"That's right."
Upon receiving Asagiri's confirmation, the gym teacher's expression was like someone who had just rolled an SSR card. His usually serious, square face instantly lit up, and he asked eagerly:
"Utsunomiya-kun, come join our Track and Field Club! If you join, I guarantee that with your talent, you could definitely win the national championships... no, even a world-class competition is possible!!!"
This gym teacher had never expected his luck to be so good, running into the legendary SSR-level transfer student, the very person every sports club was desperate to recruit: Utsunomiya Asagiri-kun!
How exaggerated was Utsunomiya Asagiri's résumé?
If he had only won the national championship in just one of those three sports—basketball, tennis, or badminton—during junior high, then likely only the corresponding sports club would have courted him, as the differences between sports are vast, and someone good at basketball doesn't necessarily have talent for tennis.
But Utsunomiya Asagiri had won the championship in all three sports for two consecutive years in junior high. What kind of achievement was that?
This was a once-in-a-century sports genius!
How much preparation had the Shuchiin sports clubs done today to recruit him? Many male gym teachers responsible for clubs had begged female sports clubs to lend them some good-looking upperclassmen girls, all in order to attract Utsunomiya Asagiri's attention when he appeared at the club recruitment area. After all, what hot-blooded high school boy doesn't like a good-looking upperclassman girl?
Yet, no one expected that Utsunomiya Asagiri, as a freshman, wouldn't go to the club recruitment area on his first day of school, but instead came directly to the gym.
And he had just run right into him!
"Track and Field Club?"
Facing the gym teacher's invitation, Asagiri smiled and shook his head.
"No interest. I don't want to join any club."
"Can't you reconsider?"
The gym teacher, though having expected this answer, still asked stubbornly.
He desperately wished that Utsunomiya Asagiri was simply a sports specialist. In that case, whether he joined the Track and Field Club or not, he would eventually join some sports club and shine on the national high school stage. As a Shuchiin gym teacher, he would gain some reflected glory.
Unfortunately... things rarely go as planned.
Utsunomiya Asagiri was not just a once-in-a-century genius who was a two-time national champion in three sports. He also ranked first in both the Sakura Prefecture's unified exam and the Shuchiin Academy entrance exam.
A genius student of this caliber might join clubs for leisure or to pass the time, but they would most likely not join a competitive sports club that required daily practice, consuming a lot of time and potentially affecting academic performance.
"No reconsideration."
"Ah, well then."
The gym teacher sighed with resignation, trying to mask his disappointment. He forced a smile, nodded, and then turned to leave.
Watching his utterly dejected silhouette, which seemed to have shrunk considerably, Yūki Asuna whispered:
"I feel like... I just witnessed a scene of someone gathering their courage for a confession only to be mercilessly rejected."
Asagiri spread his hands, replying indifferently.
"I don't have much interest in sports, to begin with."
Yūki Asuna was a little curious. "Then why did you participate in three national championships during junior high?"
"Because I was bored."
Asagiri answered first, then added:
"But now, I've found something much more interesting than sports competitions."
As Yūki Asuna followed Asagiri toward the dumbbell area, she whispered:
"Are you referring to the Game?"
"No, I'm referring to teasing you."
"Huh?"
Yūki Asuna was caught off guard, her cheeks flushing. She stuttered slightly.
"Wha... wha, why are you suddenly saying that..."
Seeing Yūki Asuna's reaction, Asagiri looked somewhat exasperated.
"I'm being sarcastic. Why are you getting embarrassed? One glance is all it takes: I diagnose a pure, unadulterated romance-brain."
"You rotten guy..."
Yūki Asuna bit her teeth lightly, looking sulky, yet helpless against the culprit—a mix of anger and slight grievance.
"Here, this one."
Asagiri ignored the upset Yūki Asuna. He took a heavy-looking black dumbbell with "40KG" written on the grip from the rack, bent down, and placed it on the floor in front of her.
"Try to lift it with one hand."
Looking at the heavy dumbbell in front of her, Yūki Asuna first took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing, and finally held her breath. She bent down and gripped the handle of the black dumbbell with one hand, trying to lift it off the floor.
"Ngh..."
Yūki Asuna's face grew redder. This delicate, beautiful young lady had been made to blush three times in just a minute—something only Asagiri could achieve.
Of course, only the first time was from shyness, the second was from being pushed to the brink of a breakdown, and the third was from straining too hard.
"Phew..."
After nearly ten seconds of straining with all her might, with the black dumbbell on the floor remaining completely motionless, Yūki Asuna finally gave up. She looked at Asagiri with a red face, feeling embarrassed, and said softly.
"I'm sorry... I can't lift it..."
"There's nothing to apologize for."
Asagiri picked up the black dumbbell and put it back on the rack. Then, he walked out of the gym with Yūki Asuna.
"It seems the basic class 'Swordsman' you obtained as an instance reward does not have a passive bonus for physical conditioning, or the increase is negligible. And this is despite you receiving an A+ clearance rating. It looks like the so-called Novice Instance is merely a tutorial stage for Players to adapt to the instance rhythm, and it's very difficult to obtain overly powerful rewards."
Yuuki Asuna nodded. As she walked out of the gym with Asagiri, she suddenly seemed to recall something, and her lips parted as if she wanted to ask a question, but ultimately she kept silent.
Just now... she remembered that Asagiri had specifically taken the black dumbbell off the rack and placed it on the floor.
Was he worried that if she couldn't lift it, the dumbbell might slip off the rack and injure her?
Could this possibly be the legendary Tsundere who is verbally abusive but honest in action?