Chapter 183 – Yukinoshita Suffers a Blow
However, Yuigahama Yui's evasive gaze—when it flicked toward a certain area—was quickly noticed by Yukinoshita.
Connecting it with the movement involved in doing push-ups, Yukinoshita looked at Yuigahama, then lowered her gaze to examine herself.
"......."
"Yukinon, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
Seeing Yukinoshita visibly sink into gloom at a speed visible to the naked eye, Yuigahama hurriedly apologized.
"It's fine…."
Forcing a small smile, Yukinoshita leaned on her tennis racket to keep herself from falling.
"If they're too heavy, it affects body balance, doesn't it?
And it puts quite a burden on the shoulders as well…."
She frantically tried to come up with some positive points about being smaller in her mind, but when her gaze returned to the two enormous mounds on Yuigahama, Yukinoshita gave up on deceiving herself.
"Yuigahama-san, could you come a little closer?"
She beckoned Yuigahama with her hand, signaling for her to move nearer.
"What is it?"
Noticing how Yukinoshita, who had been dejected just moments earlier, suddenly returned to her usual cold expression, Yuigahama felt that something was off—but still walked over.
"It's nothing. I just want to vent a little…"
With that, Yukinoshita cupped Yuigahama's soft cheeks in both hands and began kneading them, twisting her face into all sorts of shapes.
"Um… I'm still right here, you know…"
Totsuka Saika looked on awkwardly at Yukinoshita and Yuigahama fooling around.
"Ahem…"
Only when Totsuka spoke did Yukinoshita suddenly remember there was someone else nearby.
She released Yuigahama's face. Yuigahama, who had been struggling, leaned backward and was about to topple onto the ground.
Yukinoshita grabbed her hand and pulled forward—but this sudden tug caused Yuigahama, who had been falling backward, to lurch forward instead, dragging Yukinoshita with her straight into the chain-link fence.
"....."
From her nose came the pleasant fragrance of Yuigahama's body wash.
Having personally experienced Yuigahama's facial wash pressed against her, the light in Yukinoshita's eyes completely vanished.
So this… is what "big" feels like?
"Let's start training."
After climbing down from the fence, Yukinoshita—expressionless—walked to the tennis court, ignoring Yuigahama who was frantically apologizing, and began supervising the special training.
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.
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When Hikigaya Hachiman finally returned to the tennis court, Yuigahama and Totsuka were already collapsed, sprawled out in exhaustion.
"???"
Did something happen while I was gone?
Looking at the two drained of energy, Hachiman shifted his gaze to the only one still standing—Yukinoshita—though she too was gasping for breath.
"It's nothing. After finishing training, everyone is just a little tired…"
Sensing that Hachiman wanted to ask about the situation, Yukinoshita gave a simple explanation.
Then she walked to Yuigahama's side, helped her up, and sat her down on a bench to recover.
Seeing this, Hachiman also helped Totsuka over to another chair.
"Yukinoshita-san, She's really amazing…"
With a towel over his head, sipping some water to soothe his parched throat, Totsuka spoke to Hachiman in admiration, describing Yukinoshita's earlier display of holding her own against both of them on the court.
"No, that's just because you two are simply weak…"
Hearing Totsuka's words, Hachiman's lips twitched.
Although Totsuka was the tennis club's president, judging from his performance earlier, he was really only a bit above amateur level.
As for Yuigahama—she was completely just a mascot.
With a pair like that, there was no way they could deal with Yukinoshita once she got serious.
Wait a second!
Hachiman suddenly realized something strange.
It was just an ordinary tennis training session—why did Yukinoshita even get serious?
"Hey, Totsuka, while I was gone… did something happen?"
Casting a glance at the two girls beside them with their eyes closed recovering their strength, Hachiman quietly asked.
"Well, if you mean anything odd… earlier, when we were doing push-ups for arm training, Yukinoshita-san pinched Yuigahama-san's cheeks. Honestly, watching girls being that close with each other felt kind of embarrassing…"
Totsuka smiled as he said this.
"…I see."
After hearing Totsuka's explanation, Hachiman nodded in understanding.
He had figured out why a simple training session had turned into this mess.
Of course—it was because a certain idiot had touched a forbidden subject!
.
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The afternoon was back to regular class time.
However, since exams had just ended, most of Class F seemed distracted while listening to the lecture.
Still, a small portion of students were listening attentively.
Even after expending a huge amount of energy during the lunchtime training, Totsuka sat upright at his desk, diligently taking notes on the teacher's lecture.
Watching this, Hachiman—who had been zoning out—felt a pang of guilt in his conscience. He quickly turned away and resumed daydreaming.
After all, studying was meant to help one enter a better social stratum after graduating school.
But for Hachiman, who was already an exorcist, that kind of incentive no longer had much appeal.
So as long as he didn't fail his regular exams, that was enough for him.
At the front of the classroom, Yuigahama was slumped over her desk, drifting off to sleep. In stark contrast, Kawasaki Saki was frowning in concentration, thinking about the question the teacher had just asked.
Further back, Hayama Hayato—who had recently been asked out by Isshiki Iroha—was also listening attentively to the lecture.
On the lower left of his seat, Ebina Hina, as always, was secretly reading some not-so-age-appropriate book.
That normally wouldn't have been a problem.
After all, everyone in Class F already knew about Ebina's habits.
But the way she occasionally raised her eyes to glance at both him and Hayama made Hachiman feel a chill down his spine.
Looking even further back, after passing over several classmates' faces, Hachiman's gaze accidentally met Miura Yumiko's, who was absentmindedly fiddling with her hair.
"......."
"???"
Noticing how Hachiman suddenly turned his head to look at her, then just as quickly looked away, Miura Yumiko felt puzzled.
Did he have something he wanted to say to her?
Should she maybe go over and ask later?
But she remembered how, that very morning when she had lent him clothes, Hachiman had looked extremely troubled.
It was obvious that he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself in class.
"Tch, such a pain…"
Realizing she had to think about so much just to ask Hachiman a simple question, Miura Yumiko couldn't help but click her tongue.
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