After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

The group arrived at the venue for the competition by car.

Even before the start of the competition, spectators had already begun to enter the gymnasium or were standing outside, laughing and talking with friends while holding drinks.

There were also quite a few high school students wearing their school uniforms, most likely locals from the Capital City, coming to support the representative teams from their region.

The venue was only so large; obviously, only one high school from each region would be selected to send representatives to compete.

And Tokyo City's representative was Kagura Hikaru's Haneoka Private High School. As a school that encouraged club activities, the strength of Ugao High's Kendo Club was already quite formidable, yet the Disciplinary Committee was even stronger, restricting them to only two participants.

Entering the competition site, people bustled about, and the flooring had been transformed into a suitable layout for Sword Dao competitions, with shiny wooden floors marked off into sections that would soon be used for matches, while staff in suits moved about on them.

In the corners, cameras could be seen, set up for television broadcasts once the matches began, a tradition from previous years that garnered reasonably high viewership ratings among sports channels.

High school Kendo, lively and full of youthful energy, in a sense, captured more attention than adult matches, for the brilliance they displayed was momentary. In a few years, as adults, they would lose the light of this moment.

Among all the high schools, the teams from Keihanshin were undoubtedly the center of attention.

Keihanshin referred to the three major cities: Capital City, Osaka, and Kobe.

Overall, the level of Sword Dao in Tokyo was quite good, but when compared to the region with the strongest Sword Dao skills in the country, that was surely Keihanshin.

Close to each other, known as one of the Island Nation's three major metropolitan areas, they frequently exchanged kendo techniques and consistently ranked at the top nationwide. In past high school Kendo competitions, these three were dominant, their strength overwhelming and their teams seen as the target for all.

Kagura Hikaru and the others wove their way around the edges of the court, looking for their school's spot.

The gymnasium was somewhat crowded, and inevitable oversights occurred. Like a little seal being jostled around, Hosaka Yui inadvertently bumped into several opposing players coming from the other direction, who then cast sidelong glances at her.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Watch where you're walking, kid."

"Middle schoolers shouldn't be at places like this."

They were neatly dressed in Kendo Uniforms and spoke with a Capital City accent, clearly locals.

"You're the middle schooler. Are you blind?" Hosaka Yui couldn't help but glare back, her face red, whether from being pushed or being angry.

The leader, a man with short eyebrows and squinted eyes, had long hair and hadn't intended to interact with them, but hearing this, he turned his head and looked them over, paying special attention to Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, whose good looks clearly stood out. A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his eyes:

"Oh my, visiting young masters and mistresses from out of town are so tender. Look at them, like they're here for sightseeing. Capital City is beautiful, isn't it? Shall I recommend a few scenic spots to you?"

The nearby Capital City folks quietly snickered, covering their mouths and looking at others sideways, reveling in amusement.

The faces of Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others from Tokyo darkened.

There's a saying that Capital City people are petty and snide, and it seems it's not just a rumor.

"You lot... Keep a clean mouth!" the Gorilla Vice President stepped forward, tall and fierce, like a wrathful deity.

The Capital City folks were nonchalant:

"Our mouths are quite clean, thank you."

"But you, with all those sharp teeth, have you cleaned them well?"

"Oh dear, such a hefty build, must be perfect for physical labor."

Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed lightly, shaking her head and said without expression to those around her, "I went to middle school in the Capital City years ago. The reason I came back to Tokyo is this: people here talk tough, but they're not so tough elsewhere."

The remark, with a hint of a risqué joke, left everyone with their mouths agape.

Ayakoji Chiyoko, telling a suggestive joke!

As expected of someone who had spent three years in the Capital City, Ayakoji Chiyoko managed to irritate the locals with just one sentence, their smiling faces becoming somewhat strained.

"Hahaha, this lady nailed it, right on the money! People from the Capital City, well, they're nothing but a bunch of soft-shelled shrimps who bully the weak but fear the strong."

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out as a tall and robust young man with cropped hair, dressed in black, approached, casting a mocking glance at the people from the Capital City. He laughed and grabbed the Gorilla Vice President's arm, giving it a couple of squeezes: "Brother's been training well, huh? Must be hitting the gym regularly."

The Gorilla Vice President was caught off guard by the squeezing, and at this point, the squint-eyed leader from the Capital City spoke up, addressing the young man in black: "Are you Kuroiwa from Osaka? I've heard a bit about your level."

The young man in black feigned thoughtfulness: "Hmm... sorry, who are you again?"

The squint-eyed man replied: "Kusatsu Ikuta. Make sure you remember that."

"Alright, I'm Kuroiwa Ryuuichi!"

Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped in like a knight leaning on a sword, an aura about her that commanded respect, "And you might as well remember my name too. This time, the Tokyo District team is here to win."

"Winning? Can Tokyo really achieve that?" Kusatsu Ikuta chuckled, "Well, I wouldn't want to be accused of being all talk. See you on the field."

"Oh! See you on the field!"

Kuroiwa Ryuuichi also grinned, flexing his muscular arm as he waved it, watching as the other group left with their team.

He then turned towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, admiration in his eyes: "What a spirited young woman, like an unsheathed blade. In my opinion, you are the strongest person in the Tokyo team."

"I'd like to say so, but unfortunately, I'm not," she replied.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi realized Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't seem keen on chatting and promptly shifted his focus to the Gorilla Vice President, pulling him aside to start discussing 'muscles over wine'.

Meanwhile, Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at Kagura Hikaru, who was blending into the crowd, somewhat displeased with his zen-like calm, "Why don't you say anything? Do you think it doesn't matter that we're being looked down upon?"

"Me?" Kagura Hikaru seemed surprised, "Sorry, was I supposed to speak just now?"

He wasn't a player, just a club manager.

What business did a mere helper have butting in during the trash-talking phase?

This sense of 'diligently sticking to his role' conveyed a severe sense of dissonance to Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Even she had to admit, Kagura Hikaru was a talented individual, one of the best among his peers.

But the problem was, why didn't this guy have any pride?

At the age of just sixteen, he possessed professional-level guitar skills, professional-level Sword Dao skills, and even his academic performance was top-notch.

Yet, there was not the slightest hint of the arrogance typical of a genius about him.

Ayakoji Chiyoko had deliberately included Kagura Hikaru in the team with the title of club manager, partly to see his reaction and judge his true character.

The result was that he accepted the role without hesitation; in fact, he seemed to do a better job than the official manager Hosaka Yui, never once complaining and completing his tasks with straightforward honesty.

If he were in a workplace setting, he would certainly be the kind of employee who didn't talk back to his boss, the type that was easy to manage and obedient.

Could such a person, who takes life as it comes and seeks stability, really be someone to engage in infidelity?

Or was he just playing the loyal dog to win her favor? But what for?

Ayakoji Chiyoko watched him, pondering in silence.

Just keep observing for now.