After entering Hakuo, Nagi led Isumi and Maria straight to the Kendo Club, located in a secluded corner of the campus.
From a distance, the sound of bamboo swords clashing echoed out from the Kendo Club.
Nagi opened the sliding door and stepped inside.
A strong, sour stench hit her face, almost overwhelming her resolve to enter the Kendo Club. But remembering the reason she came to Hakuo, she forced herself to keep walking.
There weren't many people in the club. Everyone wore heavy protective gear. Their heads and faces were covered by a clear, sturdy grill-style mask. Their chests were protected by thick armor, and even their throats had additional guards to cover vulnerable areas.
Everyone was performing basic kendo training. Judging from their fluid footwork and striking, it was clear the Kendo Club members had solid fundamentals.
Of course, this didn't cancel out the sour stench from these sweat-soaked students.
Nagi waved a hand in front of her nose, still clearly unaccustomed to the strong smell.
Among the members clad in blue undergarments and black armor, one girl stood out.
She didn't wear a helmet like the others and was off by herself, swinging her bamboo sword.
The girl with long pink hair turned instinctively upon hearing her name. When she saw who it was, surprise flashed through her yellow-green eyes. She even stopped mid-swing.
Her gaze moved slightly, noticing not just Nagi-chan, but also Isumi and Maria nearby.
"Isumi and Miss Maria too."
After a brief greeting, Katsura Hinagiku's eyes remained on Nagi.
"Nagi-chan, I was really surprised when I heard you transferred schools. I thought something had happened in your family, so I even had my sister look into it. But it turns out you and Isumi kept the news well-hidden. Seems transfer was intentional."
It had been a while since they last met. This woman's intuition was still as sharp as ever. Nagi couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
"So, why did you and Isumi come back today?"
"Well... The reason's a bit special. Someone suggested I try learning kendo. I thought it made a lot of sense, and the first person who came to mind was you."
Hinagiku looked at Nagi, clearly surprised. Nagi, who hated sports, actually came to her to learn kendo because of someone else's suggestion?
"I'm glad you thought of me first when kendo came up. But... this time, you're not just going to be passionate for three minutes again, right?"
This time, Nagi's attitude was firm, her words full of confidence.
"I can definitely stick with it this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come back to find you."
True enough... Hinagiku figured that if Nagi hadn't made up her mind, she wouldn't have returned to learn kendo after already transferring out.
"But could you get me a new set of protective gear? I really can't stand the smell of sweat."
As she said this, Nagi waved the air in front of her nose with a disgusted expression. The thick, sour odor was way too much for her sensitive nose.
Looking at Nagi's face full of disdain, Hinagiku's irritation flared.
Still, considering that Nagi seemed more serious this time than ever before, Hinagiku didn't want to kill her motivation.
Besides, they did have new gear available.
Hinagiku led Nagi to retrieve a new set of protective equipment.
Honestly, the gear was still pretty heavy. Hinagiku was more worried about whether Nagi would even be able to move properly in it, given her historically poor stamina.
But when she saw Nagi walk out steadily with a bamboo sword in hand while fully suited up, her concerns disappeared.
She even cracked a light joke, a bit surprised.
"What a surprise. Did you go train somewhere after transferring? You used to struggle just walking with this stuff on."
Removing her helmet, Nagi gave a mysterious smile.
"Yeah. I went to a place and trained using my favorite method."
After twisting her body a bit, she found the protective gear barely affected her mobility. Nagi knew this was thanks to elemental power strengthening her body. The visible improvements had her pretty excited.
She had never been able to stick with regular exercise. Partly because her willpower was weak, but also because traditional training took a long time to show results. That delay always wore her down mentally. Not seeing progress for too long killed her motivation.
But now, things were different.
She didn't need to train deliberately. Just focusing on controlling her elemental power enhanced her physique—and the progress was obvious. It no longer triggered the resistance she used to feel.
This gave Nagi the drive to get stronger.
"Hinagiku, let's get started."
In that moment, a fire burned in Nagi's eyes. If it's something achievable, who wouldn't want to chase it?
And now that the chance was right in front of her, who could give it up?
Even though it lasted only a moment, Katsura Hinagiku still caught the change in Nagi's gaze.
She was no longer the girl who had been apathetic and passive. Now, she radiated an intense enthusiasm and passion.
What had happened to Nagi in the past month?
Katsura Hinagiku couldn't imagine. In just one month, her physical condition had improved, and even her spirit felt entirely different. Inside and out, she felt like a completely different person.
"Let's start with your swing posture. Today, focus on adjusting your form. We'll check your stance first, and once that's set, I'll teach you the footwork."
"Kendo is a sport that starts from the fundamentals, especially imitation. It's going to be pretty dull at first. But once you start enjoying it, you'll feel that kendo is becoming part of your strength. When that time comes, you'll look back and see how your efforts turned into visible, tangible results."
And with that, the posture training began.
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