My dear wife, I still love you more.

“No, you are a sword saint, and in terms of swordsmanship, you are my senior.” Masao Busujima said with unusual stubbornness.

Hasegawa couldn't help but look at Saeko Busujima, wanting her to persuade her father.

Saeko Busujima, however, said to Hasegawa, "Hasegawa-kun, this is just how my father is. Please don't mind him. After all, for my father, the Sword Saint is a kind of faith, a god. You are now my father's faith, you could even say he is my father's god. That's why my father is like this."

"Yes, Hasegawa, you are our faith. Before we met you, we who practice the way of the sword even thought that the Sword Saint was just a fabricated story made up by people in ancient times. Many of us had even begun to doubt the Sword Saint and lost our way. It was your appearance that made me believe again that the Sword Saint really exists. You are our faith, you are our god!!!" Masao Busujima said to Hasegawa very seriously and sincerely.

Hasegawa was surprised that Masao Busujima thought that way. Looking at Saeko Busujima, although he became a sword saint, Saeko Busujima did not treat him like a god or a faith like Masao Busujima did.

"Alright, Uncle, I understand. However, even if I am a Sword Saint of the First Rank, I am still just a human being—"

"No, your current status is equivalent to that of a god, a god of swordsmanship."

"..." Hasegawa was speechless. How could he not be human?

"If you don't mind, Uncle, I can share some knowledge about kendo with you. May I ask if you are interested?" Hasegawa felt rather uncomfortable and uneasy staying there. Therefore, Hasegawa planned to give Masao Busujima some pointers before leaving. After all, Masao Busujima was Saeko Busujima's father, and he couldn't just turn around and leave.

"Thank you so much for your guidance." Masao Busujima was very excited and even bowed deeply to Hasegawa.

Hasegawa was somewhat helpless at Busujima's attitude, but Busujima's previous behavior had already given Hasegawa a good idea of ​​what kind of person he was, so he didn't say anything in the face of such a generous gift.

"Uncle, let's begin now."

"Yes!"

Masao Busujima sat there obediently, just like a particularly well-behaved elementary school student.

"My understanding of swordsmanship is like this..." Hasegawa began to share some of his insights and understandings about swordsmanship with Masao Busujima. These insights and understandings were probably summarized after Hasegawa became a sword saint.

"Please wait a moment. I'm very sorry to interrupt Hasegawa, but please wait a moment." Masao Busujima suddenly interrupted Hasegawa, apologizing in a particularly sincere tone.

"Of course." Although Hasegawa didn't understand why Busujima Masao interrupted him, he knew Busujima Masao quite well and knew that he wouldn't interrupt him for no reason.

"Sai-ko, quick, go get a notebook and a pen. I need to take notes," Masao Busujima said hurriedly to Sai-ko Busujima beside him.

"Yes, Father." Saeko Busujima replied and turned to leave, seemingly to get her notebook and pen.

Hasegawa couldn't help but chuckle. He understood that Masao Busujima was taking it so seriously because he was afraid that Hasegawa wouldn't remember what he said, or that he was worried about missing something.

However, when I wanted to tell someone something, the other person respected me so much that they even took notes. That was a kind of respect for me. Even if we disregarded the fact that Masao Busujima was Saeko Busujima's father, Hasegawa was relatively satisfied with him.

Soon, Saeko Busujima returned with her notebook.

Masao Busujima held a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, looking intently at Hasegawa, as if he were already prepared.

"My understanding of swordsmanship... What I'm going to talk about this time is my own understanding of swordsmanship after I became a sword saint, and some summaries. I think that swordsmanship..." Hasegawa earnestly explained his understanding of swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Masao Busujima was really serious, constantly taking notes on what Hasegawa was saying with a pen, his posture very upright and very focused.

It took Hasegawa almost an hour to finish his story, and Saeko Busujima promptly offered him a glass of water. Hasegawa felt his mouth was a little dry, so he took the water and drank a sip.

Next, it was Hasegawa's turn to ask Masao Busujima questions. Busujima quickly flipped his notebook to the front and took out some questions he had written down to ask Hasegawa.

Hasegawa answered each question in great detail, and each of his answers made Masao Busujima suddenly understand.

"Is there no problem? Well then, let's end it here for today," Hasegawa said to Masao Busujima.

“Thank you so much, Sword Saint Hasegawa. With your guidance, my swordsmanship will improve rapidly in the coming period of time. So please allow me to call you Master Hasegawa.” As Masao Busujima spoke, he knelt down before Hasegawa with another dogeza.

"Teacher?" Hasegawa's expression was strange, and he couldn't help but glance at Saeko Busujima.

"Please summon your disciple, Master," Masao Busujima shouted.

Masao Busujima was sincere. After all, anyone who practices the way of the sword would probably want to become a disciple of a sword saint if given the opportunity, and Masao Busujima was no exception.

“Uncle, Busujima-senpai and I are friends, and when I was learning kendo before, Busujima-senpai taught me Busujima-ryu kendo. It’s not appropriate for you to become my disciple, Uncle,” Hasegawa said, looking at Busujima Saeko.

Saeko Busujima remained expressionless, sitting quietly to the side with her eyes lowered, as if she had no opinion on the matter.

"It is an honor for the Busujima School of Kendo that you, Master Hasegawa, have been able to learn from—no, to refer to—our Busujima School of Kendo. In consideration of the fact that you have referred to the Busujima School of Kendo, please accept me as your disciple, Master Hasegawa!" Busujima Masao shouted loudly.

"Well, give me some time to think about it." Hasegawa was torn, but in the end, he decided to stall for time and have a proper talk with Saeko Busujima later to see what she thought.

Moreover, this was the first time Hasegawa had ever encountered someone taking on a disciple, and the fact that the disciple was Saeko Busujima's father was just too strange.

"Yes!" Masao Busujima replied respectfully.

"Well, it's getting late, I need to head back too. Busujima-senpai, could you give me a break?" Hasegawa said to Busujima Saeko.

“Okay,” Saeko Busujima replied obediently.

As they walked out of the Busujima-ryu dojo, Saeko Busujima followed closely behind Hasegawa, appearing very obedient and not uttering a single unnecessary word.

However, when he reached the door, Hasegawa stopped and turned to look at Saeko Busujima.

"Senior Busujima, what are you thinking?" Hasegawa asked.

"It all depends on what you think, Hasegawa-kun. Besides, I can't stop my father's decision. He's really passionate about swordsmanship, so it's normal for him to make this decision. As for whether or not you'll accept my father as your disciple, that's up to you, Hasegawa-kun." A hint of helplessness flashed in Saeko Busujima's eyes at this moment.

Hearing Saeko Busujima shift the blame onto him again, Hasegawa couldn't help but smile wryly: "Because I think, how should I put it... it's very strange. Besides, Busujima-senpai, you're my friend. If your father becomes my disciple, then Busujima-senpai, you should become my grand-disciple, right?" Hasegawa's expression was odd.

“That’s right. Given my father’s personality, if you were to take him as your disciple, he would definitely make me acknowledge you as my grandmaster. No, since you didn’t have a swordsmanship school before, you are the founder of your lineage, so I should call you grandmaster.” Saeko Busujima’s expression was strange.

Hasegawa couldn't help but roll his eyes: "So, Busujima-senpai, would you be willing to call me patriarch?"

"If, if possible, I, I still want to be friends with you, Hasegawa-senpai." A hint of struggle flashed in Saeko Busujima's eyes, but she finally followed her heart and said.

"Would you like to be my friend? Okay, then we'll remain friends. As for your uncle becoming my apprentice, let's forget about that." Hasegawa sighed and said seriously.

"Mm." Saeko Busujima nodded gently without saying anything, but a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

After all, schools of ancient swordsmanship like theirs highly value tradition, and their respect for teachers and elders is not just empty talk. If Hasegawa truly became her patriarch, then a relationship between her and Hasegawa would be even more impossible. Even now, Saeko Busujima still feels inferior, believing herself unworthy of Hasegawa.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Mrs. Yuihama's Resolute...

Happy New Year!

"Yuihama, what's wrong with you these past few days? You seem to be spacing out all the time?" A waitress couldn't help but nudge Mrs. Yuihama with her elbow as she stared blankly at the electric oven.

"Ah, I'm fine, I'm fine." Mrs. Yuihama was startled and quickly shook her head.

"Are you really alright? To be honest, Yuihama, you've been acting really strange these past few days."

"No, it's really nothing. It's probably, it's probably just because of those few days every month." Mrs. Yuihama didn't know how to explain it, so she just came up with this reason.

"Really? But I remember your period has already passed, hasn't it?"

"Um, well, I mean, I haven't been sleeping well these past few days," Mrs. Yuihama said awkwardly.

"Really? But Yuihama, you look much better these days, your complexion is great, and your skin even seems to have improved. Can not sleeping well really have such an effect?"

"..." Mrs. Yuihama was extremely embarrassed and had no idea how to explain it. As for her good complexion? A woman who hadn't had a happy life for a long time suddenly got a happy life, and even with a young, strong, and incredibly stamina-rich boy, it would be strange if her complexion didn't change.

After finally managing to deal with the inquisitive waitress, Mrs. Yuihama breathed a sigh of relief. However, the thought of her relationship with Hasegawa gave her a headache.

"Clearly, it's Yui who likes Hasegawa-kun, but Hasegawa-kun actually... actually likes me, and... what should I do? I feel so sorry for Yui. But... but—"

"No, we can't let this continue. Yui went to the entertainment industry specifically for Hasegawa-kun. How can I, as her mother, let Yui down?"

"But, but Hasegawa and I have already... have already had that kind of relationship."

"No, I can't keep making the same mistake. I need to distance myself from Hasegawa-kun."

"That's right, I can't make the same mistake again."

"Hasegawa-kun, I'm sorry, although, although—but for Yui's sake, I have no choice but to refuse."

Outside of work, Mrs. Yui's mind was filled with this thought, constantly urging her to end that relationship with Hasegawa. She still wanted to maintain the relationship they had before, where nothing had happened. The main culprit was guilt, a deep sense of shame—guilt towards her daughter, Yui. This made Mrs. Yui very uneasy.

Incidentally, ever since her encounter with Hasegawa, Mrs. Yuigahama had this thought during the day while at work: she wanted to sever ties with Hasegawa and end the relationship. Unfortunately, she didn't even know what happened; she was so confused and let Hasegawa take advantage of her.

“This time, I’m determined to sever all ties with Hasegawa-kun.” A resolute glint flashed in Mrs. Yuihama’s eyes.

……

"I'm back." Standing at the door, Mrs. Yui took a few deep breaths, reaffirming her resolve, before opening the door and walking in.

"Welcome back, you must be tired from work, ma'am." Hasegawa appeared at the door and said to Mrs. Yuihama with a smile.

Looking at Hasegawa's smiling face, Mrs. Yuihama felt a surge of nervousness and shyness, and a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks.

However, Mrs. Yuihama did not forget the idea she had set out during the day. She took another deep breath and forcibly suppressed her nervousness and shyness.

"Hasegawa-kun, I need to have a serious talk with you." Mrs. Yuihama looked at Hasegawa with a determined gaze.

"Madam, don't be so serious. Dinner is ready, we can eat first—"

"No, Hasegawa-kun, I think we really need to have a serious talk. As for dinner, let's talk about it later." Mrs. Yuihama hadn't forgotten the previous two incidents, so this time her attitude was very firm. She decided to confront Hasegawa first, and dinner or anything else would have to wait. Mrs. Yuihama also understood that the previous two incidents were subtly related to Hasegawa-kun's deception.

Seeing Mrs. Yuihama's expression, Hasegawa shrugged: "Alright, since you want to talk, madam, then let's talk."

Mrs. Yuihama breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Hasegawa agreed to talk first. She was worried that Hasegawa would change the subject like he had done the previous two times.

In the living room, Mrs. Yuihama sat opposite Hasegawa, looking at him intently. It has to be said that Hasegawa looked incredibly handsome. Even Mrs. Yuihama found Hasegawa's face exceptionally handsome, especially when she thought about the previous times Hasegawa had pinned her down. Mrs. Yuihama couldn't help but feel shy, and her cheeks turned red again.

Hasegawa, looking at Mrs. Yuihama's expression, almost chuckled. He naturally understood what Mrs. Yuihama wanted to say about their "talk," but these kinds of things weren't things that could be decided just by talking, especially given Mrs. Yuihama's personality. Hasegawa was certain she wouldn't escape him, but Mrs. Yuihama didn't seem to understand Hasegawa's thoughts, stubbornly believing that a good talk would restore things to normal.

She secretly pinched her leg, and the pain brought Mrs. Yui back to her senses: "Hasegawa-kun, I think that our relationship is a mistake, and we can't continue down this wrong path."

“I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

"No, Hasegawa-kun, this was a mistake. From now on, our relationship will only be that of landlord and tenant. As for you and Yui—" Mrs. Yuigahama's eyes flashed with complexity when she mentioned Yui. Mrs. Yuigahama herself was unsure whether to support Hasegawa and Yui. After all, Hasegawa and she, as his mother, had already had that kind of relationship. If Yui were to be with Hasegawa again, she would inevitably feel strange and uncomfortable.

"Mrs--"

"Alright, Hasegawa-kun, you don't need to say anything more. From now on, we have no relationship whatsoever." Mrs. Yuihama interrupted Hasegawa resolutely, speaking earnestly.

Mrs. Yuigahama had learned from her previous two mistakes. Both times she'd been fooled by Hasegawa's words, this time she decided not to give him a chance to speak. To be honest, Mrs. Yuigahama had never considered interrupting someone before, as it was considered extremely impolite. However, Hasegawa was special, so Mrs. Yuigahama had no choice but to do so. She worried that if she didn't, she might be fooled by Hasegawa again.

“Alright, since you put it that way, Madam.” Hasegawa frowned slightly, looking at Mrs. Yuihama’s resolute expression, and finally sighed.

After receiving Hasegawa's answer, Mrs. Yuihama couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, she wouldn't show it so directly, fearing that Hasegawa would see through her and all her efforts would be in vain.

"Well then, can we have dinner now, Madam?" Hasegawa's expression was calm, but his eyes held a slight dimness.

Seeing Hasegawa like this, Mrs. Yuihama suddenly felt that Hasegawa was also very pitiful, especially Hasegawa's eyes, which seemed to be able to speak. Mrs. Yuihama almost softened her heart, but she still hardened her heart and nodded.

Hasegawa turned and walked into the kitchen.

Watching Hasegawa walk into the kitchen, Mrs. Yui sighed, murmuring to herself, "I'm sorry, Hasegawa-kun. I know you're a wonderful person, but... but we're like glue, it's impossible. I... I'm just too much older than you, and there's Yui too, she likes you. I'm sorry, so sorry, so very sorry. Thank you for liking me, Hasegawa-kun, but... I'm no longer worthy of it."

Meanwhile, Hasegawa went into the kitchen and brought out the dinner he had prepared. At the same time, he glanced at his attribute panel; his acting proficiency was rapidly increasing. Hasegawa hadn't expected to actually use this skill, and even thought it was quite effective. Moreover, Hasegawa felt that the acting skill was indeed exceptionally useful.

Hasegawa emerged from the kitchen with a smile on his face, looking no different than usual—a sunny, cheerful, and strikingly handsome man. However, Mrs. Yuihama immediately noticed Hasegawa's eyes. His dark eyes were filled with disappointment, gloom, and despondency. That look in Hasegawa's eyes was heartbreaking.

Mrs. Yuihama tried to speak several times, but she didn't know what to say.