Kato Megumi was being very careful, she didn't even dare to breathe too hard. The smell on Shin-chan's body was a bit too strong of an impact for her.
The train was very crowded. It was currently the after-work evening rush hour. Shin-chan, without any effort at all, carved out a small space for her, which made Kato Megumi feel extremely secure.
"Shin-chan."
Hearing Kato Megumi call him, Shin-chan lowered his head and looked at the beautiful girl in front of him.
To Shin-chan, the girl's presence wasn't weak. If you looked closely, you'd find that Kato Megumi belonged to the type whose beauty grows on you. Her facial features matched just right, not that eye-catching, but definitely could be considered a beauty.
If you had to describe her, it would be the "homebody girlfriend" type? For some people with fragile pride, the setting of having a slightly lower presence might not be a bad thing? At least you don't have to worry about getting cucked…
"What's up?"
"About today, thank you so much. I really feel like, if it hadn't been for you, I might've gotten tangled up with Aki-kun…"
"I guess, that guy does look pretty unlikable."
Kato Megumi, who had absolutely no experience chatting with boys, couldn't think of any topics, so she could only start from Aki Tomoya.
"Aki-kun and I are classmates. He's actually kind of famous in school."
"In short, he's a guy who doesn't care what others think. Once he decides on something, he absolutely has to do it, even if it affects other people."
Kato Megumi couldn't be sure about her own thoughts, nor did she know what she was thinking. But she had a kind of premonition: if she wanted to conquer Shin-chan, the difficulty would definitely be hell-level.
"He really doesn't look like a good person."
Shin-chan recalled seeing Aki Tomoya today, he really did look annoying. Especially in the world of youth romantic light novels, as long as it didn't touch the dark sides of society, someone like Aki Tomoya was definitely a pain to deal with.
Secretly lifting her head to glance at Shin-chan, she inevitably smelled that scent on his body again.
"Shin-chan, do you know what Aki-kun meant when he talked about the 'main heroine'?"
"Probably some otaku fantasy. He looks like someone totally immersed in his own world."
He didn't like Aki Tomoya. Not to mention that added memory about his time with Eriri, he was bound to end up standing on the opposite side of Aki Tomoya.
'This girl in front of him seemed to be Aki Tomoya's fated heroine, huh.'
Scratching his head, Shin-chan felt his scalp itch a bit. 'Don't tell me I'm going to grow blonde hair?'
Thinking of how the two had already exchanged contact info, Kato Megumi let out a small sigh of relief. The train's arrival announcement rang out.
"This is my stop."
"Mm," Shin-chan nodded. Two stations later, the crowd had thinned. Watching Kato Megumi get off, Shin-chan didn't think too much and began thinking about the system's missions.
There were currently two system missions, resolving Eriri's troubles, and figuring out why Shizuka Hiratsuka still couldn't get a boyfriend.
These two missions seemed simple, but the system's descriptions were very vague. Shin-chan still didn't have any clues.
What were Eriri's troubles? Most likely, it was that extra memory that suddenly appeared.
As for the reason Shizuka Hiratsuka couldn't get a boyfriend, it actually wasn't that complicated.
First of all, Shizuka Hiratsuka's family background was pretty good. The fact that her family allowed her to stay single until now, even if they kept pushing marriage, meant her parents definitely doted on this daughter.
That was also the source of her confidence.
Although her behavior wasn't very ladylike, in Japan, she definitely counted as eccentric. But the real reason Shizuka Hiratsuka stayed single wasn't anything external, it was herself.
She always complained she couldn't get a boyfriend, but in truth, Shizuka Hiratsuka really enjoyed the feeling of being single. Most likely, she had some fear toward love and marriage.
That favor she showed him today was probably because she liked his bottom line.
All those failed matchmaking dates, in addition to issues on the guys' side, Shizuka Hiratsuka was probably deliberately sabotaging the dates too, right?
———
The next day, in the morning, Shin-chan, who had stayed up all night watching anime, woke up.
This kind of indulgent youth… was just too sweet. Unfortunately, school was about to start soon. This kind of lifestyle wouldn't last much longer.
He took out his phone for a glance, Kato Megumi had sent him quite a few messages. Shin-chan replied briefly. Then suddenly, his phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
Shin-chan felt a little puzzled and pressed the answer button.
"Shin-chan."
A slightly husky, smoker's voice of a middle-aged man came through the phone. It sounded kind of familiar to Shin-chan.
"I heard you're going to high school. And it's Shuchiin, too."
"Sensei…"
Shin-chan immediately recognized who it was. It was his kendo teacher, Musashino Kenta.
"Hahaha! You still remember me! After all these years without contacting you, I only remembered when I saw the news about Shuchiin."
"I still haven't found the sword path in my heart. Lately, I've come back home to inherit the dojo. Got time to come visit?"
Ever since parting with Musashino Kenta, Shin-chan hadn't picked up a sword in a long time. But the words "natural swordmaster" in his system weren't just for show.
"Just right, I haven't started school yet. I've got time these next few days."
Hearing Shin-chan agree, Musashino Kenta let out a sigh of relief. He knew very well his student's personality, super flaky and hard to deal with.
"I just inherited the dojo from my old man. You're my only student. I hope you can come see it."
"So it's only because you need help that you remembered me, huh?"
"What! I've always been seeking the sword in my heart. I've grown quite a bit over these years, you know!"
Just one jab from Shin-chan and Musashino Kenta almost cracked. But he quickly regained his composure. Looks like those years of wandering and training did pay off.
"But seriously, I'm really glad you can come. I'll send you the location in a bit. You free this afternoon?"
"I'll head over this afternoon."
It had been a long time since Shin-chan last held a sword. Back in middle school, he mostly relied on his excellent swimming speed to get selected for Soubu High, and then later ended up in the merged Shuchiin.
"Alright, I've sent the location. Don't be late this afternoon!" Musashino Kenta laughed heartily.
After hanging up, Shin-chan let out a breath. Ever since parting with Musashino Kenta, he hadn't touched a sword again.
Because of the fusion of this world's setting, kendo in this world was highly valued in Japan. Just by opening a dojo, kendo masters could make tons of money and gain high social status.
Professional kendo tournaments were even more popular than sumo wrestling.
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