Ayanokouji What If: Popularity Time

V5 Chapter 2: Prep Day

                          Kiyotaka Pov

While Ryuen had decided on a system of dictatorship, the other first year classes settled on democracy.

Everyone in the class met in the gym the next day for the required fitness exam. This would be used to measure our strength, speed, and knowledge of the human body.

The boys and girls were split apart for the physical examinations, which made sense, considering the amount of hormones coursing through half-of-the male population.

We were all in a line, ready to test our grip strengths. Behind me, I could hear Yamauchi say, "who needs grip strength? Besides, my hand isn't the thing that needs to grip."

I turned around, perplexed, "what do you mean by that Yamauchi?"

"I, uh, nothing!"

Ike, laughed, saying, "Ayanokouji, have you ever seen content from the hub?"

"The hub?"

Ike looked around before leaning in close, "the corn hub."

"Ah I see."

See, corn is something that everyone is familiar with. I was informed of it early on in my high school career when Kikyo identified what Ike and Yamauchi were reading and watching during class.

"Ok, then you won't get the joke," shrugged Ike.

Yamauchi punched him in the shoulder, "not cool dude."

Before I knew it, it was my turn to test my strength. Hirata had taken to recording all the boys' grip strengths and stood next to me with a clipboard.

Ken was also there, watching the other boys go in line.

"Hey, Ken, what would you say is the average grip strength?"

"Eh? Man, I dunno, maybe...62?"

"62, huh?" I muttered, pressing down on the handle.

I'll aim for just above that, to maintain my strength but also to not look like a giant of some sort.

The digital display showed 73.

"73, Hirata," I said, handing the machine to Yamauchi who let out a short whine, "Ayanokouji, can you please just push down on this for me?"

I pretended not to hear him as I walked over to Hirata.

Hirata smiled, wrote down my record and nodded, "you're free to go, Ayanokouji-Kun."

As I walked away, I noticed Koenji standing at the far all of the gym, manicuring his nails with a nail file.

"Koenji," I said, leaning next to him.

"Liar-Boy."

"Why aren't you participating?"

Koenji chuckled, "I have no need to arbitrarily show my strength off to those peasants. I suspect you believe the same thing."

I shrugged, "I have no idea what you mean."

"You can continue with this act, however, you will turn up a disappointment."

"A disappointment? To who."

"Puhuhu, I'll allow you to ponder it on your own. You see me as a powerful asset that you want in your horde. That's proof enough to conclude you are no mere idiot."

"Your words humble me Koenji," I joked.

He chuckled, but not at the joke, "oh, Liar-Boy, why do you lie the way you do?"