

As expected, not long after he left, the black-haired girl conceded defeat and began to cry softly.

This is really bad...

Hachiman quickly moved away from there, and following the signs, soon arrived at another competition area.

After a quick look, the atmosphere here is much more normal. Although everyone's skill level varies, they are all at the level expected for their age. It's not like those two girls from before, who seemed to be fighting like gods.

About twenty minutes later, Hachiman Hikigaya, having finished his visit, returned to the place where he had rested at the beginning.

127 was being targeted by a strange guy.

"Hikigaya-kun..."

While resting with his eyes closed in his seat, Hachiman suddenly felt a gentle tug on his right sleeve. Turning his head, he met Nijika's uneasy gaze.

Speaking of which, it seems that this child went to another floor with his teammates to register for the competition and only recently returned.

"Is there a problem?"

Hikigaya scrutinized the other person; his previously pale face was now much rosier, but for some reason, there was a hint of unease and anxiety in his expression.

Ah, I guess seeing such a formal competition made him a little nervous...

"What should I do? I'm so nervous. I've already been to the bathroom once, but my stomach still hurts."

Just as Hikigaya had expected, after hesitating for a moment, Nijika clutched her stomach and voiced her concerns.

Joining the shogi club was just a hobby for Nijika; she never trained properly and never imagined that she would one day compete on stage.

Looking back on what happened a few days ago, Hongxia felt a little regretful. She should have refused when her advisor suggested taking her to Tokyo for the competition.

"People feel the urge to urinate when they are nervous, so don't worry. If you really can't stand it, try the folk remedy of swallowing the character '人' (ren). I've heard it's quite effective."

"Really? Then I'll give it a try."

Imitating the female protagonist in the morning drama, Hongxia wrote the character "人" (person) in her palm, then opened her mouth and swallowed the air in her hand.

After standing still for a while, the abdominal pain did not seem to be relieved.

"No, this is completely useless!"

"Well, it's not a magic bullet after all... By the way, Ijichi-kun, do you have any shogi with you? Want to play a game with me before the match starts? I don't have anything else to do right now."

Hachiman deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone.

The best way to alleviate the anxiety on the spot is naturally to build confidence. Therefore, Hachiman plans to use "practical actions" to help Nijika regain some confidence before the match officially begins.

"Huh, has Hikigaya-kun also studied shogi?"

"I know a little bit, for now."

Upon hearing Hikigaya's suggestion, Nijika first borrowed a simple shogi set from a classmate in the club, then moved a stool over to use as a shogi board, and the two squatted at opposite ends of the stool.

This scene was witnessed by a young man passing by, who couldn't help but smile slightly.

These two kids really love shogi.

He stood still, watching the two sparring with curiosity.

About twenty minutes later, Hachiman sighed and pretended to be annoyed, clutching his head.

"I lost. Ijichi-kun is really good. I'm no match for you at all."

"Where."

Hongxia waved her hand lightly in front of her chest to indicate that she wasn't a particularly good player, since she was almost always at the bottom of the club.

"Hachigaya-kun just placed the bets too hastily; I almost fell for it several times."

"Maybe, but after this competition, I think I know that Ijichi's level is definitely better than many of the participants."

"Ugh?"

Faced with the sudden praise, Hongxia was stunned for a moment, then touched her ahoge (cowlick) in a flattered manner.

"No, but I'm really happy that Hachiman comforted me like that."

"No, I'm telling the truth." His legs were a little sore from squatting, so Hachiman simply plopped down on the floor. "While you guys were registering, I took a look around the amateur group... uh, I guess it was the amateur group. Anyway, the average level there was probably not as good as Ijichi-kun's."

Hearing this, Hongxia was initially skeptical, but looking at the other person's determined expression, she became increasingly skeptical.

"Really?"

"Really, maybe the other people in our school clubs are just stronger."

"Wow, I'm that strong?"

"Hmm, maybe there's still a chance to qualify."

The competition is a points-based tournament where each player plays five games against different opponents. Winning three of those games allows a player to advance to the knockout stage.

According to Hikigaya's estimate, Nijika should be able to beat about 50% of the players here if she performs normally.

So unless you're lucky enough to encounter a series of weaker opponents, it's quite difficult to qualify, but it's not entirely impossible.

With Hikigaya's constant encouragement, Nijika regained her lost confidence and gradually returned to her initial lively state.

Just as the two were about to end their game, the young man watching from the sidelines suddenly spoke up:

"Are you playing shogi? I'm not very good at it, can I try?"

"Uh?"