My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Fukuzawa Fuyumi had her protective gear already in the club, so she went to get it. Kitahara Hideji borrowed the set that the swordsmanship teacher had brought for demonstration and quickly changed on the sidelines. However, he didn’t pay much attention during the class and found the process of tying the headband quite annoying. He turned back and called out softly, “Rei, help me with the protective gear.”

“Sure!” Shima Rei stepped forward and skillfully tied the knots, neatly folding the headband into a cap-like shape. He exuded a sense of elegance and composure, which accentuated Kitahara Hideji’s commanding presence as he sat still.

Shima Rei was quite adept at handling the protective gear. He quickly placed the headband cap on Kitahara Hideji’s head and whispered in complaint, “Why did you agree to her, Kitahara-kun? It’s too reckless.”

Kitahara Hideji chuckled and replied softly, “It was bound to happen sooner or later… By the way, why the need to cover the head? Worried about sweating?”

Shima Rei thought Kitahara Hideji was asking a pointless question and grew even more anxious. He didn’t believe Kitahara Hideji could defeat Fukuzawa Fuyumi, despite his height advantage over her. Moreover, it wasn’t a secluded corner of the club; the outcome of the match would be witnessed by nearly a hundred people.

Losing in front of so many would surely be a blow to Kitahara Hideji’s reputation. Just imagine the rumors spreading across the whole school – a male student, Kitahara Hideji, defeated by a tiny girl like Fukuzawa Fuyumi, left kneeling like a beaten dog. It would be a pitiful spectacle indeed!

Shima Rei tried to dissuade Kitahara Hideji, hurriedly saying, “Mainly, it’s to reduce the impact on the head when the face mask is hit. Of course, it also prevents the face mask from damaging the hair and serves as a sweat-absorber… How about letting me handle this instead, Kitahara-kun?”

Kitahara Hideji looked at him and asked with a smile, “Can you win?”

Shima Rei lowered his head. He couldn’t win. Fukuzawa Fuyumi was indeed quite strong among high school students. Even in the club’s practice sessions against her, he couldn’t match her strength. Secretly, he admired her skill. In the changing room, his intention was to help Kitahara Hideji and Fukuzawa Fuyumi resolve their differences, to maintain peace among club members.

That was his thought.

Kitahara Hideji patted his shoulder and said, “Let me handle it. After all, it’s my issue… Fukuzawa is provoking me, and I have an obligation to show her that there will always be someone better than her. Otherwise, she might end up breaking her neck one day from constantly looking up at the sky.”

He said humorously, causing Shima Rei to almost laugh out loud, but his concern quickly took over again. He pondered how to help Kitahara Hideji save face in this situation. Meanwhile, Uchida Yuma approached them with excitement and said, “Alright, I’ve arranged a few acquaintances to sign up as referees. No matter who gets selected, they will favor us and blow the whistle against that little brat to ensure her defeat!”

Kitahara Hideji looked at him and sighed, “No need for that. With over eighty people here, someone will surely be impartial. It would be even more embarrassing if they cheated for me.”

He realized that, despite Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s strange antagonism, at least she challenged him openly, wanting a fair one-on-one contest. On the other hand, Uchida Yuma’s sneaky plan seemed more despicable. Kitahara Hideji thought to himself, “You might have a bright future as a scheming villain.”

Uchida Yuma was determined to continue with his plan, but Fukuzawa Fuyumi had already returned to the arena, wearing her protective gear. She knelt down and skillfully tied the headscarf around her face, leaving only her sparkling crescent eyes visible. She looked both serious and proud, with her mouth tightly pursed into a line and two shallow dimples on her cheeks. She spoke softly but firmly, “I’m ready.”

Kitahara Hideji put on the hand guard, getting accustomed to wielding the bamboo sword, and replied, “I’m ready too.”

Their gazes met across the arena, both looking at each other like hunters eyeing their prey. “Today, I’ll make you pay, little radish (pretty boy)!”

The swordsmanship teacher had brought the referee flags. He was fair, choosing one representative from each class (A, B, and C) to act as referees. Uchida Yuma’s plan to stack the referees in their favor fell apart halfway when Kitahara Hideji was chosen as one of the referees. However, Uchida Yuma managed to secure the other referee spot, keeping the plan somewhat alive.

A kendo match requires three referees, each positioned at different angles to observe the participants’ actions. Each referee holds a red flag and a white flag. If two referees signal a valid strike from one side, the team earns a point. The first team to earn two points wins.

Kitahara Hideji had a red cloth tied on his back, while Fukuzawa Fuyumi had a white cloth. They both put on their face masks and stood at the starting line, ready to begin.

The students watching the match were becoming more interested in the spectacle. This was far more entertaining than just swinging swords around. Some of the female students even cheered Kitahara Hideji on, making the atmosphere lively. Fukuzawa Fuyumi was annoyed by the lack of silence from the spectators and the fact that someone dared to cheer for Kitahara Hideji. However, with so many people present, she couldn’t keep track of everyone, so she decided to let it go.

Kitahara Hideji observed Fukuzawa Fuyumi through the gaps in his face mask. Despite wearing protective gear, she still appeared delicate and petite. He noticed a black cloth tied around her waist with the words “大福” (Daifu) written in white. Perhaps it was a nameplate for future competitions. This time, she wasn’t wearing a long dress that swept the floor, revealing her small white feet.

“Salute!”

“Ready!”

The temporary referees were students who believed they had some understanding of kendo. They issued commands crisply and precisely. Meanwhile, the kendo teacher stayed outside the arena, preparing to guide the students on how to observe and appreciate the kendo match.

However, just as the match was about to start, the kendo teacher was called away by a school staff member. The teacher apologized to the students and left to attend to the matter.

Kitahara Hideji crouched with his sword, facing Fukuzawa Fuyumi on the other side. He took a breath of air tinged with the metallic and leather scent inside the face mask. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel nervous at all. In the past, Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s fierce attacks had left a deep impression on him, but facing her in person now, he didn’t sense any pressure.

In fact, he even felt that she wasn’t as strong as he had imagined. She seemed somewhat weak!

Fukuzawa Fuyumi maintained her prepared stance, looking at Kitahara Hideji. She spoke out loud, revealing her grievances, but also offering a way out. She blamed him for causing her stress and stomach aches every night. She wanted to vent her frustration on him, and then consider the matter settled. She asked, “Pretty boy, do you know why I’m angry? It’s because of you. Do you know how painful it is for me every night? However, I’m not unreasonable. If you let me beat you up to vent my anger, I’ll give you some face, and we can call it even. How about that?”

Kitahara Hideji firmly rejected her proposal, saying, “No way!”

Who did she think she was? Why should he indulge her and let her take her frustrations out on him? Just because she had stomachaches, why should he be treated like medicine?

Fukuzawa Fuyumi’s expression turned even uglier as she retorted, “You’ll regret this! Get ready to lose face!”

“If you have the guts, come and get me!” Kitahara Hideji stood his ground.

Even before their swords clashed, they were already engaged in a war of words. The two temporary referees, except for Uchida Yuma, were stunned. This didn’t look like a practice match at all, nor did it seem like they were teammates. Did they have some kind of grudge against each other?

With the kendo teacher absent and Kitahara Hideji daring to talk back, Fukuzawa Fuyumi became even more impatient. She thought, “I offered to beat you up a bit and let you off, but you insist on courting humiliation. You don’t know what’s good for you!”

She gave a firm command, “Let the match begin!”

Uchida Yuma mocked, “You say it starts, and it starts? Dream on! Stay put!”

Kitahara Hideji remained composed and said, “Uchida, let’s start the match!”

“Oh? Alright!” Uchida Yuma, despite his flaws, was still good to his friends. He didn’t think much about Kitahara Hideji’s request to start the match and shouted, “Begin!”

Fukuzawa Fuyumi swiftly rose and lunged forward in 0.15 seconds, showcasing her lightning-fast reflexes. She roared, “Pretty boy, die! On your face!”

Her Shinai swung straight towards Kitahara Hideji’s head, a standard hit.