Morinozuka Takashi is not simply adept at kendo. He is a national champion. You recall from his dossier that you receive from the bureau.
You don't know how seriously he would take you for, but winning three points from him obviously won't be an easy feat.
But you're not a small fry in swordsmanship yourself. While from Mori's brief explanation, you understand that fencing and kendo employ different rules, the same aim still stands for the two — strike your enemy hard.
And although in your short fencing career, you'd been known for your accurate aims at your foe's slightest opening, you also took pride in scoring a vital point hit, which you will have to remember how because that's where kendo and fencing scoring system differs.
"Since you might not be used to it, it's okay if you don't do the kiai when you strike—"
"It's all right. It sounds fun. Men for head, do for body, kote for wrist, and tsuki for throat. Did I get those right?" You recall as you put on the headgear. The feeling of the gi and hakama that you're currently wearing felt foreign at first, but you think you can slowly get used to moving in them.
"En." Mori nods in response before putting on his own headgear.
Seeing him in a full kendo uniform, you realise you can't imagine Mori doing a battle cry or kiai, as what they call it. So hearing that for the first time would definitely catch you off guard later.
You're inclined to hold the shinai like you would your old épée but you refrain yourself as you feel the grip wouldn't be ideal for that.
"Well then, I wish us a good match," says your senior as he bows deeply in your direction. Realising it might be the custom to starting a kendo match, you bow in return.
"Likewise."
You then watch him taking a squatting stance before fully standing again to which you mimic. Not caring if your form is correct, you decide to simply focus on strategising your offence and defence.
It is then followed by a long silence between the both of you as you circle the lined square of your sparring stage.
Earlier, to your surprise, no one from the Kendo Club is apparently present today, and for that you're grateful you get to keep a low profile despite taking up a challenge from a national champion out of the blue.
A flinch from the other side that escalates to a full-blown dash brought you out of reverie as you watch the quickly approaching tall figure of the third-year. You nimbly make a quick steps at him too as you shout,
"Men!"
"Men!"
The both of you cry as you aim the bamboo swords towards each other's head, but they clash midway and so you decide to step back, all the while maintaining the position of the shinai in front of you in case there is a need for a quick counterattack. Mori seems to be thinking the same thing, as he, too, takes a few steps backwards and slightly lowers his sword, enough to protect him from you making a sudden attack. There's no way to read his expression behind the helmet, but you are aware of how starkly different the way your steps are compared to his. You suppose despite not having practiced fencing for so long, your body still remembers how to do it. Nonetheless, you have to commend yourself for holding yourself back from performing a normal fencing lunge. Doing so in a kendo match would definitely give your sparring partner a huge opening after all.
The stalemate continues for a while more afterwards, but there is a limit to how well you can adapt to a new sport right then and there. And although you have endured much hardcore training than this, you can tell your heels and soles are blistering from the continuous intense stomping. Cracks in your defence begin to become more obvious and you know very well Mori will soon take an advantage of those.
However, after you two separate yourselves from a deadlock for the umpteenth time that day, you see Mori lowers his shinai for good and starts to remove his headgear.
"Let's call it a draw."
Huh?
"Huh?!" You can't help vocalising your confusion at the sudden notice.
"Something's wrong?"
"If you're worried about me getting hurt or something, it's okay. I can handle it!" You exclaim out of nowhere, finding yourself agitated with no apparent reason.
"..."
Quickly becoming conscious of how vain you might come off, you felt heat rising to your cheeks. And not wanting to further embarrass yourself, you keep your mouth shut and sit down in one corner.
You don't want to remove the headgear, fearing the red mess that is your face right now, but it's getting really stuffy in this helmet.
Meanwhile, Mori is merely watching you from his corner as he retrieves his towel and wipes off his sweat. Silence soon sets in like a heavy blanket on you. Suffocating, to say the least.
"..."
"..."
"..." You wonder if there is a backyard in this dojo where you can dig a hole and bury yourself in.
"We can continue this next time. I just need to be in the Host Club right now."
.
.
.
Of course!
"Ah... Right, haha!" How in the world you could've possibly forgotten about his schedule. You probably sound stupid to him right now.
"My bad, I should've offered you a blister tape beforehand." He says, bringing a first-aid kit with him before sitting down in front of you to inspect your foot gently. Taken aback by his action, you almost kick him out of reflex, but you let him dress your wounds. You're not sure why, it's as if you... want this. Perhaps it's because you can count the number of people who would do this for you with only one hand. Not even the coaches from your previous school would go this far. Sure, you were a precious asset to the school. But you were disposable. The dynamic was always you relying on them, not the other way around, nor a two-way thing, either.
"It's fine. They will toughen up the more I practice—!" You mindlessly reply, but immediately stopping yourself from finishing the sentence as you realise the implications of what you're about to say.
"I'm glad you enjoy it." The tall male comments as he applies the last bandaid. He then carefully lowers your foot and once again directs that gaze from earlier to meet your eyes.
What are you doing right now? You're becoming too involved with your mission subjects, you're doing sports again, and you're actually enjoying every single second of it. And right at that moment of realisation, you can't help but wonder if this is Mori-senpai, the Host experience.
You want to deny that small voice echoing in your mind and believe that this is more than that. But how could you, when at every encounter you have with the Host Club, you are plotting something against them? You're not coming into this with sincere intention yourself, so how could you expect the same from them?
"I don't know what's holding you back. But you should just do whatever your heart desires." After receiving no response from you, Mori speaks again, this time averting his eyes from you as he busies himself with storing the kendo equipments away.
"Huh?" You almost didn't catch him, but you still don't quite get what he could possibly mean by that.
"It's... easier said than done. But I..." Mori immediately adds, still not looking at your way, however you watch as his hands stop stowing away equipments into a wooden crate.
"..."
"I think you look really cool today. It might be too assuming of me, but as a sword practitioner myself, albeit a different kind, I can tell you must've practiced fencing diligently then."
"... Senpai, did you just say that to make myself feel better?"
"..."
"I'm flattered but—"
"No, like I said... You really look cool, doing what, I guess, your heart desires, like that."
"!"
"That was really cool of you to do what your heart believes in."
Is Mori-senpai...
The sensation was felt in a blink of an eye, like the stinging feeling you get from an injection. You swear there is a familiarity in the words your senior just told you. But, despite the question being at the tip of your mouth, you don't know if you're ready to spill this part of you to anyone, let alone someone whom you're supposed to be investigating.
"I'm looking forward to our next match," you are brought back to reality when Mori extends his hand to you, offering to help you stand up. Misty, your eyes try to refocus your sight at the male in front of you, hoping that his imagery could help you piece one of a boy you couldn't remember.
Alas, you are still unable to recall anything.
"..."
"Or do you want me to give you a piggyback ride to the music room?"
"N-No! I'm good..."
You should not be returning to that place anywa—!
"On a second thought, that goes without saying."
"W-Wha—!!!"
And before your supposedly fast reflex can register what's going on, you're suddenly up high, with your head almost hitting the ceiling of the dojo.
"Senpai!!! You can put me down! I'm fine!!!"
As if he can't hear your protests, he proceeds to carry his stuffs and your bag before making his way towards the all-now-too-familiar directions to the Music Room 3. It's not like it's unpleasant being up so high, but Mori's legs are simply too long, it feels as if you're moving quick even though he is just simply walking. It's making you slightly nausesous.
And you can definitely forget about keeping a low profile, because now the whole campus is witnessing the transfer student, in a kendo uniform, being given a piggyback ride by the famous third-year host who is also in his kendo uniform. What's worse, Mori is not giving you a piggyback ride where he hoists you up onto his back, but he lets you sit on his shoulders instead. Yes, this tall person is actually giving you a taste of how the air above him is like. How generous of him.
How you manage to arrive at Music Room 3 without disintegrating into a puddle or combusting out of embarrassment is a mystery to you. But you swear this is where it stops, so long as no one from the Host Club sees you like this, you tell yourself that things are going to be fine.
"Thank you for the ride, Senpai. You can put me down now. I can walk from here."
But the other person is not budging at all.
"S-Senpai...," you look down at the black tuft of his hair in between your crotch and you can't help but wonder what he is thinking right now.
"Hey, Senpai."
Behind the door, you can hear a muffled conversation going on.
"... and I are the main characters. So that means we are love interests," you only heard part of the sentence, but you can tell from the obnoxiousness that the boisterous voice belongs to Tamaki.
"Yeah? Then what are we?" You faintly hear the voice of the twins next.
Too focused to make out what the rest of the Host Club is talking about, you fail to notice Mori's hand reaching out to the doorknob,
"Hm?" But it's too late by the time you notice his hand on the vintage-looking fixture,
twisting it...
"Hm?! Wai—!"
And pushing the door open.
"You boys are obviously the homosexual supporting cast—" You can now see the person that the voice belongs to, drawing a line between him and the rest of the boys, before he stops himself at the sight of you and Mori at the door.
"Well, I guess Mori-senpai has a bit of a hope..." Tamaki further adds before clearing his throat. But that doesn't catch the others' attention as despite their frustration with a particular blonde, they're also trying to make sense of how the two of you end up in such a predicament.
While you can only presume that the gloomy aura surrounding the boys is because of what Tamaki was saying about them, you feel that it's growing darker when they see you and Mori.
"Yep, so please make sure that you don't step across this line!" Tamaki continues, looking very satisfied.
You pat Mori's shoulders, and this time, insisting him to put you down. He eventually gives in before looking at your feet and back at you again with his usual indiscernible deadpanned look, but this time, paired with a rare little pout.
Enough! This is way too much thing to take in in one day! You mentally scream as you nervously laugh and wave off his concern.
"I'm feeling kind of sweaty right now, so I'm probably just gonna head home for today. I'll come back tomorr—."
You swear, the stress is starting to give you speech impediments. Why were you slipping up so many times today?!
You apprehensively turn to look at the rest of the Host Club members who are present, expecting to see their disgusted look towards your entitlement. After all, you were making a scene the other day, and while you know Haruhi was trying to make you not feel bad about it, you weren't sure how the rest felt about it, especially...
The silence is broken by a soft thud from someone placing their clipboard onto the table.
"Kyoya-senpai..."
"We're going to have a physical exam tomorrow, so there won't be any club activities tomorrow." The bespectacled male comments with his back still facing you.
"Ah... I see..."
"But do come in the following day. We're going to do a green tea and black tea tasting sessions. I think you'd love it." The second-year continues before turning around to look at you. You notice the warm smile tugging his lips.
And immediately, you can feel some fuzziness growing inside you. You quickly turn your head away to head for the door but you feel tingly that moving no longer feels natural to you.
"Okay. I'll be off then. See y'all." You quickly bid your goodbyes. You thought you hid it, but all the males in the room managed to catch the ghost of a smile flitting across your face.
Ah, you really have to find a way to stop feeling like this, is what you want to tell yourself, but you decide to sleep on it for today and allow this feeling of relief coursing through your nerves.
It seems you're going to be stuck with these people for a while more.
Not like you hate it, though.
(っ◔◡◔)っ -⃞ A/N -⃞
I apologise to people who actually do fencing or kendo, I only practiced kendo for 3 months in uni, and I've forgotten everything I know about it lol. I hope the quick research I did kinda suffices lmao. And that I'm not spreading misinformation lol.