NOVEL WEB Chapter 7 - It's My Turn, It's My Turn
In a typical kendo match consisting of three rounds, Fukuzawa Fuyumi was sitting there, patiently waiting. She noticed that her opponent had gone off to chat with someone, unable to resist sneaking a glance. That’s when she spotted Kitahara Hideji.
To be honest, her mood had been quite bad throughout the first week of school, all because of this guy. He had cost her a fortune—she calculated at home in the evening, realizing she would lose over 2.5 million yen over the course of three years.
Thinking about all those zeros, Fukuzawa Fuyumi felt her stomach ache again, twisting and turning. She wished she could strangle Kitahara Hideji. Suzuki Naki, Kitahara Hideji, mark my words, I’ll make you both regret it! Especially that pretty boy Kitahara Hideji, who had the audacity to pretend he didn’t know her during lunch at the cafeteria… daring to insult her intentionally! Well, very well, just wait and see!
Fukuzawa Fuyumi glared at Kitahara Hideji for a while, then glanced at the bamboo sword beside her. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Fighting at school would surely lead to disciplinary action… but what if she could teach Kitahara Hideji a lesson without resorting to violence? Yes, that would be satisfying enough.
In the kendo hall…
Her jet-black eyes flickered with determination, and she immediately stood up and walked towards Kitahara Hideji. As she approached, she overheard one of his lackeys quietly mocking, “…she’s barely over 150 cm, at best.”
Her eyelid twitches, and her crescent-shaped eyes narrowed as she carefully glanced at Uchida Yuma.
Sharp features, crafty eyes, short green hair, a lascivious gaze, and a despicable figure… excellent. Even his lackey looked like a conniving minion. This pretty boy was definitely not a good person. Birds of a feather flock together, after all. The weasel seeks the mouse, and the snake nests with the rat. None of them are worth anything! She must decisively rid the world of this menace!
However, she remained composed and casually approached Taisho Hori, asking, “Senpai, do we need to continue the match?”
Taisho Hori turned around, pleased, and said, “No need, your skills are exceptional! Fukuzawa, I’m counting on you to represent our prefecture in the women’s division at the tournament this year!”
Fukuzawa Fuyumi politely bowed her head and humbly said, “Thank you for your kind words, Senpai. I still need more practice.” Then she raised her head, seemingly casual, and asked, “Senpai, are these few also joining the club?”
“Indeed. Ah, let me introduce them. They are your classmates, Shima Rei-kun, Kitahara Hideji-kun, and… and Takeda Yuma-kun?”
Uchida Yuma was momentarily speechless, and Shima Rei whispered softly, “It’s Uchida, Senpai.”
“Ah, my apologies, Uchida-kun.” Taisho Hori quickly patted Uchida Yuma’s shoulder in apology, while Fukuzawa Fuyumi glanced at Uchida Yuma.
Excellent, Uchida Yuma, I’ll remember that name!
She held a grudge in her heart but maintained a polite demeanor as she lowered her head to the three individuals. “I am Fukuzawa Fuyumi from Class C, first year. It’s an honor to meet you all, and I look forward to working together.”
Shima Rei and Uchida Yuma instinctively bowed in return and said in unison, “Likewise, Fukuzawa-san. Please take care of us.”
Kitahara Hideji, a beat behind, hurriedly followed suit, adapting to the local customs. “Please take care of us!”
Fukuzawa Fuyumi kept her head down for a moment, giving the impression of sincerity, but in reality, she didn’t want her angry expression to show. With her height “advantage,” unless everyone present laid flat on the ground, no one would see her face. And she was furious right now!
This pretty boy was so arrogant, even lagging behind in returning a greeting, unwilling and resentful. Clearly, he looked down on her, right?
She took several deep breaths to suppress the anger, but the more she looked at Kitahara Hideji, the more she disliked him. She turned to Taisho Hori, offering a sweet smile, and asked, “Senpai, would you like to test their abilities? If necessary, I can take care of it.”
“Well…” Taisho Hori pondered for a moment.
Taisho Hori considered for a moment. He felt that Fukuzawa Fuyumi was now part of their group, and the pretense didn’t matter. He spoke frankly, “Among them, only Shima-kun is a regular team member. Kitahara and Uchida are just names to help us secure more funding from the student council. I know Shima-kun’s abilities, so there’s no need to test him. It’s unnecessary.”
“Oh, I see…” Fukuzawa Fuyumi wasn’t giving up. She suddenly turned her head to Kitahara Hideji and smiled, “Kitahara-san, since you’re here, why not give it a try? Kendo is a fascinating sport.”
She had a cheerful smile on her face, but her eyes flickered with a dangerous glint. There was a hint of cunning in her expression, which made Kitahara Hideji instinctively become cautious. However, as he looked at Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s smiling and innocent appearance, it seemed like an illusion—she was just an unfamiliar girl, unlikely to harbor any ill intentions towards him. He couldn’t recall having offended her, although she did sneak a sip of his soup at lunch.
He couldn’t be sure for a moment, hesitating to respond. Fukuzawa Fuyumi, on the other hand, grew a little impatient—she really wanted to give him a few hits as a stomach remedy! She tilted her head back and said softly, “If you’re not up for it, then forget it!”
Kitahara Hideji wasn’t swayed by this provocation. Moreover, Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s attempt wasn’t very effective, too straightforward and childish. But he finally confirmed that Fukuzawa Fuyumi had ulterior motives; she was probably scheming something.
He felt somewhat perplexed, but it didn’t matter. He hadn’t intended to try in the first place—watching others fight might be somewhat interesting, but he didn’t want to fight himself.
Just as he was about to decline, Uchida Yuma enthusiastically jumped in and called out, “Kitahara, I’ll do it for you!”
“You?”
“Yes, I’ll accompany her for some fun.”
Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s gaze shifted from Kitahara Hideji to Uchida Yuma. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, “Sure, Yuma-san, you can go first.”
Uchida Yuma exclaimed cheerfully, “Great, I’ll go first, I’ll go first, hehehe!” But he had a rather obnoxious smile, resembling an impatient customer, which instantly infuriated Fukuzawa Fuyumi once again.
Taisho Hori didn’t oppose either. They had some free time, and a little competition wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides, it would also give them a chance to see if Uchida Yuma had any potential. If he did, they could try to convince him to transition from being a mere name on the roster to becoming an official team member. Taisho Hori turned to Hasegawa and called out, “Hasegawa, take Uchida to get the protective gear.”
Hasegawa Ryo, a second-year student, didn’t waste any time and quickly ran over to escort Uchida Yuma to the changing room.
Kitahara Hideji grabbed Uchida Yuma and tried to persuade him, “Uchida, stop fooling around! Weren’t we just supposed to fill out a form and leave?”
Uchida Yuma glanced at Fukuzawa Fuyumi, who was already preparing, and laughed, “Let’s have some fun while we’re free! Don’t worry, I guarantee my victory. Today, I’ll show you the grandeur of Yuma-sama!” After saying that, he followed Hasegawa Ryo eagerly, unable to contain his excitement.
Although he saw Fukuzawa Fuyumi knock Taisho Hori to the ground, he didn’t pay it much mind. Taisho Hori was just clueless, not utilizing his own advantages. After all, it was a new school with weak club strength. As for Fukuzawa Fuyumi, she was short, small, and had short arms. How could she pose any threat? She was even out of his reach if he tried to fight her. Moreover, she was lightweight, probably only sixty or seventy pounds. He could easily send her flying with just one swing of his sword!
Even if he was just a name on the kendo club roster, he wanted to show the members of the kendo club the might of Yuma-sama!
Before entering the men’s changing room, Uchida Yuma glanced at Fukuzawa Fuyumi, who was wrapping her headband, with a somewhat pitying gaze—hopefully, it wouldn’t leave a lifelong trauma for her. But it didn’t matter, she wasn’t a real woman without curves or a figure!