Chapter 24: Physical Education Class

In the end, the two loaves of bread were evenly divided among the three.

Regardless of the fact that it was offered by a beautiful girl, Rei couldn't stomach the fried noodle bread; it was just too dry.

After lunch, Umaru and Hana returned to the second-grade classroom. Ai, on the other hand, sought permission from the teacher and was promptly picked up by a black car, heading to the studio for performance rehearsals.

In physical education class, boys and girls were divided, which left these energetic teenagers feeling quite uneasy. While the first two years were rather lax in terms of sports requirements, things changed in the third year of high school. Now, physical education was factored into the college entrance exam results, and the carefree ogling of girls during the physical education class became a thing of the past.

"Attention! Yesterday's lesson has been reviewed, and today we're conducting another physical fitness test: 100-meter run, softball throwing, rapid long jump, pull-ups, and the final 1500 meters. These were the same one's done yesterday and will follow the same order. " The PE teacher, sporting red activewear, addressed the boys in the class.

Soon, a chorus of sighs swept through.

"This is going to be rough..."

"My thighs are still sore from yesterday."

"I'm not in the mood to run. Just looking at the playground makes me sick."

"I feel like I'm getting sick, I can't run."

"Why are you all whining so much? Act like a man. You're all just tiny pups."

"Seriously, who said that! Stand up!"

"It's that kid Baki, don't let him run!" Iori grumbled.

Baki: "???"

Why can't I enjoy my peace here? Now I have to deal with this too?

Baki, too, stood on the sidelines. Dressed in long pants and sleeves compared to the students in shorts and short sleeves, he concealed his well-built physique beneath the fabric. The cast on his left hand had also been removed by him at noon. He gazed blankly at the students stepping onto the track. This was the first time he'd taken the physical fitness test.

His gaze inevitably landed on Rei.

Cloaked in shorts and short sleeves, Rei's slender physique appeared more robust with the added layer. Somehow, this guy managed to pull it off.

"Rei, let's have a little competition." Baki flashed a toothy grin at Rei, though a bruise still marred his face.

"Hey, Baki, what are you daydreaming about? We're ready! " The PE teacher inched closer, noticing Baki standing in the front row without making a move.

"Huh? Oh, right." Baki belatedly realized that his track mates were already crouched in a starting position. Once he snapped back to reality, the coach gave the signal, and in an instant, everyone else shot forward.

"Just run over there for the 100 meters."

"Rei, get ready to see my power!" Determined, Baki imitated the starting position of the others. He slammed his legs into the ground, propelling himself forward...

... or at least that was the intention.

The force of his push created a small hole in the ground, launching Baki into the air. Mid-flight, he unwittingly tilted forward, managing to right himself and land gracefully.

"Baki! Zero points! What kind of start was that?!" The PE teacher blew the whistle, reprimanding Baki with a sharp strike on his head. After the scolding, he didn't let Baki attempt the run again, instead gesturing, "Next group."

Rei relaxed his limbs. The school's test was just a casual run for him.

"Get ready... Go!" When the whistle blew, Rei shot forward like a well-aimed arrow.

With an impressive speed that would satisfy most, he effortlessly reached the finish line.

[[Running] proficiency 1%]

"Rei, perfect score for the 100 meters."

Throughout the run, Rei adjusted his form based on the starting and stepping techniques from his LV2 running skills. After the 100-meter sprint, he approached Baki and whispered, "Think of the school test as a game. Taking it too seriously won't yield good results."

"Thanks." Baki quickly pieced things together, thankful for Rei's advice. He'd been immersed in his own world for too long, automatically assuming everyone was a martial artist.

Softball throwing, full score.

[[Throwing] proficiency 1%]

Rapid long jump, full score.

[[Jump] proficiency 1%]

Pull-ups, full score.

[[Pull-up] proficiency 2%]

1500 meters, a perfect score.

[[Running] proficiency 1%]

Rei secured countless perfect score's, and Baki, after following Rei's advice and adopting a more playful mindset, managed not to embarrass himself.

Once all the tests were completed, Iori and Motoharu immediately surrounded Rei, glancing around curiously.

"Are you sure you're Rei and not an alien?"

"You told us to rot together, and here you are, secretly becoming strong!"

The two friends grumbled, with Iori boasting good physical fitness - achieving full marks in running - and Motoharu barely scraping by, excelling only in sprinting. Otherwise, he fell into the category of true sports underachievers.

Before Rei's awakening, he was even less adept than Motoharu. He was the type who seemed like he might pass out from just climbing the stairs every day.

"I never expected Rei to be so athletically gifted. Why haven't I seen this side of him before? Suddenly, I find Rei quite dashing... is that what they are saying?" Motoharu pointed across the playground, separated by barbed wire, where a group of girls had gathered. The girls were clearly commenting.

Iori looked at Motoharu skeptically. "How do you know?"

"I've been learning lip reading so I can understand what the lovely girls are saying from a distance. With full knowledge of the situation, I can plan the perfect encounter to make a girl fall in love with me." Motoharu pushed up his glasses, which boasted a five dioptre prescription.

Iori: "..."

Baki: "..."

Rei: "..."

"Can't you learn some normal skills?"

Rei slung an arm around Motoharu, speaking in a mentor like tone. "Motoharu, I think it's more practical to focus on making money. In this day and age, marriage is in the hands of the God of Wealth."

Iori draped an arm around Motoharu from the other side, offering his own advice. "Well, if you have a handsome face like me, finding a girlfriend is a breeze." Baki was also familiar with Iori and Motoharu. Even if he excelled in the world of martial arts, he was still just an eighteen-year-old kid. He interjected quickly, "Once you become strong enough, finding a girlfriend is easy."

While the sentiment was good, it grated on the ears of Iori and Motoharu. Rei was fine, surrounded by beautiful girls, though he didn't have a girlfriend (even if the two boys thought otherwise). But Baki, this guy, had been in a relationship with Kozue Matsumoto from Class Four for quite some time! This ready-for-action fellow!

"If you have a girlfriend, please don't talk to us."

"There's no room for you to talk here."

"As Iori said, there's already a sad, impenetrable barrier between us."

Rei nodded. Indeed, Iori did say that.

Baki: "..."

You're quite sceptic.

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