In the afternoon, inside the Volunteer Club room.
Akira walked slowly behind where Yuigahama Yui was sitting casually, dropping both of his palms onto her shoulders with a demanding gesture. "Yui, tell me honestly. How do I treat you in class every single day?"
Yuigahama looked up, responding with an innocent, cheerful tone. "Haha... Akira-kun is an incredibly good person! But why the sudden question?"
"If I'm that good, then why on earth did you have the nerve to spread a wild rumor regarding my romantic relationship with Kato across the entire classroom?!" Akira directly locked Yuigahama's head within one arm, while his other hand agilely and vigorously messed up the mini dango bun atop her head.
"Ahhh! Hachiman, help me! Yukinon, help!" Yuigahama shrieked hysterically, attempting to secure her loose hair bun while crying for assistance from the two other individuals in the room.
Yukinoshita Yukino let out an incredibly long, tired sigh. She shifted her gaze away from the textbook pages on her lap toward the drama unfolding at the corner of the room. "You pervert. Release your filthy hands from Yuigahama-san immediately."
Akira let out a soft snort, retracting his grip as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tch, you troublemaking dango. I'll release you this time purely out of respect for Yukinoshita's instructions."
"Hah?" Yuigahama puffed out her cheeks, adjusting her hair bundle in confusion. Her gaze darted back and forth between Akira and Yukinoshita, wondering why the level of closeness between these two rigid individuals had suddenly spiked drastically over the weekend.
*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*
A firm, rhythmic knock violently shattered the silence of the corridor outside.
Yukinoshita smoothed the pleats of her uniform skirt. "Come in."
The sliding wooden door parted slowly, revealing an incredibly cute "girl" with a short silver-gray haircut stepping inside with visible hesitation [1].
"Excuse me... is this really the Volunteer Club room?" Totsuka Saika inquired in an incredibly shy tone of voice [1]. Her eyes suddenly ignited with a bright gleam the moment she caught sight of a familiar figure sitting in the corner. "Eh? Hachiman-kun, you're actually in this club too! That's wonderful!" Saika greeted her classmate with a sweet smile that was profoundly gentle.
*BADUMP!*
Staring into the radiance of Saika’s genuine smile, Hachiman could feel his frozen, long-dead heart suddenly beat frantically with an unnatural intensity.
Yukinoshita cleared her throat lightly, assuming absolute custody of the conversation. "Totsuka-san, is there a particular request you wish to submit to our club?"
Saika nervously wrung her fingers, bowing her upper body forward. "Ah, yes! I... I really want to ask for your assistance in training and enhancing my tennis capabilities!"
Akira, who had been observing while leaning against the counter desk, shot a probing look toward Saika. "The most instant method to sharpen your tennis instincts is through a simulated real battle on the court. Are you entirely certain you can handle the rhythm of the training?"
Saika nodded firmly without an ounce of hesitation. "Yes, I can handle it!"
Akira spun his frame around to face Yukinoshita. "What do you think, President? Are we absorbing this training project?"
Yukinoshita interlaced her fingers over the desk with a serious facial expression. "Since Totsuka-san has solidified her resolve, it becomes the absolute duty of this club to help realize it to the best of our capabilities. We accept this commission."
***
The following day, at the school's outdoor tennis court complex.
Hachiman leaned against the wire fence partition, staring toward the court where Saika was busy engaged in a rally session alongside Yukinoshita. His dead-fish eyes flashed with intense admiration.
'My god... I genuinely want to confess my love to her right now, then let myself be brutally rejected so I can hide underneath my blankets and weep hysterically to my heart's content. But... what if this delusion of mine actually bypasses destiny? What would be the perfect name for our child later?' Hachiman began to sink far too deep into his ocean of beautiful delusions.
*TAP.*
"Hey, you gloomy guy. Standing alone in a corner while smirking pervertedly like that completely ruins the scenery, you know." Akira walked over, thrusting a chilled bottle of mineral water directly against Hachiman’s chest.
Hachiman flinched, quickly taking custody of the bottle without turning his face away from the court. "I am absolutely not peeping at Yukinoshita..."
"I didn't say you were peeping at Yukinoshita either," Akira replied as he aligned his gaze toward the center of the court. "My actual question is... did you suddenly fall in love with Totsuka?"
*THUD!*
The mineral water bottle instantly slipped from Hachiman's grip, crashing against the concrete surface below, splattering water everywhere. The boy's face went completely rigid, his tongue frozen because he had zero clue how to respond to deny that pinpoint accuracy.
Akira patted Hachiman's shoulder with a gaze packed with a deep, profound sense of sympathy. "Hachiman, as a fellow man, there is one crucial reality regarding the laws of nature that I am absolutely obligated to deliver to you for the sake of your future."
Hachiman swallowed hard in anxiety. "What...?"
"Totsuka... is a 100% biological guy."
*CRACK!*
Akira could swear he literally heard the sound of glass shattering to splinters inside Hachiman's chest. Giving one final nod of condolence, Akira walked away with casual strides. 'Excellent, I’ve successfully rescued another stray teenage soul back onto the straight path. I truly am a benevolent hero!' Akira praised himself internally.
Out on the court, Saika finished a rally set and waved her hand toward the sidelines upon noticing Hachiman. "Hachiman-kun~!" Saika called out cheerfully with a sweet, alluring smile.
Hachiman locked his gaze onto that wave, the corners of his lips reflexively curving upward despite himself. 'Damn it... but she’s still so incredibly cute...' Hachiman thought, mourning his CPU which was rapidly suffering from a system error.
***
Thanks to the combined efforts of the entire club—with Yukinoshita acting as a tactical mentor, Hachiman and Akira taking turns as rally partners, and Yuigahama frantically providing loud cheers of encouragement—Saika’s tennis technical capability experienced a massive, exponential spike within a brief window of time.
However, the peaceful atmosphere at the outdoor court complex didn't drag on for too long.
The sound of footsteps drew near, cutting off their training serenity. Hayato Hayama and Yumiko Miura marched into the court space while clutching a pair of tennis rackets in their hands.
Yukinoshita halted her movements instantly. Her brows furrowed sharply in pure irritation upon recognizing the prominent duo from the adjacent class [1]. She strode forward to block their path. "My apologies, but this court space has been officially reserved by our club for the next few hours. Please find another court."
Miura Yumiko chewed her gum with an arrogant posture, staring down at Yukinoshita with a highly hostile tone of voice. "Hah? This athletic complex is massive. What's wrong with sharing a little bit of space for us to use?"
"Exactly! Instead of arguing, how about we all play together to make it far more fun?" Hayama Hayato chipped in, locking a broad smile that was deemed far too perfect as a school idol.
"We came here purely to fulfill a training request for Totsuka-san, not to play around without a clear objective. Please leave," Yukinoshita replied coldly, refusing to cast a single glance toward Hayama’s face.
Akira stepped forward, standing firmly beside Yukinoshita to bolster her position. "Yeah, since the Volunteer Club has signed an agreement to assist Totsuka-san, we hold an absolute obligation to see her training through until the very end, don't we?"
Hayama stared at Akira, his facial expression registering a hint of hesitation because he knew Akira wasn't the type of student who could be easily pressured. To avoid an escalating conflict on academy grounds, Hayama quickly shifted his thoughts to find a tactical solution. "In that case... how about we determine the court division through a emergency two-on-two doubles match? If your team wins, we vow to directly pack up and leave. But if our team wins, you must be willing to share a segment of this court for our group."
Yukinoshita didn't respond to the statement with words. She merely turned her body with an elegant motion, retrieving her tennis racket from the bench, indicating her absolute, silent agreement to the challenge.
Akira stepped back, approaching Hachiman who had been busy hiding behind the wire fence. "Alright, Hachiman! The remainder of the club's future glory now rests solely within your hands!"
Hachiman instantly widened his eyes, fiercely protesting. "Wait a minute! Why on earth am I the one stepping up, huh?! Why do I have to bear the consequences of your cheap, smooth-talking show earlier?!"
Akira shrugged his shoulders with an innocent countenance. "Totsuka has already expended far too much physical strength since morning and her body conditioning is exhausted. On the other hand, I personally possess zero knowledge regarding tennis point regulations. Furthermore, you definitely wouldn't have the heart to send the pink dango next to us out to compete, right?" Akira cast a sideways glance at Yuigahama.
"Hey! I have an actual name, you know, and I'm not stupid!" Yuigahama pouted in annoyance, stomping her foot in protest at Akira's bizarre nickname.
The emergency mixed-doubles match officially ignited beneath the blazing afternoon sun.
During the initial set sequences, Yukinoshita managed to display a highly superior dominance. Her ball placement combined with her racket precision successfully suppressed Hayama's team, securing point after point for the Volunteer Club.
However, that winning momentum didn't last long. As time ticked forward, the biggest flaw within Yukinoshita's physical conditioning began to realistically expose itself—she critically lacked stamina for long-duration battles.
Hayato and Miura, being experienced athletes, caught the crucial opening immediately. They swiftly adjusted their strategy, launching a rapid barrage of aggressive smash shots purely to drain Yukinoshita's remaining strength.
Hachiman, holding only the physical parameters of an average student, paired with an exhausted, panting Yukinoshita, began scrambling frantically to return the balls. Their score advantage rapidly evaporated and flipped into a heavy deficit.
'Not now... don't fall yet... I am strictly forbidden from collapsing in a place like this!' Yukinoshita gritted her teeth with immense force, forcing her violently trembling legs to remain standing tall across the court.
However, physical reality cannot be betrayed.
At the exact millisecond Yukinoshita's focus wavered slightly due to exhaustion, a tennis ball from Miura’s heavy smash shot violently tore past the center net, hurtling like lightning toward her blind-spot corner.
'This shot... only I can reach it!'
Yukinoshita forced her frame to lunge, attempting a desperate defensive maneuver to parry the ball. But her body had genuinely hit rock bottom. To make matters worse, a tiny pebble lying on the concrete surface suddenly served as the final trigger that caused her footing to slip completely. Her body lost its equilibrium, plunging into a free-fall towards the concrete floor.
"Yukinon!!" Yuigahama, spectating from outside the wire fence, instantly shrieked in pure panic, her face turning pale from shock.
Staring at the concrete floor rapidly closing the distance with her face, Yukinoshita could only close both of her eyes tightly, steeling her mind to receive a brutal physical impact.
One second... two seconds...
The violent impact she dreaded never came. Instead of pain, Yukinoshita’s body landed perfectly safe within an embrace that felt incredibly solid and warm.
"Just so you know, if your energy parameters are completely depleted, forcing yourself excessively like this is an incredibly foolish act."
A baritone tone of voice laced with a highly familiar lecture suddenly resonated right next to her ear. Yukinoshita slowly opened her eyelids, and Kitahara Akira’s face staring down at her with a jengah look was presented as the primary visual before her.
"K-Kitahara-kun...?" Yukinoshita’s cheeks instantly flushed a deep pastel pink due to their intimate positioning.
After ensuring Yukinoshita was standing tall with stable footing once more, Akira retracted his grip, staring straight into the club president's eyes. "You've fought remarkably well, Yukinoshita. Stop attempting to carry the entire heavy burden of the world alone on your small shoulders. Remember, you still have me and Yuigahama in this club. From this exact millisecond... surrender the remainder of the battle to my control."
Yukinoshita blinked her eyes, staring at Akira in absolute doubt. "But... you pervert, didn't you say yourself earlier that you have zero clue regarding tennis point regulations?"
Akira curved a thin, highly confident smile onto his lips as he assumed custody of the tennis racket from Yukinoshita's stiff grip. "I didn't know. But after standing on the sidelines watching for a few minutes just now, I’ve successfully comprehended the entire basic mechanics of the rules perfectly. And I have to admit... my confidence parameters are currently hovering at the absolute peak."
Akira leaned his face slightly closer, staring intently at her. "So? Are you willing to entrust the remainder of this match to me?"
Yukinoshita fell silent for a brief wave. Staring into the deep blue-black glint in Akira's eyes that radiated absolute authority, she finally let out a tired sigh, releasing her hold on the racket. "Um. Handle the rest, Pervert."
After helping to guide Yukinoshita to rest on the spectator benches alongside Yuigahama, Akira spun his frame around, taking wide strides onto the center of the tennis court with an aura that suddenly transformed into something intensely intimidating.
"Your primary players are already exhausted. Now I’m stepping in as a substitute, there shouldn't be any issue with that, right?" Akira noted, staring at Hayama Hayato while casually twirling the tennis racket in his hand with a relaxed countenance.
Hayama forced a polite, well-practiced smile onto his face. He was fully aware that Akira was a complete novice in this sport, so he didn't harbor a single shred of concern. "Of course, it’s not a problem at all. Please, feel free to step up, everyone is welcome to watch."
'To be perfectly honest, I'm genuinely not skilled at tennis. So as for you ordinary mortals standing before me... it’s best if you just resign yourselves to your fate.' Akira executed a few experimental swings into the empty air, testing the racket's weight grid and grip distribution.
'Because, unfortunately... I am far from being an ordinary human.'
***
After the Match
"Tch, what an absolute curse..." Miura Yumiko stared blankly at the two heavily contrasting rows of numbers displayed across the scoreboard. Her beautiful face was completely flushed bright red from held-back embarrassment. She muttered a sharp, ketus insult under her breath, then immediately spun on her heel to storm away, leaving the court grounds with heavy stomps.
Hayama Hayato's facial expression didn't look pleasant either. His countenance was thoroughly masai, visibly crushed after being comprehensively overtaken and destroyed by Akira’s abnormal physical conditioning parameters. After forcing himself to deliver a few polite, brief pleasantries, he rapidly took wide strides to catch up with his fleeing group.
[ Alert: New Mission Objective Has Been Detected! Do you wish to accept? ]
[ Clear Reward: Unknown ]
[ Time Limit: 7 Days ]
The mechanical notification chime of the system suddenly detonated loudly right inside Akira's mind cavity. The youth, who was currently in the middle of chugging his mineral water, instantly froze stiff at his spot. He lowered the water bottle, shifting his gaze toward the precise crimson target coordinates indicated by the system's mini-map.
His sharp eyes locked tightly onto the distant silhouette of Miura Yumiko’s back as she gradually vanished past the sports complex limits.
Yuigahama, noticing the sudden shift across his countenance, immediately leaned her upper body forward out of pure curiosity. "Akira-kun, what's wrong? Why are you staring so intently at Yumiko's back as she leaves?"
Akira quickly swiveled his face back, locking a calm smile onto his lips. "It's nothing."
Akira cleared his throat quietly, dropping his voice to a confidential whisper. "By the way, Yui... if I recall correctly, you and Miura are fairly close friends in class. You definitely possess custody of her LINE account ID, right?"
After weighing the parameters for a brief moment, Akira ultimately decided to accept the mysterious mission risk anyway. At the end of the day, Yumiko was his own classmate, and they harbored zero major personal conflicts or grudges between them. It would honestly leave a bad taste in his gut if something catastrophic truly befell the girl while he chose to stay passive.
Yuigahama narrowed her eyes in pure suspicion. "Yes, I do have it. But... what exactly are you planning to do with Yumiko's contact info, Akira-kun?"
"Just directly surrender the ID transfer to me. and there's one more thing... whatever you do, do not let Yukinoshita find out about this," Akira added with a highly serious countenance.
"Hah?!" Yuigahama instantly shrieked with excitement. She reflexively took a wide step backward while tightly crossing both arms over her chest, staring at Akira with a look of extreme vigilance. "Akira-kun... you already have Kato-san at school, and yet you still harbor intentions to approach Yumiko too?! Furthermore, you're forbidding me from notifying Yukinon... Don't tell me, Yukinon is actually secretly listed on your target roster to build a massive harem?!"
Dark lines practically painted Akira's forehead. He unleashed a light, simulated chop into the empty air to cut off the girl's wild imagination. "What kind of crazy drama are you spouting out of nowhere, huh?!"
Akira let out a resigned, heavy sigh. "An incredibly pressing matter suddenly came up that requires me to converse with Miura in the near future. The reason I'm forbidding you from reporting to Yukino is purely because those two possess personalities that clash terribly. I'm just anxious that this will trigger an exhausting misunderstanding inside the clubroom."
Akira cast a sideways look at Yuigahama, deliberately packing his gaze with a dramatic look of disdain. "Besides, even if I were to establish a harem one day, I vow that I would absolutely never include your name on the roster. You're far too innocent and clumsy, I am deeply concerned that it would systematically compromise the intelligence levels of my future generations."
"Ugh! I've had enough! I told you I'm not stupid!" Yuigahama shouted loudly in pure frustration, her face flushing red from her deep pout.
After navigating through an exhausting sequence of comedic banter, Akira ultimately managed to pressure Yuigahama into surrendering Miura Yumiko's LINE contact details.
Akira stared down at the digital digits displayed across his phone screen, subtly securing the contact inside a classified folder with a thin smile. 'For now, it’s best if I don't directly send her an instant text invitation. Moving too aggressively right now carries far too much risk... worst-case scenario, Megumi might suddenly lock me inside a pitch-black room at the apartment if she ever catches wind of this,' Akira thought, shivering slightly as he imagined the freezing aura Megumi radiated whenever she felt a spark of jealousy.
Author’s Note:
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— Author