Alan stared at the tears on her face.

Why did every girl he met end up crying?

A headache throbbed at his temples, but suddenly, he understood why Makoto had begged him to come.

No one knew better than him how terrifying Nino was with a bamboo sword.

If she wanted to, there was probably no one in the entire kendo club who could stop her.

All this, just to see him.

But then, more questions surfaced.

Why was she here?

How did she know he was at H School?

What exactly did she want today?

Alan reached out and wiped away her tears, his voice low.

"Nino... why are you here?"

Nino paused, then suddenly grabbed his hand tightly.

Her clear eyes blinked up at him.

"Because I wanted to see Alan, so I came."

"...."

Alan opened his mouth, then tried to pull his hand away.

It didn’t budge.

It was like his wrist was caught in a hydraulic press. It even hurt a little.

Helpless, he asked,

"I mean... why are you in Tokyo? Aren’t you supposed to be studying in Kyoto?"

Nino thought for a moment. Her eyes darted, then lit up.

"Because Alan is in Tokyo. So I’m in Tokyo."

"...."

What a fool.

Alan almost laughed.

Just as he was about to ask what she planned to do next, Makoto came out of the changing room and nudged his shoulder.

"Alan, why are you just standing by the—"

Then Makoto noticed Nino holding Alan’s hand.

He froze.

Understanding dawned, and he smirked knowingly, clearing his throat.

"Uh... maybe you two should finish this first?"

"Everyone’s waiting."

Alan glanced at him, then tried again to pull his hand free.

"Nino. Let go."

"If I let go, won’t you run away?"

"Where would I even run to?"

"Oh."

She said that, but didn’t loosen her grip.

Alan sighed deeply and turned to Makoto.

"I’m not fighting. I forfeit."

Fight Nino Kitagawa?

What a joke.

Winning or losing didn’t matter. Even if he went all out, he’d never satisfy her.

Back in middle school, he couldn’t last more than a few exchanges with her.

Now?

The result was obvious.

Makoto stared at him, stunned.

"Huh? Forfeit? I thought this was just one of your... weird games."

What kind of game was that supposed to be?

Before Alan could explain that there was absolutely nothing romantic going on, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Miyuki ran up to them.

"Nino? What are you doing here?"

Then she noticed their clasped hands and frowned.

"What’s going on? Why aren’t you on the stage yet?"

Before Alan could speak, Makoto chimed in awkwardly.

"Uh... Alan’s planning to forfeit."

"Huh? Forfeit? Why? Didn’t you already agree?"

Makoto shrugged helplessly.

"I only said I’d bring Alan. I never said I could force him to fight. And even if he goes on stage, forfeiting leads to the same result, right?"

Miyuki opened her mouth, then closed it again.

After a moment, she turned toward Nino.

"Nino, you—"

"Alan... are you going to reject me again?"

Nino suddenly released his hand and stepped forward. Her clear eyes stared straight into his.

Her voice was soft.

"I spent my birthday alone the year before last... and the year before that... and this year too."

"The wishes I made never came true."

"So... just think of this as one request for a lifetime."

"...Is that okay, Alan?

***

Alan stood on the floor gripping his bamboo sword with both hands, waiting for Nino Kitagawa to finish fastening her headgear. His mind was still wondering what exactly she was up to.

Earlier, he had refused because, on one hand, he knew the gap between him and Nino was just too big—there was no need to compare. On the other hand, he had brought Nozomi Sakura along today and didn’t want her to know too much about his past.

Of course, he didn’t care about others’ opinions. After all, he rarely put effort into socializing in the club; he was just an acquaintance to these people. Even if he got beaten badly, he didn’t care what they thought of him. After all, anyone stepping onto this floor would have their bamboo sword leave them questioning their life.

But since she had said something like "a lifetime request," it was really hard to refuse. In his memory, Nino rarely ever asked him for anything. Even on birthdays, she never made any requests, and gifts were out of the question.

The bracelet and wooden sword he gave her were treasured beyond measure; she’d hold the wooden sword and smile foolishly all day long. But if you asked what he gave her the most, it was shoes. Her athletic talent was incredible—when she trained, she could run from morning till night.

What was most important was the force she put on the ground when running. If the shoes weren’t good quality, the soles would fall off after just a day or two.

Her biggest hobbies were eating and sleeping; she had almost no other desires. Besides being a bit clingy, she was easy to take care of.

On the contrary, she never refused any of his requests. He told her to practice kendo properly, and she stuck to it daily, rain or shine, never slacking off. He told her to study seriously, and she could stare at test papers all day, eyes reddening.

Of course, even so, she rarely got many answers right. It was as if God opened the window and then promptly closed the door.

In short, no matter what he asked her to do, Nino Kitagawa would give two hundred percent effort and fight hard. Even if she was bad at it and clumsy, she’d never refuse.

No one worked harder than her.

Alan still believed that having someone as pure as her in this world was a blessing.

Simple and adorable.

It had been a long time since they last met. Memories flooded back, and Alan felt a wave of emotion. He believed that if they met in another place, it would be much more pleasant.

But he was also confused, why was Nino, such a pure person, acting so stubborn today? Did she want to beat him up? They had been broken up for over three years. That didn’t seem like something she would do...

Just then, Nino Kitagawa finished putting on her gear and stood opposite him.

Here she comes.

Alan put away his thoughts.

Even though Nino was a head shorter than him, just standing in front of her and witnessing her terrifying skill made him feel a crushing pressure wash over him like a tidal wave.

"Hu..." Alan took a deep breath.

Following protocol, they bowed to each other, then tightly gripped their bamboo swords.

"Beep!"

The whistle blew. His muscles tensed as he kept his eyes on her feet and the movements of her hands.

Even if he couldn’t win, he would at least give it his all.

Swoosh!

The moment Nino Kitagawa moved, a gust of wind rushed toward him.

Alan’s heart sank, and he quickly raised his bamboo sword to block her strike.

However, when Nino was just a step away, her footsteps suddenly faltered.

Then Alam felt his bamboo sword lightly tapped.

????

Instead of the expected fierce attack, nothing came.

Alan was stunned.

What was this new sword technique? He didn’t remember this in the kendo style he had exchanged for her.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, he suddenly felt a weight on him.

He realized the girl had pounced on him, her bamboo sword resting on his arm.

"...?"

Makoto, standing nearby as the referee, widened his eyes, unsure whether to raise the white flag or the red flag. (In kendo, each side’s headgear is adorned with either red or white cloth strips to help the referee decide who scores first.)

"Uh? Alan, are we part of your little play here too?" he thought.

The entire dojo fell silent for two seconds before a murmur of discussion rose.

Alan’s eyelids twitched as he reached out and pushed the girl in front of him, whispering, "Nino, what are you doing?"

"My foot slipped."

"......"

Alan opened his mouth but felt Nino’s excuse was too lame. He urged, "Get up quickly."

"I can’t get up..."

Nino said, rubbing against him and taking a deep breath.

Noticing her movement, Alan felt a pang in his heart and spoke sternly, "If you don’t get up, I’m leaving now."

"Tehee~"

That seemed to work. Nino nodded slightly, then steadied herself and took two steps back.

"Beep!"

Makoto seemed to be enjoying the show, deliberately waiting for Nino to get up before blowing the whistle.

Alan glared at him fiercely through his mask.

He really didn’t know if this guy had any referee ethics at all. A complete failure! Dishonoring the spirit of kendo!

"White side foul, prepare for the second round."

With Makoto’s declaration, they returned to their positions.

"Beep!"

As the whistle blew again, Nino dashed toward Alan like a shooting star.

This time, Alan was on guard and quickly stepped aside, thrusting his bamboo sword at Nino’s throat.

"Pop!"

Nino’s bamboo sword slid off his blade tip, and she pressed down hard with her palm, deflecting Alan’s sword.

As he tried to adjust his stance, the girl flicked his bamboo sword with a backhand and pressed close.

Again?!

Alan was stunned. Just as he wanted to turn and dodge, the girl had already slipped into his arms...

...

The crowd below erupted in chaos, the noisy chatter rising and falling.

"What are they doing? Even if they’re throwing the match, can’t it be this obvious? What kind of play is this?"

"This is clearly throwing!."

"Did they switch players? Is that still the same monster from before?"

"What are they doing? What in the heck is Alan doing?"

"..."

Miyuki’s mouth dropped open, disbelief written all over her face.

She felt like the sky was falling.

Nino, what on earth are you doing? Is this your real purpose?

She had guessed that Nino Kitagawa liked this guy called Alan, but she never expected her to do something like this...