Of course, the exact nature of the rewards in the half-star and one-star pools was still just a hypothesis. It might not be accurate at all — after all, the sample size was far too small.
You'd need to pull from each pool at least ten times before making any final judgment.
After all, you can't buy a single Jack & Jones item and claim you favor Nordic fashion, nor buy a pair of Uniqlo socks and say you love Japanese style. Strip it down to the truth — it's just that your paycheck hasn't come in yet, so you can't afford anything else.
After some serious deliberation, Uchiha Mai ultimately decided to go with another half-star draw, giving the damned system one last sliver of trust.
He opened the familiar pool and spent 100 Fashion Points. The wheel spun briefly, then stopped — no flashy effects, no buildup of suspense.
[Jean-Claude Van Damme's Spinning Kick · Half-Star]As the name implies, this reward allows the host to rapidly master Jean-Claude Van Damme's spinning kick. With deeper study, the host can further unlock more of Van Damme's leg techniques.
"…Huh."
This was truly a case of getting a pillow the moment you felt sleepy. Mai was extremely satisfied with this half-star reward — it was exactly what he needed right now.
Jean-Claude Van Damme was someone Mai had heard of before: a legendary Hollywood action star from the late twentieth century, once standing shoulder to shoulder with Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
And unlike many stereotypical Western action stars, Van Damme wasn't just muscles — he had real skill.
During the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the '70s and '80s, martial arts and action films dominated the scene, producing icons like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.
Van Damme had been a skinny child. By chance, he encountered Hong Kong martial arts films and became obsessed with kung fu movies — and Bruce Lee in particular.
Starting at age ten, he trained in karate, taekwondo, Muay Thai, and other combat arts, competing extensively and achieving an impressive record of 48 wins and 4 losses.
As an adult, he transitioned into acting and skyrocketed to fame, earning the title of "Hollywood's No.1 Leg Star." His kicking techniques were not only visually stunning, but also highly effective in real combat.
Van Damme specialized in leg techniques. Might Guy specialized in leg techniques.
Van Damme idolized Bruce Lee. And Guy's real-world inspiration? Anyone with eyes could tell — it was Bruce Lee.
Everything lined up perfectly.
As for complaints that Van Damme's kicks were too flashy or less practical than modern MMA…
This was the ninja world.
Fully satisfied, Mai accepted the skill. After dinner, he fell into a deep sleep. The next day, he went to the Ninja Academy as usual and spent his free time studying and refining Van Damme's leg techniques.
Asuma — who had previously been hospitalized with a concussion after being punched — had finally recovered and returned to the academy, intending to reclaim his lost dignity with his underlings.
Instead, he saw Uchiha Mai finish playing the harmonica and dancing, then walk over to a small tree and begin brutally practicing high whip kicks.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
After just a few kicks, the skin on his shin split open, blood seeping out. The tree itself snapped cleanly in half at the waist.
Mai casually grabbed a roll of bandages and some medicine, wrapped his leg, switched to another tree — and kept kicking.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The academy's resident delinquent boss swallowed hard and unconsciously stopped walking.
Was this guy insane?
Even if you don't care about your own legs, shouldn't you at least care about Konoha's greenery?
Someone who was this ruthless to himself would be even more ruthless to others. If he went over now, he'd probably get kicked straight into permanent disability.
Not only would he become a laughingstock at the academy — his entire future might be over.
Asuma quietly made up his mind: from now on, he'd avoid Uchiha Mai whenever possible. After graduating, he'd find a chance to leave Konoha altogether.
He'd heard that Uchiha were all proud, vindictive people who never let grudges go. One dirty kick and his life would be finished.
"Boss, why aren't we moving?" one of his lackeys asked, poking him in the side. "Didn't you say we were going to jump that guy together?"
In Konoha, groups of kids ganging up on one kid was pretty common. It was called righteous justice by numbers.
Smack!
Asuma — the number-one delinquent of the Ninja Academy — turned around and slapped the kid on the head.
"Beat him, beat him — every day all you think about is fighting and bullying classmates," he scolded."We're all people of Konoha, inheritors of the Will of Fire. We're supposed to be united and loving.
"You've followed me for so long — how did you learn nothing good at all?"
The lackey scratched his head. Weren't you the one who said we should deal with him? How is this suddenly my fault?
"Then… what about Sister-in-Law?" another lackey asked timidly.
"Sister-in-law" referred to Kurenai Yūhi. Despite their age, Asuma's little group functioned like a full-fledged campus gang.
It had the vibe.
Right on cue, little Kurenai — still a child — walked over shyly with a towel and a cup of brown sugar water, offering a few words of concern to Uchiha Mai.
Seeing this scene, the emotional damage Asuma suffered was even worse than Naruto watching Sakura fuss over Sasuke in Shippuden.
After all, Sakura had never liked Naruto.
But little Kurenai and Asuma had once shared a time of innocent childhood closeness.
Something once possessed, then lost, could never be treated as though it had never existed.
Asuma stood there, staring blankly at the two chatting and laughing together, feeling like a complete outsider.
Bang!
He slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk. The blow was so hard that the skin on his knuckles was scraped open by the rough bark, blood seeping out.
Sunlight filtered through the lush green canopy above, dappled shadows falling across Asuma's body and making his loneliness all the more pronounced.
Gritting his teeth, Asuma said,
"Let's just treat it as him going off to gain experience.
"How many people meet the right one the first time their heart stirs? How many people are born knowing how to love, how to tolerate, how to be patient?
"Without going through a few failed relationships — learning lessons and gaining experience — how can anyone understand the weight of the word love?
"That pretty-boy Uchiha Mai — just look at him. He's obviously cold-hearted and fickle. He doesn't truly like Kurenai.
"When Kurenai experiences more, when she finally sees Uchiha Mai's cold and heartless nature, she'll understand how important someone who truly loves her really is.
"And only then will she truly cherish what I feel for her.
"That… will be the perfect time for me and a truly mature Kurenai to be together."
Asuma rattled off lines straight out of some third-rate romance novel, convincing his underlings — and, more importantly, convincing himself.
The lackeys suddenly understood, their admiration for their boss growing even stronger.
As expected of the Hokage's son, the academy's top dog — his level of thinking was truly on another plane!
As for Asuma's self-comforting mental gymnastics, Uchiha Mai knew absolutely nothing about it. If he had, he would've instantly recognized it for what it was: classic simp logic, emotionally preparing for a future rebound.
As for little Kurenai, Mai had zero interest.
A real man goes for the busty type — anything under a 36E doesn't even register in Uchiha Mai's eyes.
Women only slow down my punches.But big boobs don't.
(End of Chapter)
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