"Then I'll head to the Kendo Club," Ren said.
"Alright," Rui nodded slowly and continued on her way toward the classroom.
Ren didn't say anything more. He slipped his left hand into his pocket while his right held his bag lazily over his shoulder as he walked toward the familiar path leading to the kendo club.
The corridor to the training hall was nearly empty at this early hour; most of the club members had not arrived yet. Ren's steps were quiet, unhurried — as though his body walked on its own while his mind drifted somewhere far away.
He slid open the door with a soft sound, greeted by the familiar scent of polished wood and lingering sweat from training. The place was almost empty, save for a single person practicing with steady, repeated strikes against a wooden dummy.
"Oh? It's been a while, Ren." — a sweet, bell-like voice greeted him, belonging to the beauty of the kendo club.
Rin has brown hair that she ties in a ponytail with a blue scrunchie, bangs framing her face, and two chest-length strands falling on either side. She has brown eyes and is most often seen wearing an emotionless expression.
Kujō Rin.
She was the president of the kendo club — a rival and a friend to Ren, and the two often trained together to sharpen their blades.
"Good morning, Senpai," Ren nodded politely as he stepped quietly into the clubroom and set his bag aside.
"Morning… I thought you were going to skip again today," Rin said calmly without turning to face him, her precise strikes continuing without a single irregularity.
"I wasn't skipping — I was just participating in a student exchange program. I went to another city for studies last month," Ren replied with a faint, bitter smile as memories of the past month came to mind — when he was working nonstop for the peace conference between the four factions.
Of course, he couldn't tell normal people any of that. So "student exchange" became the convenient excuse.
This time, Rin stopped moving. Resting her Shinai against her shoulder, she slowly turned toward him. Her usual cold gaze softened just slightly — as if she were searching for meaning behind his words, not simply listening to them.
"A student exchange program…?" she repeated in a quiet tone, tilting her head slightly. "That explains your absence — but it doesn't explain why you suddenly returned without notice."
Her question was direct, but not accusatory — more curiosity than reproach.
Ren met her eyes with an unreadable expression, then shrugged lightly.
"Things changed… so I came back earlier than planned."
Rin nodded slowly, as though accepting the answer — or at least deciding not to press further.
Then she placed the wooden sword beside her and asked:
"If you're finally back… does that mean you'll be competing in the school tournament next month? Or are you still in the mood for long trips?"
Ren stepped closer, pulling another Shinai from the wooden rack and glancing at her from the side.
"No, I don't think I'll participate. If I do, it'll just be boring."
And he was right. Now that Ren was a Shinigami — even without using Reiryoku or anything supernatural — his swordsmanship and physical ability were overwhelming by human standards. He didn't even need to exert himself to be out of reach. So he refused without hesitation, unlike in the past when he used to enjoy such tournaments.
Not that Rin needed to know any of that — she had no idea about the world that lurked beyond the ordinary.
Rin held his gaze for a few seconds, her eyelids sinking slightly, as though something in his words struck deeper than he intended — not anger, but a quiet understanding.
"Boring, huh…" she echoed softly, almost like a murmur to herself.
She lifted her eyes to him again. Still expressionless, yet there was a faint glint in them that hadn't been there a moment ago.
"If everyone seems boring to you… it means their level can no longer reach yours."
Again, there was no criticism — just an observation.
She took a step toward him and added:
"Or maybe you're just running away from the only kind of excitement you're actually good at."
Ren spun the Shinai lightly in his hand, testing the familiar weight, then rested it on his shoulder before replying in a mild tone:
"I'm not running… I just don't feel the need to prove anything anymore."
Rin's eyelashes fluttered once, like she was thinking beyond the surface of his words.
Then she murmured in a low voice, meant for the space between them alone:
"So… you're not fighting for the top anymore — because the top is already behind you."
Ren neither confirmed nor denied.
Silence was answer enough.
Rin turned and walked back to the center of the dojo. She raised her Shinai into an opening stance before saying quietly:
"In that case… I'll just settle for something else."
Ren raised a brow.
"And what would that be?"
She glanced back at him — her eyes carrying a faint hint of challenge this time:
"I want to see… whether you've really gone that far out of our reach."
Her stance settled fully now, and the atmosphere of the hall shifted.
"This won't be a match… and it won't be training. Just — measuring distance."
Ren gave a short, light laugh, more like a quiet breeze than real amusement.
"Distance, huh? …Alright — let's see."
He bowed his head slightly — respect between swordsmen, not just clubmates.
And by the time he rose… the air between them was already heavy with the quiet tension of battle — no Reiryoku, no spirits… just pure human skill. One sword close to perfection, the other forever chasing it.
With the next step — the duel was about to begin.
...
To get more chapters please visit my p@treon :
[email protected]/Akasaki_Ryujin
For support :
https://ko-fi.com/akasaki_ryujin