Chapter 114 - 114: Yukino – I Want to see!

Time passed day by day, and soon, it was the last Wednesday of September. During the afternoon PE class, Haru's class was paired with Yukino's Class B. He couldn't help but suspect that the school principal— that old man— had arranged this on purpose. After all, just moments ago, he had seen the principal strolling by with a grin on his face. The boys and girls had separate activities— the girls were either warming up or playing volleyball, while the boys gathered around the high jump setup. Thanks to Haru's efforts over the summer break, the classmates who had participated as extras in the film project had also gotten to know the members of the Photography Club. Because of that, Yukino was no longer isolated like before. Now, there were three or four girls surrounding her, their expressions full of curiosity. Judging by their excited chatter, they were most likely gossiping about her and Haru. "Well, looks like my efforts weren't in vain. As long as you take action, things will change." Haru watched the harmonious scene on Yukino's side and couldn't help but smile. Yukino, who had already been glancing in his direction, noticed his smile and responded with a small smile of her own. "Haru, what are you spacing out for? It's your turn!" A voice called out from beside him— it was Furukawa. At school, this "trap" still maintained his well-behaved student persona. Aside from Haru, no one else knew about his particular hobby. Haru withdrew his gaze from Yukino and turned to the teacher in charge of recording scores. Casually, he asked, "What's the height now?" Furukawa chuckled. "1.45 meters. That should be a breeze for you. Back when I was your extra in that film, I heard you've been working out for years." "Yeah, Amamiya, don't embarrass yourself! The girls are watching—show some spirit!" a few other boys chimed in with teasing grins. Haru made an "OK" gesture with his hand. "This guy even knows English?" A burst of laughter erupted among the boys. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Haru started his approach run. His form was textbook—an arcing sprint, a well-timed jump, and at the peak of his motion, his body bent into a graceful arch before landing effortlessly on the mat. [You are taking off. (Jump) EXP +129] A system prompt flashed before his eyes. He had long since grown accustomed to it. "That was a perfect Fosbury Flop. You're a pro, aren't you?" The teacher chuckled. "I've trained a little before." "You made that look way too easy. Want to go higher? I think you can clear 1.6 meters." The teacher was experienced—he could tell Haru was holding back. After a brief moment of thought, Haru agreed. The height wasn't anything outrageous. A few athletic students in the class, seeing the bar raised, also became eager to test themselves. This immediately stirred excitement among the onlookers. A normally dull PE class had suddenly become much more interesting. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the highly classified Sobu High School Intra-Squad High Jump Championship! Please maintain order and avoid trampling incidents." "First up, our contestant: Amamiya Haru! With exceptional physique, it's rumored that he won his first-ever Southeast Asian free-fighting tournament back in 2015!" Amid the jeering commentary, Haru and two others easily cleared 1.6 meters. However, as the height increased again, one of them, after three attempts, failed to clear it. "Contestant #8, Kashino, has been eliminated!" "Kashino, are you throwing the match? Weren't you in the volleyball club? Come on, unleash your chakra already!" The boys' side grew increasingly raucous. What had started as two students jokingly commentating had now turned into a full-blown spectacle. A simple high jump event had transformed into a battle fueled by their burning chuunibyou spirits. "They seem really into it," one of the girls remarked. The noise had drawn the girls' attention—they could no longer focus on their own activities. "Yukinoshita, who do you think will win? Amamiya or Yabuki?" one of the girls next to Yukino asked excitedly. Yukino answered without hesitation, "Of course, Haru." A chorus of "Ooooh~" followed from the girls. Yukino sighed. "You don't have to act so over-the-top. It makes you look…" She had almost said "stupid," but then she remembered how her boyfriend had helped her improve her relationships and even helped her make new friends. So, she smoothly changed the topic. "Haru has been good at sports since he was a kid. Whether it's running or jumping, he's been impressive ever since elementary school." One of the girls teased, "But Yabuki participated in a national middle school high jump competition." Yukino looked toward the familiar figure in the distance and said softly, "High jump competitions aren't a challenge for him." The girls were stunned. They had gotten to know Yukino well enough to understand that she wasn't the type to lie about such things, nor was she someone who would exaggerate. Which was exactly why they were so shocked. Yukino didn't bother explaining further. She knew just how strong Amamiya Haru was. Strong enough to astonish even her. And, just as she expected, Haru and Yabuki engaged in a friendly showdown. By the time they reached 1.7 meters, Yabuki was completely defeated. Haru figured that was good enough. He casually cleared 1.7 meters and then deliberately failed when the bar was raised to 1.75. Even so, the recording teacher looked at him in disbelief. "You're seriously a pro, aren't you? You just broke the school record." Haru blinked. "Huh?" The already excited boys were now even more fired up, shouting for Haru to challenge the bar again. If he did, he might just set another new record. The teacher was excited as well, but instead of encouraging him recklessly, he placed a firm hand on Haru's shoulder and said, "Hold off for now. The Fosbury Flop does have some injury risks. I suggest you wait a few days until we have better safety measures in place." "No, no, I was just jumping for fun. I'm really not interested in professional high jumping," Haru immediately declined. "You're this good just messing around? If you trained properly, you could probably break the 1.8-meter youth record." "My height might be 1.8 meters, but my high jump definitely isn't." With the teacher and classmates looking at him with regret, Haru returned to his previous spot. Meanwhile, over at Yukino's side— The gossip-loving girls had rushed over to gather intel. The moment they learned that Haru had broken the school record, they excitedly ran back to report to Yukino. "Yukinoshita, why don't you look surprised at all? He just set a new record!" Facing their puzzled gazes, Yukino rested her chin on her hand, thoughtfully saying, "1.7 meters definitely isn't his limit." The girls' eyes lit up. "Wait, you mean he can go even higher? Then why did he stop?" Yukino didn't answer that. If she told the truth, Haru would definitely attract even more attention. Especially from the female student body. And Yukino wasn't the type to invite unnecessary trouble. Still, watching him just now had reminded her of something. Kato and the senior also remembered Haru because of a high jump competition they saw when they were kids. For a brief moment, Yukino felt a sense of relief. She had been steadily improving herself since childhood. Even though she wasn't yet at her "final form," she was still far ahead of her peers. Unless another girl as outstanding as Utaha suddenly appeared, she could continue to execute "precise interception" on any potential threats. — "Haru, you weren't going all out just now, were you?" Furukawa, one of Haru's closest friends, was just as curious as the rest of the class. "Why are we even discussing this? Are you guys really that interested in watching a guy high jump? It's the girls' events that are actually worth watching." Haru grinned, skillfully shifting the topic. Furukawa shook his head. "That's not the point here." The other friend chimed in. "Yeah, we're trying to figure out your true battle power." Haru smirked. "You guys don't have a Dragon Ball scouter—how are you supposed to measure my real battle power?" "…Good point. I'll go buy one after school." The three of them laughed and joked around until, suddenly, Furukawa lowered his voice and made a request. "My handmade Ultraman suit is finally complete. Can you do me a favor and be the suit actor?" "You know how to make those?" Haru was genuinely surprised. Then, after a brief moment of thought—well, considering Furukawa was a cross-dresser, maybe being good with his hands was just part of the package. Yeah, that made sense. Furukawa gave a somewhat shy smile. "I've been learning how to make them since middle school." Haru asked, "Which Ultraman did you make?" "Zero!" His excitement was palpable—his voice even got louder. Then, in a quieter tone, he added, "I'm too short to look good in it, so I made it a bigger size." Haru glanced at their other friend. "Why not ask him?" Before Furukawa could respond, the other guy immediately waved his hands frantically. "Haru, don't mess with me! I don't work out at all—my stomach's just fat." "Haru, I'm begging you!" Furukawa clasped his hands together in a desperate plea. Haru was just about to agree when he asked a few more questions—and found out that Furukawa wanted him to wear the suit in public. Apparently, he wanted to film an "Ultraman goes out in the city" video for keepsakes. Haru instantly refused. "Furukawa, did you forget? That would be copyright infringement." "We're not making money off of it, and I was only planning to shoot a short clip near my house. Please, Haru! Your physique is absolutely perfect for it." His words were filled with sincerity. Haru was deeply moved. And then he rejected him anyway. If it were just filming something indoors, he wouldn't have minded helping. But going out in an Ultraman suit? Yeah… that felt way too embarrassing. It was completely different from his "Hooded Hero" persona. Although Furukawa looked disappointed, he didn't push the matter any further. After school, Haru casually mentioned the conversation to Yukino while they were in the photography club. To his surprise, her lips curved upward, and a dazzling smile spread across her face. "Don't you love tokusatsu? This is a perfect match for you." Haru froze. Oh no. She wanted to see him do it. Still clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, "You really want to see this?" "Yes." Yukino nodded. "You really, really want to see it? You're not just messing with me?" "I wouldn't waste my time on something so pointless." That was it. Haru could tell for sure now. She genuinely wanted to see it. And when it came to Yukino's requests— He never refused.