The school campus was bathed in soft sunlight. The lawn was lush and green, like a carpet of velvet neatly spread between the concrete paths.
Eriri crouched behind a bush, a feeling of unease twisting in her stomach. To keep her "otaku" identity a secret, she had planned to find a private moment with Hiratsuka Ryosuke to ask him to keep what happened at the villa confidential. She thought today, with him doing cleanup alone, would be the perfect opportunity. But then that guy, Hayama Hayato, stuck to Ryosuke like a piece of stubborn gum, leaving her no chance to approach him. All she could do was follow them like a little shadow, waiting for the right moment to make her move.
"Ryosuke!"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke heard a familiar voice calling his name from a distance. He followed the sound and saw two girls standing side by side. One was cute and serene, holding her school bag with a gentle smile on her face. The other, wearing a blue and white gym uniform and holding a yellow pom-pom, was energetically waving her arms and jumping up and down.
Nibutani Shinka handed her pom-pom to the others in her club and dashed over to Hiratsuka Ryosuke.
"Ryosuke, where are you going?" Nibutani Shinka's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I'm going to check out the kendo club. Did you join a club?" Hiratsuka Ryosuke asked nonchalantly.
"The cheerleading club! That way, when you have a competition, I can cheer for you from the sidelines!" Nibutani Shinka's eyes narrowed into a crescent shape as she flashed a bright, energetic smile.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke was momentarily stunned. He was beginning to understand why he was so tolerant of Shinka. He had never mentioned his intention to join the kendo club and compete in middle school, yet this girl seemed to know his heart. No matter what he wanted to do, she would always do everything she could to support him from behind the scenes.
At that moment, Nishimiya Shoko also walked up to them. It was like their first meeting in elementary school again; she was too shy to look Ryosuke in the eye. Looking away, she blushed and mumbled softly, "Ryosuke, I... I'm in the cooking club."
She chose this club because she wanted to learn how to cook. Her mother was always too busy. Luckily, the school had a cooking club. She hoped that one day, after she had mastered cooking, she could say something to him like, "I want to make miso soup for you every morning."
"Ryosuke, is this your new friend?" Nibutani Shinka's little head was filled with big questions. This was the first time she had ever seen a boy their age get so close to Ryosuke.
"Hello, my name is Hayama Hayato. I'm Hiratsuka's classmate." Hayama Hayato's face still held its sunny, cheerful smile. He was very good at reading the mood. He could tell at a glance that the two girls had an extraordinary relationship with Hiratsuka Ryosuke, so he didn't try to get too close to Ryosuke.
"Hello, my name is Nibutani Shinka. I'm Ryosuke's childhood friend," Nibutani Shinka said with a graceful, composed demeanor, completely unlike her excited behavior a moment ago.
"Hello, I'm Nishimiya Shoko," Nishimiya Shoko said, gentle and well-mannered.
The two girls' behavior gave Hayama Hayato a strange feeling, as if he was visiting a friend's house and his friend's wife was politely welcoming him. Hayama Hayato quickly shook this bizarre thought out of his head.
After a brief exchange, the group walked together to the kendo club's dojo. The club room was simple in structure, but the interior was as big as two basketball courts. After taking off their shoes at the entrance, the group walked onto the gleaming paulownia wood floor and looked around. On a far wall, certificates and awards hung in abundance. Closer to them, members in black and white kendo uniforms were practicing their suburi (swinging exercises) in unison.
"My name is Takamachi Kyoya. I'm the kendo club captain. Are you all here to join the club?" a tall boy with a harmless smile asked as he walked up to them.
Hearing the name, Nibutani Shinka's golden eyes lit up with curiosity. A look of intense anticipation appeared on her face as she asked excitedly, "Um, Takamachi-senpai, do you have a younger sister named Nanoha? The kind who can use Starlight Breaker!" As she spoke, she mimicked the finishing move of a magical girl from an anime.
Takamachi Kyoya wore a wry smile. He shook his head, laughing awkwardly, "Haha, no, I'm an only child. I don't have a younger sister named Nanoha." Because of his name, and the fact that he was in the kendo club, he had been asked this question many times before. He was just a regular guy. It just so happened that a few years ago, a popular anime called Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha came out, and the main character's older brother shared his name.
Takamachi Kyoya's answer left Shinka looking utterly crestfallen, as if her dreams had been shattered.
Eriri, who had sneaked into the dojo, was shocked to hear Shinka's words. "Why would this girl expose her otaku side in front of everyone?" Eriri thought to herself. Although she also loved Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, wasn't this girl afraid of being ostracized? Otaku were clearly discriminated against. When she was younger, she was isolated and mocked for talking about otaku topics with a certain person, and she had to completely cut ties with them.
"You there, miss, would you also like to join the kendo club?" Takamachi Kyoya asked loudly, seeing Eriri who had just entered.
Eriri felt everyone's eyes on her and gave an uncomfortable laugh. "I just wanted to take a look."
Ryosuke had noticed Eriri following them earlier, but he didn't think he had any connection with her, so he hadn't paid much attention. He looked back at Takamachi Kyoya and said with a firm tone, "Takamachi-senpai, I would like to join the kendo club." Being skilled in swordsmanship, he could tell that this Takamachi Kyoya was a master.
"Can you tell me your reason for wanting to join?" Takamachi Kyoya asked with a smile.
"To win the national championship!" Hiratsuka Ryosuke answered without hesitation. Then, his tone changed, and a faint smile touched the corner of his lips as if he was thinking of something happy. "When someone puts all their dreams on you, you can't be weak."
Most people didn't react much because their attention was focused on the first part of his answer. But Eriri was pierced by the latter half. When she was a child, someone had told her that he would become the president of a game company and hire her as his exclusive artist. To achieve that goal, she had been drawing like mad, day and night, even developing nearsightedness. She had been following that person, even though they hadn't talked in a long time. Becoming a game company president wasn't something you could achieve just by thinking about it. She suddenly realized that besides still being an otaku, he hadn't done anything. Was she the only one working hard for their shared dream?
A crack appeared in Eriri's heart. Unwillingness and resentment surged through the fissure. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh, but she felt no pain. She suddenly felt that her hard work was just the self-pitying act of a clown.
"Then I'll give you the entrance test," Takamachi Kyoya said with a smile. He then turned to another newcomer. "Zaimokuza, go get a clean set of armor and a practice shinai."
"Yes, captain! The Sword General is on the case!" Zaimokuza Yoshiteru moved quickly, taking Takamachi Kyoya's words as a test for the "Sword General" to reclaim his power.
The two put on the protective gear and stood in the middle of the room. Hiratsuka Ryosuke held the bamboo sword, and his aura became sharp. He was motionless, but ready to move with the force of a thunderbolt. He didn't know modern kendo, only ancient swordsmanship. But the two had some things in common. All swordsmanship relies on speed, accuracy, and ferocity. And the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, an ancient style that specializes in fighting multiple opponents, brings these three points to their peak.
Wearing the helmets, they couldn't see each other's faces. But Takamachi Kyoya could sense the change in his opponent's aura and knew this wasn't a beginner, so he became fully focused. As the captain, he was also the strongest member of the middle school's kendo club and its public face. It would be embarrassing to lose to a new member in the entrance test.
"Who do you think will win? That new guy looks strong."
"Don't forget, Captain Takamachi was a seeded player who made it to the national kendo championships last year."
"I think the captain will win, too. The new guy just looks strong, but the captain is a real city-wide champion."
"Takamachi-senpai is invincible in this school, so don't worry."
"That's not true! Ryosuke is the strongest! Go, Ryosuke!"
Amidst the chattering of the kendo club members, an out-of-place, energetic girl's voice chimed in.
The two faced each other in the center of the court, waiting for the referee's command. Ryosuke had already decided on his move. He didn't really know the rules of modern kendo, but he knew that no matter how much kendo was simplified and had its lethality reduced, it was undeniable that it evolved from ancient swordsmanship. And swordsmanship was once a real-life killing technique. So, hitting the face would definitely score a point.
Both were fully focused, ready to strike. Just then, two more people entered through the door: one with spiky black hair and another with frizzy blonde hair. The blonde one, with his hands in his pockets, yelled arrogantly, "Hey, bring out your best fighter for me!"