[27] Club Invitation

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of tennis balls striking reverberated, and Hachiman's ball was returned with ease. Zaimokuza began talking immediately: "Hmph, what's going on, Hachiman Bodhisattva? My General Yoshiki's skills aren't too shabby!"

"Hey Zaimokuza, can you hit the ball properly? What kind of skill is this?" After hitting back the soft and squishy ball, Hachiman couldn't help but feel speechless.

"You've got some moves there, Hachiman the Great Bodhisattva. But I, General Yoshihira, won't admit defeat either. Watch me execute the Zero-Spin Slice."

In this world, there's an anime called "The Prince of Tennis," and many of its moves have become popular among tennis fans, sparking attempts to replicate them.

From Hachiman's perspective, a lot of the techniques in "The Prince of Tennis" are absurd, with only a handful being realistic enough to imitate.

Even if some of them are replicable, they're not within the reach of a novice like Zaimokuza.

As he effortlessly returned Zaimokuza's so-called "zero-spin slice" ball, a tinge of sadness appeared on Hachiman's face.

However, as he glanced at the new tennis moves that materialized on the virtual screen in his mind, a spark of curiosity flickered in his eyes – could he potentially recreate those techniques?

It appeared there might be an opportunity to practice those moves. If successful, they could come in handy for feigning an aggressive style, right?

"Haha, just as I expected from Hachiman Bodhisattva! Now, try my technique – the Swing Ball!" After hitting the ball back once again, Zaimokuza still exclaimed those middle-school words.

You're supposed to add spin to the ball for a curve, not just wobble it around, you know?

Hachiman rolled his eyes in a deadpan manner. With a gentle swing of the racket, he returned the ball.

However, Hachiman also comprehends Zaimokuza's situation. Due to his chuunibyou tendencies, Zaimokuza is the type who goes unnoticed in class and usually doesn't have anyone to converse with.

Given that there's someone like Hachiman who's capable of communicating, it's only natural that Zaimokuza's mouth wouldn't stay idle.

"Hahaha, that was really something. I'll unleash my full power next."

Observing Zaimokuza in his unguarded state, Hachiman let out a sigh.

Well, might as well regard him as a strange friend.

"Shh~~"

An abrupt whooshing sound sliced through the air behind Hachiman.

A tennis ball hurtled toward the back of his head with remarkable velocity.

"Hachiman, watch out!"

Witnessing the rapidly approaching ball, Zaimokuza cast aside his chuunibyou act and shouted a warning.

In truth, it hardly mattered that he alerted Hachiman – the third-level physique enhancements had not only augmented his physical prowess and stamina, but also significantly sharpened his senses.

His ears twitched subtly as he gauged the ball's trajectory from the rustling of the wind. Anchoring with his left foot, he employed the right one to pivot his waist. Grasping the tennis racket with both hands, he swung it out like a baseball bat.

"Boom!"

Witnessing the ball streaking away faster than its initial approach, he watched as it struck the barbed wire fence on the periphery of the court, ceased its rotation, and tumbled to the ground.

"Wow, a home run! That's impressive!"

Observing Hachiman's impressive shot, Zaimokuza rushed over and fell into his chuunibyou once again: "Cool, as expected of my dear friend Hachiman Bodhisattva of General Yoshiki!"

"It's merely a fluke!" Hachiman nonchalantly shrugged, dismissing Zaimokuza's praise.

At that moment, the two individuals responsible for the errant ball approached to offer their apologies. Among them was Saika, the angelic person he had just encountered.

"I'm really sorry, Hikigaya-san. We accidentally hit the ball into the air earlier, and it nearly hit you," Saika quickly bowed and apologized upon approaching Hachiman.

"It's alright, really. I'm fine, and it wasn't intentional. No harm done," Hachiman responded with a smile, reassuring Saika.

"No need to be so formal, just call me Hachiman, Totsuka-san."

Upon hearing Hachiman's words, a blush colored Saika's face, making them even more adorable. "Then... Hachiman, you can just call me Saika."

"Saika..." Seeing the blush on Saika face, Hachiman found himself growing a little flustered and silently scolded himself.

"He's a guy... he's a guy... he's a guy!"

"By the way, Hachiman, that shot you just pulled off was quite impressive. Have you considered joining the tennis club?"

Recalling the ball Hachiman had struck, Saika's excitement grew. Even without a machine test, Saika was certain that the speed at which Hachiman hit the ball had exceeded 180 kilometers per hour, a level comparable to that of professional athletes.

"Tennis club?" Hachiman pondered for a moment.

It had been a week since school began, and many freshmen had already signed up for their preferred clubs. Naturally, Saika had joined the tennis club.

"I apologize, Saika, but I haven't really considered joining any clubs at the moment." After a moment of contemplation, Hachiman courteously declined Saika's invitation. Despite having activated the tennis module, he wasn't inclined to join the tennis club.

Furthermore, when he reached his second year, he would naturally join Yukino's service club, following the trajectory of the original story. As for his club choice during his first year of high school, he had already settled on one – the kendo club!

"That's alright. If Hachiman ever decides to join the tennis club, feel free to come and let me know anytime," Saika responded to Hachiman's refusal, showing a hint of disappointment but still offering a smile.

"No problem!"

The class continued, and the two exchanged a few words before resuming their tennis practice.

After the physical education class ended, Hachiman and Zaimokuza returned to the classroom together. Despite Hachiman's reluctance to admit it, he and Zaimokuza had developed a friendship of sorts, although much of it stemmed from Zaimokuza's tendency to talk incessantly.

"Hachiman, my best buddy, how about we grab lunch together?"

During lunchtime, Zaimokuza looked at Hachiman with anticipation. As he hadn't been well-received by his classmates and lacked friends to eat with, having someone like Hachiman to converse with was a welcome change. Naturally, he wanted to experience the feeling of having a meal with a friend.

"Well, sure. However, I didn't bring a packed lunch, so I'll have to head to the cafeteria or the canteen to buy something," Hachiman replied. Since he also didn't have any friends to dine with, he nodded in agreement.

"Not an issue. I usually have lunch at the canteen. I've been telling you, their fried noodles and bread are top-notch!" Zaimokuza was visibly excited as he saw Hachiman's agreement. Finally, he had someone to share a meal with, and he eagerly gestured for Hachiman to accompany him towards the cafeteria.