"Originally thought that Ayanokoji was already a dark horse, completely did not expect that you, Saiki, are even better."
"???"
In Saiki's heart, there was a kind of ominous premonition.
Just now, after Sudo measured himself, he handed the grip strength tester to Ayanokoji behind him.
But Ayanokoji also similarly did not know how much grip strength an ordinary high school student has, so he asked Sudo, and the latter just jokingly and casually told Ayanokoji it was sixty.
In reality, the average grip strength of high school students is only more than forty.
Ayanokoji's sixty already exceeded Sudo's expectations, even more unexpected that Saiki's was actually as high as seventy.
"Saiki, seventy?"
"So amazing, real or fake?"
"Hard to believe, obviously looking so thin and weak..."
The people around were discussing noisily, but Saiki's face was full of black lines.
'Careless! Forgot that this guy Ayanokoji's data has no reference value at all, damn it!'
Saiki never thought even in his dreams that after carefully thinking out all kinds of countermeasures, he would actually lose to Sudo's joke.
"Kimura, 42.6..."
"Miyamoto, 48..."
This string of numbers was like knives stabbing into Saiki's heart, he felt as if the whole world became somewhat quiet.
"Saiki-kun, you're really amazing."
Ayanokoji, expressionless, came in front of Saiki, pretentiously praising him. In Saiki's ears, it was no different from sarcasm.
[Saiki showed part of his grip strength, was it intentional? Does he want to use this point to gain more say in the sports festival?]
'Intentional my ass!'
In Saiki's heart at this moment there was only regret. He had absolutely not expected things to develop to this degree, but now he had no way to regret it.
"Didn't expect the class's second place to be Saiki, third place to be Ayanokoji..."
Sudo shook his head with some dissatisfaction, then continued speaking, "You two didn't sign up for any events before, right? The remaining few events, you two must participate, especially you! Saiki! How exactly did you train? Couldn't see it at all..."
Beside him, Ike Kanji had just finished testing his grip strength, and his result could only be described as too miserable to look at. He could only look at Saiki with an envious face.
[Really want to participate in these events! Can get points, and also get other girls' attention...]
'Then I'll give it to you!'
Saiki shouted in his heart, but he knew very clearly that this was completely impossible.
This sports festival, Saiki was destined to be unable to just muddle through easily.
———
After finishing that physical test which didn't have much meaning, the sports festival events each person would participate in were also decided.
And as the second place in the physical test results, Saiki had to participate in many events, not only the bar-knocking contest, but also the relay race in which all school students participate, the cavalry battle competition, and so on.
After confirming the list, Saiki leaned back against the wall, with an expression in his eyes like having no will to live.
Completely did not expect things to turn out like this.
'Yare yare, big trouble... What to do when the time comes? Definitely cannot get top rankings, but if last place, will certainly be blamed by others... When the time comes, just maintain a middle score, that should be the least conspicuous.' Saiki thought so in his heart.
Not far away, Ayanokoji's gaze was cast onto Saiki.
[The events Saiki is going to participate in seem to be quite a lot.]
'You're about the same, right.'
Saiki shook his head somewhat helplessly. He hadn't thought that both he and Ayanokoji would fall into Sudo's hands.
[Looks like, in this sports festival, he should take some action.]
'Sorry, I have no such thoughts at all.'
[What will he do? Let Horikita grow in this sports festival? Get rid of the class traitor Kushida? Or make the class win in this exam?]
'These things you said, I haven't even thought about at all.'
[I'm somewhat curious, to what extent Saiki can go in this sports festival.]
'Hey hey hey, I plan to do nothing at all.' Saiki thought so helplessly in his heart.
———
From the next day, the class's students would go to the stadium for related practice.
Although it was the practice stage, for Saiki he also could not be careless, he had to control his strength extremely precisely.
On the other side, the other students in the class were also basically all training.
"Huff huff huff..."
On the track at the sports ground, Sakura, with difficulty, reached the finish line, but the fact that she was last place still did not change, and the time taken could also be said to be unsatisfactory.
Sakura's academic grades were not too bad, overall could only be considered barely passable, but in sports, it could be said to be a complete mess.
"Good job, Sakura-san!"
Hirata Yosuke stepped forward, handing Sakura a bottle of water.
At this moment, Sakura was panting heavily, her whole person somewhat faint, but she still forcibly steadied her body, while her gaze moved around, searching for Saiki's location.
[Is Saiki-kun nearby?]
Sakura thought so in her heart, [Saiki-kun's performance in sports seems to be very good... I also want to... I also must work hard.]
"Um, Sakura-san, how about you rest first? You've already worked hard."
Hirata Yosuke said to Sakura. Although this long-distance run indeed consumed a lot of energy, he also hadn't expected Sakura's physical fitness to be this poor.
"It's fine... I... I can still run another lap..."
Although Sakura said this, her legs still trembled from over-fatigue.
"Better rest first..."
Elsewhere, others were also practicing various events under Sudo's supervision.
Although in usual academic exam grades, Sudo could be said to be terrible, once it involved sports, Sudo seemed like a different person, becoming extremely serious.
"You need to use your waist! Use the waist's strength!"
"Kanji, all your movements are wrong!"
"No, you have to do it like this... You guy, how can you be this stupid?!"
Although Sudo's tone was not pleasant to hear, he indeed cared a lot about related matters, instructing everyone's practice, completely different from his usual unserious appearance.
"Saiki-kun, I bought you a drink!"
At this time, Saiki had just pretended to complete some event practice, and Karuizawa, holding two bottles of sports drink, walked to him, handing one to Saiki, "This sports festival, you have to participate in many events, looks like you'll have a big performance."
'I don't want to.'
Saiki answered her in his heart, but still took the drink.
"Karuizawa, lately your relationship with Saiki-kun is very good, huh?"
Just then, another girl from the same class, with a meaningful smile on her face, came up and asked, "You two, could it be that you already~"
"What are you saying!"
Karuizawa patted the other's back, speaking in a firm tone.
But there still seemed to be a smile on her face.
"But strange, where did Karuizawa buy the drink? Isn't the nearest vending machine outside the gym?"
Saiki asked with some doubt.
"Oh, a temporary water bar opened next to it, I bought it there."
While speaking, Karuizawa stretched out her finger to point to the other side of the sports ground,
"Feels like that owner looks a bit familiar, like I've seen them somewhere before."
"Hm?"
Saiki realized something, with a sense of premonition in his heart, shifted his gaze to the water bar. The owner looked like a young woman, wearing a mask.
"I'll go buy some water as backup."
Saiki quickly walked to the water bar and looked at the other. That body's curves and tanned skin, he instantly knew who it was.
Moreover, he could clearly hear the other's inner voice.
[I already investigated in advance, this person is called Saiki, pink hair, name abbreviation... sure enough, it's him!]
[Saiki's physical ability is actually this good? Looks like he's their class's main force for the sports festival.]
[Those few girls nearby seem to care a lot about Saiki, they might be potential rivals.]
This inner voice belonged to Ai Urana.
"May I ask what you want?" Ai Urana, acting like she knew nothing, asked Saiki.
[Saiki actually came over, I can properly observe him!]
'You should remember, I have telepathy, right.'
Saiki, somewhat helpless, directly transmitted his words into Ai Urana's mind.
[Crap, forgot about that.]
'Why are you still staying in the school?'
Saiki asked. According to the rules, the fortune-telling shop should only be open during summer vacation. After the official start of school, they should have left, so why was she still in the school.
"I didn't just sign a fortune-telling shop contract with the school. I also have a dedicated gift shop and merchandise store in the school, selling some water in such a store is definitely no problem, right?"
"So I saw the business opportunity to sell water at the gymnasium, also no problem!" Ai Urana immediately said with a smile.
'...'
Saiki wanted to say something, but it seemed he couldn't. After all, what Ai Urana said wasn't wrong, and she indeed hadn't violated school rules.
"But how did you know I was here?"
"With the school's upcoming sports festival, the students will definitely come to the sports ground for practice, right?"
Ai Urana touched her head, smiling as she spoke, "And from far away, I saw an aura shooting to the sky! Diameter about two hundred meters, don't even need to think to know it's you!"
"You haven't done anything weird, right?"
"No no, I'm just purely making money to survive! But Saiki..."
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