Koenji Got Played by Capital?

The physical fitness test entered its second stage.

At the front of the boys' line, the grip strength test was in full swing.

"Eighty-two point four kilograms."

The PE teacher looked at the data on the electronic recorder and exclaimed in admiration:

"Sudo, your grip strength is practically monstrous for someone your age."

"We're all the same age. I hadn't planned on crushing everyone."

Sudo Ken casually tossed the grip dynamometer to the next student, basking in the praise from his classmates behind him.

"Eighty-two point four kilograms? Doesn't that mean he could lift me with one hand?"

"What a monster. That's terrifying."

"Damn, let me try. Is it really that insane?"

Seeing everyone praise Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji also wanted to put on a show.

He eagerly snatched the grip dynamometer and squeezed with all his might. His face turned crimson, and even the veins on his neck bulged.

In the end, the number on the device twitched upward a few times before stopping at forty-five kilograms.

"Forty-five kilograms. Next."

The PE teacher accurately announced the result.

"What's going on? Is this thing broken? I clearly gave it everything I had."

Ike Kanji howled in embarrassment, suspecting he had been set up by capital.

His classmates burst into muffled laughter.

"Alright, go reflect on yourself."

"The results won't put on an act for you."

"Next, Koenji."

Following the student number order, the PE teacher called on Koenji.

"Teacher, I refuse to participate in such a boring test."

Sitting in the shade, Koenji directly refused to take the grip strength test.

"This score will be entered into your records."

The PE teacher reminded Koenji once again.

Koenji ignored the teacher's warning and simply left the testing area.

"Chovy, Koenji just isn't participating? My points!"

"Sudo Ken is the overall champion."

Some students in Class 1-D were delighted, while others were dismayed.

The testing moved forward quickly.

Ayanokoji walked up to the testing area. He pulled the handle open with one hand, then steadily pressed down with both arms. The needle rose smoothly before finally stopping at sixty point six kilograms.

"Next, Tatsuya Sakuya."

Tatsuya Sakuya casually accepted the grip dynamometer Ayanokoji handed over as they passed each other.

He looked at the device in his hand and began to apply force with his fingers. The needle instantly shot up to fifty kilograms.

This thing isn't broken, is it? I barely used any strength. If I went all out, wouldn't I crush the machine?

I just need to keep it slightly higher than Ayanokoji's.

Tatsuya Sakuya adjusted his strength, steadily raising the needle to sixty-two kilograms.

The test quickly moved on to the final event: the endurance run. The boys ran one thousand meters, while the girls ran eight hundred.

With the crack of the starting pistol, the dozen or so boys in the group immediately spread out along the inside lane.

Ayanokoji maintained a steady pace, staying in fourth place throughout.

Half a stride behind him, Tatsuya Sakuya followed closely, his stride length and rhythm nearly perfectly matching Ayanokoji's.

As they reached the sprinting section of the final lap's bend, a classmate ahead of them, exhausted beyond his limit, suddenly stumbled. He lost his balance and fell straight backward.

Several girls near the stands immediately cried out in alarm.

In that split second, before almost anyone could react—

Tatsuya Sakuya executed an incredibly strange burst of speed and sidestep. His arm precisely absorbed the falling student's momentum.

He caught him steadily, then swiftly adjusted his own posture and returned to position, smoothly crossing the finish line half a stride behind Ayanokoji.

The student he had caught was still shaken. He had not even seen what had happened and assumed he had simply gotten lucky and regained his balance.

As they crossed the finish line, the PE teacher stopped the timer and called out loudly:

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, three minutes and thirty-four seconds!"

"Tatsuya Sakuya, three minutes and thirty-five seconds!"

They were this close again every time. Was it a coincidence, or... ?

Horikita Suzune, standing before the stands at the edge of the field, had witnessed everything.

That instant pull, evasion, and sudden acceleration from Tatsuya Sakuya required terrifying reflexes and absolute control over his body. This was not something an ordinary student could do.

Her seatmate seemed far from ordinary when it came to physical tests.

At five in the afternoon, students crowded around the bulletin board at the entrance to the indoor gymnasium. Class 1-D's detailed overall physical test results had officially been posted.

"Sudo is the overall champion..."

Those squeezed into the front accurately reported some of the results.

"What about Ayanokoji and Tatsuya? Their scores seem pretty close. Check again and report back."

"Tatsuya scored three points higher than Ayanokoji. What incredible luck."

Tatsuya Sakuya won by a narrow margin of three points. To everyone else, such a tiny gap seemed entirely unremarkable.

But for the bet in the class group chat, it meant the winner had been decided.

At six that evening, the Lovingly United Class 1-D Line group chat completely exploded.

Ike Kanji: [Holy shit, the total scores are out. Sudo's the overall champion, and Ayanokoji actually lost! Hahaha.]

Yamauchi Haruki: [It was exactly three points apart. Tatsuya, did you call on the gods or something? Your luck is way too good.]

Sudo Ken: [Keep it low-key, keep it low-key.]

Messages flooded the group chat at a frantic pace. Everyone treated it as the funniest source of entertainment from the first week of school.

At that moment, in Room 401.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka began reviewing the day.

It had been a complete failure. Not only had he failed to uncover the other party's true capabilities, he had even lost five thousand points.

After school, in the hallway of the academic building.

Tatsuya Sakuya was carrying his schoolbag and preparing to leave when a figure blocked his path.

Horikita Suzune stood in the middle of the corridor and got straight to the point. "During the physical test earlier, you didn't use your full strength at all, did you?"

Tatsuya Sakuya stopped. "Horikita, what are you talking about? I honestly don't understand."

Tatsuya Sakuya wanted to see whether playing dumb would let him get away with it.

"Stop pretending."

Horikita Suzune stepped closer.

"I watched the thousand-meter run. You're capable of far more than that. Why didn't you go all out?"

Faced with Horikita Suzune's aggressive attitude, Tatsuya Sakuya explained:

"Horikita, I have no interest in tests that offer no benefits, and there's no need for me to try my hardest. If there were a points reward, I might consider it."

Leaving those words behind, he smiled and walked out of the academic building, leaving Horikita Suzune standing there with a puzzled expression.

Just who is this guy?

In front of the bulletin board in the first-floor lobby, a group of students suddenly erupted in deafening cries.

A brand-new notice bearing Advanced Nurturing High School's official seal had just been posted in the center of the board:

[Announcement Regarding Next Week's School-Wide Swimming Performance Test and Reward System]

[During the second week of this month, a synchronized swimming test will be held for all grades. This test includes a special reward: the student ranked first in the entire school will receive 10,000 Private Points!]