The meeting room has an oval-shaped table with ten chairs.
My father sat in front of the projector screen, and there was another person now, excluding the one before. The two of them sat on both sides of my dad.
From the dress code, anyone could tell that they are from the JSA. One looks intimidating, while the other looks like an innocent person.
The intimidating one sat on the right side of my dad. He's a bald guy with a thick moustache and a clean beard, probably a middle-aged man around forty-nine or fifty.
The innocent-looking one has no moustache or beard. He looks like he's around twenty-seven to thirty.
Well, they both are here for my dad, but why does he want all the four of us here?
As we went and stood there in front of them, my dad started speaking.
"These two are from the JSA. They are here to recruit you all into the JSA on the orders of your respective grandfathers."
"What?" I interrupted my dad.
"It is as you heard. You are all going to be recruited into the JSA on the orders of your respective grandfathers," he repeated.
"I heard and understood what you said the first time, Dad," I interrupted again while he was still speaking, and I continued,
"Why should I join the JSA? You know what my future plans are, right? And who does Grandpa think he is, ordering people to do things they aren't interested in?"
"And why are you all standing silently? Speak up. They are making us do things that we aren't interested in," I said, turning toward them.
Their faces were neither surprised nor shocked. It's as if they knew this was going to happen.
They all looked at me with pity.
I didn't understand what was going on in that room.
My dad then started speaking again.
"They know that they are going to join the JSA since they were kids."
"They trained their ki and are ready to take the license."
"But I didn't train my ki like them, so why should I join?" I interrupted him again.
"And I am not fit to be a sword wielder, and you know why," I said.
"Yes, that's why your grandpa wants to meet with you regarding this issue," my dad said.
"What could that old man even do about it? He's beyond reasoning," I said.
"Don't talk about your grandpa like that in front of others. And everyone in here knows how talented you are with a sword."
"And everyone in here knows why I quit using the sword," I said, enraged.
My dad then stood up swiftly and walked toward me. He raised his right hand, put it on my left shoulder, and started saying,
"Listen to me first. You don't have to become a full-time JSA agent—only until the championship is completed. And he told me that he found a method to make you use the sword again, it seems."
"Really?" I asked in a questioning tone.
"Well, that's what he said to me," my dad replied.
"So, to confirm whether it is true or not, you need to meet him."
"Fine. I think I don't have any other options," I said.
"Good. They will take you to JSA headquarters. Now, if you all leave this room, I have some business to deal with these gentlemen here."
And then we all left the meeting room and came out.
Kenji and Akiko came to me.
"What do you want now?" I asked them.
Kenji said, "We weren't planning on hiding it from you. I thought to say it to you today if we went to hang out, and this happened."
"Yes, we all wanted to say it over the summer break also, but you weren't in contact with us," Akiko said in a low voice.
"Leave it," I said. "Were you all planning on becoming JSA agents from your childhood?"
"Akiko and Keiko were planning on becoming from childhood. And you know I planned on becoming the next business head, but during the first year of our high school, my grandpa changed my mind, saying that I have talent in sword and that I should join the JSA with the both of them," Kenji said with a light smile.
"And you never said anything about it to me in these past four years, not even once," I said.
"I am sorry for doing that, I regret my actions."
He continued, "What was that 'everyone in here knows why I quit the sword' stuff? And your father said 'everyone in here knows how talented you are with a sword.' I think you are also hiding something from us," he said, lifting one of his eyebrows.
"Yeah, what was that?" Akiko asked, surprised.
"I too am curious about that," Keiko said with a little hesitation.
"You all didn't know that I learned sword?" I said, surprised. "I thought you all knew about it or I told you about it."
"Well, we don't know and you didn't tell us, so it's not too late now," Kenji said.
"I learned how to use a sword when I was five, like everyone. They said that I was very good at it, and they even called me the genius of the FUJIWARA clan."
"Now that you mention it, my grandpa told me a genius in sword has emerged in the FUJIWARA clan and compared me with him," Kenji interrupted.
"Yeah, I also heard about the FUJIWARA clan genius. My grandpa also told me about him," Akiko said.
Keiko listened from the side, like always.
"But wasn't that your older brother?" Kenji asked.
"No, it's yours truly," I replied. "Didn't you hear about 'the genius can't use the sword anymore'?"
"No, we didn't know that it was you until now. And we didn't hear anything from our grandpas either," they replied.
"Well, I think my grandpa bragged about me with your grandpas. And when I couldn't use the sword anymore, he asked them not to say it to you—or they kept it a secret among themselves," I said.
"Yeah, I think I understand why. When he said I would be able to meet the genius, I was totally hyped, and I practiced a lot every day," Kenji said, thinking of the past.
He continued, "Before, I told you that my grandpa changed my mind, right? He told me that 'the genius has improved a lot. If you want to meet him, you should start practicing and join the JSA, as he is also joining it.' And I said OKAY," he said, imitating his grandpa.
Akiko started speaking.
"It was the same thing that my grandpa told me. And he also said that when you meet him…"
"YOU NEED TO BEAT HIM AND UPHOLD OUR FAMILY NAME AND PROVE THAT NO GENIUS CAN BE COMPARED TO YOU."
All of them said it in unison, as if it was their motto. This time, Keiko also joined them—to my surprise.
Then I said, "Sorry to disappoint you."
"Yeah, and you would be no match to us now anyway, as you weren't training," Kenji said in a disappointed tone.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah. You are not even a match to Akiko, who is the weakest among us three," he said with a smug face and arrogant tone.
"Okay. As it has been decided that I must join the JSA, let's have a practice match tomorrow morning at half past seven. What do you three say?"
"Okay, let's do it," Keiko said—to my astonishment—in a cheerful, prideful, and confident voice, her eyes wide and full of spirit.
"For your information, it is not a one-versus-one. It's a one-versus-three," I said while cackling.
"What? Are you looking down on us who trained in ki for at least a decade?" Keiko said in an irate voice.
"Who said we'll be using swords made of Kionium? We'll be using normal iron swords," I said.
"Even then, three-versus-one is still looking down on us. And I want to have a solo duel with you."
"She is right. We want to have a proper fight with you," Akiko added.
"Even I agree with them. Also, you won't even last ten seconds against us three," Kenji said, patting my left shoulder with his right hand, with slight pity on his face.
I made a deadpan face.
"Let's see tomorrow morning if I can last ten seconds or not. If you three win, then I will have a one-versus-one match with all three of you. Okay?"
"You sure are confident. I will make sure to crush you completely with my full power," Kenji declared.
"Me too," said both the girls.
"Let's add a condition to the match. The loser should obey and be the winner's servant for one week," Kenji said, smirking.
"Okay. Remember your words," I said.
"Are you okay with the condition?" Akiko asked.
"Yeah, totally. As it is a one-versus-three, the condition applies to both of you also, I suppose."
"Yeah. And if you lose, you will have to obey the three of us for a week," Keiko said.
"Okay, let's do it," I confirmed.
To tease them, I said, "Don't lose pathetically, or else your FAMILY NAME might get dragged through the mud," while cackling.
"You sure have a big mouth. Do you want to go now, or are you so eager to get your FAMILY NAME dragged through the mud?" Keiko said in a serious voice, standing head-to-head with me.
I like how she got triggered by my rage-bait.
Just as I was about to speak, my dad walked out of the meeting room with the other two and said,
"Hold your horses. Cool it down and take your fighting spirits to the arena, or else my shop might get damaged," with a smile on his face.
"These two gentlemen will now take you to the headquarters of the JSA, so listen to them, behave yourselves, and don't act like spoiled kids," he said in a commanding tone.
It felt more like a threat than a request.
All four of us got shivers, nodded, and came out of my dad's shop.
One of them brought the car. It was a MITSUBISHI DEBONAIR, first-generation, second facelift model.
But there's a problem—only five people can fit in this car: one driver and four passengers.
Then the one with us told us to board the car, and we started our journey.
The man who was around twenty-seven to thirty was driving the car. As we crossed the street, the middle-aged man followed us on a bike.
I didn't expect them to come this prepared.
I sat in the front, while Kenji sat in the back with his sister and girlfriend.
Both the girls took the seats beside the doors, and Kenji sat between them.
Thinking about the three of them becoming my servants tomorrow got me hyped up.
Putting the match aside, this DEBONAIR is a nice car. It is comfortable and well maintained.
I felt like sleeping, as I always get sleepy during journeys.
I decided to take a nap until we get there and closed my eyes.