Maruki perked up immediately, his enthusiasm kicking into full gear at Hamuko’s words.
“Oh, really? My girlfriend used to throw insane right hooks too!” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “She wasn’t officially trained or anything, but she knew her way around bullies and self-defense in general. A single punch from her could knock the wind out of anyone who underestimated her.”
He chuckled fondly, momentarily lost in the memory, before snapping himself back to the present.
Still holding his clipboard in one hand, he tucked his pen into the little mounting pin at the top. “I’ve always wanted to learn some form of martial arts myself,” he admitted, tapping a thoughtful finger against his chin. “A naginata, huh? That sounds familiar…” His brows furrowed slightly as he made a mental note of it. Probably a weapon.
Then, as if his train of thought suddenly hit full speed, he leaned into the teasing, eyes lighting up with genuine excitement.
“You know, I’ve been seriously interested in learning hand-to-hand combat—Aikido in particular! The way it uses an opponent’s own force against them? Fascinating.” His stance widened slightly, clipboard still clutched in his grip as he lifted both hands into the air in an exaggerated mimicry of a defensive form.
“Just imagine—pftwah! Whaa—tah! Hyah!”
With all the grace of someone whose only exposure to martial arts came from action movies and the occasional internet deep dive with small notes from his own survival here, Maruki swung his arms in wild, sweeping motions. His clipboard flailed dangerously in his grip as he mimicked a dramatic throw, shifting his weight as if he could actually flip an invisible opponent.
1/2
“Oh, really? My girlfriend used to throw insane right hooks too!” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “She wasn’t officially trained or anything, but she knew her way around bullies and self-defense in general. A single punch from her could knock the wind out of anyone who underestimated her.”
He chuckled fondly, momentarily lost in the memory, before snapping himself back to the present.
Still holding his clipboard in one hand, he tucked his pen into the little mounting pin at the top. “I’ve always wanted to learn some form of martial arts myself,” he admitted, tapping a thoughtful finger against his chin. “A naginata, huh? That sounds familiar…” His brows furrowed slightly as he made a mental note of it. Probably a weapon.
Then, as if his train of thought suddenly hit full speed, he leaned into the teasing, eyes lighting up with genuine excitement.
“You know, I’ve been seriously interested in learning hand-to-hand combat—Aikido in particular! The way it uses an opponent’s own force against them? Fascinating.” His stance widened slightly, clipboard still clutched in his grip as he lifted both hands into the air in an exaggerated mimicry of a defensive form.
“Just imagine—pftwah! Whaa—tah! Hyah!”
With all the grace of someone whose only exposure to martial arts came from action movies and the occasional internet deep dive with small notes from his own survival here, Maruki swung his arms in wild, sweeping motions. His clipboard flailed dangerously in his grip as he mimicked a dramatic throw, shifting his weight as if he could actually flip an invisible opponent.
For a brief second, he felt cool.
Then reality caught up with him.