Fourth person: Kota Fujinami

The venue's air conditioning was too strong, so I zipped up my fleece jacket to my neck to keep from getting too cold.

The person fighting in front of him as the captain was not Ishizaka, but Kunihama, who usually served as vice-captain. He had never played a practice match against Myoho Gakuen, and had never even crossed swords with Kunihama.

The lack of practice games was not due to the coach's policy, but rather to a series of unfortunate events. Coach Hirazawa has always said that the biggest obstacle to Joyo High School winning the national championship is Myoho. For this reason, he scheduled numerous practice games and planned a trip from Fukuoka to Osaka. However, each time, trouble arose. One time, the coach was hospitalized with food poisoning, and another time, a bomb cyclone occurred, bringing unprecedented heavy snowfall and paralyzing public transportation. Every time something like this happened, the team members would joke, "Myoho must be cursed."

The worst part was last summer's scandal. Joyo High School has other clubs besides the Kendo Club that are known as nationally strong, and last summer it was reported in the media that drinking was commonplace in one of the strong clubs. All clubs at Joyo High School were forced to indefinitely suspend external matches, including practice matches. Several clubs protested strongly, but it seems they were unable to prevail over public opinion. In the end, the Kendo Club also decided to suspend activities until the heat died down. It turns out they were the ones who were cursed.

Or maybe, I thought as I watched Kunihama flexibly strike the men.

Maybe I'm the only one cursed.

He knows he's called the "uncrowned king." However, he also believes he remains a standout among high school students. He has won numerous team championships. While he has never won the national individual championship, he has advanced to the finals three times: in sixth grade, third grade of junior high, and second grade of high school. The humiliation of having zero wins in the finals undoubtedly gives the impression that "Fujinami Kota is weak at competition." Furthermore, with Sho Ishizaka winning last year, the value of the Fujinami Kota brand has dropped significantly.

Until last year, I thought I was the strongest kendo player not only in my grade, but also in the three years in total, including the year before and the year after. There was no other player who had advanced to the national tournament finals three times, and the fact that I was admired by those around me was also a big factor. When I became a high school student, I started receiving interview requests from women's magazines and web magazines.

My first interview was during the summer vacation of my first year of high school. Before practice, the director suddenly said to me:

"Fujinami, you don't need to wear protective gear. Come over here for a second."

When Coach Hirasawa called on the team members, it was usually to scold them. I left the dojo in fear, and there stood a woman in her late twenties next to the coach. She was beautiful. She took out her business card and forced a smile, and at the time, she seemed dazzling. Her legs peeked out from under her short skirt. I desperately tried to avert my gaze.

"I'm Wada, a freelance writer."

The female reporter, who introduced herself as Wada, tried to hand over her business card. The director, standing next to her, snatched the card away from her, saying, "I'll keep it for you," looking displeased for some reason. Wada, not minding the director's presence, bowed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you before practice today. I'd like to conduct a short interview. So..."

"Wada-san, I'll explain."

The director seemed annoyed, and I wondered what was making him so annoyed.

"As I mentioned earlier, Wada-san is a writer who writes articles for magazines and the like."

He mentions the name of a famous women's magazine and asks Fujinami if she knows it.

"yes"

"Apparently, that interview is happening today."

He knew the magazine was a fashion magazine. He had once looked at it to kill time when his older sister, a university student, was reading it. But why would a women's magazine interview him, let alone "Kendo World" or "Kendo Journal"? Wada didn't care about the director's intentions and began to explain unilaterally.

"In each issue of the magazine, we interview a popular male high school athlete."

"Yes."

"I really want to feature Fujinami-kun in that segment."

I don't know about that section of a women's magazine I've never even bothered to read, but I was happy to be recognized as one of the "hottest male athletes." From the dojo behind me, I could hear the calls for warm-up exercises. The third-year captain's voice sounded harsher than usual.

"We have already received permission from the teachers to conduct this interview."

"Teachers..."

Muttering to himself, he looked at Director Hirasawa, who was standing next to Wada. The director started to say something, but Wada spoke again before he could.

"We'll be using that classroom over there for the interview. Well then, shall we go there together?"

Still in his hakama and gi, Wada was urged to walk towards the school building. Even though they were inside the school grounds, he walked as if leading the way. The coach remained silent from start to finish until they reached the classroom.

I was shown to a classroom that was never used for regular classes. It seemed to be called the Social Studies Preparation Room, but the only thing inside the classroom was a desk, a chair, and a globe as a token gift. To my surprise, the head of the student guidance department and the vice principal were waiting for me in the Social Studies Preparation Room. They spoke to me in a way that tried to appease me, and made me sit in a chair in the center of the classroom.

Just before Wada began his interview, the vice principal turned to the coach standing behind him and said:

"Mr. Hirasawa has to teach the kendo club, right? If you're interviewing Fujinami-kun, we'll take full responsibility for supervising you, so please go back to the kendo hall, Mr. Hirasawa."

"but"

"It's okay."

The vice principal made no attempt to hide his true desire to get rid of him, and continued to speak with a straight face. In the end, the director left the social studies preparation room without being able to say anything back. As the door slammed shut, he suddenly felt uneasy. Wada sat across from him, across the desk from him.

"Well then, shall we get started?"

With that, Wada began asking questions that were all pretty banal. The only two questions that had anything to do with kendo were why I started kendo and what the best part of kendo is. The rest were about things unrelated to kendo, such as how I spend my days off, my favorite foods, my favorite female celebrities, and the fashion I would like my daughters to wear.

After the questions were answered, the photoshoot continued for around 20 minutes. There was no photographer present, and Wada took the pictures herself. As instructed, I was made to smile at the camera or gaze wistfully out the window. Every time Wada crouched down, I couldn't help but wonder what was under her skirt as it flipped up. After being held captive for an hour and a half, I was completely exhausted by the time it was over.

"Thank you very much. I think it will be a great page."

Finally, Wada handed me another business card. I wondered whether I should accept it, but he gave me a mischievous smile.

"My advisor took it just now, but I'll give it to Fujinami-kun after all."

On the back of the card was her mobile phone number. On the front was the address of her office in Fukuoka. Wada bowed and left the classroom. Her long strides were filled with confidence. While admiring her shapely legs, I found myself thinking in the back of my mind that I had to hurry back to the dojo.

I returned to the club room, carefully stashed my business card in my wallet, and then ran to the dojo. Two hours had passed since practice began, and most of the training had already been completed. I was putting on my protective gear in a corner of the dojo, determined to at least participate in the final practice, when a third-year senior stopped in his tracks. He stared at me as if he wanted to say something.

"Hey Yamauchi, play it properly!"

After being scolded by the coach, Yamauchi-senpai, as if he had just remembered, went straight for the motodachi. In the end, the practice ended when he had just completed the preparatory tori-gaeshi.

After practice, I reported to the coach that the interview was over. It is a rule in the Joyo High School Kendo Club to report even the most obvious things to the coach.

"I'm sorry for cutting down on practice time."

It was the first time the coach had apologized to me. I quickly replied, "I'll practice on my own after this."

"Please be patient and understand that this is also for the sake of promoting kendo."

With those words, the coach left the dojo. I had no idea how this interview article would help promote kendo. From the coach's attitude, I had guessed that the interview was initiated by the school and not the coach's own will. That's why I couldn't understand why the coach would use the term "promoting kendo" as an excuse.

As I was practicing alone in front of the dojo's full-length mirror, a familiar figure approached me. In the mirror, I saw Yamauchi-senpai in his uniform. Yamauchi-senpai was a substitute in the team competition, and I was the only regular first-year student.

I once overheard Yamauchi-senpai say to a third-year classmate, "Fujinami is insolent." He was speaking loud enough for all the club members present to hear.

When I turned around, Yamauchi-senpai suddenly spoke up.

"Fujinami, why did you try to skip practice?"

Our voices echoed clearly in the dojo where there were only two of us.

"Sorry. I got caught up in a magazine interview."

"I know that."

If you know, why ask? It didn't make sense.

"What kind of magazine is that?"

When I tell them the name of the magazine, they respond with, "Hmm."

"Why would you want to be interviewed by a women's magazine?"

There was clearly a harsh tone in Yamauchi-senpai's voice.

"I don't really understand it myself."

"That's a lie."

"I'm not lying. I wasn't told that."

"You really do know."

I didn't know how to respond. Yamauchi-senpai said, "Look in the full-length mirror." I did as I was told and turned around. All I saw was myself in my karate uniform and Yamauchi-senpai in his school uniform.

"They interviewed you because you have a good-looking face."

I couldn't say anything back to what Yamauchi-senpai said.

"You hit the nail on the head. I even think I'm handsome."

Seeing me stand there in silence, Yamauchi-senpai seemed satisfied.

"I wasn't interviewed because I'm good at kendo. Don't get too cocky."

With a parting remark, Yamauchi-senpai left the dojo.