Yukinoshita's startled little yelp—more like that of a startled kitten—immediately drew the eyes of the whole class.
Normally, Yukinoshita didn't care about stares.
She could completely ignore them.
But right now, she was irritated enough to glare at Haruto before striding quickly to her seat.
Watching her retreat, Haruto chuckled softly.
Once he sat down at his own desk, Komi Shouko came over clutching her notebook.
She scribbled quickly, then turned it around for him.
Neat, graceful handwriting spelled out just two word:
"Thank you."
"So Komi-san's request went well, huh? But really, I didn't do much. If anything, it was your own effort—and Yukino's help—that made it work."
Yukinoshita shot him a sideways glance.
"Komi-san has already thanked me."
Haruto shrugged.
"Alright, alright."
"By the way," Yukinoshita added, "the Service Club has received a new request. Since you're back, you should participate properly."
Haruto's mouth twitched.
"Since when was the Service Club this busy? I thought I joined a 'go-home club' where you could clock out whenever you wanted."
Even in the original story, the club wasn't this swamped.
Requests, one after another?
Yukinoshita gave him a cold stare.
She knew her glare had no effect on him whatsoever, but at least it made her position clear.
Haruto quickly raised both hands in surrender, acting like he'd lost.
"So, what's the request this time?"
The answer came not from Yukinoshita but from Yui, who had bounced over.
"It's from Saika Totsuka! Something about tennis. He—uh, she?—wants to get better at it."
And right then, the gender-ambiguous beauty in question stepped out from behind Yui.
Unlike Accelerator, whose gender was unclear due to a lack of features, Totsuka's cuteness alone blurred the line.
"Please," Totsuka said earnestly, bowing at a perfect ninety degrees. "It's our last year. I want to leave behind something I can be proud of in high school."
A very normal sentiment.
Any student who poured effort into their club activities dreamed of making some achievement—something to brag about in the future, something to serve as proof of youth.
For baseball players, it was Koshien.
For most, though, it was just a dream.
Talent, effort, and luck all weighed in, and high school confidence often shattered against harsh reality.
Looking at Totsuka's serious bow, Haruto turned his gaze toward Yui.
She avoided eye contact, her eyes darting nervously.
Haruto sighed.
As expected—this was her doing.
Normally, no one would ask the Service Club for something this specialized.
Tennis training? That was a job for a coach.
Most likely, Totsuka had casually mentioned the idea, and Yui—unable to say no—had agreed on the spot.
Feeling Haruto's stare, Yui panicked.
So she bowed too, alongside Totsuka.
"Alright, alright, first things first—get up."
Haruto said helplessly.
The two straightened, eyes full of hope.
Even though Haruto rarely came to class, his air of mystery gave him an aura of omnipotence.
"So then, Totsuka, what's your history and goal in tennis?" Haruto asked.
"Yes," Totsuka replied promptly. "Last year, my best singles result was top sixteen in the Chiba tournament. Since I had no partner, I have no doubles record. As for my goal…"
He glanced at Haruto, hesitated, then closed his eyes and said firmly:
"I want to make it to Nationals!"
Haruto nodded.
"Ambitious. I like it."
Then he patted Yukinoshita's shoulder.
"Yukino, I'll leave it to you."
Yukino immediately grabbed his wrist.
"No—we'll do it together."
Haruto's lips twitched.
Was Yukino… learning bad habits?
The Yukino he knew never pulled people into things like this.
If she really had been this shameless, her sister wouldn't have spent so much effort scheming to force her growth.
Truly, the Foundation was one hell of a training ground.
Watching their little tug-of-war, Totsuka realized his own goal might have been too unrealistic.
Japan's high school competitions were divided into levels: regional, city, Kanto/Kansai, and then Nationals.
For tennis singles, making top four in Chiba was needed to reach the Kanto tournament.
Top sixteen, like Totsuka's record, was barely scraping by.
And reaching Nationals? That required excelling in the Kanto tournament—where only the truly talented and hardworking made it through.
To reach that in just over two months?
It was like asking Misaki Shokuhou to surpass Misaka Mikoto in physical ability within two months.
"Please!" Yui tugged at Haruto's sleeve, whispering.
She clearly realized how much trouble her impulsive promise had caused.
Haruto sighed.
"…Not impossible. Let's at least give it a try. After school, we'll head to the tennis courts."
Yui cheered, while Yukino looked at him in surprise.
Totsuka bowed again, full of gratitude, before leaving for now.
"So, what's your plan?" Yukino asked curiously.
"Well, we can start with special training. Who knows—maybe Totsuka has hidden talent that just hasn't awakened yet."
Yukino rolled her eyes.
Completely unrealistic.
"And if she doesn't? Do you just let the request fail?"
With only two months, regular training wasn't enough to raise him to the level of top four in Chiba.
"There are… other ways," Haruto said, rubbing his chin.
"You mean…" Yukino frowned. "Using the Foundation's gene serums?"
If they really cheated, then forget Chiba—Nationals would be easy.
One or two injections, and Totsuka's physical ability would soar beyond human limits.
Even with weak technique, he could crush opponents with brute force.
But Haruto shook his head.
"Impossible. The Foundation classifies those serums as anomalies now. Not even supposed to be publicly known, much less used for something like this."
Yukino nodded.
Fair enough.
For all his rotten personality traits, Haruto could be surprisingly reliable about rules.
"So, then what?" Yukino pressed.
"If Totsuka's singles ability isn't enough… we just pair him with someone strong for doubles. Still within the rules, right?"
Haruto wagged a finger with a sly grin.