New Year, New Roles, New Shinai [Kendo Club/Open]

[Haruka, Mizuki]

Before the attack, Mizuki had been involved in every and any combat class and club she could find, but now she was being forced to sit on the side lines. Her grandmother had refused to allow her to join the kendo club, or any fun club to be honest. She was set on making Mizuki into a proper young lady, claiming her parents had allowed to be corrupted with boyish things. If Mizuki's voice was still there and that woman hadn't been her grandmother, she would have screamed and punched the old woman for insulting the dead.

Still, the old woman did have a point, and even the doctor agreed that Mizuki shouldn't be involved in sports that could loosen her stitches. Luckily, the doctor had also said that allowing Mizuki to join a club she would like might help with the healing process. At first her grandmother demanded her to join the sewing club, something proper. It took Mizuki most of her summer, but she finally got her grandmother to allow her to join the Kendo club-- at least as their equipment manager. It wasn't what Mizuki had wanted, but it was close enough.

Ten minutes before the first day of school ended, the teacher released first year Haruka Mizuki for club activities. The moment she opened the doors to the gym, nostalgia hit her hard. When she reached the equipment lockers and began carting out the boxes with the shinai and padding, her hands trembled with excitement. She reached into the box, pulling out one of the bamboo swords. Her hands clasped around it tightly, and both her eyes closed. Memories of completely steam rolling opponents into submission flooded her mind.

Mizuki stood there for a moment, until she suddenly dropped the sword, taking a step back. It was a moment of shock when she realized just how deeply she felt about it. Shaking her head, no! She was the equipment manager now! And she would be girly! Yes! Mizuki would cast away all those years of being the scariest girl in school! Now she would be the delicate girl with the voice so soft it was almost not there! Filled new confidence in her role as a damsel, Mizuki began to unpack the equipment for the new year.

[Sun JingJing]

Jingjing stopped just before the entrance to the gymnasium, and bowed. She was hardly the most polite or obedient student at the best of times, but somehow she had never dared to break any of the basic rules of kendo etiquette. While this was partly because her sensei back in Tokyo had been a sadistic slave-driver who punished students with 50 men cuts should he catch them not following the rules, another part was simply due to the fact that she reveled in kendo, and so revered it accordingly.

It had been roughly 2 years since she had stopped practicing kendo, 2 terrible years since her mother had left them with a broken shell of a father and in poor financial straits... unwanted memories began to surge forth --- how her brother, always near the top of his class, had dropped out of high school to start work earlier, how he had put aside his dignity and begged their relatives to take her in here at Shigayomi, how he had basically sacrificed his future in exchange for her own… No, she told herself, forcing away such thoughts with a vigorous shake of her head, all that mattered, all that should matter was the here and now. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the dojo, pumped and ready for training.

Given that she had practically raced over to the gymnasium after the school bell had rung, she was surprised to see another girl already there, along with several big boxes filled with kendo equipment. Even more surprising was the fact that the girl was holding a shinai in her hands with her eyes closed. Before Jingjing had a chance to call out to her, the girl dropped the shinai, resulting in a loud clatter that echoed through the empty dojo. Jinging winced at the sound, fixed a cheerful smile on her face, then strode towards the girl.

“50 men cuts for dropping a shinai!” She teased, deepening her voice to mimic the tones of her strict former sensei. As the girl looked up, Jingjing noticed that although looked to be about her age, the girl had managed to move quite a few boxes of shinai and padding all by herself. Perhaps there was hidden strength lurking behind that small frame?

“Sorry, force of habit,” Jingjing scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “My previous sensei used to be a real hard-ass, it was always 50 men cuts this, 100 hayasuburi that. I’m Sun Jingjing, 1st year, but you can just call me Jing.” She indicated the partially unpacked boxes nearby.

“Need a hand with those?" she offered with a smile. From the girl’s situation, Jingjing surmised that she was probably either an overly enthusiastic/ unfortunate newcomer who had been instructed to prepare the equipment, or perhaps (although more unlikely) even the equipment manager herself! If the latter, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to cozy up to her and make a good first impression. Especially if it means possibly getting first pick of the club’s shinai before practice, she thought slyly.