Chapter 280: Beginner, Please Be Lenient
"Are you serious? Isn't my opponent Totsuka-kun?"
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman standing directly opposite him, Tobe Kakeru immediately cried out with an exaggerated expression. Compared to Hikigaya Hachiman, the transparent person in the class, Totsuka Saika, the tennis club president, was clearly a more suitable opponent for him.
As for Hikigaya Hachiman? How good could the tennis skills of this clearly rotten fringe person be? Yukinoshita Yukino deliberately chose such a person as a partner; she must be looking down on him and planning to take them on one versus two, right?
"......."
Looking at the clown-like Tobe Kakeru in front of her, Yukinoshita Yukino did not reply, only the look in her eyes grew colder.
And as for Hikigaya Hachiman? Sorry, because he couldn't remember who this guy in front of him was at all, he completely ignored the other party as if he were air.
Looking at Hayama Hayato standing opposite, a fox-like smiling face suddenly flashed through Hikigaya Hachiman's mind.
"Hey, Hayama-kun, should we raise the stakes?"
Remembering the request Isshiki Iroha had given him, Hikigaya Hachiman seized the rare opportunity to talk to Hayama Hayato and prepared to win a chance for Iroha Isshiki to confess.
"Raise the stakes?"
Hearing Hikigaya Hachiman's words, Hayama Hayato frowned slightly. Due to Hikigaya Hachiman's frequent appearances next to Yukinoshita and his relationship with Yuigahama Yui, he wasn't completely unfamiliar with this classmate and even had intentions of having a good conversation.
However, he never expected his first communication with Hikigaya Hachiman to be in this form...
"The losing side, besides giving up the court, must also grant the opposing side an extra request. How about that? Of course, the request must be within reasonable bounds."
"Grant the opposing side a request?"
Muttering Hikigaya Hachiman's words, Hayama Hayato's expression became puzzled. He really didn't understand where the disadvantaged Hikigaya Hachiman got the confidence to propose such an additional condition.
"Is it everyone? Or just you and me?"
Hayama Hayato, whose interest was piqued by the suggestion because of a certain person, asked while looking at Yukinoshita Yukino. Although he didn't care about promising Hikigaya Hachiman anything, if it were Yukinoshita...
"Then it's just you and me!"
This time, before Hikigaya Hachiman could reply, Yukinoshita, eager to avenge Yuigahama Yui, impatiently interrupted their conversation.
"If that's the case, there's no problem..."
Upon hearing that the request would only be required of Yukinoshita, Hayama Hayato agreed without any hesitation.
.
.
.
"Give me the ball."
Standing in the back half of her court, Yukinoshita Yukino reached out her hand towards Hikigaya Hachiman, asking for the right to serve the tennis ball.
"Go easy on them."
Hikigaya Hachiman instantly understood what Yukinoshita Yukino wanted to do. He obediently handed over the tennis ball and stood near the net.
"Go easy on them, you say?"
Taking the ball, Yukinoshita Yukino looked up at Yuigahama Yui, who was acting as the umpire beside the court. After these few minutes, the silly lump of a girl had clearly forgotten what happened just now. But that didn't mean she had forgotten!
Gently bouncing the tennis ball a few times, Yukinoshita then tossed it into the air, swung her racket, and aimed straight for Tobe Kakeru, who was standing at the back of the opposing court!
"She's definitely aiming for his face, isn't she?"
Hikigaya Hachiman's face twitched slightly as he quickly calculated the tennis ball's trajectory. Based on Yukinoshita's usual actions, he had thought she was merely outwardly cold but inwardly warm. Now it seems he needed to add "holds a grudge" to that description...
"Pah!"
To the extreme disappointment of the two Service Club members, Yukinoshita's first serve did not hit its target but was returned by Hayama Hayato.
However, Hayama Hayato's return shot was clearly within Yukinoshita's prediction. Therefore, immediately after serving, Yukinoshita rushed to the net and was already at the net when Hayama Hayato hit the ball back!
Without hesitation, she leaped into the air and hit a powerful volley, the trajectory still pointing towards Tobe Kakeru.
Hayama Hayato frowned, seemingly noticing something. But due to lack of evidence, he did not voice his suspicion and continued to defend, hitting the ball back again.
"Pah,"
"Pah,"
"Pah," the sound of hitting the tennis ball echoed constantly above the court. What should have been a doubles match had now completely turned into a showcase between Yukinoshita Yukino and Hayama Hayato.
Hayama Hayato now completely understood that Yukinoshita Yukino's target was Tobe Kakeru. However, because Tobe Kakeru was under his protection and the tennis ball had never hit him, he couldn't openly accuse her of anything.
"In a moment, her stamina should be depleted..."
Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino, who was already slightly out of breath, Hayama Hayato gradually relaxed. Although this time it was indeed Tobe Kakeru's fault, he absolutely couldn't allow Yukinoshita Yukino to hurt his friend. But he also couldn't fall out with Yukinoshita Yukino, so he could only wait for her to run out of stamina and lose...
"Pah!"
A clean, crisp hitting sound, completely different from the previous ones, suddenly rang out next to Hayama Hayato's ear, interrupting his contemplation. Hearing Tobe Kakeru's wail from behind him, Hayama Hayato widened his eyes, looking disbelief at Hikigaya Hachiman holding the racket opposite him.
"Oops, my hand slipped and I missed... But I'm a beginner, so I hope you can be lenient, right?"
Hikigaya Hachiman, who had caught them off guard and smashed the high-speed tennis ball directly into Tobe Kakeru's face, shrugged and said with an attitude that showed no remorse.
"What kind of joke is this, hitting people with a tennis ball..."
Before Hayama Hayato could speak, Ōoka, who was watching from the side, couldn't hold back. However, just as Ōoka rolled up his sleeves and prepared to rush up and beat Hikigaya Hachiman, he was stopped by Yamato.
"Calm down, Ōoka! If the opponent is a beginner, there's nothing we can do about it..."
Yamato's voice was full of helplessness.
Honestly, even he couldn't return the ball from either Yukinoshita Yukino or Hayama Hayato. Therefore, if Hikigaya Hachiman, who was clearly just a "tennis beginner," "luckily" hit the ball back and it happened to smash Tobe Kakeru, they could only accept their bad luck.
"But his attitude..."
Ōoka clearly hadn't completely lost his mind. The reason he wanted to fight just now was entirely because of the annoying expression on Hikigaya Hachiman's face.
"But the problem is that we were the ones who had the bad attitude first..."
Yamato's mouth curved into a bitter smile.