Although Hakuto wasn't sure if Nao would get emotional here, he had no intention of notifying her.
After all, he wasn't looking for Shane because she was the band's lead singer but for another reason.
However, while Hakuto was lost in thought, the modern-yaki Shane had ordered was already prepared and served.
"I'm digging in!"
Shane seemed incredibly excited. It was hard to imagine that a lead singer with such a strong presence would enjoy eating something like this.
Before long, Shane had completely devoured the okonomiyaki in front of her. Meanwhile, Hakuto finally voiced his request.
"Um, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Hmm? Well, since you brought me here for okonomiyaki… What is it? You want my autograph?"
"That's secondary…" Hakuto waved his hand. "Can you sing one of your band's songs for me, acapella?"
"If you want to listen to our music, isn't it better to go to a live concert? I could even get you a ticket or two."
"That's not what I mean…" How should Hakuto explain it? Should he just say that he wanted to use Shane's singing to see if he could glimpse into the past?
"I have a friend who can probably get concert tickets, so I don't need you to make any special arrangements for me."
"I just need to confirm something. Please…."
If the entire band Zhiend wasn't made up of people with abilities, then even an acapella performance should be enough for Hakuto to see something.
"Alright, alright. Since you're asking so sincerely…"
"My name is Shiratori Hakuto. You keep calling me 'kid,' and it feels a bit weird."
"Got it, I'll remember."
Saying that, Shane pressed her hands together in front of her chest. Her eyes, devoid of highlights, locked onto Hakuto.
Even though she was blind, Hakuto felt as if every inch of him was being seen through.
The next moment, Shane adjusted her posture and began to sing.
Hakuto listened quietly. The restaurant they were in was bustling, with plenty of background noise.
Yet, for some reason, once Shane started singing, Hakuto could hear only her voice.
Still, even after a while, he hadn't seen anything unusual. Just as he was starting to think he might need to attend a live concert to achieve the desired effect—
With a sudden whoosh! His mind went completely white. Shane's singing figure began to blur, and the surrounding scenery started to ripple.
At that instant, Hakuto almost instinctively used his computational ability to resist the sensation.
But he held back—because he knew this was exactly what he had been hoping for.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside his rented apartment.
His gaze was unfocused as he looked around. It felt like dreaming—but not a lucid dream.
He couldn't even control his body….
"What's wrong? You spaced out all of a sudden."
A familiar female voice reached Hakuto's ears.
"I'm fine, Ginko. I'm just worried about tomorrow's match…."
"You actually worry about things like that?" Ginko played with the folding fan in her hand, looking slightly incredulous.
"Of course! My opponent tomorrow is at the very top of the shogi world! I'm just a high school kid—how am I supposed to win…?" Hakuto sounded unsure of himself.
"You won the Ryuo title match easily, didn't you?"
"That was different! In the next match, whether I can even keep the Ryuo title is still uncertain…."
Hakuto sighed.
Claiming the Ryuo title at the age of sixteen, he had thought he was unmatched throughout history.
But now, he realized—there was always someone stronger out there.
"Sigh… The road to becoming an eternal seven-crown champion is still long…."
"Didn't you just say you weren't sure you could win against that person?"
"Tch, worst case scenario, I'll just keep playing until he retires. I refuse to believe anyone can surpass me in the future."
Shogi was a mentally exhausting game, and concentration naturally declined with age.
So, the younger the player, the greater the advantage.
Although Hakuto was confident that no one could beat him outright, the thought of tomorrow's match still made him a little nervous.
"Get some rest early. I'll be there to cheer you on tomorrow."
"Then I must sincerely thank you, Lady Ginko~" Hakuto grinned. "By the way, Ginko, are you sleeping over tonight?"
As soon as Hakuto said this in his usual calm tone, Ginko's face instantly turned red!
"You… Have some decency… You have a match tomorrow…!" Ginko smacked Hakuto on the head with her folding fan again.
Then she turned away, stood up, and left Hakuto's apartment.
"Ginko-chan, don't go! I'm scared to be alone (┯_┯)!"
"Shut up! At least wait until after your match to say that."
Hakuto watched Ginko's departing figure, feeling utterly heartbroken!
Just kidding. In truth, Hakuto was relieved that Ginko, his so-called girlfriend, wasn't staying over tonight.
Because he had something important to do….
"This is so expensive… How can a single figure cost this much? My Ryuo prize money is almost gone…."
Hakuto stared at a preorder listing on a shopping app. Seeing the price tag of 150,000 yen next to it, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
"And they don't even do home delivery? I have to pick it up in person? What kind of scammy store is this…?"
"Even if I married Hatsune Miku, I'd only spend a million yen a year! And this figure alone costs 150,000!"
That's right. Hakuto was currently looking at a high-quality figure of the popular virtual diva, Hatsune Miku.
Officially licensed and limited edition—those two labels alone carried a hefty price tag, and obtaining such a rare item required actual money.
Ginko didn't stop Hakuto from collecting figures, but she was always against him spending so much on just one.
And since this one required in-store pickup, Hakuto had to keep it a secret from her.
"So expensive, so expensive!"
Even though he really wanted this figure, he still hesitated. 150,000 yen was no small amount!
"Forget it. What if I die tomorrow?"
After much deliberation, Hakuto finally decided to place the order. After all, life was short—happiness was what mattered most.
But just as he was about to press the payment button—
Ding-dong!
His doorbell suddenly rang!
The sudden sound startled Hakuto so much that he nearly dropped his phone on the floor!
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