In the days following Lucas Moore's injury, his tennis training continued as usual. During gym class, Hachiman served as his doubles partner for practice matches, while Yukino took over during their breaks.
Under this high-intensity, repetitive training, Lucas's tennis skills steadily improved.
He'd gone from being effortlessly beaten by Yukino to pushing her hard enough that she would be panting for breath after their matches. Eventually, Lucas even learned how to exploit Yukino's lack of stamina, drawing out the game and winning by endurance alone.
"Whew... Lucas, your tennis skills have improved so much compared to a few days ago. Your request has officially been fulfilled," Yukino said, her cheeks flushed as she panted for air, crouched down with her racquet for support due to severe exhaustion.
Sweat drenched her gym clothes, revealing the delicate contours of her figure beneath the soaked fabric.
Hachiman walked over and handed water bottles to both Yukino and Lucas. Yukino guzzled down nearly half the bottle in one go and let out a satisfied breath. As she tried to stand, she realized the muscle fatigue from the past few days had caused significant lactic acid buildup.
So, she remained crouched and gave Hachiman a look, silently asking for help.
Reading her signal with the ease of long-standing familiarity, Hachiman stepped forward and scooped her up in a bridal carry.
Caught off guard, Yukino blinked in confusion, her face rapidly shifting into an expression of disbelief and embarrassment.
Being held like this in front of everyone, Yukino first froze completely, then her entire face turned so red it looked like she might start bleeding. She reached out and pinched Hachiman's waist as hard as she could.
In response to the sudden pain, Hachiman instinctively smacked Yukino's rear. The thin fabric did little to muffle the sensation; his hand sank into the soft flesh, leaving faint finger-shaped impressions behind.
The abrupt contact made Yukino let out a small, breathy gasp through her nose. She quickly released her grip on his waist and, too embarrassed to meet Lucas or Yui's eyes, buried her face in Hachiman's chest.
Just then, an obnoxiously loud commotion rang out from outside the court.
"Hey, they're playing tennis over there."
They turned around to see Hayama and Miura's group the usual clique of popular kids.
"Hayato-kun, I wanna play tennis too," Miura said sweetly, as if seeking Hayama's approval.
"Ah, isn't that Yui over there?" a girl next to Miura whispered.
Miura, however, seemed to ignore her entirely and walked straight toward Lucas.
"Lucas, I wanna play too," she said nonchalantly.
"But... this court was reserved for my training. Hachiman and I got special permission from Hiratsuka-sensei," Lucas replied quietly.
Miura didn't seem to hear him or pretended not to. "Huh? What're you saying? Speak up, I can't hear you."
Lucas fell silent.
Hachiman sighed and gently set Yukino down, signaling for Yui to support her.
"You three head out first," he said to them.
Once Yukino and the others were gone, Hachiman walked over and locked the gate to the tennis court. Twirling the key around his finger, he approached Hayama.
Ignoring Miura's loud protests, Hachiman clapped a hand on Hayama's shoulder and met his eyes.
"You were carrying Yukino earlier, weren't you?"
Hayama smiled gently. "I didn't expect her to trust you that much."
"Maybe," Hachiman replied.
Adjusting his glasses, he smiled faintly in return. "Even if you've managed to win over Yukino, watch out for her sister. She's not nearly as easy to deal with."
"Haruno, huh. I'll keep that in mind," Hachiman replied coolly. His second-time-around self wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
Hayama raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Looks like she's already told you quite a bit. Well then, good luck."
"And I wish you luck too... in finally getting that princess into your arms."
Without waiting for a response, Hachiman turned and walked away, leaving Hayama stunned.
Hayama furrowed his brows, watching Hachiman's retreating figure. He muttered to himself, "Seems I underestimated you, Hikigaya. That's not something Yukino would've told you."
By the time Hachiman reached the Service Club's room, Yukino had just sat down.
"That was fast. You took care of it already?" she asked wearily.
Even Hachiman was feeling a bit sore after all the training lately, so he could only imagine how Yukino who'd been taking the brunt of it felt.
"Come on, don't you trust me to handle something like that?" Hachiman teased as he knelt down in front of her, gently removing her shoes and thigh-high socks. He began massaging her calves and feet with soft, practiced motions.
"No. I trust you the least when it comes to things like this," Yukino replied, eyes half-lidded in relaxation. "Did you already forget all the stupid things you did in the past that caused me and..."
She glanced at Yui and stopped herself before saying the rest.
"Are you two dating now?" Yui asked hesitantly, her gaze flicking between the two of them as they sat so naturally close.
"Just made it official last weekend," Hachiman replied with a smile. "We haven't told anyone yet, so could you keep it secret? Yukino and I would both prefer that."
Yukino, eyes still closed, made no objection.
Yui nodded, her expression a mix of surprise and understanding. "Of course. I won't tell anyone. We're friends, after all... right?"
Yukino opened her eyes at the word "friends" and looked directly at Yui, nodding solemnly.
Yui's face lit up with a bright smile. She leaned in toward Yukino. "So... how did you say yes to him? Can I hear the story?"
Yukino rolled her eyes at the glimmer of gossip in Yui's expression. "It's not a big deal. We've known each other for a long time... so it just happened."
"When I found out the dog that caused the accident belonged to you, it was during one of our chats," Hachiman added, smoothly tying up the loose thread of his past lie.
Yui chuckled awkwardly.
"You don't need to feel guilty, Yui," Yukino said calmly. "I was the one who ran into him. You're not responsible."
"Still, I feel like I have some responsibility for what happened," Yui replied, sincerity in her voice.
"If you really want to make it up to us, stay in the Service Club. Sometimes it's too much for just the two of us."
"What do you mean? I thought I was already a member?" Yui looked genuinely confused.
"Well... I haven't gotten a formal request or approval from Hiratsuka-sensei," Yukino replied with a soft smile. "So technically, no."
"Then I'll write one right now!"
She scribbled out a request full of random emoji, and Yukino weakly waved her hand. "Fine. Welcome to the Service Club, Yui."
Right then, Hachiman must've pressed a little too hard, because Yukino let out a small yelp.
"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped, raising her left leg and placing her foot on his face. She pinched his nose between her toes and began tugging it back and forth.
"That hurts, you know! Can't you be more careful?" she grumbled.
Hachiman just rolled his eyes, letting her scold him as he endured this... rather exclusive treatment.