𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

file 032 | kendo tournaments and a dead body at osaka castle

episode 263 — the osaka double mystery - the naniwa swordsman and toyotomi's castle

"Listen 'cause I'm only telling you this one time. To get to the Naniwa Chuo Gymnasium, take the bus headed for Tojiri and get off at the seventh stop. If you don't know which bus, ask the driver. Ask them which gymnasium is holding the Kinki Kendo Competition that Hattori Heiji's competing in, they'll know!"

Suzume sighed, half fond and half exasperated. "Why'd you have to explain it like I was a child?" she muttered as she leaned against the wall, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Sorry, sorry."

She watched as a man walked past her on the train. "Never mind it. Just stop calling and support your teammates, okay, Mr. Team Captain?" She looked into the compartment to see Kogoro was reading the newspaper she had brought and Ran was looking out the window with a smile. "I might have a little trouble sneaking away from Ran and Kogoro-san. And one other thing. We're coming to Osaka because you invited us to a tetchiri dinner since we didn't get to eat it the last time or the time before that at your house. The only reason we're going to see you compete is because both events are happening on the same day."

"Ah, you're treating me so coldly, Suzume," Heiji complained playfully.

"Our bullet train just left the station, so it'll be past two when we get there," she informed him, slightly worried. "Won't your match be over by then?"

"Don't worry about it. The semi-finals don't start until 2 PM. You'll make it in time for the finals," he reassured her.

"All right."

"So I'll be waiting to see you." He suddenly let out a yelp as a loud bang happened on his end of the call, making her raise an eyebrow. "Kazuha?"

"What are you doing in there?" Suzume faintly heard her ask.

"That's what I'd like to ask you! This is the men's toilet, you know!"

Suzume's face flushed. "You called me while you were in the toilet?!" she hissed.

"Ah, no! I wasn't—!"

"Wait, is that Suzume? Hey, Suzume!"

"Hey, Kazuha," Suzume greeted back as she figured the Sun had snatched the phone from Heiji since she could faintly hear the boy's protesting. "How's the tournament going?"

"It'd be better if Heiji were actually competing right now."

She snorted out a laugh. "Ah, but what are you going to do? It's his choice to wait for the semi-finals."

"I'm just planning my moves!" Heiji came back on the phone with a protest from Kazuha. "So I can beat that guy in the finals."

"By that guy, are you talking about that guy who looks similar to Suzume?"

"A guy that looks similar to me?" Suzume muttered, confused. "What?"

"That's right. Okita from Senshin High School in Kyoto," Heiji said. "Last year, he got me with jabs to the neck. I'm going to pay him back for this scar behind my ear."

"Just because he beat you before, don't you think you're being kind of sneaky?" Kazuha asked in a deadpan.

"Don't be stupid! He didn't beat me. I got cut on the neck when I dodged the jab, and when it wouldn't stop bleeding, the doctor stopped the match. Besides, the guy skipped the first and second match. He was sleeping behind the gym and then he took me on."