Hikigaya and the others stood awkwardly on the tennis court Saika had booked, all dressed in green tracksuits, staring at each other without a clue of what to do.
So… what exactly are we doing here? Hikigaya turned to Yukinoshita for direction.
"Ugh…" Yukino still couldn't bring herself to meet Hikigaya's eyes. She turned her face away, thinking in silence.
When it comes to tennis, there's talent, sure but ultimately, it's all about practice. A lot of it.
As if coming to a decision, Yukino suddenly fixed Saika with an intensely serious gaze.
Startled by Yukino's piercing stare, Saika instinctively stepped back. "Yukinoshita-san… what do you mean?" she asked timidly, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"I mean," Yukino replied, eyes unwavering, "from this moment on, we'll stay here with you and help you train. This request won't be considered complete until you feel like your skills have truly improved."
She looked at Saika earnestly.
"Saika, you need to understand: only through effort will you succeed. People who lie in bed all day doing nothing and complain about how hard others work those people's only true achievement in life is waiting to die."
Her words were calm, but her tone was sharp, each sentence carved from a deeper truth. Even though Yukino had clearly changed in some ways, it was apparent she still couldn't stand those who only envied others without ever making an effort themselves.
To be jealous of someone to cling to their weaknesses, refusing to act or better yourself only degrades you. That's all envy is.
You're supposed to strive to match your opponents, to surpass them. If you work at it day after day, things will eventually start to make sense.
But of course, most people can't manage that because it's easier to be jealous than to try.
Still, what good is resentment? Maybe you think you were born in the wrong era. Maybe you think life's unfair. But does that change anything? Reality is what it is. And when things go wrong, there's always a reason. You have to understand that, analyze it. Once you see the cause clearly, only then can you act. That's how most problems in life get solved.
As Hikigaya watched the girl in front of him, those thoughts echoed in his mind. Someone as capable as Saika was bound to face resentment from people who couldn't keep up but instead of being crushed by that, she'd used it to strengthen her resolve.
"Saika, just keep pushing forward. Keep practicing. No one laughs at someone who works hard. But no one admires a lazy genius, either."
"So-called geniuses…" Yukino added, "they only start from a higher point than the rest of us. That's all."
"I… I understand." Saika's eyes lit up. Something in Yukino's words had struck a chord within her.
Yukino gave a small nod, then turned toward Hikigaya, who had been staring in silence.
"Hikigaya-kun, could you fetch some tennis balls?"
Without complaint, Hikigaya trotted off and came back with a giant bag of balls and a serving machine he'd dragged along for good measure.
Yukino, now channeling the spirit of a drill sergeant, raised her racket and guided Saika through some warm-up stretches.
Obediently, Saika placed one leg up against the wall and gracefully executed a perfect side split.
Hikigaya couldn't help but blush as he stared at her contorted pose, his thoughts drifting into dangerous territory.
Once the warm-up was complete, he followed Yukino's instructions and loaded the tennis balls into the serving machine, setting it to release a ball every two seconds.
Saika remained on the court, swinging her racket with focus as the machine launched one ball after another. The others retreated to the benches on the sidelines to chat.
"Mmm~ Yuki-chan was so cool just now," Yui gushed, eyes sparkling.
"No… that was just my personal opinion," Yukino replied awkwardly, a hint of discomfort in her expression.
"Personal opinion? What do you mean?" Yui asked, tilting her head.
"When I was in middle school, I transferred schools mid-term. From the moment I arrived, every girl in that school seemed to resent me."
Yukino's voice was flat, detached, as she recounted her past.
"Sometimes, things would mysteriously go missing from my locker. Just my indoor shoes alone got stolen… over sixty times."
"Ehh!? That's awful!" Yui gasped. "Why would anyone do something like that?"
Still blissfully naïve, Yui couldn't quite grasp how harsh people could be.
"Because they couldn't beat me. And rather than working to surpass me, they chose to tear me down. I guess they thought that would humiliate me."
As Yukino spoke, Saika perhaps trying too hard to chase a ball tripped and fell hard on the court.
Her pale knee scraped roughly against the gravel. Blood welled up from the torn skin, trickling down her leg. The three rushed to her side at once.
"Saika!" Yui cried, hurrying over and helping her sit up. "Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine. I wasn't paying attention. Sorry for worrying you," Saika said, trying to smile.
"Are you sure? It looks like it really hurts…"
Yui winced as she looked at the gash on Saika's knee.
"I'm okay, really. I can still keep going," Saika said, trying to rise to her feet but as soon as she put weight on her leg, she winced and knelt down again.
"Hikigaya-kun, can you carry her to the infirmary?" Yukino asked calmly, then turned back to Saika. "I know you're desperate to improve. But your body matters too. This might seem like a small wound now, but what if it gets infected?"
Hikigaya crouched down and lifted Saika onto his back, his hands cradling the bend of her knees. Her skin was smooth soft enough that he instinctively gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Ah-" Saika let out a soft, startled sound, barely audible. Her head rested against his back, her breath brushing against his ear, warm and close.
"Hikigaya-kun… what are you doing?" she whispered.
Her voice quiet, warm, and close enough to feel hit Hikigaya like a shockwave. It was like the whisper of a demon, seducing his soul.
By the time he felt like he couldn't take another step, they finally arrived at the infirmary.
The nurse gently cleaned out the gravel from Saika's knee, disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide, and said, "You're lucky. It's just a surface scrape. It'll probably be fine by tomorrow."
"So, no more practice for today," the nurse added. "You should rest. The Service Club will treat your request as an ongoing one, so don't worry."
"Thank you," Saika said softly. "Yukinoshita-san, Yuigahama-san… and Hikigaya-kun."
Her smile was shy, tinged with apology.
"Rest up, okay? We'll head out for now," Yukino said, giving her a nod before leading the other two out of the room.