[198] Hachiman Gears Up to Show Off

Chapter 198: Hachiman Gears Up to Show Off

Since it's a mixed doubles match, both sides naturally need to select their players.

On Hayama's side, the players are Hayama and Yumiko. On the Service Club's side, it's Yukino and Hachiman who take the court.

Originally, Yui wanted to play, but upon seeing Yumiko as the opponent, Yui hesitated. Yukino noticed her concern and volunteered to play.

With the players in position, Saika assumed the role of referee, perched in the chair at the net's center. "How did it end up like this?" Saika pondered, the practice evolving into a full-fledged match.

Before the match's commencement, a volley of tough words passed between the players. While the guys shrugged off the banter, tension brewed between the two girls.

"Prepare yourself, Yukinoshita. I won't take it easy. Hope you don't embarrass yourself too much," declared Yumiko.

"Hehe, don't worry. I won't hold back either. Hopefully, your tennis skills match your talk. Don't cry and deny it when you lose," Yukino retorted with a confident smile.

It was evident both girls held strong beliefs in their tennis prowess. After the exchange of biting remarks, they returned to their respective court positions.

"You're quite confident, Yukinoshita," remarked Hachiman, eyeing Yukino's self-assured expression.

"Trust me, leave it to me. Just don't mess up, okay? This time, I'll thoroughly crush that monkey pride," Yukino replied, her words implying a genuine belief that Hachiman's tennis understanding was only skin-deep.

"Beep!"

With the sound of the whistle, the match officially commenced. Yumiko served first, launching the ball high with force. Yet, Yukino displayed no weakness, swiftly reaching the ball's descent point and returning it with precision.

Back and forth they battled, each refusing to concede, their flowing long hair painting dynamic streaks across the court.

Suddenly, Yumiko seized an opportunity, sending the ball in the opposite direction of Yukino's movement.

"Darn, it was a feint," exclaimed Zaimokuza, watching from the sidelines, frustration evident in his voice.

Undeterred, Yukino pressed on. Taking a quick break, she swiftly turned, running towards the ball's trajectory and returning it before it could sail out of bounds. This time, Yumiko faltered in her response, and Yukino claimed the point.

"15:0!"

Saika, acting as the referee, announced the score.

"You handled that ball well just now," Hachiman praised as Yukino returned to his side.

"I've seen that expression of hers too many times. It's exactly like those girls from my childhood who always wanted to bother me. I know exactly how people like her think," Yukino explained calmly, giving Hachiman a sidelong glance before refocusing on the court.

"Pah, Pah, Pah!"

The match persisted, the relentless exchange of shots turning it into a singles game between Yukino and Yumiko.

Meanwhile, Hayama and Hachiman found their roles simplified, only retrieving stray balls missed by the girls while the primary action unfolded between the two opponents.

The spectators were drawn into the intensity, their nerves on edge.

However, a noticeable skill gap favored the Service Club. Under Yukino's relentless attacks, they quickly gained a 2-0 advantage.

"Alright, our side has a huge advantage," Zaimokuza laughed from the sidelines.

As the third game began, Yukino's stamina showed signs of depletion. Hachiman could hear her breath becoming heavier, a testament to the toll the match was taking.

After completing a jump serve, Hachiman voiced his concern, "Are you okay? You don't seem to be doing well right now."

Glancing at him, Yukino composed her breath, "Although I excel in many aspects, stamina is the only thing I lack confidence in."

However, Yumiko seized the opportunity to serve again, catching Yukino off guard and scoring a point.

"I heard it all, you know. Your jump just now was impressive, but now you must be exhausted," Yumiko remarked confidently after scoring. With Yukino seemingly low on stamina, Yumiko believed victory was within her grasp.

But what about Hachiman?

In response to Hachiman's seemingly indifferent performance, Yumiko considered him a novice, not worthy of concern.

"Tsk..."

Hearing Yumiko's words, Yukino clicked her tongue, feeling a bit unwilling.

"Are you going to give up?"

However, at this moment, she heard Hachiman's voice.

"What's this? Is our Ice Queen ready to admit defeat now?"

"What can I do? I don't have much stamina left. Are you going to do something about it? If you really can, then show me." Despite admitting her impending loss, Yukino's mood wasn't the best.

Although her tone wasn't great, Hachiman didn't mind. He picked up a tennis ball from the ground and smiled slightly at her.

"Yukino, learn to trust others a bit more in your daily life. If you're in trouble, Yui and I won't just stand by. After all, we're friends."

"Take your time to recover stamina. Leave the rest to me!"

Hearing his words, Yukino paused, unsure of what she was thinking.

At this moment, holding the ball, Hachiman turned to Yumiko and the others with a smile, "Yumiko, can you please consider conceding?"

"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?" Yumiko was puzzled.

"Yeah, Hikigaya-kun, it seems like our advantage is pretty clear now. How about this, let's call it a draw. We can share this tennis court," Hayama suggested with a smile.

Clearly, he also believed that after Yukino fell into a stamina crisis, there was no chance of victory for Hachiman's side.

"I don't agree, Hayama. This time, I'm going to beat Yukinoshita."

Yumiko didn't endorse Hayama's suggestion, and not only her, even Hachiman spoke up to refuse.

"A draw is unnecessary. Just now, our Ice Queen said she wants victory."

Hearing Hachiman's address, Yukino, standing beside him, couldn't help but glare at him with some annoyance.

But Hachiman paid no heed and continued, "Since you, Yumiko, don't want to concede, I'm sorry, but I won't go easy from now on."

"If you end up losing embarrassingly later, Yumiko, don't blame me."

"In the upcoming match, if you manage to score at least one—"

"I lose!"

After uttering this, a toothy smile appeared on his face.

However, this smile, under the sunlight, revealed a chilling coldness.

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A/N:

In the previous chapter, I received comments pointing out a mistake in my use of 'Saika' and 'her' instead of 'his.' It appears my cellphone is the culprit, automatically changing 'Saika' to 'Saeko' and switching 'his' to 'her' when I type.

That's why I've encouraged everyone to point out any grammar mistakes so I can address them.

Regarding the questions about why Yukino didn't trust Hachiman tennis abilities, being a Swordmaster doesn't necessarily make him proficient in tennis.

The lack of awareness among Tobe and others about Hachiman's identity as a Swordmaster might be because they know about "One Strike Shura" but not his full name.

Additionally, Kendo is not the most popular sports in Japan as Baseball is the most popular, and in 2009, social media might not have been as helpful in spreading such information.