Chapter 64 – Hikigaya Hachiman and Totsuka Saika!
The once-quiet Service Club room had suddenly become rather lively.
As soon as the door opened, the room filled with a strange tension—two girls stood facing each other, their gazes clashing with sparks that felt almost visible.
Yui Yuigahama, who had just walked in, instinctively froze on the spot. Her mind immediately flooded with wild speculations.
As the saying goes, girls are creatures driven by emotions—especially when it comes to romance. And Yui was no exception.
"U-uhm, sorry… am I interrupting something?"
Just then, a soft and gentle voice drifted in from the doorway.
Everyone in the room turned toward the source of the voice.
Wait—was there someone else besides Yui?
A petite figure with short silver hair stood at the entrance, radiating an aura so delicate and calming that it instinctively evoked a sense of protectiveness.
The level of natural charm was off the charts—he looked exactly like a "beautiful silver-haired girl."
Yukinoshita Akira blinked in quiet surprise. He had just been thinking about this person… and now the mysterious Schrödinger's being had appeared right before his eyes?
To Yukinoshita Yukino and Busujima Saeko, the newcomer's appearance wasn't that big of a deal. Whether Totsuka Saika was male or female had nothing to do with them personally.
But to Hikigaya Hachiman… this was critical. His entire body tensed up like a cat touched by cold water.
He straightened up instantly, adjusting his uniform like he was about to attend a formal interview, trying desperately to look less… uncool.
Akira noticed it all, of course, and sighed silently. So this is the true face of our "Great Master," huh.
"I'm so sorry, Totsuka-san. I totally forgot I asked you to come."
"It's okay, Yuigahama-san."
Saika replied with a radiant, soft smile that could heal the soul.
If this were the world of High School DxD, Totsuka Saika would be the perfect candidate for an angel reincarnation, purely based on looks alone.
That face… that aura… he was practically angelic.
"You're Totsuka Saika, right?"
"Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Yukinoshita-san."
"Did you come to the Service Club with a request?"
As the president, Yukinoshita Yukino promptly got to the point.
Ever since the club was founded, they'd only handled one request so far. Naturally, Yukino was eager for more work.
Besides, after picking up the basics of Water Breathing, her confidence in her own abilities had grown significantly.
"Well, I was just recently appointed as the new captain of the Tennis Club. But honestly, my skills are still pretty lacking… so I was hoping you could help me improve."
"I see. So you want to get better at tennis? Very well, the Service Club will take on your request."
It wasn't an unusual or difficult request. In fact, it was straightforward and actionable—no reason to decline.
And so, the usual procedures were carried out.
They contacted Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei. Just like when they had requested to use the Home Ec room before, this time they asked for access to the school's tennis court.
If it were anyone else asking, there might've been some red tape.
But if Hiratsuka-sensei was involved, everything went smoothly.
With her approval, they were granted immediate access.
Before long, everyone had changed into matching green-and-white gym uniforms.
"So, what's the plan?" Akira asked Yukino, watching her from the edge of the tennis court.
To be honest, Akira had zero interest in tennis. Even during PE, he often came up with excuses to sit out.
"To improve at tennis, aside from natural talent, the most important thing is hard training. As the saying goes: mastery comes from repetition."
"You got a plan already?"
"Of course. First we push the body to its limit. Swing until your arms go numb. That's how you get results."
It was a classic approach—obvious to anyone, yet rarely practiced seriously.
"Uuh…"
Totsuka Saika let out a faint whimper at the intensity of Yukino's words, visibly shrinking back.
Despite being biologically male, his feminine posture and delicate features meant his physical endurance wasn't exactly great.
Even though tennis wasn't as physically brutal as soccer or basketball, it still required stamina and strength.
"There's no shortcut to becoming stronger, Totsuka-kun," Hachiman said, unusually serious.
"Hachiman~..." Saika murmured with a hint of unease.
His determined expression was almost intimidating, causing Saika to instinctively glance toward him for reassurance.
Originally, he had planned to invite Hachiman to join the Tennis Club. But that plan had long since fallen through.
Rustle—
Their eyes met. Saika's soft gaze practically begged for protection, like a lost kitten looking for shelter.
Hachiman froze.
Then, without warning, his face turned bright red.
And of course… everyone saw it.
Yukino narrowed her eyes. Isn't he a guy? Why are you blushing that hard? she thought in disbelief. I know your social skills are questionable, but… seriously?
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Akira looked like he was watching a comedy show.
For him, the training part wasn't even worth caring about. He had no intention of joining in.
What actually caught his attention was: Wait… our Great Master is bold enough to blush like that? In front of everyone?
"I'll do my best~..." Saika said softly, glancing once more at Hachiman with a determined sparkle in his eyes.
After all, he was the reason they were all here. There was no way he'd take this lightly.
With Yukino in the lead, the training began with a warm-up: laps around the tennis court for physical conditioning.
Only three people participated: Totsuka Saika as the requester, Hikigaya Hachiman from the Service Club, and Yuigahama Yui who decided to tag along.
Yukinoshita Akira, of course, didn't join.
After all, he was someone who could cut down demons. This kind of training wouldn't even register on his scale.
Busujima Saeko also stood off to the side, simply watching.
She wasn't part of the Service Club, nor did she know Totsuka Saika. Her only reason for being here was Yukinoshita Akira.
Once the warm-up ended, it was time to move on to actual practice.
There's no better teacher than experience. And when it came to improving tennis skills, repetition was everything.
So, Totsuka Saika's training opponent for the day was none other than… Hikigaya Hachiman.
The two faced each other in the middle of the court, taking turns rallying the ball back and forth.
Both of them were smiling.
Even Hachiman—usually so deadpan and zombie-like—looked like he was having a genuinely good time.
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