Chapter 298: Come to the Great Kendo Club
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 298: Come to the Great Kendo Club
Several peaceful days passed, and now it was Friday, the day before the weekend.
Miyuki had some business to attend to and headed for the student council room as soon as she got to school. After parting ways with her, I was strolling across the school grounds when...
“Oh!? Matsuda-senpai!”
I turned my head at the sound of a cheerful voice from behind me.
Hiyori was walking in through the school gate, waving her hand wildly.
She was with the friend she always hangs out with.
Still, just "Matsuda."
I was a little disappointed she didn't call me by my full name.
I guess I'll have to get a little closer to her to earn a special nickname. I'll have to try harder.
Unlike the bubbly Hiyori, her friend gave a polite bow, bending at the waist.
Just as I'd thought before, pretty girls always hang out with other pretty girls.
Her chest is a little small, though.
The two of them were in their civilian clothes.
It seemed they'd been told they didn't have to wear their uniforms.
I wonder if she shortened her skirt. Hiyori is very outgoing, but she's not exactly a delinquent, so she probably just bought a new one.
I returned their greeting with a simple wave and smiled as they approached.
“Hey.”
The informal speech slipped out naturally.
For a moment, I worried I'd made a mistake, but neither Hiyori nor her friend seemed to mind, taking it in stride.
“Hellooo. Are you on your way to class now?”
I was relieved they didn't seem to care.
Breathing an inward sigh of relief, I nodded.
“Yeah. What are you two doing here? Is something going on today?”
“We heard there was a club introduction, so we stopped by to check it out.”
A club introduction... Right, Renka did mention something about that yesterday.
She said they were going to hold it this morning in an empty first-year classroom. It was just going to be a simple explanation, so she'd told me—probably just to be polite—that it was fine if I skipped it.
“Any clubs you're interested in?”
“Well, we're planning to look at most of them, but we're especially interested in the Swimming Club and the Archery Club.”
“Oh yeah? Both of them?”
“Yeah. But we can also take swimming as a formal class in the summer, so we're still thinking about it.”
Being as cheerful as she is, it makes sense that Hiyori would be more interested in sports clubs.
Though I think she'd be a good fit for the Manga Club or the Film Appreciation Club, too.
Or maybe even the Barista Club.
“Which club are you in, Senpai?”
I grinned at Hiyori's question and answered.
“I'm in the Kendo Club.”
“Oh, really? Miho mentioned the Kendo Club earlier, too.”
Miho was the name of the friend standing next to Hiyori.
Her last name was Mitsushima, I was sure of it. I'd been a little fuzzy on it, but now that Hiyori said her name, I remembered.
“If you're interested, you can go to Class 1-D. That's where they're doing the introduction.”
“Really? Okay, got it!”
Her voice is nice to begin with, but it sounds even better when she raises the pitch at the end of her sentences so refreshingly.
It feels like I could come just from listening to her.
I wanted to talk more, but I decided to leave it at that for today.
It's not that I'm completely uninterested, but for now, treating her like just another junior I know feels about right.
Besides, they probably won't leave right after the club introductions, so there's a chance I'll see them again during lunch.
With that in mind, I said.
“Well, I should get going. Have fun looking around.”
“Okay. See you later.”
After a simple goodbye, I parted with Hiyori. Then, I spotted a familiar back among the students ahead of me and strode over.
“Hey, you just getting here?”
“Cough.”
Was that a cough of surprise from my sudden appearance, or was that her answer?
I walked up next to Bread Girl, who had coughed just like she always did, and asked.
“Wanna stop by the school store on the way?”
“Gack...!”
“Alright. Hey, do you like stuff like hamburgers?”
“Cough! Cough!”
Bread Girl shook her head frantically, her coughs growing more intense.
Her reaction was so violent that it made me feel a little awkward.
There's nothing hotter than making a girl eat a hamburger patty drizzled with white sauce. What a shame.
I'll have to try that on Renka instead.
* * *
“Matsuda-kun.”
First period ended, and I was slumped over my desk. When Miyuki started shaking my back, I sat up limply, like a zombie.
“What.”
“Nanase-senpai is looking for you. She said it's about the club.”
“Huh?”
“Over there.”
I looked toward the back door where Miyuki was pointing, and sure enough, there was Chinami, peeking in with her pink hair and small face.
The way she stared at me with her big, round eyes wide open was hilarious.
She looked really cute from inside the classroom, but from the hallway, she must have been in a ridiculous pose.
As proof, the students in the hall were giggling as they looked at her.
If they had been mocking her, I would have slapped every single one of them, but it was a warm laughter, charmed by the cuteness radiating from her, so I let it slide.
I scratched the back of my neck, brushing off Miyuki's lecture not to do that with a simple "yeah, yeah," and walked over to Chinami.
“Hello, Master. Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes. And are you well, Junior?”
“Yes... well... I am. But are you going to stay like that?”
“Like what?”
“Peeking in with just your head.”
“Aha.”
Letting out a small exclamation, Chinami stood up straight in front of me and smoothed out her clothes.
Chinami looks pretty in her winter uniform, but I want to see her in her short-sleeved summer one.
She looked so refreshing. I suddenly miss it.
“Miyuki said it was about the club... What's up?”
“Ah... It's just, I was wondering if you could help Renka and me for a little while after second period.”
“Is it for the club introduction?”
“Yes. It would be a great help to have you there, Junior.”
“The captain told me to skip it.”
“I'm sure she didn't mean it. Renka is looking forward to introducing the club with you just as much as I am. And you're the manager, after all. We must work together for the prosperity of the Kendo Club.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Should I go to Class 1-D after second period?”
“Yes.”
“Should I wear my uniform?”
“No, you don't have to go that far. Renka and I will be going as we are. Oh, and if you go to the faculty office and tell the head of student affairs that you'll be skipping third period for club promotion, they'll call the Kendo Club, and the coach will give his permission. That means you won't be marked as absent.”
“Got it.”
“Excellent. Would you like a peach jelly?”
Chinami took a cute little package out of her blazer pocket.
I took it and smiled brightly.
“Is it okay if I share this with Miyuki?”
“Oh, I already gave one to Miyuki.”
Hearing that, I turned around and saw Miyuki secretly taking a peach jelly out of her desk drawer and sharing it with Bread Girl and the class vice president.
Why is she being so careful about it? Is she afraid someone will snatch it away?
That can't be it... Maybe Chinami told her to eat it secretly because it's a special treat.
Miyuki has a surprisingly quirky side to her.
Either that, or Chinami's quirkiness is rubbing off on her.
Whatever the case, I was happy to see the two of them seemed to have gotten closer. I looked back down at Chinami.
“Thanks, I'll enjoy it.”
“Of course. I'll see you after second period, then.”
“Yeah, see you.”
Waving both hands with the cheerful energy of a preschool teacher, Chinami greeted every junior she passed on her way out.
I watched the ever-so-polite Chinami until she disappeared down the hall, then returned to my seat and placed the jelly on my desk.
Miyuki immediately reached out to try and take it, but I blocked her hand, much to her disappointment.
Did she like it that much? I wonder if Miyuki is going to be corrupted by peaches, too.
I used to be determined to corrupt her with a different fruit, but now it looks like she's the one getting corrupted by someone else. It's both absurd and hilarious.
* * *
“Why the hell are you here?”
That was the first thing Renka said when she saw me in the first-year hallway.
“Am I not allowed to be here?”
“I told you to skip it.”
“I decided not to.”
“...Whatever.”
She's clearly happy, so why is she being so prickly...? Is she acting out like this because she wants me to spank her ass while she's explaining things to the prospective freshmen?
If that's the case, I have to applaud her courage.
“Did you speak with the faculty office?”
Chinami asked, trotting over to stand between me and Renka.
I quickly wiped the smirk off my face and answered.
“Yeah. They said they'll mark me as present for third period.”
“That's a relief. Shall we go and greet our prospective new juniors, then?”
“Sure. But is it just the three of us?”
“Yes. Yamazaki-senpai offered to help, but we told him it was fine. He's busy since he's in his final year. Now, this way.”
She opened the door to the fourth classroom from the end of the hall.
The nameplate on the door, which should have read "Class 1-D," had been changed to "Kendo Club."
There were even peach characters drawn on either side of it.
When did she prepare all this? She never mentioned anything to me except for the posters... Was she worried I'd find it a hassle?
I feel bad for making her do all the work. Of course, Renka probably helped, but I should help Chinami next time.
We went inside and placed a poster on each of the thirty-odd desks. Then, without a word, we all turned to face the hallway and wait for the new students.
How much time passed like that?
The classrooms in front of and behind ours started getting noisy.
It looked like new students were going in... but why wasn't a single one coming to ours?
Could it be that the other clubs were snatching up the students who were trying to come here?
Just as I was thinking that and about to step out into the hall...
“Um... hello? This is the Kendo Club's introduction... right...?”
A young-looking male student came in through the open back door.
Chinami's face lit up, and she personally went to greet him.
“That's right! Welcome. Come on in... please have a seat in the front row.”
“Huh? Ah, yes...”
The male student seemed flustered by Chinami's slightly peculiar way of speaking.
He hesitated before sitting in the seat right in front of the teacher's desk. Chinami then served him some peaches she'd brought from home in a disposable bowl with a plastic fork.
“First, please try this.”
“P-Peaches...? I heard winter peaches were in season... is this one of them?”
“Ah... are you referring to the Tōtō (Winter Peach) from Yamanashi Prefecture? That's a newly developed variety, so I couldn't guarantee the taste and didn't get any. These are ones I froze myself around the end of summer.”
“I-Is that so...?”
The flustered student glanced back and forth between the promotional poster and the bowl on his desk.
Confused about whether this is the Kendo Club or the Peach Research Club, right? I get it.
“We'll start in ten minutes, so why don't we chat while you enjoy some cool peaches?”
“Ah, yes... okay.”
“So, our new junior, what made you interested in the Kendo Club?”
“Well...”
While Chinami and Renka were chatting with the prospective freshman, students started trickling in.
After about three minutes, two more came in. After five minutes, there were six, and two minutes before the presentation was set to start, seven more had arrived.
Honestly, I thought interest in our club was relatively low compared to others, so I hadn't expected many people to show up. But my worries were unfounded.
I'd completely forgotten that Renka was famous in the kendo world.
Two more students came in, bringing the ratio of girls to about 70 percent.
They were gazing at Renka with admiration as she kindly handed out peaches.
Two people were paying attention to our Chinami, both of them small-statured girls.
It seems Chinami is also famous, though not as much as Renka.
Aren't there any new students who came to see me? I was in the newspaper, you know... This is disappointing.
Still, I can see a few girls who seem interested in my face.
It's definitely better to get attention from girls than from a bunch of sweaty guys.
I soothed my ego with that mental victory and glanced at the back door while plating more peaches.
Hiyori's probably at the Swimming Club's introduction right now, right?
The club promotions aren't just a one-time thing; they're split into several short sessions. I hope she comes here for the second round.