Though it was still club activity time, essentially, school was already over.
Kuoh Academy's management system was like most high schools in Japan. Generally, once all the day's classes were finished, school was considered over. Students were simply allowed to use school resources for extracurricular activities within a certain time frame after dismissal.
Namely, the various clubs on campus.
The school didn't require students to return to the classroom after club activities for a teacher to officially announce the end of the day. Instead, they could pack up and head home directly.
As for students who hadn't joined any clubs, they could leave right after their last class.
These students even had their own "club" at school, called the Go-Home Club.
It had been about half an hour since the last afternoon class ended—just as club activities were officially starting, and the Go-Home Club members were all leaving campus.
The camera panned, and though it wasn't yet evening, the sunlight had begun to slant westward.
At the school gate, where only a few straggling Go-Home Club students were still wandering out, a dark purple-haired girl stood quietly beside the guard booth, holding a sword bag. She gazed at the clouds on the horizon, gradually tinged with red, wearing a uniform clearly from another high school.
From the direction of the schoolyard came the lively voices of the sports club members in full swing.
After several minutes, the sounds from the schoolyard were suddenly interspersed with footsteps—steady and unhurried, growing closer.
Along with them came the boy's casual voice.
"Yo, hello~"
Hmm…?
Busujima Saeko turned her gaze from the horizon toward the source of the voice.
Approaching her was Keikain Fukuki, who had just received the call at the old school building and rushed over.
"Hello."
The kendo girl bowed politely, her calm, water-like expression softening into a faint smile.
"I'm Busujima Saeko, a third-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. You should know me—I messaged you privately on the forum before."
"Oh, right."
Keikain Fukuki nodded.
"Hi, I'm Qin Shi Huang."
…
For a moment, a loading bar of silence appeared above Busujima Saeko's head.
Honestly, she'd been a bit worried she might mistake him for someone else when they met. After all, online chats are behind a screen, and it's hard to confirm if the person messaging is actually the account owner.
But hearing that familiar "I'm Qin Shi Huang," she instantly relaxed.
To say something like that so casually—this enviable mental state undoubtedly confirmed it was him.
"…Heh, Keikain -kun really loves joking."
Busujima Saeko shook her head slightly, her voice still calm and gentle.
"By the way, has your club activity ended? If it's okay, I'd like to change locations and discuss last night's forum post in more detail."
"Sure, of course."
Keikain Fukuki agreed readily.
…
Ten minutes later, at a nearby café, the two chose a quiet corner booth.
Busujima Saeko ordered a cappuccino, while Keikain Fukuki unabashedly ordered a chocolate sundae.
He was a loyal sweet tooth. While he could tolerate bitter things like coffee, it still didn't compare to a sundae.
Taking a huge spoonful of the sundae, Keikain Fukuki spoke first.
"Actually, when we met at the school gate just now, I had this faint feeling—Senior Busujima, have we met somewhere before?"
"Really?"
Busujima Saeko paused slightly.
A cliché—even overused—pickup line. She hadn't expected Keikain Fukuki to start with something like that.
Though puzzled by his sudden remark, the girl politely tried to recall.
"I think… probably not. I don't really remember."
"No, no, no. We definitely have."
Keikain Fukuki twirled the silver sundae spoon provided by the café with his fingertips, occasionally tapping it lightly on the table.
"I remember it was last year, at the National Traditional Martial Arts Tournament in Kyoto."
Traditional martial arts include middle and high school levels, with events like kendo, archery, and karate.
Hearing him bring this up, Busujima Saeko, who had just denied it, paused again, her expression losing its previous certainty.
"This… yes, last year I participated in the high school kendo competition at the National Martial Arts Tournament in Kyoto. And…"
"See, I told you."
Keikain Fukuki snapped his fingers casually.
"Though I was there to accompany my sister for the archery competition, during the awards ceremony, I saw you on the podium, Senior Busujima. If I recall, you were the champion, right? Pretty impressive."
"Heh, Keikain -kun is too kind. I was just in good form that day."
Busujima Saeko smiled faintly. Despite being recognized as the champion, she showed no pride, only humility.
"Plus, due to family circumstances, I've been trained by my father since childhood, so I do have an advantage over my peers in kendo."
"Family circumstances?"
"My father is the current head of the Busujima-ryu kendo school."
Ah~ That explains it.
Keikain Fukuki instantly understood.
Busujima-ryu is a prestigious school in Japanese kendo. While not as famous as top schools like Hokushin Ittō-ryū or Satsuma Shiden-ryū, it's still recognized as a powerful enough style to stand on its own. At most, it's just a matter of catching up—no one's overwhelmingly better than the other.
Any school that's survived from the era of warfare to the present can't be weak.
"But why would the daughter of a kendo master become a jujutsu sorcerer?" Keikain Fukuki was still puzzled.
"This… it's just a personal choice, I guess." Busujima Saeko maintained her smile. "And my father supports it."
"Oh."
Translation: It's their family business, so don't ask.
Keikain Fukuki wisely dropped the topic.
Seeing the conversation winding down, Busujima Saeko decided to get straight to the point.
"So, about the finger in the photo you posted on the forum last night—as I mentioned in my message, it's a Special-Grade Cursed Object sealed by Tokyo Jujutsu High and the Jujutsu Association. It's extremely dangerous, so if possible, I'd like you to return it now."
"Uh, returning it isn't a problem."
Taking another spoonful of sundae, Keikain Fukuki put down the spoon, reached into his pocket, and paused for two seconds before pulling out a small plastic bag containing dark brown fragments. He placed it on the table and slid it over.
"But it seems I've already broken it…"
Busujima Saeko: ???