Chapter 52: The Writer's Malady
"Sword Saint Academy Series—Void Illusion of the Flash of the White Blade ~ Black Oak Arc"
Zaimokuza's novel was a supernatural battle story.
The tale was set in a Japanese city where a mysterious organization and superpowered individuals with memories of past lives appeared in the dead of night.
The protagonist, an utterly ordinary teenage boy, one day realizes there is a great power hidden within his body, which he then uses to defeat one villain after another, saving the world and becoming a savior.
Yes, Chishima Akishin had also received a copy of Zaimokuza's novel, hand-delivered by Hachiman and Zaimokuza themselves.
Zaimokuza, with a solemn and noble expression—and a posture that looked like he was ready to drop into a full dogeza—had begged Akishin to read his work.
He claimed that after witnessing Chishima-sensei's "form," he had made Sensei his idol.
Akishin accepted it and even treated Zaimokuza and Hikigaya to a meal. During that time, Zaimokuza had taken to calling Akishin the "God of Cooking..."
After finishing work at ten PM and seeing off Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko, Akishin, upholding his responsibility as a teacher, suppressed the urge to shred the draft in front of him and forced himself to read this "masterpiece" to the end.
Once finished, Akishin fought back a feeling as if he had just consumed a tin of surströmming and attempted to judge the light novel objectively.
The story structure was decent, if a bit cliché. The plot progression followed a certain logic; it was clear there was an outline and some thought put into the beats.
It was just... how to put it? The writing style was... unique. Unintelligible vocabulary popped up constantly, he used inverted sentences for no reason, and there were confusing plot points, like why the heroine suddenly decided to take her clothes off...
Since Akishin wasn't a native Japanese speaker, there were more things he didn't understand than things he did.
Finally, Akishin wrote a note on the cover: Practice more; the potential is immense. If one book fails, write two. Write a million words first, then we'll talk.
Closing the draft, Akishin yawned, noticing it was already three in the morning. Dressed in grey pajamas, he grabbed a glass of water and walked to the window to look out.
The lights were off, but the moonlight was bright, coating the world in a silver sheen. Konishi Road below looked dim, with only a few lanterns and streetlights glowing. It was profoundly quiet, with almost no pedestrians in sight.
Occasionally, a drunk or two would wander by, or a homeless person looking for something to salvage.
Watching this in the silence, Akishin was reminded of himself as a child...
He shook his head, finished his water, went back to bed, pulled up the covers, and drifted off.
No need to overthink it; tomorrow would be another fine day.
The next day, Akishin woke up late for the first time since arriving in this world. He made it to work just in time alongside Shizuka, yawning incessantly.
Shizuka asked if he was sick. Akishin handed Zaimokuza's masterpiece to her. She didn't even make it twenty pages before giving up.
If Akishin hadn't stopped her, knowing Shizuka's temperament, the draft would have likely been torn to shreds.
Shizuka then praised him. "It's honestly impressive that you could read it to the end, Chishima-kun. Remarkable."
Akishin replied, "We are teachers; it's only natural to guide our students. This is only Zaimokuza-kun's first novel. Finishing it at all is a feat."
When the first period ended, Akishin handed the draft to Hachiman to return to Zaimokuza. He wouldn't be visiting the Service Club that afternoon.
The dark circles under Hikigaya's eyes were severe; he had likely spent the night reading it too. Accepting the novel Akishin held out, he gave him a look that seemed to say, 'Sensei, are you planning to run away?'
Akishin offered a thin smile and turned to leave. Whatever happened to Zaimokuza—and the trio in the Service Club—was up to them now.
Periods two and six were PE, and period four was Mandarin. At noon, he ate bento with Hachiman on the stairs, enjoying the breeze. In his spare time, he read and chatted with Shizuka-chan.
He spent about an hour each day teaching Kendo to Hachiman. After five days of practical combat training, Akishin began teaching actual techniques.
How to swing, how to grip, and a few techniques he had developed himself—specifically the Tsuki (thrust).
Hachiman had used this move when sparring with Hayama. He had seen Akishin do it once and mimicked it; honestly, his talent for Kendo wasn't bad at all.
While sparring, Akishin provided instructions. Often, for a single move, Akishin would have to guide him repeatedly—dozens of times.
Hachiman finally understood what it felt like to have a real master. This was a teacher!
What was the point of the ones who just beat you up every day?
At 3:30 PM, school ended. Akishin returned to Chishimaya to greet Kondo Yuika and her friend, had dinner, opened the shop, finished work, had a bit of alcohol, discussed Kendo with Suzuki Tsuyoshi over the phone, asked about the tournament rules, and then bathed and slept.
The next day, he went to work again.
Life had become tranquil.
Later, Akishin heard Hikigaya talk about Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, recounting what Zaimokuza had said:
"But even so, even if they call my work a mess, I'm still happy. Letting someone else read what I wrote because I love it, and then hearing a 'thank you' from them... it's amazing. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but I'm truly happy."
Hachiman added, "Zaimokuza was smiling then. It wasn't the smile of a 'Swordmaster General,' but just the smile of Zaimokuza."
Then Hachiman offered his own interpretation, his smile looking cheerful but his tone suggesting the frustration of someone watching another's failure—or perhaps just being dishonest with his own feelings.
"Zaimokuza doesn't just have Chuunibyou; he has a severe case of 'Writer's Malady.' People like him write because there's something they just have to say to the world. If their work can move even one person, they feel ecstatic. They'll keep writing, even without recognition. That's the symptom of the malady."
Akishin asked Hachiman, "Hikigaya, is Zaimokuza your friend?"
"...I suppose so!"
Hachiman hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.
Akishin looked at the sky and said, "Then take good care of your friend. You're still young; don't let yourself live in gloom. You need to understand what your heart truly desires. Remember, training the sword is training the heart—the Way of the Heart (Dao Xin). Understand what you want, chase it, protect it, and fight for it. Leave no room for regrets. Don't worry about the eyes of others; make the choice you truly want. That way, you won't waste your life."
Hachiman stared with his dead-fish eyes and asked, "So... have you done it, Sensei?"
Akishin's smile froze. Anyone can spout grand theories; they're just sentences. But those who can actually live them... how many of them are there?
That single sentence—he hadn't managed to achieve it himself.
Naturally, Hachiman was promptly hit again... no, he was given "practical training" under the beautiful excuse of "tempering his heart."
Time passed without notice. When life enters a routine cycle, time feels like it's accelerating. Some people spend 365 days a year in repetitive work, and an entire lifetime slips by in a flash.
Work, teach, go home, open shop, sleep, work...
Before he knew it, five days had passed, and the day of his promise with Suzuki Tsuyoshi arrived. The Chiba Prefecture Preliminaries for the Kendo Tournament were about to begin.
The day before, Akishin requested a leave of absence from the school board.
The principal and the three board members had likely received word from somewhere that he had defeated Suzuki Tsuyoshi. Regarding his leave request, they approved it instantly—they even gave him a Paid Leave and asked if he needed more days.
Afterward, they cautiously and subtly hinted that if he won—especially after defeating Suzuki Tsuyoshi in public—they hoped Akishin would mention Sobu High during his interviews.
Of course, by then, everyone would know he was a teacher there, and the TV stations would introduce his background, but if he said it himself, the effect would be much better.
For example, past tournament champions were always listed with their affiliations: a certain police officer, a certain school teacher, a member of a certain institution...
Any school listed there would see its popularity skyrocket. It was a massive advertisement that money couldn't buy, a huge deal for Sobu High.
They didn't demand he win the national title, but being able to defeat Suzuki Tsuyoshi in a public forum was enough to shake all of Chiba Prefecture.
Since Suzuki Tsuyoshi took his post, no one in Chiba had been able to best him. Suzuki was even the champion of the 52nd tournament.
To this small request, Akishin naturally agreed. Sobu High treated him well, and the school atmosphere was pleasant. Returning the favor was the least he could do.
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