Chapter 259: Kendo Match

Lei Yin was puzzled by Shiraishi Akira’s sudden challenge, but seeing that he genuinely wanted to spar, he found no reason to refuse and agreed.

Shiraishi Akira was one of the few young men that Lei Yin admired. To preserve his reputation, Lei Yin agreed to the match but suggested they hold it at the Teikyo Kendo Club’s dojo after everyone else had finished their practice and left.

By late afternoon, as the last of the club members were leaving, Shiraishi Akira stayed behind. After a while, he saw a figure gradually walking toward him. He stood up slowly.

Once inside the dojo, Lei Yin asked, “Akira, why did you suddenly want to spar with me?”

Shiraishi Akira hesitated for a moment before answering, “I just wanted to confirm something.”

Lei Yin gave him a long look but didn’t press further. He walked over to the rack where the bamboo swords were stored and began selecting one that felt comfortable.

After picking a sword, Lei Yin walked to the center of the practice area.

As was customary, Lei Yin didn’t wear a protective mask or armor. Shiraishi Akira, too, was unprotected. Although Lei Yin had explained before that he didn’t wear them out of habit, not out of disrespect, Shiraishi Akira understood and agreed. However, instead of putting on his usual protective gear, he, like Lei Yin, only held a bamboo sword and stood before him.

Seeing the normally quiet and reserved Akira insist on this, Lei Yin said no more.

In the stillness of the dojo, the two faced each other in silence.

The golden sunlight of dusk bathed the dojo in a warm glow, giving everything a tranquil atmosphere. In the distance, occasional student calls and the sound of passing cars made it clear that summer had arrived.

Shiraishi Akira focused intently on the man before him. Despite being mentally prepared, facing his friend, armed with a bamboo sword, stirred an indescribable, strange feeling in his heart.

Since starting kendo at the age of nine, influenced by his grandfather, Shiraishi Akira had lost count of how many people he’d sparred with. There had been both wins and losses, but after entering high school, he rarely lost, even when facing adults.

Even when he occasionally met an opponent stronger than himself, he could feel that the difference was only in strength or agility—nothing too substantial. He might lose a match here or there, but over several rounds, the outcome would be hard to predict.

But now, facing Lei Yin, Shiraishi Akira felt an unusual, almost bewildering sensation.

Lei Yin appeared to be standing casually, the tip of his bamboo sword slightly angled toward him. He looked full of openings, yet as Shiraishi Akira prepared to strike, he realized those weren’t actually openings at all. If he tried to attack, it would only be dangerous. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation in all his years of kendo.

After an unknown period of time, as Shiraishi Akira sensed his own momentum weakening, he knew he couldn’t continue waiting.

Without warning, he suddenly took two quick steps forward and slashed at Lei Yin.

The speed of this strike was incredible. If Lei Yin were to respond conventionally, the only way to block it would be to intercept with his sword.

However, Shiraishi Akira was surprised to see that when he made his strike, Lei Yin didn’t dodge or evade. Instead, he thrust his sword directly toward Akira’s wrist.

Although Lei Yin’s strike came a moment later and wasn’t particularly fast, the shorter distance allowed him to land the strike before Akira’s sword. Akira had practiced a style of kendo that focused on speed and initiative, ensuring that his opponent had no chance to counterattack. As a result, when he swung his sword with incredible speed, he didn’t have time to adjust his move. He could only watch as the tip of Lei Yin’s bamboo sword lightly passed through his guard like a breeze, striking his wrist effortlessly.

Normally, being struck by a bamboo sword wrapped in white cloth wouldn’t have much impact. However, when the sword made contact with his wrist, Shiraishi Akira felt a sudden numbness, and the bamboo sword nearly slipped out of his hand.

Instinctively, he quickly stepped back several paces after the strike. Lei Yin, however, didn’t press the attack and simply stood in place, quietly observing him.

The numbness in his hand stirred a sense of confusion in Shiraishi Akira’s heart. He never expected to be hit so unexpectedly during their first exchange. If they were to follow official competition rules, that strike would have already counted as valid.

Taking a deep breath, Shiraishi Akira raised his sword with both hands and assumed a middle guard stance.

After concentrating for a while, Shiraishi Akira still couldn’t find any opening in Lei Yin’s posture, just like before. With no further options, he decided to initiate another attack.

With that thought, he suddenly yelled and charged forward, thrusting both hands with his sword directly at Lei Yin.

With a “clink” sound, their bamboo swords collided for the first time. But Shiraishi Akira felt Lei Yin’s sword deflect his own, sending his blade off-course.

Although the deflection was slight, Akira knew his strike had lost its effectiveness. Just as he was about to change his attack, he saw that Lei Yin’s sword, in the same motion that deflected his, had already moved toward his neck.

Realizing this, Shiraishi Akira pushed his sword outwards with force, trying to block Lei Yin’s blade.

He managed to deflect the sword that was aimed at his neck, but as he did, he felt something was off. He noticed that the sword offered no resistance as he pushed it away.

His suspicion was quickly confirmed. He saw Lei Yin’s sword gently slide across his own and directly target his throat.

In that moment, Shiraishi Akira realized that Lei Yin hadn’t deflected his sword; rather, he had intentionally let it be pushed aside.

With no room left to evade, Shiraishi Akira quickly retreated two steps to avoid the strike aimed at his throat.

Staring intently at Lei Yin, Shiraishi Akira’s confusion deepened.

Although they had only exchanged fewer than ten moves, Shiraishi Akira felt that everything he had learned in kendo seemed useless against this person. It was as though Lei Yin could predict his every move, always managing to defend and counterattack simultaneously, or perhaps using offense to replace defense. Akira couldn’t decide which interpretation was correct, because whether defending or attacking, Lei Yin only ever used one move.

To confirm his doubts, Shiraishi Akira charged again…

Similar to the thoughts of the martial artist Kuang Dao, Lei Yin believed that for anyone who truly dedicated themselves to martial arts out of sincere passion and not for fame or personal gain, it was a disgrace if their opponent deliberately held back and threw the match.

For this reason, Lei Yin didn’t go easy on Akira, but he also didn’t use excessive force. He matched Akira’s speed and power, engaging in the kendo match with equal intensity.

About ten minutes later, after pushing Shiraishi Akira back several times, the silent young man suddenly put down his bamboo sword and conceded defeat.

Through these exchanges, Shiraishi Akira realized that after being pushed back, if Masashi had continued his attack, he wouldn’t know how many times he would have been hit. At this point, continuing the match would be pointless.

After placing his bamboo sword back, Lei Yin walked over to him and said, “Let’s go, it’s time to eat. How about we call Takeda and Yoshikawa too?”

Shiraishi Akira, lowering his head in silence, replied, “Masashi, you go ahead. I want to stay and tidy up some things. You don’t need to wait for me.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll go ahead,” Lei Yin said, sensing that Akira wanted some alone time. Without saying anything further, he turned and left the kendo club.

Once Lei Yin left, Shiraishi Akira picked up the bamboo sword from the ground with one hand and quietly stared at the markings on it.

He had indeed lost.

Ever since he found out that the person who had been teaching him kendo behind the scenes was Masashi, Shiraishi Akira had known that if they ever faced off, this would likely be the result. He just hadn’t expected to lose so thoroughly, with no chance to counterattack.

Not only that, but from the calmness in Lei Yin’s sword movements during their match, he knew that Lei Yin had deliberately held back to spare his face.

Thinking about this, Shiraishi Akira couldn’t help but smile bitterly before putting the bamboo sword down.

In truth, he didn’t even know why he had wanted to spar with him. Even if he had won, nothing would have changed. Perhaps, as he had just said, he just wanted to confirm some things.

※※※

After leaving the kendo club, Lei Yin didn’t go to eat with Takeda and Yoshikawa as planned. Instead, he changed his mind halfway and drove to Naoko’s apartment.

He couldn’t help it; compared to the alluring Naoko, he suddenly felt that eating with those two guys wasn’t the most brilliant decision.

When he arrived at Naoko’s apartment like a maniac, he got there just in time before they started dinner.

“Oh, what a rare visitor,” Lei Yin said when he saw not only Aiko but also Naoko’s university classmate, Mari.

Glancing at him, Mari said, “I came to see if Naoko had been wronged. If so, I’ll introduce a good man to her so she won’t have to suffer.”

Since he sometimes drove Naoko to her magazine office, Lei Yin had become more familiar with Mari. He also knew that she didn’t have much fondness for him, though it wasn’t exactly dislike.

In response to her sarcastic comment, Lei Yin retorted, “How come you, a workaholic, have time to come here? Did they fire you? But that’s normal; after all, someone’s always so sharp-tongued.”

Aiko chuckled at their banter, already used to it.

Just as Mari was about to retaliate, Naoko, wearing an apron, walked out and asked, “I just heard the door, is Masashi here? Oh, you’ve come.” Seeing Lei Yin smiling at her, she couldn’t help but feel both surprised and happy.

Lei Yin walked toward her. “Sorry, I’m late. Need help with anything?”

Naoko smiled and said, “Actually, I just started cooking. Sit down, it’ll be ready soon.”

Seeing her dressed in an apron, looking more like a gentle wife, Lei Yin had the impulse to hug her, but because of the two “lightbulbs” present, he refrained from acting on it.

Noticing the intense look in his eyes, Naoko seemed to understand his thoughts. Her face immediately turned red, and she quickly lowered her head and returned to the kitchen.

After returning to his seat, Lei Yin turned to Aiko, who was watching TV, and said, “Hey, Aiko, you should learn how to cook sometime. It’s not a good habit to always rely on others for food.”

Aiko retorted, “It’s not like I’m completely clueless. At least I’ve learned how to fry eggs.”

Lei Yin clapped his hands and put on an exaggeratedly surprised expression. “What a clever kid! So you already know how to fry eggs.”

“Why does it sound so annoying when you say that?” Aiko said, clearly dissatisfied.

At that moment, Mari interjected, “Tch, such male chauvinism. Does it mean women have to cook for men? This is exactly why, in Japan, women’s status keeps declining—because of self-centered men like you!” Her voice grew more indignant as she spoke.

Lei Yin sighed, feeling slightly exasperated. “Hey, when did I ever say women must cook for men? All I said was Aiko should learn to cook a little for herself. That way, if she ever has the chance to live independently in the future, she won’t be completely lost. Please, Ms. Feminist, don’t twist my words to suit your narrative, okay?” He instinctively felt that Mari was venting her frustrations about some grievances she had faced with men.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. The chief editor of Mari’s magazine was planning to retire that year. Based on Mari’s experience and capabilities, she was the natural choice to take over the position. However, the magazine’s owner decided to earmark a much less qualified male editor as the next chief editor instead.

Mari hadn’t initially cared much about becoming chief editor, but she accidentally overheard the owner telling a client that he made this decision because he believed Mari, as a woman, was unsuitable for the role. This reasoning infuriated her, and she ended up having a heated argument with her boss.

Mari scoffed and said, “So, are you saying you don’t believe women are better suited to stay in the kitchen than men?”

Lei Yin replied, “I won’t deny that I might have thought that way before. At the very least, I think Naoko looks beautiful wearing an apron.”

“Aiko, did you hear that? This is a textbook example of male chauvinism. When you look for a man in the future, make sure he knows how to cook and do housework.” Mari spoke in the tone of someone imparting wisdom from experience.

Aiko couldn’t help but laugh.

After dinner, Aiko suggested playing cards since there were just enough people. Lei Yin, realizing he wouldn’t get another chance to be alone with Naoko, agreed since he had nothing else to do.

They played for about an hour before Lei Yin’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID and picked up the call.

“I understand. I’ll head over shortly.”

After hanging up, Naoko asked, “Is everything all right?”

Lei Yin nodded. “A friend is in some trouble, and I need to check on him. You all keep playing; I’ll head out now.”

When Naoko walked him to the door, she softly said, “Lei, be careful while driving.”

“I will,” Lei Yin replied. Then he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before leaving.

Naoko stood at the doorway, watching him leave with a reluctant look.

※※※

“Masashi, come help! This guy’s really heavy!” Yoshikawa called out to Lei Yin as he struggled to drag Shiraishi Akira out of the taxi.

“What are you yelling about? You’re big and strong, yet you can’t even carry one person,” Lei Yin said as he walked over, having just paid the fare.

Looking at the completely drunk and unconscious Shiraishi Akira, Yoshikawa said with a mix of amusement and frustration, “I can’t believe this guy. We’re exhausted, and he’s sleeping like a baby. It’s so unfair.”

As they walked, Lei Yin asked, “What exactly happened?”

Yoshikawa explained, “I’m not too sure myself. When I got to the police station, he was already in this state. The police must have found my number on his phone and called me. But this guy gave me quite the shock—he’s usually so quiet, yet he got into a bar fight. Thankfully, there was proof the other guy started it; otherwise, it would’ve been a big mess.”

Lei Yin said, “You’re oversimplifying. Regardless of who starts the fight, if something happens in a place like that, the school administration will definitely get involved.”

Hearing this, Yoshikawa grew nervous. “Then what should we do?”

“I’ll think of a solution when the time comes. For now, let’s take him back to your apartment.”

“Alright.”

After returning to the apartment that Yoshikawa and Shiraishi Akira shared, they placed Akira on his own bed.

Lei Yin then asked, “Has anything happened with him recently?”

Yoshikawa thought for a moment before answering, “I really don’t know. That guy doesn’t usually talk about his personal stuff. But seeing him drink like this, something must have happened.”

“Alright, we’ll leave it at that. We can ask him once he wakes up. Let’s head out.”

As Lei Yin was about to close the door, he suddenly heard Shiraishi Akira mumble something indistinctly.

Lei Yin paused, glanced at Akira lying on the bed, and after a moment, closed the door.

※※※

The next afternoon, Kazumi arrived at the park they had agreed to meet at.

There, she quickly spotted Lei Yin sitting on a stone bench, legs crossed, reading a book as if no one else were around. She smiled and called softly, “Brother.”

“You’re here?” Lei Yin put down the book in his hand and casually handed her a can of soda.

“Why did you suddenly ask me out?” Kazumi asked as she sat down, taking the soda and opening it.

“Kazumi, I want to introduce Naoko to Rumi,” Lei Yin said slowly.

“Why?” Kazumi was shocked. She stood up abruptly, staring at him.

Lei Yin replied, “Did you know that Shiraishi Akira likes Rumi?”

“I know.” Over the past few weeks, Kazumi had noticed the way Shiraishi Akira looked at Rumi. She was fully aware of the feelings hidden in that gaze.

Lei Yin was surprised by her answer. “You knew? Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Kazumi replied, “I didn’t think it was necessary to tell you. So what if he likes Rumi? Does that mean Rumi has to like him back? Brother, you know very well that Rumi has only ever cared about you.”

Lei Yin sighed. “Kazumi, you should understand that dragging this out will only hurt Rumi more. What happened with Akira was a wake-up call for me. I’m not saying I want to do something to help Shiraishi Akira, but this made me realize that if Rumi stays by my side, she’ll not only fall deeper but also miss out on other opportunities. A girl like her will have many outstanding men pursuing her in the future. I can’t let her waste her time waiting for something that won’t happen.”

After listening to him, Kazumi suddenly grabbed his hand emotionally and pleaded, “Brother, please don’t do this yet. Rumi hasn’t even been at Teikyo University for a full semester. She worked so hard to get into Teikyo just so she could see you. Please, wait a little longer. Tell her after she moves on to her second year, okay? I’m begging you.” As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Lei Yin remained silent, deep in thought.

After a while, he reached out to gently wipe away her tears and said in a low voice, “Let me think about it seriously, alright?”

Kazumi nodded and gripped his hand tightly.