Chapter 687 675: Youth Romantic Comedy

When club activities ended, Asakura went to the tennis court, wanting to check on the situation over on Miura's side.

Asagumo also naturally tagged along by his side.

"Chihaya, aren't you planning to review properly to prepare for the joint exam?" Asakura looked at the serene face of the girl beside him and couldn't help asking.

"It's fine," Asagumo shook her head: "With so little time left, last-minute cramming isn't of much use to people like us anyway. I'd rather accompany you for a walk to clear your mind."

"I see..."

Asakura nodded and didn't say anything more.

"Takuma-kun doesn't seem to care much about the Triwizard Tournament," Asagumo observed Asakura's expression, asking curiously.

"Well, after all, it's just a small fuss among ordinary people," Asakura indeed didn't take this matter to heart very much. After all, compared to the arrival of an evil god that could casually make the Earth call GG amidst joy and laughter, a joint event where several high schools plot against one another is as harmless as children playing house. "And to be honest, even if Sobu High suffers a crushing defeat, it's nothing particularly strange. So I don't really have any psychological burden and just treat it purely as entertainment."

"That's true," Asagumo nodded in agreement as well.

The two continued toward the tennis court. However, before they even reached the court, they heard a sudden burst of hurried, clumsy footsteps coming from that direction, mixed with the heavy, dull thud of a tennis ball slamming against the ground.

Asakura stopped in his tracks and quietly observed from outside the wire fence.

In the center of the tennis court, unlike yesterday when she had merely done so on a whim, Miura was currently wearing neat sportswear, her long blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, utterly thrashing the student opposite her with tennis skills that were quite superb for an average student.

Grasping her racquet, her posture was erect with a sharp, arrogant air. Her gaze was cold as she glared intently at the battered, disheveled member of the tennis club opposite her, her entire presence emanating a pressure that could not be underestimated. Gone completely was her usual awkward, delicate petulance, leaving only the aura of a professional player.

The tennis club member on the opposite side was already panting heavily, his face flushed red, sweat beads continuously rolling down his forehead, and his hand holding the racquet trembling slightly. It was clear he was on the verge of collapsing—both in physical stamina and confidence.

He stared fixedly at Miura's movements, his eyes full of tension and fear, yet he was completely unable to keep up with her rhythm.

Even though his physical capabilities as a boy should theoretically be stronger than Miura's, he was like a donkey running after a dangling carrot, forced to passively run back and forth by her shot selection, looking exceptionally miserable.

Suddenly, Miura spotted an opportunity. Swift as lightning, she leaped into the air, snapped her wrist, and swung her racquet fiercely. Accompanied by the sharp crack of the hit, the yellow tennis ball flew toward a dead corner of the opponent's court like a cannonball leaving a barrel, moving so fast it left only a lingering blur.

That club member dived with all his might, his body almost pressed flat against the ground, his racquet barely reaching out, yet he didn't even touch the edge of the ball. He could only watch helplessly as the tennis ball slammed heavily inside the boundary line, bounced, fell, and made a dull sound.

Losing his center of gravity, that tennis club member slammed hard onto the rubber court surface. After struggling a few times, he barely managed to crawl up, panting heavily in large gasps, completely drained of strength, his face covered in defeat and despair.

This wasn't a match at all; it was a one-sided slaughter.

The other few tennis club members around the court were all huddled off to the side, not daring to make a sound.

It was evident that the person on court wasn't the only one who had been utterly crushed.

Those tennis club members who were used to slacking off and slacking around on ordinary days had no courage to even raise their heads to make eye contact when facing Miura at full power, each keeping their heads low, their bodies tense.

"With only this much ability, you still want to put on senior airs and order me around! You guys can't even compare to yesterday's mean-spirited dragonfruit!"

Miura looked down haughtily at the boy sprawled on the ground, making a loud declaration.

Her words were sharp and scathing, yet no one dared to refute them. After all, a level of strength more than a cut above theirs was right in front of them, making anything they said meaningless. Furthermore, Miura was quite famous among second-years and belonged to the elite "Brahmin" class among normies. She was clearly not as easy to handle as the dark-type Hikigaya or Saika, whom kicking felt like kicking cotton. The members of the tennis club were instantly left looking crestfallen and embarrassed.

Asakura leaned against the wire fence, watching the situation on the tennis court for a moment, before murmuring in confusion: "Dragonfruit?"

"Who could she be referring to?" Asagumo said with a smile: "So hard to guess~"

"She's obviously talking about Asakura. After all, isn't your hair black and white?" Hachiman, who had come up beside them at some unknown point, spoke up.

"Nonsense! Red-fleshed dragonfruit is the absolute king!" Asakura spoke up indignantly on behalf of dragonfruits.

"Ahaha, is that the point you're getting mad about..." Totsuka Saika, standing beside Hikigaya and subtly giving off a delicate, nestling feeling, said dryly: "Asakura really focuses on very strange points."

"So what's the situation right now?" Asakura asked the two of them.

"Simply put, when Saika went to submit the participant roster, he was cornered by them, so..."

Hachiman spread his hands and shrugged: "Though looking at it now, they were completely bringing humiliation upon themselves."

Beside Asakura, Asagumo smiled gently, her eyes quietly gazing at the court as she spoke softly: "Yumiko-san's tennis fundamentals are really solid. When she gets serious, she truly has quite a presence. With her around, the tennis club probably won't be as slack as before."

On the court, Miura seemed to notice the gazes from outside. She whipped her head toward the wire fence, and upon meeting Asakura's teasing gaze, her face instantly froze, her haughty expression stiffening with a bit of awkwardness.

She then let out a cold snort, turned her head away to pretend she hadn't seen him so she could continue being angry, only to find that for some reason she couldn't get angry at all anymore.

In the end, she could only slam the tennis ball onto the ground in vent-like frustration, producing a dull thud.

The tennis club member opposite her was so frightened by her action that his whole body shuddered, looking as if he even had the mind to turn and run.

"Looks like there's no need for us to step up here anymore," Asakura shook his head and said.

Beside him, Asagumo's eyes curved slightly, and she turned to look at Asakura, a faint smile in her eyes: "Shall we go on a date now, then?"

Just as those words left her mouth, before Asakura could even answer, Hachiman nearby looked as if he had suddenly swallowed something unbearable, his face abruptly changing colour.

Without a word, he reached out and grabbed Saika—who was standing beside him with a look of utter confusion, completely unaware of what was happening—and fled in panic with stumbling, unsteady steps.

Looking at the panic-stricken backs of the two as they ran into the distance, Asagumo tilted her head in confusion, her tone filled with perplexity: "What's wrong with Hikigaya-kun?"

"Nothing, he just happens to be allergic to rose-colored youth," Asakura explained with a solemn face and an entirely serious tone, "Just like a dog will die if it eats chocolate, he probably suffers a rejection reaction whenever he ingests too much youth."

"Is that so? But I think Hikigaya-kun gives off quite a youth-like feel too. If you add Saika-kun into the mix, well, it has a rather unique Youth Romantic Comedy flavor."

Asagumo teased with a wicked smile, a trace of mischief flashing in her eyes.

This child can look surprisingly dark-mannered sometimes. Asakura thought quietly in his heart, remaining calm on the surface, merely feeling that the girl before him possessed a bit more vibrant, lively charm than usual.

"If he heard you say that, he'd definitely roll his dead-fish eyes and stubbornly mutter something like 'My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected' or something along those lines," Asakura said casually.

"Then what about Takuma-kun's?" The girl naturally didn't get the meme Asakura was referencing, merely letting out a gentle smile as her gaze softened toward Asakura, asking softly, "What is your youth romantic comedy like?"

"If I had to say, my situation is more like a fantasy-type or sekai-kei RPG," Asakura paused silently for a moment and pondered seriously before answering slowly, "Romance is just an embellishment; there's a far more important main storyline to pursue."

Although at present, even Asakura himself hadn't figured out how he actually wanted to go about it.

"Is that so."

Asagumo nodded lightly, her expression peaceful without the slightest anomaly, maintaining that same gentle demeanor.

"Aren't you disappointed?" Asakura looked at her in slight confusion, raising his eyebrows slightly, feeling surprised by her flat reaction.

"As long as there's still a romance route, it's fine. If anything, talking about romance at this point is a bit late anyway—the current goal is to appear as the protagonist's parents when the sequel comes out!"

Asagumo smiled with her eyes curving into crescents, her tone light and confident.

It sounded entirely like she wasn't joking.

"I feel like that position is subtly a bit high-risk..."

Asakura couldn't help laughing helplessly and shaking his head.

"So, what about a date?"

Asagumo unexpectedly circled the topic back again, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Asakura raised his head to look at the sky.

The setting sun was gradually sinking into the horizon, dyeing the cloud layer a warm orange colour.

"It's getting a bit late today." Looking at Asagumo before him, who seemed to want to say more, Asakura cut in before she could speak, "Since it's an RPG, wouldn't there be a reward stage after completing a mission? Once the Triwizard Tournament ends, let's specifically clear out a weekend to go on a date."

"Really?" Light instantly flared up in the girl's eyes, a bright and delighted smile blossoming on her face, her eyes curving into lovely arcs.

"Ah, after all, it's a 'reward stage', so if you perform too terribly in the Triwizard Tournament, I might revoke this promise, you know."

The corners of Asakura's lips curled up as he spoke in a relaxed, joking tone.

"It's fine, leave it to me."

Asagumo opened her mouth with a beaming smile, her tone firm and confident, raising her small fist to her chest, her eyes brimming with determination.

"I will win."

Amused, Asakura shook his head, not taking this ambition-filled statement to heart.

He hadn't expected to ignite her competitiveness in such a strange place, but thinking about it, it wasn't a big deal anyway, so there shouldn't be any problem.

☆

At dusk, Asakura returned home and leisurely pushed open his front door, but the moment his feet stepped into the entryway, he froze on the spot.

The shoes casually placed at the entryway were neatly arranged on the shoe rack, and the guest slippers—which had gathered dust from not being used in a long time—had been wiped clean and set in a convenient spot near the door.

The living room, which previously fell into chaos every now and then because Hiroi Kikuri would spontaneously spawn inside, was now straightened up completely neat and tidy. The coffee table was wiped spotless, and even the wrinkled cushions on the sofa were fluffed up flat and stacked in an orderly manner.

The floor was mopped so brightly that it gave Asakura the illusion it could reflect his own shadow, and there was a faint trace of incense scent in the air.

Closing the door, Asakura surveyed the completely revamped house, a slight look of bewilderment in his eyes.

Just as he was full of confusion, the sound of a door opening came from outside.

He turned his head around and found that standing outside the door was Shiina, who lived next door.

The girl holding a spare key was wearing simple, elegant loungewear with an apron tied around her waist. Her honey-colored long hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, her eyes gentle, and her cheeks carrying a healthy reddish glow from recent exertion. She looked less like a uniform temptation compared to when she wore a maid outfit in the shop, but possessed a bit more homely warmth and intimacy.

The setting sun fell upon her, coating her entire body in a soft glow, looking exceptionally healing.

Seeing Asakura, Shiina lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Welcome back, Asakura-kun."

Asakura nodded: "You helped clean up the house?"

Shiina gave a soft response and looked up at him, her eyes clear and gentle without a hint of taking credit, feeling somewhat embarrassed instead: "Actually, I had planned to help organize it earlier, but I was constantly busy with Rabbit House over the summer break. It just so happened that school started these past two days and Rabbit House got a bit less crowded and a little quieter, so having free time, I just came over to help clean up. I hope I didn't disturb you."

Her tone of voice was plain, yet filled with complete sincerity; her every gesture exuded the gentle thoughtfulness unique to a girl.

Interestingly, whether it was Asagumo or Shiina, the very first impression they gave off was gentleness, but there was a remarkably distinct difference between their gentle natures. The former had more presence and drive, subtly giving off a 'haraguro' vibe, whereas Shiina was more purely sincere—not that Asagumo wasn't sincere, but rather she was firmer, or rather, actively taking the initiative in this relationship.

Though she was also very cute, to be sure.

Looking at the immaculate house and then looking at the gentle-eyed girl before him, Asakura was just about to say a few words of gratitude when he was cut off by Shiina's next words.

"I happened to make dinner and made an extra portion. If Asakura-kun doesn't mind, would you like to come over and eat together?"

Her gaze was clear, carrying a bit of faint anticipation while fearing Asakura might decline, her tone holding a trace of restraint as she stood quietly and obediently at the doorway.

That pitifully cute look inexplicably reminded Asakura of a Labrador waiting for its owner to return home.

"Sure." And so he nodded and agreed.

The girl's tense expression relaxed instantly, and a joyful look surfaced on her face.