Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

The two walked out of the classroom one after the other and headed to the club activity building.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Kiryu Ichiyo's Target

The door to the activity room on the fifth floor of the student association building was ajar.

When Shimada Sho pushed open the door, Ayase Yuki was already there.

Today she wore a white mid-sleeve knit sweater and sat on the sofa. On the long table in front of her were two sets of delicate bowls and plates and several small dishes. There were also two cups of steaming tea on the corner of the table.

When she saw Yukine Kamishiro enter following Shimada Sho, the smile on her lips faded for a moment.

But she quickly regained her composure and said in a light tone, "Yukino is here too."

“Hmm.” Yukine Kamishiro naturally walked to the other side of the long table, sat down by the window, and replied in a flat tone, “One of the supervisor’s responsibilities is to understand the lunchtime activities of each club. Since this club is having lunch in the activity room, I also have an obligation to participate and understand.”

"Yukine is really dedicated." Ayase Yuki's smile remained unchanged, but her words carried a subtle barb, "She doesn't even spare lunchtime."

"Of course." Yukine Kamishiro smiled faintly, her expression composed.

Shimada Sho sat down between the two.

He discovered that his seat offered a perfect view of both sides; Ayase Yuki was sitting on his left, with two steaming cups of tea beside her.

Yukine Kamishiro sat on the right, with an empty seat in front of her.

The two people were separated by his position, which coincidentally created a delicate balance.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door of the activity room, and Kiryu Ichiyo walked in carrying a food box.

"Miss."

She greeted him, put down the food box, and left without saying a word.

Now there's food on both sides.

Shimada Sho took out his own and placed it on the table, then opened the lid.

Unlike the two young ladies' elaborate guesses, his food was very simple, consisting of only an omelet rice and a few pieces of fried luncheon meat, prepared by Aunt Island Flower.

There was also a small bunch of broccoli and two slices of pickled radish tucked into the corner.

It's not particularly beautiful, but it's clean and practical, much healthier than store-bought bento boxes.

Ayase Yuki's gaze fell on the food in his bento box, and her eyes lit up slightly: "Did Sho-kun make this himself?"

"Hmm," Shimada Sho replied casually.

"It looks delicious." Her chopsticks were already outstretched. "May I try a piece?"

"Eat."

Yuki Ayase picked up a piece of luncheon meat, put it in her mouth, and savored it slowly.

After swallowing, her eyes crinkled into a wide smile: "It's delicious."

She said it so naturally, as if it were just a casual compliment.

But Shimada Sho always felt that she had deliberately turned up the volume.

He was about to lower his head to eat his meal when he caught a glimpse of the person next to him out of the corner of his eye.

Yukine Kamishiro sat there, the food box in front of her already opened, revealing several neatly arranged layers of dishes, clearly prepared with care by the family's chef.

But she didn't touch her chopsticks; instead, her gaze fell on the bento box he had opened.

She didn't speak or reach out; she just watched quietly.

Shimada Sho paused for a moment, then picked up a piece of luncheon meat with his chopsticks, about the same spot that Ayase Yuki had just picked up, placed it on a small plate, and pushed it in front of her: "Kamishiro-san, you should try some too."

Seeing this, Yukine Kamishiro looked down at the small dish.

There was no response, so she used her chopsticks to pick up some food and put it in her mouth.

After a quick chew and swallow, she calmly remarked, "It's overcooked."

This was a perfectly normal comment, but Yuki Ayase immediately seized on it.

With a cold smile, she said in a playful tone, "Xueyin has a really discerning palate. I think it tastes great, even better than what you get in restaurants."

As she spoke, she picked up another piece and put it in her mouth. After swallowing, she looked at Shimada Sho with bright eyes and said, "Sho-kun, let's exchange bento boxes."

Shimada Sho glanced at the unappetizing food in his own box, then at the exquisite food box in the black lacquer box in front of Ayase Yuki.

Will she be able to get used to this kind of home-style bento box?

"...Are you sure?"

"determine."

Yuki Ayase had already pushed her lunchbox over, and then reached out and pulled Sho Shimada's lunchbox in front of her, her movements swift and without the slightest hesitation.

She rearranged the two sets of bowls and chopsticks, completing the entire process in one smooth motion, as if she had been preparing for this exchange for a long time.

Sitting opposite her, Yukine Kamishiro shifted her gaze from the half-eaten piece of luncheon meat on her plate to the complete omelet bento box that Yuki Ayase had been given.

The faint curve at the corner of her mouth silently flattened itself.

But she didn't say anything. She just looked down at the untouched dishes in the dark lacquered box in front of her and remained silent for a moment.

Then she picked up a piece of tamagoyaki from her food box, put it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed quietly, then picked up another piece, her movements as usual, and her expression remained unchanged.

Shimada Sho lowered his head and ate the dishes in Ayase Yuki's lunchbox that were so exquisite they didn't look like everyday cooking.

Everything was done with utmost care, clearly taking time and effort.

He ate silently, offering no comment and never looking up at the two people opposite him.

The atmosphere at the dinner table wasn't too tense, since the window was open and the wind could blow in. In the distance, the sound of the track and field team's whistles and the muffled thud of running shoes on the track could be heard from the playground, along with the faint sounds of people talking downstairs.

But between the three people sitting at this table, there seemed to be a thin, transparent membrane, quietly lying in the air.

Shimada Sho remained silent throughout the entire process.

The good thing is, there's always a time when the meal is finished.

When Yuki Ayase finished her breakfast and Sho Shimada had almost finished eating, the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

Seizing the opportunity, Shimada Sho put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating. I have class this afternoon."

Yuki Ayase nodded, opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something more.

Shimada Sho didn't give her a chance and turned to walk towards the door.

A reminder came from behind, "Remember to go to the kendo activity room after the first class, Shimada-kun. The teacher said so."

"Understood," Shimada Sho replied without turning his head.

In fact, he had never heard of such a thing.

However, in order to leave as soon as possible, I agreed.

As for the specifics of what to do, we'll see when the time comes.

A gentle breeze blew down the corridor as Shimada Sho descended the stairs, leaving the subtle atmosphere of the activity room behind.

The first class in the afternoon was Chinese literature, and Natsumi Yonekura read an essay.

Shimada Sho was distracted during the lecture and was called on several times.

After the bell rang, Shimada Sho got up and left the classroom, heading towards the club building.

Yukine Kamishiro was referring to the activity room of the kendo club.

It is located on the second floor of the student activity building.

Upon arrival, we heard training sounds coming from inside.

The activity room was small, covered with old dark green tatami mats. Two rows of bamboo knife racks stood against the west wall, with more than a dozen bamboo knives of varying lengths and degrees of wear.

A mirror hangs on the wall facing the door, its surface stained with water. Several protective gear items are stacked on a storage rack in the corner.

There were already seven or eight people standing in the activity room, all wearing white kendo uniforms. Some were fastening their belts, while others were adjusting the length of their bamboo swords. Hearing the door being pushed open, several people looked up.

Yonekura Natsumi was also standing near the door. When she saw Shimada Sho come in, she waved and said, "Shimada-kun, over here."

Shimada Sho walked over, glanced around, and noticed that standing directly in front of the crowd was Kiryu Ichiyo.

She was also wearing a kendo uniform, a white top with dark blue hakama, her short hair neatly gathered behind her ears, a black belt around her waist, and a bamboo sword in her hand with the blade facing the ground. She stood straight, like a sword that had not yet been drawn from its sheath.

Her gaze fell on Shimada Sho, observing him without any emotion.

Yonekura Natsumi explained, "Shimada-kun, you can come here to train for the next few days. The school attaches great importance to this martial arts exhibition match, and we hope you can be fully prepared. We have already coordinated with the teachers about your classes, and we will make some adjustments for you."

"I understand," Shimada Sho nodded.

The school attaches great importance to the competitions at this sports festival, especially the specially set-up martial arts exhibition match.

And Kendo is one aspect of it.

He, as a participant, will also participate.

Perhaps they were worried that he wasn't familiar with kendo, so they arranged special training for him.

But there's really no need for that.

He now possesses expert-level kendo skills.

You probably can't find many people in all of Tokyo who are better at swordsmanship than him.

Yonekura Natsumi turned to the side and gestured in Kiryu Ichiyo's direction: "This is Kiryu-kun, you should know him, right?"

"I know him," Shimada Sho nodded in reply.

"Kiryu comes from a family of martial arts practitioners and is an expert in kendo. She is also representing the school in this martial arts exhibition match."

Yonekura Natsumi's tone was somewhat solemn, "If Shimada-kun has any questions about kendo, he can ask Kiryu-kun for guidance."

Upon hearing this, Shimada Sho turned his gaze to Kiryu Ichiyo.

She stood there expressionless, unmoved by her words.

Shimada Sho's lips twitched involuntarily as he looked at her.

consult?

Last time, in that office building in Hyakunincho, he literally punched her into the rubble of her desk.

Now you want her to teach you?

"Kiryu-kun, please take care of me from now on." Shimada Sho said politely but perfunctorily.

Kiryu Ichiyo finally turned her gaze to him, her tone flat: "I won't offer any guidance, just don't hold me back."

The activity room fell silent for a moment.

Several students from the kendo club nearby exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

Natsumi Yonekura sensed that the atmosphere was not right and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, you are all students representing the school. Your primary task is to achieve good results in the sports festival. It's good to be competitive, but don't let it ruin the harmony."

Shimada Sho did not respond.

He noticed several clean kendo uniforms on the protective gear rack in the corner of the activity room, one of which was hanging neatly and was probably prepared for him.

After Natsumi Yonekura left, the atmosphere in the activity room relaxed slightly.

Several students from the kendo club began to talk in hushed tones. Some were adjusting their protective gear, while others were practicing basic movements with bamboo swords.

A young male teacher wearing a white kendo uniform came out from inside.

He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, holding a bamboo knife in his hand, and wearing a dark blue belt around his waist.

He walked to the center of the activity room, glanced around, and finally stopped on Kiryu Ichiyo: "Kiryu-kun, you can arrange today's training content."

"it is good."

The students around them didn't show any surprise, clearly already used to this arrangement.

Someone asked, "Is today still basic practice?"

His voice carried a hint of helplessness, but no sign of doubt.

Kiryu Ichiyo walked to the front of the activity room, picked up the bamboo sword that was placed in the corner, and turned around to face the crowd.

Her gaze first fell on Shimada Sho, then shifted away, sweeping over the others.

"Warm up first, then do the simple vibration exercises," she said calmly. "One hundred times for each person."

One hundred repetitions is not a lot for students in the kendo club.