"It's your turn now, Haruna. Chika-senpai, you should rest for a bit."
Momioka Risa waved at Seirenji Haruna, who looked embarrassed behind her, and led Kitamura Chika to the edge of the tennis court. After handing her a bottle of water, she finally said what she'd pulled her aside to say.
"Chika-senpai? Aren't you on my side? What were you just doing with Hikigaya?"
It was already a little too close for comfort when Hachiman gave his instructions, but since he was like that with Haruna too, Risa didn't say anything.
But wasn't it unnecessary for Kitamura Chika to lean in close to Hachiman's ear to talk?
And what did it mean when she suddenly clamped down on his hand while he was massaging her leg muscles?
To do something like that right in front of her and Haruna!?
"Ahem! I just got a little carried away. Don't mind it, don't mind it."
Kitamura Chika tilted back her head and drank half the bottle of water in one go, wiped the droplets at the corner of her lips, and coughed awkwardly, trying to calm down.
Actually, she hadn't spent that much time with Hachiman. She'd been fooling around in the student guidance room earlier with Asai Saki and the others for half a class, and she still hadn't completely recovered from it, subconsciously sticking close to Hikigaya without meaning to.
She couldn't help it. The training load was heavy lately, and though she had some fun fooling around with Asai Saki and the others for half an hour, it didn't actually release all the tension in her body and mind. She was desperate for the next "student guidance" session from Hikigaya.
Unlike Asai Saki and the others, she hadn't received one of those empathy collars, and only today did she find out that Asai Saki, Sakurai Hana, and the rest had been "punishing" Hachiman behind her back that many times.
Even the student council president Kaede's friend, the seemingly serious, long-haired disciplinary committee member Usui Makoto, was secretly even more obsessed with that kind of thing than she was.
"Carried away, huh?", Momioka Risa still doubted Kitamura Chika's intentions.
If Seirenji Haruna's gaze toward Hachiman was shy, then Kitamura Chika's gaze was one of obsession, like a predator looking at prey, wishing she could devour him on the spot.
"What are you thinking? What's wrong with a bit of physical contact between me and Coach Hikigaya? Didn't Haruna also get hands-on instruction just now?", Chika was displeased that Risa still doubted her relationship with Hikigaya even after she explained herself.
Risa wasn't a member of the Service Club, nor the student council, nor the disciplinary committee. What right did she have to question her and Hikigaya's relationship?
If Risa joined them, she'd understand, her own behavior was already pretty restrained. Compared to Asai Saki or Usui Makoto, who looked so pure and proper with their long, straight black hair, her level of obsession was nothing.
"Then why were you trying to set up Haruna with Hikigaya?"
Realizing that Chika really did seem to have feelings for Hikigaya, perhaps even rivaling her good friend Seirenji Haruna's, Risa remained puzzled.
It wasn't that she thought Hachiman was unpopular. Even when he had that dead-fish-eyed look, he'd had the twin childhood friends and Haruna liking him. Now that he'd become so handsome, of course girls liked him.
But if Chika liked Hikigaya, then why help Haruna get closer to him earlier?
"I wasn't doing it for you or Haruna. I want Coach Hikigaya to take over the tennis club, or no, for the tennis club to take over Coach Hikigaya."
Chika rolled her eyes at Risa, who clearly didn't understand Hikigaya's importance, then thought for a moment and decided to rope in the lively, unrestrained Risa as an ally.
"Ah???"
Now it was Risa's turn to be confused.
'Hikigaya taking over the tennis club?'
'The tennis club taking over Hikigaya?'
Either way, she didn't get it.
"Didn't you notice? Coach Hikigaya's in high demand. Even with the disciplinary committee watching him, lots of girls still try to get close to him," Chika explained patiently.
"Just within the Service Club alone, there's the ace of the girls' swim team, the ace of the volleyball team, not to mention the track team ace, Shizuku."
"The girls' swim team only invited Coach Hikigaya to be a temporary manager for a few days, and do you know how much their performance improved?"
"The backup scores have already surpassed the main team's old records! If the main team hadn't also broken a few records themselves, the backups probably would've replaced them already."
"I don't know if it's related to the Elf Princess or magic or whatever, but the fact is, Coach Hikigaya has incredibly unique insight and ability when it comes to training."
"With Coach Hikigaya, competing in the national tournament isn't enough, we're aiming for first place!"
"But lots of people already know how good Coach Hikigaya is. They want him too. We'll have to show our sincerity if we want to keep him."
Of course, Chika's goal wasn't just improving the club's overall performance. She wanted more of Hikigaya's "in-depth" personal instruction.
Just the close-contact training could rapidly boost technique, but sports weren't only about technique. She believed that the "service guidance" that strengthened one's physique was even more important.
As for it being too exhausting, there was nothing to worry about. Coach Hikigaya was amazing, and there were only around ten cute girls in the tennis club. In groups of two or three, he could easily manage.
The only problem was his schedule. He was so busy, he might not have time to coach them every day.
But that was fine. Worst case, he could just focus on her, Haruna, her cousin Kaori, and the captain Hayakawa Nishi.
She mainly wanted to involve all the cute girls in the tennis club so the swim team wouldn't poach him. If anyone didn't want the training, she wouldn't force them.
"There's something like that?", Risa stared blankly at Chika, who spoke with righteous conviction and fierce determination in her tone.
She'd thought Haruna's rivals were just a few gyaru types, maybe some childhood friends or close classmates at most.
Who knew it was an entire club? No, more than one.
The girls' swim team, volleyball team, track team, all full of long-legged, slim-waisted, beautiful girls! What about the gymnastics team or kendo club?
Wasn't this too outrageous?
Was Hikigaya really that capable?
With so many rivals, how could pure, timid Haruna ever hope to confess her feelings.
Risa turned to look at Hikigaya, who was giving close, hands-on instruction, and Haruna, who was practically leaning into his arms, her eyes hazy and entranced. She couldn't help hesitating.
———
While Chika and Risa plotted the tennis club's grand plan involving Haruna, Hachiman remained calm, guiding the girl in his arms, Seirenji Haruna.
With each session of hands-on training, he was gradually mastering the correct way to activate his Teaching Halo.
The Teaching Halo, a skill whose effectiveness scaled with the number of "teachers", was truly powerful. Even if his explanations were vague and confusing, it didn't matter.
As long as someone was close to him, receiving his personal instruction, Haruna would naturally improve her tennis. Her technique, posture, and power would all refine on their own.
The closer the instruction, the higher the temporary boost to her learning ability.
If the halo merely boosted comprehension a little, it wouldn't be surprising.
But with only Hanamori Kotomi as a "teacher", or half of one, really, and Haruna's "Teaching Devotion" far from its maximum, the effect was already this strong.
He suspected that when he later added more young teachers from Sobu High, like Mizuho Kagami or Kashima Risako, the results would be enough for Haruna and the others to learn moves straight out of The Prince of Tennis.
Well… not that "killer tennis" was anything shocking in this world, what with aliens, elves, and youkai everywhere.
And the Teaching Halo's effect wasn't limited to tennis; its learning-boosting property should also apply to research or supernatural studies.
It could inspire Lala's inventions, enhance Iris and the others' magic comprehension, and maybe even let Hayase Saki and the rest learn magic from Iris without needing empathy bracelets.
Thanks to the Service Halo, all the girls around him already had improved physical stats, but since most were ordinary humans, their combat ability hadn't changed much.
If the Teaching Halo could help them quickly grasp magic or other skills, they'd be able to handle minor issues themselves, without him needing to teleport over.
As for Lala's science-side inventions… maybe not. Her gadgets tended to blow up. Better be careful.
"Uh… um… Hikigaya-kun… Coach… I'd like to rest a bit…", While Hikigaya was already calmly considering the Teaching Halo's applications beyond sports, the pure-hearted Haruna, who rarely even spoke to boys, was starting to reach her limit.
Beads of sweat formed on her small white nose, her rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed heavily and unevenly.
Her head felt both clear and foggy.
This training felt unusually good, she hadn't expected Hikigaya to be so good at teaching.
Under his guidance, her tennis had improved at lightning speed. Techniques she'd never grasped suddenly made sense. Her body even adjusted instinctively to new movements.
'As expected… Hikigaya-kun really is amazing, gentle, kind, considerate, and skilled at everything.'
Haruna had only meant to quietly express her admiration, but as time went on, the more he guided her, the closer she found herself pressed against him.
Now, she could barely stay standing without leaning into his chest, and speaking had become nearly impossible.
'If this goes on… something bad might happen.'
She wanted to step away to calm down, but the scent coming from him made her limbs weak. Her hand, resting on his chest for balance, began to caress instead.
"Hm? Seirenji, are you feeling unwell? Let me help you rest."
Hikigaya looked down at her flushed, feverish face in confusion. He helped her to a nearby bench, opened a bottle of water, and gently poured it to her lips.
'Strange, Haruna isn't a succubus, and there are none around.'
'So why is she acting just like Mizuho-sensei had when she rubbed against me in the office in those black stockings?'
'Could it be that the Teaching Halo, like the Service Halo, also has a hidden effect?'
The Service Halo boosted strength based on "Service Level," but its hidden effect was that the higher the devotion, the less self-control girls had around him, sometimes even negative defense.
Maybe the Teaching Halo had something similar?
Haruna hadn't "served" him before, but she showed zero discomfort toward his close contact, and she definitely had a crush on him.
So showing symptoms like a succubus's charm effect almost made sense.
He couldn't quite remember what exactly he'd done before regaining his past memories that made Haruna fall for him so hard.
Probably… maybe… because she was just too innocent, and something small he'd done in middle school stuck in her heart.
"What's wrong with Haruna?"
"Wasn't she fine just now?"
When Risa and Chika saw Hikigaya and Haruna stop practicing and sit down, they hurried over in concern.
"I'm not sure. Maybe she's got heatstroke."
Knowing full well he was probably the real cause, Hikigaya gave Haruna some water and had her lie flat on the bench, then looked up at the afternoon sun.
It was mid-May, the sunlight still strong.
Her stamina wasn't bad, and they hadn't been doing anything too strenuous, mostly posture corrections.
Still, he blamed himself.
"S-sorry, Hikigaya-kun… maybe it's the sun. I'm not feeling very well today."
When he released her hand and stepped aside, Haruna felt a pang of emptiness, as if that strange, heightened state in her mind had vanished.
Still, her head cooled down a bit, and she glanced shyly at Hikigaya, who stood nearby with concern, and whispered her excuse, too embarrassed to admit the real reason.
"Alright then… it's getting late anyway. You did great today, Seirenji. Let's rest for now and continue next time."
Smiling, Hikigaya raised his hand and cast a cleaning spell on Haruna, Risa, and Chika, refreshing them instantly.
"Coach Hikigaya, you really can use magic? Can we learn it from you? Do we need some kind of talent?"
Chika had experienced it before, but for Risa, it was her first time.
She tugged at her collar and looked down, her sweat from chasing tennis balls was completely gone. Her eyes widened in awe.
With magic like this, she'd never need to bathe or wash her hair again.
'No, wait, it was just a basic convenience spell. Hikigaya must know way more powerful combat magic, the kind I see in manga.'
"You can learn it, but it's not easy. Anyway, that's it for today's training. I'll go check on the track team. Chika, take care of Seirenji."
Ignoring Risa's sudden excitement, Hikigaya nodded to the girls and left.
He'd originally planned to wait for Shizuku from the track team to come find him, but going himself wasn't bad either. The "Slave of Desire" quest had updated again and again, the reward was bound to be outrageous.
"Bye-bye, Hikigaya-kun…", Haruna slowly sat up, watching his back as he walked away, a touch of helplessness in her eyes.
This had been such a good chance to spend time with him. Normally, they barely interacted at all.
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