The next day, after a day of diligent studying, it was already 3:40 in the afternoon. The regular courses at school was all over. The remaining time was free for students to engage in various activities, such as participating in club activities, working part-time, attending outside tutoring classes, or even going back home. The classroom was already bustling, but Kazuya was still biting his pen cap, pondering over how to solve a math problem.
"Matsuoka, it's time to go," Shin softly called out to Kazuya who reluctantly glanced at the unfinished problem. He quickly packed his bag and walked out of the classroom with Shin. They ignored the slightly resentful and embarrassed gaze of Makoto Takasaki. After meeting up with Yuma in his class, they chatted along the way, passing through the teaching buildings of Hope Peak Academy, and arrived at the kendo club's dojo. Even before getting close, they could hear the rhythmic "thud" sounds coming from inside – probably the sound of bamboo swords clashing, almost merging into a continuous rhythm.
Hope Peak Academy is a young high school, established less than ten years ago, but it is invested by the Hope Peak Group, a conglomerate in various industries in Nagoya City. The school receives substantial financial investment, and as a result, buildings in this academy are grandly constructed, including the the kendo dojo. From the outside, it appears to be a traditional wooden building, elevated above the ground to prevent dampness and insects. With wooden corridors, red pillars, black doors, and white windows, everywhere exudes a rustic and elegant charm.
Shin led the way, opening the door, and the other two followed him, taking off their shoes in the entrance area. Kazuya curiously trailed behind Shin, observing the surroundings. Upon entering the entrance hall, he watched the kendo dojo and noticed its simple yet spacious structure. The hall, with its polished tung oil wooden floor, seemed to cover an area of seven to eight hundred square meters, roughly equivalent to the size of two basketball courts. The interior decoration was minimal, featuring a solitary certificate hanging on the wall facing the entrance and some calligraphy works on the side walls with characters such as "Benevolence," "Integrity,", "Wisdom," "Courage," and "Courtesy." The entire environment looked quite impressive, but only a few people were present inside, making Kazuya understand why Yuma said that kendo was an unpopular sport.
In a designated hundred-square-meter competition area marked by white lines, two persons engaged in a fierce exchange. Their bamboo swords clashed continuously with remarkable intensity. However, after observing for a while, Kazuya realized that this was not a fair match: one was tall while the other was excessively petite.
Kazuya looked at the diminutive figure, feeling a sense of familiarity. The height resembled Haruka, who forcefully drank his soup in the cafeteria yesterday, as there wouldn't be many students of such short figure in high school. However, the person wore a face mask and was dressed in protective gear, making it difficult to see the facial features and figure clearly, and thus, he couldn't confirm. Shin casually pulled aside a club member and asked, "Excuse me, is Captain Shimazaki here?"
That person turned his head back and saw three unfamiliar faces, speculating that they were probably new students who were interested in kendo. "Are you here for a visit? Welcome to kendo club... I'm Kenji Nakano, nice to meet you. The captain is currently not here. She went to participate in the student association and club recruitment arrangements. Let me show you around? Our kendo club has quite good facilities! You see, this spacious dojo can be used freely, there are public protective gears, and the changing room even has showers – hot water in winter and cool water in summer..."
He went on and on, enthusiastically praising the kendo club, leaving Shin with a mix of amusement and exasperation. He was a senior student, and the relationship between seniors and juniors in Japan was a red line that couldn't be crossed. Japanese schools often operated on a student self-governance system, and many matters in the school couldn't avoid the influence of senior students. If one accidentally crossed the line and incurred the collective displeasure of senior students, it could easily lead to a situation where so many senior students ostracize that one, making it challenging for him to step forward with any complaints.
Shin patiently waited for a moment, finally seizing an opportunity when Kenji Nakano took a breath. He quickly interrupted, "We've already decided to join the club, so there's no need to trouble you, Nakano-Senpai. Since the captain isn't here, we'll wait here... Are they practicing now?"
Changing the topic, Shin was wary of the possibility of Nakano continuing his lengthy talk. Kenji was delighted to hear that they had decided to join, pointing to the practice area and saying, "A freshman has just arrived, and Horri-Senpai is testing her skills! The quality of this year's freshmen is not bad; they've been battled for this long... Oh?"
He didn't finish his sentence as there was a sudden change in the practice area. The petite figure had broken through the opponent's defense with a series of rapid strikes, closing in swiftly and shouting, "Men(面)!" She then delivered a powerful strike to the opponent's men, hitting the faceguard with incredible force, causing the opponent to fall backward.
Kenji stared in astonishment, stuttering, "Un-Unbelievable..."
The temporary referee was also shocked, and after a moment, he reacted and shouted, "Valid strike, red side wins!"
The petite figure took a few steps back after putting away her bamboo sword, bowed, and loudly said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senpai!" Despite her small figure, her presence was formidable, capturing the attention of everyone in the dojo.
The person lying on the ground waved his hand to receive the thanks, seeming not to have fully recovered from the storm-like onslaught. The petite figure, undisturbed, moved to the sidelines of the competition area, knelt down, and placed the bamboo sword on her right side. She then removed her faceguard, revealing a small face about the size of a palm, serious in expression. She pulled off the white towel, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and began adjusting her protective gear and hakama. It was evident that this attire was borrowed, and while the protective gear could be adjusted, the hakama was too loose and oversized, giving her the appearance of wearing a long skirt that trailed on the floor. As Kazuya looked closer, it was undoubtedly the soup robber, Haruka Sakura.
Kenji called out to the person who had just gotten up from the ground, "Horri Senpai, we have new students joining!"
The person on the ground also removed his faceguard, glanced over here, and swayed over. He greeted them, "Ah, it's Shin. Your sister told me about you. You do a good job."
Shin slightly bowed and then introduced, "These are my two friends, Kazuya Matsuoka and Yuma Uchida. This is Ippei Horri, the third-year senior and currently the vice-captain of the Kendo Club. He is highly skilled and a key player in the men's team during team competitions."
Ippei gave a bow to Kazuya and Yuma, "Welcome to the Kendo Club." With just this introduction, he considered it done. He wasn't too concerned about the administrative matters of the club. However, he cast a wary glance at Haruka and asked, "Shin, do you know Sakura?"
"Not really, we're not in the same class," Shin replied. He then inquired, "What's wrong, Senpai?"
"Nothing, I'm just curious about her skills. It seems like she didn't develop them in the school's dojo. By the way, have you heard the name Haruka Sakura during your junior high competitions?" Ippei asked.
Shin shook his head, "Senpai, did you hold back in the match just now?" He thought Ippei might have taken it easy on the newcomer. Since Shin arrived late, he assumed Ippei intended to assess the new member's abilities rather than winning.
Ippei chuckled, "Initially, I did plan to take it easy, but later on, even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The situation was beyond my control, and there was no chance for a counterattack." After a brief moment, he relaxed and expressed his satisfaction, "Having strong newcomers like you and Sakura this year may give us a chance at the national competition. After all, this is our last year in the school, and I hope we can achieve good results."
Shin comforted him, "We will surely achieve good results, Senpai."
Ippei patted his shoulder, smiling, "Thank you." Then he sighed, "If only your sister had your personality."
Shin immediately furrowed his brow, while Yuma muttered quietly from behind, "Please, no!"
Kazuya checked the time and, concerned about waiting too long, asked in a low voice, "Do we have to keep waiting?"
"Since we're here, let's wait a bit longer. We can't ignore Shin's feelings." Yuma replied. His expression suddenly changed and he grinned, "Haruka Sakura is coming. The rumors seem to be accurate: she's at most 145 cm!"