The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 21
Art Club.
“Look, everyone, it’s so lively over there! Do you think they’re gonna fight?”
“Isn’t that the tennis club? I think today’s the day Hasegawa takes them on.”
“Oh, right, it was last week… It looks pretty interesting. Why don’t we go check it out?”
“No, let’s forget it. There are so many people there, we won’t be able to squeeze in anyway. Plus, we have our club activities.”
Eriri sat before her easel, staring at the white paper in front of her, paintbrush in hand, pretending to be getting ready to draw.
In reality, the conversations she overheard from the window had sent her mind wandering outside.
“What are you all doing? Stop disturbing everyone’s concentration,” she scolded, unable to stop herself.
Because she’d presented herself as a character, none of the girls were intimidated by her family background and instead turned to greet her with smiles.
“Sawamura-san, why don’t you take a break today? Something fun is happening down below.”
“That’s right.”
“How about we go watch the match, Sawamura-san? We could even draw a picture of them playing! It’s a rare event at Shuchi’in, so let’s commemorate it for the future generations.”
“I like that idea! I’m in!” The suggestion quickly gained approval from the others, who all wanted to join the fun.
“I suppose I have no choice. Let’s go…” With a sigh, Eriri acquiesced, reluctant though she seemed.
“Yay!”
The club members were delighted. Thanks to Eriri’s status at school, they wouldn’t have to elbow their way through the crowd to find seats.
“Sorry to trouble you, Sawamura-san.”
“It’s no big deal,” Eriri responded politely, though in reality, she was thrilled. However, beneath her excitement, there was still worry.
“That idiot Izumi’s opponent supposedly has incredible physical abilities. I wonder if he’ll be able to hold his own… I hope he’s not just trying to act tough.”
While the Art Club was rushing to the battlefield, another inexplicable event was unfolding at the tennis court.
“Say, could I borrow a tennis racket? I don’t have one,” Hasegawa Izumi asked, extending his right hand and looking perfectly at ease.
“Huh?” Kawamura Kentaro and everyone else present wondered if their ears were malfunctioning.
Play tennis without a racket? What’s the point?!
By this time, Kawamura Kentaro had noticed that, in fact, the guy had shown up totally empty-handed. Seething, he ordered a club member, “Ishida, lend your racket to him.”
“But this is new… All right, I understand.”
Ishida wanted to refuse, but the club president’s glare silenced him.
“Here, this racket was custom-made for me, and it’s expensive, so don’t break it!”
Ishida took a racket out of his bag and handed it over.
“No problem. I’ll be careful,” Hasegawa Izumi said lightly, waving his hand.
“All right, but I’m not putting up with any more nonsense. My patience is limited…”
“Wait, just a moment.” Before Kawamura Kentaro could finish, he was interrupted again.
Hasegawa Izumi pinched the strings of the racket, feeling their elasticity, then gripped the handle and swung it a few times.
“It’s not like you can get used to something like this in such a short time, but what can I say? You’re the one who didn’t bring your own racket.”
Kawamura Kentaro didn’t make a big deal out of this, as he saw nothing unusual about it. A tennis racket was a tool, and of course one would prefer to use something they were comfortable with. A slight difference in weight would affect one’s swing and technique.
“No, I’m just trying to figure out how much force I can use. After all, I promised that student I wouldn’t break her racket, and I don’t have enough money to pay for a new one.”
Unexpectedly, Hasegawa Izumi merely shook her head, rejecting his explanation.
Kawamura Kentaro’s forehead creased as if in confusion.
Isn’t that what normal people would worry about?
“All right! The match is about to begin, so everyone not directly involved should make way!”
With a sweep of his hand, the tennis club members promptly exited the court.
“Good luck, Izumi-chan!”
“Go put on a show, Sage!”
After expressing their support, Fujiwara Chika and Takanashi Rikka sat down on the bench beyond the court.
A commotion arose from the crowd waiting for the match to start.
Fujiwara Chika turned to look. The onlookers had parted to allow a group of people through, led by Eriri.
Oh, Eriri’s here too! So she couldn’t resist worrying about Izumi-chan after all?
A smile tugged at her lips, and a glimmer of understanding crossed her mind.
“Eriri, you’re here to watch Izumi’s match too?”
The moment she met Eriri’s eyes, she felt a deep chill, and a question mark appeared over her head.
When did I anger Eriri?
I don’t understand.
“Ahem, ahem, ahem, everyone asked me to document the event through my drawings…,” Eriri explained with a kindly expression.
“I see. Well, let’s watch the match together, then.”
Fujiwara Chika didn’t catch the unspoken implication in Eriri’s words, and with the match about to begin, she didn’t press for clarification.
“Phew.”
Eriri sighed in relief.
She’d almost forgotten that there were still people in this school who knew about her relationship with Izumi…
The coach, a man in his early thirties, was also Shuchi’in’sPE teacher. After hearing what had happened, he’d volunteered to referee the match.
“Call it heads or tails?” The referee tossed a coin high into the air, caught it in his right hand, and showed it to each player.
“You first,” Kawamura Kentaro said nonchalantly.
“Heads,” he called.
The referee uncurled his fingers, revealing the coin’s face. It landed on the side the student had chosen, granting him the right to serve and choose the court.
“I’ll serve first, and I’ll stand here, on this side.”
He pointed to the ground beneath his feet.
The two players took positions, one to the left and one to the right, awaiting the referee’s signal.
“We’ll play six sets,” the referee announced, briefly explaining the rules to the spectators. “Ready… set… go! Hasegawa will serve first!”
Sunlight filtered through the trees, accompanied by a gentle breeze. Hasegawa Izumi gripped a tennis racket in his right hand and tossed a tennis ball to the ground with his left, letting it bounce back into his palm several times. Suddenly, he looked up, azure eyes gleaming. “Hey, big guy, ever heard of a twist serve?”