Chapter 29 – Service Club!
School life resumed just like any other day, quiet and orderly.
Even though Yukinoshita Akira had caused quite the commotion for two days in a row, he was still widely known as a quiet, aloof student who rarely interacted with others. His presence in school was like a shadow—always there, but never truly seen.
Despite the rumors flying across classes and even different grade levels, and how his name had become a hot topic among students, none of it seemed to affect him. In fact, due to the image he had already established, not a single classmate dared to approach or start a conversation with him.
And so, the day passed by uneventfully.
The school bell rang.
A clear chime signaling the end of classes and the start of after-school hours.
"Yukinoshita Akira, come with me for a moment."
As the subject teacher exited the classroom, a woman in a white lab coat appeared at the door—none other than Hiratsuka Shizuka, the homeroom teacher of Class 2-F and student affairs advisor.
"Yes, Shizuka-sensei."
Akira stood up, slung his sword bag over his shoulder, grabbed his school bag, and walked calmly toward the door.
No one was particularly surprised to see him carrying a sword bag around school anymore. After all, the story of him defeating the captain of the kendo club, Busujima Saeko, had already made its rounds.
And for someone clearly skilled in swordsmanship, bringing a bokken or shinai for training wasn't out of the ordinary.
What they didn't know, however, was that the sword inside Akira's bag wasn't just for practice—it was a real, sharpened blade designed for actual combat.
"Shizuka-sensei, may I ask what this is about?"
Once they were in the hallway, Akira spoke up. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to warrant being summoned today.
"It's nothing serious. I just received your club registration form—from Yukinoshita. You're clearly a swordsman of considerable talent, even beating Busujima Saeko, so why sign up for the Service Club of all things?"
"That was a request from Lady Haruno. You know the situation with the Second Daughter. After seeing what I'm capable of, she tasked me with protecting Yukino-san… and building a bond with her."
"Ahh… yeah. That does sound like something Haruno would do."
"Is there anything else, Shizuka-sensei?"
"Well, just one more question. Weren't you completely against interacting with Haruno before? Why accept her request all of a sudden?"
"I couldn't refuse. The reward was too good."
"...Huh?"
Hiratsuka froze, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Even though she was already in her thirties and a respectable educator, she had a fair share of knowledge about otaku culture and the world of 2D tropes. She immediately suspected Akira was making some kind of inappropriate joke.
"Don't mess with me. Just say it straight, or—"
She raised her left fist threateningly. The message was clear: Tell the truth, or face the consequences.
"I'm not joking. Lady Haruno offered me a luxury apartment in exchange for watching over her sister."
"Wait. A whole apartment? Don't tell me it's that fancy place you're staying at right now?"
"Yes. That's the one."
"Rich people are the worst…"
Shizuka muttered under her breath and looked at him like she was staring at the mortal enemy of all working-class citizens. The scowl on her face practically radiated socialist energy.
Akira could only sigh in exasperation. Coming from you? A woman who drives a sports car to school every day?
"Well, whatever. I get it now. In that case, I'll approve your club registration. But since you've joined the Service Club, I expect you to actually participate."
"Understood, Shizuka-sensei."
"Alright then, I'll be on my way."
Raising one hand dramatically like a manga protagonist making a cool exit, Shizuka turned on her heel with exaggerated flair.
Unfortunately, reality didn't always follow the script.
"Wait a second, Shizuka-sensei. I have one more favor to ask."
"Huh? Another one? What is it?"
"Where is the Service Club located?"
"...You—"
Hiratsuka's lips twitched as she stared at his genuinely confused face.
This was beyond her comprehension. How could someone already registered to a club—and even personally invited by its only member—have no clue where the clubroom was?
In this entire martial arts-focused school, there was probably only one person like this.
"Please take me there, oh young and beautiful Sensei."
"'Young' and 'beautiful,' huh? Heh~ Well, for a little thing like this, I guess I can help you out!"
The moment those two sweet words left his mouth, Shizuka practically sparkled. Her mood instantly shot through the roof.
Akira watched her reaction with a faint smile. That's our cute Shizuka. Honestly, whoever came up with that nickname wasn't wrong. At times, her personality really was adorable.
Eventually, with Shizuka guiding him, Akira arrived in front of the Service Club room.
Just as Yukinoshita Yukino had described earlier that morning, the room had no sign or label. It was more like an empty storage room unofficially handed over to her by Shizuka herself.
The door opened with a loud bang.
The force used was a bit excessive, causing a sharp slam to echo inside the room.
In the center of the room, a beautiful girl sat calmly reading a book.
Her delicate face was framed by long black hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. Pale skin, graceful features, and an almost ethereal stillness surrounded her. The gentle breeze from the nearby window swept through her hair, lifting a few strands into the air.
It was a sight so serene, so picturesque, that Akira found himself pausing for a moment—like watching a living painting.
"Hiratsuka-sensei… how many times have I asked you to knock before entering?"
The girl, who looked like a snowflower blooming in winter, lifted her eyes from the book and gave her teacher a tired glare.
While she appreciated everything her teacher had done for her, this annoying habit of barging in uninvited was seriously pushing her limits. No matter how many times she brought it up, it never seemed to stick.
"Ahh, don't sweat the small stuff. Even if I did knock, you wouldn't answer anyway, right?"
"That's because every time I try to answer, you've already walked in..."
"So? What brings you here today?"
Yukino sighed, clearly resigned to the chaos that came with having Shizuka in her life.
"Oh, I'm not the one looking for you. He is."
Shizuka motioned behind her, revealing Akira standing silently by the doorway.
"He didn't know where the clubroom was, so I brought him along."
Only then did Yukino notice Akira's presence behind the teacher.
The irritation she had been feeling just moments ago quickly evaporated.
"Hmph. And here I thought I explained everything clearly this morning. Turns out our little Sword Prince still couldn't figure it out, huh? Maybe that memory and analytical skill of yours isn't so impressive after all."
The sarcastic jab left Akira speechless. Seriously?
After going through a full day of classes, had all the progress he made with her just… reset?
Why was the mood suddenly back to square one again?
Meanwhile, Shizuka simply stood by with a wide grin on her face.
She was thoroughly enjoying the show. Moments like these were pure entertainment for her—and watching these two bicker was her new favorite pastime.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 80+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
✅ Be among the first readers to experience Arc 3 and the new season before anyone else!
📖 The first chapter of Arc 3 is now live!
You can read it right now on Patreon~
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Thank you all so much for your amazing support 💖
Your encouragement keeps this story alive and growing stronger every single day! 🌟
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —