My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Kitahara Hideji entered the common activity room and was slightly surprised by the scene before him. Yukari was not getting beaten up as he expected. Instead, she had two chopsticks stuck in her nostrils and seemed to be amusing herself in a listless manner. Fuyumi wasn’t in the middle of a fight either; she was engrossed in flipping through a stack of pamphlets.

The table was already set with food, waiting for Kitahara Hideji and a few others to join. He took a seat and nudged Yukari with his elbow, asking in a light-hearted tone, “What’s going on here?”

Yukari pulled the chopsticks out of her nostrils, sighed, and muttered under her breath, “Big sister is meddling again.” She then slumped her head onto the table in a dejected manner, inhaling the aroma of the food without daring to eat since Fuyumi hadn’t given her permission. She just sniffed it eagerly.

Haruna took a seat beside Kitahara Hideji and kindly explained, “Onee-sama asked Nee-chan to choose a club based on her interests. Nee-chan took almost a month to choose and joined the Culinary Excellence Club. She’s been freeloading there… Onee-san is very angry!”

Kitahara Hideji glanced at the Yukari, who was lying on the table like a dead dog, and shook his head in disbelief. Her sister had genuinely put effort into accommodating her interests, allowing her to choose a club she liked so she could participate in competitions and earn recommendations for university. But look what she did – she clearly didn’t understand her sister’s intentions. Seems like he arrived late – she must have already been scolded for this mess!

He then glanced at Fuyumi, who had pursed her lips and had a serious expression. Her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, indicating that she had made up her mind. She was probably prepared to enforce the decision to make her sister join a club. The pile of club pamphlets had been divided into three stacks in front of her – suitable, unsuitable, and not even considered.

Curious, Kitahara Hideji reached out for the pamphlets. However, Fuyumi reacted swiftly, her protective instincts kicking in. Her hand smacked down on the pamphlets before he could touch them. She then gave him a glance and let out a disapproving sound, withdrawing her hand. “What are you looking at? You don’t need to bother.”

Having spent a little over a week together, they were currently in a state of mutual restraint, and their relationship had improved somewhat. However, Haruna couldn’t shake the feeling of underlying unease, like the calm before a storm.

“Just curious,” Kitahara Hideji explained with a smile, then casually picked up a pamphlet. He noticed that all the cultural clubs, entertainment clubs, and home economics clubs had been eliminated. Even the sports clubs had suffered heavy casualties.

This matter concerned Yukari’s lifelong prospects – not an exaggeration. Based on her usual behavior, the idea of her relying on academics to get into university was nothing short of wishful thinking. She had only one path left – to become an athlete with a sports scholarship. The choice she made now might determine her future career. Kitahara Hideji had a favorable impression of Yukari; she was naive and easy to get along with. Thus, he made an effort to help brainstorm ideas. He asked, “Yukari, you have a foundation in Sword Technique. Why not consider joining the Kendo Club?”

He held a black and white pamphlet for the Kendo Club in his hand. It seemed to have been classified as one of the eliminated options, which puzzled him.

In truth, though he wasn’t using the 【Ancient Swordsmanship】 experience as frequently as before – leveling up required astronomical amounts of experience points, and the efficiency of gaining experience was frustratingly low – he felt confident that his level 10 skill could hold its ground even on an ancient battlefield. His strength was such that if he compared himself to Yukari, he wouldn’t dare to guarantee a win. The odds might be three to seven in Yukari’s favor. Considering Yukari’s abilities, wouldn’t joining the Kendo Club be a good fit?

Yukari remained silent, feigning the appearance of a lifeless dog. She had grown accustomed to Fuyumi making decisions for her. Fuyumi glanced at Kitahara Hideji, pouted slightly in annoyance, but considering that despite being irritating, Kitahara Hideji wasn’t completely useless, she thought it might be wise to hear his opinion. After all, it involved her sister’s future prospects. So, she answered with a slightly irritated tone, “Kendo is a niche sport. It might help as an extracurricular activity for university applications and cater to traditional sports enthusiasts from prestigious schools. But as a career path, it’s too limited, and the universities it would recommend for aren’t great. So, no!”

Kitahara Hideji nodded, agreeing with Haruna’s rationale. Kendo wasn’t currently a popular sport, certainly not compared to something like trampolining. He then flipped through the pamphlets he held and asked, “Did you consider water sports? Swimming and diving seem like viable options. With the current state of these sports…”

Before he could finish, Yukari was already shaking her head, speaking proudly, “No, I can’t do that. I sink like a rock in the water.” She then lifted her chest and continued to defend her point, “With these two watermelons up front, I’m too heavy in the front. Once I’m in the water, my head goes straight down, and I can’t control it… sigh, it’s not my fault!”

Fuyumi glanced down at herself and then cast an irritated look at Yukari. Seemingly, she wanted to scold her again and grumbled, “She almost drowned during middle school swimming classes. The teacher had to jump in to save her from being submerged… Forget it. Let’s focus on land-based sports.”

Yukari was indeed quite remarkable – if it weren’t for her sister stepping in, she might have had her future prospects blown away!

Kitahara Hideji fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. She had quite a list of excuses – in reality, she probably just couldn’t swim, right? With her natural athletic talent, it seemed odd. Maybe she was naturally not suited for water? He decided to pass on the water sports options too, not daring to look at the two trembling, elastic ball-shaped objects in question. Haruna was observing him keenly from the side.

“Hey, how about volleyball?” After much consideration, Fuyumi had picked an option that she thought might suit her sister. She looked up at the ceiling, seeking Kitahara Hideji’s opinion. She actually wished there was someone she could discuss this with to lessen the pressure on her mind. However, there wasn’t a suitable person at home. The only one who could contribute a few words was Haruna, but being only fourteen years old, she was still too young and inexperienced to provide a comprehensive perspective. Many matters required Fuyumi to explain things to her first.

Kitahara Hideji took a look at the pamphlet and thought for a moment before saying, “That’s a good option, but I think the women’s volleyball team might not be very strong. Look at their past performance records; they barely mention the women’s team. It’s highly likely they haven’t even passed the first round of the county tournament. Can Yukari achieve results there?”

“You make a good point!” Fuyumi was reasonable when it came to her sister’s major life decisions. After a brief consideration, she confirmed Kitahara Hideji’s point and carefully examined the pamphlet. “Then the basketball club is out too. If they can’t make it to the national championship, it’s futile to even talk about it. We must consider the club’s past achievements. Moreover, it seems like the sports clubs at Fukuda Private Academy aren’t performing well in general. Most of them seem to be made up of individuals who get eliminated in the first round. Given the current situation…”

Kitahara Hideji continued her train of thought, “I think we should prioritize track and field. Yukari is quite strong, so she could consider shot put, javelin, and she seems to be a fast runner. Middle-distance and short-distance running could also be worth a shot…”

“Right, track and field competitions don’t often have team events, making it easier for individuals to stand out. It would be a good way to get an excellent entrance recommendation and if a university notices her directly, she might even receive a special scholarship. That would be even more beneficial.”

Seeing that Fuyumi also agreed, Kitahara Hideji began to gather the pamphlets for track and field clubs. He continued, “Now we should consider Yukari’s aspirations for the future… Does she want to become a professional athlete or something else?”

Fuyumi leaned in closer to Kitahara Hideji, browsing through the pamphlets alongside him, and casually remarked, “What aspirations can she have? All she cares about is eating. I’ll make decisions for her. Personally, I think becoming a professional athlete can lead to a lot of injuries. I hope she has a more stable life in the future. Besides, she’s carefree and probably won’t engage in politics and power struggles. So, I think majoring in physical education (similar to a teaching major) would be suitable. She could become a physical education teacher at an elementary or middle school. The annual income would be around 4 to 5 million yen, not the highest but decent. The advantage is that the benefits are good, and the salary is stable. Being a teacher is also respectable and comes with social status… What do you think?”

“That sounds good. Is the goal to get into a university with education-related programs? From that perspective, we need to further investigate what kind of students these universities prefer. Let’s start by looking at the recommended universities from the club in the past few years…” Kitahara Hideji was equally interested in college admissions and became more involved in the discussion. His brow furrowed as he immersed himself in thoughtful contemplation.

Fuyumi, too, was deep in thought, nibbling on her thumb and saying, “Exactly, it’s best to get into a prestigious university, or at least one with a ranking in the country. That way, it’ll be easier to find a job in the future… She can’t rely on us forever, or else it’ll strain our family’s finances.”

She absentmindedly nibbled her nails while closely examining the pamphlets. Suddenly, she realized that she had unconsciously moved closer to Kitahara Hideji at some point. As she looked up, she saw Kitahara Hideji’s earnest and contemplative expression. For a brief moment, she seemed to be lost in thought and unable to look away.

This earnest expression… this guy does look quite similar to a male protagonist in a shoujo manga. It’s just that his personality is so annoying – always full of himself and quite cunning. A wolf in sheep’s clothing…

“Um… when are we going to eat? I’m starving to death!” Yukari groaned in agony, lying on the floor. Kitahara Hideji and Fuyumi had gotten close together, and she found herself squeezed between them for no apparent reason. Being sandwiched made her lie down, and strangely, it seemed to make her even hungrier. What were these two talking about? Can’t they just pick any club and be done with it? This endless discussion was driving her crazy!

Kitahara Hideji turned his head upon hearing the voice, but as he tilted his head, he found himself locking eyes with Fuyumi.

Fuyumi’s crescent-shaped eyes were vibrant, resembling a pool of autumn water. Her dark pupils held a glistening mist, creating a dreamlike and enchanting effect. Kitahara Hideji was momentarily captivated, feeling a bit entranced.

When this quiet little firecracker was peaceful, she did look rather cute. It’s a pity that her bad temper ruins her entire demeanor…

Lost in his thoughts while gazing at Fuyumi, Kitahara Hideji hesitated for a moment. Similarly, Fuyumi seemed caught off guard by his gaze. After a brief moment, she averted her eyes from his, feeling an inexplicable mix of embarrassment and annoyance. She felt like she had lost a small battle, and then, summoning her courage, she glanced up again, only to find Kitahara Hideji looking down at her with a smile, as if he were amused by her height. Instantly, her face turned beet red. She stuck out two fingers and pointed them menacingly towards Kitahara Hideji’s eyes, shouting in indignation, “What are you staring at? I’ll poke your dog eyes out!”