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.