Megumi Kato stood very carefully, not even daring to breathe too hard. Shin Chan's scent was a little overwhelming for her.
It was rush hour, and the train was packed. Shin Chan effortlessly created a small space for her, making Megumi feel unexpectedly safe.
"Shin Chan-kun."
Hearing her call, Shin Chan lowered his head and looked at the girl in front of him.
Megumi's presence wasn't weak at all. If someone looked closely, they would realize she was the type who became more attractive the longer you stared at her.
Her facial features were perfectly balanced—not dazzling at first glance, but unmistakably pretty.
If he had to describe her, she felt like a "girl-next-door" type. For people with fragile self-esteem, a lower sense of presence might even be reassuring—at least there'd be no need to worry about getting cuckolded.
"What is it?" Shin Chan asked.
"I'm really grateful about what happened today. I feel like if it weren't for you, Aki Tomoya might have kept bothering me…"
"It's nothing. That guy doesn't look very likable anyway."
Megumi, who had little experience chatting with boys, couldn't think of many topics and instinctively returned to Aki Tomoya.
"Aki Tomoya is in my class. He's pretty famous at school."
"In short, he's the kind of person who doesn't care about how others feel. Once he decides on something, he'll push through no matter who it affects."
Was she moved? Megumi wasn't sure herself.
She didn't fully understand her feelings, but she had a strong premonition—if she wanted to get close to Shin Chan, the difficulty level would be hellish.
"He really doesn't seem like a good person," Shin Chan replied calmly.
Recalling Aki Tomoya from earlier, Shin Chan found him extremely annoying.
In the context of youthful romance stories, someone like that was especially troublesome—as long as the darker side of society wasn't involved.
Megumi quietly looked up at him, inevitably catching his scent again.
"Shin Chan-kun, do you know what Aki Tomoya meant by 'heroine'?"
"Probably an otaku fantasy. He looks like someone completely immersed in his own world."
Shin Chan didn't like Aki Tomoya to begin with. Coupled with the memories involving Xiao Li, it was inevitable that he'd end up standing on the opposite side of that guy.
And the girl in front of him… she seemed to be Aki Tomoya's so-called destined heroine.
Shin Chan scratched his head. It felt a little itchy.
Is my hair about to turn blond?
As the train announcement sounded, Megumi quietly let out a sigh of relief. At least they had already exchanged contact information.
"This is my stop."
"Mm." Shin Chan nodded.
After Megumi got off, the train gradually became less crowded over the next two stops.
Shin Chan didn't think much about it and instead started organizing his thoughts about the system missions.
There were currently two missions:
Solve Eriri's troubles.
Figure out why Shizuka Hiratsuka could never find a boyfriend.
Both sounded simple, but the system's descriptions were vague, leaving him with no clear criteria.
Eriri's troubles were probably related to the sudden appearance of those memories.
As for Hiratsuka Shizuka… the reason she was still single wasn't actually that complicated.
First, she came from a good family. Her parents doted on her, and even though they urged her to marry, they never truly forced her. That alone gave her confidence.
Second, while her behavior was far from "ladylike" and clearly unconventional by Japanese standards, the real reason she remained single lay with herself.
She complained endlessly about not having a boyfriend, but deep down, she likely enjoyed being single.
There was probably some fear of relationships—or even marriage—buried inside her.
The goodwill she'd shown him today… could it be because she liked younger men?
Her blind dates always failed. Aside from the other party's issues, she probably sabotaged them herself without realizing it.
The next morning, Shin Chan woke up after staying up all night watching anime.
Squandering youth like this really was wonderful.
Unfortunately, school was about to start, and this kind of lifestyle wouldn't last much longer.
He picked up his phone and saw several messages from Megumi. He replied briefly, and then his phone rang.
An unknown number.
Shin Chan hesitated slightly before answering.
"Shin Chan."
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end—slightly hoarse, with a smoky tone that felt oddly familiar.
"I heard you're going to high school. Shuchiin Academy, right?"
"…Master."
Shin Chan immediately recognized the caller.
Musashino Kenta—his kendo teacher.
"Hahaha! You still remember me! It's been so many years. I only thought of you after seeing the news about Shuchiin Academy."
"I still haven't found the kendo in my heart. I recently went back to inherit the dojo. Do you have time to come take a look?"
After parting ways with Musashino Kenta, Shin Chan hadn't touched a sword in a long time. But the words Natural Swordsman on the system panel weren't a joke.
"I haven't started school yet, so I have time these next few days."
Hearing that, Musashino Kenta let out a sigh of relief. He knew his disciple's personality—unpredictable and difficult.
"I just took over the dojo from my father. You're my only disciple. I hope you can come."
"You only remembered me because you need my help, right?"
"What?! I've been seeking the kendo in my heart all these years! I've grown a lot!"
Shin Chan's casual jab nearly made Musashino Kenta break down, but he quickly steadied himself. His years of wandering training must have paid off.
"But really, it's great that you can come. I'll send you the location. Do you have time today?"
"I'll go this afternoon."
Shin Chan truly hadn't held a sword in years. In middle school, his admission path had focused more on swimming, which eventually led him into the merged Shuchiin Academy.
"All right, I've sent you the location. Don't be late this afternoon!"
Musashino Kenta sounded genuinely happy.
After hanging up, Shin Chan let out a slow breath.
Ever since parting ways with Musashino Kenta, he hadn't picked up a sword even once.
In this fused world, kendo was highly valued. Famous masters could earn fortunes just by opening a dojo, and their social status was extremely high.
Professional kendo competitions were even more popular than sumo wrestling.