Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

"Who's hiding behind the cushions?!"

Miura narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the mountain of gym mats piled in the corner.

No response.

Even so, Miura continued to stare, the oppressive silence making the air tense.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Miura decided to investigate. She moved closer, extending her hand toward one of the mats.

But just as her fingers grazed the surface—

"Miura?"

"!!"

Her whole body jolted, and her hands froze in midair. She turned her head.

"Y-Yukinoshita?!"

Miura stared in shock at the long-haired girl standing before her.

"Finally found you," Yukinoshita said, smiling faintly as she stepped forward.

"?"

Miura was immediately on guard, her eyes locked onto Yukinoshita.

"Found me? What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm..." Yukinoshita trailed off, glancing briefly at the mats behind Miura.

"Oh, I see! You're here because of... Hikigaya?!" Miura snapped, abandoning her focus on the mats and glaring directly at Yukinoshita.

"If you're looking for Hikigaya, you're in the wrong place!"

"Hikigaya-kun..." Yukinoshita muttered, her smile growing more enigmatic. "No, I'm not here for him. I'm here specifically for you."

"For me?"

Miura frowned deeply.

"Yes." Yukinoshita nodded, then added, "I wanted to thank you for taking care of Hikigaya-kun lately."

Saying this, she walked over to a nearby basket and picked up a tennis racket.

"Shall we play a match?"

"...What?"

"What's wrong? Are you scared?"

"Who's scared of you?!"

Miura scowled, clutching a racket of her own.

"Do you even have the stamina for this?"

"Oh? Concerned about me? Miura-san, you're surprisingly kind!"

Hearing the word "kind," Miura's face turned red. She immediately shouted, "Who's concerned about you?! Fine, if you're so confident, let's do this! I'll crush you this time, just like I should have back in our second year!"

"Well, I'm looking forward to it." Yukinoshita smiled serenely.

"..."

Miura clenched her racket, her instincts telling her that Yukinoshita's words carried hidden meanings.

Was she... insinuating something again?

This woman! How could anyone be so infuriatingly smug?!

She couldn't stand it anymore!

The two left the storage room.

Before leaving, Yukinoshita stole a final glance at the mats, her expression a mix of frustration and quiet excitement.

Her emotions were complicated, to say the least.

But one thing was clear: her senior had chosen quite the thrilling hiding spot.

Maybe she could take inspiration from this for her next move.

After all, to deepen her bond with Hikigaya-kun and keep him from slipping away, she'd need to get creative.

"Yukinoshita! Hey, are you even listening to me?!"

"Hm?"

Startled out of her thoughts by Miura's exasperated shout, Yukinoshita offered an apologetic smile.

"I am. Please continue."

"..."

Seeing her calm, unbothered demeanor, Miura scowled and declared, "This time, I'm going to wipe the floor with you!"

"We'll see about that."

Yukinoshita chuckled, her expression unreadable.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the tennis court.

Yukinoshita had already changed into her sports attire, so they wasted no time getting ready.

"Why are you wearing glasses?"

Miura frowned, noticing the red-rimmed glasses perched on Yukinoshita's nose.

"My eyesight hasn't been great recently," Yukinoshita replied matter-of-factly.

"Wouldn't that affect your performance?"

"It's fine."

"Tch..." Miura clicked her tongue, annoyed. "Suit yourself."

As the match was about to begin, students began gathering around the court to watch.

The High Queen of Sobu High versus the school's Flame Queen—this was bound to be a spectacle.

"Wow, it's been a year since Miura and Yukinoshita faced off!"

"Yeah, this is going to be epic!"

The murmurs of excitement grew.

Amidst the commotion, Yukinoshita adjusted her glasses, her focus unshakable. Her lips curved upward slightly.

Half an hour later, Yukinoshita eked out a narrow victory.

Her stamina was lacking, but since the match was short—more of a practice session than a full game—she managed to hold her own.

Interestingly, it was Miura who had proposed the shorter match, unwilling to take advantage of Yukinoshita's physical limitations.

"Sometimes, being too kind can lead to failure, Miura-san," Yukinoshita remarked, dabbing sweat off her face with a towel. Her breathing was labored, but her smile was as composed as ever.

"..."

Miura remained silent, staring at the ground.

Seeing this, Yukinoshita chose not to press further. Instead, her gaze shifted toward the gymnasium.

Her eyes sparkled.

---

Meanwhile, Hikigaya and Kasumigaoka were sneaking out through the back door of the gym.

Kasumigaoka led the way, laughing softly.

"Just a mere Air-kun, and yet you dared to defy me? Hehe~"

Hikigaya sighed.

"What's wrong? Are you planning to overthrow the heavens? Conquer me? Dream on, Air-kun!" she teased.

But mid-taunt, Kasumigaoka misstepped and nearly fell.

Fortunately, Hikigaya caught her in time.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, just slipped."

Kasumigaoka composed herself, flashing a calm smile before gently pulling away from him.

"Good to hear," Hikigaya said, maintaining a respectful distance as they resumed walking toward the library.

He couldn't help but feel frustrated at his earlier failure; clearly, his training needed more work. He resolved to increase the intensity of his sessions with Miura.

Unbeknownst to him, Kasumigaoka was stealing glances at him, her cheeks faintly flushed.

She walked with her legs pressed slightly together, her mind racing.

For some reason, today's Hikigaya had an unexpected charm...

No!

She shook her head, scolding herself. She was supposed to dominate Air-kun, not the other way around!

But... why did she suddenly feel like shouting, "I don't care about anything anymore—just let me be Air-kun's slave!"

This wasn't right!

Her thoughts spiraled between shame, panic, and a touch of excitement.

Yes, excitement.

"Calm down," she muttered to herself. "I mustn't lose control..."

She couldn't let things be reversed. No way! Not Air-kun!

Kasumigaoka took a deep breath, steeling herself. She had to stay on top.

****************************

Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.

p@treon/GodDragcell