Chapter 150 - 150: Only by enduring hardships can one become the greatest

On the way home, Haru couldn't stop thinking about Haruno's behavior earlier. Was it really the alcohol? If not, then what was her reason for doing that? Surely, a kiss couldn't just be part of some prank, could it? Having known Haruno for so many years, Haru knew full well that she had never been in a romantic relationship. Which meant, if he hadn't reacted so quickly, her first kiss would have been given away right there. "You've really put me in a tough spot," he muttered. He couldn't come up with an answer the entire way home. If Haruno liked him, the possibility seemed very small. Because over the years, she had plenty of chances to "make a move" on him, yet she had never shown any intention until today. "She's a little sister complex, after all. She wouldn't steal her younger sister's boyfriend, right?" That night, he received a message from Haruno. He had thought she would explain, or maybe come up with a reasonable excuse, and he hoped to use the opportunity to find an answer. But what he got was a simple message: "Next time, don't run away." And she attached an adorable little penguin shaking its head emoji. Haru nearly froze. After a few seconds, he replied with a complicated expression: "You really are something, Haruno-san. It was such an awkward moment, and you didn't even bother to explain?" Haruno: "I already explained, didn't I? I was a bit drunk earlier, and after I got home, I lay on my bed for two hours to recover." Haru: "Drunkenness is your excuse." Haruno: "Hehe, if you don't believe me, how about we do a video call? I can chat with you face-to-face." A video call? Haru didn't refuse the idea. A video call would allow him to see the other person's face and better observe Haruno's expression. However, Haruno's next message instantly made him rethink the idea of a video call. Haruno: "I'm in the bathtub right now, no clothes on. Do you want to see?" Haru: "No, thank you." He put down his phone and fell into deep thought again. At just that moment, Yukino finished her bath and came back. Seeing Haru's strange expression, she asked curiously, "What's wrong?" Haru muttered to himself, "Your sister's sick, seems pretty bad." Yukino raised an eyebrow. She took off her headband, letting her soft hair cascade down, and while adjusting it, she sat down on the bed. "Did my sister contact you just now?" Haru nodded. "Not only did she contact me, but she also wanted to do a video call." Yukino nonchalantly replied, "Then go ahead and answer it. I'll accompany you to see what she's up to." "Uh... she's in the bathtub, no clothes on." Yukino froze for a second, her head throbbing as she muttered, "That sounds like something she would do as a prank." The matter was temporarily shelved. In the following days, Haru continued to attend the karate competitions in the afternoons with the team. Thanks to his monstrous [Steel Body lv2] his team won both in group and individual matches, advancing all the way. Due to the frequent matches, his[Steel Body] was also close to leveling up. By the day of the quarter-finals, Yukino and Utaha had taken the day off to come to the venue. Megumi arrived a little later, saying she was stuck in traffic. Since Haru decisively defeated his opponents with a single move in every match, he quickly caught the attention of the reporters. When the reporters saw his physical appearance, their eyes immediately lit up. This was a natural born star! "Why did I not notice Amamiya Haru before? With his looks and physique, he's got traffic just by standing there." "Now would be a good time to follow him... But have you noticed? The two girls with him are also beautiful." "Two? I think there are four. That short-haired girl is pretty too, and their coach looks impressive as well." "You're really hungry, huh? I saw that woman smoking outside the bathroom two days ago." Soon, Yukino and the others noticed that almost all the reporters in the venue had gathered around them, cameras aimed at Haru. "Looks like you're going to be famous, Haru." Haruno, who had specially come today, chuckled with a mischievous grin. Yukino, aware of the situation, took a few steps back to ensure she wouldn't end up in the frame. Utaha, noticing Yukino's movements, asked curiously, "You don't want to be in the picture?" "Mm." "But, I do" Utaha said, standing boldly next to Haru. Their picture was snapped, and it was clear that the two of them exuded a perfect match, a couple of talent and beauty. Yukino's expression darkened. This senpai of hers was getting bolder and bolder! Although Yukino understood that Utaha was probably still upset about that phone call incident from the other night, she couldn't just let her do whatever she wanted. Yukino immediately reached out and grabbed Utaha's arm. "Eh?" Without waiting for Utaha's response, Yukino pulled her back. "Don't block my view of the match." Utaha chuckled bitterly, "You're getting upset already?" Yukino's expression remained flat, "You're blocking my eyes. Please don't talk, senpai." Utaha's smile froze as she felt the irritation building up. Before long, it was time for Haru to go up for his match. As he stepped onto the floor, the reporters continued to follow him. One eager reporter approached with a microphone, asking enthusiastically, "Amamiya-san, your opponent is the reigning third-place champion, and since this is an open-weight category, he's a full 10 kilograms heavier than you. Do you have anything to say to him?" Haru glanced at the reporter. "Why don't you ask if I'm confident or something?" "Ah? I didn't think of that." "Are you hoping for some pre-match trash talk, looking for a big story?" "…" "By the way Mr. reporter, are you married? Have any kids? If you don't have a girlfriend, I can introduce you to one." "Stop, just stop!" The reporter, flustered and embarrassed, quickly backed away. Yukino and the others watched in amusement. "Haha, what did they talk about?" Shizuka blurted out, laughing. "Probably just some nonsense," Yukino replied calmly. Haruno shook her head with a smile. "No, based on Haru's personality, he probably just turned the reporter's attempt to make a big headline on its head." "I agree with Haruno-san," Utaha chimed in, her smile as sweet as ever. This was her subtle way of siding with Haruno against Yukino. Megumi, looking around, was thoroughly confused. "What's going on with Utaha-senpai? If she wants to clash with Yukino, I get it, but why is she agreeing with her sister? Aren't the Yukinoshita sisters a team?" At that point, Haru had entered the ring. His opponent was a tall, muscular guy with dark skin. The reporters weren't exaggerating. The opponent's physique was indeed at least 10 kilograms heavier than Haru's. "I've been watching you since the other day," his opponent spoke first, his tone calm and without hostility. Haru smiled politely. "Oh? And what do you think?" "You're impressive. It's clear you've been practicing karate since you were a kid. But unfortunately, your victory ends here." The opponent tightened his fists, his emotions now fired up. "I'm not just here for myself. I'm here for my friends, my bonds, my passion and my classmates!" Haru looked at him with a strange expression. Is he… a Chuunibyou? Is he going to shout about his "power of friendship" next? Haru straightened up and said, "I respect that. I can feel your courage and determination. It's truly admirable." His opponent, energized by the compliment, puffed out his chest and raised his battle spirit. "Then you must know, you have no chance of advancing." The referee, standing by, scratched his head. "Are you two going to fight or what?" Under the irritated gaze of the referee, Haru and the opponent officially began their match. The opponent didn't test the waters like the students from the other day. Clearly, he had watched Haru's previous matches and was worried about being defeated in a single move. He took a decisive step forward and launched a powerful middle kick, coming at Haru with full force. The kick was fast and fierce, clearly showing that the opponent's strength was real and not to be underestimated. Unfortunately, he was up against Haru, who seemed to has a cheat code. "Sorry, I need to bring a championship to the Karate Club." Facing such a fierce kick, Haru even had the time to speak. As his words left his mouth, Haru slightly retreated, allowing the opponent's kick to miss. In the next moment, Haru casually lifted his leg in a sweeping motion. The speed was astonishing, and the opponent didn't even have time to dodge, being swept off his feet and crashing to the ground. In a normal Karate match, if a sweep connects, a fighter would typically follow up with another technique to score more points. But Haru didn't do that. The opponent lay on the ground, clutching his calf, sweat beading on his forehead, his face contorted in pain. Haru turned to the dazed referee and said, "It's over." The referee blinked. "Huh?" Haru didn't say anything else. He waited silently for more than ten seconds with the confused referee, watching as the opponent struggled to stand, eventually giving in and surrendering. "How did you do that?" The referee, still shocked, announced the victory but couldn't hide his astonishment. Haru responded seriously, "His speed and explosive power are actually impressive among people his age. It's just that I'm better." He was telling the truth, but few people believed him. The reporters by the sidelines didn't believe it either. The judges, sitting further away, began to whisper among themselves. "Did you see that? How much force do you think that kick had?" "I couldn't tell, but I suspect he didn't even use his full power." "Are you joking? A kick that leaves someone unable to stand? That's already terrifying. The previous champions couldn't do that." The Karate Club teammates around the arena remained calm. They had gotten used to small scenes like this. "Amamiya must have been training double in private to reach this level," the Karate Club captain sighed. Others nodded in agreement. After all, when Haru practiced with them, he was always the one who lasted the longest and never needed a break. The captain sighed again, "I remember the motivational talk Amamiya gave me before." "What talk?" "'Only by enduring the greatest hardships can you become the greatest,' This is believing in the power of light." "President, maybe you should see a doctor?"