CHAPTER 2 Act 2

Our second period has ended, and our next class will be Physical Education. Classes such as P.E. are allowed to use the school grounds or gym. All students in my class will be split into four groups. Two groups for males, and two groups for females. In terms of the game, boys will play basketball, while girls play volleyball.

We're on our way to the locker room now. Boys and girls are, of course, separated.

That reminds me, this is my first P.E. class in this school.

My P.E. classes haven't been all that horrible. To tell the truth, I typically managed to win first place in some of the competitions at every sports festival. Though my classmates, on the other hand, aren't ever satisfied with the results.

Among other things, it is supposed that recreational activities should be practiced to maintain and improve the physical condition of students. Schools must not only provide education, but they must also consider each student's physical health.

However, some students are not physically fit on their own, therefore they need to make an effort to adapt.

"Ah... this again..."

"You're right, P.E. is tiresome."

As we changed our clothes, some of the guys are making a protest about the P.E class.

I feel the same way, though we can't object since it is part of the curriculum.

"I don't think so," the man over my left said.

"Yep, totally not," says the other guy in response to the assertion, "you see, girls are extremely attractive whenever they play sports, right?"

All of the guys are deafeningly quiet as that one man speaks the words of heaven. They are at it again.

"..."

"Indeed, they are totally cute, don't you think?"

"Yeah... and besides," as the man who is in my left continues, "when we're playing, the girls are cheering for us, you know?"

"..."

Then suddenly, all of the boys continued to change their clothing, having nothing to say in response to that statement. Although, this time, their eyes were burning as if they were pumped up. That guy's statements are meant to stir up the emotions of these people at best.

However, at the same time, that guy who was on my left looked at me.

"They appear to be thrilled to play now."

"Looks like it," I said.

It seems that this man is the leader of the boys in our class. He has the ability to read a situation and adjust to it. I wouldn't be surprised if he is popular within the school due to his great communication skills. On top of that, he is one of the top students in our class. That means, he is a great leader and a reliable person. But still, my assumptions aren't always correct, so it's probably not a good idea to make a guess straight away.

"By the way, I don't think you're having any troubles with P.E Mr. Seid, considering that I don't sense any strain coming from you, am I right?" he speaks as if he was observing me.

My body froze for a split second. Before I could reply to him, I realized that all of them had already left.

They are all pretty fast when it comes to these things.

It's scary to think that person can tell just by a glance that I'm not particularly interested in the conversation. Judging from his statement, he was trying to make a conversation with me. Regrettably, we're out of time to make a chat.

He was observing me in the same manner. Perhaps, he's wary of me since I'm a transferred student.

Well, it is not a good idea to hang out with this kind of person. However, as long as we were classmates, it is impossible to avoid future interaction with him.

Since I had been left behind, I was alone on my way to the gym.

After a short walk, someone just waiting for me from the corridor. And it looks like that person is the president of our class.

"Um, what are you doing?" I asked first.

"I'm waiting for someone."

She made a sarcastic remark to push down my words. Her statement seemed like she was about to hunt her prey.

"Yeah I know, but why are you waiting from the outside?"

"You're late."

"I guess I'm a bit late, Ms. President"

"Stop addressing me as 'president'. If someone overhears you calling me like that, we'll most probably end up on the Student Council Committee. Set that aside, and kindly call me Alice; the word 'president' belongs to the Student Council, please keep that in mind."

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Alice Ruclise, the president and the representative of the girls in our class. She's our leader in terms of bringing the class together.

"Is that so?"

"Come on in, we can talk later."

From my perspective, she is incandescent if there is one term that best represents her character. She radiates both her beauty and her intelligence. Hence, there is no doubt that she is the classroom representative.

Regardless, the groups had already been decided before I arrived, and there's nothing I can do about it.

There are a majority of boys than girls in our class. As a result, the groups are not partially equal. My group consists of eleven players whereas the other team consists of twelve. There's no issue between the groups, however...

"Uhm, before we start, to make it more interesting, I'd want to make a bet with the other team."

"Wait, what are you trying to say?"

"Hmm, sounds good, Steve"

Challenge in the beginning of the class? What he's up to?

That guy before in the locker room, his name was Steve. It's interesting to think that this guy would suggest that.

"What do you think, Mr. Seid?" he suddenly called my name.

"..."

He's observing me to what I've predicted, and he seemed confident with his skills. We are not in the same group, so it'll appear as though he wants to challenge me head-to-head, that's why he suggested that. Basketball isn't my sport, still, I'm not that bad either.

"Wait, what's going on? Are the boys are betting for something?"

"It will be interesting to see, right everyone?!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

It appears that all of the girls seem to have heard about it. Now it makes a little pressure on all of us. The fact that if I said no, all these guys will come right back at me.

When I look around, all of their eyes were at me and waiting for my response. Also, all of the boys were all fired up into this little game.

"Yeah, we can fight against them."

"Are you sure about that, Steve?"

His team was questioning him, but it looks like that he isn't turning his back on this one. Besides, his reputation is also at stake, therefore I assume he's somewhat serious.

"What is the consequence?" I asked.

You should know what the stakes are on this bet before agreeing to it. I'm curious if it's worth betting on.

"This isn't between the teams, as you may know, even though we compete as a team. It's just between you and me, Hans."

As expected, he wants to compete against me.

"The loser will follow the order of whatever the winner wishes, is it fair for you?"

The bet isn't totally bad.

Moreover, I'm not afraid to lose in his childish game. In this case, turning down his offer isn't probably my option. Then let's see how it goes.

"Now, your response?"

"Alright, it's a deal."

"Sure."

After giving my response, the game has just started. Rules are simple. The game lasts ten minutes. Each shot is worth one point. The team with the most points at the end of the game will be declared the winner.

We're on the defense.

"Please don't hold back, Mr. Seid."

That guy (Steve) who is on the opposition team said this to me. We're going head-to-head and the ball was in his hands.

"Don't worry that much..."

Following his statement, he smirks at me and takes a step forward to attack. I decided not to make any moves until I observe his abilities. Then he shot from the inside. The curve was accurate and the first score was simply a take.

It was a rule that if you want to win, you must first know your opponent.

He gives me a wry smile as if he's mocking me.

What a cheeky bastard

Now it's time to get serious.

"Hey, it's our turn. Focus on the game, now we can counterattack," as I call my teammates, "we're not going to score them until the very end."

Afterward, at about the five-minute mark, we were in the lead by such a huge margin, it is just exactly what I've said.

"Wait a minute, is that Steve?"

"Yeah."

"What the hell is Steve doing? Their points aren't increasing."

"One is to fifteen? It's a shame."

"It's too boring to watch the game. We already know who's going to win."

As the crowd makes a fuss, the score is just as it is. Aside from that one point, the other team is unable to make a single shot. They appear pitiful, but who cares about them? They are just a bunch of useless insects.

In the first place, I don't care about them or their reputation at this school. If you want to win a fight, crush your opponent until they can't move any longer. However, if you lose, that's the end of it. Therefore you make sure that their knees and heads are on your feet.

Now, it's time to end this game.

The clock ticks to two minutes...

One minute...

Until it reaches zero. The game was over.

And by the time the game came to an end, they knew who had won. It was as clear as the sky that we had won by a huge margin, one to twenty-four.

"How did this happen?"

"This isn't a game, it's a humiliation."

"Yeah, Steve can't even take a shot, how awful."

My team isn't that bad. They listen to my instructions and perform admirably in the game. The other team looks exhausted, however, it appears that their eyes are writhing in shame.

"Tsch, why the heck you're doing Steve?!"

Someone on their team becomes irritated; but that guy didn't respond to him.

"Hey, say anything, you bastard!"

"Stop it, Vince, we've lost this game. It's not that you've ruined your existence. Besides, Steve isn't the only one who can't make a shot, is that right?"

"Yeah I know, but the Commander--"

"I said stop. Alright, it's time to clear things up."

The girls who are watching the match are baffled. Even though they already knew the outcome of the game, they couldn't hide their surprise. By the way, the girls' volleyball match was over, and they tend to look forward to this game.

Due to the event, there is an awkward silence going on around. However, time is running out, and I don't want to waste it on this.

I take a step towards that man. It is now time to carry out the conditions of our agreement.

"Say, how pathetic are you?" I dumped a few words at him.

He's still on the floor and looked right back at me.

"It's my loss, but it'll be my win the next time, so prepare yourself. Anyway, you're an interesting guy as what the rumors say."

"Is that so? Then, I have a question if you don't mind."

"..."

"...can you tell me why all of the students are cautious about me?" I asked

This question is unusual for him, and I'm wondering how he responds to it. Recently, it appears that all of the student body's attention has been focused on me. They appear to be watching me from behind, which is rather bothersome.

"Eh, didn't you know? Alright, I guess I tell you the truth."

"..."

He seemed surprised, but this guy isn't that easy to read. He acts as if nothing happened, but at the same time, he is also suspicious of me.

"They're scouting you to determine if you're suitable for their Organization. But I don't think anyone has made a move yet."

Is this the 'Commander' thing they're talking about earlier?

"Organization? What is---"

"Attention students, please go back to your class!"

The teacher interrupted to announce that class had ended.

This isn't the right time to know, I guess.

This organization thing may have related to the letter that I've found lately. Well, there's one person who can answer all of my questions.

Right, that woman, however, I don't think I have to know it further.

"Ah, alright, let's leave this subject alone; I don't care about such things in the first place," I said coldly to myself.