Chapter 84: Chinami Was Disappointed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: Chinami Was Disappointed
“Tense your stomach.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that.”
Chinami stood before me, properly tying the straps of my torso protector.
Her short stature made her posture a little strange.
It was almost as if she were about to take off my pants right before giving a blowjob.
Forcibly shaking off the strange sensation stirring in my lower body, I looked down at Chinami and said, “I’ll use what I learned from you, Master, to strip them down to the bone.”
“Strip them down? Are your juniors fish or something? Ah, that suddenly makes me crave some tuna sashimi.”
“Let’s go get some later.”
“I’d love to. But tuna sashimi is expensive, so let’s get salmon nigiri instead.”
The conversation was going off on a tangent.
For some reason, I found it fun.
Having finished fitting my torso protector, Chinami stood before me holding a head towel.
“Kneel in seiza.”
“Yes.”
I obediently knelt down. After wrapping the towel around my forehead, Chinami put the head guard on me, and I looked up at her.
It was an upward angle that’s hard to look pretty from.
But Chinami was cute no matter the angle.
“Can I touch your cheeks?”
At my sudden question, Chinami flinched, then tapped the top of my head guard with a thump.
“Junior, now is the time to calm your mind, to make it as serene as a lake...! The matches are about to start, what are you saying...? If Renka or the coach had heard you, you’d be in for it...!”
“Let me touch them if I win all my matches.”
“Wh-What are you saying...! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that...! And since when are the matches a bet? They’re a place to present the fruits of your training with all your heart and soul...”
“I’m going to touch them.”
“Hey...! Junior...!”
Thump! Thump!
Her face flushed, she hit my head guard, but it didn’t hurt, nor did it feel bad.
My dear Chinami... I want to give you a massage so badly.
Maybe I should ask her to let me massage her instead of touching her cheeks?
“Does your face feel tight?”
I shook my head at Chinami’s question as she tied the straps of my head guard.
“It’s fine. It’s comfortable.”
“That’s a relief. Now, you just need to put on your kendo gloves.”
I slipped on the gloves that were placed in front of my knees and stood up.
Through the dense grill of my mask, I could see the first-years putting on their gear with the help of the seniors.
Tetsuya... looks like he’s already finished, thanks to Renka.
Lucky bastard. I’ll have to pick a day to beat the hell out of him.
“What you need to focus on, Junior, is the foot stomp using the pushing walk, and the head strike. And... what did I say were the weaknesses of the high stance?”
“The throat thrust, and close combat.”
“That’s right. Your opponent will actively try to lure you into close combat. That often leads to a clash of handguards, and when that happens, you need to be careful of the retreating strike they’ll use as they pull back. It’s better to avoid a clash of handguards altogether, but it’s also good to face it and think of a way to break through. Understand?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’re tall and have a large frame, Junior, so your presence is very, very strong. Try to gain the upper hand with a powerful kiai. Also, since you have a limited number of techniques, it’s best to score a point as quickly as possible. But since this is a friendly match to check the results of your training, try to drag it out as long as you can to gain experience. It doesn’t matter if you allow them to score.”
She gave me her advice with the utmost sincerity.
Looking down at her, I grinned and replied, “I’ll engrave it in my bones.”
Did she like my choice of words?
Chinami let out a soft chuckle and patted my shoulder.
The height difference was so great that she had to stretch her arm all the way out, and the sight was so cute I almost burst out laughing.
“Those who are ready, come over here.”
At the chilly voice of Dojima Goro, who was standing in a corner of the club room, the members who had put on their gear and grabbed their shinai flocked over.
Freshly encouraged by Chinami, I was among them.
* * *
Flinch.
Overwhelmed by my presence, the first-year backed away.
It wasn’t a retreat using the pushing walk, but a simple, instinctual step back.
Finding an opening, I immediately stomped my foot.
“Hup!”
THUD—!
I took a large step with my left foot, aligning my heel, knee, and chin in a vertical line, and struck while keeping the tip of my right big toe firmly on the floor.
The result of perfectly mimicking the move Chinami had taught me was immediate.
CRACK—!
The distinct, sharp sound of a shinai striking a head guard rang out from my opponent.
It was a clean hit on a valid striking area.
If this were a real sword, it would have been instant death. But in kendo, an unwavering mind—that is, zanshin—is an essential virtue.
Without it, a point isn’t awarded.
I watched my opponent, who was taking a few steps back, and reset my stance.
Then Goro, who had been observing our every move, raised the red flag and shouted in a booming voice.
“Ippon!”
Simultaneously, the club members sitting in seiza applauded.
It was the first point I’d ever scored since joining the kendo club, but I wasn’t all that happy.
If only my opponent had been Renka, who was over there making a sour face. That was the only thing I regretted.
I glanced at Chinami and saw a wide smile blooming on her face.
She must have been pleased with the execution of my technique.
His pride wounded, my opponent stomped his foot.
He seemed to have lost his temper after I, a kendo novice, scored a point on him so quickly.
“Back to your positions!”
Following Goro’s command, I returned to the line on the floor.
“Begin!”
As soon as the match resumed, my opponent charged at me again. I was about to make quick work of him, but then I remembered Chinami’s advice and clashed with him head-on.
Clack—!
Our handguards locked, and our face guards slammed into each other with a thud.
My opponent staggered, barely managing to keep his balance.
I could have landed two more hits in that time, but I held back.
You should be grateful for my mercy.
Through the grill of his mask, I could see the fighting spirit still in his eyes.
He still had the will to fight back.
Chinami told me to watch out for the retreating strike...
Just as I had that thought, my opponent’s back foot slid back and his body pulled away.
His shinai, which had been almost vertical, tilted diagonally upward, and I could see the leather tip at the end of the sword trembling slightly.
He was preparing to strike as he retreated.
If I stood still, I’d give him my wrist.
Already prepared, I quickly backed away and swung my arm sideways at my opponent as he attempted his retreating strike.
CRACK—!
My shinai slammed into the side of his head guard.
His head snapped to the side as if it had been flung, and his whole body staggered.
He had completely lost his balance.
I seized the opportunity, corrected my stance, and was about to charge, when—
Flap—!
“Stop!”
Goro raised the flags in both hands and declared a stop to the match.
Lowering my shinai, I shrugged and looked at Goro as if to ask what the problem was.
Goro scowled and reprimanded me.
“Matsuda, that’s not a valid striking area.”
“I know.”
“I think I know why you struck there... but remember this is a friendly match.”
So he’d noticed my intention.
Having been warned, I obediently nodded my head.
“Yes.”
“To your positions.”
The match resumed, but my opponent, having completely lost his momentum from that last blow, couldn’t even put up a proper fight.
It was the same for the other students. After seeing my skill, they completely lost their will to fight, and so the matches ended on a very bland note.
* * *
“You’re not supposed to be so vicious in a friendly match. What was that, hitting the side of his head guard?”
Renka had pulled me aside and was giving me a lecture.
The reason was that I had been too heavy-handed.
I casually ran a hand through my hair, which was dotted with beads of cold sweat, and answered nonchalantly, “It’s not against the rules. And it’s a free sparring match.”
“Even so, it’s a match in a friendly format. The coach said so himself.”
“After I got the warning, I only hit the valid striking areas, didn’t I? No, I fought exactly as you told me to, using what I learned from Nanase-senpai, so why am I the one getting a warning? I don’t get it. You know, Senior, it really seems like you’re just dying to pick a fight with me.”
“It’s not that I’m dying to pick a fight. It’s that if you win so overwhelmingly in a setting meant for gauging each other’s skills, how is your opponent supposed to improve?”
“Why can’t they improve? I helped an opponent who came in scared build up his courage.”
“You...”
“I’m not wrong, am I?”
“Hah...”
Renka let out a disbelieving laugh, as if she was at a loss for words.
Her eyes looked like she wanted to make me pay for the bad karma I was steadily accumulating...
My dear Renka, let’s clash bodies and fight like crazy when we’re alone at the training camp.
Until we’re both drenched in sweat... sounds good, right?
“Did you give the gift to your nephew?”
Renka flinched at my sudden question.
Her angry expression was colored with bewilderment.
“...I did. It’s none of your business.”
The sharp atmosphere subsided, becoming hazy like fog.
You’re not as honest as Chinami, but you’re pretty straightforward yourself.
“Why have you been so cold to me? You’re kind to everyone else.”
“If you had any manners, I would have been kind to you, too.”
“You have to be kind first for me to show you any manners.”
“I’m not going to play word games with you. Getting back to the point, the reason I’m doing this is because I’m genuinely worried about you and the other club members, so I’d appreciate it if you’d take this to heart...”
Just as Renka was continuing her lecture,
Creeak...
The door opened and Chinami came out.
She looked back and forth between me and Renka, then suddenly put her hands on her hips, her face a mask of anger.
“Junior.”
“Yes, Master.”
“What did I tell you? Didn’t I tell you to drag out the time as long as possible and gain experience?”
“You did.”
“Then why did you overwhelm your opponent to the point where the coach had to stop the match? This doesn’t help your opponent or you, Junior...! And hitting the side of the head guard was too vicious...!”
She was saying something similar to Renka.
I clicked my tongue, but unlike my reaction to Renka, I meekly admitted my fault.
“I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t see Renka’s expression, but she was probably surprised by my reaction.
Or maybe she was fuming inside, thinking I was being fake.
“Kendo is a martial art where respect for your opponent must come first. But in your matches today, Junior, aside from the bows before and after, there was no respect to be seen. This master is disappointed in you.”
She let out a sharp huff and crossed her arms.
Suppressing the urge to bite the pouting Chinami, I approached her and bowed as a sign of apology.
“I’ll be more careful next time. I’ll apologize to my classmates I sparred with, too.”
“Hmph...! Really?”
“Yes. If you don’t believe me, shall we go together now?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but... hmm...”
Her anger having subsided considerably, Chinami let out a displeased sigh and nodded.
“Alright. Apologizing sincerely is good for you, Junior Matsuda, and for the other juniors. You should all get along. Don’t you agree?”
“I do.”
“My dear friend Renka, I’ll take Junior Matsuda and give him a stern scolding. Is that okay?”
Renka, who had been listening to our conversation, flinched.
She wore a puzzled expression, as if I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and replied, “Yeah... okay.”
“Then, Junior, follow me.”
I replied that I would and followed Chinami, glancing at Renka out of the corner of my eye.
Then, as if to make sure she saw, I let out an irritating snort.
Renka bristled and was about to take a step forward.
“You little...!”
But she quickly backed down after glancing at Chinami.
It seemed she was reluctant to say anything more in front of Chinami, who was in the position of teaching me.
Spitfire. At least she’s considerate.
I want to make her submit quickly. I wish the training camp would come a little sooner.