Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Vindictive Togo, Kendo Club
[T/N: šš Christmas Week Deal! ššGet 35% OFF on ALL Patreon tiers for a limited time. Unlock exclusive content and more with code CHSM2K24. Enjoy~]
Perhaps, he believed in Coach Togoās praise of his talent?
Denying Coach Togo would mean denying his baseball talent and dreams, wouldnāt it?
Sure enough, after hearing Akaneās wordsā
Shouya sneered,"Haha, Akane, are you taking yourself too seriously?"
"You are indeed beautiful. I know there are even quite a few people in the club who like you."
"But Coach Togo is an upright adult. Heās seen plenty of beautiful women. Why would he do such a despicable thing for a mere high school girl like you?"
"Akane, donāt overestimate your importance. Iām not going to believe such nonsense."
Hearing Shouyaās words, Akane became truly anxious.
She regretted not having Hikari send her the video he had taken of Coach Togo threatening her in the storage room.
Otherwise, she could just show it to him now, proving everything.
But... would Shouya still doubt the authenticity and think the video was edited?
At this moment, Akane was both anxious and desperate. However, without the video, she could only continue insisting, "Katase-kun, Iām telling the truth..."
Before she could finish, Shouya interrupted her.
With a displeased expression, he said harshly, "Stop listening to some peopleās rumors. Was it Hikari who told you bad things about Coach Togo?"
Hearing this, Akane froze. She couldnāt understand why a discussion about Coach Togo had suddenly involved Hikari.
Seeing her stunned expression, Shouya seemed even more convinced and continued,"Coach Togo already told me that he and Hikari have a grudge. That guy is always spreading rumors about Coach Togo."
"I think Hikari isnāt a good person either. Donāt be fooled by his good looks. He might be a criminal." Shouya sneered.
In fact, Shouya had always harbored hostility toward Hikari ever since seeing him walk with Akane.
Upon hearing this, Akane looked shocked and incredulous, her expression turning to anger.
She glared at Shouya and said coldly:"Katase-kun, please donāt slander Hikari-kun. He genuinely saved me. If it werenāt for him, I might have been..."
"So if you continue speaking ill of him, Iāll really get angry!"
Akane could tolerate disagreements with Shouya, understanding that even real couples have conflicts. But she couldnāt accept him insulting Hikari, who had saved her.
Although Hikari never sought repayment for his help, she felt deeply indebted to him.
She couldnāt understand why Shouya would maliciously accuse someone who had done no wrong.
However, Shouya became even angrier after hearing Akaneās defense of "Hikari-kun," as if the name itself ignited his temper.
He yelled,"Whatās wrong with me saying that? Am I wrong?"
"Youāre mad at me just because I casually said Hikari might be a criminal?"
"Do you like him or something? How can you, as my almost-girlfriend, get so worked up over another guy? Is that fair to me?"
"And you dare get angry at me, accusing me of slandering someone?"
"Think about how youāve been attacking Coach Togo, our baseball coach and my mentor. You know how angry that makes me? I havenāt even lashed out at you yet."
Akane retorted furiously,"Katase-kun, so you donāt believe me, do you?"
Equally enraged, Shouya shouted, "Youāre the one who needs to drop your prejudice. Coach Togo is truly a good person."
Feeling a splitting headache, Akane shook her head and sighed:
"Fine. Do as you please. Iām heading back to class."
"Iām done with this baseball club."
Turning around, she stormed out of the baseball club.
She couldnāt understand how Coach Togo had brainwashed Shouya to such a degree.
No matter what she said, he wouldnāt believe her, yet he treated Coach Togoās words as gospel.
Furious and exasperated, Akane decided there was no point in staying.
Meanwhile, Shouya believed Akane was the one being unreasonable.
"She promised to chase dreams with me, but now sheās quitting halfway? Akane..."
Annoyed, he had no intention of running after her.
The two had effectively fallen out.
As Shouya fumed, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.
Turning around, he saw, "Coach Togo?"
Feigning ignorance, Coach Togo asked with a smile, "Howās it going with Manager Nanao? You two getting along?"
"No! Itās terrible!" Shouya snapped.
"Akane reacted just like you predicted. The moment I mentioned Hikari, she got angry. They must be up to something!"
"Not only that, but she even falsely accused and insulted you, Coach Togo "
Coach Togo feigned surprise and concern, asking, "She misunderstood me? What did she say about me?"
Shouya recounted Akaneās accusations.
Coach Togo laughed dismissively,"Ridiculous! Iāve known plenty of women. Why would I ever target a high schooler?"
Shouya nodded resolutely,"I believe you, Coach Togo. Not her!"
"Coach Togo is absolutely a good person. Itās Akane who misunderstood you. Coach Togo knows full well that weāre secretly dating, yet heās been helping us keep it hidden. Heās just too good-hearted. Itās Akane who canāt appreciate his kindness."
"Iāll definitely talk some sense into her!"
Hearing what Shouya said, Coach Togo shook his head and replied, "Persuading your girlfriend is completely useless."
"Donāt believe me? Think about it. You just told her so much earlierādid she listen? She didnāt listen at all, did she?"
Shouya froze for a moment, then nodded helplessly. "That seems to be the case. Akane doesnāt listen to anything I say. What should I do?"
Coach Togo chuckled. "In this situation, youāve got to be a bit tougher. Take a more direct approach."
"Arenāt you two practically in a relationship already? But you havenāt done anything together yet, not even kissed, right?"
"You havenāt even held her hand. But sheās been getting so close to that guy Hikari. Who knows how far theyāve gone? Donāt you feel a little jealous?"
Hearing Coach Togoās words, Shouya nodded repeatedly.
The coach smiled slightly and leaned close to Shouya, whispering some sort of plan into his ear. "To win a womanās heart, you have to win her body first."
"Here, let me teach you. Do this, then this..."
As Shouya listened, his excitement grew, his face turning red. He nodded vigorously, a grin spreading across his face as if he were imagining some wonderful scenario.
āāā
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Hikari had no idea that Akane was planning to quit the baseball club entirely.
At this moment, he was also heading toward a clubābut not the baseball club.
Instead, he was on his way to the kendo club.
Following the map, Hikari quickly arrived at the kendo clubās training hall.
Pushing open the door, he saw that the kendo clubās facility was quite large, about the size of several basketball courts, with a viewing platform above.
The hall was bustling, with dozens of members. It seemed the kendo club was quite popular at the school.
Hikari walked toward the crowd and soon spotted a familiar figure.
"President Miyajima."
Hikari greeted Sakura Miyajima.
Dressed in a kendo training uniform, her hair tied in a side ponytail, sleeves rolled up, and holding a wooden sword, Sakura Miyajima looked spirited and striking. She easily drew attention, and many of the male members seemed to have joined the kendo club partly because of her.
Hearing someone call her, Sakura Miyajima turned around immediately.
When she saw Hikari, she smiled and greeted him warmly as well.
"Ah, Hikari, youāre here!"
"Perfect timing. Let me introduce you to the other members of the club. This is the vice president, this is the club manager, and this is..."
Perhaps because Sakura Miyajima had personally handled Hikariās membership paperwork, combined with his good looks, she had a strong impression of him.
She enthusiastically introduced the other members of the kendo club to him.
After the introductions, she gathered Hikari and the other newcomers together and said, "Since youāre all new to the kendo club, most of you probably donāt have any kendo experience. So, each new member will be paired with a senior member who will serve as your mentor."
"This pairing process is mutual. You can choose a mentor you like, or wait for one to choose you."
As soon as Sakura Miyajima finished speaking, two male members immediately raised their hands. "President Miyajima. I want you to be my mentor!"
With her beauty and impressive performance in high school kendo tournaments, Sakura Miyajima was a school celebrity and a goddess in the eyes of many male students. Many joined the kendo club solely because of her.
Given the chance, they naturally wanted Sakura Miyajima as their mentor.
However, she shook her head and said, "Sorry, but Iām usually quite busy and donāt have much time to mentor people. I rarely take on new students."
"And this term, I only plan to mentor one person."
As she spoke, Sakura Miyajima walked over to Hikari, smiling. "I promised you when you joined that Iād personally teach you. Hikari, will you accept me as your kendo mentor?"
Hikari smiled and nodded. "Of course."
He had come here with a goal in mind. Given that Sakura Miyajima would inevitably attract certain individuals in the future, forming a good relationship with her was a no-brainer.
Seeing this, many of the male members looked at Hikari with envy and jealousy.
Vice President Masafumi Kase, who had been pursuing Sakura Miyajima, also shot an annoyed glance at Hikari.
However, since Sakura had already made her decision, he couldnāt interfere. He could only keep an eye on things to ensure this newcomer didnāt take advantage of her.
Soon, all the new members had chosen their mentors.
Naturally, the most attractive mentors and newcomers were the most sought after.
Several female seniors had initially set their sights on Hikari, but since Sakura had claimed him, they could only watch as he was taken away.
The senior mentors began guiding the newcomers in kendo practice.
Each mentor had their own styleāsome were hands-on, others provided distant instructions, some started with strength techniques, and others with posture.
Sakura Miyajima led Hikari to a wooden training dummy.
Assuming that Hikari was a complete beginner like the others, she pointed to the dummy and smiled. "Hikari, before formal training begins, youāll need to practice striking this wooden post for three days."
"Once youāre used to handling a sword, formal lessons will be much easier and more effective."
"Donāt find it boringāevery kendo newbie starts this way."
Hikari paused and then said, "Sakura Miyajima-senpai, I actually have some kendo experience. How about we skip the wooden post practice?"
Although Hikari wasnāt trying to show off, with his mastery-level swordsmanship, he also didnāt feel the need to feign ignorance or hide his skills.
āāāāāāāāāāāāā
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
š„³Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.š„° You can access upto 20 advance Chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y