Chapter 286: At Least You Took Off Your Shoes, You're Quite Polite
"So, what should we do today?"
After washing up, Hikigaya changed into a simple set of sportswear.
"I say, couldn't you at least try to dress up a bit?" Kamuro Masumi's brows furrowed, her expression laced with irritation. "Do you think that just because you're with me, you don't need to care about your personal image?"
"Huh?" Hikigaya looked wronged. "No, I did this to match your style."
Kamuro Masumi was wearing a tight black inner layer paired with a sweater shawl. On her lower half, she wore a high-waisted miniskirt with black stockings, and her shoes were simple white sneakers. It was very much an athletic-chic look.
"This is my personal style, you..." Kamuro paused, then sighed.
"Forget it, you look fine enough."
What Kamuro truly cared about wasn't Hikigaya's clothes, but whether he placed enough importance on her.
The two headed out together. Since it was winter break, most people were sleeping in. From the dormitory to the main streets, they hardly saw any students. They stopped by the cafeteria first to settle breakfast.
"Where to next?"
"The mall doesn't seem to be open yet." Kamuro tapped her chin with her finger, looking thoughtful.
"You're only realizing it's early now?" Hikigaya stirred his coffee with one hand, deadpanning, "Last night was Christmas; everyone stayed out late. Who gets up early to go shopping the next morning?"
"Hmph! I had nothing to do last night, so I went to bed early." Kamuro's face flushed with displeasure as she spoke through gritted teeth.
"Unlike a certain someone who stays busy from day to night surrounded by different girls!"
'Why go to bed early? Is it because no one asked you to hang out? How pitiful~'
Though Hikigaya really wanted to say those words out loud, he figured she would probably explode on the spot, so he held back.
"Masumi, since you're so energetic, why don't we go get some exercise?" Hikigaya pointed toward the nearby gymnasium.
"Since we're both in sportswear, we won't even need to change."
"Hmph~ suit yourself." Kamuro acted indifferent, but the slight twitch of her eyebrows suggested Hikigaya's proposal actually suited her mood quite well.
"Tennis, badminton, table tennis—what do you want to play?
By the way, I'm pretty good at all three."
Racket sports were things one could play alone. During PE classes in elementary and middle school, he often played against a wall by himself. His record was thirty minutes without dropping the ball—he was known as the "Squash Master."
"Hmm... then let's do this one." Kamuro pointed toward the table tennis hall.
"Oh? I haven't heard about you being good at this." Hikigaya's mind whirred.
In terms of physical exertion: Tennis > Badminton > Table Tennis.
'Is this girl worried that I didn't sleep well and won't have the stamina? What a kind and considerate maid.'
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not worried about your health!" Perhaps sensing something odd in Hikigaya's gaze, Kamuro suddenly became flustered and angry, forcing an explanation: "I just suddenly felt like playing table tennis!"
"Yes, yes. It just so happens I really want to play table tennis too." Hikigaya held back a laugh, choosing not to expose her.
"Let's go! Ba~ka~!" Kamuro grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hall.
There were five tables, each separated by opaque acrylic partitions, making it quite suitable for a private activity. They paid for a block of time at the front desk and rented paddles and balls.
"Come on! Today, I'm going to leave you with nothing!" Kamuro stripped off her outer sweater, her black tight-fitting athletic gear revealing her well-defined curves.
Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes narrowed as he quickly steadied his heart.
'Nice try, but this level of charm won't shake my resolve!'
"Big talk. I'm just afraid you won't be able to handle one of my hits." Hikigaya tossed his jacket aside, gripped the paddle, and hunched over in a standard professional stance.
"Less talk, watch the ball!" Kamuro served first, hitting it with all her might!
Clack—clack clack clack...
The ball flew straight out of bounds, hit the partition, and fell to the floor.
Hikigaya's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but roast her: "When you said 'watch the ball,' which ball were you talking about?"
"Urusai! That was just a warm-up. You serve!" Kamuro desperately tried to save face.
'All that momentum, and this is your level?'
Hikigaya bent down to pick up the ball, his face solemn.
"Prepare yourself! Next, I'll show you the Demonic Sphere Transition!"
Kamuro's expression tightened as she braced herself like she was facing a powerful enemy. The ball flew over in a standard, medium-speed parabola.
Thwack!
Kamuro returned it easily. "What 'Demonic Sphere Transition'? You scared me for nothing. This is it?"
"Don't be in a hurry, I have a follow-up. Take my Spirit Pearl Ascension!"
This time, Hikigaya added more power, the ball flying toward the corner in a sharp arc. Kamuro hurriedly stepped aside to counter, her voice low. "Now this move is more like it."
The two continued to trade shots, the score staying neck-and-neck.
"As expected of Masumi, a clever and beautiful girl!"
"Hmph~ You're not bad either, you dead-fish-eyed huckster!"
"Hey, I was complimenting you."
"You were tricking me... and besides, you're a pervert!"
Kamuro twisted her waist, and as her skirt flared slightly, a flash of black underneath caught the eye.
Miss.
The ball fell.
'Dammit! Even though it was impossible to see anything, my eyes focused uncontrollably. This is too unscientific!'
Hikigaya's eyelids fluttered.
"This is why official matches are separated into men's and women's divisions."
"Excuses!"
"Not an excuse."
"It is!"
After an hour of intense battle, they called for a halftime break.
"Is this the peak intellectual battle of Class A?" Hikigaya conceded helplessly.
"I admit defeat."
He had lost by a single point. However, as the winner, Kamuro didn't look proud at all. Instead, she stared at him with a look of humiliation.
"Are you treating me like a fool?"
"Eek~ I was exposed?"
"I thought my acting was pretty realistic!" Hikigaya looked shocked.
"You... One more round!"
"No holding back!! Use your full strength and fight me!!!"
-
-
-
Half an hour later... Kamuro was squatting on the ground, questioning her life choices.
"See? You were just looking for a beating." Hikigaya wiped his sweat with a large towel.
One was a master who had spent years playing against walls; the other was a beginner-level rookie. If he really got serious, the result was a foregone conclusion.
"...I'd rather be crushed by you than have you lie to me."
Kamuro looked up, her eyes burning as she stared at him.
"If you're bad, practice more." Hikigaya draped the large towel over her stubborn face.
"..." Kamuro took a deep breath and suddenly grew quiet. She lowered her head and muttered softly, "In the future... can I ask you to play ball again?"
"Sure, next time for sure." Hikigaya agreed casually.
"Then it's a promise!" Kamuro's mood brightened instantly.
'Does this girl not understand social pleasantries? 'Next time for sure' usually means there isn't a next time!'
"I was very happy with today's date."
'Eh? So we were on a date? Wasn't it just exercising together?'
Then again, according to the broad theory of dating, as long as a man and a woman are doing an activity together, it can be generalized as a date.
"Though I'd like to continue... I'll have to excuse myself for today." Kamuro acted a bit fidgety as she took the initiative to leave.
'Is she worried about the smell of sweat? This girl is usually so blunt, I didn't expect her to have such a maidenly side.'
Hikigaya suddenly felt like teasing her. He leaned in, sniffed, and purposely made a disgusted face. "Ugh~ so smelly, so smelly."
"Huh?" Kamuro exploded. She lunged forward, locking her arm tightly around his neck. "Hachiman, what did you just say? Say it again if you have the guts!!"
"..." Hikigaya remained stubbornly silent.
"Shine!" Kamuro used her strength to trip him, pinning him to the ground. Then, she stepped on him...
'But at least you took off your shoes. You're actually quite polite!'
"Ah~ this feeling... it's truly nostalgic." A gentle expression appeared on Hikigaya's face as he felt the perfectly measured pressure on his chest.
"Gross! What exactly are you feeling nostalgic about?" Kamuro looked disgusted.
"Back home when I was being an idiot, Komachi would call me 'Trash-chan' while stepping on me."
Kamuro suddenly increased the pressure.
"Who is Komachi?"
"Cough~ take it easy... Komachi is my younger sister. She's not nearly as rough as you." Hikigaya spoke with a face full of pride.
"Sister? You're such a sis-con. Can you stop bringing your sister up all the time? People will hate you."
"Whatever. I don't care about what others think anyway."
"What I'm saying is—your sister will hate you."
"Nani?!" Seeing Hikigaya's "the sky is falling" expression, Kamuro was practically laughed into a better mood.
"What a twisted idiot!"
.
.
.
Hikigaya arrived at the Student Council office again. He was truly fed up. Everyone else was enjoying winter break; why was he working like a beast of burden?
Nagumo Miyabi had assigned him the task of strictly inspecting and enforcing campus discipline.
'There are barely any students in the school buildings during break—what discipline is there to enforce? This is clearly just making work to make my life difficult!'
With the intention of "passive resistance," Hikigaya wandered aimlessly through the school building. By pure coincidence, he encountered the School Chairman in the hallway, accompanied by a middle-aged man in a suit and tie who radiated a powerful aura.
To Hikigaya's surprise, the Chairman was actually leading the way, and his subtle gestures carried the respect an inferior shows a superior.
"Good morning, Chairman." Hikigaya bowed politely and gave a token bow to the man in the suit.
The man in the suit didn't respond. He didn't even spare Hikigaya a glance.
'Tch! What a rude old geezer!!'
"Hikigaya-kun, thank you for your hard work." The Chairman, however, was very warm.
"I heard you've taken the position of Public Morals Chairman for the Student Council.
Coming out to maintain campus discipline even during the holidays—how professional."
Hikigaya took the chance to snitch.
"This is all President Nagumo's doing. He has no humanity!"
"Haha~ Nagumo is an excellent child, he's just a bit too conceited. He needs someone to change him." The Chairman patted his shoulder meaningfully.
"Hikigaya-kun, I'll leave the Student Council in your hands."
'Wait, wait, wait? What are you saying, Mr. Chairman?'
Hikigaya was baffled. But before he could ask for clarification, the Chairman led the suited man past him. As the man in the suit passed, he caught Hikigaya in his peripheral vision.
"Ayanokouji-sensei, welcome..."
Before the door to the Chairman's office closed, Hikigaya caught a few key syllables.
'Ayanokouji...?! Is that suited guy a relative of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?'
Looking at their appearances, they didn't share many similarities. The former was a "tough guy" type, while the latter had more delicate features—perhaps he took after his mother?
Then again, the name "Kiyotaka" was so plain; it didn't sound like a name a high-level intellectual would choose. It sounded more like a stage name for a host...
"Hikigaya."
Facing the voice that suddenly approached from behind, Hikigaya reacted by reflex, turning and throwing a punch.
"Hmm!?"
Though the other party was caught off guard, they managed to narrowly dodge the fist before it hit their face with a sharp, agile movement.
"Oh? It's you, Ayanokouji." Hikigaya looked surprised.
"Sorry, I thought some bad guy was trying to sneak up on me!"
"Are you sure that wasn't intentional?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained expressionless.
"Absolutely not." Hikigaya pulled back his fist and suddenly blurted out, "Was that old geezer in the suit just now your dad?"
"Old geezer in a suit..." A slight change appeared on Ayanokouji's usually stoic face. "Why would you think that? I don't look like him at all, do I?"
"The aura you two radiate is cut from the exact same cloth," Hikigaya answered honestly.
"..."
A ripple appeared in Ayanokouji's deep eyes. Was it happiness? Sadness? Or perhaps frustration?
'As expected, I still can't understand him.'
Seeing Ayanokouji lost in thought, Hikigaya didn't want to disturb him and turned to leave.
"Wait, Hikigaya..." Ayanokouji was about to call him back when a voice from the Chairman's office called out.
"Has Kiyotaka-kun arrived?"
"..."
Watching Hikigaya's retreating back move faster as if his feet were greased, Ayanokouji had a sudden whim and imitated Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes. He walked into the Chairman's office and saw that man.
"Hmph! Those rotten eyes... In less than a year, you've changed quite a bit, Kiyotaka!"
Father and son met, but there were no warm greetings, not even polite small talk. Ayanokouji Atsuomi's first words were a reprimand.
"..." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka returned his eyes to normal but didn't respond.
"It's fine if you don't speak. I came here today to process your withdrawal from this school!" Atsuomi said coldly.
Read ahead (160 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting