A Japanese-style hut, with a fresh and cool garden of green trees outside the window.
Hanamaru Hanabi was holding a crystal-like rabbit-shaped wagashi in her hand, then she took a bite.
On the small wooden tray in front of her, there were many lifelike flowers, birds, fish, and insects.
These were all sweets made from raw ingredients like glutinous rice, azuki beans, and Yamato yams.
The desserts were exquisite, soft, and delicious, with a tender texture in each bite.
Combined with a sip of delicately prepared fragrant matcha, it was simply the perfect afternoon tea time.
Sakihara Shion sat across from her, watching her joyfully eat, occasionally taking a gentle sip from the half-finished green matcha on the table.
Girls typically like some exquisite and cute snacks, but often hesitate to eat when they see such adorable-looking food, treating it like a toy or decoration.
However, Sakihara Shion thought Hanamaru Hanabi was enjoying the wagashi immensely, and the ones she had made in the morning were quickly vanishing.
Seeing Hanamaru Hanabi eat happily, Miss Sakihara said to her:
"Hanabi, would you like to learn how to make these sweets with me?"
"May I?" Hanamaru Hanabi immediately lifted her head, still holding a cup of matcha in her hands.
Hanamaru Hanabi promptly put down the teacup and stood up, politely giving a small bow, "Thank you, sister."
"Sit down, sit down, it’s just about learning to make a dessert." Sakihara Shion smiled and said, "The proportion of water in the wagashi is very important, you must pay attention. Otherwise, if there is too much, the dough will be too firm, and if there’s too little, it won’t form the shape."
Hanamaru Hanabi had actually tried making such wagashi by following a book before, and though she managed to form them, she couldn’t create so many unique and intricate designs.
Listening to Sakihara Shion’s guidance, she nodded enthusiastically.
Even though they were both girls, Miss Sakihara found her exceptionally cute and couldn’t help but smile and say:
"Eat up, once you finish, I’ll take you to make a batch."
Hanamaru Hanabi glanced at the lotus flower dessert supported by green leaves on the table:
"Sister, can I pack it up first?"
"Pack it up? Who do you want to give it to... Hmm... I understand now." Mid-sentence, Sakihara Shion shifted to a smile.
Hanamaru Hanabi: "I want to make one myself and then take yours along for Sakura-kun."
With her simple yet sincere little thoughts of a girlfriend, Sakihara Shion thought girls like Hanamaru Hanabi were becoming increasingly rare.
"Alright, I’ll help you pack it in a box."
"Okay, thank you, sister."
On the other side, Uesugi Sakura and Bin Yuehui had arrived at the dojo.
The floors of the Kendo Hall are never covered in cement.
Wooden floors are best, to minimize the friction between the feet and the ground.
In Sword Dao, there are often sliding steps, jump cuts, and other actions. Ordinary hardwood floors can’t endure such usage, so they require two-layer dragon bone wood planks to enhance durability.
There are times when dojo or club floors crack and can’t be renovated.
The main issue is the cost, with dragon bone wood costing over 6,000 yen per square meter.
There were many practicing kanji in the dojo diligently, sweat dripping like rain, breathing heavily.
There were also a few wearing helmets, sparring and confronting each other.
Uesugi Sakura glanced around briefly, estimating conservatively that there were more than 30 people, most around 25 or 26 years old, both male and female, with men being the majority.
There aren’t many girls who like Sword Dao; usually, they have strong personalities.
As the two of them entered the dojo, the students’ gazes all converged on them, gradually stopping their actions.
"Hey! Yuehui! How did Master say?" a bright-voiced woman shouted to Bin Yuehui.
"Master is still the same as always." Bin Yuehui replied helplessly.
Uncle Sakihara is the master and owner of Bushin Hall, and though the name of Bushin Hall is his signature, he never manages the affairs.
The students who came to learn couldn’t study with the Master, yet they held no dissatisfaction.
If you asked why, it’s probably because the Vice Master was also a great teacher.
And Miss Sakihara, who managed the daily affairs of the dojo, was kind and friendly too.
Bin Yuehui was still wearing his kendo clothes, with a name tag around his waist displaying his name.
Uesugi Sakura noticed that the name tag of the person who just spoke had Bushin Hall written on top, and Tachibana on the bottom.
The Sword Dao name tag identifies one’s identity, usually with the dojo or school name on top, and the surname on the bottom.
If someone had a position or title in the dojo, the title was the big characters on the bottom, and the surname was the small characters on the left.
Of course, there were always those who wrote whatever they wanted.
But such individualistic characters rarely appeared.
"So what now, are we practicing Kanji again today?" Tachibana Youko glanced around, noticing that many sparring had stopped.
"No," Bin Yuehui replied, then pointed to Uesugi Sakura beside him, "Master asked this senior to guide us in training."
Tachibana Youko looked up and down at Uesugi Sakura, thinking... he’s really young.
"Yuehui, you call him—senior?"
Bin Yuehui was quite an old student, with seniority, or else everyone wouldn’t have let him go to invite Sakihara Yishin to guide Sword Skills.
But he actually called someone seven or eight years younger than him a senior?
The students in the dojo all began discussing eagerly.
Uesugi Sakura also wondered how he became a senior; by seniority, he should be a junior.
Ah well, it doesn’t matter; it’s just about teaching a session.
A twenty-year-old coming to teach a class?
To be honest, although Sword Dao emphasizes etiquette and friendliness, Tachibana Youko just couldn’t believe that this young man had any experience to share.
"May I ask, senior... in this year’s rank examination, which rank did you reach?" Another person asked, with a tone that struggled. Calling someone younger than him ’senior’ truly felt challenging for him.