"That's right."
After receiving Asagiri Utsunomiya's affirmative answer, the physical education teacher's face showed an expression like he had pulled an SSR character in a notoriously stingy gacha game. His originally serious face instantly relaxed, and he couldn't wait to speak.
"Utsunomiya, come join our track and field club! As long as you join, I guarantee that with your talent, you will definitely win the national championships... No, it's even possible to win a world-class competition!!!"
This physical education teacher never expected his luck to be this good, to be able to encounter the legendary SSR-level transfer student, the person every sports club desperately wanted to recruit, Asagiri Utsunomiya, in this place!
How exaggerated was Asagiri Utsunomiya's resume?
If, during his middle school years, he had only won one of the national championships in basketball, tennis, or badminton, then most likely, only the corresponding sports club would have extended an invitation to him. After all, the differences between different sports are significant, and someone good at basketball doesn't necessarily have talent for tennis.
But Asagiri Utsunomiya, during his middle school years, won the championships in these three events for two consecutive terms. What kind of value is that? This is a sports genius rarely seen in a hundred years!
How much preparation did the sports clubs at Shuchi'in Academy do today to recruit him? How many coaches in charge of male clubs went to beg the girls' sports clubs to borrow a few good-looking senior female students, just so they could attract Asagiri Utsunomiya's attention when he appeared at the club recruitment area? After all, what hot-blooded high school boy doesn't like good-looking senior girls?
As a result, no one expected that Asagiri Utsunomiya, as a new student on his first day of school, didn't go to the club recruitment area at all, but instead came directly to the gym!
Didn't he just run into this sports genius?!
"Track and field club?" Facing the physical education teacher's invitation, Asagiri Utsunomiya smiled and shook his head. "No interest. I don't want to join any club."
"Can you really not reconsider?" Even though the physical education teacher had already anticipated this answer, he still asked stubbornly.
How much this physical education teacher wished that Asagiri Utsunomiya was just a student with a sports specialty. In that case, whether Asagiri Utsunomiya joined the track and field club or not, he would eventually join some sports club and finally shine on the stage of the high school national championships.
As a physical education teacher at Shuchi'in Academy, he would also get some credit.
Unfortunately... things didn't go as planned.
Asagiri Utsunomiya wasn't just a two-time national champion in three sports, a genius rarely seen in a hundred years; he was also the top scorer in the national joint entrance exam and the Shuchiin High School Department's entrance exam.
A genius student of this level might join some clubs just for leisure and to pass the time, but they would likely not join sports clubs that require daily practice, consume a lot of time, and could affect their grades.
"I'm not considering it."
"Ah, alright then."
The physical education teacher sighed helplessly, hiding his disappointed mood, forced a smile, nodded, and then turned to leave.
Looking at his extremely dejected back, as if the physical education teacher had suddenly shrunk considerably, Asuna Yuuki spoke with a low voice, "Why do I feel... like I just witnessed a scene where someone mustered up the courage to confess, but was ruthlessly rejected?"
Asagiri Utsunomiya spread his hands and replied in a flat tone, "I originally didn't have much interest in sports or anything like that anyway."
Asuna Yuuki was a little curious and asked, "Then why did you participate in national championships for three events during middle school?"
"Because I was bored." Asagiri Utsunomiya first answered like this, then added: "But now, I've found something even more interesting than sports competitions."
Asuna Yuuki followed Asagiri Utsunomiya towards the area where dumbbells were placed, lowering her voice as she asked, "Are you talking about the Survival Game?"
"No, I'm talking about teasing you."
"Huh?" Asuna Yuuki was caught off guard, a blush spread across her pretty face, and she stammered. "You... you, what are you suddenly saying..."
Seeing Asuna Yuuki's reaction, Asagiri Utsunomiya said, slightly speechless: "I'm being sarcastic, why are you getting shy? One look and it's clear, definitely a pure love-struck idiot."
"You guy..." Asuna Yuuki lightly bit her lower lip, looking sulky but also helpless against the culprit, appearing angry with a hint of grievance.
Asagiri Utsunomiya ignored the aggrieved Asuna Yuuki, simply took down a black dumbbell from the rack that looked very heavy, with '40KG' written on the handle, bent down, and placed it on the ground in front of her. He said to her, "Here, this. Try it, see if you can lift it with one hand."
Looking at the heavy dumbbell in front of her, Asuna Yuuki first took a deep breath, then adjusted her breathing again, and finally held her breath, bent down, and gripped the handle of the black dumbbell with one hand, attempting to lift it from the ground.
"Mm..." Asuna Yuuki's face became even redder. Only Asagiri Utsunomiya could make such a cute, delicate, and Ojou-sama type beautiful girl blush three times within just one minute.
Of course, only the first time was a blush of shyness, the second time was getting close to breaking point from anger, and the third time was from exerting too much force.
"*Huff*..."
After using all her strength for nearly ten seconds, but the black dumbbell on the ground still didn't budge, Asuna Yuuki finally chose to give up. With a flushed face, she looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya with some embarrassment and whispered.
"Sorry... I can't lift it..."
"What's there to apologize for?"
Asagiri Utsunomiya picked up the black dumbbell, put it back on the rack, and then walked out of the gym with Asuna Yuuki.
"It seems the basic class, Swordsman, that you acquired from the reward doesn't have a passive bonus that improves overall physical ability, or the improvement is negligible. This is even after you achieved an A+ rating. It seems the so-called novice dungeons are just tutorial levels for Players to adapt to the dungeon rhythm, and it's very difficult to obtain overly powerful rewards."
Asuna Yuuki nodded. As she walked out of the gym with Asagiri Utsunomiya, she suddenly seemed to remember something, parting her lips as if to ask a question, but in the end, she didn't speak.
Just now... she remembered Asagiri Utsunomiya had specifically taken that black dumbbell off the rack and placed it on the ground.
Was he worried that if she couldn't lift it and the dumbbell slipped off the rack, it might fall and injure her?
Could it be, this is the legendary 'tsundere' who says one thing but means another?