After school, Raydon and I split up. He went in search of a fencing club, and I went to get out of club activities.
The plan was simple — to find a music club and sell the lyrics to the songs for my extremely rare attendance. And what would you think? The hell with me, not the club! Of the ten found, only four were suitable for me. A club of modern music, gaming, aka costumed, rock and pop music. The others either didn't need me because of the lack of songs in their repertoire, or I couldn't give anything, like, for example, to the jazz, retro and opera club.
I was sent to the modern music club. Rudely sent. If there is an opportunity, I will remind them of it. In a rock club, it turns out, they sing famous songs in their own way. Musical fanfiction, damn it. The pop guys had two authors of their own, and they didn't need a third competitor. I even managed to bargain with the cosplayers. But they, more precisely, the blue drummer, who apparently ran everything there, did not quite, in my opinion, understand what he was demanding. One text in two weeks! Yes, I make tens of thousands of rubles on these texts, and he wants them for free! Okay, he can't know that, but he can't help but understand that it's really too much. One text every two weeks… Yes, where will he find such meteors? So, we will assume that I was sent relatively gently. This gay man with his own harem clearly knew what he was doing. A couple of the girls out of the four available shone with intelligent eyes and most likely understood that their drummer had overestimated the price. But I think he'll find a good reason later to convince them of his rightness.
And now I'm standing at the exit of the clubhouse and I'm thinking what to do. At least create your own association of interests. But how to create a club of doing nothing in a school that closely monitors club activities? Oh, longing-ah. Should I go and take a look at the fighting clubs, fencing, for example? And that's the case. At the same time, I'll find Raydon, maybe he'll offer something useful. Or home? And what to do there? I'm completely free today. Or to the "Swallow"? Oh, right, I'll take Raydon, and we'll descend on Honda!
The clubs were located to the east of the stadiums, and they were located on a bad territory. And this is in the capital, even on the outskirts. But the forest struck me. The real one. The whole territory of the school is surrounded by greenery, and there is also a forest. At school. In multimillion-dollar Tokyo. M-yes, the Koyama clan controlling the school is cool, you can't say anything. How did they just get other clans to release their children here? Maybe they put something in the pawn? And figs with him, what's it to me?
The fighting clubs were located between the stadiums and the forest, occupying a huge territory. And if it wasn't for a couple of guys I met, I would have been looking for fencing clubs for a long time. For there were woefully few people on the road between the fences.
The very territory of the fighting clubs looked like... a city block. A lot of dojos with their own small territory, such as a parade ground, surrounded by a stone fence and standing behind each other in several rows. The screams of students and teachers are heard here and there. In some places you can hear a chorus of voices counting something, and in some places just a thunderous trampling. In general, it's interesting. Despite the fact that the streets between the fences are empty, it is very doubtful to feel lonely.
I received very clear explanations: in such a place, the third turn there, the fourth here, blah, blah, blah, the whole street is yours. And only when he reached the place, he realized what "the whole street is yours" means. There are five dojos on each side of the road. And then — five more. There were all kinds of clubs here: European fencing, kendo, Chinese fencing, Indian, Spanish, club to Pau. And this is just the beginning of the street! At such moments, you are glad that you got into a high-tech world where there are mobile phones.
The building I needed was the one closest to me on the left side. European Fencing Club. Standing in front of the gate, I wondered if fights between dojos were accepted here. And the capture of signs with the name of the club. Like in the movies. But that's just me, don't pay attention.
"Wait or search—that's the question," I thought, looking around the club's courtyard.
There were about twenty people in the yard. Someone practiced punches, someone sparred, and someone staggered back and forth just like that. And I didn't see Raydon either.
— Are you thinking about it? Or do you want to sign up right away? — asked the guy who came up. Tall, taller than the average Japanese, with waist-length hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing trousers of Chinese cut and naked to the waist. "Oh, forgive my ignorance, Mina Akira.
Come on, is it really a brother? And, it seems, more polite than my sister.
— Sakurai Shinji, Mina-san, — I bowed in response with the same formal bow. "I'm sorry, Minae—san, but I'm only here to find my classmate. He should be here right now, signing up for your club. If I bother someone or break any rules, please forgive me. I will leave the club grounds immediately," I bowed once more.
— No, no, it's fine. The main thing is not to get under the feet and swords of the trainees," he replied with a smile. — And so you can wait here for your friend and even walk around to see if you decide to join us, — he finished, still smiling easily.
At first glance, a decent person. Much better than his sister. If, of course, they are relatives.
—Thank you, Mina-san," I smiled back. — Uh, can I ask you a question? Am I distracting you?
— No, it's fine. Ask.
— Are you by any chance a relative of Mine Kino? I puzzled him.
—Yes, this is my sister," he replied in a slightly surprised voice. "Do you know her?"
— Yes, we met yesterday morning. It so happened that she turned out to be a friend of my neighbor. Well, or I turned out to be her friend's neighbor. I mean Koyama Shin.
"Sure, sure, I heard,— Akira said, chuckling softly. "She didn't think the best of you. She's been buzzing me all over how bad you are," he finished with a friendly grin.
— Oh, yes! I shook my head. — We liked each other right away.
"Okay," he grunted, "I'll go." And you look under the iron no one gets. It hurts.
Indicating a bow as a thank you for the advice, I continued to look out for Raydon, who appeared a little later in a group of the same, apparently, newcomers. After leaving the dojo, they hesitated for a couple of minutes at the exit, after which they dispersed around the club.
Raydon, who came up, looked very pleased.
— It's great here, isn't it? I just shrugged my shoulders.
— I guess I don't understand it. I'm not very good at fencing. I'm more into firearms and hand-to-hand combat.
Well, why not? I can pass myself off as a strong Student. When passing the exam for the rank, starting with the Apprentice, actions are carried out with the local mana, she is also a bahir. But the Beginner and Student ranks are deprived of this pleasure. Moreover, a strong Student may well roll a weak Apprentice. Actually, I do not need to impersonate anyone, I am quite an official Student in hand-to-hand and firearms combat. Moreover, Kenta knows about it and probably shared the information with his son, and he with his wife. I hinted about it to the old man about a year ago. But the Tire, it seems, does not know or does not pay attention to such a small fry.
— So you still do martial arts? Raydon asked slyly.
"Just a little," I replied cautiously.
"A real man can't do without it," the guy said with an important look.
— It's good to puff up, better tell me, are you free now or not? I asked, pushing him towards the exit.
— Right now, yes. I've signed up for the club and I'm free until tomorrow.
— How about celebrating today? The first lessons, registration in the club ... — then I thought. — I met Koyama Shin, after all. And the day off is tomorrow, you can go out.
"An interesting suggestion," my friend drawled, thinking. — Only I have to go home.
— Of course.
"Where are we going?"
— I have a great nightclub in mind.
— Klu-u-ub? I don't even know. I'm on such establishments somehow... not really.
— It's a great club, you'll see. I go there often. Everything will be top-notch, believe me.
— Yes, and we'll probably hang out there for a long time. And tomorrow... oh, yes, Sunday. Anyway, somehow I'm not sure...
— Do you know the Inter group?
— And then!
— They often walk there. Maybe they will be today. — Wow, the kid is clearly a fan of them, how the whole thing lit up. — Although it's unlikely, to be honest, — I broke him off. — They celebrated there yesterday. But if anything, you never know, I'll introduce you to them.
— Are you familiar with the "Inter"?!
— Hush you, hush. Well, yes, but what's the big deal? I told you: I go there often, they go there often, that's something like that…
— Is there a chance? Oh, it doesn't matter. That is, of course, it is important. A-a-a, in short, when do we meet?
— Count it yourself. You need to go back, get some rest, do your homework, get ready to leave, plus the road... let's go by ten. When you're ready, call me, I'll tell you where and how to get there. You're going to drive, aren't you?
— On your own? By metro? I had such an experience, and I don't want to repeat it," they grinned at me in response.
— Clearly. Listen, how are you going to get home with your sister in the same car? Wait for each other?
— It's one car that brings us here, and two take us.
— Uh-uh, majors.
— Uh-uh, Mr. "fifteen minutes from home".
— Or five minutes of running, you forgot to add.
"Shut up, or I'll cry."
* * *
— I'm at the entrance, but I don't know when I'll be there, the queue is here… In general, the queue is here.
— I'll go out now, the main thing is, don't mix with the crowd, otherwise you won't be found later.
— Mm, okay. I'm standing, waiting.
I hung up on my cell phone and got up from the sofa with a heckle. Eh, old age, old age. Raydon turned out to be a punctual guy, arriving at the club at two minutes to ten. By that time, I had already been banging my ears at the Wrapper for three hours and had been cooling off in the hall for about an hour.