"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kitahara-kun."
Toji Taku had originally planned to give Takashi a tour of the club, but before he could act, a pair of short legs had already rushed back.
"I'm Toji Rina, Taku's younger sister and the manager of this club. If you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me."
Toji Rina was quite petite—it was hard to say if she was even taller than 150 cm. She wasn't even as tall as Shirogane Kei.
She looked more like a middle schooler.
Her round little face was chubby, still carrying a hint of baby fat, and when she smiled, she resembled a bright, cheerful sunflower.
Takashi had the sudden urge to pinch her round cheeks.
"I told you, in school, you have to call me senpai," Toji Taku scolded, trying to maintain his seniority.
"Onii-chan, if you don't want to get slapped by Dad, you'd better shut up."
Toji Rina wasn't afraid of her brother in the slightest.
Despite Toji Taku being all high and mighty at school, at home, his status was at the very bottom.
He probably ranked lower than their family pet.
By the way, their pet was a Pomeranian named Mimi.
Toji Taku, momentarily speechless, decided to ignore her and continued,
"Our kendo club has excellent facilities. Look at this spacious dojo—we have full access to it.
The dojo is equipped not only with shared protective gear provided by the school but also with a changing room and showers—"
He went on and on about the various advantages of joining the kendo club, but to Takashi, it all translated to—
The dojo is spacious and available for use, but you have to clean it yourself.
Shared protective gear means everyone has worn it before. It smells awful. You'll just have to endure it.
Heh. He saw right through it.
There was actually one thing Takashi wanted to ask the most, but he couldn't find the right moment to bring it up.
Finally, after waiting for Toji Taku to pause, he quickly asked, "Senpai, it's so hot—why isn't the air conditioner on?"
High EQ: The weather is so hot, why isn't the air conditioner on?
Low EQ: Does your kendo club even have an air conditioner?
It was the middle of summer, and just from standing around for a short while, Takashi was already drenched in sweat.
If he hadn't said anything, it might have been fine.
But the moment he did, the entire kendo club fell into an eerie silence.
Even Toji Rina's smile disappeared.
Toji Taku suddenly slammed his hands onto Takashi's shoulders, gripping him tightly. "We'll get one. Trust me, the air conditioner will be here. I've already put in the request!"
Already put in the request? That usually means it's not happening.
So after all this, they don't even have an air conditioner?
Takashi forced a smile. "...Senpai, could you let go of me first?"
"Promise me you won't leave."
Instead of letting go, Toji Taku tightened his grip.
"Alright, I promise."
"I don't believe you!"
"Then why ask?"
"Just to stall for time."
Takashi glanced around and noticed that the other members of the kendo club had completely surrounded him.
Meanwhile, Toji Rina had run to lock the door.
Seeing how smoothly this was done, Takashi figured this wasn't the first time they'd done something like this.
"Just sign it, junior."
"Stop struggling, junior. This place is full of our people."
"You don't even have to fill it out yourself. We can write it for you—just press your thumbprint."
The seniors of the kendo club were grinning like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing a piece of fresh meat.
Takashi struggled desperately. "I don't want to join! Let me go home!"
Damn you, Tanaka Kōta! You misled me!
You said this school invested a lot in club funding!
Did all the money go straight into the football team's pockets?
Takashi had every reason to suspect that the football team used that massive budget to feast on sea cucumbers.
But no matter how much he resisted, with the help of several burly club members, Takashi still ended up pressing his "blood-stained" fingerprint on the application form, officially becoming a member of the kendo club.
Narii, who had been watching from the sidelines the entire time, did nothing to intervene.
Because if Takashi joined the kendo club, they would have more time together!
So what if he liked Shinomiya Kaguya?
Just because there's a goalkeeper doesn't mean you can't score a goal.
Not only would she score, but she would do it right in front of Kaguya.
Now that he was a member of the kendo club, he was free to use its equipment.
Takashi picked up a bamboo sword and examined it closely.
This particular training bamboo sword was 3 shaku 8 sun long, roughly 115 cm.
It was composed of four bamboo slats.
The bamboo was top-grade Moso bamboo, aged at least three years.
The hilt and other parts were wrapped in cowhide, fastened securely with durable nylon strings.
In Japanese sword-fighting practice, real swords, replica swords, and wooden swords are all sometimes used, but they pose significant risks.
The widespread use of bamboo swords not only reduces the danger of training but also allows kendo to develop as a sport.
However, improper use of bamboo swords or incomplete protective gear can still cause severe injuries—or even fatalities. Proper precautions must always be taken during practice.
As he casually swung the sword a few times, the sensation of perfect control and fluid motion stirred up old memories—
of a young swordsman, wielding a staff as if it were a blade, scattering falling petals with a single strike.
At the same time, it confirmed his suspicions.
As expected, his passive ability only activated when he held a sword.
Kandaru Buff—Kendo Edition.
"Captain, would you spar with me?"
Takashi was getting excited.
He wanted to see just how strong he was now.
"Sure."
Toji Taku had no reason to refuse.
"Kitahara-kun, you don't know how to put on the protective gear yet, right? Let me help you," Toji Rina said, carrying the gear over.
"No need, I'll do it,"
Narii snatched the protective gear away like a mother hen guarding her chick.
"Miss Narii, do you even know how to put it on?"
Toji Rina took it back.
"I don't, but I can just look it up online!"
Narii snatched it back again.
As the two girls wrestled over the gear, unwilling to back down, Takashi casually rested the bamboo sword on his shoulder.
"Actually, I don't need protective gear."
With his master-level evasion skill, Takashi was feeling pretty cocky.
Okay, mainly, he just really didn't want to wear that sweat-soaked, reeking protective gear.
He had taken a whiff of it earlier and almost threw up his lunch.
"No way!" x2
Narii and Toji Rina spoke in unison.
"Kitahara-kun, even though it's just a bamboo sword, getting hit can still be dangerous. It could cause serious injuries," Toji Rina explained.
"That's right, Kitahara-kun. Just put it on for safety," Toji Taku urged.
After relentless persuasion from the three of them, plus several other kendo club members taking turns to convince him, Takashi finally gave in and put on the gear.
He had no choice—Toji Taku wouldn't spar with him otherwise.
"So disgusting!"
Takashi was seriously about to throw up.
Both sides took their positions. Toji Rina acted as the referee and called out, "Bow!"
Takashi and Toji Taku bowed to each other.
"Ready!"
At the signal, Toji Taku raised his sword in a perfect jōdan stance, preparing for a decisive strike.
Takashi, on the other hand, didn't take a standard stance.
He simply gripped his sword with both hands.
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