CHAPTER 512: CHAPTER 348: GIRLS ARE JUST GREAT_2

But so what, it’s just a foot fetish.

Moreover, when Hanamaru Hanabi helped Miss Fox Demon, Amami Nana Akatsuki, design the original art, didn’t she also draw the feet particularly prominently?

Those feet, beautiful and enticing.

— This shows that little Hanabi fully understands the beauty of feet.

Uesugi Sakura even somewhat suspects now, is Hanabi deliberately talking weird to avoid some potential situations.

Like, using little feet to massage the back or something.

...

Aei and Chiaei also went out with Hanabi today.

Since the summer vacation started, the two of them have enjoyed playing with their sister Hanabi.

Their guardianship is still entrusted to their father-in-law and uncle Hanamaru Yugetsu.

Uesugi Sakura tidied up his outfit, and after washing up in front of the mirror, he saw the message just sent to his phone.

It was from Uesugi Shio.

[Hurry over for the match]

Just one line, but concise and to the point.

The message even included an address.

Uesugi Sakura replied: [Be there soon]

...

The venue for sword dao competitions is generally indoors.

Similar to a gymnasium, the floor is so clean it reflects light, yet also has friction.

The preliminaries for this national tournament are no exception.

It’s using a dedicated martial arts hall for the competition.

When Uesugi Sakura arrived near the entrance of the martial arts hall, there were already spectators gradually entering.

On the outskirts, you could occasionally see people carrying cameras, accompanying TV reporters for interviews.

Though sword dao isn’t as famous as baseball, it is something everyone is familiar with.

In Japan, many high schools have promoted it widely.

Basically, starting from junior high school and high school, some people treat club activities as their lifelong path.

So during school days, various sports, including sword dao and kyudo, have well-structured teams and competitions.

In the end, those with both talent and tremendous effort stand out, becoming well-known figures nationally and within their circles.

That’s also a form of success.

Some treat it as a hobby, while others see it as a life path.

Winning a championship means having fame and popularity, and this honor is, for them, a lifelong affirmation, a stable livelihood.

In the future, one could become a vice master at a dojo, or a committee member in the national association, having pathways.

Uesugi Sakura’s kyudo championship also gained him significant fame in the ritual shooting system of kyudo.

Many high school students even watch his videos to learn the moves.

If he were to become a vice master at a dojo, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

But having these jobs also means constraints.

Uesugi Sakura himself has no intention of developing in this direction.

In his words, kyudo is for self-cultivation.

...

Winning the kyudo championship was like that, so it’s especially true for the somewhat more popular sword dao.

Many people hope to win, hope to become champions, hope to be famous, hope their name appears in the newspaper, hope for a smoother life in the future.

The chance to compete is rare, and the dreams they carry are extremely heavy.

Uesugi Sakura swept through the crowd heading to watch the competition, entered the martial arts hall, and approached the hallway of the preparation area.

He saw Uesugi Shio waiting for him ahead.

"You’re here."

"Yeah."

Uesugi Shio, sucking on a lollipop, sighed: "I thought you were going to ditch us again this time and not come."

"Why... again?"

"Did you forget? You signed up for the sword dao competition last year, and in the end, didn’t come."

Did that happen?

Uesugi Sakura thought hard.

Uesugi Shio reminded him: "After the national high school sword dao selection tournament preliminaries."

Uesugi Sakura remembered: "Oh, that time... I didn’t have much time... busy with the kyudo competition. Besides, you can’t blame me, who knew the kyudo match would be postponed."

At that time, a two-year-long mission wasn’t completed.

The first year, he flew to England for a few months to bring Hanabi home and couldn’t complete one of the conditions.

The second year, if he had participated in both kyudo and sword dao in the same year, he could indeed have completed it.

But the kyudo got delayed, and the two events were squeezed together.

So, Uesugi Sakura could only choose one competition.

Forget about sword dao.

He still had more confidence in archery.

As for the mission...

With little Hanabi as a girlfriend, all those missions and tasks are nonsense.

Uesugi Shio put down his hand and said to him: "Alright, follow me in first, and after lunch, it’ll be your time."

He followed Uesugi Shio into the hall.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t forget to observe some people on the way who were already in full gear.

In their twenties, thirties, forties... people of all ages.

Their aura, appearance, movements... hard to describe, so varied.

He looked around, hoping to spot someone younger...

But after a few circles.

It seemed he was the youngest among them all.

Senior brother and the others were considered juniors among these middle-aged folks.

Which made him the youngest of the juniors.

Just recently an adult.

Uesugi Sakura saw more than once some burly middle-aged men, solidly built, whose swings with the bamboo sword would be imposing in terms of physique.

Imagining the scene of facing them in a match would make anyone frown.

"Are those senior brothers really the champions of the past two editions?" Uesugi Sakura withdrew his gaze and asked.

Leading the way, Uesugi Shio responded: "Anyway, from the previous lists I’ve seen, their names were indeed written in the champion column."

This is the national sword dao tournament.

It’s not a high school tournament, but nationwide.

This means the opponents are no longer high school students but experienced middle-aged people and policemen who are battle-hardened.

Winning the championship from all sorts of diverse, colorful senior predecessors is indeed no easy task.

Just as Uesugi Sakura reached their resting area, Senior Brother Kusunoki greeted him with a smile: "Yo! Little junior brother, thought you weren’t coming!"

"Just a bit late."

"Haha, if you didn’t come, we’d be short of one person here. I even thought about getting Fujimaki back."

"Senior Brother Fujimaki?" Uesugi Sakura recalled the person he once met.

"That’s right." Kusunoki Kubomaru laughed, "Our master senior brother, honestly... I have no confidence in defeating him."

Koshin Kagami interjected: "When have you ever had confidence?"

"Don’t butt in!"

"I will butt in." Koshin Kagami smiled at him.

"Hey! Whatever you like."

Uesugi Sakura was used to seeing these two senior brothers banter.

"What happened with Senior Brother Fujimaki? As I recall... he said he would take back my current General position..."

Kusunoki Kubomaru waved his hand in explanation: "That guy couldn’t find our master treasure for two weeks and got angry, saying he’s not hanging with us anymore!"

"What do you mean?"

Koshin Kagami said: "This time, he’s our opponent."

Kusunoki Kubomaru added: "Perhaps you noticed when you met him before, little junior brother, Fujimaki is proud. Regarding your situation, without our master speaking up, he doesn’t have the face to ask you for the General position, but he’s still upset inside, being so proud, he must have gotten angrier the more he thought about it, not saying it out loud but just not wanting to hang with us."

Oh, so he’s a tsundere.

Uesugi Sakura understood a little.

But it shouldn’t just be about being a tsundere, Uesugi Sakura guessed that Fujimaki Chidori might also have reasons for looking down on him.

Someone truly proud.

Who disdains bullying the weak.

And disdains snatching things from the weak.

Senior Brother Fujimaki probably felt that as an 18-year-old junior, there was no need to bicker with him; even if he won the match and took back the General’s position, there would be nothing to be proud of.

"Haha, this whole thing is funny if you think of it, the One-Mind One-Sword Style’s master senior brother joining another team! If those reporters knew, they’d surely write a tearful story of a genius being expelled from the dojo?"

As he spoke, Kusunoki Kubomaru laughed again, seemingly indifferent to this matter.

"Sigh, Senior Brother Fujimaki is just too proud."

A man with a crew cut spoke at this time.

Uesugi Sakura remembered him as the one previously talking beside Fujimaki Chidori, by the name of Higuchi Yoshiaki.

Koshin Kagami slightly smiled: "He’s qualified to be proud."