Chapter 61: Underestimating One's Own Influence
As the Chairman of the Chiba Prefecture Kendo Federation took to the stage and announced the successful conclusion of the pre-selection rounds for the Chiba Prefecture Kendo Tournament, the entire arena erupted into a thunderous, overwhelming roar of applause.
The participants themselves stood up to join the ovation.
Forty-five competitors lined up once more to salute the audience. This time, Chishima Akishin, Suzuki Tsuyoshi, and Yunomoto Shinichi stood at the very front of the formation.
Once the formal salutations were finished and the ranks dismissed, the three of them were left there alone. They ascended the main stage, allowing the blinding flashbulbs of the cameras to wash over them as the crowd stared with eyes full of congratulations.
The applause lasted for three solid minutes.
Then came the celebration phase. Upon dismissal, the surrounding swordsmen immediately swarmed Akishin to strike up a conversation, joined by journalists who had managed to slip past the perimeter...
There were even spectators who rushed down just to grab a photo with Akishin, many of whom were quite pretty girls. The corner of Akishin's mouth twitched slightly; it was hard to refuse, so he was forced to put on a stiff, practiced smile as he became a professional photo prop.
Today, the undisputed protagonist of the Chiba Kendo world was Chishima Akishin. He had shattered Suzuki Tsuyoshi's long-standing dominance, making him more than worthy of being the public's center of attention.
After Akishin finally managed to struggle his way out of the crowd and toward the staff entrance, he spotted Shizuka and the other two waiting for him.
"Chishima-kun, congratulations."
"Sensei, that was amazing!"
"Chishima-sensei, congratulations on the title. I'm certain you can take the overall championship at the nationals later."
Looking at the three of them, Akishin didn't say much, simply nodding with a faint smile: "Thank you."
"...Chishima-san!"
A voice called out from his side. Akishin turned to see a somewhat plump, middle-aged man wearing a smile that looked decidedly awkward.
"Director Okazawa?"
"That's right, it's me, Chishima-san. This is our first real meeting. I must offer my deepest apologies for neglecting you previously."
The moment they met, Okazawa Takahiro bowed deeply toward Akishin, his hands pressed tightly against the seams of his trousers in a display of extreme humility.
"It's really fine, honestly." Akishin smiled as he helped Okazawa stand back up. "This was a personal matter of mine; if anything, I feel bad for inconveniencing the school."
Observing Akishin's smile, Okazawa couldn't quite tell if the man was genuinely unbothered or just putting up a front.
He strongly suspected Akishin was actually upset because he had specifically emphasized the phrase "personal matter"—if he were in Akishin's shoes, he'd be pissed too; this was a blatant case of the school jumping on the bandwagon at the very last second.
He hesitated for a moment before explaining: "Chishima-san, the school has already looked into the situation. The Principal gave very earnest instructions, but there was a lapse among the subordinates. Once we're back at school, the Principal and the Board of Directors will do their absolute best to provide you with proper compensation."
"I truly don't mind; it's just a small thing."
Akishin shook his head with a friendly smile. Internally, he realized there really had been a breakdown in the chain of command. It made sense; originally, he was just a generic teacher. Who was going to go out of their way for him?
Seeing that Akishin wasn't pressing the issue, Okazawa let out a massive sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't angry, things were fine. If accountability were to be sought later, Okazawa would have been the first one lined up as a scapegoat.
Now, Akishin was a "Golden Signboard"—24-karat pure gold.
He had defeated Suzuki Tsuyoshi, giving him a massive chance to win the All-Japan Kendo Tournament. Since Suzuki had held the national title before, defeating him automatically put Akishin in the running for the crown. Add to that his profession as a teacher, and there was no telling how many schools would be clamoring to hire him later.
As long as Akishin was there, the school's reputation would skyrocket. Even top-tier elite high schools would have to take them seriously.
A person like this would be kept by the school at any cost.
Akishin was actually underestimating his own influence. To a school, what mattered most?
Student resources, of course!
As long as enough elite students enrolled, the acceptance rate into top-tier universities would climb, and the school's name would grow. A big name attracts more students, and more students mean more profit. Private high schools lived and breathed this cycle.
But a reputation doesn't just appear out of thin air. Investment and advertising were the ways to jumpstart that initial prestige.
In the beginning, you couldn't rely on the "top university" stats; you had to raise the school's own profile to "feed" the top universities, which would then create a feedback loop for the high school.
The best example: top-tier high schools receive a certain number of designated recommendation slots to prestigious universities every year. These slots are the ultimate proof of a school's quality.
Akishin was a teacher at that school. If he grabbed the Kendo Tournament title, he could single-handedly boost the initial reputation of many schools significantly.
Ordinary private schools, when first established, would hunt for students everywhere and offer massive perks. For instance, an elite student from a poor mountain region might get free tuition, free fees, and free uniforms, plus a substantial annual scholarship.
The goal was simply to lure them into the halls.
Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko were in exactly that situation.
Even though Sobu High was a long-established, prestigious school that didn't need to beg for students, they still maintained specific quotas for such high-achieving students every year...
Ahem!
The internal monologue had drifted a bit too far off-track.
Back to the main point.
Akishin chatted with Okazawa for a while, letting the man take photos with him in various spots to ensure the Director got some public exposure.
Okazawa had pinned his Sobu High official badge to his chest, so people gradually began to realize that Akishin was a faculty member there.
It was now midday—lunchtime. The spectators slowly filtered out after their final cheers. There was a press conference scheduled for the afternoon, and the three finalists were required to attend to provide some "copy" for the media.
After shedding his Kendo gear, lunch was settled in the Kendo Federation's cafeteria. The food wasn't extravagant, but it was elegant enough.
The three leaders of the association also ate there, sharing a table with Akishin's group of four, Suzuki Tsuyoshi, and Yunomoto Shinichi right in the middle of the hall.
The Federation wouldn't hold the official grand celebration until tonight; word was they had booked a hotel. You couldn't really say no to these things, so Akishin was forced to agree.
During the meal, Akishin asked if he could bring friends along, and the answer was an immediate "of course." Even if it hadn't been allowed initially, it was definitely allowed now.
After lunch and a brief rest, a staff member informed them that the press conference was starting.
Akishin, Tsuyoshi, and Yunomoto walked out together. First, the three of them were interviewed as a group, followed by individual Q&A sessions.
During that time, all sorts of questions came flying at them until Akishin's head started to throb. Mostly, they asked about the style of Kendo he practiced and who his master was.
Whenever it got to that part, Akishin would invoke the figure of a "non-existent teacher," claiming his master had vanished years ago without ever revealing his true name.
This only piqued the journalists' curiosity further, leading them to speculate that it was some sort of hidden mountain hermit. The Japanese Chuunibyou spirit truly ran deep in their veins.
Those were at least normal questions since they related to Kendo. Then there were the abnormal ones.
For example: Is Chishima-san married? Oh, no! Does he have a girlfriend? Also no! What kind of girls does Chishima-san like? Are the two beauties who came with Chishima-san potential candidates? ...
A barrage of questions, many of which were impossible to answer, leaving Akishin to provide nothing but an awkward yet polite smile.
Fortunately, Suzuki Tsuyoshi and Yunomoto Shinichi were there to share the burden. The two seemed very used to this environment, answering smoothly and without leaving any openings. Tsuyoshi, sensing Akishin's struggle, helped field a lot of the inquiries.
When the group interview ended and it was time for individual questioning, Akishin pulled Okazawa in to help him answer, simultaneously promoting the Sobu High name.
Okazawa was actually incredibly enthusiastic. His buzz-cut hair was slicked back to a shine, his suit was sharp, and his leather shoes were polished to a mirror finish.
He genuinely gave it his all helping Akishin navigate the questions, only stepping back humbly when a question absolutely required Akishin's direct input.
Akishin handed over several other minor tasks to Okazawa as well. The man performed them tirelessly, while Akishin himself dragged Shizuka and the other two to hide in the breakroom.
"Phew! I never imagined being surrounded by reporters would be this terrifying!"
If given the choice, Akishin would much rather dive into the System Room for a life-or-death duel than face those journalists again.
"Don't complain; most people would kill for that kind of attention!" Shizuka handed Akishin a glass of warm water and sat down beside him.
Hachiman sat in the opposite chair, checking something on his phone.
The internet was already starting to buzz about this Kendo competition.
...
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