"What!? Neither of you managed to take down Oliver?!"
Inside the judo club's activity room, Aota stared in disbelief at the two club members who had returned empty-handed.
If it was still within reason that Sakuragi Hanamichi could defeat the three members of the judo club—given his raw strength and unpredictable nature—then Oliver's effortless victory over two trained judo fighters was completely unexpected.
"Could it be that Oliver is a hidden martial arts master? No way… he doesn't even look like someone who's undergone serious physical training…"
Aota frowned, puzzled, trying to make sense of it.
"Boss, that guy is seriously tough! He's from the Celestial Empire, and everyone from the Celestial Empire knows Kung Fu!"
One of the members blurted out, nodding emphatically.
"Yeah! No matter how hard you try, you can't land a single hit. He's like a slippery loach!"
"Beat?"
Aota's eyes narrowed. Then, a moment later, realization hit him—and his expression darkened.
"Who told you to 'fight'? What happened to all the judo training you've done? If you're just throwing punches, then you're no better than some untrained amateur!"
He grabbed one of the members and, without hesitation, flipped him with a perfect cross armbar.
"Ow, ow, ow!! It hurts!!"
The unfortunate student slapped the floor quickly, tapping out in surrender. Only then did Aota release his grip.
"Judo is all about control! You're supposed to use your opponent's strength against them—not throw wild punches. If you had calmly used your judo skills, we'd have already convinced Sakuragi Hanamichi to join us long ago!"
The reprimanded members looked down in shame, not daring to speak.
Aota crossed his arms, still annoyed, but slightly more contemplative.
"But… I'll admit, Oliver must be really capable if he defeated both of you. I wonder… would he be interested in joining the Judo Club?"
He paused, deep in thought.
Akagi had told him that Oliver had a deep passion for basketball, one that rivaled Akagi's own. Akagi had spent years trying to recruit him into the judo club to no avail. If even Akagi couldn't persuade him, then it would be difficult now too.
Forget it. Focus on Sakuragi Hanamichi instead!
Determined, Aota turned and left the activity room.
"If my subordinates can't handle it, I'll do it myself!"
He stormed down the stairs, making loud thudding noises. The first-year classrooms were on the first floor, and Aota peered inside—but there was no sign of Sakuragi.
"Hmm? Strange... where did he go?"
He looked around, rubbing his chin.
"Could he be in the restroom? Or maybe the canteen…?"
"AH!!"
A sudden realization struck Aota. At the end of the corridor, walking gracefully toward him, was Akagi Haruko, chatting with her friends.
"It's Haruko!"
Panicking, Aota dove behind a wall. From his hidden spot, he peeked out and gazed at her adoringly.
Haruko stood by the corridor windowsill in her school uniform, laughing and chatting under the golden sunlight. The rays lit up her smiling face, making her glow with beauty.
"Haruko… you're so beautiful..."
"Right? Haruko-chan is so pretty..."
"..."
"..."
The unexpected voice beside him made Aota's eyes twitch. He slowly turned and came face-to-face with a tall figure, red-haired and completely dazed.
"AHH! Sakuragi Hanamichi!?"
"Shhh!! Keep your voice down! Haruko-chan might hear!"
Sakuragi quickly clamped his hand over Aota's mouth and motioned for silence.
Aota looked again at Sakuragi, who was crouching behind the wall, eyes glued to Haruko, and a little drool at the corner of his mouth.
"This guy… he really is doing all this just for Haruko..."
Though he didn't want to admit it, Aota had to acknowledge it: Sakuragi's behavior was exactly like his own.
Aota and Akagi were childhood friends. Aota had fallen in love with Haruko the moment he met her as a kid—love at first sight.
And now Sakuragi was head over heels too.
He was absolutely sure of it—Sakuragi was completely obsessed with Haruko.
"Sakuragi Hanamichi!"
Aota patted him on the back, formally introducing himself.
"I'm Aota Tatsuhiko, head of the Judo Club. Sakuragi, would you like to join our judo team?"
"No."
Sakuragi replied instantly, without a moment's hesitation.
"Wha—Why not?! Judo is fun! If you join us, I guarantee we'll win the national championship!"
"Still no."
"But why??"
"Hey! You're being super annoying! I'm trying to watch Haruko here—how are you going to compensate for ruining the mood?"
Sakuragi turned around and scowled at Aota, clearly irritated.
"Listen to me, Sakuragi! You're a natural-born judo genius! You're destined to be a master! If you join the Judo Club, you'll shine brighter than ever before!"
"Didn't I tell you already? I'm not interested! I promised Haruko I'd lead the basketball team to victory, and I'm going to keep that promise!"
As Sakuragi stubbornly made his point, he turned around and thumped his chest for emphasis—completely unaware that someone was approaching from behind.
"Hmm? Sakuragi-kun? What are you doing here?"
"WAAAAHH!!"
Haruko's voice made Sakuragi jump. He quickly stood up straight, nervously scratched his head, and gave an awkward smile.
"Haruko-sister! Good morning!!"
"Pfft… it's already the afternoon, Sakuragi-kun."
Haruko giggled, her hand covering her mouth.
Aota and Sakuragi both froze.
"Oh… really? Hahahaha! Classic me! Didn't even realize it's afternoon already…"
"Huh? Ryu's here too~"
Haruko beamed and waved at Aota.
Click!
Sakuragi turned to stone.
(Note: In Japan, calling someone by their first name or a nickname—like "Ryu"—implies deep familiarity or closeness.)
"Ryu is here too... Ryu is here too… Ryu is here too…"
The phrase echoed endlessly in Sakuragi's head.
"Yo… Yo! Long time no see…"
Aota tried to play it cool, hands shoved into his pockets, trying to strike a relaxed pose.
"…Haruko, you've become even more beautiful."
"!!"
Haruko's face turned crimson, clearly flustered.
Aota screamed inwardly with joy.
"Yes!! I did it! I actually said that line normally! Like a normal, calm guy!!"
Sakuragi stood there sweating bullets. He looked at the shy Haruko and the smug Aota—panic building up rapidly inside him.
What is going on here???
Why did Haruko call that guy "Ryu"?
Why did she blush at his compliment??
Why can he say stuff like that so easily???
Suddenly, Sakuragi felt like he had ants crawling all over his skin. The discomfort made him want to explode.
"Ah…! I, I, I just remembered I have something to do. I'll leave you two to chat! Bye Sakuragi-kun, bye Ryu!"
Haruko awkwardly bowed and ran off down the corridor, leaving behind a trembling Sakuragi and a smug Aota.
Sakuragi's aura turned dangerous. He grabbed Aota by the collar, face contorted with jealousy.
"Hey! Why did Haruko call you 'Ryu'? What's going on between you two?!"
Aota blinked, still lost in the euphoria of the moment. He smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you… jealous?"
And with that, Sakuragi completely lost it.
patreon(Jutsu_143)