"They'll see through us right away!"
"True. Then all you need to do is stay on the court. I'll figure out the rest."
"...What are you going to do?"
"Since ancient times, tennis has had a forbidden move called I'll turn my racket into a rocket!"
"That's just violence!"
"...Otherwise, in the worst-case scenario, I'll show them what I'm really capable of. If I do, I won't mind kneeling or licking their shoes."
"You're completely headed in the wrong direction..."
Yuihama sighed, looking as though she had given up on me. Then she chuckled and looked straight at me with her tear-reddened eyes. I had no idea whether she was crying from pain or from laughing.
"Jeez! You're really such a pathetic loner. You're mean and stubborn too—you're beyond saving. You were the same back then. You never gave up, charging in like an idiot while making those creepy noises... I remember it perfectly."
"What are you—"
She cut me off and spoke as though she had given up.
"I can't keep playing tennis with you..."
Leaving behind words that sounded like a farewell, she turned toward the bewildered spectators and shouted, "Move, move! Don't block the way!" Then she pushed through the crowd and left.
"...What was that supposed to mean?"
Left alone in the middle of the tennis court, I watched Yuihama walk away. Then an unpleasant laugh reached my ears.
"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with your friend? Did she dump you?"
"What are you talking about? I've never fought with a friend in my life. I don't even have any friends close enough to fight with!"
"What..."
Hayama and Madame Butterfly genuinely froze.
Huh? Weren't you supposed to laugh here?
I see. If you didn't have a certain level of closeness, making self-deprecating jokes like that would just scare people...
Zaimokuza, however, desperately held back his laughter. I clicked my tongue and turned toward him. He immediately pretended to be a stranger, muttering incomprehensible nonsense to himself as he slipped into the crowd.
...That bastard actually ran away... Well, if I were in this situation, I'd probably pretend to be a stranger and run away too. Totsuka also gave me a sorrowful look.
It looked like there was no other choice. I had to show them what I was really capable of and kneel before them.
When flattering someone, cast aside your pride and flatter them with everything you've got. That was my pride.
I was the only one on the court feeling awkward and at a loss, but suddenly the crowd started making noise again, and the wall of people automatically parted.
"What is this idiotic commotion?"
Yukino Yukinoshita appeared in a tracksuit and tennis skirt, looking thoroughly displeased. She carried a first-aid kit under one arm.
"Ah, where did you go just now? And why are you wearing that?"
"How should I know? Yuihama-san kept begging me to change clothes, so I don't understand what's going on either."
Yukino turned around, and Yuihama appeared beside her. She was wearing Yukino's uniform, so it seemed they had exchanged clothes. But where had they changed? Outside? Hmm...
"If we lose like this, I'll be really annoyed, so please let Yukino play."
"Why me...?"
"Because Yukino is the only friend I can ask for something like this."
Yukino's body suddenly stiffened at those words.
"F-Friend?"
"Yeah, friend."
Yuihama answered without hesitation. Wait, were you sure about that?
"Do you normally ask your friends to solve your problems? It just sounds like you're using me."
"Huh? If you weren't my friend, I wouldn't ask you to do something like this. You can't entrust important things to just anyone, can you?"
Yuihama didn't even blink as she said it, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Oh, so that was how it worked...
I was constantly tricked into doing classroom duty with the words, "We're friends, right?" so I didn't feel much about it. Ah, so I really was friends with them—no, that couldn't be right.
Yukino probably thought the same way. She lightly placed a hand over her lips and silently considered it.
It was only natural for her to doubt it. Even I wouldn't believe it so easily.
But if the person saying it was Yuihama Yui, then it was a different matter, because she was an idiot.
"She's probably telling the truth, because she's an idiot."
My words cleared away Yukino's doubts. As usual, she smiled without backing down and brushed aside the hair hanging over her shoulder.
"Please don't underestimate me. I have great faith in my own judgment. Anyone who can get along well with Hikigaya-kun or me can't be a bad person."
"Your reasoning is pretty sad."
"But it's the truth."
Right. You were completely correct.
"I don't mind playing tennis... but could you wait a moment first?"
After saying that, Yukino walked over to Totsuka.
"You can treat the wound yourself, right?"
Totsuka accepted the first-aid kit Yukino handed him in surprise.
"Huh? Ah, yeah..."
"Yukino, you even went to get a first-aid kit... You really are kind."
"Am I? It seems some male student secretly called me the Ice Queen."
"H-How did you know... Ah! Don't tell me you've seen my Never Forgive List?"
Crap. That list was basically a diary where I had dug up every insult I could think of to attack Yukino.
"Honestly, did you really say that? Whatever. I don't care what other people think."
Yukino turned to look at me, but her usual icy expression was gone, replaced by a trace of confusion. She started out speaking loudly, then gradually grew quieter until she finally looked away.
"...So... even if you think of me as a friend... I... don't mind."
A faint blush spread across Yukino's cheeks. Holding the racket she had taken from Yuihama, she hid half her face behind it and shyly looked at the ground.
Seeing Yukino act so adorably, Yuihama couldn't help hugging her.
"Yukino!"
"Hey, could you stop clinging to me? It's hot..."
...Huh? She was supposed to be shy around me right now, wasn't she? Why was she only shy around Yuihama? That wasn't right. This would turn into a Rom-Com where the guys paired off with guys and the girls paired off with girls.
Was the god of Rom-Coms an idiot too?
Yukino finally escaped Yuihama's embrace. After clearing her throat, she continued.
"Teaming up with that boy is far from what I want... but it seems I have no other choice. I'll accept your request. I only need to win this match, correct?"
"Yeah! Sigh, I can't make the loner win on my own."
"Sorry for causing you trouble."
I bowed to Yukino, and she looked at me with the same cold expression.
"...Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not stepping in for your sake."
"Hahaha, you're being tsundere again."
Oh, honestly, hahaha. It had been a while since I'd heard such textbook tsundere dialogue.
"Tsundere? That word sends a chill down my spine."
...Of course. Yukino couldn't possibly know what tsundere meant, and besides, she couldn't lie. No matter how harshly she put it, it was always the correct truth. So she really wasn't stepping in for me.
That was fine. I had no intention of winning her affection anyway.
"More importantly, bring me that list next time. I'll help you revise it."
Yukino gave me a flower-like smile, yet I couldn't feel the slightest warmth from it. Why was that? Terrifying. It felt like a tiger had appeared right in front of me.
If there was a tiger in front of me, then there should be a wolf behind me—or perhaps a horse?
"Yukino, right? I didn't get your name wrong, did I? Let me make this clear: I won't go easy on you. You're a Princess, aren't you? If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better give up."
I turned around and saw Miura curling her already curly hair even more, wearing an arrogant smile.
Ah, Miura, you idiot! Provoking Yukino was the same as walking straight into death.
"I'll go easy on you, so don't worry. I'll crush your worthless pride."
After saying that, Yukino wore an invincible smile. At least, it was invincible to me.
If you were enemies with Yukino, she was undoubtedly awful; but as an ally, she was incredibly reliable. Anyone who made an enemy of her was truly pitiful.
Hayama and Miura readied themselves. Yukino's cold smile made people unconsciously straighten their backs, yet they couldn't help finding it beautiful.
"How dare you bully my frien—"
At that point, Yukino's face reddened slightly again. Yeah, that word really was embarrassing.
She shook her head and said it again.
"...How dare you bully my club member. Are you prepared for what comes next? Let me warn you, I hold grudges very well."
Anyone could tell you held grudges very well!
With all the players assembled, the match entered its true final stage.
Hayama and Miura took the first serve, with Madame Butterfly—Miura of the long curls—serving.
"Listen, Yukino probably knows this already, but I'm really good at tennis."
She repeatedly bounced the ball against the ground and caught it, like a basketball player dribbling, but Yukino merely urged her to continue with her eyes.
Miura grinned, revealing a feral, aggressive smile utterly unlike Yukino's.
"If I hurt your face, let me apologize in advance."
...Whoa, scary! That was the first time I'd heard anyone make such a dangerous declaration.
Suddenly, the ball tore through the air with a sharp whistle and struck the ground with a crisp sound.
The tennis ball sped toward Yukino's left side. It nearly grazed the left sideline, and for right-handed Yukino, it was undoubtedly outside her swing range.
"...You underestimate me."
But Yukino had already prepared to counterattack. She stepped forward with her left foot as her pivot, spun with a waltz-like movement, and returned the ball with a right-handed backhand.
The pose resembled a flash of a drawn blade.
The tennis ball bounced at Miura's feet, making her let out a small cry. It was a breathtakingly fast ace.
"You probably don't know this, but I'm also very good at tennis."
Yukino raised her racket and pointed it at Miura, her cold gaze like she was looking at a louse. Miura took a step back and glared back with fear and hostility mixed in her eyes, a curse slipping from her slightly twisted lips. Yukino was terrifying if she could make Miura, who looked like a queen, wear that expression.
"...You actually returned that ball."
Miura had just boasted that she might hurt Yukino's face, but Yukino had been completely unaffected and responded by scoring with a precise return.
"She looked exactly like the classmates who played pranks on me. I've already seen through their vulgar thoughts."
Yukino smiled smugly and began her assault. She even turned defense into offense. Ideas like "the best defense is a good offense" did not apply to her—her defense itself was offense. The balls she served flew straight into the other court, and every ball returned by her opponents was sent right back out.
Her superb tennis skills left the spectators spellbound.
"Wahahahaha! Our side is utterly crushing them! Wipe them out completely!"
The moment Zaimokuza saw hope of winning, he suddenly reappeared by the court and threw himself wholeheartedly into being a fence-sitter. He was seriously infuriating. Still, now that he had returned to our side, it meant the situation had turned around.
When Yuihama and I were on the court, we had been at a disadvantage. Now the spectators had shifted to supporting Yukino. Or rather, most of the boys were staring at Yukino with adoring eyes.
Before you continue