Anime Crossover : Living in the Heart of Tokyo

Hojou Kyousuke spent his entire vacation immersed in kendo training.

With Naoka Ueno's promised reward as motivation, his desire for martial prowess was finally being fulfilled.

After searching all over Minato City, he eventually found a kendo dojo that accepted students regardless of their prior experience or style.

The instructor, Yamamura Onoppu, primarily taught Hokushin Ittō-ryū, so Kyousuke naturally followed along.

The training wasn't anything particularly special—just standard Ittō-ryū techniques, mostly involving various forms of kirioroshi (downward cuts).

Seriously, it was all kirioroshi.

Front, back, left, right—no matter the angle, every technique focused on cutting down.

It felt as if his eyes were fixated on his opponent's hands at all times.

He couldn't shake the feeling that his instructor might be teaching him incorrectly.

Still, thanks to his natural talent in swordsmanship—and possibly an overall enhancement of his physical abilities—his body had improved drastically over the month.

If he were to duel himself from a month ago, he was confident he could take on twenty of his past selves without breaking a sweat.

On the last day of vacation, he effortlessly disarmed Instructor Yamamura in a sparring match, knocking the bamboo sword right out of his hands.

And just like that, he was declared graduated.

When Yamamura handed him an official menkyojo / 免許 (license of proficiency), Kyousuke was stunned.

He had assumed the instructor was just some random kendo teacher, but it turned out Yamamura was actually a legitimate disciple of Hokushin Ittō-ryū and had the qualifications to bestow this recognition.

Different traditional martial arts styles have their own ranking systems.

According to Yamamura, earning a license in Hokushin Ittō-ryū meant that Kyousuke was now allowed to declare his affiliation during combat.

In other words, if he got into a fight, he could dramatically announce:

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū, Hojou Kyousuke."

…Yeah, no thanks. Just thinking about it made Kyousuke shudder in embarrassment.

Yamamura also suggested that if he wanted to master more advanced techniques, he should travel to Tokyo and train at the Hokushin Ittō-ryū headquarters.

It was obvious that Yamamura hoped Kyousuke—his genius disciple who earned a lisence in just one month—would make him proud by impressing the main dojo.

Kyousuke agreed on the spot… and then immediately forgot all about it.

He had already achieved his goal. With his current skills, he was confident he could protect himself and those around him.

As for the "Academic Aptitude" gift he received from Shouko, he found it somewhat underwhelming.

After all, he had been a science major in his previous life, so middle school science was child's play.

If anything, Japanese and Social Studies were his biggest headaches—especially subjects like geography, history, and politics.

However, thinking about the long-term benefits of his scientific aptitude put him in a better mood.

Middle school science?

Easy. High school math, physics, chemistry, and biology? Also covered.

Even university-level science courses would be a breeze.

He might not need it now, but when it came time for college entrance exams, he'd have a huge advantage.

When Kyousuke brought the lisence home, his mother, Hojou Mikiko, was finally at ease.

She left for Hokkaido to enjoy some alone time with Ichiro Hojou, effectively abandoning him.

As a parting gesture, she approved his request to become a commuter student and even rented an apartment for him in Bunkyo Ward, close to his school. Of course, the rent came from his scholarship money.

The whole situation left Kyousuke speechless.

To make matters worse, he hadn't even realized Higashi Middle School was an all-boys school when he applied.

Mikiko had handled all the application paperwork, leaving him with only one job—pass the entrance exam.

It wasn't until after he got accepted that he discovered the truth.

Speaking of scholarships, that was another painful memory.

Kyousuke did not want to give a speech as the freshman representative during the entrance ceremony.

However, the principal informed him that the speech was mandatory for scholarship recipients.

If he wanted the scholarship, he had no choice but to go along with it.

And so, against his will, he stood in front of the entire school and delivered a speech.

..................................

April: The First Day of School

Besides the long and boring entrance ceremony, nothing noteworthy happened.

Well… except for a few classmates who introduced themselves by boldly declaring they were delinquents.

That was mildly entertaining.

After school, Kyousuke boarded the subway to head home, struggling against the cramped and suffocating crowd.

'Damn it.'

'I wish I could buy an entire train and ride it alone…'

As he was lost in thought, a sudden voice cut through the noise.

"Excuse me, please move… Sorry, excuse me…"

A girl was pushing her way through the packed train, repeatedly apologizing as she made her way toward him.

This was unusual. In Japan, once people squeezed into a train, they usually stayed put—even if it meant being crushed like sardines.

Kyousuke curiously looked at the girl who had now come to a stop right in front of him.

She had meticulously styled twin braids, tied together at the back with a red-and-yellow ribbon in a neat bow.

She wore a white blouse, a beige knitted vest, and a pleated skirt, revealing a slender pair of legs and fair, dazzlingly bright thighs.

Overall, she was adorable.

Her head was lowered, and a faint blush tinted her cheeks.

Beads of sweat glistened on her snow-white neck—probably from squeezing through the crowd.

Was she exhausted from pushing her way here?

Just as Kyousuke was examining her, the girl suddenly looked up—and caught him staring.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Miyamizu Mitsuha flinched in surprise and immediately averted her gaze, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

She felt embarrassed.

But then she remembered the long day of searching she had endured, and the pain in her feet from walking all over Tokyo.

She had taken the earliest train from Itomori to Tokyo, only to find that his phone was unreachable.

With no other choice, she had scoured every place he might visit, even his school, but he was nowhere to be found.

She had finally given up and come to the subway station, planning to head home.

And then—she found him.

The sheer coincidence of it all was almost unbelievable.

She was so angry she could cry.

Meanwhile, Kyousuke watched as the girl's expression shifted rapidly—from shy to conflicted to furious.

Her cheeks puffed up as she glared at him.

Just as he was about to speak, the girl suddenly shouted his name:

"Kyousuke!"