By dinnertime, the cafeteria wasn't nearly as lively as it had been at noon. Everyone was worn out—either their bodies from physical training or their brains from memorizing the sutra. In short, nobody was feeling great, so dinner this evening was particularly quiet.
Yukio felt he still had a bit of energy, so after eating, he went back to memorize a little more of the text before heading off to the public bath. Having lived in a single-room dorm at AN High School for so long, he found himself missing the big communal baths a little.
Because of the large student body, there was a strict schedule for using the bathhouse—first-years went first, then second-years, and finally third-years got the last slot. That meant even if Yukio studied a bit before going, he wouldn't have to worry about it being too crowded. Besides, guys usually shower quickly; it never took long.
More importantly, he'd arranged to meet Ryuen there. The forest camp had only one bathhouse, so no matter how individualistic Ryuen might be, he'd still have to show up during the first-year time slot to bathe, and they could exchange information on personal ability projects.
Inside, the bathhouse had a distinctly Sakurajima-style design, with wooden décor instead of the usual white ceramic tiles. The overall setup, though, was fairly standard—change your clothes first, then proceed to several large pools. As soon as Yukio walked in, Ishizaki waved him over, looking anxious.
"Yukio-san! Hurry, come here! People from Ichinose's class are picking a fight!"
"Hey, hey." Next to Ishizaki stood Shibata—the physically gifted guy from Ichinose's class—who clapped Ishizaki's shoulder. "Ishizaki, watch what you say. If Yukio misunderstands, I'm done for."
"Huh?" Ishizaki blinked, then brushed off Shibata's hand with a look that said, You can't fool me, kid. "Also, don't go around talking about eating…uh…crap!"
"Pffft!" Shibata's shoulders started shaking, his face scrunching up like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or be embarrassed. Seriously, what is this Ishizaki even saying? Something about you can't just eat crap whenever—did that mean if it was clean, he would?
Anyway, Yukio hadn't heard their quiet exchange. He walked toward them, shirtless, and asked, "So what's going on? I seriously doubt Ichinose's class would pick a fight just like that."
Ishizaki, relieved to see his boss, eagerly explained, "It's these guys—Shibata's group! They insisted on taking off their towels and challenging our class to a…competition!"
In the communal bath, it was standard procedure for high school boys to wear a white towel around their waist to cover, well, certain handles. Removing it, then, was akin to drawing one's sword. They were all teenage guys; no one wanted to back down if someone else was going, ahem, fully unsheathed. If you want to challenge me, then challenge accepted! And if you can't match up head-on, maybe you can beat them with your, uh, side shot range, right?
After all, just being long doesn't guarantee victory. Sometimes it's about actual ability—and teenage guys can be endlessly competitive about these ridiculous standoffs. Hence, a bunch of half-grown adolescents had tossed their towels aside like fencers throwing off their capes, all tensed and ready to "duel" for superiority.
"…Honestly?" Listening to Ishizaki's blow-by-blow of this battle, Yukio really didn't know how to respond. Should he call it youth? Or just admit that guys never grow out of certain obsessions?
Shibata sidled up to them, heading into the bath area along with Yukio and Ishizaki. "Yukio, aren't you interested at all? Don't you want to be the definite champion among the first-years?!"
Champion? Yukio held back a laugh. Did they really need to use the word champion for this?
From the dressing area into the bath itself, the atmosphere was tense. Rather than actually bathing, the first-year guys were gathered around as if waiting for some big showdown.
"Tch, it's Yukio! Why's it always someone from his class showing up first? Where are our guys?"
"Who knows, maybe everyone else rushed in real quick and left? Or they're all coming at the very end of our time slot. We barely have anyone here."
"Too bad we can't bring our phones into the bath. I'd call for backup right now!"
Apparently, they'd lost to Yukio's class in the previous bathhouse duel, so they weren't too thrilled to see him again. It sounded like they were hoping for reinforcements from their side before the next round. That caught Yukio off guard. He turned to Ishizaki.
"Hold on… in the last round, who won from our class?"
"You'll never guess, Yukio-san!" At that, Ishizaki snickered and pointed to a small corner of the bath. "It was Kaneda!"
That did surprise Yukio. He would've bet on almost anyone else—Kaneda was the skinny, bespectacled study-holic who'd chosen the easiest running route in that afternoon's physical training. And yet he'd become the champion of this… sword-measuring event?
Truly, never judge a book by its cover. Someone can be slight of build but still carry a fearsome blade.
Kaneda, now aware that Ishizaki and Yukio were looking at him, sank deeper into the water, until only his head was visible. "Ishizaki, s-stop it. I didn't even want to compare in the first place!"
"Hey!" Ishizaki leaned over the edge of Kaneda's tub, trying to cheer him on. "You're the champion right now—be proud! Show 'em the spirit you had this afternoon!"
Kaneda just rolled his eyes, clearly done with Ishizaki's antics. Yukio, meanwhile, noticed the glasses perched on Kaneda's face. "Aren't you worried they'll fog up in here? Why did you bring them into the bath?"
Since it was a serious question from his boss, Kaneda dropped the eyeroll and answered honestly, "Ah, they're specially treated not to fog. It's just that my eyesight's awful. If I don't wear them, I can't see where I'm going and might slip. This place can be dangerous."
That admission drew the attention of guys around them. Kaneda shrank farther back, looking worried, as if to say Stay away from me, please. Indeed, slipping in a men's bathhouse was no joke. If a classmate rushed up behind him to help, well… that could be a real hazard of its own.
Ishizaki took two steps forward, sliding into Kaneda's tub. "Don't worry! If you slip, I'll help you up."
"Stay back!!" Kaneda cried, practically on the verge of panic. This guy Ishizaki had no idea how nervous his words were making him.
"…" Yukio eased himself into the neighboring pool. He made a mental note not to stand too close to Ishizaki in the future. Where the heck is Ryuen, anyway? he wondered.
Just then, Kanzaki—vice rep of Ichinose's class—entered, prompting Shibata to holler with relief, "Kanzaki! Thank god you're here. Don't let our class lose out again!"
"What…? What's going on?" Kanzaki's previously calm demeanor stiffened. He glanced around, seeing the heated stares on all sides. Everyone's gaze was fired up with competition. Did the school actually set up some special exam in the bathhouse?!
It was all so sudden, he had no idea what he'd just walked into.