I Don't Have Any Special Talents Either

Shirahama Kenichi hurriedly grabbed his teacher. Who challenged someone to a fight the moment they met? More than anything, he was afraid Shinnosuke would get hurt. His teachers never knew how to hold back.

Shinnosuke looked at the tall man before him, his eyes burning. Suddenly, he wanted to see just how far he had come.

"Then... excuse me!"

Shirahama Kenichi and Inoue Ryushi were both stunned.

"Huhhhhh????!!"

Sakaki Shio grinned at Shinnosuke.

"Come on, kid!!"

Shinnosuke took a deep breath and punched Sakaki Shio in the chest. It felt like he had hit a wall, and the impact sent a sharp pain through his knuckles. The man before him, however, looked completely relaxed. The blow hadn't even made him move his feet!!

"Is that all you've got?"

Shinnosuke's expression grew serious. He drew his arm back, stepped forward, and channeled all his strength into his arm before driving his fist at the man!

Sakaki Shio's gaze sharpened, and his muscles bulged as he prepared to take the punch on his chest. A tremendous crash rang out! Shinnosuke's fist was a bloody mess, with white smoke rising from it...

The two behind him looked at Sakaki Shio and saw a clear fist mark on his chest. A half-meter-long furrow had been carved into the grass beneath his feet...

Inoue Ryushi stared at the muscular man in shock. He knew full well how heavy Shinnosuke's punches were. He had sent a seventy-kilogram man flying into the air with a single punch, making him turn a somersault, yet this man had taken the blow head-on without suffering any damage...

Shirahama Kenichi was startled too. That sound just now hadn't sounded anything like a blow landing on flesh. It had sounded like... a bullet hitting a wall!

And he knew his teacher's strength very well! Yet even he had been pushed back a step. This guy really was strong!

Sakaki Shio patted his chest, took a swig from the wine gourd in his hand, and grinned at the boy before him.

"Kid, interested in learning karate? I'm known as the 'Hundred-Dan Brawler.' I can definitely make you stronger!"

Shinnosuke paused at his words. Looking at the man before him, he was tempted, but he still shook his head and said,

"Sorry, Mr. Sakaki. There's something I have to do right now..."

Sakaki Shio looked at the boy regretfully, then took a business card from his pocket and handed it to him.

"Can't be helped, then. If you have time, come visit our dojo. After all, Kenichi gets lonely training by himself..."

That's the same thing the person before him said...

Shinnosuke accepted the card, and the words "Ryozanpaku" met his eyes. He paused, then put it in his pocket, waved to the two men, and ran back, dragging the tire behind him.

Inoue Ryushi came to his senses and hurried after him, his heart in turmoil. There were actually humans this powerful in the world...

In just one morning, his worldview had been overturned again and again. He also saw hope clearly in Shinnosuke, making him even more certain of the choice he had made back then!

Sakaki Shio watched Shinnosuke leave and spoke to his disciple behind him.

"Kenichi, this guy is a lot stronger than you right now... But with our teaching, I'm sure you'll surpass him soon. It's a good thing to have someone to chase after."

At that moment, Kenichi's gaze was utterly resolute.

Shinnosuke got two rice balls for Inoue Ryushi. After all, the guy had been sprawled at his door like a dead dog. He couldn't just chase him away.

After a quick breakfast, the two set off for school and ran into Kinoshita Hideyoshi on the way. Inoue Ryushi froze the moment he saw Kinoshita, unsure where to put his hands. After all, he had previously been so humiliated and angry that he had nearly done something out of line to Kinoshita.

But Kinoshita didn't hold it against him. Instead, Kinoshita smiled and greeted him, making him blush bright red as he hurriedly returned the greeting.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi quickly walked over to Shinnosuke and looked the two of them over.

"Oh~ When did you two get so close...?"

Shinnosuke raised a hand and gave Kinoshita a rap on the head, making Kinoshita crouch down and clutch the sore spot.

"You're too close... And what nonsense are you talking about? This guy's the one who keeps sticking to me."

Inoue Ryushi raised a hand and scratched his cheek. One was his boss, and the other was the person he liked. He couldn't take either side, so he could only pretend he hadn't seen anything.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi puffed out Kinoshita's cheeks at Shinnosuke. The cute sight made Inoue Ryushi blush and his heart race, further convincing him that the theory "as long as there's love, gender doesn't matter at all" was correct!!

The three walked into school, chatting and laughing. Kinoshita waved goodbye to the other two, since their classrooms weren't in the same building. Then Inoue, a second-year, also took his leave of Shinnosuke.

When Shinnosuke entered the classroom, he found Teacher Onizuka sitting at the lectern with a cigarette in his mouth. Normally, he was the one who cut it closest every day, but today the guy had arrived earlier than most people.

Eikichi Onizuka looked up and said to him,

"There's an interschool exchange today. I want you to take part."

Shinnosuke paused. Was it a talent competition against other schools? But I don't know how to do anything...

"Teacher Onizuka... I don't have any special talents either."

That left Eikichi Onizuka bewildered too. It took him a while to figure out what Shinnosuke meant, whereupon he smacked him on the back of the head.

"What are you thinking? It's a local tradition. This so-called interschool exchange is just a bunch of delinquents having a fight. The government awards prize money to whichever school wins."

What is this? The World Martial Arts Tournament?