Original Published Date: May 29, 2016
Edited Date: December 4, 2017
April 11, 2016 - Morning
"Hello there, Suzuhana-san," Maria greets, waving her right hand lightly.
"Densetsu-senpai..."
At the school rooftop, Hinako and Maria were by the edge and looked down below where the club members are greeting the freshmen to join their club. Maria has a bottle of oolong tea in her hand while Hinako has a can of orange soda.
"It's quite lively today, isn't?" Maria asks as she happily looked over the students.
"Yes, it is," Hinako does the same. Then, she looks at her senior through the corner of her eyes. 'Densetsu-senpai asked me to talk with her all of a sudden. I wonder what she wants to talk about.'
Maria caught her underclassman looking at her, making Hinako jump back.
"M-My apologies, I didn't mean to pry," Hinako said defensively.
Maria laughs. "It's all right, Suzuhana-san. I must have scared you."
"Not really," Hinako regains her composure. "So, what are you going to talk to me about?"
"Oh, I almost forgot," Maria knocks her head playfully, tilting her head to the side. "I just want to introduce myself properly to you since we're in the student council."
"Oh, well, you already introduced yourself to me, senpai," Hinako replies.
"No, no," Maria waves her finger, left and right. "You only know me because of the ceremony earlier. I like to formally introduce myself."
"Oh, I understand your point," Hinako nods her head with firmly with a smile. "Then, please, by all means."
"Thank you," Maria, then, lifts her right hand for Hinako to shake. "My name is Densetsu Maria of Class 3-B. I'm already a graduating student, ready for college, so I might be busy from time to time. I am in your care, kouhai."
Hinako smiles and happily takes Maria's hand. "I'm Suzuhana Hinako of Class 1-A. I just recently moved here and I look forward to working with you in the student council. I am also in your care, senpai."
"Same here. Let us have a great school year together," the silver-headed senior said as she smiles brightly.
"I can't believe that I was chosen to represent the first years," Hinako said placing her elbows on the railings. "I'm still surprised, senpai, and it's only my second week here."
"Oh, that? Itsuka-kun told me that it'll be great if they have a representative for first years," Maria explains. "Most of the members of the student council are third years, so I think it'd be a good idea for a first year, like you, to be in it. Plus, it's good experience."
"But doesn't it look unfair for the others who really wanted to join the council?" Hinako worriedly asks, turning her head to look at the silver-headed senior.
Maria giggles a bit. "I thought of the same thing, kouhai. But,Itsuka-kun has his reasons and such!"
"And that is?" Hinako raises an eyebrow out of curiosity.
Maria grins. "It's a secret."
April 11, 2016 - Late Morning
"So, how did it go with Seifuku-senpai?" Marie asks Hinako as they walked along the school hallways with Fūrin.
"Well, I'm officially a representative. I tried to refuse but gave up eventually," Hinako replies, biting onto a red bean bun. "I guess I'll be busy this year."
"That is so awesome, Suzuhana-san! Working in the student council might be a huge task but it's still awesome!" Marie sparkles.
"But that means you have to work with Douji-senpai," Fūrin says, a little worried. "You two haven't gotten along for the past week."
"I tried, Kanzaki-san," Hinako bites on her bun again. "But Douji-senpai kept on calling me mongrel, that's why I keep on snapping."
"Do you basically hate people who call others a mongrel?"
"No, it's not just that. I..." Hinako stops walking and looks down on the floor. "I hate people who look down on others. I mean, isn't it natural to feel this way when someone is treating you like some sort of slave? Like you're simply nothing but, like, an insect?"
Marie and Fūrin stops walking and looks at Hinako. Then, both of them looked at each other, nodding their heads in agreement, before looking back at their brown-headed friend.
"Yeah, you're right," Fūrin scratches the back of his head. "I guess I'd be pretty pissed off at someone who'd look down on me."
"Me, too!" Marie pumps up her fist. "People like that should be taught a very important lesson on how to treat other people right!"
"You guys..." Marie and Fūrin smiles at Hinako. She looks back at them and made a very radiant smile. "Thank you!"
"Come on! Let's go see some clubs!" Marie runs up to Hinako and locks her by the arm.
"Yes, yes, let's go see some clubs."
April 11, 2016 - Early Afternoon
Hinako was walking around the campus grounds on her own, holding a pamphlet in her hands. It was the Kendo team's pamphlet.
Marie found a club she wanted to join - it was the music club. Since she has an aspiration of becoming a singer, she signed up right away, leaving Hinako and Fūrin. Well, it didn't last long till Fūrin found his club, too. He signed up for the school's fishing team right away, leaving Hinako on her own.
"The Kendo room should be right around here."
Hinako walked around the campus until she stumbled upon a wooden door. On the right, there was a plaque that says 'Kendo Team' in Japanese letters.
"This is the place," Hinako approaches the door and slowly opens it. "Excuse me?"
Hinako suddenly froze from her spot when a shinai (a bamboo sword) was thrown towards her direction.
"That was quite the weak spirit!" Yells a familiar voice. "Stand up and take up your shinai, you mongrel!"
Hinako looks at the man, who was wearing a bogu (a protective armor), and just plainly eyes at him. Her eyebrows furrowed, bothered to see the person whom she doesn't like to see the most.
'No, this can't be,' Hinako thought.
"You..."
Hinako found herself wearing a bogu, as well, and stood on a horizontal line with the other new members of the Kendo team. In front of them was Gil and beside him was a long, purple-headed co-captain named Koujiro Sasaki, a second year.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Kendo team. I am Sasaki Koujiro from Class 2-B," he greets the freshmen with a smile and a bow.
"And I am Douji Gil, the captain of this team. But I guess I don't have to introduce myself to a certain someone here," Gil smirked.
Hinako eyes at her senior from her spot, 'There's no need to say that.'
"Thank you for choosing the Kendo team as your new family! We are delighted to have you here," a woman with pink, spiky hair said. "I am Juniyushi Asuto from Class 3-B and I'm delighted to see the student council representative for first years here!"
Hinako's attention was caught, looking at the pink-headed senior. "I'm...also delighted to be here," she bows.
"Hmph. Why this place? There are tons of club in this school," Gil interrupts, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm already seeing your face frequently in the student council room, now I'm going to see it here, too?"
Hinako looks at Gil with an irritated look. "This is what I wanted, Douji-senpai. There was no need for you to criticize me like that."
"Oh, but there is an actual need to criticize you. As if I hadn't had enough of your mongrel-like face and attitude," he clicks his tongue.
Hinako clenches her fist, snapping. She quickly grabs a shinai from the floor and points it at Gil. He, on the other hand, was shell-shocked, as well as the other members of the club.
"Pick up your shinai, senpai. I challenge you to a duel. If I win, then you will stop calling me names, as well as the other students who doesn't deserve to be downgraded by such a person as you," Hinako declares.
"Let's just calm down, everyone," Koujiro says, holding up his hands to a calming manner. "We can settle this peace-"
"You're on, mongrel!" Gil said, grabbing Hinako's shinai and sent her a very angry look. "Then, if I win, you will leave this club and never set your foot in here ever again!"
"Come on, Gil, she's just a freshman," Asuto intervenes. "There's absolutely no need to do this."
"It's all right, Juniyushi-senpai," Hinako lowers her shinai and smirks. "I like a challenge, as well."
Hinako and Gil found themselves on a battling stance, wearing their bogu properly. Shinais were on their hands, ready to attack.
"Heh, be ready to get beaten, mongrel," Gil proclaims.
"I'll take that as a compliment instead, Douji-senpai." Hinako smiles under her mask. "I won't be defeated so easily."
'This is bad. Suzuhana-san is gonna get beat up by Douji-san very bad,' Koujiro thought. 'He is the all-time champion in Kendo since his middle school days. Suzuhana-san won't stand a chance against him.'
"Are both ready?" Asuto asks the two kendoka.
"Ready," Hinako said.
Gil just nodded his head. The freshmen were sitting a few feet away from Hinako and Gil, feeling that it was gonna be quite a feast for their eyes.
"Begin!" Asuto declares.
Gil swiftly raises his shinai and slams it right onto Hinako's shinai, which she used to deflect Gil's. Hinako made a few steps back due to her senior's overwhelming strength. She, then, takes a deep breath and pushes Gil's shinai away, making him raise both of his hands on the air. He was open by the torso, so Hinako took the chance to attack him with her shinai.
'He's open!'
Hinako was about to touch Gil's waist with her bamboo sword when all of a sudden, Gil turns his shinai around and used it to deflect his underclassman's shinai. She was surprised, losing concentration. Gil, then, twirled his shinai on Hinako's shinai, making her drop it from the twisting pain. The winner points the tip of his shinai at the loser.
"Heh," Gil smirks under his mask.
"That's one point for Gil," Asuto remarks, holding up a red flag. "One more point and you win."
"Perfect," Gil laughs a little. "I will show you my power, mongrel!"
Hinako grits her teeth, picking up her shinai. She, then, returns to her position and took her stance. 'I must not lose. I want to join this team. I may be lacking in physical strength but I know that I can turn this round around.'
"Begin!" Asuto declares.
Hinako bent down, pulling her shinai backwards, and quickly rushed towards Gil, gaining his astonished expression. She looked at him from below and used her shinai to hit Gil's tendons, making him trip on his back. The crowd was shocked.
"What the hell?!" Gil said as he slowly pushes himself up from the floor, taking off his head armor.
Hinako, then, points the tip of her shinai at Gil.
"One point for Suzuhana-san," Koujiro said, raising up his white flag. "That's a tie."
"Impossible! You are only a rookie!" Gil yells. "And how dare you look down on me?! It should be the other way around! I should be above you!"
"Maybe the tides have turned, senpai," Hinako said. "It's a tie, Douji-senpai. One more point is all we need. Let's make the last one count."
"Hah! Bet your luck because I won't go easy on you," Gil stood up. "mongrel!"
Hinako and Gil took their stance. One more point was all that they need. It was either Gil stopping himself from calling Hinako and the others a mongrel or Hinako leaving the Kendo team for good, forcing her to choose another club. Who will be the victor in this heated battle?
To be continued: (Spring) Chapter 6