Chapter 8

8

"Hey."

I was just about to stretch when someone called out to me.

"…?"

'Oh, what a menacing presence.'

That was my first impression of the person. He was about 4-5 centimeters taller than me, and his whole body looked solid and well-built. Yet, he was also very flexible, reminding me of a sleek, wild leopard.

"Do you know me?"

"There's no way I wouldn't. You're the Bastard of the Cromwell family, right?"

"Hmm, technically, I'm not Cromwell, and I'm not a bastard. I'm Rohan Kim, the legitimate heir of the Kim family, born to my mother and father."

His expression twisted.

"Are you making a joke? Do I look like I'm joking?"

As the person approached, threateningly, I almost reflexively tried to apologize. It was a habit from my past life. As a paralyzed person, I couldn't afford to make enemies in any situation.

"Not at all funny."

"…?"

"If a retard stammers, there's no need to point and laugh. I'll just consider it as stepping in dog poop and be generous about it."

"What did you say?"

The guy looked so flustered that he couldn't even get angry. Of course, I was the most surprised.

'Oh my…'

I was definitely trying to say sorry, so how did this happen…?

"You heard that you're a has-been, but you still have some spunk. I'm Wade Jones, the new guy this year. I'm the talent who will lead Auckland High to the top."

"Shouldn't that be something others say about you?"

"Consider it an honor to try out with me."

Wade said that and walked away calmly, then started talking to everyone he saw.

- You're Jin, right? Meeting you here again. How about you quit on your own and don't hold me back?

- I've never seen you before? I'm Wade Jones. I'm the promising football player representing our school. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

By this point, the freshmen were avoiding Wade and stretching far away.

Those who had already been targeted by him were cursing him from a distance.

'What a unique freshman. He doesn't seem like a bad kid despite his appearance.'

"…"

Still, I decided I needed to be more careful after recalling what happened with Wade.

'Sometimes I feel like I might have anger management issues, but…'

This was the first time it had shown on the outside. Was this originally Rohan's personality?

Wade, surprisingly, had a gentle nature, so it passed, but the situation could have escalated.

'Surprisingly, it felt good to say everything I wanted to.'

*

The Auckland High football tryouts are one of the biggest events of the first semester.

The stands were packed even in the middle of the day, with the entire school gathered.

Classes were suspended for this time, and even the teachers joined in the fun.

A prime spot with a clear view of the field. Before the tryouts began, a few girls were gathered, chatting.

"Even though it's a lousy school, it has a good sports atmosphere, doesn't it?"

"I can understand why guys are crazy about sports. I get excited too."

"There seem to be quite a few freshmen applying for the tryouts this year."

"Looks like there are about 100. The total number of freshmen is 500, right? If we assume 250 are boys, it means almost all the able-bodied ones are here, right?"

"Really crowded. How many will actually be selected? Chloe, do you know?"

The attention turned to Chloe, the only second-year in the group of freshmen.

She was fixing her makeup and glanced away.

"How would I know? I don't care."

"You say you don't care, but you act like you know all the football players. Could it be…"

"Are you crazy? My twin brother is on the football team, so I see him. They only act human when they're playing. Otherwise, they're just idiots."

"Huh? Your brother is on the football team? Since you're twins, he must be a second-year, so he's not the starting player yet, right?"

Alisa started guessing who Chloe's twin brother might be.

"First, he's probably a white guy with blonde hair… Hmm, if he's even a little like Chloe, he must be a heartthrob. If I had a brother like that, I'd introduce him to everyone!"

"…If you bring him, I'll cover the date expenses and even the moving costs."

"Oh, you're offering to live together already."

Alisa laughed excitedly, but Lia, sitting next to her, shook her head and sighed.

"Can't you tell? Look at the guy with the captain's armband."

"…Captain?? Chloe's brother is a second-year, right?? No way…"

Alisa covered her mouth.

Chloe, who had been modeling since she was young, imagined her twin brother, despite being a boy, would have a similar build.

She thought he might be a kicker or a wide receiver, but Chloe's twin brother was none other than Auckland High's quarterback, Darren Rogers.

Not just a high school star, he was a local sports star.

"Crazy, crazy. One is a successful fashion model, and the other is a football superstar. Can you share some of your family's genes? Don't hog them all to yourselves??"

"…What?"

"No wonder you're close with the football players. Chloe, is there anything you want? Or something you want to eat…"

Not just Alisa, but other girls also tried to be friendly with Chloe, asking her to invite them to the famous tryout after-party.

Chloe, looking annoyed, focused on her eyelashes again.

"Oh, it's starting. The candidates are lining up."

"Is the first event the 40-yard dash (35 meters)?"

"I find the 40-yard dash the most exciting among the tryout events."

As they said, the candidates were lining up according to the coach's instructions.

With so many people, they were divided into groups of ten for timing.

Chloe, who had glanced over, suddenly turned to Lia.

"Lia, is Rohan participating in the tryouts?"

"What? That guy is crazy. Why would he come to the tryouts? You must have seen wrong. He's probably at home, reading books or doodling because he hasn't been eating well lately."

"Third row, sixth from the right."

"…What…?"

Lia, surprised by the specific description, checked the candidates. To her amazement, Chloe's eyes were accurate.

"Why is that guy there??"

"What, what, Lia's brother is Rohan, right?? It's a complete sibling festival."

"Wait… If he's Lia's brother… doesn't he play sports pretty well??"

"But you said he's a second-year. Why is he at the tryouts?"

Lia didn't hear the others.

She stared at the face of her family's idiot.

'What kind of embarrassment is he trying to cause!'

When Rohan first entered Auckland High, she didn't know, but over the past year, he hadn't played any sports.

Though their parents didn't know, Lia, who occasionally kept in touch, had confirmed that he had a terrible diet and had even started using dangerous drugs, making it seem like he could die at any moment.

Lia, anxious, bit her nails and quickly took out her phone.

She sent a barrage of text messages, but Rohan was looking around, smiling foolishly. It seemed he had left his phone at home.

Bang!

At that moment, the first group's 40-yard dash started.

1. Nick Donovan 4.92 seconds

2. David Williams 5.35 seconds

...

10. Larry O'Connor 6.20 seconds

"4.92? For a freshman, that's pretty good."

"They all look fast, but what kind of time do you need to make the football team?"

"The 40-yard dash is the most important event in the tryouts, but doing well in this alone doesn't guarantee a spot. No, if you hit a college-level time, you're in, but here they'll select the top 11 based on a composite score. It was the same last year."

"Wow, you really are a sports enthusiast, Ivy. You know high school sports as well as professional ones."

Ivy adjusted her glasses and scanned her iPad.

"I should know the data for our school. Anyway, 4.92 seconds is a first-tier time for high school football. The current starters average between 4.9 and 5.6 seconds, so that's a good benchmark."

"Wow, impressive. It seems a lot of talented freshmen have joined this year, given how strong our school is in football."

Ivy smiled at Alisa, who looked cute, and corrected her.

"Actually, he's not a freshman. You might not know, but the other students will recognize him. Nick Donovan is already a starter. He's a third-year, and one of the top wide receivers that nearby colleges are eyeing."

"Really? A starter? But why is he at the tryouts?"

"It's a tradition at Auckland High. The best player in each event always goes first in the first group. It's a way to intimidate. The difference between the current starters and the rest is shown right from the start to keep everyone in line."

"Oh… I see. It must also boost the expectations of regular students like us, showing the level of our school."

"Right, Alisa. You're getting quite perceptive. And it works in the opposite situation too."

"Opposite situation? When a candidate outperforms a starter?"

"Exactly. Since the starters can be pushed out, they give it their all. Sometimes freshmen even set better records in certain events."

"Wow, that must make it quite exciting. So, the first in the first group is always a starter."

The girls watched the tryouts even more intently.

Bang!

The results of the second group appeared on the scoreboard.

1. Peter Crowder 5.30 seconds

2. Danny Shu 5.45 seconds

...

10. Thierry Fayette 6.41 seconds

"As Ivy said, they were really fast, but a sub-5 is incredible. Starters are starters."

"Those times aren't bad. The top two could be starters. Considering they're freshmen, they have a lot of potential. Maybe they'll select more than 11 this year."

"Hmm…"

"Hey, Chloe? You're suddenly interested? You're actually paying attention?"

As Alisa said, when the third group lined up for the 40-yard dash, Chloe put away her cosmetics and looked at the field.

Ivy, who had been watching her, clicked her tongue.

"Even if she pretends not to care, Chloe knows the promising freshmen well. The first in the third group is Wade Jones. A super prospect, ranked in the top 5 wide receivers in the nation as a middle schooler. You can expect a lot from this dash."

"Even if you say that, he looks incredibly fast. He seems better than most track athletes."

Meanwhile, Lia, despite her anxiety, couldn't take her eyes off the third group.

'That idiot!'

Rohan was one of the third group.

Bang!

The ten started running at once.

As expected, Wade Jones took off immediately.

"…Too scary. It's like a tank moving as fast as a supercar."

"I wanted to say it's a ridiculous comparison, but I get exactly what you mean."

His momentum was that strong. Anyone facing him would naturally step aside.

"Huh?"

On the other hand, Rohan ran with a relaxed expression. At first, it seemed like he was just out for a stroll.

The result was even more shocking.

1. Rohan Kim 4.79 seconds

2. Wade Jones 4.81 seconds

"…"

The entire field was in shock.

The coaches were so stunned, staring at the scoreboard, that the tryouts were briefly interrupted.

American Physical Genius 9