Chapter 72

The Weightlifting Club was located somewhere on the edge of the school, the sound of metal hitting the ground, of grunts and encouraging yells, made itself know after the two of them exited the building and walked to one of the smaller gyms the school had. It looked like the place was filled with happy members, happy and muscular members that made Danuja tense up before seeing their dumb smiles.

It was kind of hilarious, seeing so many teenagers that looked like full grown men and at last two times bigger than Mr. Touma or any of their teachers. Danuja was confident though because how can she not? She couldn't not be confident.

'' There's a lot of them.'' Kana murmured while they were standing outside the gym looking at the club members working and clapping each others backs after a good lift. All of them wear wide belts and some type of wrappings around their hands, using their leg muscle to lift the huge weight.

'' They must smell to.'' Danuja said making Kana snort amused, the girl looking startled at herself before looking up at Danuja

'' That's mean, Danuja-san. They must work hard there.'' Kana scolded her lightly before biting her lip and adding '' Should we enter though? I thought there would be more people, outside of the club that's it.''

'' Not many people want to break their backs.'' Danuja nudged Kana shoulder with her elbow chuckling when the Kana face paled slightly '' Don't worry.'' she soothed her '' I won't force myself there.'' too much, that's it

'' I believe you.'' Kana said gaining her color, meager how it was, back before taking a hold of the door handle and opening it. Danuja added her own hand on the door so she wouldn't struggle too much and pushed as well.

Inside the small gym, despite Danuja words, the smell wasn't so bad, though that must be because of the whirring sound from the ventilators that were working.

'' Excuse me.'' Danuja said loudly, when Kana looked like she was shrinking on herself and that wouldn't do. Catching their attention the boys glanced at each other before the one lifting dropped the weight, stumbling over the bar, closer to them.

'' Welcome, I'm Hayate Hajime, nice to meet you.'' Hayate said holding a hand forward with a wide grin on his face

'' Sora Danuja and Shishijima Kana.'' Danuja shook his hand while Kana stood at her side, a little more stuck to her side then before.

'' H-here.'' Kana said whipping the poster they found on the hallway out, giving it to a confused Hayate '' We want to participate to this contest.'' she added more confidently after Danuja dropped Hayate hand 

'' The two of you?'' he asked surprised leaning back in shock making Danuja frown slightly

'' The Gymnastic Club it's just beside ours.'' one of the members behind hollered while everyone just looked confused at them

'' Hey aren't you the girl that the captain from the Basketball Club raves about? '' someone said snapping their fingers while looking at Danuja

'' Basketball Club?'' Kana murmured to her making Danuja shrug. She was pretty sure no one asked her to join said club and she wouldn't be interested anyway. 

'' Tall, dark and mean that's the one.'' one of them joked and a few of them laughed while Kana hand tightened around her arm 

'' Well?'' Kana asked Hayate, a cute frown on her face from the members jokes and Danuja had the strange desire to smooth her forehead with the pads of her fingers 

'' Anyone is welcomed-'' Hayate begin hesitantly before continuing ''- but we advise you to not hurt yourself.''

'' I won't.'' Danuja said confidently looking Hayate straight in the eyes '' I can't guarantee I would lift whatever you give me but I can lift enough.'' 

Maybe it was Danuja tone or maybe it was the way Kana looked ready to lunge herself to the other members if they make anymore jokes or maybe, it was even the way they were stuck together, Kana fitting snugly at her side while Danuja towered over her.

'' Then let's get started.'' Hayate said excited over the others confusion '' Come on guys, how many even come to our concurs since the year started? I tell you how many.'' he said when the members looked around embarrassed '' Ten in which half of them wanted to be water boys like we even need that.'' he huffed before making sign for Danuja to go further inside the gym

While he returned to his members to arrange things for Danuja, she walked Kana to a bench were she shouldn't be bothered, taking off her jacket and putting it on the bench for her. They were a bunch of boys in a small, enclosed gym lifting weights. 

The sweat around the place wasn't that surprising.

'' Do not force yourself.'' Kana waved a finger in front of her face and Danuja wished that all those boys would die so she could bite that small finger in front of her. She wasn't that impulsive to do it in front of the boys.

Walking back to the group, Danuja let them show her how to wear that wide belt before wrapping her hands by herself, muscle memory kicking in. While doing this she listened to the club members talking.

'' - you said that we would use the remained money for grill.''

'' Meat, Hajime, meat.'' 

'' She couldn't lift that much. So what if she is tall, she couldn't be that strong.'' someone tried to calm them down

'' -what do you think? Your girlfriend is in the Track team. Think she got some muscle under that skirt?''

'' Well, if she wasn't wearing a long ass skirt then I would tell you.'' 

'' Enough. The announce was clear that everyone was welcomed-''

'' We were drunk Hajime.''

''-if she lifts it, she get's the money. That's it.''

Danuja made a fist from her hand before relaxing, rolling her neck slowly.

'' Which Club do you think they are from?''

----

'' Thank you for participated in our contest....'' Hayate talked slowly staring at Kana hands that were counting the money. It was pretty big for a Weightlifting Club but then again if they wanted to use it as food money it was understanding.

'' Thank you for having us.'' Danuja smirked, throwing her jacket over her shoulder and guiding Kana out of the small, smelly gym

Back in the gym, a barbell weighting 160 kg was standing ominously.