Suzune Horikita's gaze fell upon Subaru's retreating figure.
102 kilograms.
She knew very well what this number implied. It was not a level of strength that an ordinary high school student could achieve. It was power possessed only by someone who had undergone high-intensity training from a young age. What on earth had Subaru experienced in the past? Just like the person himself, it was unfathomable.
"Next," the recording teacher shouted.
Students stepped forward one after another. Ordinary results in the forty-something kilogram range. Results in the fifty-something range were already considered quite good among the boys. Anything over sixty would draw a few gasps of admiration. Until—
"Next, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji."
The boy who always stood on the edge of the crowd, whose existence was almost forgotten, slowly walked forward. His steps were steady, without any superfluous swaying. His face wore its habitual plain expression, showing neither nervousness nor anticipation.
Ayanokoji stopped in front of the grip strength meter but did not act immediately. He looked up at the teacher in charge of recording. "May I ask, what is the average grip strength for a high school boy?"
The question stunned the teacher for a moment. "...If we're talking about the average, it's probably around 40 to 50 kilograms."
Ayanokoji nodded, then asked, "What was Subaru Natsuki's score just now?"
The teacher flipped through the record book. "102 kilograms."
"102..." Ayanokoji repeated the number in a low voice. Then, he reached out and grasped the handle. His movements were equally light, equally casual. Exactly the same as Subaru.
"What is this guy doing?" Ike muttered in a low voice. "Does he want to challenge Sudo too?"
"Give it a rest," another boy sneered. "With the way Ayanokoji usually acts, getting a 40 would be good enough."
Sudo did not speak. He just stared at Ayanokoji's hand, his brows slightly furrowed. Then—Ayanokoji exerted force.
The numbers on the grip meter began to jump. 40. 50. 60. 70. 80. 90. 100. 102.
The number stopped steadily at 102. Exactly the same as Subaru.
The entire venue fell into silence once again. Ike opened his mouth wide, unable to speak for a long time. Sudo's eyes stared roundly, the expression on his face changing from shock to disbelief, and then from disbelief to something more complex—awe? Fear?
"You... you're kidding, right?" someone finally voiced out. "Another 102?"
"This grip meter is definitely broken!"
"Impossible! It was clearly 44 when I tested it just now!"
The teacher in charge of recording was also stunned. He looked down to check the instrument, then looked up at Ayanokoji, then back at the instrument, and then at Ayanokoji again. "The instrument... is fine." His voice was somewhat dry. "102 kilograms, confirmed."
In a single first-year class, there were actually two students with grip strength exceeding one hundred kilograms? Was this real? He had been at this school for nearly ten years and had never seen such a thing.
Ayanokoji released the handle, his expression unchanged. He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, finally landing on Subaru not far away.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had deliberately controlled his strength to select such a number; it was equivalent to declaring war on Subaru. It wasn't just for the agreement with Sae Chabashira—that agreement could even be said to be unimportant. Ayanokoji revealed part of his strength so that he could have the opportunity to compete with Subaru. Even if he lost, it would be a good thing for Ayanokoji. It would prove that everything about the White Room was wrong.
Ayanokoji's result sparked a discussion among the crowd, but Subaru seemed not to care much and did not look at him again. Seemingly capturing the feeling of someone staring at him, Subaru turned his head. The two looked at each other. One second. Two seconds.
Ayanokoji nodded slightly, then looked away and walked toward the next test item. His movements were natural, as if everything just now was merely routine business.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Ike finally found his voice. "Is that guy Ayanokoji... also a monster?"
Sudo did not answer. He just stared at Ayanokoji's back, his eyes complicated to the extreme. One Subaru was already scary enough. Now there's another one? And the way those two looked at each other just now... something was wrong no matter how you looked at it. It was like they were confirming something. Or like they were declaring something.
However, Ken Sudo did not think too much about it. What did it have to do with him? It was just that it might not be so easy for him to steal the spotlight at the Sports Festival. Thinking about this matter any further would break his brain.
"That's great." A faint voice came from the side.
Sudo turned his head and found it was Yosuke Hirata. There was a smile on his face. "It seems that the combat power in our class for the Sports Festival is quite considerable."
Hirata looked thoughtfully at their retreating figures and said with a smile, "Let's continue testing. There are still many people who haven't tested yet."
Not far away, Suzune Horikita was also watching this scene. Her brows were tightly furrowed. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. This guy, whom she had always thought was just an "ordinary invisible person," was actually hiding strength on the same level as Subaru?
Although she had encountered many situations before where she would let Ayanokoji help her make decisions, in Horikita's perception, Ayanokoji was only at a level of being relatively smart, and that was all. Had this guy been hiding himself by her side all along? But why reveal his strength now? Could it be that he suddenly wanted to contribute to the class?
No, that's not it. No, that's wrong. She remembered the scene just now—Ayanokoji specifically asked for Subaru's score before testing. What did that mean? It meant he did it on purpose. He knew Subaru's score and then deliberately pressed out the same number. This was no coincidence, no accident. It was a declaration. Or rather, it was some kind of... response.
A response to Subaru. Something had definitely happened between them. Horikita remembered the message Ayanokoji had sent—"I want to participate in the relay race too." She didn't understand why at the time. Now she was beginning to understand. It wasn't because of the Sports Festival, not because of the class, not because of any reason she had assumed. It was only because of Subaru.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji chose to step forward solely because of Subaru. "...These two people," she muttered to herself, a trace of complex emotion in her voice that she herself didn't even realize. It wasn't fear, nor apprehension, but a subtler curiosity. What exactly happened between them? What was said during that conversation that night?
She didn't know. But she knew that from today on, her observation of these two people had to be more detailed. Horikita sensed that the two might be competing in secret. Beyond curiosity, there was worry. If one day the entire class was treated as a battlefield by these two guys, it would be terrible.
The physical fitness test continued.
50-meter dash.
Subaru's time was 5.8 seconds. Ayanokoji's time was also 5.8 seconds.
Standing long jump.
Subaru's result was 2.9 meters. Ayanokoji's result was 2.89 meters. Almost identical.
Side-to-side jumps.
Subaru's speed was dazzlingly fast. Ayanokoji's speed was almost exactly the same.
Sit-ups.
Subaru did 80. Ayanokoji did 79.
In every event, he followed closely behind Subaru, missing by just a tiny bit. Not more, not less, just that tiny bit. It was like he was measuring. Or like he was declaring—I am right behind you.
The atmosphere in the venue turned eerie. What was originally just an ordinary physical test now seemed to be conducting some kind of silent contest. Or rather, a "dialogue" known only to the two of them, incomprehensible to bystanders.
Ken Sudo looked at the data, the expression on his face already numb. "Forget it, forget it," he waved his hand. "I'm not comparing anymore. You guys are both monsters; I admit defeat."
Ken Sudo was not someone who would admit defeat casually; in fact, he was very proud, believing his athletic talent far exceeded others. However... the real world completely destroyed his self-esteem. There were actually two existences in the class whose physical fitness reigned above his...
Leaving Subaru aside—that guy was a monster in both mentality and other aspects. But was Ayanokoji, that guy who usually had no presence in the class, also this fierce? These guys... Even Sudo didn't dare to casually provoke Subaru. Although in Sudo's eyes, even being expelled or whatever didn't really matter much... for some reason, his heart had always been filled with fear toward Subaru. That guy seemed like he would truly kill him.
Ike nodded frantically beside him. "Right, right, right. We are just ordinary people; we can't compare with them."
Only Yosuke Hirata remained with his brows locked. His gaze moved back and forth between Subaru and Ayanokoji, seemingly trying to understand something. But he couldn't understand. Because that was not something that could be understood with common sense.
The physical fitness test ended.
The students left the gymnasium one after another, discussing the data from just now in twos and threes.
"That Subaru from Class C is too terrifying, right?"
"And that Ayanokoji, you couldn't tell at all usually!"
"Two monsters... How many hidden experts does Class D actually have?"
"Don't talk about it, I'm depressed."
Subaru walked at the very back of the crowd, his pace steady. His phone vibrated once. It was a message from Hiyori Shiina; her class was conducting their physical test on the other side. Although the distance wasn't far, to reduce unnecessary trouble and not to bring too much trouble to Hiyori, Subaru chose not to walk over for a face-to-face chat.
`I heard there are two people with 102 grip strength in your class?`
`One is Subaru-kun, who is the other one?`
Subaru looked at the message, silent for a few seconds. Then he replied:
`Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.`
`? That Ayanokoji-kun who looks very ordinary?`
`Mn.`
`...Subaru-kun, your class is so scary.`
At the end was a trembling emoticon. Subaru replied:
`How is it on your side?`
`Our class's data is much more normal.`
`The highest is only 60 something.`
`It seems only Subaru-kun's class is a concentration camp for monsters.`
Subaru did not reply again. He put away his phone; the physical test was over, and it was time to prepare to go back. But just at this moment, footsteps came from behind him.
Subaru did not look back.
"Natsuki." It was Ayanokoji's voice.
Subaru stopped walking. Ayanokoji walked up to his side, and the two were silent for a few seconds.
"102," Ayanokoji said. "Yours was 102."
"Mn."
"Mine was 102."
"So what?"
"I thought I'd show a little bit of strength. This is also my letter of challenge. Not this time, but later, I will find a chance to have a decisive battle with you," Ayanokoji said. "Maybe you are right."
"About what?"
"But I want to see if I go all out, will it produce just a little bit..." He paused deliberately. "Even just a little bit."
Subaru yawned, not preparing to pay any more attention to Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. "Whatever you want."
Subaru fell silent for a few seconds. If it were before, he wouldn't have wanted to bother with Ayanokoji. But now—there was no harm in trying. Then, he spoke. "Then try it."
The corner of Ayanokoji's mouth moved slightly. "Good." He turned and left.
Subaru stood in the shadows of the gymnasium exit, watching Ayanokoji's back disappear into the crowd. "No harm in trying." He repeated the words he had just spoken in a low voice. The corner of his mouth moved slightly—it was an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc. Not a smile, just some kind of subtle change he himself wasn't even aware of.
Then he turned and pushed open the gymnasium's main doors. The afternoon sunlight poured down blindingly, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. Outside the door, the second-year students had already arrived. They gathered in twos and threes at the entrance, waiting for the gymnasium to empty out. Some leaned against the wall chatting, some looked down at their terminals, and others were looking over this way.
Subaru paid them no mind. He stepped forward, preparing to pass through the crowd and return to the dormitory. But just after he took a few steps, a figure froze in place.
Miyabi Nagumo.
He stood at the very front of the second-year line, saying something to the few second-year students beside him. Those students wore respectful expressions, listening earnestly to his words—the Vice President of the second year was still that lofty existence in their eyes. But the instant Nagumo's gaze swept across the doorway and landed on Subaru—his voice came to an abrupt halt.
Subaru saw him too. His steps did not pause, his gaze did not dodge. He just calmly passed through the crowd like that, walking towards Nagumo's direction. One step. Two steps. Three steps.
Nagumo's breathing became rapid. His right hand curled up unconsciously—those fingers that had been broken, though already healed, began to throb with a phantom pain at this moment. It wasn't real pain; it was a memory branded deep in his nerves that could not be erased.
"Nagumo-senpai?" The student beside him noticed his abnormality and asked in confusion.
"N... nothing." Nagumo's voice was somewhat dry. He forced himself to straighten his back, forced himself to put on his customary composed posture. But his palms had already begun to sweat.
____
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