34 Destroyer of clubs! (1/2)

Since Chiaki told him that it wasn't necessary to rush with his replies to the love letters, Seiji temporarily put them in his backpack and decided to look at them during the lunch break.

During class.

While under the effects of his system’s [study] option, Seiji felt like there was a strong gaze upon him, and when he instinctively looked, he noticed… a purple-haired boy.

It was Takashi Kobayashi.

He and Kahei Watari were attending school like normal, with bandages on their bodies. It didn’t seem like they were seriously injured. The classmates didn’t pay their bruised conditions much attention either. As delinquents, it was only normal that they occasionally got injured.

When Takashi noticed Seiji looking back at him, he turned around and averted his gaze.

Seiji felt a bit confused. Kobayashi was one of the classmates he saved with his [do a heroic deed] action last Friday night. Even though that incident became a little out-of-the-ordinary, objectively speaking, he had saved two classmates and accomplished a good deed.

He was wearing a mask at the time… and no police or black-suited men came looking for him over the weekend.

When he searched the incident on the internet, he found videos taken by some bystanders using their cell phones, but due to the video footage being too exaggerated and the final result so outlandish, most comments doubted the veracity of the video, and there were relatively little views.

There were even less people blogging about it, so it didn’t cause even a ripple.

Nothing special happened; a masked hero didn't become popular overnight after just one act of justice.

Seiji thought that the incident had been fully concluded.

But now, Takashi Kobayashi was silently watching him.

Had he… been exposed!?

Seiji felt quite tense. Did Kobayashi recognize him? Was it only Kobayashi’s intuition or imagination? Or was it a coincidence and Kobayashi wasn’t even thinking anything, and he just happened be looking in Seiji’s direction?

Even if he had been recognized… it should be fine, right? He was the one who saved him, so it shouldn’t be too much to ask them to protect his secret… right?

'I'll observe the situation before making a decision afterwards.'

Seiji decided to stop thinking about it since he didn’t know Takashi Kobayashi's true motives.

After class.

Takashi Kobayashi didn’t approach Seiji to speak with him. Seiji glanced to see what he was doing, and found that he was chatting with Kahei Watari just like usual. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Just as he walked out of his classroom, a tall and sturdy boy walked up to him.

Seiji wasn’t exactly short, but this… senpai? This boy was taller than Seiji by at least half a head, and he had a ferocious appearance like that of a bear.

Seiji looked at the tall boy in confusion, but Seiji wasn’t the type to meddle in others’ affairs, so he was about to walk around the tall boy.

However, he was intercepted.

”You’re… the legendary transfer student, Seigo Harano, right?” The stocky senpai asked.

Legendary… when did he become legendary!? Seiji was quite astonished.

”I’m the captain of the soccer club, Daiki Takagi.” Before giving Seiji a chance to respond, the tall and sturdy senpai continued: ”After hearing about your exploits at the tennis and basketball clubs, I’m certain that you’re the person that the soccer club’s been looking for!”

”…What?” Seiji blinked in confusion.

*Slam!* Takagi-senpai abruptly placed his large hands on his junior’s shoulders.

”I request that you join our soccer club! We’re not an incompetent club like the tennis and basketball clubs—we’re all hot-blooded, passionate boys! Come, aim for nationals together with us and spend your hot-blooded youth here!”

His voice was loud and full of spirit.

Everyone in the class and hallway could hear him clearly.

”That’s Takagi-senpai from the soccer club… He’s here to convince Harano-kun.”

”As expected, since Harano-san’s so strong at sports… I heard he singlehandedly defeated two clubs by himself!”

”I heard that as well—was it true? The tennis and basketball clubs were…”

”That’s right, it definitely happened. The tennis club has collapsed on itself, and the morale of the basketball club is rock-bottom!”

”Wow, that sounds like something only Harano-kun could pull off~”

”He’s a destroyer of clubs…”