Chapter 110: Conspiracy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: Conspiracy
By the time we arrived at the mountain in the Tokyo suburbs, the sun had already set.
Deciduous trees, dyed orange, lined the road on both sides, creating a beautiful harmony with the sunset.
The other club members must have felt the same way, as gasps of admiration erupted from all over the bus.
I glanced over at Renka. She was resting her arm on the armrest, gazing out the window with a faint smile.
It seemed the beautiful scenery had lifted her spirits.
Tetsuya was sleeping with his mouth slightly agape, looking so pathetic it made me want to slug him in the jaw.
And Chinami...
“Mmm...”
She was off in dreamland, using the Momo-nim neck pillow, completely at ease.
With her head resting on my shoulder, she was making little sucking noises, as if dreaming of eating something delicious.
It was about time to arrive, so I shook Chinami to wake her.
“Master.”
“Mmmng...?”
Chinami blinked her eyes open and looked up at me.
I pressed my index finger into her cheek, and it sank right in.
Her muscles must have been completely relaxed from sleep, because her skin felt incredibly soft.
Not quite as warm as Miyuki, but close.
I want to touch it more.
After playfully poking Chinami’s cheek, which elicited only a dull reaction due to her sleepiness, I spoke.
“Master. I think we’re about to arrive.”
“Okaay...”
“Time to get up. Here, have some water first.”
I held a water bottle with a straw in it to her dry lips, and she bit down on the end of the straw.
Then, with her eyes still hazy, she began sipping the water.
“Mmm... the water tastes sweet...” she mumbled in a sleepy voice, sounding like an old woman.
I let out a small laugh and, while Chinami stretched, I gathered the empty peach carton and jelly packets.
Just then, the bus pulled up to the entrance of the mountain lodge.
The moderately sized parking lot was completely empty.
About five or six staff members were standing outside holding a placard that read, [Welcome, Yebonie Academy Kendo Club]. It seemed we were the only ones who had made a reservation.
Do they only accept one academy at a time to provide focused care?
That was good news for me.
Peeeeep—!
As I was silently admiring the lodge’s exterior, a short, sharp sound made me jump and look forward.
There stood Goro, a whistle in his mouth, grinning.
Blowing that thing inside the bus is just too much. His passion is a little over the top.
“Everyone, wake up and get off.”
Goro’s solemn command snapped the club members to their senses, and they sluggishly sat up.
I removed the neck pillow from Chinami, who was still rubbing her eyes, half-asleep.
“Should we get off too?”
“Okaay...”
* * *
The rooms we were staying in were tatami rooms, five people to a room.
Though they were called five-person rooms, all the guest rooms were clustered together inside the traditional-style building, so you could easily move from one room to another.
Just open a sliding door and take a couple of steps, and you were there.
It was the perfect setup for a party.
Judging by the excited looks on the members’ faces, they were probably planning to have a drinking party tonight.
Not that it mattered to me, since I had absolutely no intention of participating...
They’d probably get caught by Goro and get a harsh scolding.
“Looking forward to rooming with you, Matsuda.”
That was Tetsuya, who was assigned to my room.
I had no idea what he was “looking forward to.”
I gave a vague nod and asked, “Do you snore?”
“I don’t. Don’t worry.”
How could I not worry, when you seem to possess every single one of humanity’s flaws?
I was already so anxious I could feel a sigh coming on.
“That’s a relief. We have to assemble in fifteen minutes, so get changed and unpack.”
“I don’t have anything to unpack, so I’m good. Should we lay out our bedding now? We’ll be tired after training...”
“He said today will be light.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m the manager, so I have to know the basics. Anyway, where are you going to sleep?”
“Shouldn’t the seniors decide first? I’ll go ask them. First, I need the bathroom...”
Watching Tetsuya disappear into the room’s bathroom, I called Miyuki.
Before the second ring, Miyuki’s voice came through the phone.
- Hey, Matsuda-kun. Did you get there okay?
“Yeah. Just got to the room. What are you up to?”
- I just got back from meeting a friend. How’s the lodge? Is it nice?
“It’s alright. I’m in the same room as Miura.”
- Oh, really? So it’s just the two of you?
“No. It’s a five-person room, so I have to share with three second and third-year seniors.”
- I see. Well, this is a good chance to get closer with Tetsuya-kun, maybe open up to each other.
I can assure you, that will never happen.
“You should go to bed first tonight. We have to assemble, eat, and then go straight to training. I don’t know when it’ll end.”
- That sounds like a really tough schedule... Send me a text before you go to sleep, okay?
“Will do. I’m hanging up now.”
- Okay. Train hard.
After a call that was similar to usual, but a little sweeter, I knocked on the bathroom door, told Tetsuya I was heading out first, and opened the door to our room.
I then went to the assembly point and found Chinami.
She was taking the protective gear and other equipment out of the bus’s luggage compartment.
I rushed over to her and practically snatched the box she was holding out of her arms.
“Hey, why are you doing this alone? We can do it together.”
Chinami blinked her wide eyes and replied, “We’re eating in five minutes. I was just organizing things a bit during the remaining time. To make it easier to move later.”
“Just leave it. I’ll do it after we eat.”
“We should do it together.”
“You were just doing it by yourself. So for things to be fair, I should do it alone next.”
“That’s ridiculous logic. An unbelievably unfair and stubborn argument.”
“Think of it as punishment for acting on your own without telling me.”
“What...? Where in the world is there a disciple who punishes their master?”
She’s so cute when she pouts and argues like that.
I put the box down and, without warning, placed my hand on the back of her neck.
“Hic...!?”
Chinami’s shoulders shot up as she hiccuped.
I gently scratched the upper part of her neck where her baby hairs were, as if tickling her with my nails. Her eyes, which had been wide with surprise, instantly went slack.
“Mhaaa...”
A languid sigh escaped her lips, and her tense shoulders relaxed, her body going limp.
As a bonus, her eyes darted around as she met my deep gaze.
It had been a long time since I’d touched her there, so her reaction was immediate. If I kept this up, she might just lose it a little.
“Ju-Junior...! What are you doing...?”
“Feels good?”
“We-well, yes, but... doing this here is... inappropriate...!!”
Chinami, who had been barely holding on to her senses, let out a high-pitched moan.
It happened because I had pressed and caressed the protruding cervical vertebra on the back of her neck.
She always did like it when I touched her here... I guess that hasn’t changed.
“Chinami! Are you there!? It’s time to assemble!”
Hearing Renka’s voice from a distance, Chinami’s eyes flew open.
Deciding she couldn’t take any more, she clenched her fists and darted forward.
The moment she was out of my grasp, she exhaled the breath she had been holding.
“Haaah... Huaah...!”
It wasn’t like I was holding her captive, but seeing her act like an escapee from a kidnapping made me want to laugh.
She patted her chest, calming herself down, and said, “Junior... are you going to keep touching my body so carelessly without permission...?”
“You looked tired from carrying heavy things. I wanted to give you a massage after so long, and as your disciple, I wanted to take care of my master...”
“I-I didn’t ask for a massage right now...! I’d appreciate it if you’d be more careful next time...!”
Was I just imagining it, or did she emphasize the word ‘now’?
Probably not.
“I’ll do that. The walking trails around the lodge look nice. How about a short walk after training is over?”
“Oh...! That’s a wonderful idea, but... the training might be tough, so let’s see how things are and decide then.”
“But you said today’s training wouldn’t be too intense.”
“Not intense by the coach’s standards. By our standards, it’ll be very tough.”
True, knowing Goro, he’d probably put us through some grueling training.
“So our bodies will be completely worn out?”
“Mm... probably?”
Perfect for getting a massage before bed.
I happen to know a good spot where no outsiders can get in. I’ll have to gently coax Chinami during our walk.
* * *
Even though I ate in the academy cafeteria often, this group meal felt strangely new.
Maybe it was because Renka and Chinami were here with me.
And Tetsuya, who was still a nuisance.
“Matsuda.”
Renka, who had been eating quietly across from me, called my name. I swallowed the food in my mouth and looked up.
“Yes?”
“Can you free up some time tomorrow afternoon?”
“Why?”
“You’ve only been learning from Chinami lately. You need to learn from various people who specialize in the mid-level stance to learn different ways to counter it.”
“So you’re going to teach me?”
“That’s right. You said you’d work hard, and I said I’d help. Like I said before, I’ll even let you have the match you wanted. On one condition: you follow the training without complaint.”
So she’s making a move.
From the looks of it, she plans to run me ragged in the name of mental training.
And judging by the confidence in her tone, she seems to have a way to properly put me in my place.
Will she fight me herself?
Or will she put a skilled club member up against me?
Is there a way for her to guarantee a win in a direct confrontation?
“Captain, what about me? I want to learn from you too.”
“Of course, I’ll teach you too.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best to keep up.”
As all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind, I looked at Tetsuya, who had cluelessly jumped into the conversation.
Well, look at that. A perfect tool.
This guy, who’s starting to feel inferior to me, is serving himself up on a silver platter. It would be wrong not to use him.
“Our friend Renka is right. I only know the basics of the mid-level stance, so learning from her would be a great help to you, Junior. We made a promise, remember? That you could focus on the high-level stance, but you wouldn’t neglect the mid-level one.”
I glanced at Chinami, who was backing Renka up, then turned my eyes back to Renka.
“How long will it be?”
“That depends on your grit.”
What a pathetic taunt.
I’ll accept your challenge.
I shoveled rice and side dishes into my mouth and nodded.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
“Good choice. We’ll start right after we digest our lunch tomorrow, so be ready.”
“Understood.”