"This guy..." Listening to the exclamations of the surrounding students and looking at Asagiri standing there, a thought suddenly sprouted in Kaguya's mind. "Possessing strength, athleticism, and agility far exceeding that of a normal high school student... Could it be... he's also a Player?"
But as soon as this thought surfaced, Kaguya dismissed it. How could that be? If Utsunomiya were really a Player, he should be acting low-key. Why would he make such attention-grabbing remarks on the first day of school, and then go train in the school gym in the afternoon, openly displaying physical abilities far exceeding the level of a normal high school student in front of so many people?
After learning the entrance exam results, Kaguya had already instructed her personal maid, Ai Hayasaka, to investigate Asagiri's junior high school record. Tennis, basketball, and badminton – champion of the National Junior High School Tournament for two consecutive terms in all three sports. And the astonishing record of getting into a conflict with five delinquents from outside the school and sending all of them to the hospital. This meant that if Asagiri's outstanding physical ability was truly obtained through the "game," wouldn't that mean he became a "Player" in his second year of junior high?
Impossible.
The reason Kaguya thought it was impossible was simple: she couldn't be sure if she was among the first batch of selected "Players," but she was certain that the "game" and "dungeons" hadn't appeared long ago and were still in their initial stages. Otherwise, among the many "Players" who had obtained special powers, there would always be those who weren't cautious enough and would expose their special powers in the real world. Also, the Players who died in the dungeons, whether their bodies returned to the real world or they simply disappeared, would definitely attract the attention of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
So... Asagiri's outstanding physical ability was simply because his athletic talent was originally excellent. Looking at it from another perspective, his usual style of not being low-key and always attracting attention around him made Kaguya feel that if the other party were a "Player," he definitely wouldn't act like this.
It seems... Asagiri Utsunomiya is not a "Player" like herself. For some reason, after confirming this point, Kaguya felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, an unspeakable feeling of loss in her heart. She didn't understand why she felt this way. Perhaps she felt that if Asagiri, who had defeated her in the entrance exam, were also a "Player," then the competition between them would have become very interesting.
While Kaguya was silently contemplating, Asagiri, who was in the center of the arena, had already walked up to the muscular boy. Just as everyone thought he was going to humiliate and mock the defeated opponent, Asagiri slightly bent down and extended his hand to the boy.
"Get up."
"Utsunomiya..." The muscular boy sat slumped on the ground, looking at Asagiri's outstretched hand with a somewhat complex expression, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "As expected, I was too overconfident, thinking I could defeat you..."
"No, you're wrong." Asagiri shook his head and spoke slowly. "Even though you lost to me, as the victor, I still respect your determination and courage to challenge me. This determination and courage are something I will not underestimate or mock. After all, we are just opponents, not enemies."
"Utsunomiya..." Hearing this, the muscular boy's face couldn't help but show emotion. He grasped Asagiri's hand and, after being pulled up by Asagiri, held his hand tightly and spoke solemnly. "Utsunomiya, thank you for the lesson."
Asagiri nodded with a smile: "Mm, likewise."
Seeing this scene, the male students in Class A couldn't help but show complex expressions. The male student who had been lectured by Asagiri on the first day of school couldn't help but exclaim. "Utsunomiya... is actually a very charming person..."
"The atmosphere for a showdown between men should be like this."
"Even after achieving victory, he doesn't belittle the opponent's determination and courage... Utsunomiya's words are just like the lines of a protagonist in a hot-blooded manga! Just listening makes me feel a bit fired up."
Listening to the boys' words and seeing the admiration and longing in their eyes as they looked at Asagiri, Kaguya couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking, How could something like this happen? At first, most of the boys in the class, if not outright hating Asagiri, at least didn't have a good impression of him. As a result, after just one judo class, a brief spar that didn't even last a round, plus his words after it ended, his reputation was completely reversed? Those words... were they that magical?
Kaguya actually scoffed inwardly at the words Asagiri had just said. What determination? What courage? Winning is winning, losing is losing. So-called determination and courage are just boring words used to comfort the defeated.
"Iwanaga, let's start practicing too." Seeing Kaguya look at her and say this, Kotoko, looking resigned, shook her head and said with a smile. "Oh dear, Kaguya, have you forgotten? I have a physical disability and can't participate in overly strenuous sports~"
"Then why did you volunteer to be in a group with me?"
"I'm being considerate of you." Kotoko raised her fair index finger and said in a matter-of-fact manner. "Think about it, you're the young lady of the Shinomiya Family. If someone is in a group with you, everyone will inevitably worry about being too rough during practice and accidentally injuring you, right? So, since everyone is worried about this and no one wants to be in a group with you, and conveniently, no one wants to be in a group with me either, let's just reluctantly form a group together, us two who are rejected and have flaws~"
Hearing this, Kaguya replied expressionlessly, in a tone devoid of emotional fluctuation. "Iwanaga, I don't have flaws."
Kotoko looked directly into Kaguya's eyes and smiled meaningfully. "Perhaps that's the case, if you're only talking about your body."
--------------------------
Sunday, in Tokyo, at the entrance of a two-story detached house.
"Ding dong~"
"Coming." Megumi Kato gently opened the front door of the house and looked out through the slightly open gap. Seeing the handsome boy standing outside, and beside him, a tall, well-proportioned girl with flaxen long hair, and another girl with light golden short curly hair, who was petite and looked like a junior high student, she couldn't help but be startled.
"Excuse me... who are you looking for?"
"Don't you recognize us? Right, you haven't seen our real faces." Hearing Asagiri's words filled with laughter, Megumi looked at Asuna and Kotoko standing there. Their familiar hairstyles and hair colors immediately made her recall what happened last Sunday.
"So it's you... You actually came to find me." Megumi's expression was very calm, and she said in a gentle tone. "Please wait a moment."
Then, Megumi closed the front door, removed the security chain fastened on it, and opened the door again. "Please come in. My dad went to work, and my mom went to a hot spring with some aunts. They should be back tonight."
Asuna tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear and nodded politely. "Mm, excuse us for intruding."
After saying that, Asuna, Asagiri, and Kotoko entered the door together. Before the three of them could speak, Megumi proactively took out three pairs of disposable slippers from the shoe cabinet in the entrance hall, bent down, and gently placed them on the floor in front of the three. "Do you want to change your shoes? It's okay if you don't, I'm going to clean up later anyway."
Yuuki Asuna smiled: "Let's change them."
After the three changed their slippers, they went up to the second floor with Kato Megumi and entered her bedroom. "Please sit for a while, I'll go get some drinks and snacks."
After Megumi left the room, Asuna couldn't help but carefully observe the bedroom and said thoughtfully. "Megumi's house and her room are just like the feeling she gives people. What word should I use to describe it..."
"Ordinary?"
"Yes, yes, yes, that's the word." Asuna first responded as if enlightened, then stared at Asagiri and teased him half-jokingly. "You can actually think of using the word 'ordinary' to describe a girl. Your thought process is really unusual."
"This is called precise judgment. I can also sum up your biggest characteristics in one sentence." Hearing Asagiri's words, Kotoko and Asuna both showed curiosity. "Then summarize for us?"
"You." Asagiri reached out and pointed at Asuna. "Love-struck young lady." Before Asuna could reply, he pointed at Iwanaga Kotoko again. "As for you... Lewd joke loli."
Asuna and Kotoko both opened their mouths to refute after hearing Asagiri's evaluation of them, but after thinking carefully... What he said seemed to be correct, but they still had to be stubborn.
"Who's love-struck?"
"I'm not a loli, I'm a mature high school girl!"
After the two each said their refutations, before Asagiri could reply, Asuna looked at Kotoko, her eyes filled with doubt. "You... were already a loli, right? With your junior high... no, elementary school-like appearance and figure, who would believe you're a high school girl?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Kotoko's biggest weakness was having her loli figure brought up by others. She immediately retorted. "What do you know? Asagiri likes flat ones like me!"
Asagiri: "...Is that so? How come I, the person involved, don't know?"