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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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“Are you taking some sort of supplementary classes?”
I responded to Tetsuya’s question after finishing my shower and rejoining Chinami in the common area.
“Yeah. Looks like I’ll have to head out before you today. Do you have an umbrella?”
“I’ll be borrowing one from the club. Then, should I go back with Miyuki?”
Go back with Miyuki?
Isn’t that impossible?
Your destiny on a rainy day such as this is to be eating onion pancakes and drinking makgeolli… no, to indulge in okonomiyaki and sake all by yourself.
“Sure.”
“Then, good job today. Same for you, Nanase-senpai.”
Tetsuya bowed politely.
Chinami waved goodbye with a bright smile.
“Take care, Miura-kouhai.”
Tetsuya disappeared, and the remaining club members also left.
Chinami, who had been eyeing the coach’s office, breathed a sigh of relief. She then fetched the shinai I had been using from the storage room.
“Shall we start practicing right away?”
Grasping the handle of the shinai appropriately, I replied,
“Before we start, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Inoo-senpai mentioned that your preferred technique is ‘Jōdan.’ Is that true?”
“That’s correct.”
“Would you teach me?”
“Uh…?”
She blinked her large eyes, clearly taken aback.
After a moment’s hesitation, she flatly refused.
“It’s not possible.”
“Why?”
“You’d have to learn ‘Chūdan’ before you can effectively learn ‘Jōdan.’ So no, I can’t teach you that.”
“But still, teach me.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“…Matsuda-kouhai, are you trying to play word games with me? Very funny, but still, I can’t.”
“I’m telling you, you can.”
As I slowly approach Chinami, a smile forming at the corners of my mouth, her head gradually lifts.
Instead of being intimidated due to my closing large frame, now, with her head fully raised to meet my gaze, she crossed her arms confidently and said,
“No matter how hard you try to force it out of me, it just won’t work.”
“Is it strange for a disciple to follow in the footsteps of their Master?”
“Your enthusiasm is commendable, but learning ‘Jōdan’ now will completely ruin your stance.”
“Isn’t that based on the assumption that one learns ‘Chūdan’ first? If I start with ‘Jōdan,’ it could be a different story. That’s why, I want to be taught by you, a Master of ‘Jōdan.’”
“Flattering words won’t change my mind. Could you step back a bit? You’re so tall, my neck is starting to hurt.”
“Would you like me to massage it?”
“Um… No.”
Seems like she was a bit tempted?
She was more straightforward with her emotions than Miyuki, making her easier to read.
Either way, pressing any further here would be fruitless.
Best to gracefully give up and wait for the next opportunity.
Stepping back from Chinami, I adjusted my stance, staring into the large wall-mounted mirror in the corner of the common area.
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*drip! drop!*
Staring at the relentless rain that showed no signs of stopping, Chinami alternated her gaze between the last remaining umbrella and my face before speaking.
“Being my kouhai, you should be the one to take the umbrella. I’ll take a taxi instead. But let’s share it until we get to the main gate.”
“A taxi? How far is your home?”
“About a 15-minute drive.”
“Is that so? Would you like me to give you a ride then?”
“Wha…?”
Chinami’s mouth fell open in surprise.
I couldn’t help but want to stick a finger in there.
“Do you have a car, Matsuda-kouhai?”
“Yes, I drove here today.”
“R-really…?”
“Let’s head to the parking lot together. I’ll hold the umbrella.”
After finishing my sentence, I immediately opened the umbrella and headed out the door.
*drip-drip-drip!*
The thick streams of rain pelted the canopy. The sound wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
I then spoke to the hesitant Chinami.
“What are you doing? Come on.”
“Ah, yes…!”
She moved cautiously, standing next to me in a formal stance…
However, she still kept a slight distance between us.
As a result, a stream of rain hit one of her shoulders, and I could see her uniform blouse quickly soaking up the moisture.
Moreover, the height difference between us and the long gap between her and the umbrella allowed rain to penetrate our shared space.
At this point, sharing an umbrella seemed almost meaningless.
With a light laugh, I stepped close enough that our legs touched. Then I slightly bent my knees and lowered the umbrella just enough for it to be touching my hair.
Noticing my consideration, Chinami offered an awkward, apologetic smile.
“Thank you, Matsuda-kouhai… You’re much kinder than the rumors suggest.”
The second-year members of the Kendo Club already treated me reasonably well, but that’s only because I’ve been diligent in my role as a manager.
The other second-years probably still see me as a delinquent.
I don’t really care about that, though.
After all, they’re just extras in my life with whom I have no real interaction.
I idly scratched the side of my head and changed the topic as if to show that I had no interest in such rumors.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes…!”
We walk toward the parking lot with baby steps, moving at a snail’s pace.
Walking with bent knees isn’t the most comfortable thing, but…
What can’t I endure for the sake of gaining favor?
Besides, since I would have to create any event involving Chinami, it was best to make even a slight move as soon as an opportunity appeared.
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Arriving at the corner of the parking lot under an eave with Chinami, I excused myself and called Miyuki.
After a few rings,
-Hello?
Miyuki, lowering her voice, answered the call.
“Where are you? Still far away?”
-I was just getting ready to leave. Are you in the parking lot, Matsuda-kun?
“Yeah.”
-It’ll take me about two minutes. I’ll be there soon.
After acknowledging her, I hung up.
“There’s one more person joining us, so would it be okay to wait for about two or three minutes?”
“Of course. By the way, Matsuda-kouhai, how much does the fuel cost for a 15-minute drive?”
“Why are you suddenly asking about fuel costs… You’re not planning to pay for it, are you?”
“Yes.”
Looking into her earnest eyes, I realized she wasn’t just setting a boundary.
She genuinely believed it was the right thing to do.
With a smirk of mild disbelief, I spoke.
“Please just take it as a favor.”
“But I can’t just…”
“Then I guess I should pay my Master too. For teaching me how to wear a uniform, how to perform my cleaning duties as a manager, and for teaching me kendo…”
“Wait, wait a minute! That’s not the same thing…!”
“Well, by that logic, what you’re saying also doesn’t make sense, Master. Forget about the fuel cost. If it really bothers you, just buy me a drink later.”
With my nonchalant response, Chinami’s round face visibly relaxed.
She bowed her head slightly and said,
“Alright. I’ll gratefully accept the ride today.”
Not long after our pleasant exchange, I spotted Miyuki approaching quickly, wearing sandals and carrying an umbrella.
She seemed to be heading for my car but stopped in her tracks when she noticed Chinami and me standing under the eave.
Miyuki seemed momentarily confused, but soon approached us.
With a wry smile, I introduced Chinami to her.
“This is Nanase-senpai, the manager of the Kendo club.”
“Ah, the… the sensei you mentioned before?”
“Exactly.”
Miyuki’s head slowly nodded in recognition.
She bowed slightly to Chinami and greeted her.
“Hello, Senpai. My name is Hanazawa Miyuki…”
“Hello! I’m Nanase Chinami. Nice to meet you, Hanazawa-kouhai.”
After watching the two exchange greetings, I told them to stay where they were and dashed toward my car.
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Chinami’s home… It’s just your typical house that you’d find anywhere.
She seems to be living quite an ordinary life.
“Thank you, Matsuda-kouhai! Please drive safely!”
As the car arrived at the entrance of the mansion, Chinami leaned forward from the back seat.
Glancing back at her, I pointed to the umbrella under the seat, which was dripping rainwater.
“Don’t forget your umbrella.”
“Yes! Please be careful on your way back as well, Hanazawa-kouhai! I’m really glad we met today, and that we got to talk about so many things!”
At her spirited farewell, the face of Miyuki, who had been sitting in the front seat, lit up.
“It was nice to meet you too, Nanase-senpai. I look forward to seeing you in the future.”
With that, Chinami got out of the car, holding an umbrella that looked somewhat large in comparison to her, and waved goodbye to us once more.
She then entered through the gate of her house.
Miyuki, who had been watching her retreating figure, turned her head to look at me as the car began to move.
“Does she always speak so formally like that?”
“She does that with everyone, whether they’re older or younger than her. She always uses respectful language.”
“Really…? She’s incredibly kind… and also adorable… But Matsuda-kun.”
“What?”
“You could’ve given me a heads-up, you know.”
Miyuki’s voice took on a slightly cold tone.
Although the situation was cleared up thanks to the explanation Chinami and I provided in the car, Miyuki doesn’t seem to hold any ill-will towards Chinami, but…
Whether she knew it or not, she was secretly jealous of her.
It’s natural for any normal person to feel uncomfortable about another woman encroaching on their territory.
Provided, of course, that they have normal tastes.
“I was planning to tell you when I called you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“You said you were on your way, so I thought I’d tell you in person.”
“Is it that hard to just say it? How long could it possibly take?”
Just then, the traffic light ahead of us turned red.
Easing the car to a stop with a leisurely press of the brake, I turned to look at Miyuki.
“Are you angry?”
She avoided my gaze, flinching slightly.
“Why would I be angry? There’s no reason to be…”
Her voice trailed off.
Miyuki clenched her lips shut and gave a shuddering jerk, almost as if she was suppressing a sob.
And that was because my slowly approaching hand had grasped her wrist.
Looking intently at the speechless Miyuki, I curled one corner of my mouth upward and applied a gentle force to my hand, pulling her closer to me.
As I did that, Miyuki’s body shifted slightly… ever so slightly, pressing closer to mine.
“Well… come to think of it, there might be a good reason for it.”
“…What do you mean?”
Don’t pretend you don’t understand.
No matter how awkward you might be with romantic relationships with the opposite sex, you’re not clueless about what I’m implying.
I broadened my smile ever so slightly, and answered her question by pulling Miyuki’s hand toward me and resting it on the console box.
Then, I gently ran my finger through the gap between her index and middle fingers before deliberately changing the subject.
“What are you cooking for me today?”
“… I don’t know.”
“Should we just grab anything from the grocery store?”
“I’ll pick something myself…”
Though she pretends to be upset, her cheeks are flushed.
It’s evidence that she finds this light yet subtly sexy skinship rather pleasant.
Her visible reaction to just this makes me both curious and excited about how she’ll respond once I make this same motion with my fingers around a different part of her body.
Casting a sidelong glance at Miyuki, I asked.
“Should we also get some beer?”
“Beer…? It’s not good for your health.”
“It’s made from barley. Tastes good too. So it must be healthy.”
Miyuki burst into laughter at my seemingly nonchalant words.
“Should I drop you in the middle of a barley field then?”
Usually, she would’ve reprimanded me for making such an absurd statement, but this time she’s playing along.
Maybe she felt bad for taking things too seriously before.
Anyway, it seems like she hasn’t considered the fact that if we drink, I can’t drive.
She’s not planning to cook dinner for me and go back alone, is she?
Maybe I should use the beer as an excuse to suggest she stays the night at my place?
I guess I’ll have to gauge the mood before making a decision.
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