Everyone knew it was now Hojou Kyousuke's turn.
This was especially grating for Kenichi Chiba.
The thought that he had dominated his matches yet failed to capture the attention of their superior or the young lady.
While that kid off the court merely had to open his mouth to make the young lady giggle, filled him with immense frustration.
Hojou Kyousuke was just about to tease Makki Hojou, asking if his Kendo had gotten rusty from the exhausting university life, when Senior Chiba spoke up.
"Hojou-kun, you're next for instruction, correct?"
Hm?
Kyousuke was taken aback.
Seeing Kenichi Chiba drenched in sweat, a wave of heartfelt appreciation washed over him.
'What a dedicated worker,' he thought, 'pushing himself so hard just to help the "Rampaging Angels" improve their skills.'
With that in mind, he handed Chiba a bottle of water and asked considerately, "My match can wait. Why don't you take a break first, Chiba-san?"
Even though each match was decided by a single point instead of a best-of-three, facing so many opponents in a row was exhausting for anyone, even a man at his physical peak.
"No need," Kenichi Chiba replied with a smile.
Though inwardly annoyed, as a seasoned company man, he knew how to wield words effectively.
"I'm quite eager to experience your Kendo firsthand. The young lady praised you so highly earlier; it's made all my colleagues very curious."
His words skillfully backed up his young lady's earlier comments while simultaneously putting Kyousuke on the spot, making it difficult for him to refuse.
Especially since Chiba was there as an instructor, yet he showed no hint of arrogance.
Even the Division Chief, overhearing this, beamed with a satisfied smile.
'So moving. Such a spirit of dedication!' Kyousuke was genuinely touched once more and opened his mouth to accept.
But just then, Ren Arisugawa suddenly spoke up.
"Seriously, Chiba-san," she said, "you've just had several consecutive matches and are warmed up. Hojou-kun has been sitting here the whole time without any warm-up at all. It's completely unfair."
'Huh?!'
Kenichi Chiba's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ahem, it's not that bad. You could say I had a thorough warm-up this morning," Kyousuke quickly interjected, standing up.
Even with his thick skin, he felt a bit overwhelmed by the girl's pointed defense.
"If Chiba-san doesn't need a break, then let's begin," he said.
Miyamizu Mitsuha, who had been sitting on the floor, stood up and began helping her man put on the protective gear.
First was the Tare—the waist protector.
The shrine maiden took the indigo-blue Tare and pressed it against Hojou Kyousuke's lower abdomen.
Her small hands grasped the cords attached to it, crossed them, and wrapped them around his waist.
Her soft body pressed closely against his as she worked.
Her little hands then lifted the Nadare-Jime and tied a neat bow beneath it.
Throughout the process, both maintained perfectly straight faces.
However, as her hands worked beneath the name flap—perhaps because she had never helped someone into this gear before.
Her fingers seemed to keep brushing against places they shouldn't.
As everyone knows, traditional Kendo uniforms (Hakama) don't involve wearing pants underneath.
Some who prefer a more "natural" feel don't even wear underwear.
So, while catching a glimpse of a girl's fair legs through the splits of the Hakama in a dojo is unlikely, seeing a man's hairy thighs is a distinct possibility.
With his keen senses, Kyousuke could clearly feel Mitsuha's restless hands fidgeting near his lower abdomen.
'This is definitely not a place for idle touching in public!'
The Nadare-Jime is the protective groin flap hanging from the center of the Tare.
Below it lies a man's most vulnerable, yet paradoxically most powerful, area.
Vulnerable because it's a well-known weak spot; powerful because, regardless of a person's wisdom or willpower, they often find themselves at its mercy.
'Hey! Mind where we are!'
He abruptly tensed his abdominal muscles, hoping the hardened muscle would signal Mitsuha to stop.
Unexpectedly, his movement caused the bow the shrine maiden had just tied to "accidentally" come loose again.
"I'm sorry Kyousuke, I'm not used to helping someone with this," Miyamizu Mitsuha said, her face the picture of contrite innocence, seemingly aware she was taking too long.
"It's quite alright. Please take your time," Kenichi Chiba said, graciously, though he privately wondered why anyone needed help with a simple Tare.
"If you're not skilled at it, let me do it!" Himeno Seiko declared, standing up before anyone could react.
"That won't be necessary! Didn't you need help putting on your own gear, Himeno-san?" Mitsuha retorted, smoothly turning her body to subtly bump Seiko, sending her stumbling back to a seated position.
Gritting her teeth, Himeno Seiko shot a meaningful look at her friend.
Ren Arisugawa instantly understood.
She stood up.
"I'll help too. The knot under the name flap can be tricky," she said.
Using her seated father's body as a barrier, she successfully bypassed Mitsuha's defensive position and reached Kyousuke's other side.
Without another word, her small hands darted towards the space beneath Kyousuke's Nadare-Jime.
'Huh?!'
'Just what do you think you're doing!?'
Both Miyamizu Mitsuha and Himeno Seiko's eyes widened in unison.
The former was shocked at the audacity of someone trying to snatch prey right from the tiger's mouth under her very nose.
The latter was horrified that calling for backup had potentially let a wolf in through the door.
"I'll help too!" Himeno Seiko yelled, getting to her feet a second time.
Before she was even steady, her own fair hands were reaching for the space below Kyousuke's name flap.
"That is entirely unnecessary! There is no one in the world better at tying knots than me!" Miyamizu Mitsuha urgently proclaimed.
Clearly, the other two had no intention of stopping just because she said so.
"It looks to me like you have no idea what you're doing. Let me help Hojou-kun instead."
"I can hold it in place for you, that should make it easier to tie!"
As they spoke, both girls' hands were nearly upon Kyousuke's lower abdomen.
"Ngh...!"
Suddenly, Kyousuke let out a small, sharp hiss of breath.
He turned his head to look incredulously at Mitsuha, who was half-embracing him.
Facing his gaze, the shrine maiden simply lowered her head, pretending not to see.
However, the hands she had wrapped around his waist from behind were now swinging left and right, fiercely slapping away the two other pairs of intruding hands.
'I—I'm just protecting Kyousuke!'
Mitsuha told herself this, but she couldn't help noticing that the thing her hands were guarding against seemed to suddenly swell significantly in size.
'Gulp—'
The shrine maiden involuntarily swallowed, her hands now gripping tightly.
'I can't let go. If I let go, those two will rush in and take it!'
The reality was, the moment Himeno Seiko's and Ren Arisugawa's hands were about to reach beneath the Nadare-Jime, Mitsuha had a sudden, horrifying realization: if their hands went there, they would definitely touch Kyousuke's... Kyousuke's... that.
This simply could not be allowed!
'How could I let others defile what I haven't even had the chance to enjoy myself yet!'
'Protecting Kyousuke's virtue is a duty I must fulfill'!
With lightning-fast reflexes, the shrine maiden acted before the other two could make contact.
She brought her two small hands together, cupping Kyousuke "Junior" like catching a baby chick, and sealed Kyousuke's purity securely within her grasp.
Given Kyousuke was at an age of peak vitality and desire, normally reciting the "Heart Sutra of Shizuka" dozens of times a day to maintain composure, this kind of stimulation was overwhelming.
The shrine maiden found her initial cupping gesture insufficient and was forced to switch to using both her slender, pale hands to grip the burgeoning presence firmly.
Seeing that the two "temptresses" still refused to give up, Miyamizu Mitsuha hardened her resolve.
She gripped tightly onto Kyousuke's "Junior," fending off their hands like a protective barrier.
'I am Kyousuke's strongest shield—soft, but able to block anything.'
That's what the shrine maiden told herself.
Across from her, the two pampered heiresses weren't about to back down either.
Ever since childhood, they'd been treated like princesses—if they wanted the stars, their families would've sent rockets to fetch them.
In fact, Himeno Seiko's father had even named a newly discovered star after her when she was born.
So for girls who had never once been told "no," this was unbearable humiliation.
'Unforgivable! Just because you got here first doesn't mean you can hog all the attention!'
'All I wanted was to help him put on his gear!'
Their eyes met, both burning with the same indignation.
Then, almost at the same time, they grabbed one of Mitsuha's wrists each, trying to pry her hands away.
Feeling her wrists being pulled, Mitsuha only tightened her grip.
"!!—"
Kyousuke's eyes widened.
His face, normally so effortlessly charming, now looked sharp and dangerous, like a tiger about to pounce.
Chiba Kenichi, who had been about to ask if they needed help, froze mid-breath and turned away, pretending to chat with the students nearby.
Realizing what she'd just done, Mitsuha loosened her grip for a moment—but before Kyousuke could even exhale, she tensed again.
'Sorry, Kyousuke… but if I let go, they'll take you away.'
Apologizing in her heart, Mitsuha leaned forward and pressed her body against his back, using all her strength to keep her hold.
'Don't think I don't know why you're pressing like that—it's to brace your arms better,' Kyousuke thought helplessly.
He wanted to tell her that he could put on the armor himself, but he didn't have the heart to interrupt her determined effort—or risk sudden movement when she was holding him like that.
He sighed inwardly.
'Well, I suppose this counts as "training" in its own way…'
Drawing a deep breath, he focused his mind downward, steadying his body, adjusting the flow of his strength.
Fortunately, they were standing a little apart from the rest.
The others nearby were chatting, pretending not to see.
Those who knew Kyousuke well—his "Rampaging Angel" teammates—had long learned to stay quiet when the boss and his girls got into one of their "situations."
The last thing anyone wanted was to get caught in the crossfire.
Mitsuha, meanwhile, burned with indignation.
'How dare those two be so shameless—trying to snatch away something so precious right before her eyes!'
Yes, Kyousuke might have his tangled love debts, but they were all friends—close enough to share summer festivals and fireworks.
Normally, they got along better than sisters.
'No—better than sisters!' Mitsuha thought fiercely.
Then, remembering her real sister, she amended that in her head.
Even the infamous duel with Utaha hadn't been this bad—at least that time, they'd been fighting elegantly while still trying to look good for Kyousuke.
It was a battle of beauty and pride.
But this? This was pure chaos.
'Are these two wild animals?!' Mitsuha fumed.
'Even scavengers have more manners!'
Her temper flared.
She pressed herself tighter against Kyousuke's back, her movements fierce but oddly protective.
Her hands stayed firmly in place while she swatted wildly to drive the other two away.
Himeno and Arisugawa, for their part, were equally outraged.
Never had they met someone so unreasonable, so unwilling to share even a moment.
'Isn't rivalry supposed to prove something's worth?' Himeno thought indignantly.
'The proper thing to do is to smile gracefully, let others try, and then win with elegance.'
'That's how a true lady secures her place!'
That was something her etiquette teacher, Ms. Tokushima, had drilled into her: jealousy makes you ugly; poise makes you powerful.
So she gave Arisugawa a look.
Both girls nodded, focused their energy, and pulled even harder on Mitsuha's arms.
In response, Mitsuha tightened her hold even more.
Finally, the tension became too much, and Kyousuke couldn't help letting out a small groan of discomfort.
'Seriously? Even in martial arts novels, no one trains like this!' he thought, exasperated.
'Mitsuha, if you keep this up, you'll destroy the happiness you're trying to protect…'
He sighed. Enough was enough.
"Alright, that's enough," Kyousuke said calmly.
He stretched out his arms and, without effort, pulled both girls closer.
In an instant, all three were pressed up against him.
With his tall frame, they looked like three small birds nestled around him—each clinging to a different side.
Mitsuha was behind him, her arms crossed tightly around his waist, refusing to let go.
Himeno stood to his left, one hand still gripping Mitsuha's arm but the other wrapping around his waist.
Arisugawa mirrored her on the right, equally stubborn.
Kyousuke chuckled softly. "Well, the waist armor's done. Himeno, could I trouble you to help me with the headband next?"
"Absolutely not!" Mitsuha shot back instantly.
"Kyousuke's hair is mine to handle!"
"Excuse me!?" Himeno protested. "Since when—?"
Before she could finish, Kyousuke had already handed her the arm guards instead.
He knew exactly what Mitsuha meant. And honestly, he couldn't blame her—he wouldn't want anyone else braiding Mitsuha's hair either.
That was something private. Something sacred.
Something that only the two of them shared.
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