Searching · Going Home (Continued)

Without turning his head, he simply raised the hand that had been resting on the table, brought his index and middle fingers together, and tapped them lightly twice in the direction behind him, indicating "wait a moment."

Kiryuin Fuuka nodded silently, closed the wooden door, leaned against the cool wall, and took out her phone to casually browse news and play games to pass the time.

Occasionally, team members would pass by in the corridor and, seeing her leaning against the wall, would cast curious or knowing glances, but no one dared to approach and disturb her.

Time ticked by, and the wall clock struck 4:30. The continuous phone call inside the door finally came to an end.

A moment later, the room was filled with the rustling of fabric, followed by the sound of slightly stiff bones moving.

Clearly, my legs went numb from sitting cross-legged for too long.

Then, with a whoosh, the wooden door was pulled open again.

Miyajima Hayata's tall figure appeared at the doorway.

He rubbed his slightly sore shoulders, looked at Kiryuin Fuuka outside the door, and spoke calmly.

"Kiryuin, is there something you need?"

Kiryuin Fuuka put away her phone and got straight to the point.

"Miyajima-senpai, where is Tanaka? I've searched from the first floor to the second floor, and looked all over the dojo and garden, but I haven't seen a single person."

Her eyes were filled with confusion and a hint of aroused curiosity.

Miyajima Hayata seemed to have anticipated her question, showing no surprise on his face, and uttered three words succinctly.

"I'm home."

"Home?" Kiryuin Fuuka was taken aback. "His home is in Fukuoka?"

In her memory, Tanaka Yukishin was from Tokyo Metropolis.

"No," Miyajima Hayata shook his head, leaning against the doorframe, "Tokyo."

"Tokyo?!"

Kiryuin Fuuka's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, sounding somewhat abrupt in the quiet corridor. There seemed to be a soft sound of a door opening in the next room, then quickly closing again.

She realized she had misbehaved and lowered her voice, but the disbelief in her tone was even stronger.

"If I remember correctly, the Kendo Club's ranking this year is second-class. This means we have the freedom to make phone calls, but our personal freedom is strictly limited; we are absolutely not allowed to leave the team or go out without permission!"

Having already spent two years in Advanced Nurturing, she was very familiar with this strict ranking system.

The Kendo Club's ceiling is fixed; unless they manage to win a world-class tournament this year, there's absolutely no chance they'll be promoted to "First Class," which grants them the highest level of freedom of action.

The question is, where do world-class competitions for Kendo come from?

Her mind raced, trying to find a reasonable explanation.

The school's evaluation system, known as the VIII system, divides clubs into three categories.

World-class -- First-class (highest degree of freedom)

National Level - Second Class (Moderate Freedom, Restrictions on Going Out)

Other -- Third Class (Strictly Controlled)

But no matter how I think about it, there's no way to break through the limit.

"... So, what happened?"

Kiryuin Fuuka's voice carried a definite conclusion.

It's an interrogative sentence, but it's stated in a declarative tone.

It's impossible that Miyajima Hayata didn't know the rules, so there's only one answer: a special circumstance occurred that exceeded the scope permitted by the rules.

Seeing the unusually shocked expression on his usually shrewd second-year high school classmate's face, Miyajima Hayata's lips curled into a slightly helpless yet knowing smile.

"He tried to buy access, but his offer was rejected. Then..."

He paused, seemingly recalling the Matoba and finding it somewhat absurd, "He directly told Hashimoto that if he couldn't leave the team, he would drop out of school."

...??!!!

Kiryuin Fuuka gasped sharply, her almond-shaped eyes widening and her red lips parting slightly. She remained stunned for two or three seconds before finding her voice, which carried a sense of absurdity.

"Drop out... drop out of school?! Just for this? This... isn't this too frivolous?!"

She simply couldn't understand it.

What exactly is going on in Tanaka Yukishin's head?

She subconsciously put herself in her shoes; if her old-fashioned and strict father found out about this, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Aren't you afraid of being nagged to death by your family?

Due to the inherent information gap inherent in student status, students do not have access to more core and comprehensive personal files like school administrators.

Kiryuin Fuuka, along with some of the other team members, had always assumed that Tanaka Yukishin was also from a privileged or even powerful family, just like them.

After all, Tanaka's usual nonchalant attitude, which seemed to disregard material possessions and rules, corroborated this idea.

Living environment influences one's temperament; proper upbringing influences one's physical condition.

You can't raise a true dragon by diving.

It's impossible for a child from an ordinary family to have such courage and ability to raise an emu.

It's even more impossible for them to possess such a temperament.

Miyajima Hayata noticed the shock in her eyes and nodded, confirming that her astonishment was not an illusion.

"The coach and Hashimoto took turns trying to persuade him, but he was determined and wouldn't listen to reason. Finally, Coach Takeuchi, seeing how resolute his attitude was, said a word in his defense."

"And then?" Kiryuin Fuuka asked eagerly, her body unconsciously leaning forward slightly.

"Then Hashimoto had no choice but to call the chairman of the board on the spot. What happened next was that it was approved by higher authorities."

Miyajima Hayata shrugged, lowered his voice, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"He was allowed to buy his freedom with points, supposedly because of the added value."

"Additional value?!"

These four words were like a delicate key, instantly unlocking the Pandora's box called "curiosity" in Kiryuin Fuuka's heart.

Her eyes gleamed with excitement, like a cat that had discovered a new and wonderful toy.

This is really... so interesting!

Gyokuryuki?

Impossible.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, although it has only been established for thirty years.

However, the school was originally built as a whetstone.

Therefore, it was built with investment and resources from three parties: chaebols, aristocratic families, and the government.

With the progress of the times and changes in the social environment.

As the school's internal rules gradually improved, the brutality and intensity of the competition also gradually decreased.

The transformation only began more than a decade ago.

Although it doesn't seem as sharp and prominent as before after its transformation, and is even jokingly referred to as "down on its luck" by outsiders, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

It was once very wealthy, leaving behind a very substantial legacy.

There are a large number of national-level social organizations accumulated over the years.

National championship winner, IH champion, glorious achievements at Koshien, robotics competition club...

Every year, the results of club competitions are nothing more than a rotation between "more trophies" and "fewer trophies," and between "runner-up," "third place," and "champion."

Let alone a single Gyokuryuki champion, even if Tanaka Yukishin won the Gyokuryuki individual championship for three consecutive years during her school years, becoming the legendary "Triple Crown Winner," so what?

It certainly doesn't qualify as "extra value" enough to alarm the chairman or break strict rules and regulations.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School is not one of those newly established blank schools.

In order to boost their college admission rates and various competition honors, they also spend a lot of money to recruit top students and students with special talents.

What exactly is this additional value?

Kiryuin Fuuka pressed on, her eyes sharp as knives, as if trying to dig the answer out of Miyajima Hayata's face.

Miyajima Hayata shook his head, his face filled with honest bewilderment.

"I don't know. Neither Hashimoto nor the coach went into detail, only mentioning it briefly. I'm afraid only the school's higher-ups and Tanaka himself know."

"Heh... Tanaka... the secrets he carries are really getting more and more intriguing."

Kiryuin Fuuka chuckled thoughtfully, her eyes gleaming with the light of a hunter spotting an interesting prey.

After saying that, she turned around nimbly, her hair drawing a light arc in the air.

Since we can't get any more information from Miyajima Hayata, there's no need to waste any more time.

She always acts with discretion and knows how to maintain a good pace.

Although his curiosity had been completely ignited, like a small animal restless in a cage.

But she knew that once Tanaka Yukishin returned and asked her face-to-face, she would most likely find out the truth.

In her observation, Tanaka Yukishin was not the kind of person who was deep-seated and deliberately hid secrets.

He just... doesn't seem to care much about what others think of him, or rather, his world seems to have its own unique operating logic.

Given the right opportunity, a little subtle probing might reveal some clues.

As for using family resources to "open the box" and investigate?

She's not stupid enough to do something that would offend people; she wouldn't do it.

Firstly, it's unnecessary and also lacks class.

Secondly, forced relationships are never sweet, and secrets dug out by force are less interesting.

What Kiryuin Fuuka wanted was for the other party to willingly reveal their secret in a fair and square manner; that was in line with her aesthetics.

At the same time, on the Kyushu Shinkansen.

Tanaka Yukishin sat alone by the window, the slightly cool glass pressed against his forehead.

The carriage was dimly lit, and most passengers either closed their eyes to rest or quietly looked at their phones. Only the steady, deep rumble of the train and the rhythmic clatter of the rails echoed in their ears.

Outside the window, Fukuoka had long been left behind, replaced by a flowing panorama of urban light and shadow.

His calm profile was reflected in the glass.

Having been away from home for more than three months, my homesickness had been temporarily suppressed by the familiar routine of training, the novel tasks, and the intense work. But now, on my way home, it is like thawing spring water, quietly welling up in my heart.

Tanaka Yukishin's family was not well-off.

Because the cheat was activated two years after his birth, before that, his family background was fairly standard, below middle class.

The father, Tanaka Shuichi, worked as an ordinary employee at a medium-sized company that wasn't very large but was stable.

He is the pillar of the family, working diligently every day to ensure the family's basic needs are met and to strive for a comfortable life.

The mother, Tanaka Fuko, is a typical full-time housewife who uses her gentleness and diligence to keep their small home in an orderly, warm, and comfortable manner.

Their family's financial situation is just like that of Hiroshi Nohara .

Owning a house and a car sounds respectable.

But the house has a 30-year mortgage, and the car is just a basic means of transportation. Every month, they have to carefully budget for mortgage payments, insurance, education fees, and various bills.

Life can hardly be described as frugal, but it's certainly not affluent either.

But beneath this ordinariness lies the deep affection between the parents and the harmonious and warm atmosphere of the whole family.

Although my father is busy, he always makes time for his family on weekends.

My mother is gentle and virtuous, and she always manages to make simple meals delicious and comforting.

This is a typical, everyday Japan family, full of warmth and human connection.

The subtle changes began when the cheat code within him was fully activated when he was two years old—though no one knew this secret.

Under the invisible halo of being the "Child of Destiny," like a gentle spring rain, their family's circumstances began to undergo subtle but continuous changes.

It seems that Tanaka Shuichi, the father, is having increasingly better luck at the company.