Ch 45. Don't Stop, Continue

"Huff~~ Huff~~~"

The cool sea breeze grew stronger, causing Yukinoshita's long hair to dance in the wind. She raised her hand to hold down her fluttering hair and continued to watch Hoshimi struggle to keep the tennis ball aloft in the wind.

"Slap--"

Just before the wind subsided, Hoshimi made a mistake, and the tennis ball hit the edge of his racket and flew off.

"Smack!"

Yukinoshita, who was already prepared, happily gave Hoshimi another "ruler."

"..." Hoshimi glanced sideways at Yukinoshita but said nothing as he quietly went to retrieve the ball.

Watching Hoshimi's retreating figure, Yukinoshita's joy deepened. She played with her tennis racket, suddenly feeling that using it as a "ruler" was a bit cumbersome and might even break it. Tomorrow, she would get a more durable and suitable "ruler" to properly "teach" Hoshimi.

"Hmm?"

Unconsciously, the wind stopped. Yukinoshita seemed to sense something and looked towards the entrance of the tennis court but found nothing unusual. She was slightly puzzled and scanned the court, seeing only students practicing or exercising, with nothing particularly noteworthy.

Yukinoshita didn't think much of it and returned her attention to Hoshimi's ball juggling. So far, Hoshimi's highest record was 48, just two short of 50, meaning he had yet to complete a full set of 50 consecutive ball juggles.

At this rate, Hoshimi should be able to reach 50 juggles soon. She had to admit, Hoshimi's athletic talent and coordination were impressive; he managed to tackle the difficult task she set for him on his first day with tennis. But that had little to do with her; she was more interested in how many more times she could hit Hoshimi today.

Ten times?

No, at least twenty.

Maybe even thirty, considering his arm would tire and mistakes would increase, giving her ample opportunity to vent her frustration.

"Yukinoshita."

"Hmm?"

Hearing Hoshimi call her, Yukinoshita looked into his red eyes.

"Someone is taking pictures of us," Hoshimi said quietly while continuing to juggle the ball.

Yukinoshita's brows furrowed, and she immediately scanned the surroundings. Shortly after, her gaze met that of a short-haired girl with ash-blonde hair outside the fence of the tennis court.

"Ahahaha~~" The short-haired girl gave an awkward laugh, quickly put away her phone, and ran off.

Seeing the girl leave, Yukinoshita frowned, trying to recall her identity. She had memorized the details of all students and teachers at Sobu High, so given some time, she could identify the girl.

"Slap---"

The tennis ball fell again. Hoshimi picked it up, wiped the light sweat from his forehead, and said, "That was a first-year student, Iroha Isshiki. I heard she's aiming to be the soccer club manager."

"..." Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised at Hoshimi. She didn't expect a recent transfer student like him to know more about the students than she did, and she hadn't heard about the soccer club thing. Where did Hoshimi get his information from?

"What's so surprising?" Hoshimi seemed to sense her confusion. Playing with the tennis ball, he nonchalantly said, "Chatting with the girls in my class keeps me well-informed."

"Oh, right, I forgot. You're too sharp-tongued for anyone to want to talk to you." Hoshimi's eyes showed a hint of amusement as he continued to juggle the ball.

"..." Yukinoshita silently watched Hoshimi.

She slowly raised her racket and gave Hoshimi another hit. "Don't stop, continue."

"Tch~" Hoshimi clicked his tongue, tossed the ball, and continued juggling.

Watching Hoshimi's indifferent attitude, Yukinoshita felt a rising irritation. She gripped her racket tightly, staring at him, waiting for his next mistake.

As the ball went up and down, Yukinoshita soon forgot about being photographed. She felt like she was forgetting something important, but with Hoshimi's next mistake, that thought vanished.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Sobu High campus, Isshiki Iroha, who had fled, was nervously patting her chest.

"Huff~~ Huff~~"

"That was scary~ Yukinoshita-senpai is so scary~"

The moment she locked eyes with Yukinoshita-senpai, it felt like a towering iceberg loomed before her, with that indifferent gaze heralding an impending avalanche.

"Ice Queen," "Uncrowned Proud Queen," "Snow Woman on the Mountain Top"

Yukinoshita-senpai's nicknames were spot on.

"Iwanaga-san... you better treat me to a meal for this... I was really scared..."

Isshiki muttered indistinctly while taking out her phone.

She had been taking pictures of Hoshimi-senpai and Yukinoshita-senpai at the request of her classmate, Iwanaga Kotoko. A few days ago, Kotoko, who had been absent from school, sent her an email asking her to take photos of Hoshimi Kiyokawa and Yukinoshita Yukino and to observe if they were really dating. At first, Isshiki tried to decline politely, saying that sneaking photos was not good. But Kotoko kept earnestly requesting, promising a proper thank you once she returned next week. Left with no choice, Isshiki agreed to sneak the photos and observe their relationship.

"If I had known Yukinoshita-senpai was this scary, I wouldn't have agreed..."

Isshiki muttered as she sent the photos to Kotoko.

'Photos, photos, photos...' — Isshiki Iroha.

'Iwanaga-san, Yukinoshita-senpai is too scary. I don't dare take photos secretly anymore...' — Isshiki Iroha.

"Ding."

The reply came unusually fast. Isshiki blinked and read Kotoko's response.

'What? Why sneak photos? Just take them openly.' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'Huh?' — Isshiki Iroha.

'Borrow a camera, say you're doing research or a report, and ask if you can take a few photos.' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'They'd refuse, right? Yukinoshita-senpai is quite cold...' — Isshiki Iroha.

'Ask Hoshimi; he'll definitely agree. Then hint that you need a boy and a girl, and he'll pull Yukinoshita in for the photos.' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'...Will that really work?' — Isshiki Iroha.

'Trust me, it will. If you act a little pitiful, Hoshimi will definitely agree. He's a real lookist~' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'...Iwanaga-san, you seem to know Hoshimi-senpai well. Do you...'

Isshiki blinked, her curiosity piqued. She had always been curious about Kotoko's relationship with Hoshimi-senpai, but had never asked before out of politeness. Now she had an opportunity to ask directly.

'Hoshimi? I know him very well, like, intimately well~' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'...' — Isshiki Iroha.

Isshiki felt Kotoko's words had a certain implication, leaving her unsure how to respond politely.

If she said she didn't understand, it might seem fake.

If she said she understood, it might be too forward.

So she decided to play dumb...

'Gotta go, I have some things to handle. I'll treat you to a big meal when I return.' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

'Iwanaga-san, when are you coming back? Which day next week?' — Isshiki Iroha.

'Thursday or Friday, I think.' — Iwanaga Kotoko.

Next Thursday? Isn't that the sports festival? Perfect timing for some fun.

Isshiki put away her phone, pondering where to borrow a camera.

Hoshimi-senpai, huh? She was a bit curious too...

A guy who could date the "Snow Woman" and have a cute girl like Kotoko watching him must have some special qualities.

Maybe she should get closer and observe...

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