Chapter 56 - 56: Yukino is still steady

"I've heard from Yukino before that you come here to spar almost every day. I didn't expect it to be true." Hiratsuka Shizuka chuckled as she patted Haru on the shoulder, throwing in a teasing remark. "Your body seems pretty solid." "I'm basically the karate club's sparring partner at this point." Haru introduced Kato Megumi to her before turning his attention to the center of the training area. Another karate club member was stepping forward. Their opponent was short—no taller than 155 cm—yet their dark skin, muscular build, and swift, aggressive movements made it clear they had been training rigorously for years. Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at the seemingly unremarkable Kato Megumi before shifting her gaze back to the match. "They're students from Aoyama High School. Our karate club performed well in last year's Osaka Youth Tournament, so the principal arranged these sparring sessions with other schools." As she spoke, the short but fierce opponent launched a relentless attack, easily taking down the second challenger. Kato Megumi instinctively commented, "He's really strong." Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded. "He's an exchange student, a third-year. I heard he's from Thailand. Since I had time today, the principal asked me to help maintain order. But honestly, I'm just here to enjoy the show." Haru said nothing further and instead walked over to Senior Oyama, who looked unusually tense. "This is the first time I've seen that expression on your face," Haru remarked. The senior froze for a moment, then lit up with relief upon seeing him. "I thought you weren't coming today." Haru smiled. "Should I get in the ring now?" Oyama shook his head. "How about waiting a bit longer? The final boss shouldn't enter the stage too soon." By the end of the conversation, even he was making jokes. At that moment, the short student in the ring clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow to his defeated opponent before shifting his gaze toward Haru. He didn't recognize Haru, so his eyes naturally landed on Senior Oyama. "Senior Oyama, I heard you're the strongest here. I'd like to challenge you." Oyama, who had just been chatting and laughing with Haru, suddenly froze. The challenger was just a regular member of Aoyama High School's karate club, yet he had skipped over the other members and directly called him out. Though the student's demeanor was serious rather than arrogant, the act itself was undoubtedly a display of confidence—one that implied no one else here was worth his time. The students from Aoyama High School seemed at ease, while their club captain stepped forward with a polite smile. "Oyama, why don't you go ahead? We've always admired your outstanding performance in last year's national tournament." His words sounded respectful, but everyone could hear the underlying provocation. Before Oyama could respond, Haru placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned. "Come on, how could I let you take such a perfect opportunity to show off?" Hearing his playful tone, Oyama instantly relaxed and chuckled. "You seriously want to go up?" "Why not? Is it against the rules?" "I mean… you're too ruthless. What if you send him to the hospital?" "I'll be careful." "Fine, just don't overdo it," Oyama warned. Haru tilted his head in mock confusion. "You've sparred with me so many times, and you're telling me to be careful?" "I meant be careful not to hit too hard!" Oyama shot back. Their exchange was loud enough for everyone to hear, and the students from Aoyama High School reacted differently—some grew serious, while others scoffed, thinking they were putting on an act. "Wait… he's actually going up?" Hiratsuka Shizuka raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. She had heard that Haru trained with the karate club, but Yukino hadn't mentioned much, so she assumed he was just working on his fitness. But seeing him step into the ring now, she suddenly realized—maybe Yukino hadn't been entirely upfront about his skills. Beside her, Kato Megumi spoke up. "Yukinoshita-san once said that Amamiya-kun is very strong." Hiratsuka turned to look at the quiet girl standing beside her and blinked in confusion. "When did you get here?" Just moments ago, Megumi had been standing more than a meter away. "I've been next to you the whole time." Megumi's tone was calm, but a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Is… is that so?" Hiratsuka rubbed her temple, wondering if she had zoned out and failed to notice. Ignored again. Megumi pursed her lips and fell silent. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Haru didn't even bother changing clothes. He simply removed his shoes and stepped onto the soft training mat. His opponent finally spoke. "I heard your conversation just now… So, are you saying you're strong?" Haru smiled politely. "I'm Amamiya Haru, first-year student, currently a professional sparring partner and substitute member of the karate club." A brief look of shock crossed the short student's face, as if he hadn't heard correctly. The students from Aoyama High School also looked puzzled—even their supervising teacher glanced at Oyama. "It's true," Oyama confirmed with a grin. Hearing this from the club captain himself, the short student's expression darkened slightly. "You're a first-year, and you're sure you want to spar with me?" "Why wouldn't I?" Haru asked calmly. The student eyed Haru's uniform and said flatly, "You won't win. I don't hold back. Losing in front of so many people might be a big blow to your confidence." "Thanks for the warning." Haru's polite smile remained unchanged. Seeing that he still intended to fight, the student snorted and assumed his stance. Haru did the same. At the referee's signal, the short student lunged forward with a swift shuffle step, throwing a powerful punch that sliced through the air with alarming speed. Most spectators expected Haru to dodge. Instead, he merely raised his arm and effortlessly blocked the punch. [You are training. (Steel Body) EXP +179][You are in combat. (Martial Arts) EXP +183] Haru's mind stirred—this was a great experience boost. His opponent, however, had suddenly frozen. "What's wrong? Not continuing?" Haru asked casually, eager to keep farming EXP. The short student's face twitched with irritation. Moments ago, when his punch landed against Haru's forearm, it had felt like slamming into solid steel. A sharp pain shot through his wrist, as if he had accidentally struck the corner of a table. The unexpected pause made the surrounding students exchange confused glances. Haru, unwilling to let the opportunity slip, encouraged him again. "Let's keep going." The student's previous composure wavered. "You've trained for impact resistance before?" he asked. "Yeah." Haru had expected this reaction. "I see… In that case, I'll go all out. You better be careful!" With that, his attacks became noticeably more aggressive. However, as Haru effortlessly blocked each blow, their repeated clashes sent sharp pain shooting through his opponent's arms. With each impact, his attacks slowed. His expression twisted in pain. Haru knew he had reached his limit. As he parried another strike, he whispered, "You're done." Then, in a flash, Haru stepped forward, shifting his weight in an explosive motion. A devastating side kick tore through the air with a fierce whooshing sound, aimed directly at his opponent's chest. The short student barely had time to react—his instincts screamed at him to dodge, but his body refused to move. Just as the kick was about to land, Haru stopped it inches from impact. Slowly, he withdrew his leg and stood upright, hands clasped together. "Thank you for the match." Then, with a friendly smile, he added, "By the way, should I say… Sawasdee krap?" {T/N: Means 'Hello/Goodbye' in Thai} The short student blinked, snapping out of his daze. Instead of reacting to the joke, he solemnly bowed. "Thank you for the match." He knew full well—had Haru not pulled his kick back, he would've been sent flying and possibly hospitalized. Watching from the sidelines, Oyama sighed in relief. "Good thing Haru held back. That last kick was terrifying. Without protective gear, it could've been a disaster." His fellow teammates nodded in agreement. They had watched Haru spar many times, but his growth was nothing short of monstrous. "Haru's practically a pro," Hiratsuka murmured. Kato Megumi, curious, asked, "Is Amamiya-kun really that strong?" "This isn't just about being strong—it's about being trained," Hiratsuka explained. "The speed and power he just showed completely overwhelmed his opponent. That means he's been doing highly specific conditioning for years. Normally, only professional athletes train like that." Megumi slowly nodded, a glimmer of admiration in her eyes as she looked at Haru again. Meanwhile, the defeated student returned to his team, rolling up his sleeve to reveal his reddened, numbed wrist. "Be careful," he warned his teammates. "That guy's been training for impact resistance since he was a kid. In Muay Thai, we have a similar practice. His level is already on par with professional fighters." Their teacher frowned. "So if we want to win… we need to avoid physical contact?" Silence. Because in a full-contact karate match, avoiding hits was simply impossible. But against that monster... it might be their only option. Unfortunately, those who stepped up next fared even worse. Karate matches without physical contact? That basically meant running away. Some refused to accept it and chose to engage Haru head-on. Within seconds, they were clutching their wrists and yelping in pain. By the time their captain lay sprawled on the ground, arms numb and trembling from the repeated blows, Haru had successfully unlocked a new achievement: "One Versus Ten." That was more opponents than a Street Fighter 6 champion had to deal with. Thanks to them, Haru's[Martial Arts] skill had just leveled up to Lv. 7. "Your students are truly exceptional. You're sure to make a splash at this year's karate tournament," said Hiratsuka Shizuka, keeping up the polite exchange. "You flatter us. Your students are just as impressive," the opposing teacher replied, smiling. Meanwhile, Haru found himself surrounded by his own teammates. "Damn, you've gotten even stronger!" "Haru, how about you start teaching us? I'd pay for lessons!" "Seriously, what kind of impact training did you do? Every time they punched you, it looked like they'd just hit a steel wall!" Excited voices buzzed around him. For Haru, this was just a good chance to farm experience points. For them, he had single-handedly turned the tide and wiped out every opponent. That overwhelming, unstoppable dominance—exactly the kind of heroism they all dreamed of. Eventually, Oyama stepped in, laughing as he shooed the others away. Then, he sighed and turned to Haru. "Man, your strength is on another level. At this point, even I have no idea how strong you really are." Haru chuckled. "You've been my sparring partner all this time. Shouldn't you have a pretty good idea?" "Like hell I do! With that monster-level burst power of yours, if I'd been the one fighting you today, I wouldn't even bother—I'd just pack my bags and go home!" He laughed, then sighed again. "I swear, I'm only a third-year high school student, but standing next to you, I feel like some relic from a bygone era. Damn it!" Haru wasn't about to entertain such dramatic monologues. They weren't discussing a Kamen Rider episode. Thankfully, Oyama moved on quickly, flashing a grin. "Speaking of which, the other day, I ran into a guy on the street who looked insanely athletic. Too bad he wasn't from our school—his uniform was from another high school." Haru responded with interest, "If you're bringing him up like this, he must be impressive, right?" "Hmm, yeah. He was messing around with his friends on the street, but the speed and agility he showed while joking around were kind of scary... His hair was golden—not sure if it's natural or dyed, but it really stood out." Blond hair? A memory suddenly surfaced in Haru's mind—the person who had warned him about the broken water tap in the park also had blond hair. Back then, he had only glanced at the guy while saying thanks and hadn't thought much of it. But now, as he recalled, the man's face seemed oddly familiar. He must have seen him somewhere before. Just then, Senior Oyama added, "I actually went out of my way to greet him once. His name is Tanaka Yoshitake." That name sounds even more familiar. Haru thought to himself. After finishing his conversation with Hiratsuka Shizuka, he noticed that Kato Megumi had been watching him for a while. "What is it?" he asked. "I'm just getting more and more curious about you, Amamiya-kun," Megumi admitted frankly. "Did Hiratsuka-sensei say something?" Haru glanced at the teacher, who had already left, guessing the reason behind Megumi's interest. "Yeah, she gave you really high praise. She said you're at the level of a professional athlete." "That's an exaggeration. I just started training from a young age, so I got good at it." Megumi seemed skeptical about that answer. She didn't press further, though. Instead, she changed the subject. "Yukinoshita-san has mentioned you before too. Not often, but enough to make everyone curious." "More like you're curious," Haru pointed out. The way she brought it up, there was no way he could miss her real thoughts. Megumi remained calm. "Not just me. Senpai is interested as well." Smartly, she pulled Utaha into the conversation. That left Haru with no way to argue. After Megumi left, Haru stayed behind to clean up. If nothing unexpected happened, the story of his 'I'll take on ten at once' moment would spread across the entire school by tomorrow. In fact, he was underestimating it. By the time he returned to his clubroom, all eyes were already on him. The lively Hashimoto rushed up to him, her face full of excitement. "President, from now on, you're my idol! Forget those Johnny's idols—none of them can compare!" "That extreme? Should I sign an autograph for you too?" Haru joked. "Autograph? That's not enough! We need a photo together—a must!" Haru had barely sat down when Yukino spoke. "Since everyone's here, why don't you tell us about your glorious moment?" "Didn't Kato already tell you guys?" Haru instinctively looked at Megumi, who was holding her notebook. Yukino smiled. "She did, but soon after, people started spreading different versions of what happened, so now I have some questions." "Did you really take on ten people at once?" Even Utaha, usually composed, asked in surprise. Only now did Haru realize— With so many students gathered around the karate club earlier, word had spread even faster than he imagined. "I did fight ten guys, but not all at once. I'm not a superhero, you know." Haru deliberately put on an expression that screamed, 'You guys better praise me properly today.' That little act lightened the gossip-heavy atmosphere in the room. Yukino withdrew her gaze and said, "Your skills exceed my initial assessment. Looks like I'll need to reevaluate you." "What's there to evaluate…" Mid-sentence, Haru suddenly caught on. He looked at Yukino, whose expression seemed calm—but he couldn't help but chuckle. Yukino quickly averted her gaze, turning her head slightly to the side. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. Knowing Megumi, she had probably given a full, detailed account of the event. Yet, Yukino still asked about it. That meant she didn't completely trust Megumi's version. Instead of waiting for someone else to dig for details, she had taken the lead in making Haru tell the story himself. That was her way of asserting her position. If she was the one asking, she didn't mind others listening in on her boyfriend's affairs. Yukino—always composed and strategic. The others didn't seem to pick up on this. Megumi also stayed quiet. Except for Utaha, who had her head lowered. She's not even hiding her possessiveness anymore… Utaha sighed internally. This was bad news. Because it meant their relationship was progressing quickly. She recalled what Yukino had said to her last time: "I've waited for him for ten years. What makes you think we're the same?" She had been wrong. They were nothing alike. But thanks for the reminder, Yukinoshita. I don't plan on giving up so easily. Utaha rubbed her face and forced herself to shake off the creeping sense of defeat.