Chapter 420

There was a massive crowd, likely because it was the day of the National Athletic Meet.

Even though the tournament venues were divided into several areas, this was a bit too much.

One wrong move and you could become a lost child in an instant.

I figured the highly popular baseball venue must be bursting at the seams.

"What were you eating with Senior Nanase and Senior Inoo on the bus earlier?"

I was unloading drinking water from the luggage compartment for the club members competing in the tournament. When Tetsuya approached and asked the question, I answered without even looking at him.

"Jelly."

"That three-fruit-flavored jelly? The one you always eat at the Academy?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that Miyuki's favorite? Is it okay to just give it away?"

'What kind of weird logic is he trying to attach to this?'

'If he wanted to pick a fight, couldn't he find a reason that actually made sense?'

I straightened my back and gave Tetsuya a baffled look.

"Does Miyuki have a monopoly on liking it? It's a popular brand, so most people like it."

"No, I mean..."

"I know what you're trying to say, but stop reading into every little thing I do."

"I wasn't."

"It sure looks like it to me. I bet everyone else thinks the same."

"Do they?"

Seeing him act all innocent made me want to punch him in the jaw.

I had plenty of other nasty thoughts brewing, but that was me keeping my emotions as contained as possible.

"Wait, weren't you supposed to participate in the tournament too?"

"I was planning to, but since it's a national tournament where results matter, I decided to sit this one out. I'll probably compete in the winter."

'Is it just my imagination, or is he taking a roundabout jab at me for not participating despite my skills?'

'No, knowing him, it's highly likely that was exactly his intention.'

"Right. Good luck with that."

"Thanks. Are you planning to quit Kendo entirely?"

'Ah... The unmistakable stench of his bullshit is already spreading... I really hate this.'

'Let's just give him a straightforward answer for now. If I consider this an investment for the future, I can endure it somehow.'

"Well, I don't think I'll quit entirely."

"You have talent too. Why don't you take it seriously?"

'He says I have talent "too".'

'Why is it so infuriating to watch him offer empty compliments while subtly elevating his own status?'

'I think I've reached the point where even Tetsuya breathing annoys me.'

"I'll handle my own business. I need to unload this luggage, so get lost."

"All right. Keep up the good work."

He spoke as if addressing a subordinate.

It was both ridiculous and funny how arrogant he had become just from learning a little boxing.

They say whoever gets angry first loses, but who wouldn't lose their temper when he acted like that?

My patience was steadily wearing thin.

"Junior, Junior. Let me help you too."

It was Chinami, approaching while I silently moved the luggage.

She was in a good mood after picking out and eating the peach-flavored jelly on the bus, and she looked incredibly cute.

Deciding I needed to erase the lingering stench of that earlier pest, I pulled Chinami's petite frame into a tight hug.

Then I pressed my nose to her head and took a deep breath.

"Hk...!? W-what are you doing?"

"It smells like fertilizer around here, so I'm trying to wash it out with Master's scent."

"Fertilizer? There isn't any farmland around here at all, though?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I don't smell anything."

"You don't have to try to smell it on purpose. Master's scent is very nice."

"I-is it...? You smell nice too, Junior."

As Chinami and I shared our body heat and exchanged those embarrassing words, "Ugh... At it again."

I heard a grumbling voice.

Turning my head, I saw Renka glaring in our direction with an irritated expression.

Releasing the hug, I spun Chinami around, grabbed her wrist, and raised it up, waving her hand in greeting.

Renka bit her lower lip, clearly amused by Chinami, who blankly surrendered her body to me like a robot.

When I gestured for Renka to come over, she hesitated for a moment before stepping up in front of me.

"What. Why."

"I'll be cheering for you, so do your best."

"... No... I mean... Okay."

'Acting like she doesn't care even though she likes it.'

Chuckling at her transparent attitude, I pulled two candies from my pocket and offered them to the pair.

"Eat up and get some energy."

"How is candy supposed to give me energy?"

Unlike Renka, who grumbled while accepting the Blueberry Candy, Chinami joyfully snatched up her share: the peach-flavored one.

"It's a lucky candy. If I eat this, we will definitely win the championship."

It was nice to see her staying so positive and saying such hopeful things.

I wished Renka, who was negative about everything, would take a page out of Chinami's book just for today... But it didn't really matter if she didn't.

Whatever she did, her training would proceed exactly the same way.

Inside the tournament venue, it was incredibly noisy and bustling.

As the largest tournament held only once a year, it naturally drew massive crowds.

"Let's go, Matsuyama!"

"Go, Sena Kendo Club!! Uwaaah!!"

Among the crowd, Kendo Club members from other academies offered normal cheers, while others screamed their lungs out to hype up their teammates.

Even though this was the women's division venue, the scent of sweat seemed to fill the arena.

Thinking about this, I sat in the designated seating area for the Yeboni Academy members and watched Renka, the vanguard, and Chinami, the second vanguard, check each other's gear.

Winning here was a massive honor. An academy with a Kendo Club that won or performed exceptionally well stood a high chance of gaining fame as a prestigious martial arts institution.

Although Yeboni Academy's girls' Kendo Club was already considered prestigious to begin with.

In any case, looking around, our side's energy was noticeably lower than the other academies.

People were cheering half-heartedly, and everyone wore relaxed expressions.

'Have they grown arrogant, assuming our women's division is guaranteed a top spot?'

It gave off the vibe of a dignified champion, which wasn't inherently bad, but the atmosphere was truly awful.

It made us look like the villains of a youth rom-com rather than the protagonists.

Twitching my lips in displeasure, I waited for the arena's fervor to die down slightly before shouting loud enough for Chinami, Renka, and all our participating athletes to hear clearly.

"Let's go, Yeboni!!"

"Ah, shit... You scared me...!"

"What the... It's just Matsuda?"

My voice was loud enough to echo through the expansive venue.

In response, the upperclassmen sitting around me reacted according to their personalities.

Some swept a hand over their chests in surprise, while a few others chuckled in amusement.

Suddenly finding themselves the center of attention because of me, they exchanged glances before breaking into vigorous cheers without needing any prompting.

It was a bit embarrassing, but this was exactly how a youth story should feel.

Finally, this felt like the club a protagonist belonged to.

Flashing a satisfied smile, I watched Renka and Chinami give me a thumbs-up. Then—

"Can't you keep it down? You're being a nuisance."

Hearing Tetsuya's voice from beside me, I let out a long, internal sigh.

"How is it a nuisance?"

"The shouting. Shouldn't we be cheering quietly?"

'Everyone else is screaming their lungs out, but here he goes spouting absolute bullshit.'

No one could listen to such out-of-place, sudden nonsense without getting angry.

'Let's show him I'm a little pissed off.'

"Haa... Hey."

Tetsuya flinched as I called out to him with a heavy sigh.

I shot a sidelong glare at his pathetic face before turning my eyes back to the arena.

"I know you hate me, but don't bring that kind of crap here. It's annoying."

"Huh...?"

He looked flustered, probably not expecting me to humiliate him so openly.

'I guess my recent patience made him think I was a pushover.'

'The old Matsuda's bad reputation... I might actually miss it a little.'

"Did our Kendo Club ever have an image where we strictly had to cheer in silence? Do things your own way, just don't talk to me."

"That's a bit harsh."

As you live your life, you inevitably run into the worst kinds of people.

Some insist on arguing back, refusing to lose even a single word despite clearly being in the wrong.

And then there are guys like Tetsuya, who intentionally provoke people to make them feel bad, only to turn the arrow back on their target and act like they've done nothing wrong.

For people like that, pride is usually the biggest factor.

Admitting fault feels like losing. In Tetsuya's case, since he sees me as a romantic rival, that feeling must be especially intense.

There might be—just by a one-in-a-million chance—another reason, but knowing Tetsuya, it would be negative anyway, making it entirely worthless to find out.

"I told you not to talk to me."

"No... Am I not even allowed to offer my opinion?"

"What you just did wasn't offering an opinion; it was picking a fight. Stop crawling over here to ruin my mood and just shut your mouth. If you don't like it, go sit somewhere else."

"You seem pretty worked up. Should we talk privately later?"

'Is he trying to start a fight? Or is his goal just to keep scratching away at my nerves? I don't know.'

'In his head, he probably thinks I'm genuinely riled up... It's beyond laughable.'

"I'll say this one last time. Shut up."

"..."

Perhaps the low tone of my voice made him decide it was time to back down?

Closing his mouth, Tetsuya didn't say another word. He quietly sat with the other members and watched the matches that were about to begin.

'If he wanted to rain on my parade, he could have waited until the tournament was over. He always has to throw cold water on a good day.'

Maybe today, after the tournament ended, Tetsuya and I would pass a point of no return.

I had that kind of premonition. Of course, if that happened, I would welcome it with open arms.

'Let's just prepare for every possibility so everything flows to my advantage.'

'There's absolutely nothing to lose by doing that.'