Oh, she's picking a fight?
Looks like she really holds a grudge.
Pretending not to hear, Shirase sighed theatrically. "Well, there's not much we can do. It'd be humiliating if we got scared before even stepping onto the field. But I have fantasized—if all our opponents were geniuses like Yukinoshita-san, our chances of victory would actually skyrocket."
"Huh?" Yuigahama Yui blinked in confusion. "Shirase-kun, isn't there something weird about that? How could your chances improve if your opponents are geniuses? That sounds totally backwards!"
Wow, even setting up the punchline for me?
Shirase hadn't expected Yui to feed him a perfect setup. Fighting back laughter, he said, "I think it's better if Yukinoshita-san explains what I meant."
Yui, ever cooperative, turned to her friend with curious eyes.
"Indeed, I'm not suited for sports."
Yukinoshita Yukino's calm, measured response completely derailed Shirase's little jab.
She even admitted her weakness without hesitation. "Physical activity has always been my weak point. So, logically, what he said was correct."
Yuigahama's expression froze. Wait—did I just help him insult her?
She turned back toward Shirase, puffing her cheeks in protest, glaring at him like a betrayed puppy. Her eyes screamed, Why didn't you warn me?!
Before she could speak, Yukinoshita said, "Yuigahama, hand him your racket."
Shirase immediately caught her intent. "Why? To reward me?"
"Reward?" Even Yukinoshita was momentarily thrown.
Shirase explained seriously, "Playing tennis with cute girls is obviously a reward."
Yukinoshita let out a quiet sigh. "Hiratsuka-sensei was right. Sometimes you truly don't behave like a normal person."
Shirase deepened his voice dramatically. "I didn't expect you to see through my disguise as Echizen Ryoma's final disciple. Are you prepared to face the terror of deadly tennis?"
Yukinoshita's smile didn't waver. "If bragging is your only skill, I recommend moderation. The higher you climb now, the harder you'll fall later."
"Care to dance, then?" Shirase said, taking the racket.
Ignoring the provocation, Yukinoshita stepped gracefully onto the court.
Just before he joined her, Yui tugged lightly on Shirase's sleeve, whispering, "Yukinoshita-san was going to go straight home after class, you know. I had to beg her forever to play with me."
"So?"
"So please go easy on her, Shirase-kun."
"Got it."
He walked onto the court, tossing the ball up lightly. "By the way, I've never played real tennis before. Only video games."
Yui blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Yukinoshita's lips curved faintly. "He's saying that even if he's only played video games, even if his skill is barely 'knows the rules,' he still thinks winning against us will be easy."
"Huh?" Yui froze again, bewildered. "How did you even get that from what he said?"
Shirase tapped his temple with the racket. "Try using your brain more."
For once, Yukinoshita nodded in agreement. "He's right this time. You really should think more, Yuigahama."
Yui bit her lip in disbelief. Did these two plan this in advance?
This wasn't banter anymore—it was bullying!
She'd never thought of herself as dumb, but watching the two of them volley smug remarks like professionals made her question everything.
Is this how smart people talk?
Poor Yui stood there frozen, seriously rethinking her life.
But Yukinoshita wasn't paying her much attention.
From the moment she'd met Shirase, every conversation between them had been a clash—neither one backing down.
And after Shirase had surpassed Hayama Hayato in the last test, she'd finally acknowledged him as a real rival—the boy who'd boldly declared he'd surpass her.
She knew her stamina was terrible, but she trusted her precision and technique enough to take him down on the court.
If she could manage that, she'd at least win one of their endless battles.
The first serve sliced through the air with a sharp pop.
Just as Yukinoshita predicted, the pace was hers to control.
Shirase clearly hadn't been lying—his tennis skill level really was "I've played video games before."
Barely a few minutes in, he'd already dropped two points in a row.
Yukinoshita exhaled softly. Sunlight glowed on her pale skin; her damp bangs clung faintly to her forehead as she moved. Each swing of her racket was elegant and composed. The hem of her skirt lifted gently in the breeze, revealing the smooth, ivory sheen of her thighs beneath the safety shorts.
In that moment, Yukinoshita exuded a warmth and vitality completely different from her usual icy poise.
"I've already seen through your technique."
Picking up the ball, Shirase eyed her with exaggerated seriousness.
Yukinoshita smiled. "Didn't I warn you? The more you talk, the more embarrassing it'll be when you lose. Besides, I'd be disappointed if the Shirase-kun my sister's interested in turned out to be nothing more than a boastful boy."
Shirase's tone stayed grave. "What I mean is—Echizen Ryoma's last disciple is finally about to get serious."
"Is that so?" Yukinoshita replied evenly, though her eyes sharpened.
As Shirase served again, her wariness proved justified—because this time, he was actually serious.
His technique was messy, sure, but his speed and explosive power were leagues above average.
Every difficult shot she sent across the court came back—awkwardly, but returned nonetheless. Each time it looked like he'd miss, his reflexes bailed him out at the last instant.
Within minutes, Yukinoshita's breathing turned uneven.
After she finally lost her first point, she looked up to see Shirase standing straight and calm, not even winded.
"Still want to dance?" he asked lightly.
From the sidelines, Yui gawked. "So this is the athletic ability of the soccer club's ace? Shirase-kun, isn't this basically bullying now?"
Shirase answered solemnly, "The beauty of competition lies in giving your all."
Yui frowned. "But you were losing at the start…"
Shirase's face turned deadly serious. "Didn't you notice? In The Prince of Tennis, the main characters always start at a disadvantage—then turn things around in the end."
Yuigahama Yui blinked, then sighed under her breath. "…Shirase-kun really is a chuunibyou."