13 Kendo Club

"Where is Masaki? How come I don't see him?" Keisuke Hojo scanned the area and asked Michitaka Sugawara.

"The Vice-Leader is preparing the motorcycle he's gifting you; he will be here shortly."

Sugawara replied respectfully. Since Masaki remained with the Bosozoku Angels, he had accepted this Second Generation leader who could take on the entire gang single-handedly and subsequently take down the Amime-Aiju gang.

"Oh, I see. Then I'll go train for now."

Keisuke responded casually. He didn't know much about motorcycles and was unaware of the difficulty the delinquents had faced in procuring a high-quality bike for him.

"Um, Leader, could you please instruct the club members in Kendo?" Sugawara asked in a low voice. After all, they were a Kendo club, and aside from using their skills for fighting, a large portion of them viewed Kendo as a serious pursuit.

The grandeur of high school clubs in Japan is hard for people from other countries to imagine. Take Kendo, for example: winning the All-Japan Inter-High Kendo Championship brings immense benefits, whether one chooses to pursue a career as a professional athlete or advance their education. Furthermore, tournaments like the Tamaryu-ki and various others offer not only generous prize money but also significant advantages for the students' future lives.

If such a relatively niche sport as Kendo is so popular, it goes without saying how intense activities like soccer, baseball, and basketball are. The attendance at a Japanese high school soccer championship final often exceeds that of some professional teams' home games.

The portrayals of Japanese high school clubs in film and television are hardly exaggerated—they have dedicated cheerleading squads, and the key members of these clubs often find their school lockers stuffed with love letters, are swarmed by reporters at tournaments, and possess massive fanbases.

If one had to draw a parallel to the Inter-High (IH), the NCAA in the "Fatherland" of Japan might be a suitable comparison. Although one is a high school athletic association and the other is collegiate, they share great similarities, which may also be linked to the fact that many in Japan choose to enter society immediately after graduating from high school.

In any case, after witnessing Keisuke Hojo’s level of Kendo, the club members were all eager to receive guidance from a true master of the Hokushin Itto-ryu style.

"Ah, that’s no problem, but I’m not really good at teaching others."

Keisuke didn't refuse. These people were his subordinates; if they grew stronger, he wouldn't have to bother saving them later, allowing him to slack off more happily.

"That’s great!"

Although he had expected the Second Generation leader to agree, Sugawara still let out a joyful shout upon hearing Keisuke’s straightforward confirmation.

Hearing his voice, the Kendo club members who had been watching from afar gathered around, looking at Keisuke with expectant eyes.

Faced with those eager gazes, Keisuke felt a bit at a loss. He truly didn't know how to teach. He was a "cheater" himself; back at the dojo, he could memorize a form after Master Yamamura Ono showed it to him once, and then rapidly improve his skills through sparring.

"Let’s do it this way: we’ll spar, and I will suppress my strength. I’ll point out the flaws in your movements, and you try to dodge my attacks."

Upon hearing this, the members immediately dispersed and sat in a circle. Sugawara was the first to step forward.

"Come on, use your full strength." Keisuke took the middle stance (Chudan-no-kamae).

Sugawara’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. He assumed the high stance (Jodan-no-kamae), let out a shout of kiai, and rushed toward Keisuke.

The moment Sugawara’s bamboo sword descended, Keisuke struck from the right, pressing Sugawara’s blade aside while stepping forward, keeping close to his body.

After they crossed paths, Keisuke smoothly retracted his sword, assumed the Yin stance (In-no-kamae)—holding the bamboo sword beside his face—and then delivered a powerful strike toward Sugawara’s abdomen.

Only after Keisuke finished this series of movements did Sugawara manage to stabilize the bamboo sword that had been pressed down, failing to even mount a defense.

Clad in a blue Kendo uniform, Keisuke looked exceptionally upright. His blocks, dodges, and strikes were devoid of any wasted motion; every action was elegant and indescribably cool.

The two bowed and stood back. Sugawara bowed to thank him, and the onlookers broke into enthusiastic applause.

"Sugawara, pay attention to 'Zanshin' (lingering mind/awareness). You..."

Keisuke then began to point out his shortcomings, followed by the next club member.

***

The harmonious Kendo practice continued until the roar of a motorcycle echoed through the air. Without anyone needing to tell him, Keisuke recognized the sound—it was the Guren ZII.

"Leader, the Vice-Leader is here."

No sooner had Sugawara spoken than the door to the Kendo hall was pushed open, and the signature hearty voice of Masaki Keisuke reached them.

"Hojo, come and take a look at your motorcycle!"

Hearing this, Keisuke didn’t even bother changing out of his Kendo uniform before rushing outside.

In the open space at the entrance of the Kendo hall, besides Masaki and his Guren ZII, a truck was parked there.

"Is it inside?" Keisuke asked, looking at the closed cargo hold of the truck.

"Yeah, it was hard to get my hands on it. It was loaded here the moment the plane landed." Masaki walked to the side of the truck and patted the cargo hold proudly.

Keisuke was surprised. He had assumed Masaki just bought something from a local shop; he hadn't expected it to be air-freighted from afar.

"Ready?" Masaki pulled hard, and the rear door of the cargo hold swung open with a bang.

A motorcycle, pitch-black from end to end, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

"Triumph Rocket 3 GT Triple Black," Masaki said quickly in English. Not to mention Keisuke, likely no one else present understood what he said.

"The Triumph Rocket 3 Black Edition, limited to two thousand units worldwide! A 2458cc three-cylinder engine, a maximum torque of 221Nm at 4,000rpm, and a peak horsepower of 167hp at 6,000rpm..."

Keisuke couldn't focus on what Masaki was saying—not that he would have understood it anyway—as his attention was entirely captured by the motorcycle.

The setting sun shone into the cargo hold, casting orange light onto the pitch-black body of the bike.

The entire vehicle was monochromatic black. Even the glass of the two frog-eye headlights had been specially treated; when the lights were off, they seemed to blend into the body, losing some of their cuteness and gaining a sense of dominance.

The exhaust pipes were matte black.

Keisuke leaped into the cargo hold and mounted the bike. His Kendo uniform was a bit inconvenient, but it didn't matter.

The dashboard was a retro design, yet the silver lines gave it a touch of high-tech flair.

The seat was low and wide; Keisuke’s feet could touch the ground perfectly, and the rear seat even came with a small backrest.

Excellent. Now he could carry a girl on it.

"Hey, Masaki, how do I get this thing down?" Keisuke shouted toward the outside of the cargo hold.

"Just put the kickstand up and ride it down."

"But I’ve never ridden a motorcycle this big before."

Keisuke had gone to get his motorcycle license as soon as he reached the legal age last vacation.

"It’s fine, it’s just like any other bike. Besides, this is your bike. Are you really going to let someone else have its first ride?" Masaki had already called over a few subordinates to set up the loading ramp.

"I’ll do it myself, then." Keisuke gripped the handlebars with both hands and looked into the rearview mirror.

Catching the sunset, he clearly saw his own face. He thought to himself:

*I’ll take Sakura out for a ride on this this weekend.*

"Ready? I’m going to release the tie-downs."

Masaki walked up to the motorcycle and reached out a hand to steady it for Keisuke.

Giving an OK sign, Keisuke focused on controlling the bike. Even though it was a behemoth, his current superhuman physique allowed him to handle it with ease.

Perhaps fearing that Keisuke’s skills weren't up to par, Masaki had made the ramp connecting the cargo hold to the ground wide and long. No wonder he was confident in letting a novice like Keisuke ride it down himself.

Keisuke gave the throttle a gentle twist, and a deafening roar echoed through the entire cargo hold. He was left slightly dazed by the vibration.

"Hahaha! This guy is at the absolute top of the exhaust displacement hierarchy. It makes a beautiful sound without even needing an aftermarket exhaust!"

Seeing Keisuke’s reaction, Masaki laughed heartily.

Then, Keisuke steadily rode the bike down from the cargo hold.

"This thing doesn't look cheap, does it?"

Keisuke hadn't expected to receive such a valuable gift. He recalled his own assets and realized, oh no, even if he used all his scholarships, it wouldn't be enough. Should he ask his dad to sell a cow to return the favor?

"Hahaha, don’t worry about the details. As long as the Bosozoku Angels can become better under your leadership, let alone a motorcycle, I’d give you whatever you wanted," Masaki said generously.

"Leader, Masaki-aniki’s family owns the largest motorcycle dealership in Tokyo. He doesn't care about this little bit of money. Most of the bikes in our group were sold to the members by Masaki-aniki at cost," Sugawara added from the side.

"Fine then, I won't be polite about it. Thanks, Masaki."

Ever since the identity of the Second Generation was confirmed, Masaki had insisted that Keisuke stop calling him "Senpai" and just call him "Masaki."

Although he accepted the gift, Keisuke still thought about finding a way to make money later to return a gift of equal value to Masaki. He couldn't bring himself to be that thick-skinned.

Before he could admire it for much longer, Masaki urged him to go change. His Tokkō-fuku (special attack uniform) was ready as well.

It was identical to Masaki’s, which seemed to be the exclusive version for the leader. It was a long-sleeved coat with long tails, featuring the gold characters "Bosozoku Angels Second Generation Headquarters Leader" and "Keisuke Hojo."

However, there weren't a bunch of founders' names written underneath; it remained blank. In fact, the moment Keisuke saw that blank space, he felt a strong urge to write the names of Sakura Yamauchi, Shoko Nishimiya, and Naoka Ueno on it.

Just as Masaki had written down the partners who founded the Bosozoku Angels with him, those girls were also his, Keisuke Hojo’s, wings!

Based on this thought, Keisuke had already taken the time while at the Kendo club to message the three girls. He told them he would be officially taking over the Bosozoku Angels at the Nezu Shrine tonight and asked if they wanted to come watch the ceremony.

Keisuke had checked with Sugawara if this was against the rules. Sugawara told him directly that he was the leader and could do whatever he wanted; they were delinquents, after all, so there were no taboos.

Sakura Yamauchi immediately sent a long string of voice messages, excitedly shouting that she would definitely come. She even asked if she should wear a kimono or something, as if she were the one becoming the leader.

Shoko asked cautiously if being a delinquent was dangerous.

Keisuke thought that if he said it was dangerous, Shoko would probably come to take him away, looking terrified but trying her best to muster the courage. Just like in elementary school, standing in front of him to block all the danger.

*Ah, how cute. I have to kiss her later!* Keisuke thought to himself.

Naoka Ueno reacted the same way as Sakura. Upon hearing that Keisuke now had a motorcycle, she immediately claimed to be the first one to go for a ride with him tonight.