Actually, Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji aren't bad people.
After the interactions during the morning and afternoon breaks, Phoenix Academy Maggie's impression of the two changed significantly.
From initially considering them weird guys, she found that chatting with them to pass the time was a decent choice.
At least they were not as roundabout as others.
Both of them had straightforward personalities, unlike other boys who were either overly self-deprecating, stuttering at every word, or overly confident, starting with a passionate confession.
Their exchanges were very normal.
What Phoenix Academy Maggie wanted was just that—normal interaction.
Of course, Phoenix Academy Maggie wasn't unskilled in engaging in roundabout interactions with people.
As a young lady of status, she knew exactly how to win others' favor.
She had the ability to become good friends with any of her classmates.
It's just that she couldn't be bothered to do so.
Those worth her insincere treatment were people of the same status.
With the clear gap in their identity and status, she could not gain any benefits from being insincere with her classmates.
The only emotion Phoenix Academy Maggie wanted to garner from her class was genuineness, something that couldn't be achieved through fake decorum.
「After school, in Class 2C.」
"Hojo, do you want to join the Kendo club?" Aozawa extended his hand to Hojo Tetsuji, who was about to leave. "With your talent, it would be such a waste not to practice Sword Dao."
Hojo Tetsuji shook his head. "I'm not interested in Sword Dao; its complex rules simply aren't suitable for a delinquent like me."
"Going to school every day, what kind of delinquent does that make you?" Aozawa teased him about his standards for being a delinquent, his gaze sweeping the classroom before landing on a dark-haired girl. He called out, "Hey, Yoshikawa, what do you think of boys who practice kendo?"
Yoshikawa's looks couldn't be considered very pretty within the class.
She was plain, with an average height and figure—just a regular girl.
If one had to point out a virtue, it would be her kindness.
Even when faced with Aozawa, whom she had never spoken to before, Yoshikawa still considered the question seriously for a moment, then gave a thumbs-up. "I think boys who pour their youth into something are amazing."
"I'm joining the Kendo club!" Hojo Tetsuji loudly announced his decision, declaring solemnly, "Let's take the national competition championship in one fell swoop!"
It was as if an invisible fighting spirit was being released from his body, and the air seemed to burn.
Phoenix Academy Maggie shook her head slightly. It was precisely such a straightforward attitude that allowed Aozawa to rule out the other girls one by one, pinpointing Yoshikawa Sayuri as the one Hojo Tetsuji liked.
"Great, from now on you are one of us in the Kendo club." Aozawa patted Hojo Tetsuji on the shoulder. With this guy, paired with the Kendo club leader, there might be a chance to make a run at the national competition.
While achieving a high ranking might be ambitious, they could at least qualify for the national competition. This would let the prestigious schools know that the kendo world had a dark horse named Aozawa.
Then it would be time to claim the highest honor in kendo, the Jade Dragon Flag.
Aozawa dreamt of the future but then noticed Phoenix Academy Maggie was about to grab her bag and leave. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Phoenix Academy, which club are you joining?"
"The Go-Home Club," Phoenix Academy Maggie truthfully stated.
She had considered more classical clubs like the Tea Ceremony Club.
But when she visited, she found the atmosphere wasn't as pleasant as she hoped. To avoid unreasonable pressure from seniors, she chose the most liberating Go-Home Club.
「The gentle sunlight fell on the campus.」
From the sports field came the cheering of the track and field team members, and the music from the light music club's rehearsal drifted down from the second floor.
Phoenix Academy Maggie sat on a bench in the courtyard.
A member of the Go-Home Club, she didn't choose to go home.
She didn't want her mother to worry and wanted to create the image of her enjoying a rosy high school life.
Her mother just needed to take care of the company's affairs and didn't need to be distracted by caring for her.
It was a white lie.
She took a sip of orange juice and pondered. What kind of story should I concoct to satisfy Mother's inquiry today? I could say I made two new peculiar friends, gender-swap Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji, and pretend they were girls with ponytails.
Phoenix Academy Maggie mentally composed a story about her day on campus, making it pleasant and interesting to guarantee her mother would be at ease.
As she was engrossed in thought, the corners of Phoenix Academy Maggie's mouth slightly curled up, her eyes seemingly immersed in that dreamlike campus life.
The approaching footsteps interrupted her daydream. She glanced over to see three men dressed as plumbers approaching her.
Phoenix Academy Maggie sensed something was amiss and stood up from the bench.
One of them opened his tool bag, pulled out a gun, and said, "Miss Phoenix Academy, please come with us."
Kidnapping... Phoenix Academy Maggie was utterly surprised by such a development.
If her memory served her right, her family had always paid protection money on time to the local underworld to ensure their safety.
Powerful gangs wouldn't break the rules.
And small-time thugs wouldn't possibly know she was attending this school.
"Aren't you afraid of offending the Misawa group by kidnapping me?"
"We are from the Misawa group. Our newly appointed Leader Ono would like to invite you, Miss, to our place as a guest to discuss the Phoenix Academy's protection fee again."
"Fine," Phoenix Academy Maggie answered truthfully.
She wasn't foolish; she could see that if she didn't comply, things wouldn't end well for her.
"Since Miss is so cooperative, we can rest easy. Please leave through the back door," the man who seemed to be their leader said.
「The school's back door was very quiet.」
It was a bit of a distance from the club building, and aside from the public restroom, there was nothing to attract students.
Aozawa finished his endurance training—running laps around the school with the Kendo club—and decided to take a break to relieve himself.
He pulled up his trousers and strode to the washbasin outside.
Aozawa turned on the faucet, washed his hands, and then scooped up water to splash on his face.
"AH, that feels good," he said casually as he rubbed his face and straightened up, intending to head for the club building.
Phoenix Academy Maggie and three men dressed as plumbers appeared around the corner ahead of him.
The group exchanged looks.
You must not speak up! Phoenix Academy Maggie screamed internally, blinking rapidly to signal him not to get involved in her trouble.
Aozawa noticed her signal, then glanced at the three menacing-looking adults and understood what was happening. He laughed and said, "Phoenix Academy, don't be afraid. Three people aren't enough for me to handle."
The leader, not wanting to waste time, took out a gun fitted with a silencer.
Am I in the United States? Aozawa internally criticized their deviation from East Asian customs. He could handle a knife, but a gun was dangerous.
Not wanting to expose his ability in front of Phoenix Academy Maggie, he raised his hands and initiated Hypnosis, saying, "Don't shoot, I surrender."
The leader's intentions changed; he felt there was no need to shoot to kill. He ordered, "To avoid trouble, tie him up too."
That was close... Phoenix Academy Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. If they really had intended to shoot, she would have had to attempt the difficult maneuver of disarming them barehanded.
Phoenix Academy Maggie certainly didn't want to risk her life for something that could be resolved with money.