"Am I amazing?"
The moment Kotomi blurted out these words, an inexplicable awkward silence filled the air. She wasn't sure if she should leave or remain in Sakurajima-senpai's embrace.
To be honest, Kotomi wanted to stay like this.
Hearing Kotomi's words, Mai Sakurajima was momentarily stunned before responding in a playfully mischievous tone filled with inexplicable delight:
"Given the current situation, you are indeed quite amazing."
Mai Sakurajima adjusted Kotomi's posture and thoughtfully patted down the slight wrinkles on her school uniform caused by the earlier incident.
She originally intended to fix Kotomi's loosely tied ribbon as well, but considering the impressive size of Kotomi's chest, no matter how careful she was, reaching out to fix the ribbon would inevitably make contact.
What on earth did she eat growing up?
Mai Sakurajima, who had never paid much attention to such matters, couldn't help but wonder upon seeing Kotomi.
She suddenly understood why every time Kisara Tendo saw Kotomi, she would take the opportunity to tease her under the guise of a joke.
"Be more careful, okay?" Mai Sakurajima said softly, then turned to Kisara Tendo, the "culprit," and teasingly scolded her:
"Kisara, you shouldn't joke around like this with our underclassmen. What if she gets hurt?"
Kisara Tendo, feigning innocence, whistled as if she had nothing to do with it, inwardly complaining that Mai was acting all proper after clearly enjoying the situation herself.
Getting the benefit but pretending otherwise, huh?
"Tendo-senpai, I was wondering if the invitation you mentioned before still stands?"
Since she had finally run into Kisara Tendo, Kotomi naturally wouldn't let this chance slip away and asked directly.
The carefree Kisara Tendo, who had been casually whistling, instantly perked up at Kotomi's words. Her eyes lit up like a predator spotting its prey!
"Are you referring to my invitation to join the kendo club?" she asked, her excitement barely concealed.
Kotomi nodded lightly. "Yes."
"Yes! You've finally come around! Are you planning to quit the art club and join the kendo club? Kotomi, this is definitely one of the best decisions you've made today!" Kisara Tendo cheered enthusiastically. She had been trying to recruit Kotomi into the kendo club for a long time.
The kendo club wasn't necessarily at risk of being disbanded due to a lack of members.
However, with the Six-School Kendo Tournament approaching in April next year, the pressure was mounting. Other high school kendo teams had already finalized their participants and begun focused training for the competition.
In contrast, the kendo club at Sobu High School had five competition slots, but even after a month of selection and evaluation, only four members, including Kisara Tendo, had been chosen.
Without a full team of five, they wouldn't even be able to compete!
It wasn't that they were simply trying to fill the numbers by dragging Kotomi into the club—there were other members available. If they merely wanted to make up the numbers, it would have been an easy fix.
But Kisara Tendo didn't want to just make do. Her goal wasn't merely to participate in the competition; she wanted to lead Sobu High School's kendo club to victory. She wanted every chosen participant to have talent and skill, to stand proudly in the tournament arena.
However, aside from the three members she had already selected, the remaining kendo club members, while hardworking, still lacked the necessary skill and potential.
Improving one's kendo skills wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. In just a few days, it would be October, and there wasn't much time left in the year. The tournament in April was fast approaching.
A mere few months weren't enough for the less talented members to train up to the necessary level. Even if they did improve, it would take time away from specialized tournament training.
Thus, Kisara Tendo had no choice but to take an unconventional approach and attempt to recruit Kotomi, whom she had recognized as highly talented the moment they first met.
Even though Kotomi had mentioned she had only practiced kendo a little when she was younger, Kisara Tendo instinctively felt that she had extraordinary potential. With just a little guidance, her abilities would soar like a dragon emerging from the sea.
Unfortunately, when they first met, Kotomi was already a member of the art club, and its president, Hibiki Naegi, was a close friend of Kisara Tendo's. So close, yet so far—this phrase perfectly described Kisara's feelings at the time.
Still, that didn't stop her from shamelessly extending an invitation to Kotomi.
As for the response, Kisara Tendo had been waiting since the beginning of the month, and today, she had finally lived to see the clouds part and the moon shine—Kotomi had accepted the olive branch she had extended!
Kisara's excitement at this moment was beyond words. Right now, all she wanted to do was snatch Kotomi—whom she had just personally pushed away—back into her arms, hoist her onto her shoulder, and carry her straight to the kendo club, tying her up if necessary.
She was afraid that if she delayed even a little, Kotomi might change her mind.
"Just thinking about you leaving the art club and joining the kendo club is making my whole body burn with excitement! Come on, come on, let's go to the kendo club and make it official—once you sign the papers, you'll be mine! If Hibiki dares to fight me for you, I'll just beat her back with my sword!"
Kisara Tendo pulled Kotomi away from Mai Sakurajima's side with a wide grin, clasping her hand as if she were a big bad wolf inviting little red riding hood into her den, dragging her toward the kendo club.
"Uh, Tendo-senpai, I never actually said I was joining. I just want to give it a try first. It's been so long since I last practiced kendo—I learned a bit as a kid, but I've forgotten most of it by now."
Having already suffered once from Kisara's overwhelming strength, Kotomi had learned her lesson. This time, she quickly squatted down, leaned back with all her might, and stubbornly resisted being dragged away.
But her posture… made her look like a child throwing a tantrum, refusing to leave the toy store until she got a new toy.
She was just one step away from rolling on the floor.
Kisara Tendo, too focused on dragging Kotomi to the kendo club, finally realized what she was saying. Oh, right—just because she believed Kotomi was talented didn't mean it was necessarily true.
"Ah… sorry about that. I got too excited when I heard you were considering my invitation." Kisara scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly.
No wonder she felt embarrassed—her behavior just now was completely unbefitting of a senior.
"I only wanted to check out the kendo club and test myself a little, but you were ready to drag me off without a second thought. As for joining? Sorry, but I don't plan on leaving the art club anytime soon." Kotomi pouted unconsciously.
Besides, the art club was a perfect place to slack off. Compared to the kendo club, which trained almost every day, she much preferred the laid-back atmosphere of the art club.
However, growing up watching Rurouni Kenshin had instilled in her a deep curiosity about kendo. Every time she thought about the kendo club, she felt a little itch in her heart.
Mai Sakurajima, watching from the side, let out a soft chuckle. "Kisara, with the way you were acting just now, I almost thought you were trying to kidnap her for a forced marriage."
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't make me sound so barbaric. Alright, Kotomi, let's go—I'll show you around the kendo club. Mai, you can head back on your own!"
A moment ago, Kisara had been all set to leave with Mai Sakurajima, but now, in front of Kotomi, she quickly changed direction and took Kotomi's small hand, ready to lead her toward the kendo club.
"Who said I was leaving?" Mai Sakurajima asked, tilting her head.
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
Both Kotomi and Kisara exclaimed in unison.
Mai crossed her arms and smiled. "It's not every day I get to see Kotomi. Do you really think I'd leave so easily? Besides, I'd like to check out the kendo club too. I'll go with you two."
Kisara twitched her lips. "Do you really want to visit the kendo club?"
"Fine, I admit it—I just want to see Kotomi. Happy now?"
Her blatant admission left Kisara momentarily speechless. At the same time, she felt a tinge of disappointment. She had originally planned to take Kotomi to the kendo club alone and then find an excuse to "teach" her how to wear a kendo uniform.
But now that Mai was coming along, she was going to be a massive third wheel. Kisara's plan was completely ruined.
Letting out a silent sigh in her heart, Kisara Tendo resigned herself to her fate and led both of them toward the kendo club.
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