Chapter 63: Changes, Simplicity, and Famous Words
The following day, almost every headline across the newspapers and news outlets in Chiba Prefecture was dominated by the Kendo Tournament pre-selections. Plastered on the front pages was a massive photo occupying a good fifth of the layout.
In the center of the frame stood Chishima Akishin, flanked by Suzuki Tsuyoshi and Yunomoto Shinichi on either side.
The accompanying text praised Akishin to high heaven, describing his Kendo as reaching a divine realm. They dubbed him a "Sword Saint descended upon the mortal world" and predicted a landslide victory for him in this year's main tournament...
It was all laid out with terms that reeked of a heavy case of chuunibyou.
When Akishin got his hands on the paper that morning, reading it while slurping down a bowl of beef noodles that had significantly more meat than actual noodles, he couldn't help but feel a profound sense of secondhand embarrassment.
There was another thing. Since early morning, various high schools had been blowing up his phone, trying to scout him as a teacher for their own institutions.
Most were private schools dangling incredibly lucrative carrots. The highest offer reached a staggering 25 million yen per year, not to mention perks like several paid vacations annually and holiday bonuses.
Private schools, backed by conglomerates or major corporations, essentially played by their own rules when it came to salaries—theoretically, the sky was the limit.
Akishin patiently turned them down one by one. Eventually, as the constant buzzing became a genuine nuisance, he simply switched his phone off.
Those perks didn't mean much to him. Besides, Sobu High was a top-tier school; he had no reason to jump ship.
But most importantly... Shizuka-chan was at Sobu High!
After changing into his clothes and shoes and grabbing his equipment bag, Akishin stepped out of the diner. The faint, hazy light of dawn washed over the entrance.
"Good morning, Ms. Miyako."
Ms. Miyako from the clothing store next door had already opened up. She was sitting on a small stool by the door, reading the paper and radiating the aura of a classic Yamato Nadeshiko.
She didn't return the greeting immediately as she usually did. Instead, she kept glancing back and forth between the newspaper and Akishin.
Startled for a moment, she then let out a soft smile. "I didn't realize it was really you, Chishima-sensei. Congratulations on your victory in the Kendo Tournament."
"Haha, thank you. It's nothing much, really—just the pre-selections."
Akishin caught a glimpse of the paper. Sure enough, it was the West Japan News, the same one he'd been reading earlier.
After a brief chat, Akishin continued on his way. Suddenly, Uncle Daiki, who sold fried cakes across the street, hopped out with localized enthusiasm, waving a newspaper of his own.
"Incredible, Chishima-sensei! To think you actually beat Suzuki-san. Who would've thought Konishi Street had a Kendo Master living right under our noses!"
"Haha, good morning, Uncle Daiki."
Akishin responded with a slightly strained smile, unable to do much more than let out a dry laugh. He had prepared himself for a bit of fame, but now that it was actually happening, the reality of it felt a bit... itchy.
'It'll die down in a few days. Once people's curiosity fades, everything will go back to normal.'
He reassured himself mentally. After bidding Uncle Daiki farewell, he pressed on. Every shop owner he knew along the road offered their congratulations—it seemed the entirety of Konishi Street was already in the loop.
Once he cleared the street, Akishin let out a long breath of relief. There were fewer pedestrians here, and people generally cared more about the results of a match than the face of the athlete itself.
They might recognize his face from the TV, but in the real world, strangers usually didn't pay that much attention.
After all, he wasn't some movie star who appeared on screen every day or dressed flashily in public.
The streets were filled with salarymen, many of whom wore athletic tracksuits just like his.
Speaking of which, yesterday's Kendo match had come with prize money. First place took 10 million yen, second took 8 million, and third took 5 million. (Note: Data on this is scarce, so take it with a grain of salt.)
The funds came from the newspaper companies and TV stations; they had to pay up for the broadcasting rights.
Of course, for Kendo experts capable of breaking into the top three, that amount was merely a nice bonus—it wasn't the main event. The true value lay in the honor and the fulfillment of one's goals.
On his way, he once again ran into Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko. The sharp ring of a bicycle bell echoed. The two girls hopped off their bikes and began walking them the moment they spotted Akishin.
"Chishima-sensei, congratulations on winning the Kendo match."
"Chishima-sensei, that was amazing! Yuik and I watched the live broadcast yesterday, seeing you defeat Mr. Suzuki..."
Yuika offered her sincere congratulations, while Kaiko excitedly rambled about how they had watched the replay of his victory over Suzuki Tsuyoshi on television the night before.
"Thank you both."
Akishin looked at the two girls to his left and thanked them with a smile.
After walking for a bit, he told them to head on ahead. Walking a bike when you could be riding it was just an unnecessary workout, wasn't it?
Following the heavy rain from before, the cherry blossoms lining the road were finally starting to sprout pale green buds. The largest ones had even unfurled into proper leaves.
As far as the eye could see, the atmosphere was brimming with energy, resembling a pale green sea with white buildings scattered like lonely islands in the middle of the ocean.
Akishin arrived at Sobu High at his usual time, but he was blindsided by the reception waiting for him.
The Principal, several directors, three board members, and over a dozen teachers were lined up in front of the gate to welcome him.
A banner hung over the school entrance, offering congratulations on his pre-selection victory. A few journalists, cameras perched on their shoulders, immediately scrambled to start snapping photos.
Many students who had arrived early were gathered around, watching the spectacle.
The Principal and the board members stepped forward to greet him with an incredibly warm demeanor. They showered him with praise and even offered apologies for "previous misunderstandings."
Several teachers and two directors actually stepped up and bowed to Akishin of their own accord.
In truth, this display was a form of compensation from Sobu High's side; they were terrified that Akishin might be poached by another school.
If not for the events of yesterday, they wouldn't have rolled out the red carpet like this; at most, he would have received a commendation in a meeting room.
While Akishin didn't know the specifics of their internal panic, he could guess the general outline. He returned their respect with a polite, humble attitude, insisting it was no big deal. He didn't show even a hint of arrogance despite his new fame.
This only made the school leadership like him even more.
After the ordeal at the gate, the entirety of Sobu High was officially aware of Akishin's achievement.
At the same time, the incident where Akishin had trained Hachiman a few days back was brought up again—it had only been a few days, after all.
This time, no student dared to speak ill of Hachiman. Those who had mocked him previously couldn't even bring themselves to lift their heads under the piercing glares of their peers.
The harder they had mocked him before, the more cynical the looks they received now—still think you can mock Hachiman? The guy's teacher just took down Mr. Suzuki.
It only made sense that the disciple could beat Hayama Hayato!
The facts proved one thing: the vast majority of people in school are just ordinary students following the strongest current.
After parting ways with the school leadership in front of the main building, Akishin walked toward the faculty office under the gaze of the student body. After weathering another round of congratulations from his colleagues, he finally sank back into his own chair.
To everyone else, Akishin had undergone a drastic transformation—a "level up," so to speak. He had gone from a regular PE teacher to a celebrated figure in the Kendo world in a heartbeat.
But to Akishin himself, aside from people being significantly nicer to him, nothing had really changed. He was still the same guy, still here to teach students.
A simple wooden desk, a simple computer on top, simple documents and textbooks to the side, a simple chair—and next to it, Shizuka's seat, where an ashtray sat. Only, that ashtray hadn't seen a speck of ash in days.
Shizuka hadn't arrived yet. The bonus from the school was still being processed. Back at the gate, the Principal had mentioned bumping his annual salary to 18 million yen. That was just the starting point; more would be added with various other allowances later.
To be honest, he didn't care much about the money, but he wasn't going to complain about having more of it.
With no immediate work, he picked up his book to read. Life, for the most part, was still dominated by a certain quietude:
『It is much like rowing a boat against the current; no matter how you perceive the wind and the water, the goal is but one—to move forward.』
『The more experience one gains, the more one is able to see the effect within the cause. My predictions are often proven right, simply because they begin from this point.』
...
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