That evening, Suguha Kirigaya made a phone call to her schoolteacher and explained the situation.
The teacher on the other end readily approved a week-long leave for both girls!
Perfect timing—it would allow them to fully participate in the upcoming kendo tournament.
Kasugano Sora, watching from the side, said indignantly, "Are teachers this lenient these days? A whole week off, just like that?"
Suguha puffed out her chest—which completely outclassed Sora's—and replied confidently, "This kendo tournament is a pretty big deal. With my grades and Kanae's, getting a leave approved is a piece of cake!"
Having long since graduated from school, Kasugano Sora had no counter.
All she could do was hum in jealousy.
Originally, Kuzeha Yuu still had to attend school, and now he had to train with Suguha and Kanae after classes too.
This drastically cut down the time Sora could spend with him!
"Kuze-nii, I'm counting on you for the next few days!"
Suguha gave a deep bow to Kuzeha Yuu, her bandage-wrapped chest bouncing slightly as she did.
"Well then, I'm heading home for dinner. See you all tomorrow!"
Watching her leave, Kasugano Sora sighed faintly.
It was really hard to monopolize Yuu.
She had even stopped going to school, yet girls still came to fight over him.
"The competition is way too fierce…"
She hugged a manga titled Call Me Love, which was actually a story about a taboo sibling relationship, eagerly flipping through the pages, searching for strategies she could adapt for herself.
...
The next day.
Sobu High, between classes.
"Kuze-kun!"
A mature and cool voice called out from the back door of the classroom.
The buzz of Class 2-A quieted immediately as all eyes turned toward the source.
Long, dark-purple hair down to her waist.
The standard Sobu High uniform—but on her, it exuded the aura of a refined beauty.
After a brief pause, the classroom broke into excited murmurs.
"It's Busujima-senpai!"
"She's gorgeous—no wonder they call her the goddess of kendo!"
Busujima Saeko, a third-year student at Sobu High, captain of the kendo club.
Despite the buzz of the class, her exquisite and composed face didn't flinch.
"Kuze-kun, could you step outside for a moment?"
Kuzeha Yuu sighed and stood up under Alisa's watchful gaze, walking over to Busujima Saeko.
"Busujima-senpai, is there something you need?"
She looked at the handsome boy before her and curved her lips slightly.
"Kuze-kun, why didn't you show up at the kendo club yesterday for the first day of school?"
"Is something going on?"
"There's a kendo tournament coming up. I've signed up, and I'd like you to help me train for it."
Kuzeha Yuu blinked in surprise.
What a coincidence.
Judging from the situation, it was probably the same tournament that Suguha and Kanae were attending.
He paused for a moment and asked, "Does the tournament have different divisions?"
Busujima Saeko nodded. "Four divisions—elementary, middle school, high school, and university."
Kuzeha Yuu understood. That meant Busujima wouldn't conflict with Suguha and Kanae.
"Still, Busujima-senpai… being a sparring partner takes a lot of time and energy."
He stared back at her with a faint, teasing smile.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
Of course, she knew what he meant.
They had known each other for years.
Back in middle school, during a kendo tournament…
Busujima Saeko, from a traditional kendo family, had been utterly defeated!
The skill Kuzeha Yuu showed then had amazed her—left her infatuated, even.
After that, she frequently asked him to train with her.
Thanks to that, her skills had rapidly improved in just a few short years.
Before long, she had far surpassed normal fighters.
She had to hold back in every match, or risk injuring her opponents.
But when fighting Kuzeha Yuu, she could go all out—swing her sword without restraint, and express her true self.
Because of that, she transferred to Sobu High in her second year, just to be closer to him.
They had a match, one of their best yet.
And it confirmed what she already knew—Kuzeha Yuu was the perfect match for her.
When she asked him to join the kendo club, though, he gave her a condition.
"Busujima-senpai, I'll join… but every time we spar, you have to wear the outfits I pick."
Deeply obsessed with kendo, she didn't question it and agreed immediately.
It wasn't until the outfits grew more and more embarrassing that she finally realized…
But by then, she was already addicted to the way he fought.
She couldn't let him go.
Busujima Saeko took a deep breath and leaned in close to whisper in Kuzeha Yuu's ear, cheeks faintly pink.
"I've already bought the outfit this time…"
Her mature, sultry voice tickled his ear, making his eyes light up slightly.
"Senpai, you're really starting to understand me."
Busujima Saeko gave a soft hum.
"Tomorrow, 3 PM. I'll be waiting in the kendo clubroom."
Without giving him a chance to refuse, she turned and walked away, leaving behind a stunning silhouette.
Back in the classroom—
Several curious students quickly gathered around Kuzeha Yuu.
"Kuze, what did Busujima-senpai want?"
"Nothing much. Just some stuff about the kendo club."
"So jealous… if I'd known, I would've joined too. Senpai's figure is amazing…"
"Right? If she wore an office lady outfit, she'd totally rival Miss Hiratsuka!"
Kuzeha Yuu just smiled silently.
Office lady outfits? That's nothing—he's even seen her in a nurse uniform.
After shooing the others away, he suddenly heard a soft whisper in Russian beside him.
"My body's great too… why doesn't he look at me more…"
Kuzeha Yuu turned toward the voice.
It was Alisa.
And yeah… her figure really wasn't bad.
But an office lady outfit might not suit her so well…
His unblinking stare startled Alisa.
Her heart began to pound wildly.
"D-Don't tell me he understood what I said?!"
Just as her face was about to turn completely red, Kuzeha Yuu said lightly,
"Alisa, what did you just say?"
Alisa let out a long sigh of relief.
"N-Nothing."
She turned her head away, hiding her flustered expression.
Her heart had almost jumped out of her chest just now!