Chapter 27: Kendo Club (1)

School proceeded as normal—well, except for the shock people experienced when Mahiru and I walked into school together. That was quickly mitigated when we explained that we lived right next door to each other. I wasn't entirely sure about some details since I stopped listening after a certain point, but apparently, rumors started spreading that we (Mahiru and I) were dating! Thinking back on it, I couldn't help but feel relieved that Sawako didn't hear any of this.

I know I told Mahiru that Sawako wasn't that type of girl, but at some point, jealousy wins! It's human nature, no matter how much one tries to suppress it. Hell, the more you suppress it, the greater it'll burst out! These thoughts occupied my mind as I made my way to the one club I was most interested in—the Kendo club!

As someone from modern-day America in my previous life, I had a pretty good understanding of guns, mostly regarding safety and the usage of common ones, but that knowledge was out of necessity. My real passion was for swords and swordplay from any culture. Unfortunately, I could never find a decent place to learn or practice, even at home.

Transmigrating here has solved most of those problems! I can practice Kendo, which, from my understanding, isn't necessarily a comprehensive swordplay discipline. It's more of a tournament style rather than a combat-oriented form of sword practice, but the fundamentals can be applied to both situations. At least, that's how I understand it. If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

The school was pretty massive, so it took a whole 30 minutes to get to the club. Walking in, I was met with curious stares, which made sense as it was quite late to be joining clubs, but I wasn't someone who cared about timing as much as I did about motivations!

I looked around, observing and taking in everything.

It seems I came at a great time!

A match was about to start, and I quickly found a spot to watch. The gym fell silent as two girls stepped into the center of the room, both gripping their shinai with practiced ease. My eyes were drawn first to the more unassuming of the two. A fit, confident girl with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes! She carried herself with an air of competence, though nothing about her appearance screamed "remarkable."

The other was were my eyes widened! Long purple hair tied into a ponytail and fierce blue eyes. She was nearly my height at first glance, looking about 5'8" to 5'9", and her figure was outstanding. What I mean by "figure" is everything—her body, her attitude, her face, all of it! She had the demeanor of a warrior with the elegance of a cultured woman.

"Begin!"

The match started, but neither one moved.

It seemed to me that Miss Plain over here couldn't make a move. The purple-haired woman's form seemed incredible and extremely well-practiced. I wasn't a pro in this kind of thing, but I'd say I knew more than the average person because of my aforementioned love for swordplay.

Da~

The purple-haired woman took one step. With this one step, she vanished and appeared in front of her opponent!

She even disarmed her... How fast is that? Clearly within human limits, but damn!

I felt excitement. It was the only thing I could feel!

"Huh? A new person?" The purple-haired woman looked towards me and was clearly confused. I couldn't blame her, so I just nodded my head to her question.

She walked up to me, getting rather close and staring into my eyes. Her gaze pierced through me, and it served to make me feel awkward.

I've been getting strangely close with women lately... Is it because I lost my virginity? A stupid thought for sure, but I remembered that some people could guess if someone was a virgin or not, so I didn't find it all that ridiculous.

"I like you." Her calm voice echoed within my head. Her words almost caused me to react, but thankfully it clicked that she didn't mean romantically. It would have been strange if that were the case!

"So I can join?" I asked back.

Her mouth opened slightly in shock, causing her shiny pink lips to form an "O" that I couldn't understand why.

I really hate that I keep noticing these sensual details. Am I a horndog or something? Perhaps getting a taste of the heavenly fruit has caused me to seek it more? I remember a saying related to that, but how did it go exactly...

"Yeah, but I'll need to test your skills." She took two steps back while explaining.

I nodded and lightly bowed. "Please take care of me. I'm only aware of the fundamentals, really. I haven't had any direct physical practice in this. I do work out though, so don't pussy out!"

"Ahem!" One of the club members coughed loudly for some reason. I hope they weren't spreading a sickness.

"Hehehe, I think it would be better if you watched your language around everyone. I don't mind, though." She chuckled, and it was very seductive, especially in the Kendo uniform that highlighted her figure!

"Ah, here I thought someone was sick! What a weird way to warn someone..." I mumbled, but obviously, she was close enough to hear, which made her chuckle some more.

"Pfft~, I'm Busujima Saeko, the captain of the Kendo club." She lightly bowed after her introduction.

"Fujimiya Amane. Feel free to call me Amane, Busujima-senpai." I hated switching between honorifics and all that, but you have to do as the Romans do when in Rome or, in this case, Japan. I was doing a pretty good job of removing such things from my life, though!

I think there are only a few—and I mean a few—who I actually refer to with honorifics. I can't be bothered with such stiffness!

"Okay, Amane. Feel free to call me Saeko, but when in the club, it would be preferable if you kept proper language."

"No problem, Saeko-senpai!"

A light smile adorned her face as she walked back into the dueling area.

"Go get changed and come back out. Since you're confident in your knowledge, I'll test you today!" Her voice was calm, but excitement could be heard.

She really loves this! Nothing better than to learn from someone like her!