"Chang'an, did you inform Master about this?"
"I just told him," Chang'an replied, sipping his tea slowly.
"That bastard Donald King dared to have people watch us. Just wait until I get back and deal with him. Right now, Master wants to live a simple life, so we'll have to be careful if we meet him. Although… this might be a good chance to get him back into action," Lei Li said with a mischievous grin.
"Do you really think Master wouldn't know afterward?" Chang'an replied calmly.
"Heh, just kidding. Chang'an, don't tell Master or I'll be in big trouble."
"Lei Li."
"Yeah?"
"Sorry, I forgot to turn off my phone. Master's been listening the whole time."
"What?" Lei Li jumped up, grabbed Chang'an's phone, and cried, "Master, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously… huh?" Instead of the scolding he anticipated, he heard only a busy signal. Lei Li was left momentarily stunned.
"Just kidding. How could an environmentalist like me leave a phone on and waste battery?" Chang'an strolled out of the room at a leisurely pace.
"Chang'an, get back here!" yelled the hot-headed young man, who clearly couldn't take a joke.
***
"Senpai, next month I'll be competing in the city's high school kendo tournament. Will you come to the venue to cheer me on?" One afternoon, Rumi came to see Masashi and mentioned it.
"What? Even high schools have kendo tournaments?" Masashi asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes. I'll be participating as vice-captain of our school's kendo club. Will you come to watch me, Senpai?" Kazumi asked shyly.
"Sure, I'll come and cheer you on."
"Really? Thank you, Senpai." Rumi was so happy that she grabbed Masashi's hand.
"When is the competition?"
"It's next Saturday at the Kyumeikan Kendo Dojo in Tokyo."
"Alright, I'll go with you then."
"Thank you, Senpai." Rumi's face bloomed into a bright smile.
"There's no need for formalities between us. When we go home, let's ask if Kazumi wants to come. She probably hasn't seen this kind of competition before."
"It'd be great if Kazumi could come too. Senpai, I made these little cookies in my home economics class. Would you like to try one?" Rumi pulled out a small bag wrapped in parchment paper and offered it to Masashi.
"Are you sure it's safe to eat?" Masashi examined a cookie closely.
"Come on, Senpai, that's so mean. I put a lot of effort into making these." Rumi pouted.
Having spent a few weeks together, Rumi had gotten comfortable with Masashi, and their conversations had become more casual.
"Well, you have a track record. I'm still scarred from last week's cake."
"Last time, I just accidentally added wasabi instead of vanilla. But I was extra careful this time. Trust me," Rumi said confidently.
"I'll have it after class. You'd better get back to yours too." Thinking that many people would be curious to try kendo girl Rumi's baking, Masashi decided to test it out on someone else first.
It seemed true that no one could be perfect. While Rumi was naturally gifted in kendo, her cooking left much to be desired. After sampling her baking, Kazumi never let her cook alone again, only allowing her to assist. Masashi, worried that Rumi might one day poison herself, insisted that she eat with them daily, adding some liveliness to their meals.
"Alright, I'll head back. Senpai, make sure to study hard. Don't keep skipping class, or you might end up as my junior," Rumi admonished seriously.
Masashi smiled wryly, feeling a bit nostalgic for the well-behaved Rumi from before.
***
When Masashi returned to his seat, a group of male students surrounded him.
Seeing their eager expressions, Masashi felt a slight headache coming on.
"Man, I'm so jealous. If only Rumi treated me that way. You're a real heartbreaker," one boy said with envious eyes.
"Masashi, please introduce me to Rumi! I'll treat you to McDonald's," another pleaded, almost on his knees.
"This guy keeps claiming he and kendo girl Rumi are just friends. How could you give us false hope? You monster!" one boy cried, practically in tears.
"Guys, could you please stop bothering me every time Rumi talks to me? Give me a break." Masashi sighed.
"No way!" they replied in unison.
"Oh, by the way, Rumi gave me these cookies to share. Do you want to try them?" Masashi held out the bag.
"Really? Let me try!"
"Is this… a cookie made by the legendary kendo girl herself?" one boy said, trembling as he picked one up.
"As expected of the school idol—her cookies even carry her fragrant aura," another said, savoring the scent.
"This cookie represents my first love. I'll keep it forever," said one, practically worshipping the cookie.
Watching his classmates in a trance, Masashi let out a devilish smile.
***
"Why are so many people absent today? Where did they all go?" the teacher asked the class president after taking attendance.
"Sir, they seem to have eaten something bad and are resting in the infirmary," the class president replied.
"Oh, how unfortunate. Well, let's start class."
"Rest in peace, guys," Masashi murmured as he continued reading his novel.