章 163: Did you hold back?
The sudden heat and closeness made Miyajima Sakura's already sparkling eyes blur with a hazy mist.
And the words that were still unfinished were swallowed up as Sasaki's lips met hers.
Feeling dazed, as if her soul were being sucked away, Miyajima Sakura leaned limply against the boy.
Unaware of their between the two,
Looking at the two people hugging and being intimate in the field, Kobayashi Ayaka opened her bright and star-like eyes, covered her mouth with her hands in joy and disbelief, and murmured:
"Sakura~ Sakura is really bold~"
"No, don't do this kind of thing~~~~!!!"
Unlike girls like Kobayashi Ayaka who were envious and admired the two, the boys sitting on the sidelines let out cries of despair.
Amidst the noise, Miyajima Sakura blinked in confusion, and as her senses returned, she realized what was happening.
Not wanting to embarrass Sasaki by pushing him away forcefully, she looked at him with pleading eyes, her brows furrowing in discomfort.
Seeing that continuing would upset her, Sasaki stepped back, breaking the silver thread that connected them, and smiled warmly at the blushing kendo girl:
"There are too many peope here, now. I'll hug you later, when there are fewer people around."
Due to her upbringing, Miyajima Sakura couldn't bring herself to retort, the first half of his sentence was obviously wrong, so Miyajima Sakura subconsciously refuted:
"Um, wasn't that just now..."
"I did kiss you, but I didn't hug you."
"You didn't really feel anything through the protective gear, did you?"
Tapping the protective gear on his body, Sasaki smiled like an insatiable and cunning fox, fooling the kendo girl who was not good at speaking and could not argue.
"That might be true, but it shouldn't count like this."
"Then how should it count?
Hugging with protective gear isn't the same as hugging without it,
So, with the gear on, it's like I didn't hug you at all, right?"
Realizing she couldn't win against him in this argument, the respectful and rule-abiding Miyajima Sakura tried another tactic to deter Sasaki from taking further liberties.
She didn't reject his closeness; she just instinctively felt that Sasaki wouldn't be satisfied with just a hug.
His earlier unexpected attack had significantly lowered her trust in his reliability.
"What we mentioned before was just a kiss on the cheek, not..."
Pursing her slightly swollen lips, Miyajima Sakura tried to reason with Sasaki:
"So, if we cancel out what happened, our bet should be over, and..."
"It doesn't work that way."
Shaking his head, Sasaki interrupted her:
"Kissing you on the lips was an accident. You can't use an accident to cancel out the bet."
"An accident..."
"Yes." Holding Miyajima Sakura's slightly damp hand, the boy leaned in close to her ear and whispered:
"Although I don't mind, kissing in front of so many people..."
Hearing Sasaki's words, Miyajima Sakura raised her eyes and glanced at the male students with dull eyes not far away, and wiped the sweat off the right side of her cheek shyly.
But before she could wipe the left cheek, she felt Sasaki's warm breath at her ear:
"Of course, if you think I dislike you, I don't mind."
Smack~ Smooch~
Feeling a light suction on her cheek, like a playful pinch, Miyajima Sakura widened her eyes in embarrassment, leaning back to avoid Sasaki's kiss:
"I don't mind, I didn't say anything, and besides… it's very… dirty."
Licking his lips, Sasaki looked at the red mark on her left cheek, which was obviously different from the surrounding blush, and smacked his lips with a smile:
"Oh, I see. I misunderstood you, Sakura. Sorry~"
"But it wasn't dirty, just a bit… mmph!"
Seeing Miyajima Sakura cover hs mouth in embarrassment, Sasaki's eyes couldn't help but curve with amusement.
"Hey, you two, could you be a bit more considerate? There are a lot of people around! Your public display of affection is making us feel quite uncomfortable."
Thinking they were just momentarily overcome with joy, Ayaka Kobayashi watched as their public display of affection escalated.
This was something she could no longer tolerate.
"Don't you know there are many single people here?!"
Hearing the displeased voice from beside her, Miyajima Sakura lowered her hands and turned to the girl, apologizing sincerely:
"I'm very sorry~"
.
.
.
"I understand that you two are deeply in love and want to be affectionate."
Glancing at the boys behind her, looking despondent, and the girls excitedly discussing what had just happened, Ayaka turned back and continued her reprimand:
"But you need to be mindful of the occasion. Kissing right after a sparring match… Sakura, you're setting a bad example for the trainees."
"Yes, I know I was wrong."
Seeing Miyajima Sakura bowing her head and sincerely admitting her mistake, Sasaki was about to smile when Ayaka turned her attention to him:
"And you, Sasaki-kun.
While it's understandable that boys sometimes can't control themselves, if Tsubaki-san saw this, Sakura would be scolded. You shouldn't do this again."
Her stern stance reminded Sasaki of the times he was scolded by the caretakers in the orphanage in his past life.
This ingrained fear and respect made him refrain from arguing and instead, he bowed his head in embarrassment.
"Yes, I know I was wrong~"
Just as Sasaki thought Ayaka's scolding was over and was about to ask Sakura if she was thirsty so he could get water, sge turned her focus back to Miyajima Sakura.
"And honestly, I never expected you to change so much after falling in love, Sakura. You used to focus solely on kendo. After every match, you'd always discuss the details with your opponent. Now…"
Glancing at Sakura's slightly swollen lips, she shook her head and sighed.
"Uh… well…"
Unable to explain that her fiancé hadn't given her a chance to speak, Miyajima Sakura blushed and mumbled a response, unable to say anything coherent.
Sasaki, not wanting to see his wife get scolded any further, took the opportunity to change the subject.
He grabbed both of their arms and led them to the side of the training area, steering the conversation away.
"Let's have some water and take a break. Ayaka, would you like something to drink?"
"Cold tea, please."
"Got it!"
After removing his gear and sitting cross-legged on the ground, Sasaki handed drinks to Miyajima Sakura and Ayaka Kobayashi, then gently took Sakura's soft, strong hand to inspect her left arm.
Although he was confident that the force of his strike hadn't caused her any harm, it was important to show concern.
Ignoring an injury, however minor, could leave a sensitive girl feeling cold and neglected, especially after a moment of intimacy.
Miyajima Sakura, about to take a sip of her drink, was puzzled when Sasaki pulled her hand.
Realizing his intention only when he rolled up her sleeve to check her arm, she understood he was looking at the spot where he had struck her.
It wasn't that she was slow to react or naive; she simply considered such minor injuries routine.
When she first started practicing kendo, the pain from blisters on her hands with every swing was far worse than this light hit.
Although she felt the inspection was unnecessary, she didn't resist her husband's gesture of concern.
Sasaki, gently squeezing her arm, noticed it was firmer and more resilient compared to others.
Although he knew that Otome was strengthened by a special serum, and was undoubtedly stronger, Otome's appearance had not changed much—her skin was just more luminous without pronounced muscle lines, making it hard to imagine her strength.
Unable to scientifically explain his observations, Sasaki didn't dwell on it, given that he himself defied scientific explanation.
Gently massaging her somewhat calloused palm, the boy took a sip of his drink, then leaned his head on her shoulder.
Sensing her slight discomfort, he inhaled the pleasant scent of her hair and watched the trainees start their practice.
Before he could speak, she asked:
"Fuyumi, did you hold back just now?"
"Why do you ask?"
Noticing Ayaka Kobayashi's steady gaze after he leaned on Sakura, Sasaki knew such behavior might get her scolded by Aunt Tsubaki, so he sat up straight as he replied.
"Because that 'Swallow Reversal' wasn't..."
Understanding her concern, Sasaki took a sip of cold tea and explained:
"Sakura, nothing is truly unbreakable. 'Swallow Reversal' is just three very fast strikes. If they don't land simultaneously, they can be interrupted."
"Your response was correct. The last strike didn't land because the distance was too short—you had already hit my shoulder with your bamboo sword, so I couldn't complete the strike."
"But... is 'Swallow Reversal' really that easy to counter?"
Miyajima Sakura trusted Sasaki's explanation but had enough self-awareness to know she wasn't capable of countering a technique such 'Swallow Reversal' on her own.
"Of course not,"
Hearing this, Sasaki shook his head and picked up his bamboo sword, handing it to Sakura.
Confused about why he gave her the sword, the latter took it, only to see the white string holding it together snap, and the cylindrical blade fall apart into four pieces.
Noticing the broken sword, Ayaka Kobayashi quickly sat beside Miyajima Sakura, examining the destroyed bamboo sword in disbelief.
"I picked a brand new bamboo sword for Sasaki, one that could last a trainee a long time. How could it break after one sparring session?"
Recalling Sasaki's inhuman strike, she realized it wasn't entirely surprising.
Seeing their shock, Sasaki scooted forward, watching them handle the broken pieces, and explained:
"The reason the sword broke is because 'Swallow Reversal' exerts immense pressure at very high speed, which most bamboo swords can't withstand.
The force of the three strikes hitting almost simultaneously causes the sword to break apart.
That's why it's a dangerous and advanced technique, requiring a perfect blend of speed, strength, and precision."
Miyajima Sakura and Ayaka Kobayashi listened intently, realizing the true complexity and power of the technique.
"I have a lot of strength, and these practice bamboo swords can't withstand many of my swings.
If a bamboo sword lasts through an entire match, it means it's of very high quality."
"Also, this 3-foot-8-inch bamboo sword is too short. I can't fully utilize my swings with it. If I used a longer one, like 3-foot-9-inch, you wouldn't even see the blade before it hit you."
Although Sasaki's words might seem to belittle Miyajima Sakura, she didn't get angry.
She had experienced the power of his technique firsthand and was sure that if the sword had been longer, she would have been at a severe disadvantage.
Seeing the girl deep in thought, Sasaki breathed a sigh of relief thinking he had fooled her.
While his words held some truth about the bamboo sword's durability, the primary reason was that he hadn't used his full speed.
Otherwise, Miyajima Sakura would have been defeated instantly, unable to dodge his strikes.
Given Miyajima Tsubaki's level of swordsmanship, even she struggled to see Sasaki's moves clearly, let alone Miyajima Sakura, who had not yet reached that level.
Well judging from her look...it seemed that Aunt Tsubaki-san had only mentioned Sasaki's mastery of "Swallow Reversal" without revealing his full capabilities.
This allowed him to maintain an air of mystique.
After explaining their draw, Miyajima Sakura returned to their previous conversation.
"So why did you still ask for the bet prize if it was a draw? Shouldn't we..."
Understanding her point, Sasaki took her hand and explained:
"Canceling out the bet is no fun. Considering our relationship... sharing the win is better, right?"
"What are you two talking about?"
Unaware of their earlier bet, Ayaka Kobayashi linked arms with Miyajima Sakura and curiously inquired.
Leaning in to her friend's ear, the latter explained the bet they had made. Hearing this, Ayaka, using a matter-of-fact tone, said:
"Of course, you both should fulfill the bet together. Canceling it is out of the question. Sakura, you need to change that mindset~"
"Is... that so."
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