Saeko hadn't planned to visit the dojo. She hadn't even glanced at the list since getting it a month ago. Yet here she was. Not because of Sota, of course. She was here because he was right about one thing: She really was in dire need of releasing her suppressed tension.
Luckily, Sota wouldn't be here this time—she knew that for a fact. That's what finally pushed her to make the decision to come.
Turning a corner, she almost ran straight into one of Sota's bandmates —Tatsuya, if she remembered correctly.
He strolled toward her with two women clinging to him on both sides, their laughter loud and overly sweet. Oddly enough, he looked more annoyed than entertained.
"Oh, it's you," he said, recognizing her instantly. "Sota's on the other side of the building," he said, tugging his arms free from the women and gestured vaguely.
"Really?" Saeko blinked, caught off guard. But how?
"You know what, I'll show you," Tatsuya offered, already stepping forward.
"No need for that," she answered hastily. A sudden urge to leave bubbled up within her. Maybe it was a bad idea coming here after all.
"There is," he said with a snort, as if seeing straight through her. "You might escape otherwise."
Without waiting for her permission, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her along, leaving the two women behind.
"You just wanted to ditch them, didn't you?" she accused, glaring up at him. It seems like not everyone in the band is much of a playboy as Sota.
"Busted," he admitted with a laugh. "But trust me, listening to Sota whine if he found out you were here and he missed it would be way worse." He didn't seem like the type to get worked up on some random woman. He could have anyone he wanted.
"Isn't he supposed to be in Europe?" The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
After all, hadn't he just posted a cliff-climbing video tagged in some European location barely two hours ago? It made me believe he surely couldn't be here now.
Tatsuya smirked, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Wow, for someone who's not interested, you're keeping very close tabs on him."
"It's not like that..." she protested, horrified. I am really not! The truth was, ever since that colleague forced her onto social media, Sota's posts had been unavoidable. "It's just... His reels seem to pop up first every time I open the app. Not that I wanted them to."
Tatsuya chuckled. "Ever heard of algorithms?"
She looked at him puzzled. What is he implying?
"I only have just made an account," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Sensing her frustration, he backed off, shrugging.
"Anyway, he doesn't post in real-time," he explained. "Sota only uploads stuff after he's already left, so he can't be tracked."
"That's… strange."
"He calls it being cautious. We call it paranoid," Tatsuya replied, smirking.
Who exactly was Sota worried about finding him?
Before she could dwell on it, Tatsuya tapped her shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts.
"Have fun, see ya," he said, disappearing before she could respond.
"Hey, wait, where…" she called after him, but then she suddenly recognized that peculiar feeling, as if Sota were gazing her.
"There he is…" she sighed, spotting him leaning against the wall in a white uniform with a smug smile on his face. His hair was just long enough to tie most of it up in a bun, keeping it out of his way during the tournament.
People were gathering around her to watch the performance. Sota was the last to go, probably saving the biggest star for last. He was about to showcase the so-called solo bo staff routine. She'd already seen a few reels of it, but seeing it up close was a whole different experience. He swung the staff with such speed and precision that she could hardly follow his movements.
His body moved as if on instinct, perfectly attuned to the weapon. The staff danced in his hands, swinging around his neck, over his arms, and spinning with natural ease. Saeko was mesmerized. It was as though the staff was a part of him.
When he threw the staff into the air and caught it on the back of his neck, letting it spin around, Saeko almost cried out in shock. She couldn't tear her eyes away, letting herself become completely absorbed in the stunning display.
Throughout the entire performance, his face remained at ease yet intensely focused. She had never seen him like this before—without any masks, without any pretence. He was entirely himself, raw and unfiltered, and it left her captivated.
As soon as he finished, his characteristic smile returned, slipping onto his face like some inevitable accessory.
The performances were followed by martial arts combat matches, some of which he participated in as well.
He performed admirably, winning most of his bouts. But then came the final match, where an unfortunate strike to his chest knocked him to the floor, leaving him lie there pitifully. It was an unexpected and strangely disturbing sight. And that was when they announced a fifteen-minutes break.
"Damn," Sota muttered in frustration. Just when I really wanted to impress someone for a change. He got himself up and went outside the ring. To his surprise he found a rather agitated Saeko rushing to him.
"How can you be that reckless? You got hit exactly where you have your wound, what if it reopened" she said frantically, pulling his uniform open to examine his wound without thinking. Her fingers wandering around his chest.
It was so unexpected, that even Sota was left speechless at first.
"You are lucky, it seems okay, and it healed nicely," she said, her words slowing down as it started dawning on her how brazen and inappropriate she was.
"If you want to touch my body that badly, you should just say so," Sota said, his teasing tone returning as he regained his usual laid-back attitude. Saeko turned beet red, flustered and avoiding his gaze.
"It's not like that," she stammered, trying to brush it off.
"Is that his girlfriend?" one of the women gossiped.
The others eyed her with suspicion. "She's got some nerve, throwing herself at him like that," they murmured in hushed voices, their words only adding to Saeko's embarrassment.
Sota, sensing her discomfort, turned toward the women, his voice suddenly dripping with charm.
"If you're that curious about my love life, why not just ask me? Don't be shy, ladies. I've got a soft spot for women who know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it," The women's focus snapped to him, leaving Saeko to blend into the background.
A sense of relief washed over her. Whether Sota did it on purpose or not, it definitely eased her mind.
„Ms. Kobayashi! Good to see you here," someone greeted her. She squinted, but couldn't quite figure out who he was.
"I'm Tanaka. Don't you recognize me?" he asked, laughing. Saeko's eyes widened in surprise
"Wow, you have changed…." she blurted out, amazed.
"Yeah, it's all thanks to Sota. He kept his word and has been training me regularly in so many ways. Can you see how much weight I've lost?" Not only had he been slimmer, but his whole presence had changed. He now radiated confidence and strength, a complete transformation from before.
How could someone change so much in just a month? Saeko wondered.
"I'm glad you found your purpose," Saeko said, offering him a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, I want to be like him," he said with bright, eager eyes. Saeko rolled her eyes at that.
But as her thoughts swirled, she couldn't help but think, I didn't expect him to take on so much responsibility. I thought it was just a stunt, a way to show off when he climbed the building. Did I misjudge him this much?
Then the announcer's voice cut through the air, drawing the attention away from them.
"And now there is an opportunity for our newcomers to try out the martial arts themselves. Those interested can select an instructor from the dojo's members," she unconsciously perked up at the idea of trying it.
People were gathering around, targeting some of the practitioners. Of course, most of them were waiting for Sota's attention.
"Excuse me," one of them said.
"Can you show me how this works?" they asked.
"Can I be next?"
Saeko, suppressing her discomfort, stepped confidently into the circle, directly facing Sota, drawing everyone's gaze. She endured the spotlight with surprising grace. I'm not here to let this opportunity slip away.
"Sorry, I'm afraid he's already taken," Saeko said firmly, looping her arm around his and pulling him aside, earning sharp glares from the crowd.
Sota whistled in appreciation. "Who could say not to hat?"
"Don't get too full of yourself. I'm here to blow off some steam, as you would say, not to waste time on the basics again. I need someone who can challenge me."
And seemingly you are the best choice for that.
"Sounds like we're about to have some fun, then," he added with his grin widening.
He was surprisingly enjoyable to practice with. He didn't bore her with too many instructions, only offering them when necessary. With perfect ease, he adapted to Saeko's needs. He was neither too easy, nor too difficult as an opponent. And even though they got into close physical contact, he never seemed to take it frivolously or take advantage of it. He appeared to take his passion seriously.
Quite an interesting man.
"Hey, you seem… in a surprisingly good mood?" Saeko's brother remarked, noticing an almost dreamy smile on her face—a rare sight—as she absentmindedly twirled her braided hair.
Saeko shrugged. "Went out, blew off some steam. I guess… I had some… fun," she murmured, still half-lost in her thoughts.
"You? Fun? Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" Jiro teased, pulling her back to reality.
She chuckled softly at his words, and Jiro blinked in disbelief. My sister, laughing?
"Don't push it. I'm still me—the same old, insufferable hag," she said, her voice laced with self-sarcasm.
It was refreshing to banter like this. When did we lose our spark and turn into nothing but constant, bitter arguments?
"Look… about what I said this morning," Jiro began, hesitating. His words replayed in his head: 'Stop pretending you're my mother.'
"I'm sorry. I was out of line. It wasn't fair." He paused, the rest of his thoughts lingering unspoken: You're just trying to make the best of this mess we're stuck in.
"You weren't entirely wrong, though," Saeko admitted, her tone softening. "I know I can be a real pain. I shouldn't have dumped all my frustration on you. I'm working on finding a better way to handle it all," she smiled reassuringly.
Jiro hesitated. Even though I'm 14, you still treat me like a kid… Why can't you trust me with more?"
He knew his sister wouldn't let him take on more, trying to protect him.
But I can't just watch you sacrifice yourself for us. I'll find a way to help—whether you like it or not.