Classroom of the Elite, I Really Just Want to Collect All the CGs

Totsuka Yahiko spotted Shikime Natsu in the crowd at a glance.

"Oh, just came over to take a look. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Shikime Natsu glanced at Totsuka Yahiko.

"Didn't you say you weren't joining any clubs, Shikime-san?"

Totsuka Yahiko asked.

That was true, but Shikime Natsu hadn't said he wouldn't participate in activities that offered rewards; this event didn't require one to be a member of the Tennis Club to participate.

"Shikime-san, are you signing up? I'll help you fill out the form."

Totsuka Yahiko smiled, acting very attentive.

"Sorry for the trouble."

Shikime Natsu nodded.

"Count me in too! I, the tennis genius Yamauchi Haruki, am signing up as well!"

"Me too!"

Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji spoke up one after the other.

"No problem. Which class are you two in?"

Totsuka Yahiko asked.

"Class D, first year!"

Class D?

Totsuka Yahiko froze for a moment, but quickly filled in their information.

Shikime Natsu had said that even people from Class D shouldn't be underestimated; they might only be lagging behind temporarily.

If he reacted too strongly to Class D right now, he might reveal something unusual and let them catch on to the school's intelligence. Totsuka Yahiko still remembered that Shikime Natsu hadn't sold the intel to Class D specifically to observe the gap between Class A and Class D. He couldn't cause trouble for Shikime-san!

Chapter 36: Hoping Yamauchi Doesn't End Up at the Bottom of Tokyo Bay

There weren't actually many people here for the Tennis Club's reward tournament; including Shikime Natsu and the others, there were only about thirty people.

The school had quite a few clubs, and most of the freshmen had already been snapped up. With only three grades in the school, the total number of students in the second and third years didn't even reach one hundred and sixty, and since not everyone was good at tennis, the number of participants was even smaller.

"That 10,000 points is mine! Nobody better try to take it from me!"

Yamauchi Haruki roared, looking full of fighting spirit.

Shikime Natsu's gaze landed on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. That guy's arms looked quite powerful; he must have trained, though he didn't seem to have much motivation.

"Shikime-san, this event is decided by a lottery."

Totsuka Yahiko quickly brought over a box for drawing lots.

Shikime Natsu picked one at random and had Totsuka Yahiko record it.

Totsuka Yahiko had joined the Tennis Club but wasn't playing; instead, he was doing work similar to a tennis manager. Of course, Shikime Natsu didn't say anything about it, though he did feel that a position like manager would be better suited for a cute girl.

"I'm in the fourth slot, my lucky number! Kanji, watch me take home those 10,000 points!"

Yamauchi Haruki patted his chest, looking extremely confident.

"WOOOOOOOOOOO--!!!"

Just then, the crowd of students erupted into a thunderous cheer.

"That's insane! A shutout! Who is that guy?"

"That's Shikime Natsu from Class A, first year. He's so cool!"

"Shikime-san, you're so strong!"

Shikime Natsu himself didn't feel much of anything. Once the racket was in his hand, he subconsciously returned the ball. His opponent hadn't even managed to return a single shot. Because this was just a reward tournament, it didn't follow the formal match rules; winning a single point counted as winning a game, and winning six games secured the victory.

"Tch, what's the big deal?"

Yamauchi Haruki crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Ike Kanji with a confident expression.

"Isn't it just hitting the ball back? I think that opponent was just weak. If it were me, I could probably beat him 6-0 too."

"For real, Haruki?"

Ike Kanji looked at him skeptically.

"That guy's athletic reflexes look pretty good, though."

Hmm... at least it didn't feel like something a half-baked amateur like himself or Yamauchi Haruki could compare to.

"Of course it's for real. I was an excellent table tennis player in elementary school, and I was the ace pitcher in middle school."

Uh... that has absolutely nothing to do with tennis, does it?

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka thought to himself. He had watched Shikime Natsu's match just now; Shikime Natsu hadn't used his full strength at all. If it were him... even with the training from the White Room, he probably wouldn't be a match for Shikime Natsu.

Of course, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka hadn't been taught tennis in the White Room. Such competitive sports didn't possess the practicality and survival utility that the White Room prioritized.

That practicality and survival utility relied entirely on Ayanokouji Atsuomi's judgment. At the very least, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't think there was much difference between piano, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and tennis.

"Shikime, right?"

At that moment, a boy wearing the official uniform of the tennis club walked up to Shikime Natsu and extended his hand with great enthusiasm.

"I'm the tennis club president, Takahashi Shuichi. Your play was incredible! We need talent like yours. Are you interested in joining our club? I guarantee you'll be a regular member the moment you join!"

For the countless first-year students who had just joined the tennis club, this was the stuff of dreams—yet this offer was being made to someone who wasn't even in the club?

Of course, they had enough self-awareness to know that if they were to face Shikime Natsu, they likely wouldn't stand much of a chance.

Even though they weren't exactly novices, they had watched that match; Shikime Natsu had been completely at ease, winning every point with a single stroke.

"Sorry, I don't want to join any clubs for the time being."

Shikime Natsu waved his hand dismissively.

"Is that so? That's a real shame. If you change your mind, feel free to come find me. I'm basically always at the tennis club after school."

Takahashi Shuichi wore a look of regret.

"Mm, I will."

Shikime Natsu nodded. Playing against these guys with his perfect tennis skills really wasn't very interesting, but at least his goal was clear: to earn ten thousand private points.

"It's my turn next. Watch closely!"

Yamauchi Haruki stepped forward with a confident stride, looking full of spirit.

"Oh? Could it be that this guy is unexpectedly good at tennis too?"

Takahashi Shuichi's gaze landed on Yamauchi Haruki. If this guy also had talent, he could recruit him as well.

Volunteering to join and being recruited by the president were two completely different concepts.

Unfortunately, Yamauchi Haruki didn't get to be smug for long; he had never actually learned how to play tennis and was simply relying on brute force to swing the racket. The result was a 6-0 defeat.

"Damn it, I was just off my game. If I had been in form..."

Hearing Yamauchi Haruki's words, many people looked at him with disdain. The guy couldn't even hit the ball, and he was talking about his "form"?

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, not wanting to draw attention to himself, silently moved a bit further away from Yamauchi Haruki.

He was the third to go up, and well... he lost without any surprises.

Among the participating students, there were quite a few actual tennis club members. Even if they were just reserve players, they at least had some level of competence.

Soon, Shikime Natsu went on a winning streak, taking the championship without any trouble and earning the ten thousand private points from Takahashi Shuichi.

"I still think you're a natural at tennis. If you're willing to join the club, I'd have no problem handing the position of president over to you. Plus, our club has perks; once you join, regular members can earn quite a few points."

Takahashi Shuichi was full of emotion. If Shikime Natsu participated, they might actually win the national tournament. The tennis club at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was a perennial top-four contender, but they had never found a way to break through to the top.

"Mm, thank you for the offer, President Takahashi. However, my interests lie elsewhere. I have a classmate here, and I'd appreciate it if you could look after him."

Shikime Natsu shook his head in refusal, taking the opportunity to introduce Totsuka Yahiko. Even though he had turned the offer down, Takahashi Shuichi still wanted to recruit him, so he would inevitably show more favor to Totsuka Yahiko.

"I understand. Take this equipment, and you're welcome to come practice tennis anytime."

Takahashi Shuichi nodded, not pressing the matter further.

"Masumi, look, wasn't I strong?"

Shikime Natsu looked toward Kamuro Masumi, bouncing the tennis ball with the racket he had just received.

Before Kamuro Masumi could reply, Yamauchi Haruki and the others crowded around.

"Hey, Shikime, you're really something, managing to win ten thousand points. And with so many girls cheering for you, you're a real enviable guy. By the way, your girlfriend doesn't seem to be cheering for you at all, and she's kept a straight face the whole time. Man, it must be pretty tough having a girlfriend like that..."

"Smack!"

"My apologies, Yamauchi. I was just trying out this new racket I got, and it seems it's still a bit awkward to handle."

Shikime Natsu set the racket down and walked over to Yamauchi Haruki to pick up the ball. At that moment, a clear red mark was visible on Yamauchi Haruki's face, which looked quite painful.

"Oh, and Yamauchi, remember to use your brain before you speak next time, lest you provoke someone you shouldn't. I've heard that some people have a habit of dumping others into Tokyo Bay, you know~ I'd hate for you to be one of them."

Chapter 37: If the first thing you see isn't a maid outfit, will you be disappointed?

Shikime Natsu had likely done it on purpose, but that was only natural, considering Yamauchi Haruki was in the wrong first.

Yamauchi Haruki clutched his face, terrified. Hadn't the two of them been chatting perfectly fine just a moment ago? How had Shikime Natsu suddenly turned into a completely different person?

And that tennis ball... it had made Yamauchi Haruki almost feel as if he were going to die. It sounded absurd that a tennis ball could instill such a fear of death, but that was exactly what Yamauchi Haruki had felt at the time. Plus, his face was burning with pain; he doubted the mark would even fade by tomorrow.

"Sorry, Yamauchi said some things he shouldn't have."

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka sighed. He hadn't wanted to stand out, but with Ike Kanji just standing there blankly, he—someone who wanted to stay out of the spotlight—had no choice but to step in.

"It's fine. I should be the one apologizing for accidentally hitting Yamauchi in the face with the ball."

Shikime Natsu smiled, his expression devoid of any anger, looking exactly as he had when interacting with Yamauchi Haruki and the others earlier.

"No, it's nothing, right? It's just a scratch."

Ike Kanji hurriedly spoke on behalf of the stunned Yamauchi Haruki. This was someone they shouldn't have provoked.

"Mm."