"Ah!!!"
"Hey, don't laugh!"
Isshiki Iroha's face flushed red as she repeatedly punched Sato, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
Thinking back to how she had mysteriously whispered this "inside scoop" to him before class, she could feel her fair, smooth cheeks burning.
He already knew everything!
No, come to think of it, this was obviously his fault!
If he already knew, why didn't he tell me? Was he deliberately sitting there watching me make a fool of myself?!
Isshiki Iroha glared fiercely at Sato.
Yuuki Asuna noticed this, a faint glimmer passing through her eyes as she smiled gently.
"If I remember correctly, you're Isshiki-san, aren't you?"
"Ah? Yes!"
Startled, Isshiki Iroha nodded, her expression full of confusion.
How does she know my name?
Have we... met before?
Sato noticed her bewilderment and asked in a slightly strange tone,
"Wait... Isshiki, don't tell me you've forgotten that you've met Asuna before?"
"We've really met before?!"
Isshiki Iroha was taken aback.
She racked her brain, but to her frustration, she couldn't recall anything at all.
"I came during the school festival last time."
Seeing her reaction, Asuna smiled softly.
With that reminder, the hazy fog in Isshiki Iroha's mind instantly cleared, and the forgotten memories resurfaced.
"Ah! I remember now! You were the one who fought Nohara that time!"
Seeing the look of sudden realization on Isshiki Iroha's face, Asuna said helplessly,
"Was Senpai's performance really that unforgettable?"
He had shone so brilliantly that everything else had been overshadowed by his light.
"Wait, why are you calling him Senpai?"
"Ah? Um..."
Asuna froze for a moment, then helplessly turned to Sato, silently asking him for help.
Sigh...
Sato let out a quiet sigh inwardly before calmly explaining,
"Although Asuna is the daughter of a wealthy family, her family used to be a samurai clan. Her grandfather has always hoped she'd grow into a strong woman capable of standing on her own as a proper daughter of a warrior family."
"Since she's expected to become a warrior family's daughter, she naturally had to study kendo. I just happen to be her senior in the same school of swordsmanship."
Asuna stared blankly at Sato, looking adorably dazed.
W... Why does it feel like you've done this so many times before?
Sato secretly shot her an exasperated glance.
Didn't I tell you from the very beginning to call me by my name? Otherwise none of this would have happened.
Still, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he hadn't let Asuna keep calling him Master. Otherwise, he really wouldn't have known how to explain it.
In the world of kendo, one needed a Menkyo Kaiden license to officially take disciples. His age and qualifications were obviously nowhere near sufficient. Even if he wanted to make something up, he wouldn't have been able to.
"Is that so?"
Isshiki Iroha still looked somewhat suspicious. She turned to Asuna again.
"Then why did Yuuki-san suddenly transfer here?"
Having just seen Sato demonstrate how to answer, Asuna calmly replied,
"Since I've reached a certain age, my family wanted me to start taking over some of our business here. So I temporarily transferred to this school."
"Th... That's amazing?!"
Isshiki Iroha was visibly shocked.
She's only a high school student, and she's already taking over the family business!
Just then, one of Isshiki Iroha's friends called out to her from nearby. After apologizing, she hurried over.
Once Isshiki Iroha left, the two of them simply stared at each other.
After a moment, Sato smiled teasingly.
"Not bad. You learn pretty fast."
Asuna smiled faintly.
"That's mainly because you're such a good teacher!"
At the back of the classroom, Kirigaya Kazuto remained utterly bewildered.
Why don't I understand a single thing these people are talking about?!
...
After school that afternoon, Sato took Asuna for a walk around campus.
Although the Private Mixed High School was considered one of the larger schools in the area, that was only by local standards. Compared to the schools in asia, which often had several thousand or even over a hundred thousand students, Japanese high schools were relatively small.
And with fewer students came a smaller campus. The entire school could practically be taken in at a glance.
"The club building is separate from the classroom building. That one over there is the club building."
"Behind it is the sports field. The school's athletic facilities are pretty well equipped, so if you're interested in things like tennis or volleyball, you can give them a try."
Eventually, they arrived at the edge of the sports field.
At that moment, the soccer club was energetically practicing on the field. Asuna gave them a brief glance before losing interest.
Her gaze passed over the field and settled on the distant sea, where a shimmering strip of ocean was visible on the horizon. A breeze from the water brushed past, gently lifting her hair.
"What club does Senpai belong to?"
Asuna suddenly turned to look at Sato.
"Me? I joined the Light Music Club. If you're interested, you could come and give it a try too."
"Hm?"
A spark of interest flashed through Asuna's eyes.
"Are there any requirements?"
"Requirements?"
Sato rubbed his chin as he thought.
"You'd probably need to know how to play an instrument. Guitar, bass, drums, things like that."
"I see... Then I probably can't. I only know how to play the violin."
Asuna sounded somewhat disappointed.
"If you don't know how, you can always learn. No one is born knowing how to play."
Asuna thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"I'd better not. I'm technically a second-year student. If I joined now, I'd only end up disrupting your club."
Sato didn't press the matter further.
He took out his phone to check the time.
"It's almost time for club activities. I'll head over first."
"Don't rush your cultivation. Just take it one step at a time. If you run into any problems, you can come find me anytime."
"Okay!"
After saying goodbye to Asuna, Sato headed to the Light Music Club. The moment he walked in, he saw Ritsu excitedly waving at him.
"Sato! Sato!"