News and pictures of Yuuji have spread far and wide throughout the entire school. So much that every student, teacher, and staff knew of him.
He had become an unforgettable existence in his school. Female students and even teachers would stop and stare with blushing cheeks in admiration. Some would even try to approach him to exchange contacts or invite him to hang out. After all, he was even more handsome than their beloved actors or idols! How could they not try!!!
On the other hand, the male students who weren't his friend would either have their inferiority complex show, get intimidated by him, or glare at him with their teeth clenched, spouting curses in their minds to make him explode.
His shoebox was filled full of love letters that tey literally flowed out like water the moment he opened it.
Needless to say, as an adolescent male, Yuuji was extremely happy and flattered. But the piercing glares of his sisters he felt on his back were so painful that he quickly snapped out of his daze and picked them all up and put them into his bag.
After all, troublesome as it was, it would be beyond rude to simply throw them all away immediately. Though in return, he had to explain this to his sisters to calm their wrath.
As he walked down the hallways to get to his class, it was utter chaos around him. If it wasn't for his sisters protecting him from them, he would've been extremely late to class with the amount of girls he never even knew before crowding him to get his contact or get a feel of his muscles.
Fortunately, everything started calming down once class started. Almost everyone in his class would still stare at him, including and especially the female teachers, but at least no one bothered him directly.
He needed to thank Ai, Chitoge, Onodera, Ruri, Yotsuba, Shu, and Raku, all of his best friends for immediately approaching him during the breaks between class and preventing the other girls from swarming his table.
Because of them, he was able to peacefully pass by the classes up until now without a problem.
"Oi, Yuuji. Let's go change to our gym clothes."
"Oh, right. Sure. Let's go. See you later, Ai."
"Nn. I'll go and change too. See you."
Yuuji waved his hand at Ai and went with Shu and Raku to the locker room and changed into their gym clothes.
"Uhyooooo!!! I've never seen anything like that before! Yuuji, when did you get these muscles?!"
"G-Guh… T-That's so unfair. To have that kind of body and face…"
"Riajuu should just go and explode!"
Some of the guys who saw his body and muscle that seemed to have been carved by heaven couldn't help but glare at it while hiding their own in a complex feeling of inferiority. They've never even seen anyone with such a perfect, manly figure and muscle definition from workout magazines and those foreign male sportsmen!
They're super jealous, especially with that unmistakable enormous bulge in his pants!!! Their bulge wasn't even half of his!!!!
"Shu, shut your mouth and get change quickly or I'll leave you."
Yuuji felt his spine shiver in disgust when he noticed the stares on his body and bulge from his male friends.
He felt proud of having such a perfect physique and an extremely masculine part that exceeded his peers, obviously. HOWEVER! He would definitely feel disgusted when his male classmates looked at his manly parts with such intense gaze!
Yuuji quickly changed into his gym uniform and left the locker room, leaving Shu and Raku who began hurrying up behind.
"Oi Yuuji, wait up!"
"Ahahaha! Were you that embarrassed?"
Raku and Shu came running from behind and began walking by his sides.
"Do you want to be leer at by guys?"
"Ahahaha~ Alright alright, don't be mad~ I was just kiddin'!"
Yuuji let out a deep sigh and continued to make his way to the indoor court for their gym class.
As he walked, he tried to adjust his shirt and pants a bit. Despite being made from a flexible material, his gym uniform had become a bit tight because of his muscles and his pants had also become slightly shorter than before since he got slightly taller.
They were slightly pressing onto his body, and the bulge in his pants would be visible if anyone would focus their attention there. I wasn't to the level of discomfort, but perhaps it would be better to get a new set of gym uniforms in the future.
Soon, his male classmates arrived at the court. The female followed closely after, and the moment he entered, he couldn't help but notice the intense stares directed towards him.
He glanced towards them, and he saw a lot of them blushing with their gaze focused on him, going up and down from head to toe. Some of them even had a little bit of blood flowing down their nose.
Chitoge, Ai, and Yotsuba were also staring at him with wide eyes and blushing faces. But the moment they noticed his gaze, they all turned their head away.
Ughh… It is flattering, but it does feel embarrassing all the same.
He also noticed Ruri and Onodera looking at him, though they seemed more shocked like the few of his female classmates.
On the other hand, the guys were still looking at him enviously, some even mumbling the classic line "popular guys should just go and explode" with disdain.
"Ohohoho~ What a stud you are~ How do you feel hm~? Come on, tell me~"
Yuuji ignored all of them together, including Shu's annoying teasing.
After everyone had gathered, Kawagawa Asahi, the burly and tall physical education teacher stood before everyone and explained what they would be doing for class today.
They will be playing basketball, and the boys and girls will be playing separately. They will each form two teams and play against each other.
There was nothing special about the lesson today. But, Yuuji was very excited.
Since he received his [Divine Physique], he hadn't been able to compare it to anyone other than his past self.
His past self was only average in terms of athleticism, but there were guys in his class who were more athletic than him since they were pretty heavily invested in their sports clubs, basketball especially.
Ishikawa Suzuki, a 190cm tall and athletic guy who was scouted by the basketball club captain himself and quickly became a promising rookie within a few weeks since he enrolled. He's extremely athletic, strong, and fast, and Yuuji will be playing against him.
"Ohohoho~? Would you look at that? Suzuki is staring right at you, you know~?"
Shu nudged his arms as he covered his mouth mischievously. Yuuji had also noticed his stare, or perhaps glare, since a while ago. It was quite obvious even without his Divine Sense. He could sense his fighting spirit and excitement from a mile away.
"He might just be excited. He saw my body while we were in the locker room, so he must be interested in how much I could utilize them in practice."
"Are you going to be okay? Ishikawa-kun is the promising rookie for the basketball club, you know? They say he's promised to become a regular soon by the captain, and he's targeting you."
Raku glanced at Ishikawa from a distance with a worried frown. No matter how much Yuuji had built his muscles, to be targeted by someone like that would definitely be unpleasant. He might not have a fun game.
"I don't mind. I'd like to see how much more athletic I've become, so this is fine. I'm looking forward to the game."
"I see…"
"Now now, you guys don't need to take this seriously! It's just a simple game of basketball for our class. Just relax~!"
"You seem to be enjoying yourself."
"Of course~ After all, I could just pass the ball to you later and relax on the field~!"
"...You could at least pretend to have the intention to help."
"Ahahaha! I'll do my best! Well then, gentlemen. I shall go with my fellow men of culture there to appreciate the girls' game. Farewell!!"
""...""
Both of them let out a sigh as they watch Shu go with his fellow perverts to observe the girls playing…
He couldn't blame them for being interested. After all, the girls in his class were very cute, especially those he was close with. And now, with his enhanced vision, he could see how much more beautiful they really are.
Yuuji and Raku went to the edge of the court and took a seat on the floor, leaning against the wall.
The girls, who will be playing first, have divided themselves into two teams of five with the remainder sitting out to wait for their turn later on.
He glanced towards the group of girls where Chitoge, Ai, Yotsuba, Onodera, and Ruri were in. They seemed to have gotten into the same team.
The teams were randomized, but they seemed to be as lucky as he was. Yuuji was also coincidentally grouped with Shu and Raku, two of his closest male friends.
Just then, his eyes met with Chitoge.
He was about to wave at her, but she immediately averted her head away. Her face was slightly red, and he didn't miss the way she was stealing glances at him with his enhanced vision.
Hm…?
The way she blushed and her apparent nervousness the moment their gazes met was similar to how some of the girls he met gazes with reacted. Even though they tried to hide it, he could still notice them trying to steal glances at him the moment he averted his gaze from them.
Hah… Well, I guess it can't be helped. She must've not gotten used to my new appearance yet.
Without even being a narcissist, Yuuji's appearance was undoubtedly extremely handsome. After all, his appearance had become even more handsome and perfect, even when compared with popular idols, world-class actors, and top models from all around the world. It was only a natural reaction for girls to react in such a way when they see him, just like how any man would when seeing his mother, aunt, and sisters. Even if their preferred partner was of the same gender, it would be impossible to not stop for a moment and admire his countenance.
Yuuji himself was delighted to have such a handsome appearance. After all, he was a boy in his teens, or an adult in his golden years if he remembered his age in his past life correctly. What kind of man wouldn't feel proud or happy for having such an appearance, especially since he's in love with beautiful women with the appearances of Goddesses.
Even so, it would be quite sad if he couldn't interact normally with even his close friends. It seems like he finally found a drawback to his otherwise perfect [Divine Physique].
The sound of the whistle resounded within the indoor gym and the girls began their match.
Yotsuba and Chitoge were the most athletic amongst the rest of the girls in their team as well as the entire class. They were very fast and strong, and they're very skilled in sports as well.
Ai was doing decently. Although she wasn't as skilled in basketball, she has great stamina from all the swimming she did in her club.
Those three were definitely carrying the team, considering Onodera and Ruri were not… doing as well.
Ruri's passes and shooting were decent. But, because of her low stamina, she got tired very quickly and her passes and shootings began missing.
On the other hand, Onodera was... very clumsy. Despite her dexterity with her fingers that Yuuji had seen in action while she decorated her shop's products, she couldn't handle the basketball as well.
And, every time she fumbled or missed a shot, Yuuji could hear a disappointed sigh from his side.
He glanced to his side and saw Raku extremely invested into the game. His eyes obviously gazing towards Onodera, instead of his "girlfriend".
"Oh my~ You're watching Onidera so closely? Is your "relationship" with Chitoge going that badly?"
Yuuji said teasingly with a mischievous smirk on his face.
Raku turned to him in startle and began to blush before letting out a heavy sigh.
"...It's horrible. She's a violent gorilla woman… It's becoming really hard to fake it in front of our families…"
Yuuji's eyes widened to his answer. He knew they were just like oil and water. In addition to the fact that Raku has a long-time crush that has been budding since middle school towards Onodera, it was obvious that he wouldn't like to be put in such a situation.
Still, he didn't expect it to be this bad. After all, Chitoge was a beautiful and intelligent girl who was also very friendly and kind. Her strong personality and occasional clumsiness also added to her charm. Having a fake relationship with such a girl shouldn't be that bad.
"Violent gorilla woman… I'm sure she's not that bad, right? And at least, you're in a fake relationship with a cute girl."
"Huh? Cute girl? Who? Where?"
"...You're so going to be punched if she heard you. Just stop provoking her and I'm sure you'll be fine. She's an honest and cute girl at heart."
"Hmph. You're just saying that because she has always been nice to you. And… You know about my real feelings right…?"
"...Right. It must be hard for you to pretend to be in a relationship with another girl in front of your true crush."
"You said it… Hah…"
They both looked towards Onodera who was running around panicking and not knowing what to do like a deer in headlights around the court. Even if he doesn't have any feelings for her, Yuuji couldn't help but admit she's very cute. Moreover, it wasn't just her appearance. Her personality was just as cute and beautiful. He could understand why Raku would fall for her.
Yuuji patted the back of his depressed friend.
"Hang in there. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me."
"Thanks… You're the only one I can share this with."
"Ahahaha, my mom is friends with your old man and Chitoge's mom after all. In fact, I think Issei-jiisan got the idea from my mom about this, so I do feel a bit responsible for your current situation."
"Really?! Then why isn't it you who entered a fake relationship with her? Unlike me, you two actually got along."
"Hey, it's the problem between your yakuza gang and Chitoget's mafia gang, right? My mother and I are just intermediates to smooth out the process."
"Right…"
Yuuji smiled and pat him on the back as Raku let out a heavy sight once again.
"Speaking of which, how is your dad?"
"He's doing fine. Thanks to Tsubakihara-san's doctor recommendation, he's becoming healthier and livelier."
"I see. That's great. Aki-sensei has been taking care of my family since I was young. She's also a close friend of my mother and a trustworthy person, so everything should be fine."
"Yeah. Everyone is grateful to Nijou-sensei for helping dad regain his health."
As they were talking, the sound of the whistle suddenly resounded within the entire indoor gym court, signifying the end of the girl's basketball game.
"Game over! Great game, girls! Go ahead and take a rest. Boys! Come to the court!"
"Oh, that's us. Come on, you can flirt with your Onodera later."
"Wha-! Idiot! Not so loudly! Oi, Yuuji!!"
Yuuji giggled and just went ahead to the court, ignoring Raku's grumbles. He was saying it loudly on purpose, but he did it knowing they were far enough for anyone else to hear.
All the girls began cheering for Yuuji, shouting him good luck from the edge of the court. The girls were all gathering around to watch him closely. There was no way they would miss Yuuji's cool figure playing basketball! Some had even brought their phone and secretly prepared to take a picture of him!
Ai, Yotsuba, and Chitoge were also gathered around to watch him. Yotsuba was openly telling him good luck, but the other two were too embarrassed to say anything and just quietly stood and focused their gaze on him. They're very curious about how athletic he had become. After all, he had gained such… beautiful and well-defined muscles. He must have become much more athletic than before.
Kosaki and Ruri were also standing along with them.
She wanted to watch Raku play, while Ruri was more curious about Yuuji's physical ability now. After all, the difference between his figure now and before he changed was just too much, so she wondered if his muscles reflect his athleticism.
Soon, Shu and two of his "men-of-culture" friends also arrived and they all gathered on one side of the court, while the other team gathered on the other.
The friends Shu brought were below average in therms of athleticism, obvious by their thin, lanky build and slight pudginess on their arms, legs, and face, while Shu and Raku were only slightly better than them.
It would be a miracle for them to even get a fourth of their opponent's point, especially since there was a member of the basketball club on the opposing team who was considered very promising by his seniors.
Ishikawa Suzuki, a 190cm tall guy with a fairly athletic body. He was only slightly taller than Yuuji, and if it wasn't for his [Divine Physique], Suzuki would've been the one with the most athletic physique in the entire class. The other members of Suzuki's team were also those who were active during physical education.
"Hey, Yuuji~ How about you go for that tip off against our class's best sportsman~? I'm sure you'll impress a lot of girls~"
Shu raised his eyebrows repeatedly as he grinned.
His motives were very obvious. He liked making a scene, and what bigger scene could he make other than having the best sportsman in class go against the new, super popular and handsome guy with a super athletic body who had been garnering all the attention of the females in the school.
If it wasn't class, Yuuji was sure Shu would be taking bets from everyone around him and making money.
Well, I wanted to test how much of a difference in physical ability I have against regular people, so I guess I might as well…
Yuuji let out a sigh and looked at him with a helpless smile.
"Sure. And if you're tired, you can pass the ball to me."
"Of course~ That's what I was going to do anyway~"
Yuuji's lips twitched when he looked at Shu's punchable grin. But, he held it in and just let out a sigh before making his way to the center of the court.
Just as they expected, Ishikawa Suzuki would be the one tipping for his team.
"Let's have a nice game."
"Y-Yeah, let's have a nice game…"
Yuuji shook his hand with a soft smile, contrasting Suzuki's stiff, slightly lopsided, smile.
He was extremely excited for this game. This would be his first time testing out his new physical capabilities. Even though he would need to hold back, it would definitely still be very fun.
On the other hand, Suzuki couldn't help but sweat as he stood before Yuuji.
Yuuji was almost as tall as he was. No, he was technically taller.
But… Why does he seem so intimidating…
It wasn't only his appearance. From his arm and leg muscles that were visible, the muscles that rippled visibly from even under his loose uniform, his gaze, his bearing, his presence, every single aspect of the man before him was phenomenal.
Even his handshake was firm and strong. It made him doubt he was standing before someone his age.
No, I need to focus! I can't lose against this pretty face!
He took a deep breath and shook away those thoughts from his mind. He was the promising rookie in his basketball club. Many of his seniors and coach told him that he's capable of becoming a starter in a few months! What would he do if he lost against him?!
Moreover… All these cheers from girls he's getting is getting irritating! He's so envious!!!!
No one cheered for him like this during games! Heck, there's not even a single girl who would watch him this intently even though he made a cool shot! They would just chat to each other and not pay attention to the game!
I'll show them…
With the added irritant that was Yuuji's overly handsome face right before him, Suzuki steeled his determination to completely embarrass him in this game.
"Alright, you two. Ready?"
Asahi stood in between the two with one hand holding the basketball ready to throw it up for the tip-off, and the other holding the whistle to his lips.
"Yes, sir."
"Yes."
He nodded, and with a deafening sound of the whistle, he threw the basketball up high.
Suzuki timed his jump and launched into the air as high as he could, perfectly timing it to reach his apex when the ball fell.
Yes! I got it-
Suddenly, his vision slightly darkened as a shadow fell upon him.
His eyes glanced down, and to his utter shock, Yuuji's chest was before him.
Yuuji tipped the ball to Raku before falling back down to the ground, and immediately ran past Suzuki.
"Raku!"
"O-Oh!"
Suzuki snapped out of his daze, but by the time he turned, the ball was already in Yuuji's hands and he had run towards their goal.
Dammit! I didn't expect him to jump that high!
Suzuki quickly chased after Yuuji. His high jumped surprised him quite a bit, but at that speed, an amateur like Yuuji wouldn't be able to driblle the ball that well, so he would definitely be able to ca-
W-Wait! W-What the heck?!
His eyes widened in pure shock. Despite running at a speed even faster than his full sprint speed, Yuuji was capable of dribbling the basketball without any problem! Ins tead of closing the distance like he had expected, the distance between was increasing by the moment!
H-How does he even do that?! Is he lying about never playing basketball?! No, I'm sure he's not that good at basketball before the holidays! What the hell happened in that short period of time?!
Running desperately, Suzuki tried to close the distance and hoped his teammates could slow him down. But to his utter shock, Yuuji dribbled past them as if they're scarecrows.
His dribbling and control over the ball was even better than him, and he with his uncanny speed, he was slipping past his teammates as if they're frozen still.
Before they even knew it, Yuuji had already reached their post and did a simple lay up for the first point of the game.
"Kyaaa~!!!! Yuuji-kun~!!!"
"Wooooww~ He's so fast~!!"
"Yuuji-kun~ You're so cool~!!!!"
Suzuki and his team stood in shock, dumbfounded, as shrieks and cheers of the girls surrounded them.
He… He was too fast! They couldn't even follow him! And what's with that ball handling skills?! Is he secretly a professional player?!
Yuuji run back to his team, high-fiving Shu and Raku as he did, snapping the later out of his daze.
"O-Oi, Yuuji. When did you get so good at basketball?"
"Hm? O-Oh, I'm not that good, you know?"
"W-What?! How could you say that after what you did?!"
"A-Ah, well I guess I got better at controlling my body… It's hard to explain… I can see what they're trying to do, so I just evade them and try to keep the ball while not forgetting to dribble… and yeah… A-Anyway, don't think too much of it!"
Yuuji laughed it off and averted his gaze away from Raku…
It wasn't much for an explanation, but at least, he didn't lie.
He didn't have any proficiency in basketball. But, because of his [Divine Physique], his reflexes have improved dramatically, and in combination with his enhanced hand-eye coordination and overall control of his body, he was able to pull off things that regular people couldn't, making him appear skillful at first glance. But, a skilled enough person would be able to discern his lack of skill. Though, defeating him would be an entirely different matter.
His body was no longer in the realm of humanity. So even if they're masters at the sport, it would be extremely difficult to beat him. After all, even though Yuuji only has pure strength, speed, and reflexes, it was still a wall a normal human wouldn't be able to climb over.
Watching that first point from the side, Chitoge, Ai, Yotsuba, Onodera, and Ruri were also stupefied by Yuuji's performance.
They've seen him run before during physical education, but he was never this fast. They could barely see his movement when he weave through his opponents, and before they knew it, he'd already scored a layup!
Just what the hell happened?! How did he become so handsome and athletic at the same time so suddenly!
Suzuki snapped out of his daze and turned himself around towards Yuuji as he run back to his side of the court. His gaze locked at him as his body trembled.
T-That's just a fluke! I was just caught off guard because he suddenly run so quickly! He won't be able to keep that kind of pace throughout the whole game!
He turned to his friends and raised his voice, snapping them out of their daze.
"Don't mind it! It's just two points! We'll get it back easily! It's impossible for him to keep that kind of pace the whole game! Just tire him out and it'll be our turn to sweep the floor!"
""Oh!!!""
With the ball thrown back into the game from Suzuki's side, the game continued.
He believed that as time goes on, the tide will begin to favor his team as Yuuji's stamina deplete.
Pulling off these high-speed evasions, running from one end of the court to the other quickly, dodging him and his teammates, and making these ridiculous shots that seemed to never miss. Every time he made a play, they could hear the sound of girls shrieking in excitement around them and their hearts shattering little by little.
"Stop letting him inside! Mark him closer!"
"We can't! He's too fast!"
J-Just hold on a bit more… He'll run out of steam soon with that kind of movement!
"Just triple-team Tsubakihara! Don't worry about the others!"
"We can't! He keeps slipping away!"
Just a bit more! He must be tired already!
"Keep the others from passing to him!"
"They're not even passing anymore! They're just giving it to him now!"
"N-No way… D-Did he just dunked…"
J-Just a bit more…
"D-Damnit! He blocked me again!"
"Wha-?! H-How did he already get there?!"
A-A bit more…
"W-What?! Now he's playing outside?!"
"H-How is he not missing these 3-pointers?!"
"J-Just shoot! We just need to score more than him! He's just one person!"
"Then you do it! He keeps appearing right in our face and blocking our shots!
…
Yuuji felt his body warming up in excitement. He never knew playing basketball would be so exciting and freeing!
No, this must be because of his [Divine Physique] that allowed him to do everything he's thinking in a split second perfectly. His reactions were lightning-quick, he could run back and forth the entire court without breaking a sweat, and with the accuracy and hand-eye coordination he got from his Gun Proficiency, it was impossible for him to miss his shots.
He could even dunk the basketball.
The sheer bliss of moving his body so freely like this was exhilarating!
This is so much fun! I can do this all da- Ahh…
Yuuji looked around him and saw the sweaty, exhausted figures of his opponents.
Most of them were no longer standing, and only Suzuki was on his feet. He was heaving as he clutched onto his knees. His entire body wet from sweat as if he had just run through heavy rain.
H-Have it been that long…?
He looked around him and saw everyone looking at him in pure shock, including the teacher.
I-I messed up! I went too far!!!
Yuuji froze for a moment, before silently making his way back to his side of the court.
He approached Raku and whispered to him.
"D-Did I go too far…?"
"...Y-You did. They've been trying to stop you the whole time… But…"
"A-Ahh…"
Yuuji scratched his head awkwardly and sent an apologetic look at his teacher with a slight bow.
His gesture snapped the teacher out of his daze, and he quickly regain himself and announced to the class with a loud voice.
"A-Ah.. Ahem! Well then! I believe this is enough. The game is finished! You are all free to take a rest. And someone please help them off the ground…"
The teacher sighed and began making his way towards Suzuki and his team along with some of the boys to carry them off the court.
And just as he was about to go help, he was immediately swarmed by his female classmates.
"Yuuji-kun, you were so cool~!!! I never knew you were that amazing at basketball!!!"
I never knew either!
"Kyaa~ Your so muscular~! You must've workout so much~! You look so cool~!"
Ah! P-Please stop squishing my arms!
"Hey~ Would you like to join us for karaoke sometimes~? We're planning on going after school!"
N-No… I'll be roasted if mom, aunt, or those two found out I'm going to karaoke with a bunch of girls.
"Eh?! Rather than going to karaoke, let's go to a cafe instead~! I know an amazing cafe near our school~!"
That sounds familiar… Wait! Isn't that Aika-nee's cafe?! I'll definetely be killed if she saw me go there with a bunch of girls!!!
Yuuji tried his best to handle his female friends and classmates, but their vigor were just too much for him.
P-Please… A-Anyone, help me!!!
He looked towards Raku, Shu, and his friends, but they immediately avert their gazes. Shu didn't but he was just watching him with a shit-eating grin on his annoying face.
Tch! They're useless! How about the girls?
He turned towards his closest female friends; Ai, Yotsuba, Chitoge, Onodera, and Ruri. But to his demise, Ai, Yotsuba, and Chitoge were already averting their gazes and pouting, while Onodera and Ruri watched him with helpless smiles.
Ahhh! Isn't there anyone who can help me?!
To be surrounded by girls' soft bodies, their bell-like voices, and fragrant scents was a dual-edged dagger for any boy in his teens. With horny hormones raging within them, it was extremely difficult for any boys to hold themselves back when so many young, cute girls are vying for him like this.
Especially for Yuuji, whose enhanced libido has been heightened to the max because of his world-class beauty level mom, aunt, and sisters! It was truly something he didn't realize at first when he read about "Enhanced Stamina" in his [Divine Physique] skill description.
For him, who didn't want to make a mistake towards his female classmates and friends, it was truly a hellish trial for his sanity.