Chapter 71: An Authentic Soul
Once Children's Day had passed, it was time to get back to the grind. Just the day before, Konishi Street had been teeming with life—families on vacation, trailing children behind them as they soaked in the holiday atmosphere.
Even though Chishimaya was nothing more than a humble little shop, yesterday's turnover had nearly hit 200,000 yen. It seemed many parents, caught up in the festive spirit, didn't mind splurging on the pricier menu items they usually passed over, all for the sake of treating their kids.
Surprisingly, the one most affected by the rush wasn't Chishima Akishin—whose physical stamina was in a league of its own—but rather Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko. By the time the shutters rolled down, the two of them looked ready to collapse right there on the floor.
They really had the shop's air conditioning to thank. Without it, they probably would've keeled over from heatstroke hours ago.
To reward their hard work, Akishin retreated to the kitchen and whipped up two massive bowls of shaved ice. He didn't hold back, drenching the ice in fresh fruit syrup and piling on a mountain of toppings: watermelon, peaches, oranges, kiwi, cherries... if it was in the kitchen, it went into the bowl.
By the time he was done, the ice was buried so deep it was practically invisible. It was the same philosophy he applied to beef noodles—more meat than noodles. Still, he kept a watchful eye; eating too much cold stuff when you're exhausted is a one-way ticket to getting sick.
The girls' eyes practically turned into sparkling diamonds. As teenagers, they had a natural weakness for anything aesthetically pleasing—and more importantly, anything edible.
Akishin had been meticulous, carving the fruit and shaping the ice until it looked more like a gallery piece than a snack.
Once they finished, he reached into his pocket and handed them an extra 10,000 yen each—a bonus for the holiday rush. The girls hesitated for a second, their modesty warring with their wallets, but eventually, they accepted.
As they headed out, Akishin pressed two boxes of cake into their hands. Looking at their faces, they seemed even happier about the cake than the cash.
...
The next morning, Akishin received the usual grocery delivery from his suppliers. He went through the motions—prepping the ingredients, tucking some into the fridge, and arranging the rest on the counters.
After changing his clothes, he grabbed a cake box he'd set aside on the top shelf of the refrigerator. This one was for Shizuka.
He traded greetings with his neighbors on Konishi Street as he set off, pedaling his brand-new bicycle toward Sobu High School.
He arrived twenty minutes early. Seeing the faculty office doors still locked gave him a strange, unsettled feeling of being out of sync with the world.
To kill time, he ended up sharing two cigarettes with the old man guarding the gate. By the time the teacher with the keys finally showed up, they were practically old pals.
After waving goodbye to the guard, Akishin made his way to the office, left the cake on Shizuka's desk, and pulled out his copy of Na han (A Call to Arms) to pass the time.
Today was May 6th. The official All-Japan Kendo Tournament was set for May 11th. According to the schedule, he'd need to leave for Tokyo by the 10th at the latest. Naturally, he was bringing Hiratsuka Shizuka and Hikigaya Hachiman along for the ride.
At lunch, Akishin decided to stretch his legs. He spotted Hachiman and the others out on the tennis courts. That student, Totsuka Saika, looked like he was pouring every ounce of effort into his swings.
From what Hachiman had mentioned, this was the Service Club's latest mission: helping Saika Totsuka level up his tennis skills.
Hachiman was also using the opportunity to work on his stamina. In fact, in his own way, Hachiman was pushing himself even harder than Totsuka.
Training the body, one grueling step at a time.
May 7th—they were still at it, running laps around the court.
May 8th—no change.
May 9th—still there.
Luckily, Chiba Prefecture had been kind enough not to rain for the past week. But on this particular day, May 9th, the scene Akishin stumbled upon was different.
Hachiman and the crew were locked in a confrontation with Hayama's group.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Yuigahama Yui. Within minutes, he had the full story—Akishin had made sure to collect the contact info of every Service Club member.
As it turned out, the spark was a classic dispute over court space. But looking at the facts, Hayama's group was clearly in the wrong. Totsuka Saika had gone through the proper channels to book the court; therefore, the right to use it was his and his alone.
Since he had nothing but time on his hands, Akishin began walking toward the courts. He shot a quick text to Yukino—who hadn't noticed him yet—to explain exactly what was happening on the asphalt.
"Go Hayato! Go Hayato...!"
Even from a distance, the cheers of the spectators reached his ears. He was surprised to see Yui standing on the opposite side of Hayama and his cronies. Wasn't she a core member of Miura's inner circle?
Heh. Looks like Yui's growing up, making her own choices for once.
But it wasn't enough.
Hachiman had his Kendo training, which gave him a decent edge in a racket sport, but one man can only do so much against two.
Predictably, they were losing. Akishin toyed with the idea of stepping in to help his little disciple reclaim the court. But then again, this was a student matter. A teacher intervening might look bad—or worse, Hachiman would never hear the end of it...
Wait.
What the hell is Hikigaya doing?
He's kneeling?
Why the hell is he kneeling?!
Just because he lost?!
Akishin, who had been strolling casually while weighing the pros and cons of student politics, froze. There, right in front of Hayama and Miura Yumiko, Hachiman had dropped to the ground.
It wasn't Seiza—the formal, disciplined sitting. It was Dogeza. A full, forehead-to-the-floor prostration. And he was doing it in front of a crowd.
Japan has many customs that feel alien to a Chinese soul, but very few that Chishima Akishin found truly unacceptable. Dogeza was at the top of that list.
Because...
Deep down, in the very marrow of his bones, he was still a creature of the Great Land!
Don't talk to him about "when in Rome." Respecting local customs means embracing good traditions, not tolerating a pathetic habit that strips a person of their basic human dignity.
A cold, sharp fury began to churn in his chest. For the first time since he had arrived in this world, Akishin was truly, genuinely angry. Because the person kneeling there was his student. Chishima Akishin's student!
...
Hayama and the others were staring down at the kneeling Hachiman with looks of sheer bewilderment. Just as they were about to speak, a voice cut through the air—cold enough to make their hearts stutter.
"Hikigaya. Why are you kneeling?"
The voice wasn't a shout, but it carried with a crystalline clarity that reached every ear on the court.
Akishin walked to the gate of the tennis court and swung it open.
"Chishima-sensei?"
"Sensei, I..."
Hachiman tried to push himself up, but Akishin was already on him. Without a word of warning, a lightning-fast leg sweep sent Hachiman crashing back into the dirt.
"Hikigaya! Who told you that you could kneel?!"
Akishin interrogated him, his eyes like daggers as he stared down at the struggling boy.
Hachiman felt the feeling leave his arms, and a dull throb radiated from his back where it hit the ground, but he barely registered the physical pain. He was too busy being terrified by the sheer ice in Chishima Akishin's voice.
It was more than anger. It was—unconsciously—killing intent.
In reality, Akishin had held back significantly. Had he used his real strength, that sweep would have shattered bone or sent Hachiman's internal organs into revolt.
"Chishima-sensei, how could you treat Hikigaya like that? Even if he is—"
"Shut up!"
Hayama, the "Good Guy" persona taking over, stepped forward to protest. Akishin gave him a single look. Hayama's jaw slammed shut instantly.
In that heartbeat, Hayama felt his entire body turn to stone. A sharp, stinging sensation prickled at his neck, as if a blade were resting against his skin. His heart hammered against his ribs, his adrenaline spiked, and every primitive instinct in his brain screamed DANGER.
Akishin reached down and plucked a tennis ball from the ground. Hayama's breath hitched, and he opened his mouth to say something—anything—but Akishin simply flicked the ball toward him.
The ball whistled past Hayama's cheek. The sheer force of the wind it generated felt like a physical slap.
THWACK!
The ball slammed into the fence. The heavy-duty wire mesh didn't just rattle—it exploded into a hole, the metal wires curling outward like a blooming flower of jagged steel.
Hayama stood frozen, paralyzed where he stood.
"Hayama-kun... it seems you and your friends just made my student feel humiliated."
Akishin turned his gaze toward Miura Yumiko. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. She stumbled back several steps, her legs giving way until she collapsed ungracefully onto the ground.
She couldn't understand it. Why was Akishin so terrifying right now? The second his eyes met hers, she felt as if the very blood in her veins had frozen into slush.
The entire crowd watched Akishin with eyes wide with terror—Yuigahama Yui included.
It was as if a demon had just stepped onto the court.
"Chishima-sensei, what is going on here?"
The voice of Yukinoshita Yukino broke the silence. She stepped onto the court in her pink tracksuit, her expression grave.
Even as she faced Akishin's frigid gaze, though a tremor of fear touched her, she didn't look away.
"Chishima-sensei, could you please tell me what is happening?" Yukino repeated, meeting his eyes head-on.
Even though her body was visibly shaking.
The whole ordeal felt like an eternity, but in truth, only a few seconds had passed since Chishima Akishin had first spoken.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
50 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter (Up to 5 bonus chapters per week).
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon: patreon.com/FaaanzKun
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —