Of course, her goal wasn't actually to have Ebihara Urara and Hiratsuka Shizuka really gather at her house.
Because she herself had wanted to go into Kirisu Mafuyu's room for a long time now. Kirisu Mafuyu had never let them in, and she seriously suspected there was a man hidden inside.
But right now, she had to say this to hold Kirisu Mafuyu in check for the time being. Later, she could just claim there were too many people and not enough space, then divide everyone into groups to sleep. That way, she'd get to see if Kirisu Mafuyu really had a man hidden in her room.
"If Kirisu-sensei doesn't mind, could I join too?"
Because Sobu High had accepted quite a few transfer students recently, the new teacher Tachibana Haruna, who had just been hired, smiled as she asked Kirisu Mafuyu after seeing everyone else participate.
"Ah? Ah?"
Kirisu Mafuyu was burying herself in research on how to punish a certain student who had skipped every single class that day. Suddenly hearing Hoshinomiya Chie and Tachibana Hina talking about coming to her house, she snapped her head up, only to find that everyone around was looking at her.
'What's going on?'
'Why is there suddenly a teacher's get-together?'
'And why is it being held in my room?'
———
Meanwhile, just arriving at the tennis courts to handle the Tennis Club's request, Hachiman discovered that Hanamori Kotomi and Kashima Risako's task had already been completed.
["Ding~"]
["Character mission completed 'Educational Dominator I'."]
["Mission reward: Teaching Aura."]
[Teaching Aura: Temporarily boosts your students' learning aptitude. The higher your teaching level, the greater the effect and range.]
(PS: Teaching level is positively correlated with the number of teachers and their teaching dedication.)
This time, the mission reward was another powerful aura skill, but this Teaching Aura seemed a bit different from the previously obtained Service Aura.
The number of people serving had become the number of teachers, and the piety of service had become the dedication to teaching.
'Teaching level? Teaching dedication?'
'Could it be the kind of "dedication" I am thinking of?'
The higher the dedication, the stronger the effect of the Teaching Aura, and the higher the students' temporary learning aptitude.
Judging from the example of the Service Aura, and the system's various suggestive tools and skills, Hachiman figured his guess was probably right.
Based on the Service Aura's correlation between number of servants and degree of devotion, the Teaching Aura should be correlated with the number of students.
But thinking about it carefully, that would make the aura strange. If he focused on teaching one student, would the effect be weaker than teaching many at once?
If it really depended on student numbers, he could just tell Rurikawa Tsubaki to summon all the girls in school to the gymnasium for a "teaching assembly." Their learning aptitude would skyrocket, and their grades would soar within minutes.
In truth, the Teaching Aura must be correlated with the number of teachers.
Teaching is a mutual process of teaching and learning.
He receives the teachers' physical and mental "guidance" to teach students; students also invest themselves fully to receive instruction. Only through this two-way exchange can the teaching effect be maximized.
After pondering for a while, Hachiman understood how to use the Teaching Aura.
The more teachers he had, the stronger his teaching effect would be, and the wider its range. However, since the system didn't specify the exact outcome, he would have to test it himself.
Just as well, he was now heading to the tennis courts to meet Yukinoshita Yukino and the others for the Tennis Club's request.
He wasn't sure what exactly the "temporary boost in learning aptitude" meant.
After all, learning refers to the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through reading, listening, thinking, research, or practice.
Reading, writing, chess, tennis, magic, these are all forms of learning.
But the results between someone with talent and someone without are vastly different.
If every talent within the concept of "learning" counted, then this Teaching Aura was truly absurdly overpowered.
No wonder it had temporary range limits, unlike the Service Aura, where simply being served was enough.
———
Beside the large sports field, on the outdoor tennis courts—
The Tennis Club members were doing warm-ups under the lead of their captain, Hayakawa Nishi, dressed in their sports uniforms.
Hayakawa Nishi, with shoulder-length hair tied into twin ponytails with butterfly ribbons, was leading the warm-up while quietly glancing at her two vice-captains beside her.
Her black-haired, straight-cut partner, Kitamura Kaori, needed no explanation, an athlete strong enough to compete at nationals, the Tennis Club's ace, and more than qualified to serve as vice-captain.
The other vice-captain was a third-year senior, the blonde, half-foreign Reiko Date Wingfield. Her tennis skill was not to be underestimated, on par with Kitamura Kaori's.
At the same time, Reiko-senpai was the club's resident troublemaker. Though she looked cheerful and easygoing, her love of fun often caused all sorts of headaches for those around her.
Originally, the captain's position had been between Kitamura Kaori and Reiko, both highly popular choices. But since their skills were about equal, whichever one was chosen, the other would be dissatisfied. The advisor therefore appointed Hayakawa Nishi, who got along well with both, as captain, leaving the two as vice-captains.
This decision, of course, put Hayakawa Nishi squarely in the hot seat.
Fortunately, she and Kitamura Kaori were doubles partners and close friends, so she understood the advisor's reasoning.
Reiko didn't mind either, being vice-captain suited her better. She could still speak up in club matters, and whenever she caused trouble, someone else would clean up the mess.
However, while the two vice-captains only needed to focus on training and improving their technique, Hayakawa Nishi, who had been pushed into the captain role, had to worry about the club's overall future.
She wasn't concerned about singles, with Kaori and Reiko-senpai as vice-captains, and even the shy and reserved Takamine Aika being strong, Sobu High would perform well even if the others didn't place.
What worried her was doubles. Doubles tennis required not only skill but also coordination and compatible playing styles.
Right now, the club barely had any strong pairs who could cooperate smoothly.
She and Kitamura Kaori might be the only reliable doubles pair in the whole club.
The potential members, Sugiyama Mio and Saeki Ai, Sairenji Haruna and Kitamura Chika, had coordination issues despite their skill levels.
Even the powerful players Reiko and Takamine Aika hadn't found suitable partners yet.
She had originally planned to invite a first-year student, Miura Yumiko, who had placed in the prefectural tournament and whose playing style matched Reiko's perfectly, to join the club.
Unfortunately, Miura Yumiko had refused. Even with great tennis skills, she only played during PE class and had no intention of joining the club for regular training or competitions.
Now, Kaori's cousin Kitamura Chika said she knew the Service Club president, Hachiman. Reportedly, Hikigaya could rapidly improve the training results of the girls' swimming club ace, and might be able to boost their tennis performance too. Half doubtful, Hayakawa Nishi sent Kaori to invite the Service Club for help.
Although she didn't believe the training methods for tennis and swimming could be the same, or that a bunch of outsiders knew more about tennis than they did, if Hachiman had a way to quickly improve physical fitness, that would still enhance training results.
After all, apart from experience and skill, sports depend heavily on physical ability. Any improvement helps.
At this moment, the Service Club's vice-president, Yukinoshita Yukino, had already changed into her sports clothes, tied up her hair, and come to the tennis court with Yuigahama Yui. The two stood quietly in the corner, stretching and warming up with the other Tennis Club members.
Whatever the sport, warm-ups were necessary. And since Yukinoshita had excellent natural talent but tended to quit halfway, her stamina was poor.
Without a proper warm-up, intense activity could easily lead to muscle strain or ligament injury.
Although she was here to instruct, based on past experience, she knew someone would definitely question her tennis skills, so she had to warm up first.
While warming up, she glanced at the club members ahead, most of them well-proportioned, and felt oddly pleased.
While the Tennis Club had its share of well-built girls, it wasn't like the girls' swimming club, where everyone looked like walking pressure monsters.
Besides, Hayase Saki and Narahashi Miki belonged to other sports clubs, so they wouldn't come, and Sakurase Shino and Gotou Hitori didn't like large gatherings.
So only Yuigahama Yui had come with her from the Service Club.
But… Hachiman was probably alone on his side.
After all, if the elf princess or mermaid diva showed up, no one would be able to focus on training.
Yukinoshita tilted her head toward the bun-haired Yuigahama, about to speak, when her eyes suddenly caught sight of Hachiman walking toward the courts from the track.
But the scene wasn't what she had imagined.
Although there were no signs of the elf princess or the other Service Club members, two new beautiful girls were walking beside him.
One was the track team's ace, Shizuku, the cool and athletic ponytailed beauty.
She might not stand out among the flood of pretty girls at Sobu High, but outside school she'd easily be considered strikingly attractive.
The other was Kitamura Kaori's cousin, Kitamura Chika, the Tennis Club's core player and a member of the disciplinary committee, pressure level H.
'Isn't it said that the disciplinary committee has made a blacklist with only Hachiman's name on it?'
'So this is how you "target" him, huh?'
Shizuku might be friendly, but even she kept a bit of distance from Hikigaya. Yet Kitamura Chika, the supposedly strict disciplinary member, was practically glued to him.
Wasn't it Kitamura Kaori who said her cousin had introduced him? Could it be that most of his requests came from girls like this?
Watching Hikigaya apparently charm yet another beauty, Yukinoshita's mouth twitched, and she turned away, not wanting to look anymore.
"Hikigaya-kun, I'll be off. You'll still be around the tennis courts later, right? I'll bring you a drink as thanks~", Shizuku said with a bright smile, stopping at the court's entrance.
"Of course. And Hikigaya-kun, if you want, you can come watch our training too. The track team has plenty of cute girls, I can introduce you if you like~", Waving goodbye, she jogged back to the field.
She wasn't the shy type, when she liked someone or wanted to show gratitude, she said it straight.
It was just that what had happened earlier had shocked her too much, when Hikigaya saved her from those delinquents in the track club, her mind had gone blank. Before she could react, Hikigaya and Karuizawa had already left.
Now seeing him again, she immediately came over to thank him.
Unfortunately, Hikigaya had to coach at the tennis courts, and she still had training.
Still, since the tennis courts were next door, she could visit him later with some teammates.
"Hikigaya-buchou sure is popular, huh? Disciplinary Committee, Swimming Club, Tennis Club... and now even the Track Club. Good thing I got in first, or I wouldn't stand a chance against the others."
Clinging to his arm, Kitamura Chika sighed emotionally.
Her cousin and the others hadn't believed her, but look, wasn't the Service Club president in high demand?
If not for her using her Disciplinary Committee connections, she might not have been able to invite him to help at all.
Sure, there were lots of cute girls in the Tennis Club, but between coaching girls in swimsuits and coaching girls in tennis outfits, it was obvious which was preferable.
After all, the former involved swimsuits in a pool; the latter, sweaty uniforms under the sun.
"I told you, Shizuku was just thanking me. It's not like that."
Hikigaya shot a look at Chika, who was practically plastered to his side. He had only been heading to the tennis courts, but Shizuku happened to spot him on the track and came over to express her gratitude.
If it weren't for the system revealing that Shizuku had even triggered a quest called Slave to Desire, he wouldn't have imagined that this confident, admired athletic beauty was actually a hidden pervert.
Shizuku, Ichinose Mizuki, and Sugisaki Kasumi were all the same, repressed desire building within them, always one step away from bursting into frustration-driven madness.
But he couldn't just tell Shizuku she needed to "relieve her desires." Even though he'd saved her, saying something like that would destroy her goodwill completely.
He'd have to find a way to draw out that buried desire and make her come to him for help on her own.
"Also, did you explain things properly to your captain and the others? My training can improve results greatly, but the methods are… special, and require a bit of sacrifice."
Hikigaya looked speechlessly at the careless, shameless Kitamura Chika beside him and asked again.
Originally, the only tool he had to rapidly raise someone's ability was the Service Aura.
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