Tokyo Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 41

With a sharp shout from the girl, the crisp sound of a strike echoed through the air.

Nagano Ryusuke was shaken by the blow, staggering and nearly falling.

The entire venue fell silent. Except for the students from C University, everyone else gaped in stunned silence at the scene before them.

Fast. Fierce. Agile.

The fight ended in a flash, lasting less than half a minute.

To the onlookers, it was pure violent aesthetics.

There was almost no contest; they only saw Hasegawa Saori rush forward, delivering countless strikes, then a final strike to the face so swift it was almost invisible, leaving Nagano Ryusuke nearly toppled.

If she hadn't been wearing protective gear, that last facial strike would have split Nagano Ryusuke's head open.

Is she really a girl?

Where did this stat monster come from?

A complex swirl of emotions arose in the crowd. The earlier hostility and dissatisfaction vanished completely, replaced by deep shock and admiration.

She was incredibly powerful.

That speed and strength—none of them could have lasted more than three seconds against her.

*Clap clap clap.*

After a pause, sparse applause broke out.

Standing beside Fujiyama Takao, Tazawa snapped back to reality and couldn't help but pat his shoulder.

"Captain, did you see that clearly?"

Fujiyama Takao turned his head, first giving him a stern look, then breaking into a relieved smile.

"No. All I saw was a stat monster running rampant."

"Tazawa."

"What is it, Captain?"

"You'll be the referee next."

Tazawa was stunned, his eyes showing confusion.

"Huh? Then what about you, Captain? The match isn't over yet..."

"I'm going to call Shiratori!"

"..."

Off to the side, Yokoyama Miyu, kneeling, covered her forehead after seeing Saori's merciless strike.

When the girl removed her protective gear and sat beside her, Miyu couldn't help but scold,

"You went too far, Saori."

"..."

Hasegawa Saori said nothing, quietly kneeling to the side, taking a bite of a seaweed rice ball from a plastic bag.

She didn't know what "too far" meant, only that this way, she could see him sooner.

---

Shiratori Kiyoya was unaware of the chaos erupting inside the kendo club.

He strolled casually toward the club building, explaining the kendo match rules to Takahashi Mio.

"Generally, matches use a best-of-three system—first to two wins. If one player hits a valid target area twice, they win."

"The valid targets are the face, throat, wrists, and torso..."

"But just hitting the target isn't enough. The strike must have full spirit, proper posture, and zanshin."

"Oh, I see."

Takahashi Mio nodded vaguely; she hadn't really paid attention to kendo matches before. She'd watched two with Reika in high school but wasn't interested.

Now, listening to Shiratori explain the details and tactics, she found it quite fascinating and was thinking about buying a bamboo sword to try it herself.

Following Shiratori into the club building, she glanced at him while climbing the stairs and asked,

"So, are you okay for the match? Don't you need to warm up?"

Shiratori shook his head and explained,

"No need. I train every morning. I've been practicing kendo since high school and actually quite like it."

"Oh, so you like kendo."

Takahashi Mio narrowed her eyes, making a mental note, then smiled.

"Your skill must be pretty good then. No wonder the club captain came to get you to back him up—sounds like you're confident of winning."

"..."

Hearing this, Shiratori slowed down, recalling what Fujiyama Takao said on the phone earlier. An uneasy feeling crept in, and he said,

"Not exactly backing him up, and I wouldn't say I'm confident. But it should be a good fight."

"Oh."

Takahashi Mio nodded but found it amusing inside.

Practicing kendo every day since high school yet still saying "a good fight."

Waiting for when he wins so she can praise him, huh?

Still, she didn't mind Shiratori's "false modesty" and was actually happy for the chance to raise her favorability.

She thought about how to compliment him when he won—couldn't be too over the top; this guy wasn't dumb and would see right through it.

Before she knew it, they'd reached the kendo hall's entrance.

As Shiratori pushed the door open, before he could see inside, the sharp clack of bamboo swords rang out. Fujiyama Takao came forward to greet him.

"Shiratori, you're finally here."

Just then, Fujiyama noticed Takahashi Mio following behind Shiratori and paused.

"Who's this?"

Takahashi Mio said nothing but smiled politely and naturally linked arms with Shiratori.

Shiratori explained,

"Takahashi Mio, my girlfriend."

"Huh? Girlfriend?"

Fujiyama's face showed surprise, and he said,

"You finally..."

But seeing Takahashi Mio, he didn't finish his sentence.

At a previous club social, he had tried to set Shiratori up, but Shiratori had flatly refused.

"Captain Fujiyama, I'm not interested in dating right now."

Now he realized Shiratori just hadn't found the right person.

He glanced at Takahashi Mio.

Though not closely, he could tell she was a top-class beauty, on par with that "stat monster" from earlier.

Thinking this over, Fujiyama seemed to remember something and hesitated a moment.

Then he walked beside Shiratori and said,

"Well, since there's a match soon, change your clothes first."

Hearing this, Takahashi Mio naturally let go of Shiratori's arm and looked at him gently,

"Want me to help you change?"

Shiratori gave her a look, speechless at her natural flair for drama no matter where she was. But he didn't embarrass her in front of Fujiyama and replied with a half-smile,

"There'll be plenty of chances later."

Saying that, he ignored the shy girl and followed Fujiyama toward the changing room.

"What's going on?"

While putting on his gear, Shiratori looked at Fujiyama and asked.

"Don't know. Did you piss off someone you shouldn't have, Shiratori?"

"Who shouldn't I have pissed off?"

"Someone from C University. A girl. She insists on finding you."

"A girl?"

Fully armored, Shiratori frowned, trying to recall if he had any female kendo friends in Tokyo.

Seeing his confused expression, Fujiyama couldn't help but tease,

"How many women are you tangled up with that you can't even remember?"

"Shiratori, I never thought you were like this."

"I'm not..."

"Forget it. You'll find out soon enough. That woman's waiting for you in the dojo."

Shiratori thought it over, rubbed his left arm through his gear, picked up his usual bamboo sword and helmet, and headed outside.

But as soon as he lifted the curtain and stepped forward, a figure blocked his path, nearly colliding with him.

Shiratori instinctively frowned and took a step back.

However, when he saw the girl's delicate, fair face and met her clear, ethereal eyes, he was completely stunned.

A sudden flood of memories and voices surfaced in his mind:

"Kiyoya, I really did try my best."

"Saori's not an idiot, okay?"

"I'm going to marry you!"

"Are you leaving? You'll come back, right?"

Their eyes met. The girl's once-blurred face in his memory gradually came into focus, her gaze as pure and luminous as it had always been.

Shiratori Kiyoya parted his lips and, almost involuntarily, whispered her name:

"Saori, you..."

Drip.

Crystal-clear tears spilled from the girl's eyes. She tilted her head slightly and gave a silly smile.

"Saori's back."