Chapter 196 – Vanguard Virtue
When I got off the bus, I could feel the eyes of some women.
There was absolutely no gaze toward me. The eyes of the women looking in our direction were only on Lenka.
Eyes full of admiration and vigilance.
It’s not easy for a student to have such a well-known name and face… They must be famous not only for their skills but also for their beautiful faces.
I knew Lenka was promising, but seeing people react like that for the first time, it was amazing.
There were also some people who looked at Chinami next to her.
I don’t know if it’s because she’s cute or because she’s famous like Lenka.
With a small physique, he uses a non-mainstream tax called upper class, and his skills are good, so it seems to be the latter…
“Inoo will lead the women’s team on his own.”
“Yes, director.”
After thinking about this and that, I came to my senses after hearing the conversation between Goro and Lenka.
I asked Yamazaki, a 3rd year senior who will participate as captain.
“Are the women’s and men’s divisions competing separately?”
“Ok? Of course. It’s not even a mixed match between men and women…”
Does that mean that no matter how much I play, Lenka and Chinami won’t see it?
If it had been before dating Miyuki, I would have done that, but in the present situation, who would fall for me?
Bread girl? Vice-captain?
Fuck, no matter how shitty it is, can’t you compromise on one of these things?
It’s really tough. It is also Tokiaka.
I was thinking,
“Perhaps the women’s division should start first? The number of applicants is smaller than that of the male team, so preparations are completed quickly.”
At Yamazaki’s words that followed, I called for joy in my heart.
Cancer, it’s a love comedy, but you can’t let the heroine see the main character’s great side.
You won’t be able to see my first game though. That’s a bit disappointing
“Okay.”
“But why are you asking this?”
“No. The director told the general manager to lead the women’s department on his own, so I got curious.”
“Didn’t you read the application guidelines?”
“I didn’t see it.”
“…It’s like you.”
“How far do I have to win to qualify for the next tournament?”
“Our men’s goal is fourth place, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it.”
You only need to go to the 4th river.
However, if we enter the next competition with only 4th place, we will definitely put one of the 1st or 2nd places in other regional competitions on us.
Having good merit for 1st and 2nd place was a feature of the preliminary tournament.
To prepare for the future, it would have been better to get a high ranking and take the next tournament comfortably.
However, due to the nature of the kendo team event where one person from each position fights in turn, the average skill of the players should be high.
When you think about it like that, the goal of our men’s kendo club was unrealistic.
Unlike the women’s division, I hadn’t been able to get any results so far, and I and Tetsuya, who had no experience, were in the middle.
You said that your goal was to place 4th, but to be honest, I don’t think I’m expecting much.
If not, will Tetsuya and I fit in? It’s better to have a team of more experienced sophomores and up.
If the current competition had been a regional qualifier for the national competition, our team would have been in a mourning mood by now.
It was already weak, but it was only natural that two more beginners joined in and became the weakest.
However, since today’s competition is a regional competition, it’s okay just to have significance in participating, and the team atmosphere wasn’t bad.
Still, there was some tension. It was the desire of the men’s department to get good grades even here.
Anyway, as I thought in the past, honestly, it was a competition that I was half forced to participate in, but I can’t cause a nuisance to the team, so I have to work hard.
**
The inside of the venue, which I entered with Goro, could not be said to be large.
The facilities were pretty good. There are a lot of spectator seats for the size of the venue.
There is quite a bit of kendo fever in the district itself, so even though it is a small regional competition, it has its own facilities.
While Goro was talking to her staff, I looked around the venue and tapped Tetsuya’s shoulder, who was already nervous.
“There are quite a few people.”
“Even though it’s a simple regional tournament, since it starts from the round of 32… There are bound to be many. You’re the vanguard, aren’t you nervous?”
“Me too… So-so. Let’s do our best together.”
“Huh. Thanks.”
If it was an individual event, I would have scratched him gently, but I shouldn’t do that even in a team event.
Because if you enter a match, you can collapse.
Each score is important, and since the hitter right after me was him, it was better to increase the chances of winning while maintaining Tyler’s mentality.
Shortly thereafter, Goro, who had finished the conversation with the person in charge and received the equipment that had been inspected, led us to a seat in a corner.
Then he told the crew to put on their equipment and started helping Tetsuya and me.
“The match will only be held simultaneously, and as I said on the bus, the match itself will flow without hesitation, unlike the friendly match between the members. It’s good to see you don’t have time to take a break. As soon as you hear the start signal and stand up, the game starts right away, so you have to concentrate from the beginning.”
His tone is softer than usual.
It shows that we want to be strong.
As I was putting on the equipment with Goro’s help, I felt the ridiculed gazes of other academy students around me.
I think it’s funny that we can’t even wear hukou on our own.
An opponent who despises the team the main character belongs to… It’s one of the classic clichés, but it feels a bit dirty.
Goro, who meticulously helped Tetsuya put on the armor, whether they did it or not, finally covered the face well, and even tied a white string on the upper arm that crossed his back.
“Just do what you have been taught. Then you win enough.”
Encouragement is very valuable.
With that thought in mind, I looked at the table where the referees were seated.
Our first opponent was an academy called Kaisei.
I don’t know if it’s a strong team or a weak team, but it’s like the former because Goro doesn’t give information on the opponent team and the expressions of the seniors in the second year who checked the match are slightly stiff.
It seems to be tight from the beginning. Although we are weak, there are no hard matches.
Originally, the main character team is an underdog, and the national rule of sports is for that underdog to upset and elicit a surprising reaction.
At least the opponent who faces me must win unconditionally.
As the match time approached, the air in the gym became heavy.
As soon as the organizer’s brief speech began from the speakers in the gym, the slight fuss subsided and became quiet.
-Then, each team to the location.
A solemn voice was heard as soon as the speech was over.
In response, five players lined up outside the stadium.
After that, I bowed to the opposing team and the referees according to the guidance, and I also greeted the audience standing a long way up.
Taking that gap, I checked the spectators.
Parents and students see. As many as 32 academies came to play, there are many people cheering for them.
I quickly scanned the stands and found Miyuki, the bread girl, and several classmates including the vice-captain sitting in their seats.
It seems that she came right after class, but Miyuki is holding a lightstick with air inside that she got from somewhere.
It looks like a baseball team logo is drawn on it. Is it the club that Miyuki’s family supports?
Miyuki looked around him and lowered his cheering stick to her feet.
He seems to have decided that he shouldn’t use it because the venue itself is quiet.
Miyuki waved both her hands at me and Tetsuya.
I was fed up with that cute act, and when Yamazaki and other team members told me to cheer up as I heard applause, I bumped my fists into them.
Afterwards, as our team and the opposing team escaped to the outskirts, we jumped and warmed up.
Eventually, out of the three referees, two assistant referees on either side moved across the field and were positioned in opposite directions.
After watching the referee untie the flag, I gave a light bow to the opponent’s spearhead.
And while waiting for the start signal to be heard from the speakers, I reviewed what I had learned.
‘Example match… Substance match…’
In order to obtain a score, instrument matching is important.
Especially cheers. You have to shout out passionately and appeal when you are fighting the spirit that you have been embarrassed to do so far.
Also, the virtue of vanguard is guts.
Don’t be intimidated by whoever your opponent is.
Needless to say, the skills have to be good.
In that sense, my opponent was a great adversary.
Despite the difference in basic physique with me, there was no sign of reluctance at all.
Of course, he must be excellent as his skills are spearheaded.
Originally, in a sporting event like this, isn’t it the national rule for the first opponent to be conceited?
No, maybe it’s because of the perception that Yeboni Academy’s men’s kendo club is a weak team.
The best thing is to finish it quickly so that the next hitter can take over my momentum and make the opponent shrink.
The other party must also have these thoughts.
I’m nervous because Tetsuya is behind me, but let’s go as usual.
You don’t know any other way anyway.
-Match…
A voice you hear while you are breathing.
I, who finally caught my breath,
-Initiate!
As soon as the start signal hit my ears, I moved to the boundary line inside the stadium.
Then, he took out the bamboo sword from his waist and held it out to the opponent, sat down on the border, and stood up.
“Cheer up!”
“Do well!”
At the same time, the 2nd year seniors and Yamazaki, who were sitting outside, shouted vigorously.
Same goes for the opposing team. They enthusiastically shouted “Fighting” And cheered for the vanguard of the team.
I thought the game would be held solemnly from start to finish, but it wasn’t.
I immediately took the top position and spread my elbows wide as Goro taught me, and I could see the other person’s eyebrows twitching through the gap.
Did he feel a little intimidated by the fact that he seemed to have grown bigger? Or are you embarrassed to deal with an unfamiliar guild?
The opponent’s right hand, which supported the hilt, was wriggling.
Are you planning on stabbing me? Well, Sang Sang-se’s representative weakness is the throat stabbing that extends straight from the middle.
You shouldn’t think long.
Just as Chinami told us, let’s rush at it as soon as it starts.
Having judged that, as soon as I saw the back foot of the opponent taking a break, I immediately rolled my foot.
Coo-!
Taking a gap to take a big step, I looked at the opponent’s face, and I was embarrassed.
Do you think my momentum was better than expected?
Wedge-!
I pushed my right hand and gave the maximum snap to my left, realizing that if I continued to fight like this, I would succeed in hitting the head, but it would not be a one-on-one match.
The distance was a little over the top, so it seemed that the bamboo sword would not be a match if it was hit in the center.
What should I do?
While slightly relaxing your left hand, pull your back foot less than before to shorten the range.
After grasping the situation in an instant, I moved my thoughts,
“Haaaaap!”
The gymnasium, which wasn’t very large, roared with vigor.
Wow-!
At the same time, a crackling sound is heard.
I quickly stepped back and showed my cruelty by grabbing the top again.
Accurately hit the lattice part with the lattice part.
Besides, it had power. To the extent that the sound of the blow resonated widely around.
I was a little clumsy, but… Wouldn’t this be enough to get points?
The moment I thought about it,
Flutter-!
The referees raised the white flag in moderation.
It means that the bout was so close to perfection that all three judges were convinced that I had scored.
Feeling that my heart was boiling, I smirked when I heard the loud voices of our members from the outskirts.
“Good!”
“Good job! Matsuda!”
The way he shouts “Fighting” Isn’t bad.
I also like the part where they exchange psychological warfare while monitoring the opponent’s every move for a short time right before the start of the game.
The thrilling feeling of hitting that comes from the fingertips after a proper blow is good…
To be honest, I was a bit indifferent about kendo, but I don’t know if it’s because the intended attack worked, but I’m trying to make kendo fun.
Following the referee’s guidance, I returned to the center and glanced at the audience to see that Miyuki was clapping seals very quickly.
It’s hard to see because it’s a good face and it’s far away, but it looks like it’s surprised and delighted at the same time.
The expression of the opponent chewing shit through the face.
Watching it, I giggled silently and sat down on my knees at the borderline while catching my breath.
As soon as he got up, he rushed at the opponent and swung his arms.
Damn-!
