I teach judo in Tokyo.

However, since it is now June and the cherry blossom season has passed, the cherry trees look a bit monotonous and have failed to achieve the effect of "a touch of red amidst a sea of ​​green" in early spring.

"Class 3, Grade 11..." Sosuke followed the route in his mind and walked towards the building where his class was located.

Along the school road and on the distant track, groups of students from various sports clubs are running laps for their morning exercise.

After all, it's already June, and there's less than a month until the annual Japan National High School Athletic Games (also known as "Summer IH"), which begins preparations in July.

In all the high schools across Japan's 47 prefectures, sports-related clubs have been preparing for this grand national event for a long time.

As a renowned high school, Tsurumine Academy naturally boasts elite clubs and numerous strong sports teams.

Now everyone is eager to achieve excellent results—or even win the championship—in this summer's national tournament.

Therefore, they will certainly not miss any training opportunity.

That's really something.

Sousuke read through the various memories left behind by the original owner of the body in his mind, and for a moment he found it quite interesting.

It must be said that the lives of Japanese high school students are indeed very colorful.

And so, he quickly arrived at his classroom.

Grade 11 (Class 3)

He looked up at the sign on the door, gently pushed the door open, and went inside.

At this moment, the students in the class had just finished a weekend and were excitedly chatting and communicating in small groups.

It was particularly noisy for a time.

Then, as Atobe Sousuke pushed open the door and entered, many classmates subconsciously looked at him at the doorway.

The noise gradually subsided.

The person still speaking, affected by the eerie atmosphere, couldn't help but look towards the doorway.

Then they saw a tall, slender boy who was over 1.85 meters tall.

With his neat and short hair, handsome features, and unusually droopy eyes beneath his sword-like eyebrows, he appeared indifferent to everything.

Who is this? A transfer student?

A rare, melancholic yet handsome guy!

So handsome!

Most people's first thought is that he is a transfer student.

Sosuke glanced around briefly, his eyes narrowing slightly in shock, before calmly withdrawing his gaze.

Then, relying on his memory, he found his place.

Back row, by the window.

Good grief, so you're the main character now, huh?

So, under everyone's gaze, he calmly walked to his seat, carrying his bag behind his back with one hand.

"Is that Atobe Sousuke?"

"That can't be..."

"It really seems to be him!"

"Oh my god, he took off his glasses, changed his hairstyle, and...!"

"I misjudged it before..."

The whispers gradually intensified, especially among the female students in the class, many of whom began to show longing in their eyes.

Atobe Sousuke didn't have time to deal with these people.

According to the original owner's memories, he was originally a marginal figure in the class, almost a member of the lower class who would be bullied. Almost no one in the class treated him as a friend.

Then he naturally doesn't need to care about these people's opinions.

He was more interested in his deskmate sitting next to him than in the gazes of his other classmates.

Above his deskmate's head, a golden label gleamed, drawing his attention.

SSR - Golden Legend!

"Good morning, Yotsuba." He rested his chin on his hand and smiled at his deskmate.

His deskmate was keeping his head down and remaining silent at the moment, but after hearing Atobe Sousuke's voice, he raised his head with a slight panic.

At the same time, it also allowed Sosuke to see her face clearly.

Her ordinary double braids hung down to her shoulders, and her eyes were covered by square black-rimmed glasses that inexplicably reflected light, which also blocked most of her face.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that this girl has delicate features and a beautiful face shape, possessing the potential to grow into a beauty.

But in Sosuke's eyes, this classmate had a unique charm.

【Yotsuba Saki】

[Disciple Potential: SSR - Tuition fee subsidy of 500%, random reward of SSR-level skill of the dojo master after joining the dojo, and an additional reward for each rank increase]

Age: 18

Body type stats: 83, 56, 86

[Existing protective magic: None]

[Facing difficulties: Being harassed by delinquent female classmates and hooligans]

Tuition fee (approx.): 50000 yen/month

[Entry: Doppelganger - 400% Tuition Subsidy]

[Current Status: This is... Sousuke?]

[System suggestion: Be sure to recruit them as disciples]

No wonder masters in fantasy works always look for disciples from among the young; a gold medal has already been produced from just one class!

Chapter 9 My Insecure Desk Mate

"Atobe-kun, what's wrong?"

Perhaps not expecting anyone to speak to him, Sosuke's deskmate responded to him somewhat flusteredly, looking like a startled little rabbit.

If we say that Sousuke's current cheerfulness level, which is essentially that of an older man, is 8, then the original Sousuke before he was transported to another world had a cheerfulness level of 3, while Sousuke's classmate probably only had a cheerfulness level of 1.

He was the kind of super marginal person who, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would go through high school without anyone paying attention to him.

Sosuke gave her a gentle smile: "We've been deskmates for two years, so we're friends, right?"

friend......?

Yotsuba Saki stared blankly at Atobe Sousuke, her eyes widening slightly behind her black-rimmed glasses.

Sosuke, who had become the center of attention and was about to become the most popular person in the class or even the school, was now in the spotlight.

He actually considers her a friend?

She was about to speak when she met Sosuke's bright eyes, and immediately lowered her head again. Her hands unconsciously tugged at the hem of her skirt between her thighs, twisting it involuntarily, and she looked quite nervous.

Sosuke did not press her, but waited patiently for the girl's reply.

Yes...we are friends...

After a long while, a clear, soft sound, barely audible, reached Sosuke's ears.

To grasp or manipulate.

This SSR is already mine.

With the soul of an adult and the appearance that is irresistibly attractive to the opposite sex, Sosuke easily takes control of the relationship.

Sosuke smiled and looked at his deskmate's status on the forum.

[Facing difficulties: Being harassed by delinquent female classmates and hooligans]

[Current Status: I have friends!?]

Goodness, if I had come any later, would someone have snatched this SSR?

Given my deskmate's circumstances and personality, if he were to run into those delinquents and hooligans, wouldn't he be at their mercy?

First do this, then do that, and finally it gets ruined.

But it's alright now!

Because Lao Tzu has arrived!

Sosuke stopped smiling and looked seriously at his deskmate.

His serious expression made Yotsuba Saki shrink back involuntarily, feeling somewhat panicked, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

[Current Status: Sousuke seems angry!]

[Current Status: I think I angered him...]

[Current status: As expected, how could I possibly deserve such a friend...]

This girl has a severe case of low self-esteem.

Sousuke sighed, his expression softening. "Yotsuba, don't worry, I'm not angry. I just want you to do one thing for me, okay?"

[Current Status: He's not angry! That's great!]

Yotsuba Saki nodded frantically, tears finally welling up in her eyes.

Sosuke chuckled and said in a low voice, "I saw you interacting with those delinquent girls before. They're all bad kids. Can you promise me that you won't have any more contact with them in the future, and that you won't listen to any of their requests?"

He felt that beating around the bush would only make his sensitive female classmate misunderstand, so it was better to be direct and assertive and just let her follow his instructions.

Yotsuba Saki nodded quickly, her eyes shining with trust as she looked at Sousuke.

But then, a faint look of sorrow appeared on her face.

Sosuke immediately looked at her entry again—Don't try to guess what a girl is thinking, just cheat if you can.

[Current Status: How should I tell them?]

It turned out to be the case.

Sosuke sighed, then said with a smile, "How about this, after school today, I'll go with you and talk to those female delinquents to make things clear and tell them to stop bothering you."

SSR disciples must not be lost!

Yotsuba Saki nodded immediately.

[Current Status: This is amazing! Atobe-kun is practically a mind reader!]

Girl, congratulations, you guessed right.

Sosuke raised an eyebrow, looking at the serene smile on Yotsuba Saki's lips as she calmed down, and couldn't help but smile as well.

As nine o'clock approached, the classroom of Class 3, Grade 11, became increasingly crowded and noisy.

Then, after a short, stout figure appeared at the classroom door, everyone fell silent.

He was a serious-looking, bespectacled middle-aged man whose receding hairline indicated he had given up on treatment for his baldness.

Class teacher – Yuki Maehara.

He went straight into the classroom and stood on the podium, making a straightforward announcement.

"Dear students, I have a few minutes before class to tell you something. We received a notice from the school over the weekend—because many students are trying to avoid participating in club activities, the school has decided to adjust the requirements for members of the 'Homecoming Club.' Starting today, any student who cannot provide proof of 'going home early after school to attend a tutoring institution' must choose a new club before school ends this afternoon."

His words elicited a sigh of despair from at least a third of the students in the class.

No wonder it was voted the most popular club by Japanese high school students.

The power of the Guijia Department is terrifying.

Atobe Sousuke noticed that his deskmate, Yotsuba Saki, had also lowered her head in a depressed mood.

Clearly, this marginalized girl is also a member of the Homecoming Club.

The homeroom teacher didn't care about the students' opinions. He simply pointed to a girl sitting in the front row and said, "Mifune Yumi, collect a list of all the students from the Home Return Club who can't provide proof and the new clubs they intend to join. Give it to me before noon."

After saying that, he left the classroom.