A gentle breeze blows on a clear morning. In a deep blue sky dotted with white clouds, the air is filled with the sweet scent of fresh plants. On a nearby treetop, birds chirp cheerfully. The Gyokuryu Flag's middle school division concluded yesterday, and the high school matches would take place over the next few days. The members of Soubu Middle School gathered in the parking lot.
"Hey, is no one really coming back to Tokyo with me?" Doraku Utage says, a slight frown on her face as she stands by the car, a lollipop in her mouth. She looks at Hiratsuka Ryosuke with her emerald eyes. The look from his teacher sends a shiver down his spine.
"Teacher, I'm planning to take the shinkansen back with my sister." He doesn't dare ride in her car again. It's fast, but it's a bit too life-threatening.
Doraku Utage then turns her gaze to Takamachi Kyouya. After a night of rest, the president has mostly recovered, except for the lingering pain in his injured area. Takamachi Kyouya's heart skips a beat, sensing danger. He respectfully says, "Teacher, I'm planning to stay and watch the high school matches with my master." Doraku Utage nods, accepting his reason, and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief.
As for the three first-year students, Zaimokuza, Hirata Ichiro, and Hayama Hayato, they're filled with envy. They don't want to relive the unforgettable experience of a car ride so fast their souls were chasing them. The memory alone still makes their scalps tingle. Zaimokuza and Hirata both look at the handsome blond, hoping Hayama will save them. Hayama Hayato always feels a need to meet the expectations of others; in a way, he's a genuinely good person. He notices the desperate looks from his two remaining teammates and grits his teeth, stepping forward.
"Teacher Doraku, it's a rare holiday and a long trip to Fukuoka. We've decided to stay and do some sightseeing."
"Teacher, we heard the Gundam Base in Fukuoka is finished. We were just talking about wanting to go see it last night."
"Ah, yeah, that's right!" The other two frantically nod like chickens pecking at rice, terrified they might be too slow and get dragged into the car.
In the end, Doraku Utage drives off alone with the Gyokuryu Flag trophy. The remaining team members look at each other and collectively let out a sigh of relief.
"Ryosuke! Hurry up!" Hearing Shinka's voice from afar, Hiratsuka Ryosuke says goodbye to his teammates.
The shinkansen slices through the air like a silver bullet train, soaring freely on the high-speed tracks.
"Ryosuke, look! The shinkansen is so fast!" Nibutani Shinka presses her face against the window, her eyes filled with excitement and curiosity as she watches the scenery whizz by. She wants to share her feelings with her childhood friend.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke ignores her and closes his eyes, dozing off on the train. The physical exhaustion from the past two days is manageable, but the mental stress hasn't fully dissipated. Across from them sit Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukinoshita Haruno. Haruno is unusually quiet today, leaning against the window and gazing at the clouds in the sky and the birds flying by, lost in thought.
Time continues to pass. Ryosuke feels a weight on his shoulder, along with a unique feminine scent in the air. He opens his eyes and glances to the side. Nibutani Shinka, perhaps tired from all the excitement or just from waking up too early, is now gently resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed. She looks peaceful and serene, her nose twitching as if she's having a wonderful dream. Ryosuke gently tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, revealing a face as smooth as a peeled eggshell.
He quietly observes her sleeping face. Her long, thick eyelashes cast two fan-shaped shadows on her cheeks. They seem to flutter like butterfly wings with each breath she takes. A silent Shinka looks like an elf from a fairy tale, radiating an effortless innocence and beauty.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke's gaze softens. This chuunibyou girl is the childhood friend he grew up with, the one with whom he shares countless memories and an unbreakable bond, the one who made his heart skip a beat.
As Ryosuke's eyes shift to Shinka's white forehead, he sees a faint red mark right in the middle. A pang of guilt flashes in his eyes. Yesterday, he got so carried away that he couldn't hold back. The result was a hard flick to her forehead, and the mark hadn't completely faded.
"Ryosuke, look at this. Scroll up slowly," a voice whispers. Hiratsuka Shizuka, sitting across from him, hands him her phone. He takes his sister's phone and looks at the screen. It's a news article from the Gyokuryu Flag section.
"A New History for the Gyokuryu Flag! 'Tokyo Battousai's' 34-Win Streak!"
"The Story of a Genius Kendo Boy and the 'Empire's Ferocious Tigress!'"
Only one night has passed, and they've already dug up my sister's past? How are these people so well-informed? He clicks on the second headline. The content is full of speculation, and while the headlines are clickbait, the articles are somewhat normal for now. But as Ryosuke scrolls up, the content becomes increasingly ridiculous.
"'I have no enemies in front of me!' Is that man's pre-match declaration arrogance or confidence?"
"Despair! This is the power of the 'Guardian Knight,' the God of Kendo!"
The blacker Ryosuke's face gets, the more worried he is about the future of Japanese journalism. Finally, he reaches the top of the popularity charts for the Gyokuryu Flag news and finds the source of all evil. He's all too familiar with this style of writing.
"Rejoice! The King of Kendo is born! He is the 'Guardian Knight' Hiratsuka Ryosuke, who has inherited the power of all kendo masters, transcended time, knows the past and future, and protects the dreams of others!"
The hand holding the phone trembles, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging. This headline makes the last bit of guilt he had for Nibutani Shinka vanish instantly. He thinks to himself, The lesson I taught this girl yesterday was definitely too light. She doesn't learn her lesson at all.
He turns his head, ready to wake Shinka and scold her, but he hears a faint whisper from her in her sleep, as quiet as a mosquito. "Ryosuke... I love you the most." Nibutani Shinka's unconscious murmur is like a basin of cold water being poured on his rising anger. The girl's breathing is steady, her cheeks slightly flushed. He doesn't know what she's dreaming about, but she's smiling sweetly, her face filled with happiness and contentment.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke gently hands the phone back to his sister. He then relaxes his muscles and leans back in his seat, letting the girl beside him sleep more comfortably. He looks at Shinka, who is still sleeping on his shoulder. Her sleeping face is so peaceful and beautiful.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke shakes his head internally, letting out a soft sigh. The anger that had temporarily flared up is completely gone, replaced with a look of helplessness. He closes his eyes, his mind replaying memories of him and Shinka. They all come together and stop at the moment of her murmur.
I took on the challenge alone at the Gyokuryu Flag, and single-handedly defeated 34 opponents to win. But in the end... I've still been defeated by you.