My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

“This… isn’t appropriate, is it?” Kitahara Hideji hesitated. It seemed like this was some kind of advanced martial arts technique, and was it really suitable to be given to an outsider like him?

Fukuzawa Naotaka didn’t seem to mind. He gestured towards the wall of the study and chuckled self-deprecatingly, “It’s fine, Kitahara-kun. Don’t judge me by my current appearance. I have the authority to grant these teachings.”

Kitahara Hideji followed his gesture and looked at the wall, where a framed certificate hung. It resembled an award, with a thick leather document inside, stamped with a large, crimson seal – Menkyo Kaiden.

At this point, Kitahara Hideji wasn’t a complete novice when it came to Sword Technique. He focused his gaze on the characters written on the document and was greatly surprised.

“Menkyo Kaiden” wasn’t something common.

In most Sword Technique Schools, disciples were divided into several ranks such as Kirigami, Mokuroku, Kaiden, Menkyo Kaiden, and more. To put it simply, Kirigami referred to beginners in their probationary period, focusing on foundational training. Mokuroku represented disciples who were officially accepted into the school and started learning the core techniques. They could learn certain techniques unique to their school. Kaiden signified that a disciple had fully mastered the school’s techniques and was allowed to represent the school’s name in public competitions. For instance, Fuyumi wasn’t allowed to directly declare herself as Fukuzawa Fuyumi of the Ono Ittō-ryū when participating in competitions. She could only mention that she practiced techniques from the Ono Ittō-ryū when asked by others. This was because she lacked the Kaiden status.

Finally, the Menkyo Kaiden was even more impressive. It indicated that the bearer could teach their school’s techniques to outsiders without needing permission. In other words, they could become a master and even establish their own training hall, accepting disciples.

This could even serve as the foundation for creating new branches, establishing schools like the Fukuzawa Ittō-ryū.

Fukuzawa Naotaka didn’t notice Kitahara Hideji’s surprise. He was lost in thought as he gazed at the “Menkyo Kaiden certificate,” seemingly reminiscing about his vibrant and adventurous past. It took him a while to come back to reality, and he turned to Kitahara Hideji with a smile, saying, “So go ahead, take it. This is my summary of the Ittō-ryū Sword Technique. Take it back and flip through it when you’re bored. As for that book, ‘Rigid Taijutsu,’ it was left behind by a good friend I knew when I was younger. He’s no longer with us, and he had no descendants. It’s rare to come across a young person like you, Kitahara-kun, who is willing to learn these ancient techniques. I believe he would be pleased to have you take a look at his manuscript.”

He concluded with a faint tone, “But it’s just for reading. Modern society has no use for these things anymore.”

Kitahara Hideji didn’t know what Fukuzawa Naotaka had experienced in the past, but he could sense a heavy sense of resignation from him. However, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to inquire further. He gently traced his fingers over the cover of the book and concluded that there was no harm in accepting it. After all, it wasn’t as if he was being burdened with any responsibilities. He lowered his head and thanked Fukuzawa Naotaka, saying, “I humbly accept.”

Fukuzawa Naotaka slyly reached for the sake jug again and chuckled, “Fair enough, fair enough.”

Seeing him about to drink again, Kitahara Hideji didn’t intend to dissuade him any further. He thought Fukuzawa Naotaka might be using alcohol to drown his sorrows – dealing with the tyrannical elder daughter probably left him feeling unfulfilled, forced to resort to drinking sake.

Feeling that there was nothing else for him to do here, Kitahara Hideji bowed and said, “Then, Fukuzawa-san, I shall take my leave.”

Fukuzawa Naotaka didn’t make a move to see him off. He simply lowered his head where he sat and said, “Kitahara-kun, please take care.”

As Kitahara Hideji left, he glanced back at the room and noticed Fukuzawa Naotaka had reclined again. His figure was cast in a faint, swaying shadow, and he appeared immensely melancholic. Kitahara Hideji couldn’t help but shake his head lightly. Even though he wasn’t a swordsman, he could sense that the man in the room had lost his ability to wield a sword. Perhaps his weakened body had eroded his self-confidence, or perhaps repeated failures had shattered his fighting spirit. Maybe it was the loss of his beloved wife that had turned his heart to ashes. In any case, he had lost the sharpness that once guided his blade, the will to cut through everything in his path.

Given his current state, Kitahara Hideji doubted that he could even defeat Fuyumi, that annoying little troublemaker. At least that girl had a strong competitive spirit. Even if she were beaten to the point of wailing, she would still be plotting revenge. This man, on the other hand, joked about being a swordsman, but in reality, he seemed like nothing more than a disillusioned middle-aged man – devoid of vigor, lacking that indomitable will to cut through all obstacles. Even if he held a legendary sword, it would be no more than a piece of metal in his hands. He could hardly be called a swordsman.

Kitahara Hideji shook his head, changed his clothes, carefully wrapped the books in a large plastic bag, and stood at the entrance of Junmi-ya, gazing at the heavy rain scratching his head. The weather was unfavorable today, and the business hours ended early. He wasn’t planning to linger around to earn extra pay, but with the strong wind and heavy rain, was he really going to walk back drenched?

“Are you leaving?” Amid his vexation, he heard Haruna’s calm voice from behind.

Kitahara Hideji had a favorable impression of Haruna. Unlike Fuyumi, Haruna didn’t seem to take out her frustrations on others. In his eyes, both Yukari and Haruna were decent kids. He smiled and replied, “Yeah, it’s just this rain…”

Outside the door, the rain was driven by the wind, sometimes falling vertically, then at an angle, and occasionally sweeping horizontally. An umbrella wouldn’t be of much use.

Haruna quietly brought out a set of one-piece rain gear with sleeves for him and handed him a bag of minced meat and bones to feed the dogs. She said softly, “The dog food is ready, and the rain gear is from Onee-san.”

“Who?”

“Fuyumi Onee-chan.”

Kitahara Hideji chuckled in disbelief. He’d bet his head that this couldn’t be true. Could that little troublemaker really be this considerate? He wouldn’t put it past her to pour a bucket of wash water on him from the second floor while he was getting rained on, let alone provide him with rain gear. Ridiculous!

Haruna, rarely serious, said, “It’s true. Onee-sama can be a bit impatient and has her quirks, but she has a kind heart. She takes care of people around her meticulously… She has an awkward personality, but she’s not a bad person.”

Kitahara Hideji didn’t bother arguing with Haruna. Kind-hearted? That little troublemaker was a complete jerk plus a few levels. He simply chuckled and said, “Thank you, Haruna.”

“It’s not me who wanted to give it to you; it’s really Onee-sama.”

“Suit yourself!” Kitahara Hideji replied, thinking that Haruna was simply trying to ease the tension between him and the little troublemaker. He took the raincoat, put it on, and thanked Haruna for the dog food. He waved to Haruna and dashed into the heavy rain. However, the wind was strong, and he almost got blown back a couple of steps. He had to press down the raincoat hood and brave the pouring rain as he slowly made his way towards the train station.

Haruna watched Kitahara Hideji disappear into the rain and promptly closed the shop door and put up the shutters. When she returned to the second floor and stood in front of Fuyumi’s door, hesitating for a moment, she pushed the door open and said, “Onee-sama, I gave him the raincoat.”

Fuyumi was busy studying and didn’t lift her head. She simply replied, “Got it.”

Haruna sighed softly, “Onee-sama, why don’t you just apologize directly?”

Fuyumi finally turned her head, removed her black-framed glasses, and looked at Haruna with an odd expression. “What are you talking about? Giving him the raincoat wasn’t an apology! I’m just afraid he’ll catch a cold and then spread it to our whole family. Medications are so expensive now, and it would be a real loss if the entire family had to take them.”

“Onee, can’t you just be straightforward with people?”

“Where am I not being straightforward? Haruna, let me tell you, as a person, it’s better to have others dislike you, fear you, or even hate you. But you must never let anyone look down on you! The more he dislikes me, the happier I am. If he’s happy, I feel uncomfortable. Anyway, I absolutely, positively have no intention of apologizing!”

Fuyumi’s expression was dead serious as she imparted her life philosophy to her sister. Then she pursed her lips and continued, “Besides, he’s my lifelong rival. I’ve told him that long ago. He deserves it for not being prepared and getting pranked. I have no reason to apologize whatsoever! Right now, I’m even cursing him to fall into a sewer! Ahahaha!”

She burst into laughter three times, then turned back to her book, and waved her hand dismissively. “Go on, go on. I need to study, and I still have a pile of chores to do later. Remember to come and help me stretch my legs before bedtime. Consistency is key. This year, I must grow to be 150 centimeters tall. Then I’ll show those who made fun of me!”