Hiyori Is Not Good at Sports

The number of times Kujo took the initiative to ask Hiyori out had clearly increased.

Compared to the dull competition between classes.

It was obviously much more refreshing to try new things with a cute girlfriend.

"Kujo-kun, this skirt is so short."

Hiyori pursed her lips and clutched the hem of her skirt, looking pitifully adorable.

Hiyori didn't usually exercise much, and her hair was very, very long; even if she tied it up, it was extremely inconvenient for sports.

"Tennis skirts are just like that, be careful not to catch a cold."

Kujo placed his school uniform jacket over Hiyori's head.

Hiyori poked her head out and smiled as she draped the jacket over her shoulders.

"Kujo-kun's clothes are so big."

"Remember to warm up before exercising. If you feel it's inconvenient, you can throw my jacket aside at any time."

Hiyori puffed out her cheeks and complained to Kujo:

"Kujo-kun, you've said that so many times already, I've remembered it."

Kujo patted Hiyori's head and confessed:

"Love you."

Hiyori buried her head in his school uniform and didn't respond for a long time.

The two people from Class D who had been invited to join were on the other side of the court, witnessing Kujo and his girlfriend ignoring passersby to flaunt their affection.

"Horikita, I told you Kujo would definitely give his jacket to her."

Horikita Suzune, the younger sister of Horikita Manabu, the aloof beauty of Class D, and Ayanokoji's seatmate, was currently at the school tennis court with Ayanokoji.

Advanced Nurturing High School had very complete sports facilities.

Not to mention tennis courts, there were indoor badminton, table tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, and golf courses—everything one could ask for.

Just as the school advertised to the outside world.

Compared to the outside world, this school had every facility imaginable.

As for why Horikita Suzune was here with Ayanokoji.

Because they were just passing by.

Moreover, both Ayanokoji and Kujo were subjects of curiosity for Horikita Suzune.

If she stayed with them, Horikita Suzune felt she might be able to understand her brother's thoughts.

"Ayanokoji, I recall we didn't make any such boring bet. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable."

Ayanokoji wasn't lying, but the other party refused to acknowledge it.

Watching Horikita and Ayanokoji bickering and getting along well, Kujo pursed his lips.

Beside him, Hiyori was still trying hard to correct her grip:

"Does Hiyori know the rules?"

Hiyori nodded; she had already previewed the rules yesterday.

Ayanokoji, who had been about to suggest a doubles match, saw Horikita Suzune shoot a sharp glare at him before he could even finish his sentence.

Recalling the memory of Horikita stabbing him with a compass not long ago, Ayanokoji quickly shut his mouth.

As if nothing had happened at all.

"I don't need a teammate."

Horikita Suzune spoke up, directly rejecting the doubles proposal Ayanokoji had just been about to make.

Kujo had come out mainly to have fun with Hiyori.

It was just that Ayanokoji happened to pass by, and coincidentally, Horikita Suzune also happened to pass by later.

And so, four people with vastly different personalities gathered together to organize a game of tennis.

"Then Ayanokoji, you and Horikita play first. Hiyori and I will watch from the sidelines."

Kujo was also quite interested in the match between the two, and it was a good chance for Hiyori to watch the drama of Class D.

Hiyori took the prepared lemon slices and water out of her bag and followed Kujo to the bench by the court.

Forty minutes later.

The match between Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji ended.

Looking at Horikita Suzune, who was drenched in sweat and barely maintaining her posture by leaning on her racket on the left side of the court, Hiyori quickly went up to hand her a towel.

Horikita Suzune's gaze was locked onto Ayanokoji; even though she had lost, she was not entirely convinced.

"Tennis is unexpectedly interesting."

Unlike Horikita, Ayanokoji hadn't even broken a sweat from start to finish, merely uttering that remark once it was over.

Kujo had just witnessed a forty-minute crash course that a tennis novice wouldn't be able to comprehend.

This was a level of athletic talent that even professional players would have to acknowledge.

The unyielding Horikita still naively believed that Ayanokoji had been toying with her the entire time.

This was the fundamental gap in ability between the original male protagonist and the most prominent, competitive, and capable heroine.

Before the match against Horikita, Ayanokoji had been nothing more than a novice holding a racket for the first time.

Yet, after watching Horikita serve and return just once, Ayanokoji had already been able to imitate her flawlessly.

After that, it was purely a matter of the gap in stamina and strength.

Technically, the two were completely identical.

But in terms of speed, stamina, power, and psychological endurance, they were not even on the same level.

"Horikita and Ayanokoji are both so amazing. I want to try it too."

Hiyori, full of fighting spirit, prepared to enter the court and show what she could do.

At that moment, the sun was conveniently blocked by dark clouds.

It shouldn't be too hot for a while.

Kujo picked up a racket and took off his sports jacket.

To ensure Hiyori wouldn't be afraid of tennis balls flying around, Kujo had prepared soft balls.

Soft balls were meant for beginners.

Generally speaking, soft balls were a special type used for training children around the age of eight; they were softer than standard tennis balls and had a slower flight speed.

Even if one were hit, it wouldn't hurt, and besides, Kujo had excellent ball control.

Hiyori had never played badminton either, so even though she had practiced her swings on the sidelines a few times, she still couldn't return a single ball once she was actually on the court.

Fortunately, Kujo had specifically told Hiyori beforehand.

He had borrowed plenty of balls from the gymnasium, so there was no need to pick them up one by one; otherwise, just chasing after the balls would have been exhausting.

"Kujo-kun, tennis is so hard."

"You're doing fine for your first time."

"Kujo-kun, I hit it, I hit it!"

"Mm. It would be even better if you didn't hit it backward. Here comes the next one."

"Ugh. Kujo-kun, why does it feel like the balls are always coming from the same direction?"

"Because you've been standing in the same spot the whole time."

"Wuu wuu."

Ayanokoji, watching from the side, had already figured it out.

Compared to Horikita Suzune, Kujo possessed superior tennis technique and teaching ability.

The tennis club at this school was quite strong and not small in scale.

Most schools wouldn't have sufficient facilities and student talent for every type of ball sport; it seemed the admissions process for this school was not without its patterns.

Ayanokoji began to analyze the situation silently in his mind.

This was something he wouldn't have thought about before coming to this school.

It seemed he really had changed a lot.

As expected...

Choosing to come out with someone was the right decision.

By the time the sixth ball rolled to Ayanokoji's feet, Hiyori's arms were already sore.

Kujo had no choice but to call a halt.

Hiyori was not good at sports, and she was completely clueless when it came to ball games.

As a literary girl who spent most of her time indoors, Hiyori had already tried her best.

Kujo took the racket from Hiyori and whispered to her:

"How about we go to the library tonight? You worked hard."

Hiyori, who had been feeling a little dejected, instantly cheered up.

Watching Hiyori run off to the shade to strike up a conversation with Horikita, Kujo spoke to Ayanokoji, who was standing to the side with a towel draped around his neck:

"So, you knew Horikita Suzune would pass by here, which is why you found me and Hiyori before she did?"

In Ayanokoji's eyes, Kujo was, after all, extremely familiar with the school's rules, and he knew everyone in the first year inside and out.

More importantly, he understood him very well.

"Shall we play a round?"

"Forget it, I don't want to play against a robot."

What else would you call someone who mimics their opponent's technique with a completely expressionless face?

"I am not a robot."

Kujo glanced at Ayanokoji, who was staring at the handle of his racket; at this moment, he looked incredibly lonely.

Kujo sighed and said to Ayanokoji:

"We won't keep score, just a simple rally. Forty minutes."

Ayanokoji picked up his racket and declared war on Kujo:

"Even an hour wouldn't be a problem."

Kujo smiled and reminded him once more:

"Fine, one point decides it."

Four hours passed.

"Kujo-kun, Ayanokoji, let's pick up the balls together."

Hiyori pushed the ball collector over and suggested it to the two of them with a smile.

Kujo took over.

Kujo told Hiyori to get some rest and leave the ball collecting to them.

Hiyori was not very willing.

Because no matter how you looked at it, her Kujo-kun had been active on the court for so long and was clearly the most exhausted one.

She had only been watching and cheering from the sidelines.

As for Horikita Suzune, she was watching the two boys' match while hiding in a corner, still brooding over her earlier defeat.

Clearly, she still harbored great dissatisfaction toward Ayanokoji for hiding his true strength.

And as the match between Kujo and Ayanokoji continued, she became even more withdrawn, unable to let it go for a long time.

In the end, Hiyori couldn't win the argument against Kujo; she went to rest, while Kujo dragged Ayanokoji off to pick up the balls.

Horikita Suzune watched Kujo and Ayanokoji walk to the other side of the court.

She then looked at Shiina, who had sat back down, and asked:

"When did you and Kujo meet Ayanokoji?"

Hiyori draped Kujo's school blazer over her shoulders again and replied:

"Kujo-kun likely met Ayanokoji at the start of the school year. I only met Ayanokoji after I started dating Kujo-kun."

Horikita buried her head in her knees and asked Shiina about the school again:

"What do you think of this school? As someone from Class C, will you work hard to help your class rise to Class A?"

Hiyori blinked, feeling as though this question sounded familiar.

The Horikita Suzune before her was very much like she had been at the start of the school year; she had pondered this very question back then.

However, the Hiyori of now no longer had those worries.

Because.

"Right now, I only want to graduate from this school together with Kujo-kun, and that is all."

Horikita fell silent.

Horikita could not understand Hiyori.

"Did you know each other before entering this school? You seem very close."

"No, I met Kujo-kun for the first time at this school."

"Then what would you do if one day you and Kujo were forced into a situation where you had to be opponents?"

"Horikita, could it be... that you think Ayanokoji will become your opponent?"

Horikita was surprised by Shiina's sharpness, but she didn't stop complaining about Ayanokoji:

"I cannot trust someone who is two-faced."

Hiyori could very well understand how Horikita felt right now, or perhaps "worried" would be a more appropriate word.

Because Kujo-kun was also a person full of secrets.

And since he was friends with Ayanokoji, who was equally full of secrets, he didn't seem like a simple person no matter how you looked at it.

Gurgle~ I love Kujo-kun the most.