"It's over."

After an hour and a half of hard fighting, there can only be one winner in the end.

Harunobu Amano nodded to the smiling middle-aged man across from him, and stood up silently, feeling a sense of emptiness.

In the end, he fell on top of the title battle. The smooth sailing in the past finally ushered in the strongest enemy. And this level, I didn't rush through.

At this moment, his face was only wooden, and when he walked out of the venue of the final match, countless spotlights were shining in front of him, and he was surrounded by reporters waiting outside the door.

"I'm Keiji Masaki, a reporter for the Sankei Shimbun, may I ask Amano Kudan, how are you feeling at the moment? Do you feel very sorry that there is only a gap of 2,000 points at the end? ”

As a journalist, he said this as a matter of course, and he didn't mind rubbing salt in the wounds of the defeated contestants.

"The strength of the other party is stronger, I lost, that's all."

Harunobu Amano said in a cold tone.

"Let's get to it, this is NHK, may I ask Amano Kudan, as a supernova who is known as the most talented person in the last ten years to enter the professional mahjong world and rose to Kudan in just two years, do you have the confidence to continue to challenge for Judan next year?"

A reporter wearing thick glasses squeezed in from the crowd and pointed the microphone at Amano.

"I'll try it again."

The reporter was obviously not satisfied with this answer, and he continued to ask: "Then are you going to challenge for other titles next?" ”

Faced with his question, Amano Harunobu paused for a moment, he had also thought about such a question. However, he felt tired.

Yes, since entering the professional mahjong circle, I have to play hundreds of games on the Internet every day, and at the same time, I have to use my spare time to study various cards and analyze my own battle records. As a result, he often closed his door as soon as he got home, completely cutting off communication with others. Even, even his best friend has lost contact with his childhood playmate.

From the bottom of his heart, he was tired.

And in the face of this reporter's question, he already has the answer.

"From now on, I'm going to take a complete break for half a year. So, during this period, I will not participate in any titles and professional competitions. ”

Hearing such an answer, the reporter was stunned.

"So, is it because this competition has made you disheartened?"

His eyes began to burn, and it seemed to be a subject worthy of being written about in the press. He had even already thought of the topic, and Amano Kudan failed to challenge the 10th dan, and was disheartened and decided to withdraw from the mahjong world for the time being.

But Amano Harunobu didn't bother to care what the other party wrote, and he didn't even care if he knew it.

He waved his hand to signal that he would not be interviewed, then pushed through the crowd and left the scene.

When he walked to the bridge far from the venue, the cell phone in his pants pocket rang. When I took it out, I saw a string of familiar numbers.

"Hello? Is it (9)? ”

"It's been a long time."

There was a very dissatisfied voice over there.

"Oh, hehe. What's up? The words of comfort are forgiven, and I can bear it. ”

Harunobu Amano leaned against the railing of the bridge, looking at the sky boredly, enjoying the blowing of the river breeze.

"It's been a long time since I've been in touch. I watched the news, how are you going to spend the next six months? ”

yes, what to do? Although it is said to be a rest, there is no plan.

He looked at the river in confusion, not knowing how to answer.

"Then come to our mahjong club?!"

"Your mahjong club? Huh, how many people? ”

Amano listened to the fun, and the last time I heard her complain to herself on the phone that there were too few people playing mahjong in her high school, she wouldn't pull over to make up the number, right? Although Zhilu said that she really wanted to participate in the high school team competition, but she was so old that she could still shoehorn it in?

There was an awkward silence on the other end of the phone, and then he reluctantly replied, "...... Now there are only two people. However, two very promising players in the first year have already been discovered! ”

"Then you can get together at the table, why did you ask me to come over?"

Amano didn't understand her request.

And what she said below surprised him and almost made the phone slide out of his hand.

"Come and be our coach!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Three days later.

Harunobu Amano returned to Nagano, his hometown. Originally, with the dream of studying in a foreign country, he chose to take a temporary leave of absence and returned here to adjust his mood.

He walked along the river, the path of his memory. It was early spring, and the fluttering cherry blossoms flew past his eyes and flew to the other side of the river.

At this time, he saw a young girl sitting under a big tree by the river reading a book.

She had ear-length short brown hair, her bright eyes flashed with love for the book she was holding, and she read quietly like a beautiful white flower blooming by the river.

"Qingcheng High School's school uniform is still so cute."

Amano stood still, exclaiming. He couldn't bear to break the current picture, he just wanted to stop and admire it for a while.

"Huh?"

A girl's wail suddenly sounded behind him, and he staggered, but quickly stood up.

Looking back, a young girl clutched her knees and fell to the ground pitifully.

"I'm sorry, you're fine, are you?"

Amano said apologetically, because he was attracted by the girl by the river just now, and he was stunned for a while, but he was bumped into by the girl behind him.

"No, it's fine, woo......"

The girl waved her hand and tried to stand up, but sat down with her knees clutched. Her knees had turned red and were bleeding.

"I'll take you to the hospital."

Amano said reproachfully, and then stepped forward and grabbed the girl's little hand.

"Ah......h

The girl, who had never had contact with the opposite sex other than her relatives, was obviously stunned by his movements, and her cheeks immediately turned red.

He placed the girl's hand on his shoulder, and he held the other's shoulder.

However, when he saw the girl's face, his heart pounded.

With long eyelashes, eyes that seem to be able to speak, and a pure face like an angel, her pink hair flutters gently with the breeze, and has a good smell. The most difficult thing to take off her eyes is the unscientific ...... on her chest

Amano hurriedly shook his head and removed the charming thoughts in his mind, the other party was injured, how could he think about these things now?

"Well, just help me to the club classroom, there are some band-aids there."

The girl holding on to her muttered shyly.

"What's that?"

"It's a mahjong club, do you need my way?"

"What a coincidence, I'm going there too."

Amano smiled at her.

Such close contact made the girl a little at a loss, she blushed and nodded, and fell silent.

The girl's weight is very light, and Amano Harunobu helps her slowly walk forward on the familiar road that he has walked countless times.

For this girl with an excellent temperament, Amano's face also turned slightly red, he has been intoxicated with mahjong for a long time, and rarely interacts with others, facing this silent to a little embarrassing atmosphere, he is eager to find some topic. However, now that he realized that he didn't even know the other party's name, he hurriedly asked, "By the way, what's your name?" ”

"Huh?"

The girl raised her head, looked at him with curiosity flashing in her eyes, and moved her lips lightly and said, "My name is Haramurawa, what about you?" ”

"Harunobu Amano."

Harunobu Amano...... Are you Harunobu Amano?! ”

The girl suddenly exclaimed, she loves mahjong, and she often studies some professional players' cards. She also has a certain understanding of this person who has rapidly developed his fame in the past two years.

It's just that she didn't expect that she would meet him by the river.

"You're here?"

Facing the surprised Haramura Kazu, Harunobu Amano showed a bright smile.

"I'm here to be the coach of your mahjong club!"