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5.36% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 30: [30] Why am I feeling afraid?

Chapter 30: [30] Why am I feeling afraid?

*Clap, clap -*

Shuji Fujita clapped his hands once more, silencing the ongoing discussions.

"Alright, let's move on to the entrance test."

"The test itself is quite straightforward." Shuji Fujita gestured, and several official members of the Kendo Club stepped forward.

"All you need to do is withstand thirty strikes from them. If you manage to do that, you're welcome to become a part of our Kendo Club."

Upon hearing the test's description, the crowd's spirits lifted, and some even held onto a glimmer of hope.

However, reality proved to be harsh. Those individuals lacking a foundation in kendo were typically eliminated after just ten strikes. Meanwhile, those who managed to endure the full thirty strikes were undoubtedly masters with a certain level of experience—Hachiman included.

Despite his unfamiliarity with specific kendo techniques, his third-level kendo proficiency and exceptional reflexes enabled him to follow the movements without much difficulty.

Initially, there were around forty to fifty hopefuls aiming to join the club. Yet, after the testing, a significant two-thirds of them were filtered out. In the end, only a dozen individuals successfully secured a spot in the Kendo Club.

Among this dozen, most of them possess a level 2 kendo skill, while a few manage to reach the same level as Hachiman's third level.

Interestingly, among this select few, there's a girl who also boasts a third-level proficiency. Like Hachiman, she's a first-year freshman. Despite standing at around 1.55 meters tall, her cherubic face contradicts the alluring figure she possesses. Her chest hosts two plumper breasts than even Saeko Busujima's. With her long black hair and a pair of vibrant, captivating eyes, coupled with a delicate expression, she elicits a sense of compassion from those who see her.

Yet, a shiver ran down Hachiman's spine upon gazing at the girl's countenance.

For a moment, the familiar background music played in his ears.

" Kotonoha Katsura!!!"

Wow, it's actually this hidden yandere character. I wonder if there's also a Sekai Saionji-like person at school.

Could it be that one day I'll suddenly receive a text full of apologies?

No, no, I don't want to end up like Makoto.

Wait a moment... that's not right, why am I feeling afraid?

I'm not an irresponsible scumbag like Makoto. How could someone as virtuous as me, a man who's as rare as a needle in a haystack, be the reason for Katsura's descent into darkness?

Well you see, Katsura in her normal state is a gentle young woman—knowledgeable, empathetic, and adept at household tasks. Her only challenge seems to be cooking.

With fair skin, a delicate face, and an ample bosom, she seemed like a prime candidate to be a girlfriend no matter how you looked at it.

However, such matters are unpredictable. What matters most now is that he is officially a member of the Kendo Club.

After completing the application form and paying the membership fee, Hachiman headed home.

Many clubs in Japan, including the kendo club, baseball club, rugby club, and others, require a membership fee for purchasing equipment. It's not expensive.

If it were a archery club, they would probably require at least a hundred thousand yen, which isn't affordable for regular students.

"I'm back..."

Before five o'clock, Hachiman returned home and casually tossed his schoolbag onto the sofa.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan. How was your first day of school?" Komachi, who was lounging on the sofa while playing with her phone, asked with a cheerful smile upon seeing Hachiman's return.

"It's alright, things went smoothly..." As he gazed at Komachi reclining on the sofa, Hachiman was momentarily taken aback.

Unexpectedly, the fourteen-year-old flat-chested radish head seemed to have a rather perky bottom.

"No, no, what am I even thinking?"

Shaking his head to clear his mind of scattered thoughts, Hachiman continued, "By the way, Komachi, I've joined the kendo club, so I might be back a bit later."

"Huh? Onii-chan, you joined the kendo club?" Komachi exclaimed, taken aback. She hadn't anticipated her typically reserved brother to become a club member.

"Yeah, remember that kendo instructional video I watched some time ago? It sparked my interest in kendo. Today, our school's kendo club was recruiting new members, so I decided to sign up." Hachiman explained.

"I understand." Komachi nodded knowingly, recalling the kendo DVD that Hachiman had watched over the spring break.

"Onii-chan, just make sure you don't come back too late!"

Knowing how reliant Komachi is on him, Hachiman smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't worry, I won't be out too late. I should be back around this time today."

Club activities typically run from 3:30 to 6:00 in the afternoon after school, but Hachiman doesn't intend to stay that long. He plans to be back by around 5:00, as he's not comfortable leaving Komachi alone at home.

Watching Komachi nuzzle her head against his hand like a cat, Hachiman smiled and said, "I'm going to make dinner, Komachi. You can play for a while."

"Yeah, Onii-chan is the best."

...

After dinner, Hachiman returned to his room to continue typing. The benefits of his third-level writing and third-level physique allowed him to type at a rapid pace, with his hands leaving afterimages on the keyboard as he produced hundreds of words in mere moments.

"If I keep this up, I might really turn into a tentacle monster," Hachiman muttered, gazing at the thousands of words he had typed in less than ten minutes.

"I want to buy a laptop," Hachiman thought, considering the one million yen manuscript fee he had received, which stirred his interest.

"Actually, never mind."

Yet, upon further contemplation, he shook his head.

Given that he had joined the Kendo Club, his afternoons were now occupied with club activities. This left him with little time to focus on writing during school hours.

But what about writing in the classroom?

Isn't that asking for trouble? After all, my homeroom teacher is Shizuka-sensei. If she catches me, she might subject herself to a strict punishment, considering she once mentioned settling the score for our past incident.

After reaching today's goal of 10,000 words, Hachiman decided to stop. He checked the time and saw that it was not yet ten o'clock.

Stretching out in comfort, Hachiman reclined on his bed.

With less than 30,000 words remaining in the third volume, it was nearing completion. Soon, it could be submitted to the editor for review. Barring any unforeseen mishaps, it might even be published in the middle of the month, bringing a substantial sum to his account.

Thinking about this, Hachiman's heart was filled with a sense of contentment.

However, he also remembered what Sonoko Machida had mentioned earlier—considering publishing the second and third volumes together, the illustrations would require careful consideration.

Even though Machida Sonoko had provided him with the illustrator contact information, it was already late. He decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow to reach out to the artist.

With that thought in mind, Hachiman drifted off to sleep.


Chapter 31: [31] Aren't you afraid of getting your head chopped off?

Hachiman found himself in a corner of the kendo club, clad in a kendo suit, quietly practicing with a wooden sword. His third-level physique allowed him to catch faint sounds of air being sliced as he swung the wooden sword.

Following Fujita's vice president's collective demonstration, he retreated to the corner to practice in solitude. While he might not be the original Hikigaya Hachiman, he still declined when a group of larger individuals attempted to practice together.

Hachiman earnestly waved the wooden sword in his hand, embodying the techniques he had learned. Thanks to the professional guidance, he could now fully demonstrate the proficiency of a third-level kendo practitioner.

From straightforward cuts to diagonal chops, upward strikes to thrusts...

With precision, he demonstrated each kendo move one by one, his third-level kendo proficiency surpassing that of most official club members. Only a handful of fellow students, who were also at the third level, could match his skill.

Of course, there was an exception – the alluring president of the kendo club, Saeko Busujima, who could genuinely defeat him in a kendo match.

However, unless they sought out Hachiman, he wouldn't take the initiative to approach them.

An hour later, practice concluded. Hachiman packed up and left the Kendo club on his own.

Not far from the club's vicinity, he spotted a familiar figure.

With fair skin, prominent eyes, and confident curves, it was none other than Kotonoha Katsura.

However, at this moment, it seemed like she had encountered some trouble. Two trendy Shibuya-style hotties had her surrounded, their angelic faces displaying a touch of confusion.

Could this be an instance of encountering campus bullying?

It's important to note that campus bullying is a global issue, transcending borders and cultures. Mild cases might involve tasks like solitary cleanup or verbal taunts, while severe instances could escalate to physical harm.

Many times, this kind of bullying phenomenon might not receive much attention from adults. In the end, it might just be brushed off with a simple "kids will be kids." However, those who are bullied often end up with significant psychological scars. In milder cases, they might drop out of school, while in severe cases, they might even contemplate suicide.

As Hachiman observed the two trendy Shibuya-style hotties and the troubled expression on Kotonoha Katsura's face, he furrowed his brow.

Aren't you afraid of getting your head chopped off?

Are you aware that you're bullying a girl who has the potential to snap and become ruthless? If she really unleashes that side, I doubt either of you could handle it, especially if it comes to wielding a knife.

However, in her usual state, Kotonoha Katsura can't resort to such actions and can only endure their bullying in silence.

With a sigh, Hachiman strode directly toward them.

"Sorry for the wait, Katsura-san. Let's go!" He passed by the two girls, reached out for Katsura's hand, and got ready to leave.

As Hachiman suddenly appeared in front of her, Kotonoha gazed at him in surprise and slight timidity, her eyes reflecting both emotions.

"Hey, you guys, wait..." The two girls naturally weren't inclined to let Kotonoha leave so easily. However, just as they were about to speak, Hachiman's interruption cut them off.

"Classmates, please let us pass. We're leaving now." Hachiman's gaze, deadpan as ever, met the two girls' eyes.

It must be acknowledged that Hachiman, with his indifferent deadpan expression, doesn't come across as a friendly person at first glance. Moreover, his height of over 180 cm does create an imposing presence, leaving the two girls momentarily taken aback.

Observing their hesitation, Hachiman nodded contentedly, then held Kotonoha's hand and departed from the scene.

Once they were out of the view of the two girls and near the school gate, Kotonoha couldn't help but speak in a timid voice.

"Um, excuse me, we're not acquainted, could you..."

After they passed through the school gate, Hachiman released her hand and spoke with a touch of embarrassment: "I apologize, Katsura-san. I felt compelled to intervene. I hope you're not bothered by it."

"This fellow classmate, do you know me?" Upon hearing Hachiman address her by name once more, Kotonoha appeared somewhat perplexed, suggesting she likely didn't recognize him from her own recollection.

"Hehe, my name is Hikigaya Hachiman, and like you, Katsura-san, I'm a new member who recently joined the Kendo Club," Hachiman said with a smile.

"Eh?"

Kotonoha was a bit surprised; she hadn't expected Hachiman to be in the same club, and she hadn't noticed before.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Hikigaya-san..."

Kotonoha felt a tinge of guilt for not recognizing a fellow club member who had just helped her.

"It's okay, Katsura-san. I'm accustomed to practicing alone, so it's understandable if you don't know me," Hachiman said with a smile.

"Alright, it's getting late. I should head home. Take care on your way as well, Katsura-san!"

"Um, Hikigaya-san, please take care on your way too, and thank you so much for your help today." Hearing that Hachiman was leaving, Kotonoha hurriedly bid farewell and simultaneously bowed slightly to express her gratitude.

"You're welcome, and goodbye Katsura-san." Hachiman shrugged off her gratitude, waved, and turned to leave.

"Thank you, my knight in shining armor..."

As she watched Hachiman's retreating figure, Kotonoha mumbled to herself. A faint smile curved on her lips. After enduring prolonged bullying due to her appearance and personality, she finally felt a glimmer of warmth today.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Hachiman resumed his writing work on the third volume, with just one final point left to complete.

A quick glance at the time in the lower left corner of the screen prompted Hachiman to halt his typing. He recalled Machida Sonoko's advice about the importance of preparing for illustrations.

Retrieving his mobile phone, he dialed the illustrator contact information.

"Hello, may I know who's calling?" The call connected swiftly, and a gentle female voice greeted him from the other end of the line.

In contrast to the upbeat tones of Shizuka and Machida Sonoko, the gentleness in the voice of his illustrator was immediately discernible.

"Hello, I'm Wakamono, the author of 'Sword Art Online.' I wanted to discuss the light novel's illustrations with you," Hachiman's tone remained relatively composed.

"Illustrations? If you're referring to the illustrations for the second volume of 'Sword Art Online,' I've already completed them and submitted them to the publisher. Is there an issue?" The voice on the phone sounded slightly puzzled, assuming that Hachiman was referring to the illustrations.

"No, here's the situation. I'm planning to release the second and third volumes of the light novel together. The publisher has given their approval, so there might be a need for a few additional illustrations," Hachiman explained.

"Understood. I'm fine with that, but I'm not familiar with the content of the third volume of the light novel, so..." The voice on the other end of the line sounded a bit hesitant.

"Don't worry about that. I'll be able to complete the writing of the third volume soon, and I can send it to you in advance, so you can get a sense of it."

"That works for me. I'll make sure to meet the manuscript delivery deadline."

----------------------------------------

"Would you like another chapter today?"


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