Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980

Afterward, since they were now considered "witnesses," Kazuma and the others had to go to the police station to give statements. By the time everything was wrapped up, it was already quite late. The used bookstore visit was definitely out of the question now.

So, the group decided to part ways on the spot and head home—each to their own place, each to their own family.

However, because Kazuma had promised the iinchō that he would walk her home if it got too late, the Kiryu siblings first accompanied her to her house.

Nanjō Honami had no objections to this at all. She simply gave Kazuma and the others a calm farewell.

Seeing this, Kazuma blinked in surprise. He could hardly believe Nanjō was letting the iinchō do whatever she pleased so easily.

Nanjō offered him a gentle smile. "There's still one more day of mock exams tomorrow. Let's both do our best."

"Ah, right." Kazuma scratched his head. "Then… see you tomorrow."

Nanjō nodded and stood there quietly, watching the Kiryu siblings and the iinchō walk away.

Once they were completely out of sight, Nanjō turned and slipped into the car that Butler Suzuki had already opened for her.

After getting in, Butler Suzuki cast a worried glance at her through the rearview mirror.

"Miss… are you all right?" he asked.

"Uncle Suzuki," Nanjō replied softly—when speaking privately, she always called him "Uncle Suzuki." In Japanese, dropping a syllable like that was an affectionate form of address usually reserved for family.

"I've made up my mind."

Butler Suzuki's expression immediately turned grave. "Young Lady! You…"

"I was originally," Nanjō calmly interrupted for once, "planning to spend my last summer of high school fully, then begin bridal training in the fall."

Suzuki opened his mouth but held back. In the end, he simply gazed at her kindly through the mirror, as if looking at his own granddaughter, and waited for her to continue.

"Daughters of the Nanjō family are tools for arranged marriage. I've known that since I was old enough to understand the world. I've always prepared myself for that role.

"I learned piano, listened to Bach, practiced ikebana and tea ceremony, took ballet to maintain a graceful figure, studied kendo to cultivate the 'dignity of a samurai daughter'—everything Father arranged for me, I've done.

"Father forbade me from reading manga, so I burned the copies of Red River and The Rose of Versailles that Maid Kagawa secretly gave me. When Father dismissed Kagawa-san, I didn't even see her off.

"Father said daughters of a samurai house shouldn't keep cats, so I gave away my beloved kitten.

"I've already given up so many things I loved. Every time, I told myself it couldn't be helped. I'm all alone. There's no way I can oppose Father, no way to fight the world.

"But today… I realized I was wrong. It's not about whether I can fight back. It's about whether I want to fight back. Even if I'm alone—even if the road ahead is a mountain of blades, a sea of fire—I will not back down. I will pursue what I want. My life… my future… should be mine to decide."

Butler Suzuki couldn't hold back anymore. "Young Lady, but Kiryu-kun was talking about a man's—"

"What's the difference?!" Nanjō's voice rose sharply.

In all her memories, she had never shouted like this at Uncle Suzuki.

"Father always taught me to be a strong woman, like Niijima Yae. Isn't this exactly what he wanted?"

Niijima Yae—she was a pioneering figure among Japanese women. A heroine of the late Edo period. The Jeanne d'Arc of Japan.

She was also a symbol of the women's rights movement in Japan.

Suzuki looked at her resolute expression, then finally spoke after a long pause.

"Young Lady… I'm not saying you're wrong. No—you're right. And Kiryu-kun is even more right. I genuinely admire that kind of courage… charging headlong into the tiger's den despite knowing the danger—that is heroism.

"But courage alone doesn't always lead to happiness. Those who choose the thorny path often meet tragic ends.

"Reality isn't a tokusatsu hero show or a jidaigeki drama. In the real world, heroes usually don't win. It's the cunning villains—those who scheme and control the world from the shadows—who laugh last.

"The fate of heroes often isn't even a beautiful tragedy. It's just… regret.

"No, Young Lady. I can't allow you to walk that path. It would leave you battered and broken—or worse, destroyed."

Nanjō Honami looked at him—at the familiar face that felt more like a true grandfather than her own blood relatives. Her voice rang clear and unyielding.

"I refuse. This is a power I've only just grasped—one that makes my future shine brighter than I ever imagined. Compared to that light, all my past memories feel faded, like old black-and-white photographs.

"I've already yielded far too much. This time, I will not back down."

"But… Young Lady, can you be sure that in the end, Kiryu-kun will choose you? Can you truly win his heart? Can you outmatch the other girls?"

"I don't care!" Nanjō declared proudly. "That's not what matters. Even if I don't end up with Kazuma-kun, I will find my own path—my own place in the world. I used to be a caged bird, clutching desperately to the tiny things inside my little cage.

"But now, and in the future, I will have wings to soar freely. The world is vast—there will be branches for me to perch upon somewhere. So I don't care.

"If I give up now, I'll lose this power forever. I'll lose my wings. So I'm sorry, Uncle Suzuki, but this time… I can't follow your advice."

Butler Suzuki sighed softly and closed his eyes.

With his eyes closed, memories of Nanjō Honami's childhood floated to the surface.

From kindergarten… through elementary… middle school… Honami had always been as elegant and delicate as a doll.

She was Suzuki's treasured princess.

But sometimes, he had worried—she lacked her own will. He'd even had nightmares where she really became a doll—one of those beautiful Japanese hina dolls set out for Girls' Day.

Whenever those nightmares visited him, he would steel himself: as long as this old body could move, he would protect her happiness.

And now, he had never seen her so full of life.

Kiryu Kazuma… what a terrifying young man. With just a few words, he had changed the trajectory of two people's lives.

Perhaps… that was a true hero. Someone whose very presence could light the world.

Suzuki drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. Through the rearview mirror, he gazed at the Young Lady's determined face.

"I understand," he said. "But please… promise me. For now, don't reveal this newfound resolve. Go along with the master's plans—for the time being."

Nanjō frowned slightly. "Uncle Suzuki… you mean…"

"At times like this… why not place a little trust in Kiryu-kun? Believe that one day, he'll become someone even your father would want you to approach—so much so, he'd tear up a marriage contract for it."

"But if I do that…"

"Young Lady!" Suzuki's tone sharpened. "Sometimes… strategy matters too. Rushing in without a plan is a fatal mistake! Or do you think Kiryu-kun would be more drawn to a girl with nothing but reckless courage? Just think of that Jingūji girl!"

Nanjō had been about to argue—but hearing that, she fell silent.

Suzuki let out a breath of relief. Then, firmly, he said:

"Young Lady… I swear to you—as long as this old body still draws breath, I will support the resolve you showed today. And if things ever become truly hopeless… I'll personally help you elope."

Nanjō was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Mm. I believe you."

Butler Suzuki started the car. It took all his effort to keep his heart from racing like a young boy's.

In that moment… countless new possibilities and futures bloomed in his mind—each one brighter than any future he had ever imagined for her.

—Hmph. So even I've been influenced, huh, Kiryu Kazuma… terrifying indeed!

(End of Chapter)