Chapter 23: Showing Off One's Ability
Shizuka returned to the office only to find Chishima Akishin flipping through a picture book. The illustrations inside were incredibly childish, yet Akishin was nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction from time to time.
Setting her textbooks and the pile of collected assignments onto her desk, Shizuka called out in a low voice, "Chishima-sensei."
Akishin looked up, meeting Shizuka's gaze, and offered a smile. "Hiratsuka-sensei, what's up?"
Shizuka's eyes were filled with a sharp curiosity. "You know Kendo too?"
"I know a little!"
It seemed Hikigaya had already run his mouth about that.
"Do you also intend to take Hikigaya as your student?"
Akishin mused, "I have a plan like that, though it really depends on whether he's willing to acknowledge me as a teacher or not. Regardless, I still intend to teach him Kendo."
Shizuka knit her brows, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're planning to force him."
"Not at all!" Akishin shook his head, swiveling his chair to face Hiratsuka Shizuka directly.
His gaze was serious, yet a faint smile played at the corners of his lips. "I won't force anyone. But believe me, Hikigaya will practice the sword with me. He wants to change!"
Shizuka reflexively averted her eyes. Akishin's gaze was far too steady; it made her, the one asking the questions, feel a sudden hesitation to lock eyes with him. However, she quickly shook it off.
How could I, Hiratsuka Shizuka, lose in a battle of wills!
That simply won't do!
She bolstered her aura once more and demanded, "Chishima-sensei, what Dan rank are you in Kendo? Do you even have a Menkyo Kaiden to be teaching it?"
Akishin hesitated for a moment, then let out a chuckle. "I've never actually taken a formal, systematic exam. I'm unranked. However... I have plenty of confidence in my Kendo! As for a Menkyo Kaiden..."
Akishin found the notion somewhat amusing. "I'm not opening a dojo, nor am I the head of a school. What would I need a Menkyo Kaiden for? It's unnecessary."
Akishin continued seriously, "I only want to teach Kendo to Hikigaya, nothing more!" (Author's Note: Really? Akishin: Get lost!)
If a swordsman lacks confidence in himself, can he even be called a swordsman?
In the world of Kendo, levels are divided into Kyu and Dan.
Kyu represents the levels before reaching Dan. These ranks are granted by the Kendo federations of each country under the International Kendo Federation (FIK)—such as the All Japan Kendo Federation—through their own independent screening and grading processes.
Dan ranks range from Shodan (1st Dan) to Judan (10th Dan), totaling ten levels. However, currently, the highest rank obtainable through an actual examination is Hachidan (8th Dan).
Kyudan (9th Dan) and Judan are generally reserved as honorary titles for legendary figures in the Kendo world who have practiced since before the war and have made extraordinary contributions to the art.
Because Shodan has an age restriction, one must be at least a second-year middle school student, or roughly 14 years old, to apply.
Furthermore, in Kendo, skipping ranks is forbidden, and there are mandatory waiting periods (years) between each rank.
For example: one year after Shodan to take the Nidan (2nd Dan) exam; two years after Nidan for Sandan (3rd Dan); three years after Sandan for Yondan (4th Dan), and so on.
Thus, the minimum ages are roughly as follows:
Shodan — 14 years old
Nidan — 15 years old
Sandan — 17 years old
Yondan — 20 years old
Godan — 24 years old
Rokudan — 29 years old
Nanadan — 35 years old
Hachidan — 42 years old
...
In a way, Dan ranks are more like honors. While they can represent strength, they don't tell the whole story.
After all, this world has never been short on geniuses!
Take the Kanto-sho (Fighting Spirit Award) at the Gyokuryu-ki tournament, for instance—a prize practically tailor-made for geniuses.
Akishin was currently only twenty-four. Hiratsuka Shizuka had assumed he might be a Godan at best, but she hadn't expected him to claim he was unranked and had never even taken a formal exam!
Did that mean he was self-taught, without any official lineage?
Intending to test him one more time, Shizuka asked, "Then, what style of Kendo do you practice?"
Akishin replied, "Self-Taught Style!"
A... Self-Taught Style?
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "..."
He really didn't have a formal school.
Finally, Shizuka took a deep breath and said, "I don't know how good your Kendo actually is. But, Chishima Akishin, if you want to teach Hikigaya, I'll be watching from the sidelines." That way, if anything went wrong, she could intervene immediately.
Besides, how could someone with a great foundation in Kendo get jumped by a common thug?
Akishin thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough!"
And then...
Thud!
Akishin caught the fist Shizuka swung at him, asking with a look of confusion, "Hiratsuka-sensei, what are you doing?"
"Testing your combat ability!"
Shizuka declared, throwing another punch.
Thud!
Akishin caught that one too, then asked with a smile, "And now?"
Shizuka felt as though both her fists were caught in iron pliers; she couldn't break free. Her gaze instantly turned sharp, and her right leg lashed out in a kick toward Akishin's left shin.
Akishin simply lifted his leg and stomped down on the attack, pinning it.
"Tch!"
Shizuka clicked her tongue, gritting her teeth in reluctant defeat. "You win!"
A layman only sees the surface, but an expert sees the technique!
Hiratsuka Shizuka had only used three moves, and all of them had been neutralized by Akishin. Even though his position in the chair limited his movement, Akishin was in the same predicament.
Moreover, Akishin's chair hadn't budged an inch, showcasing incredible control.
Shizuka realized then that she was no match for him.
The other teachers in the office cast curious glances their way. Were they... holding hands?
It didn't look like it!
Akishin released Shizuka's fists and smiled. "Thank you for the lesson."
"You're really hiding your light under a bushel, aren't you?" Shizuka stared at Akishin as if she were looking at a con artist.
Akishin looked embarrassed. "I didn't mean to hide it; it's just that no one asked. I'm a humble person."
"Humble? Heh!" Shizuka was clearly in a foul mood and snorted cynically.
However, her annoyance was mostly a front; deep down, she was actually a bit pleased. In the future, if she wanted to spar, she could just look for Chishima Akishin—a high-level, free punching bag!
She then asked, "Since you're this capable, how did you manage to get robbed?"
"I'd been drinking that day!" Akishin answered without a second thought. "I drank until my head was spinning, so I didn't have the strength to fight back."
Shizuka figured that made sense. It was just that, back then...
Why did he have that kind of expression?
Subconsciously, Shizuka didn't want to dig any deeper!
Akishin watched the shifting expressions on Shizuka's face. His heart felt calm and peaceful, his lips curling into a thin, genuine smile!
He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol that day; if he had, the doctor at the hospital surely would have mentioned it. But most people don't pay attention to such small details; when they hear something that sounds plausible, they accept it as fact!
But...
Hiratsuka Shizuka was different!
...
The bell for the next period rang. Akishin picked up a stack of Pinyin for Toddlers books, waved at Hiratsuka Shizuka, and headed out to teach.
His first class was the international education track, which was also their first Mandarin lesson. On the way, he ran into Yukinoshita Yukino. She was the student assistant sent from the class to help the new teacher.
Akishin smiled and handed half of the textbooks to her!
Yukino looked at the childish illustrations on the covers; she seemed like she wanted to say something but ultimately bit her tongue.
The two walked together toward Class 2-J. Akishin took the opportunity to ask about the class situation—were there any particularly troublesome students? Did the students have any objections to him being the new teacher?
Upon arriving at Class 2-J, Yukino's class, Yukinoshita Yukino naturally returned to her seat after setting down the books.
Most of the eyes in the room followed her movements, and those gazes could hardly be described as friendly...
Akishin noticed this. He gave a thin smile and swept his gaze across the classroom. He was taken aback—if he hadn't spotted two boys, he might have thought he'd walked into an all-girls class!
Its specific name: International Class 2-J!
Female students made up ninety percent of the total; the class was famous for its high deviation values and flashy style!
In other words, they were all elite students!
It looked like they might be a tough crowd to teach.
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