The afternoon sun slanted through the windows of the Service Clubroom, casting long, lazy rectangles of light across the floor. Saika Totsuka, accompanied by a weary-looking Hachiman Hikigaya, stood before the club's president. With a deep, sincere bow, Totsuka addressed Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Yukinoshita-san, thank you so much for all your help. I believe my request can now be considered perfectly fulfilled."
Yukino raised a slender eyebrow, her expression one of mild skepticism. "But your tennis skills have not shown measurable improvement."
Saika Totsuka offered a gentle, understanding smile. "I've come to realize that the vitality of the tennis club doesn't hinge on my personal skill level. What matters is whether our club possesses an appealing attraction for potential members. I think the match at noon demonstrated that point conclusively. Because of that event, many students have expressed interest in joining. So, it seems I no longer need to singularly focus on improving my game."
Hearing this rationale, Yukino let out a soft, almost inaudible sigh. "Very well. If you believe the core issue has been resolved, then the request is concluded."
Profusely thanking the club members once more, Saika Totsuka quickly excused himself, practically scurrying from the room. The memory of Yukino's intense, regimented training sessions was still fresh—and more than a little terrifying.
Watching his hasty retreat, Yukino turned to Hozuki Nozomi and the others, a faint crease of dissatisfaction on her brow.
"I maintain that one should not readily abandon the pursuit of honing a skill. Doesn't this outcome render all my dedicated efforts… ineffective?"
She had invested considerable thought into crafting tailored physical regimens for Totsuka, operating under the logical assumption that enhanced fitness would naturally translate to better tennis. Her supervision had been meticulous.
Facing her slightly resentful gaze, Hozuki Nozomi offered a reassuring smile.
"You can't say it was wholly without effect. At the very least, Yukino, you helped Saika Totsuka understand that superior athleticism doesn't guarantee victory. If not for your… stamina limitations, you would have soundly defeated Yumiko. Furthermore, that exciting match allowed the entire school to witness the dynamic appeal of tennis, which was the true key to solving his problem. If it hadn't been for captivating players like you and Yumiko showcasing the sport, how could the tennis club have gained such instant popularity?"
Despite his flattering explanation, Yukino Yukinoshita merely rolled her eyes, unconvinced. "Ultimately, my training regimen was still rendered superfluous. According to my projections, he should have trained until complete physical collapse. That would have constituted merely the preliminary phase."
Yui Yuigahama and Sanshokuin Sumireko exchanged a silent, wide-eyed glance.
Hozuki Nozomi felt a phantom sweat drop on his temple. Saika Totsuka had made the right choice in fleeing. With his delicate build, he would never have survived Yukino's draconian, "train-until-you-drop-dead" philosophy.
****
Meanwhile, in a hallway, Saika Totsuka had mustered his courage for one final, daunting task. "Miura-san, um… would you please consider joining the tennis club?"
"Huh? The tennis club?" Miura Yumiko flicked her glorious mane of golden waves over her shoulder, her expression one of regal disinterest. "Not interested."
"Eh? But why? Your tennis is so impressive…" Totsuka's face fell, a picture of confused disappointment.
Miura Yumiko clicked her tongue, impatience flickering in her eyes. "I only play for fun, occasionally. I have zero interest in committing to daily club activities."
Moreover, as someone who valued aesthetics highly, the current, rather eclectic members of the tennis club did not meet her standards.
A careful observer would note that Miura Yumiko's social circle consisted exclusively of strikingly attractive girls.
This was a conscious choice rooted in a painful childhood experience where a less conventionally pretty friend grew resentful and distant, poisoned by her own insecurity next to Yumiko's beauty. Since then, Yumiko had adopted a simple policy: befriend only those who were equally cute and confident. That way, no one felt overshadowed.
Ironically, today's events had even given her a chance to chat briefly with Yukino Yukinoshita. Though Yukino was aloof, Hozuki Nozomi had privately briefed Yumiko on her personality and past, fostering a sense of empathetic understanding. Yumiko didn't find Yukino off-putting at all.
Rejected, Saika Totsuka accepted defeat. The lesson was clear: to retain members, his club needed to recruit based on appeal—either beautiful girls or handsome boys.
Miura Yumiko was a no. Hayama Hayato was committed to the soccer club.
That left… Hachiman Hikigaya to serve as a cornerstone. But Hachiman was, well, Hachiman: the 'Great Teacher' of solitude, a master of social awkwardness, a walking mood-dampener.
Still, Totsuka was determined. He would do his utmost to sustain the club's new momentum. Even if it meant… well, some extreme measures best left unspoken.
Back with Hozuki Nozomi, his thoughts were turning toward the following day—the long-anticipated engagement banquet. His gaze when it rested on Yukino Yukinoshita grew noticeably more intense, more possessive. Seizing an opportunity, he once again extended an invitation for the Second Young Miss to stay the night at Sakura Dormitory.
He was, predictably, refused.
Yukino stated she needed to spend the evening with her sister Haruno and their mother, making final preparations for the formal engagement event. She declared club activities concluded for the day, dismissing everyone to head home early.
Nozomi was preparing to leave with Shiina Mahiru and the others when his phone vibrated urgently. The caller ID showed his self-proclaimed apprentice, Yotsuya Miko.
"Master! Something terrible is happening, you have to help!" Her voice was a panicked whisper, taut with fear.
"Calm down and explain. Quickly!" Nozomi's demeanor shifted instantly.
"It's the protection card you gave me—it's almost used up! Even the angel's blessing charm can't hold it back anymore! We're trapped inside the shrine right now!" Miko's breaths came in short, ragged gasps over the line.
"Which shrine? Be specific."
"Chiba Shrine! I'll send you the address right now, Master, you have to come! Otherwise, you'll never see your two cute apprentices again!"
"Understood. I'm on my way."
The urgency in her voice brooked no delay. After a quick, terse explanation to Mahiru and the others, Hozuki Nozomi hailed a taxi, directing the driver to the location Miko had sent.
Upon arriving at the designated shrine—a small, somewhat neglected structure nestled in a quiet, wooded area—he found the three girls huddled together in a shadowy corner of the main hall. A translucent, shimmering barrier, the last vestiges of a magical protection card's power, flickered weakly around them. It was being relentlessly corroded by a thick, undulating black mist that pressed in from all sides, draining the shield's energy with audible sizzles.
In Yotsuya Miko's trembling hand was her phone, tightly swaddled in a faintly glowing… bra. The makeshift insulation was evidently the only thing that had allowed her call to connect through the oppressive supernatural interference.