Chapter 21: Screwing Up, Screwing Up
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I think it's about time for your grand entrance."
Hearing the argument inside the room growing more heated by the second, Chishima Akishin turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka with a playful smile.
Shizuka wore an expression of pure exasperation. She brought her teeth together, glaring at Akishin. "You're actually enjoying this, aren't you?" she muttered before reaching out and delivering a sharp jab to his shoulder.
It didn't hurt one bit.
Neither Akishin nor Shizuka seemed particularly surprised by the shouting match echoing from within the classroom. Or rather, knowing the prickly personalities of the two occupants inside, it would have been weirder if things weren't falling apart.
"Alright, you two, settle down."
Shizuka pushed the door open, cutting off the dispute before it could escalate further. Akishin didn't follow her inside; he simply leaned against the wall, listening from the hallway.
As he heard Shizuka declare the terms of the competition, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by a complicated warmth. She really is a soft-hearted teacher, he thought.
Finally, Shizuka allowed the two students to set the stakes, which concluded with the classic, somewhat dangerous condition: "The winner can ask the loser to do anything they want."
When Shizuka eventually stepped back out into the hall, she let out a long, weary sigh. A faint smile played on her lips—the rest was up to them now. She truly hoped this would be the spark that moved things in a better direction. She hoped their contrasting personalities would eventually learn to complement one another.
"You really are a good teacher, aren't you, Hiratsuka-sensei?"
Akishin murmured softly, a small, genuine chuckle escaping him. It was a rare, natural smile that reached his eyes.
Shizuka walked over, waving a dismissive hand. "Enough of that. Let's head back. Honestly, at least they'll be quiet for a little while."
"Actually, Hiratsuka-sensei, I think I'll hang around here for a bit," Akishin said. "I don't have a class to teach just yet."
"What are you planning?"
Shizuka turned her head sharply, eyeing him with immediate suspicion. She still remembered the 'cynical bastard' logic Akishin had dropped on Hikigaya Hachiman earlier. She was highly suspicious that Akishin was going to be a bad influence on the kids.
To people like them, who had already been weathered by the realities of society, those words were fine—they were true, but that was just it. They were merely 'correct.' Once a person reached the point where they truly understood them, the words themselves became useless. Like 'motivational quotes,' their symbolic value outweighed their practical use.
However, for high schoolers whose worldviews were still relatively pure, such ideas could be transformative—and not necessarily in a good way. That age was, after all, the most impressionable.
Akishin gave a bitter smile. "Hiratsuka-sensei, could you please drop the 'shifty criminal' look? I really don't have any ill intentions toward Hikigaya-kun."
The corners of Shizuka's mouth quirked up for a split second before vanishing. "Considering your track record, Chishima-sensei, my trust in you is currently at an all-time low."
"The truth is!" Akishin took a breath, meeting her gaze with sudden seriousness. "Hiratsuka-sensei, you should have more faith in Hikigaya-kun. You already know he's remarkable, but I'm telling you, he's far more exceptional than you realize. I'm actually trying to help him. Believe me, I want to help him find some real confidence."
(Author's Note: Is it really not just because he finds this fun? Akishin: Get out of here!)
Shizuka's expression faltered. She searched his face intensely. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious," Akishin replied. "He's a diamond in the rough."
"Fine, have it your way. But if I find out there's a problem, I won't let you off easy."
Shizuka raised a small, threatening fist before turning on her heel and marching away. Despite her warnings, she did trust him; otherwise, she would never have let her students within ten feet of him.
Akishin watched her until she disappeared around the corner. He turned back toward the Service Club room, his lips curling into a smile as a faint, almost predatory red glint seemed to flash in his eyes.
"Well then... let's begin~"
Akishin made a quick trip to his locker to retrieve two shinai, then returned to the Service Club door and knocked.
"Come in."
Yukinoshita Yukino's voice drifted from inside. It was lunch break, with about fifteen minutes left before the afternoon bells. Akishin slid the door open and stepped inside.
"Chishima-sensei!"
The two students, sitting at opposite ends of the room, looked up in surprise. Hachiman lifted his dead-fish eyes, glancing at the bamboo swords in Akishin's hand. "Hiratsuka-sensei already left. Why is Chishima-sensei still here?"
Akishin narrowed his eyes and beamed. "To see my little student, of course! Or rather, in Japan, I believe the term is disciple!"
"Disciple?"
Both Hachiman and Yukino looked stunned, exchanging a quick glance. Hachiman asked, "Who exactly is your disciple, Chishima-sensei?" There's only Yukinoshita and me here...
Wait, Yukinoshita is Chishima-sensei's student?! — Hachiman was floored.
Meanwhile, Yukino was thinking the exact same thing, her eyes finally landing on the shinai.
Akishin looked at Hachiman with a wide grin. "Why, you, of course, Hikigaya-kun!"
Hachiman: ⊙▽⊙!
Yukino nodded slowly. "I didn't realize Hikigaya-kun was your student, Chishima-sensei. If I may ask, what exactly is he studying?"
"Kendo!" Akishin chirped. "Besides my decent cooking skills, I like to think my Kendo is quite alright. Yukinoshita-kun, would you like to learn from me as well?"
"No, thank you for the offer, but I have no plans to take up Kendo at the moment."
Akishin's face fell into an exaggerated pout. "How disappointing!"
Yukino bowed her head slightly. "My apologies, Chishima-sensei."
"Um, Chishima-sensei!" Hachiman finally found his voice. "Exactly when did I become your disciple?"
Akishin turned his gaze back to Hachiman. "Hikigaya-kun, didn't you accept a bokuto from me?"
"I mean... yes, I did."
"Then it's settled. You accepted my sword, so you are my student. That's how it works in our style!"
"You didn't say a word about that at the time!"
"Yeah! Sorry about that, my mistake. But the deal is done, and it can't be changed now."
"No way, I don't agree to this, this is way too—"
Hachiman sat there, fuming. Even for someone as passive as him, this felt like a bridge too far. The teacher-student relationship in Japan wasn't something to be taken lightly; in certain contexts, a mentor was practically a father figure. Of course, Akishin's case probably wasn't that extreme, but this felt like being scammed!
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment...
But before he could finish his sentence, Akishin cut him off.
Akishin set one shinai aside. His right hand gripped the other, leveling the tip of the bamboo sword directly at Hachiman. His eyes narrowed into slits.
"Hikigaya... are you planning on going back on your word?"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room curdled.
Hachiman and Yukino felt a jolt of primal terror. In their eyes, Akishin had transformed. He was still just standing there, but the way he held that sword was bone-chilling.
The air grew thick and heavy, making it hard to draw a breath. Their chests felt crushed under an invisible weight. The light in the room seemed to dim, and even the curtains ceased their fluttering.
The shadow of death loomed over the two innocent students.
Especially for Hachiman, who was on the receiving end of the blade. His pupils shrank to pinpricks. He instinctively raised his hands to protect his throat—I'm going to die, I'm going to die, my head is going to roll...
Thud!
Hachiman went over backward, crashing to the floor along with his chair.
The loud noise snapped Yukino out of her trance. The horrifying aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She couldn't stop herself from gasping for air, staring at the floor in a daze, not daring to look at Akishin.
What... what was that just now?
Akishin watched them blankly, but internally, he was panicking. Ah! Crap! I still can't control it. I almost slipped into a full combat state!
An aura forged through blood and death was no small thing. For two high schoolers, it was complete overkill.
"Ow... that hurts..." Hachiman groaned, clutching his head as he scrambled up.
Akishin spoke again, his voice gentle this time. "Hikigaya, you really shouldn't take back what you say."
Realizing he'd pushed it too far, Akishin completely suppressed his presence this time.
Hachiman looked up at him, subconsciously taking a step back. That feeling from a moment ago... was it an illusion? He couldn't tell. His mind had been a total blur.
"Catch!"
Akishin tossed the shinai in his hand. Hachiman caught it clumsily.
Akishin looked at him and said, "Think about it, Hikigaya. I like to think my sword technique is okay, and I really do want to teach you. The 'disciple' thing was just a joke! Oh, and one more thing. The scroll hanging in my dojo? That is the 'Sword Heart' of my Kendo."
Without waiting for Hachiman to respond, Akishin turned to Yukino and bowed politely. "I am truly sorry, Yukinoshita-kun."
Then, before she could react, he picked up the other shinai from the floor and left the room.
Slide! Bam!
The sound of the door shutting left Hachiman and Yukino staring at each other in silence. After two minutes of stillness, Yukino finally spoke.
"Hikigaya-kun... who exactly is Chishima-sensei?"
"...I don't know. I only met him a few days ago myself..."
Hachiman stared at the bamboo sword in his hands, remembering the words Akishin had mentioned—the words in his dojo: A single blade emerges from a sea of hearts, striking others as it strikes myself.
Akishin walked away from the Service Club, letting out a long, weary breath. I screwed up. I totally screwed up!
He swiped his hand, bringing up a translucent blue screen:
Chishima Akishin
Strength: 22
Agility: 18
Charisma: 14 (Pending increase)
Constitution: 22
Skills: Kendo [Expert] — Grandmaster (Pending), Cooking (Master), Go — Master (Pending), Hand-to-Hand Combat (Expert), Firearms (Expert), Sword Meditation...
Skill Points: 0
His Charisma was still stuck in a 'Pending' state; those last two points refused to move. It was proof that Akishin still lacked total control over his own aura.
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