Chapter 99: Yuriko Ogata Takes Action

“Yes!”
“Well done, Haruhi! This is the bond of our friendship!”

Inside the national high school indoor gymnasium, over sixty students from two classes were attending their physical education lesson. The bustling chatter made the venue lively and vibrant.

Girls dressed in white shirts and pleated skirts sat around the edge of the court, their slender legs neatly together—fair, youthful, and dazzling to the eyes.

The boys from the two classes were even more energized, as if injected with adrenaline. For these teenage eccentrics, it didn’t matter if the ball went in or not; the style of their shot had to be impressive.

But soon, a serious dilemma emerged before everyone: no matter how stylish their shots or how spectacular their steals, all the attention of the beautiful girls was focused on a single boy. Not a single glance was spared for the others.

Whenever he held the ball, even standing still at the free-throw line sparked cheers.

Some who prided themselves on skill watched with envy.

“Damn it! That guy doesn’t even know how to play basketball, yet he steals all our spotlight!”

Tetsubei Takamiya from Class Four muttered bitterly to his companion.

He was a reserve player for the national high school basketball team, towering at 1.92 meters, endowed with perfect physique and a repertoire of fancy shots. As a first-year student, he trained alongside the first team.

When he found out they shared PE lessons with Class Three, he had planned to show off in front of his crush, Mai Hanai.

And indeed, Class Four led by Takamiya had crushed Class Three so badly that they couldn’t lift their heads, the score reaching a shocking 81 to 55.

Yet, he didn’t bask in the cheers and admiration because all eyes were on a boy named Haruhi Harano.

Haruhi had practically shattered the opposing team’s rebounds and scored a staggering 40 points himself—an undisputed MVP.

Still, not a single beautiful girl glanced his way, not even Mai Hanai, who admired Takamiya, her gaze from the second floor fixed on Haruhi instead.

Unbelievable!

“What’s so special about that guy? Is he just a little better looking than me?”

Takamiya pouted, his envy obvious.

His companion said nothing, speechless—just a tiny bit.

In a neglected corner of the gym, a small figure huddled alone in the shadows, bright eyes fixed intently on the boy on the court.

Beside her lay a bottle of cola, prepared in advance.

Her two lovely short legs were pressed together, pale and tender, as she curled herself up, occasionally swiping a small finger across her phone’s screen, seemingly zooming in and out.

Yuriko Ogata, staring at the image on her phone, was able to see the sweat beads on Haruhi’s neck dripping one by one under the camera’s tenfold zoom, the trail of sweat leaving faint marks.

There was no denying that with technological advances, phones had become makeshift telescopes.

This little girl had just recently discovered this feature by chance, her beautiful large eyes sparkling with excitement, her tiny nose twitching as if she could smell something in the air.

Her cheeks grew increasingly flushed.

Her short legs shifted slightly, crossing over each other, her rosy lips parting slightly, the warm breath she exhaled seeming almost heated.

“Hey, Eto, look! Ogata’s sitting there all alone. This is a golden opportunity!” Shuichiro Miyagawa winked at the slender boy beside him.

Yoshiyuki Eto glanced over to see a particularly cute little girl in the corner, looking like a middle schooler, holding up her phone, seemingly filming something.

“Ah? Better not,” Eto replied. He had noticed her long ago and even thought about discussing the anime they watched yesterday or sharing opinions on ‘Platinum Star.’

Whether Ogata knew about ‘Platinum Star’ or liked such discussions was beyond the scope of this otaku’s concern.

In his mind, no one could resist the charm of ‘Platinum Star’!

Yet, each time he tried to make a move, his courage failed him. He wanted to approach and talk but couldn’t, and eventually, all his words condensed into a polite excuse:

“Maybe next time. I’m just a substitute on the team. What if someone needs a break?”

There were only so many boys in a class; besides the starters, a few others bore important roles. This was Eto’s first time on the team, even as a substitute.

Miyagawa pouted. As Eto’s best friend, he knew exactly how he felt.

Who knows what Eto was thinking—did he really believe he was the protagonist and that opportunity would just fall from the sky?

Well, Eto had indeed thought that once, hoping that someday chance would come knocking.

Ogata didn’t look their way, her attention fixed solely on the court—or rather, on that person. Her face grew redder, as if feverish.

Following her gaze, Haruhi Harano stood at center court, encouraging his teammates despite their trailing score. His bright smile resembled the protagonists of passionate anime, even seeming to glow with a gentle light that warmed the heart.

When the team was far behind and everyone else had given up, the hero would rise, reflect on his life, deliver a heartfelt speech, inspire his comrades, and lead an incredible comeback.

Like now, the students of Class Three, who had been beaten badly, were now energized as if injected with adrenaline.

Especially the two eccentric youths, Yoji Heisuke and Ichinaka Kunita, who shouted excitedly:

“This is the power of friendship! This is the best bond!”

Though these lines usually sounded cheesy, at this moment, they fit perfectly.

“Under Haruhi’s lead, we can definitely do it!”

“Yeah, right! The other side has a basketball club member, but we have Haruhi Harano!”

“Exactly! We can win!”

Led by Yoji and Ichinaka, self-proclaimed left and right arms of Haruhi, Class Three was united like never before, as if victory was just within reach.

Their leader, a towering figure standing 1.86 meters tall, grew more majestic:
Akagi Haruhi!!!
The undisputed spiritual leader!

??

Confused, Haruhi looked at the shouting classmates. What was going on? Why were they all staring at him with such passion?

He swore he hadn’t done anything—just watched his team get a bit discouraged and said a few words of encouragement.

That was it! At most, he’d patted Yoji and Ichinaka on the shoulders.

How had things escalated to this? It was as if he was Akagi Takenori himself.

Please, Coach, I don’t even know how to play basketball!

Suddenly, the virtual screen flickered, and several lines of text scrolled by:

[Player’s charisma affects all humans, regardless of gender!!!]
[PS: Generates leadership aura in males, seductive aura in females, excluding special preferences!!!]
[PS: Attention! Attention! Please protect yourself, player!!!]
[PS: Player, please stop releasing your charisma immediately!!!]

The first two system messages explained Haruhi’s confusion, but what were the latter two about?

???

Protect myself?

Suddenly recalling something dreadful, Haruhi felt a chill in his lower body, his expression stiffening as he turned his head.

The group of hyped-up boys, some draping their arms around each other, caught his gaze and flashed eight gleaming white smiles at their spiritual leader—a touching and warm scene.

Yet to Haruhi, it was chilling. There was a mole! Abort the deal! Having too high charisma wasn’t all good! Why had no one warned him this charm worked on both genders? He was in tears!

No one knew what Haruhi was thinking. The girls nearby only felt that he was leading the defeated team to rally.

“Wow, wow, that Haruhi from Class Three is so handsome! He totally reminds me of Takuya Kimura!”

“Yeah, so stylish! Look at his arm muscles! He seems like such a leader! I’m dying over here!”

A pure-hearted girl hugged herself, her long beautiful legs tightly together, unabashedly chatting with her classmates.

“No way, Yoko, didn’t you just say Takamiya from our class was handsome? How can you change your mind so fast?” teased a friend.

“Hey, Sachiko, don’t mock me! Takamiya is handsome, but he can’t compare to Haruhi. If it were Haruhi, I wouldn’t mind spending time with him…”

“Oh, you naughty girl!”

Laughter and chatter rose from the sidelines, clear eyes occasionally drifting toward the court’s center, some girls blushing with shy affection.

“Hmph, that guy actually looks serious now.”

On the gym’s second floor, Miru Kiyosuzu leaned on the railing, looking down with a barely contained joy.

“Sadly, no matter how inspiring, it can’t make up for the gap in raw skill. That’s reality. As far as I know, Tetsubei Takamiya from Class Four is hailed as the school’s next basketball star, capable of leading the team to the national championships. And…”

She paused deliberately, then smiled at Mai Hanai.

“And he’s also our little Mai’s admirer!”

“Ugh, don’t mention that guy. He looks like a gorilla—definitely not my type,” Mai Hanai rubbed her arms, clearly disgusted.

“He’s deeply devoted to you! How can you say that, Mai~” Kanae Terashima wrapped her arms around Mai’s slim waist and rested her head in that enviable spot, sweetly teasing.

“Get off me!” Mai pushed the petite beauty away, annoyed.

This girl was so annoying—though she had her own admirers, she always had to butt in. So uncomfortable!

Kiyosuzu, standing at the railing, ignored the playful banter behind her. A breeze swept through the gym, lifting a strand of her golden hair that brushed her ear. Her exquisite face broke into a blissful smile, satisfaction radiating from her eyes.

Without a word, she tucked her hair behind her ear, strode out with long legs clad in white stockings.

“Hey! Kiyosuzu, where are you going? Aren’t you watching?”

Kanae let go of Mai and hurried after Kiyosuzu.

The blonde beauty didn’t look back, leaving behind a youthful, graceful silhouette and a sweet voice:

“I’m not watching anymore. I’m going to buy some water.”

Buy water?

Why? Was she thirsty?

Mai was puzzled but followed quickly.

“Wait for me, Kiyosuzu! I’ve got water right here!”

In a corner of the gym, a cute little girl with a bun was feverishly recording the scene on her phone.

Haruhi’s sweaty, glorious moments—must record!

Later at home, she would secretly watch them alone under the covers.

For now, Yuriko Ogata only regretted not bringing her camera. The PE lesson had provided so much material to capture. She would have to savor it quietly at home in the dead of night.

On the court, buoyed by the "Call of the King" buff, the Class Three students began to chase down the score with renewed vigor.

The gap shrank to just ten points—a large margin still, but at least hope glimmered.

“Eeeek!!!”

Seeing the narrowing score, Ichinaka Kunita and Yoji Heisuke roared with passion.

“Hey!!!”

Their classmates roared back loudly, the energy fierce and overwhelming.

Everyone has their chuunibyou moments, right?

A simple class rivalry game felt like the national championship finals.

“What’s gotten into them?”

Class Four’s students regretted playing with those two.

What the hell! Such fiery passion! Shouldn’t we be shouting too?

“Damn it! I won’t let you succeed so easily!” Tetsubei Takamiya shouted, then slammed down a powerful windmill dunk like a war god.

Class Four exchanged confused looks—had someone else in their class gone crazy?

The game continued, minutes ticking by.

Despite the buffs, as Kanae Terashima had said, the skill gap remained large. The final score still favored Class Four.

Veins bulging, Takamiya rose, leapt, soared, and finished with a smooth, powerful dunk in the last three seconds.

That move was unstoppable and a major reason for his team's dominance.

*Clang!*

The backboard echoed loudly as the ball swished through the net and bounced off the floor. Takamiya grabbed the rim, swung a couple of times, then landed easily.

After the buzzer, he stood proudly with hands on hips, awaiting praise and congratulations.

“Yoko, what’s Takamiya doing? Honestly, he’s not as handsome as Haruhi from Class Three!”

“No idea. Forget him—the noise he made just scared me! By the way, Sachiko, did you know Haruhi has a girlfriend? What a shame!”

“Yeah, she’s the heiress of the Kiyosuzu family!”

“But even if he has a girlfriend, it’s not impossible~”

“Whoa, Yoko, you can’t say that!”

“Haha, just kidding! By the way, Sachiko, did you finish the English homework last night? Can I borrow it later?”

The girls’ laughter and chatter faded into the distance. Takamiya blinked, confused—no cheers, no compliments.

Looking up, both classes were busy with their own things.

The players were exhausted, sprawled on the floor, too tired to move.

Nearby, the two chuunibyou boys lay side by side, wearing fatigued yet content smiles, murmuring to each other like exchanging ailments.

That had been the scene for the last stretch of the match.

Takamiya was used to such prolonged contests—it was merely a warm-up for him. But the others, untrained in stamina, had been drained after more than an hour of basketball.

At the final whistle, everyone leaned back-to-back in unison, completely ignoring Takamiya’s last stylish dunk.

The players didn’t care, and neither did the girls, whose thoughts and gazes remained mostly on Haruhi. They barely understood basketball's scoring, only caring if a move was cool or not.

Some even found the dunk frightening.

Takamiya scanned the crowd and finally spotted that figure—Haruhi, forehead drenched in sweat but breathing steadily, clearly no stranger to exercise.

Now, he was surrounded by several beautiful girls, among them the blonde beauty holding a towel and bottled water, the most radiant flower in the crowd.

But Takamiya’s attention wasn’t on her; it was on another equally pretty girl nearby—Mai Hanai was there too.

Some win the game, but lose entirely in other ways.

In the comments section, a patron was building a thread—everyone, please help bump the floor. Thanks to all the patrons!

Recommend a great read: “You Just Keep Conquering.” Many must have read it.

Recommend another great read: “This Cloud-Raising System Has Serious Issues.”

Thank you to the patrons: Star of the Day 7, Time to Raise Cats, Matcha’s Little Cheese, Did You See My Gaze?, Laughing Like a Dog, and Book Lover 20230619075648568.

Deepest gratitude!

(End of chapter)