After the match that day, Asuka Youyou gave up any thoughts of joining the Kendo Club.
First of all, there was simply nothing new for her to learn there, and secondly, the training at the Kendo Club was far too grueling.
Their daily training volume was enough to rival a whole week's worth for her; she simply wanted to find a club she enjoyed where she could take things easy.
So no matter how she looked at it, the Kendo Club was not a good choice.
School had already been in session for a full week, and she still hadn't settled on a club.
Even Renji Yanagi had laid down the law: she had to give him an answer before school started next Monday, or else he would just take matters into his own hands and sign her up for the Literature Club. After all, for someone who was practically illiterate in Japanese, she could actually learn some real things there.
Today was Saturday, a day off. Renji Yanagi and the others had gone to the hospital to visit a friend, who was their club's captain.
According to reliable reports, he was a great beauty named Seiichi Yukimura, though she had never seen what he actually looked like.
Still, anyone who was practically deified by the girls at school couldn't possibly look bad.
Besides, his nickname was the Child of God!
What kind of person even earned the right to be called a god?
She was actually getting a little curious to meet him!
And for some reason, everyone in the Tennis Club had these strange, bizarre nicknames. She didn't know how they felt being called that, but just hearing them made her cringe so hard her toes curled in embarrassment.
Nicknames like Yagyuu's "Tennis Gentleman" and Brother Renji's "Strategist" were fine; they suited them pretty well.
Even if Brother Genichiro Sanada's "Emperor" sounded a bit chuunibyou, his overwhelming aura managed to pull it off.
As for that sly fox Niou, he was called the "Trickster." She...
Was it because that guy loved playing pranks and tricking people?
It was only later, when she saw Niou transform into a completely different person on the court, that she finally understood the origin of the nickname.
But was that even normal?
How could a human being turn into someone else entirely? Wouldn't Charles Darwin crawl out of his grave to have a word with him?
She had been quite surprised by Jackal's nickname.
Rikkaidai's Conscience.
Yet as she spent more time with them, she gradually came to realize just how fitting that nickname was.
Who would have guessed that a big, burly, mixed-race, dark-skinned bald guy could be such a kind and gentle soul?
"So what's your nickname, Akaya?"
"I'm the Rikkaidai Ace!"
Akaya Kirihara shouted excitedly.
"That's totally self-proclaimed! You're just a seaweed head!"
Bunta Marui popped up from behind him, aggressively pressing down on his hair with a laugh.
"Don't call me seaweed head, Bunta Marui! And it's not that, I'm the Red-Haired Piglet!"
"Getting bold, aren't you, Akaya! I am a genius, clearly!"
The two of them immediately started wrestling, their momentum looking fierce, though they were just playing around.
Discarding the dross and selecting the essence, Asuka Youyou extracted the information she wanted.
Alright, Little Seaweed and Little Piglet.
Just thinking about that day made her want to laugh.
Right now, though, she was just bored.
Asuka Youyou was someone who couldn't sit still. Her aunt and uncle weren't home, and her brother had gone out, so she decided to head out too.
She hadn't decided where to go yet, planning to just go on a spontaneous trip. She grabbed her phone and wallet and headed out the door.
With a phone, she could make calls anytime, and with money, she could do whatever she wanted!
Ah, perfect.
On the crowded train, a cute and sweet girl stood out remarkably.
She wore a pink Lolita dress adorned with exquisite lace trimmings, looking like a fragrant, fluffy little cake.
Her hair was tied into twin tails, the light brown locks curling softly and swaying gently with the motion of the train.
Her eyes were bright and clear like two twinkling stars, and her deep pink pupils looked exceptionally sweet, radiating a hint of innocence.
The corners of her lips curved up slightly into a sweet smile, and paired with her delicate, pretty facial features, she looked every bit like a fresh and radiant girl.
Japan, a train, a young girl—no matter how you looked at it, it had all the makings of a major event about to unfold.Sure enough, the boy standing beside the girl edged closer and closer, sending a greasy, foul odor straight into her nostrils that made her slightly nauseous.
Without a sound, she shifted a bit to the other side, but the stench still lingered around her.
What on earth? Doesn't this guy ever shower?
Could he please stay away from her?
She scooted further inward, and the boy shuffled right along with her.
Unable to take it any longer, she turned her head to give him a piece of her mind, only to see a hand reaching out to grope her backside.
Damn it, how could anyone tolerate this?
Her small hand snapped out and grabbed it—*crunch*.
"Aah!"
The boy let out a piercing scream, and everyone in the train carriage turned to look.
The girl smiled sweetly, looking nothing like someone who had just broken a creep's hand.
Cradling his horribly twisted arm, the boy didn't dare vent his anger, knowing he was in the wrong. The moment the train stopped, he slunk away and hurried off.
Asuka Youyou looked with mild disgust at her right hand, which had just grabbed the boy's wrist, feeling as though it had been tainted by something unclean.
Using a handkerchief wouldn't just fail to clean it—it would only ruin the handkerchief. So she didn't bother wiping it, planning instead to find a place to wash up once she got off the train.
"Use this to wipe up."
A gentle, soothing male voice sounded beside her ear. Looking at the pack of wet wipes that entered her field of vision, Asuka Youyou was momentarily stunned.
Huh? What's going on here?
She raised her eyes to look, and saw an exceptionally delicate and refined Japanese-style bishounen.
He had choppy chestnut-brown hair that reached down to his chin, layered and well-defined, giving him a natural and effortless vibe.
His eyes were closed in a smile, his skin fair, and his features soft.
His gentle smile seemed to possess a healing power capable of warming people's hearts. When he curved his eyes into a sunny smile, it made one feel his sincerity and friendliness all the more.
"Ah, thank you!"
Asuka Youyou hurriedly took the wet wipes and meticulously cleaned her hands, paying special attention to the area that had made contact.
After she finished wiping, her small hands looked even softer, fairer, and glistening with a dewy moisture.
She stuffed the used wet wipe back into its packaging and dropped it into her bag.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Shusuke Fuji from Seishun Academy."
"Ah, hello, Fuji-kun. I'm Asuka Youyou from Rikkaidai."
"I saw everything just now."
Fuji smiled, feeling a bit amused as he recalled the scene.
He had heard that a shop selling unusual greenery had opened in Kanagawa, featuring many rare cacti he had never seen before. Taking advantage of his day off, he had come over to take a look.
On the train, he had noticed an excessively sweet and adorable girl wearing a pink Lolita dress—she was very pretty.
She had attracted many people's gazes, and he couldn't help stealing a few glances himself. After all, people naturally tend to gravitate toward beautiful things.
Then he spotted a male attempting to make a move on the girl.
His normally slit eyes snapped wide open, revealing ice-blue irises like an endless ocean—quiet, deep, and instantly razor-sharp.
He had wanted to step in and stop it, but a sudden jolt of the train prevented him from getting there in time. Just as he was feeling annoyed, he watched the girl snap the guy's arm straight in half.
It seemed she didn't need his help after all. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover.
He narrowed his eyes again, his smile returning.
When he saw the girl looking at her own hand with utter disgust, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened.
So he stepped closer to the girl and offered her a pack of wet wipes.
Ah? He saw it!
Asuka Youyou felt a little embarrassed; after all, it was rather awkward for someone to witness such a scene upon a first meeting.
"You're amazing. You know how to protect yourself."
Many Japanese girls simply endured such treatment in silence and never fought back, which undoubtedly only emboldened those social scum.
Yet it was never their fault—they were the victims. The ones in the wrong were those wretched men who couldn't control themselves and bullied women by leaning on their gender advantage.