Chapter 58: Discounted Beef
Who would have thought—who could have imagined you were that kind of person!
Aoki Shi let out a long sigh as he set off on his way home, still reeling from the shock Matsuyama Iwa had given him. He truly hadn’t expected it. Matsuyama Iwa, who looked every bit the retired underworld boss lurking behind the scenes, turned out to be a bona fide member of the super-rich second generation! Normally, someone as wealthy as him would study at a prestigious university abroad, spend money like water, live it up in every possible way, and only come back home to inherit the family fortune after getting bored of the high life. Who would have thought he’d throw himself headlong into a gym, harboring dreams of becoming a boxing champion...
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aoki Shi clicked his tongue in silent amazement. No wonder the man had never hesitated when it came to paying his wages—there was more to his background than met the eye.
“The Sorrow of the Blade! The crimson-eyed maiden steps once more onto her path of vengeance! Will the girl’s revenge come to pass? Can she reclaim her former comrades? All will be revealed in ‘Sword Tale: The Sorrow of the Blade’—a breathtaking nationwide release, November twenty-fifth!”
Suddenly, the crisp voice of a male broadcaster rang out nearby. Aoki Shi looked up to see an electronic billboard on a tall building, looping a trailer for a film.
On the screen, a girl with long black hair clad in a black coat swung her katana with dazzling flair, conjuring a flourish of steel. Before her stretched a field of monstrous corpses. Streaks of blood dotted her porcelain cheeks, while crimson dripped steadily from her blade’s groove, pooling at her feet.
“I will find you... and I will bring you down!” The girl’s voice was cold as ice. The camera pulled back, revealing a sky shrouded in gloom, rain falling in a mist. Suddenly, bold letters appeared across the screen.
“Swordmaster’s Tale: The Sorrow of the Blade”
The more Aoki Shi looked at the girl, the more familiar she seemed. He stood rooted to the spot, watching the ad play on repeat, until a spark of realization struck—he’d seen this character before.
Wasn’t there a figure of a black-clad girl on Saeko Busujima’s desk at home? Only, the figurine was even more beautiful and spirited than the actress in the trailer, which was probably why Aoki Shi hadn’t recognized her at first.
Saeko Busujima...
He thought of his tattered school uniform lying at home, every stitch carefully mended by Saeko’s hand. A bitter smile crept across his lips. “I still owe her a favor...”
After much hesitation, Aoki Shi made up his mind. “When practice starts on Monday, I’ll ask her directly. If she really likes that character, then I’ll treat her to a meal and take her to the movie, and call it even.”
By then, he’d probably have reached Kendo Level Four.
After that, he’d give up kendo and devote his time to medical studies, keeping his distance from her.
Aoki Shi’s eyes fell, his hands shoved in his pockets, as he kicked a pebble that, for some reason, annoyed him greatly.
The biggest difference between Saeko Busujima and Kokomi Teruhashi, in his eyes, was that even knowing Kokomi seemed to have some feelings for him, he remained indifferent. Kokomi wasn’t his type, so he never wasted any thought on her.
But Saeko was different. She was gentle, mature, gracious, and independent—qualities Aoki Shi had always admired. She was beautiful, too...
He was genuinely worried that if he got too close to her, he might truly fall for her. Especially since her feelings towards him seemed more than just friendly, though he couldn’t quite tell if it was affection or not...
A little fondness wasn’t frightening—what was dangerous was mutual fondness. That could only lead to trouble.
Until he fulfilled his promise to the gods, Aoki Shi truly didn’t want to get too close to anyone—just in case he couldn’t repay what he owed.
He sighed, rubbing his shaven head, and resolved to cut things off early. Even if he really liked her, he could always pursue her after graduation!
For now, he needed to focus on his “delinquent” career—no room for unnecessary attachments.
Having made up his mind, Aoki Shi felt a twinge of loss, but also a newfound lightness.
If he worked harder, maybe he could reach the peak of this career early and retire ahead of schedule. With the system’s help, one year of hard training should be enough to make him invincible among all the high schools in Japan!
Turning into the supermarket, Aoki Shi began picking through vegetables, pondering what to make for Sora’s lunch. Just then, his phone rang unexpectedly.
“Sora?” Aoki Shi answered, an involuntary smile tugging at his lips.
“Shi... I’m hungry...” Sora’s clear voice, tinged with a hint of childish pleading, made Aoki Shi chuckle.
“I know, I know. What do you want for lunch? I’m shopping for groceries right now.” He eyed the discount section, surrounded by a formidable battalion of elderly ladies, and rolled his shoulders in preparation.
Sora seemed to hesitate at the other end of the line. After a long pause, she replied, “Anything you make... is fine.”
“All right, then sukiyaki it is!” Aoki Shi spotted the sign for half-price premium beef in the discount section and drew a deep breath.
“Mm...” Sora’s voice was shy. “Come home soon.”
Aoki Shi narrowed his eyes, watching the group of elderly ladies stuffing premium beef into their baskets with fierce determination. Nervously, he licked his lips. “Okay! Give me ten minutes! If you’re really hungry, have a chocolate bar from the fridge. I bought a few boxes just this morning—eat a couple to tide you over.”
“Okay!” Sora replied, delighted.
Aoki Shi hung up, pocketed his phone, and slapped his cheeks to make himself look more menacing. He strode toward the crowd.
“Ma’am! Ma’am, let me through! Hey, save a few packs for me!”
With a fiendish expression, Aoki Shi forced his way through the wall of elderly shoppers and charged straight for the discounted beef.
“You scared me half to death!”
“Slow down, kid!”
“So scary...”
“Take the beef, just don’t glare at me... I—I’m scared!”
Aoki Shi stuffed all the remaining premium beef he could grab into his basket, the surrounding ladies glaring but not daring to protest.
Just as he reached for the final pack, a broad hand slapped down on the other side. The two of them strained against each other, locked in a silent standoff.
Aoki Shi looked up, his expression fierce as he glared at his opponent: a short, scruffy man with shoulder-length hair, ruggedly handsome but unshaven and a bit unkempt, who met his gaze without fear.
“Mister, would you kindly move your hand?” Aoki Shi’s tone was icy.
The man’s forehead bulged with veins. He jabbed a finger at his own black school uniform, his voice bristling with anger. “Hey, can’t you see I’m still a high schooler, baldy?”
Veins bulged on Aoki Shi’s forehead as well. The two nearly butted heads, both wearing fierce scowls. “I’m not bald, I have a shaved head! Old man!”