My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Time flew by, and it was already 3:40 in the afternoon. The regular classes for the day had come to an end, and students were free to do as they pleased. They could participate in club activities, work part-time jobs, attend cram schools outside of school, or even sneak home if they wanted. There were no evening self-study sessions because time was now their own. They were responsible for how they chose to spend it. The school was a place for education, not a babysitting company!

The classroom was already buzzing with activity, but Kitahara Hideji was still pondering over a math problem, biting the end of his pen. Japanese high schools were divided into science and humanities tracks, focusing on the depth of the subjects they studied. For example, in mathematics, science students needed to study Math 1, Math 1A, Math 2, Math 2A, Math 2B, and even Math 3 for students in the special advanced science track. Humanities students, on the other hand, typically studied up to Math 2.

Similarly, subjects like Japanese language and history were reversed for science and humanities students.

University admissions in Japan followed a model similar to autonomous admissions in Chinese universities. Although there was a nationwide qualification exam, it was only a prerequisite. Students still had to take individual exams set by each university, which were not standardized. The focus and depth of the exams varied, and some even required specific subject knowledge.

Starting from February each year, high school students had to participate in university admissions exams, taking exam after exam until they completed their desired universities. The admission rate for Japanese universities was around 50% if excluding junior colleges and vocational schools.

A 2:1 ratio might not seem difficult, but when it came to globally ranked prestigious universities, the odds suddenly became 500:1 or even 1700:1. It was a matter of giving it your all.

“Hey, Kitahara-kun, it’s time to go,” Shima Rei softly called out to Kitahara Hideji, standing by the door. Kitahara Hideji reluctantly glanced at the unfinished problem and began packing his exercise books into his backpack.

Japanese university admissions had various approaches, but ultimately, it was about scoring well. However, the Ministry of Education added some miscellaneous subjects that were not included in the exams, and schools had to find ways to tackle them. Alongside the core cultural subjects, they also had to rush through subjects like folk arts, home economics, and moral education. After the first year of high school, students who excelled in the core subjects and had high academic performance were selected for the special advanced science track, and then they would focus solely on striving for prestigious universities.

After understanding all of this, Kitahara Hideji felt a bit worried. In his previous life, he was already a sophomore in college and had long been free from academic pressure. To be honest, he had returned to high school, especially Japanese high school, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He was concerned that he might not perform well in the academic tests and would not be able to join the special advanced science track, which offered specialized teaching tailored to those students. The “cheat” he had brought with him was also unreliable. It was like a magical idle game, where he used a Japanese dictionary as a “cheat” to acquire the skill of “Japanese language.” However, when it came to subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and physics, the cheat was useless and had no effect.

However, it didn’t really matter. The fact that he had been given another chance at life felt like a big win already. Whether or not there were any additional benefits didn’t matter. He wasn’t afraid of hard work and intended to relearn the high school curriculum. One shouldn’t assume that a college student taking the high school entrance exam could easily get into prestigious universities like the University of Tokyo. University life was not particularly demanding, and the sense of urgency had long disappeared. Going straight to the college entrance exam as a fresh high school graduate might be a better option!

Kitahara Hideji finished packing his backpack and left the classroom, pretending not to notice the slightly resentful and embarrassed look from Takasaki Mako. He wasn’t sure if it was the influence of the in-game attribute points or if the original owner of his body was just too attractive, but he seemed to have an inexplicable run of good luck with romantic encounters. It was becoming quite troublesome and annoying for him.

As he exited the classroom, Shima Rei bowed and thanked him. At lunchtime, Shima Rei had asked him to join the kendo club as a formality and for the sake of numbers. After considering it for a moment, Kitahara Hideji felt that it wouldn’t hinder him in any way and decided to agree. Now, Shima Rei was actively taking him to join the kendo club. He took a few steps with Shima Rei and noticed that Uchida Yuma was also following them. He asked curiously, “Did Shima-kun ask you for a favor too? Aren’t you going to the baseball club?”

Uchida Yuma swung his backpack around and put on a playboy-like appearance, his eyes wandering among the girls in the corridor. He casually replied, “There’s no rule saying we can only join one club. Besides, it’s just to make up the numbers… After we’re done, how about going to karaoke? Rei, it’s your treat!”

“Thanks, but I need to go back and study.”

Kitahara Hideji declined without hesitation. He couldn’t be too polite with Uchida Yuma. This guy had incredibly thick skin and could take advantage of any opportunity given to him. He looked at Shima Rei, who was walking beside him with a somewhat “cool and stylish” demeanor, and asked curiously, “Why is Shima-kun helping the kendo club recruit new members?”

Shima Rei sighed and muttered, “There are some personal reasons… Sorry for causing trouble, Kitahara-kun.”

Kitahara Hideji didn’t hear very clearly and didn’t understand much, so he involuntarily turned his attention to “information broker” Uchida Yuma. As expected, Uchida Yuma immediately revealed the truth. “Rei’s sister is the captain of the kendo club. She probably forced him to find a certain number of people, or else she would deal with him.”

“Five,” Shima Rei sighed again, probably worried about finding the remaining three members.

“I see!” Kitahara Hideji hadn’t known Shima Rei for long and was unaware that he had a sister. He looked at the somewhat effeminate but still handsome Shima Rei and speculated that his sister was probably a beauty. However, that wasn’t his concern, so he continued to ask, “Does the school have requirements for the number of members in clubs?”

Shima Rei remained silent, and Uchida Yuma bluntly stated, “The more members a club has, the more funding they can get from the student council. For example, when participating in competitions, the funding approved for 10 members versus 5 members will definitely be different!”

“I see.” Kitahara Hideji finally understood why there were so many clubs energetically recruiting members near the bulletin board and courtyard every day, even in the scorching sun. It was all about the distribution of funds.

Shima Rei defended his sister by saying, “She asks for more funding just to ensure that club members can maintain a better condition during competitions and have more training sessions in their regular practices.”

Kitahara Hideji nodded in understanding. Competing for funding was a responsible duty of club leaders, and using some means to achieve that wasn’t wrong. He continued to ask, “Is it necessary to recruit members like this? Are there very few people joining the kendo club?”

Ignoring the fact that the kendo club’s core members were present, Uchida Yuma chuckled, “Of course there are few!” But then he became curious, “Were there many people in the kendo club at your school before?”

Kitahara Hideji quickly replied vaguely, “I didn’t pay attention, but I don’t think there were many… Since Nagoya is a big city, maybe there would be more here?”

Uchida Yuma asserted, “It will only be even fewer! Who would like to join such a smelly and dirty sport? It’s just that Rei’s sister is too domineering, and Rei has no choice but to help recruit members.”

He had a strong grudge against Shima Rei’s sister in his words, but Shima Rei turned his head to the side, pretending not to hear, and didn’t defend his sister at all, showing no sibling loyalty.

“Smelly and dirty?” Kitahara Hideji didn’t feel comfortable expressing his opinion about someone else’s family members, so he quickly shifted the topic.

“Yeah, Kitahara, just think about it! Wearing a kendo uniform and hakama in the summer—pure cotton! Wrapped in a headband—cotton fleece! Putting on a men, do, kote, and tare—resin boards and leather! And then the Senpais yelling ‘sozen’ a hundred times while swinging their shinai. The stench… even I feel like puking when I smell myself, let alone other people. It’s like hell! And all the shinai and protective gear easily get damp and grow mold, especially during the rainy season. If you’re a first-year student, you’re even more unlucky. After cleaning your own gear, you have to clean the Senpais’ gear too. Seeing green mold flying everywhere, I guarantee you won’t have an appetite for three days! And then there’s cleaning the dojo, sweltering in summer and freezing in winter. It’s all torture, just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable…”

Uchida Yuma kept rambling, expressing his resentment towards the kendo club. Finally, he said, “That kind of sport isn’t something normal people should like. Let’s just go there to sign up, fill out the forms, and leave. I was foolish in junior high, forced to practice by Rei’s sister for a year. I didn’t get relief until she graduated. We can’t make the same mistake again this time!”

Worried that Kitahara Hideji might run away, Shima Rei quickly said, “Just sign up, deal with… deal with my sister, and then we’ll leave immediately.” He bowed deeply again and apologized, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Uchida Yuma grabbed him by the neck and smirked, “Alright, I didn’t mean anything else. We’re friends, and helping each other is what friends do. No need to apologize, right, Kitahara?”

Kitahara Hideji nodded with a smile. He didn’t mind helping out with this small favor that only required a few steps. It wouldn’t take much time and wouldn’t affect his diligent study plan. Knowing that there was a specialized class in the school made his desire to study even stronger and more urgent.

Shima Rei’s face showed a slightly touched expression, but unexpectedly, he heard Uchida Yuma add, “You’ll treat us next time, and we’ll decide what to eat! No, we’ll make the choice!”

Shima Rei immediately glared at Uchida Yuma and even seemed a bit coquettish. He pushed him away forcefully and exclaimed, “I got it!”

Kitahara Hideji watched the two of them playfully interacting and thought they were… not bad! Although they were typical teenagers going through puberty, they were quite interesting.

Shima Rei was well-mannered and polite, which was good, while Uchida Yuma… was average. Overall, the two of them were above average and worth getting to know.

The three of them continued chatting along the way, crossing Fukuda Academy’s courtyard and following a shady path to the kendo arena. As they approached, they could hear the intense sound of bamboo swords clashing inside, almost merging into one continuous rhythm.