Chi Tong's Decision

The chilling, spine-tingling pressure, like falling into an ice cellar, slowly emanated from Chi Tong once again.

Sento turned his head to look at Chi Tong, his eyes holding a trace of complexity and wariness.

He had lost count of how many times he had felt that uncomfortable aura from Chi Tong. It was not simple indifference, but more like something buried deep within him was quietly awakening.

However, this aura came quickly and faded just as fast.

Chi Tong seemed to notice the change in himself as well, and his originally blade-cold expression softened slightly.

He smiled faintly, his tone calm yet carrying an unfathomable meaning.

"I'm planning to quit the basketball club too."

"What?"

Sento?

He suddenly looked up, his eyes full of shock and confusion.

"You said you're quitting?"

"Why?"

The corners of Chi Tong's lips curled up slightly, as though responding to Sento's surprise, or concealing some personal reason.

After a pause, he said casually, "Don't worry. I'm not giving up basketball completely. I'm just taking a year off."

Sento fell silent. He stared into Chi Tong's eyes, trying to find something in those heterochromatic pupils, but all he saw was bottomless calm.

"Does the coach know about this?"

Sento ultimately still asked the question.

Chi Tong shook his head lightly. Sendoh sighed, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Right. Since you've already made up your mind, no one can talk you out of it."

He paused, a hint of regret in his voice.

"But then again, we're the championship team. Don't you think it's a pity?"

"One less chance at a three-peat."

He had thought those words would stir even the faintest ripple in Chi Tong, but Chi Tong's reaction made his heart sink.

Chi Tong's gaze abruptly turned cold. His whole body seemed wrapped in a layer of invisible frost as he spoke flatly, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable chill.

"That's their problem. If they can't do it, they can't blame anyone else."

Sendoh stood where he was, feeling an invisible pressure rush toward him. He could almost sense that Chi Tong harbored a weight and danger within him that did not belong to someone his age.

What exactly is wrong with this guy?

The thought could not help surfacing in his mind.

Chi Tong had changed. Not because he had become stronger, but because he no longer seemed like himself.

The silence between them grew heavier and heavier.

A breeze drifted past, carrying several fallen leaves with it. An indescribable sense of distance and unease filled the air.

"You're quitting the basketball club?"

"Why?"

"Did something happen?"

Shendai Liufei frowned slightly, her tone full of concern and confusion.

She stood beside Chi Tong, sunlight falling across her profile and outlining it with a soft glow.

She had always been gentle, and always perceptive.

She had long noticed that something was off with Chi Tong lately—the faint but persistent sense of distance, the occasional chill that surfaced from him, and those heterochromatic eyes that seemed to conceal countless secrets.

She did not want to disturb him, but she could not put her mind at ease.

Chi Tong shook his head slightly. His tone was calm, yet carried a trace of exhaustion that was hard to notice.

"It's a personal reason. I just want to rest for a while."

He was not lying, but he was not telling the whole truth either. He knew there were some things that even he could not reveal.

Shendai Liufei nodded thoughtfully, her gaze still lingering on Chi Tong's face.

"Chi Tong-kun has indeed been strange lately. Sometimes, it feels like you've become a different person."

She spoke softly, without blame, only gentle concern.

She paused, as though she had finally found a reason to reassure herself.

"I think managing the team has probably exhausted you. Since you've already decided, then get some proper rest. I'll always support you."

Chi Tong looked at her quietly. In that moment, he seemed to see a warmth he had not felt in a long time within those clear eyes.

He rarely smiled, but at that moment, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing an exceptionally rare, gentle smile.

"Thank you, Sento."

He said it softly, but sincerely.

Shendai Liufei's cheeks flushed slightly, as though the sunlight had made them brighter.

She turned her head away and shot him a shy glance.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Chi Tong blinked, his tone carrying a rare trace of teasing.

"Is there anything wrong with looking at you like this?"

"You're awful, Chi Tong-kun."

She lightly stamped her foot, her voice tinged with coquettish displeasure.

The next second, she deliberately quickened her pace, leaving Chi Tong behind as though trying to hide her slightly racing heart that way.

The two of them walked one in front of the other.

There were few pedestrians on the street. Sunlight spilled down, and the breeze brushed gently past. It was as though they had been cut off from the world, leaving only their silhouettes and the sound of their footsteps.

Not far behind them, two understated yet exceptionally luxurious black sedans slowly followed their steps. Their speed was steady, almost perfectly matching their pace.

The drivers wore solemn expressions, as though this was far from the first time they had carried out such a task.

Chi Tong and Shendai Liufei's shadows stretched long across the street, like a tranquil and gentle painting.

In Kanagawa, Japan, spring quietly arrived, and all things came back to life.

The cherry blossom trees lining the streets swayed gently in the breeze. Pink-and-white petals danced in the wind, as though draping the city in a soft veil.

Morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist and slowly fell upon Kanagawa, waking this legendary prefecture from its slumber bit by bit.

The new school year had finally arrived. An air of youth and passion surged into every campus like a tide, as though the entire world had been set ablaze in that moment by the enthusiasm and dreams belonging to teenagers.

Outside the gates of Lingnan High School, morning sunlight fell upon the entrance. The four characters reading "Lin Nan High School" gleamed brilliantly in the dawn light.

The school entrance was already packed with voices and overflowing with excitement.

Boys and girls dressed in neat Lingnan High School uniforms crowded both inside and outside the gates. They chatted in groups of two and three, laughter and noise intertwining. Every face shone with the unique radiance of youth—passion, vitality, and boundless anticipation for the future.

On the plaza before the school building, clubs of every kind had already set up their booths, forming a long line of recruitment stalls that looked just like vendors at a festival fair.

There was the basketball club, soccer club, baseball club, anime club, light music club, photography club—everything one could want.

Male and female club members stood before their respective booths, all energetic, their faces full of enthusiasm and smiles.

They waved flyers in their hands and called out to the new students in their most passionate voices. "Underclassmen, come take a look!"

"Join our baseball club! This is a man's romance! The literature club has gentle upperclasswomen waiting for you!"

"The swimming club has beautiful girls in bikinis! Fair skin and great figures! Boys and girls welcome!"

"Come join the swimming club!"

The scene was livelier than a department store promotion, making them look exactly like madams eagerly soliciting customers.

Just then, two especially eye-catching figures slowly emerged from the crowd before the school gates—a boy and a girl walking side by side. Before they had even drawn near, they had already attracted quite a bit of attention.