“6:3”
After swinging his racket and winning the final point, Suzuki Yuu softly recited the score.
Shiraishi Ayaha was breathing heavily, clearly a little stunned.
“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up physically?” Suzuki Yuu walked over holding a water bottle, handing her a clean towel.
“Suzuki…” Shiraishi Ayaha took the towel and wiped her face. “You’re really strong.”
“It’s nothing. I’m actually at the bottom of the ladder at our school,” Suzuki Yuu explained.
Of course, he wasn’t telling the truth. In the entire Aoyama Seijigakuen, there were only a handful in the tennis club who could beat him.
In fact, during the match with Shiraishi Ayaha, he had even held back. Otherwise, every set would have ended at 6:0.
The reason for doing so was mainly to give the other party some psychological expectation, so she wouldn’t be affected mentally during the sports festival.
To be honest, Shiraishi Ayaha’s performance wasn’t bad at all. Even compared to the girls in the tennis club, she could hold her own.
But unfortunately, there was Shiina Chisa. With her around, Ayaha really had no chance at all.
But there was nothing to be done—after all, they had grown up in completely different environments.
“Is Aoyama Seijigakuen really that terrifying?” Hearing Suzuki Yuu’s description, Shiraishi Ayaha immediately looked discouraged.
“After all, the tennis club members there all aim to enter university with tennis. Plus, there are professional players as coaches, so it’s only natural to fall short.”
“I see…”
After hearing Suzuki Yuu’s words and realizing how large the gap was, Shiraishi Ayaha was a little unhappy.
She lowered her head, looking at her own racket. The excitement she had felt while giving it her all deflated like a punctured balloon.
Just as she was lost in thought, she was suddenly flicked on the forehead.
“Ouch!” She covered her forehead and looked at the boy in front of her.
“What are you thinking about? It’s just a match. No matter how you play, I’ll definitely go watch and cheer for you.”
“Eh, really?”
Shiraishi Ayaha felt a little happy inside.
“Of course. We’ve been friends for so many years, after all.”
“But… shouldn’t you support Miss Shiina?”
At this moment, Shiraishi Ayaha suddenly brought up Shiina Chisa, making Suzuki Yuu’s expression freeze.
“Ah… her.” Suzuki Yuu subconsciously looked away, scratching his cheek and trying to use a cheerful tone to cover up his awkwardness. “Shiina… she probably doesn’t need my cheering, right? After all, she’s pretty strong.”
“Is that so?” Shiraishi Ayaha tilted her head. “But no matter how strong someone is, having support always makes them happy. Especially since Suzuki-kun is her rental boyfriend.”
“That depends on what she wants. Worst case, I’ll cheer for both of you. It’s not like it costs me anything.”
“Eh, what a flirt!”
Shiraishi Ayaha burst out laughing at Suzuki Yuu’s words. Feeling that she had rested enough, she stood up.
In the process, she noticed Suzuki Yuu’s white shirt, soaked with sweat and clinging tightly to his body. The thin fabric had become somewhat translucent, outlining the firm muscles of his chest and abdomen in clear detail.
Although Suzuki Yuu looked like the slender type, Ayaha suddenly realized he was actually quite well-built.
She stared, a mischievous urge rising within her. She extended her index finger and poked Suzuki Yuu’s side.
Suzuki Yuu was relaxing with a drink of water, completely unprepared for the sudden poke. His body jerked, and he nearly spilled his drink. “What are you doing?”
“So firm!”
Shiraishi Ayaha blurted out, and immediately realized what she’d said. Her face flushed bright red, even her ears burning.
“I… I was just curious.” She hurriedly turned her back, trying to explain, and Suzuki Yuu finally realized what had happened.
His expression was a little helpless. Surely little Ayaha wasn’t some kind of pervert, right?
That thought crossed Suzuki Yuu’s mind, and then he suddenly noticed the petite figure turned away from him was trembling slightly at the shoulders.
“Pfft…”
A suppressed giggle drifted over.
“Hey,” Suzuki Yuu raised an eyebrow, “you attack someone and now you’re secretly laughing too?”
“I-I wasn’t!”
Shiraishi Ayaha spun around. Her face was still as red as a ripe apple, but her big, watery eyes couldn’t hide their mirth, curving into adorable crescent moons.
“What are you thinking? Planning another sneak attack?” He pinched her smiling cheeks with both hands, looking helpless. He especially emphasized the words “sneak attack.”
“No… I wasn’t!” Shiraishi Ayaha, caught in his grasp, blushed even deeper and glanced away. “I really didn’t mean to… I just saw it, and got a little curious…”
“Oh? Tell the truth!” Suzuki Yuu raised his brow, his grip neither hard nor soft, clearly not believing her.
“…Fine.” Shiraishi Ayaha finally gave up, looking down at the floor and speaking in a tiny voice, “I… actually wanted to… touch it again.”
“Request denied!”
“Suzuki-kun, you’re bullying me!” Shiraishi Ayaha patted Suzuki Yuu’s wrist, but there was no sign of anger on her face.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s pack up and head back.” Suzuki Yuu let go of her, laughing, and ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Okay.” Shiraishi Ayaha nodded obediently, then put her racket back in her tennis bag.
At that moment, the air between them felt a bit ambiguous.
While they were happily chatting, two figures silently walked in at the entrance of the tennis hall.
Shiina Chisa entered holding a racket, dressed in sportswear. Beside her was a girl in a tennis skirt, complaining as she walked:
“Ojou-sama, why not have your boyfriend spar with you? It’s already past my working hours.”
As the assistant complained, she bumped into Chisa’s back.
“Ow, that hurts.”
She rubbed her head, then noticed Shiina Chisa staring, dazed, at a boy and girl not far away.
The assistant looked as well, her jaw dropping instantly:
“Isn’t that your boyfriend, Suzuki Yuu? So he’s here fooling around with some little hussy. Just wait, I’ll go drag him over here for you.”
As she spoke, Shiina Chisa reached out and stopped her.
“Let’s go to Court A.”
Apparently, her words puzzled the girl next to her:
“Huh?”
The assistant looked confused, glancing at the ambiguous pair in the distance and then at her own ojou-sama’s icy profile.
“Ojou-sama? You…”
“Going over now,” Shiina Chisa interrupted, her voice steady and utterly emotionless, “would be meaningless. It might even strain my relationship with him.”
“So you’re… just going to let this go?” The assistant was incredulous, her voice full of reluctance. “Let him just…”
“No, I certainly won’t let it go like this.” Shiina Chisa shook her head.
Her gaze passed over Suzuki Yuu, calmly settling on the girl with the radiant smile by his side.
“It’s just…” She pointed at Shiraishi Ayaha. “I suddenly want to get to know her.”