Let's do it again, Yukino.

Yumiko, who had originally planned to continue arguing with Kasuga, suddenly lost her queenly aura and hid behind Hayama somewhat fearfully, clutching the boy's clothes.

"Is that so? What a pity. I said almost the same things as you, Hayama-kun, yet you hate me so much."

“I remember now, you guys probably aren’t good at fighting with your fists, but I’m very good at it. And didn’t Hayama-kun just choose to use tennis, which he’s pretty good at, to compete against two students who aren’t from the tennis club? I said the same things as you and did the same things as you, so why are you so resistant to me?”

Ye Shan's originally bright and sunny smile faltered slightly after Chun Ri's few casual words.

"You...you, your name is Haruhi Kasugata, right..."

"I hate you!!"

Just then, Yumiko suddenly peeked out from behind Yeshan and muttered a curse at the annoying boy in front of her.

As soon as Miura finished speaking, Haruhi immediately felt the gaze coming from a certain corner growing colder and colder.

"Ha, it seems you still don't understand what fairness is, Miura-kun."

Haruhi simply pushed Hayama away and directly reached out to Yumiko, wanting her to explore the essence of martial arts techniques with him.

"Don't come any closer, you obnoxious bastard!!!"

Yumiko Miura panicked and retreated step by step.

……

"Enough!!!"

At this very last moment,

The voice of a snow woman echoed softly from behind the spring day.

Yukinoshita, who had been silent, finally spoke, and then, ignoring Yui's attempts to stop her, she walked up to him.

At this moment, the Snow Woman Minister had a cold face, and she did not put down the tennis racket that she had been holding tightly in her hand.

Although the spring sun in front of her was much taller than her, she looked down at all living beings with a cold gaze, staring at the fool in front of her who suddenly seemed a bit reckless.

"Kasuga-kun, you just said you were looking for someone to compete with you in a contest of skill—"

"Wait...wait a minute."

Haruhi abruptly interrupted Yukino's words, cleared his throat softly, and looked at Yukino Yukinoshita in front of him with a serious expression.

"Yukino Yukinoshita, right? I just suddenly remembered that what I, Haruhi Kasuga, dislike the most is using violence against girls. How about this, how about we change the way we compete? I think playing tennis would be quite nice, and it would be fairer to a girl like you who can't even kill a chicken."

The girl calmly shook her head, directly refusing the other party's kindness. "Actually, I don't mind the method you mentioned before, Kasuga-kun. On the contrary, your method is not only fair, but I can also play along to the end. How about this, come with me to the judo club to borrow the space?"

"No need, I already told you it's just tennis!"

Perhaps it was because of the excessive heat, Chunri wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his face flushed, and he gritted his teeth and roared at the girl he was supposed to be meeting for the first time.

"Oh? I just saw you looking like you were eager to challenge that Miura-kun? Am I not worthy to be your opponent?"

The snow woman's words still carried a hint of aggression.

I, Kasuga Gian, am not worthy to be your opponent, alright...

Springtime gave the girl standing in front of her a helpless wink.

Get a little closer

……

……

"Just now, you were planning to attack Yumiko, weren't you?"

Xiaoxue spoke softly, her brows furrowed, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"You're overthinking it. I just scared her a little. I didn't lay a finger on her or curse her. On the contrary, I'm the one who's been wronged by these two."

But Yukinoshita had no intention of letting Haruhi go; her gaze remained intense.

"Then what exactly did you come here for? I don't remember giving you permission to interfere in this matter, did I?"

"..."

"Has it been a long time?"

Language is a very subtle thing. The four simple yet seemingly meaningless words "spring day" unexpectedly left the pent-up anger of the snowman with nowhere to vent.

Standing in the spring sunshine, she shielded her eyes from the snow with one hand, and the smile on the lower half of her face seemed somewhat forced.

What are you saying?

"It's nothing, I just feel a little guilty."

After saying this softly, he lowered his hand, his eyes shimmering with a clear light, and the smile that appeared in the girl's field of vision seemed exceptionally gentle.

"I only wanted to play a game of tennis with you, Xiaoxue, because I felt guilty. It's that simple."

Yes, it's that simple.

He was speaking softly.

The sunlight shone on him, and the warmth felt just as it always had.

Humans are actually just like insects under the leaves; sometimes they are really too fragile.

Occasionally, there will be a fleeting moment when you recall the past, and at that moment, you will feel a slight pang of heartache.

Just as he watched Koyuki walk towards the tennis court, Haruhi suddenly realized something.

Since the two graduated from university, he seems to have never accompanied Xiaoxue, who doesn't dislike sports, to play even one game of tennis.

"You idiot, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking... maybe I should make up for what I owed you, Xiaoxue, in my past life."

Yukino's aloof and cold face,

Listening to that extremely gentle whisper,

Looking at the meaningful smile on Chunri's face,

She had just been somewhat sulking about the boy's reckless behavior,

He stood there stunned for a long while.

He gave a cool, indifferent smile.

Her face was as white as snow.

His cold eyes were as white as snow.

……

Taking two steps back without offering any further explanation, Haruhi quickly created distance between herself and Yukino.

Under the sunlight, his previously gloomy and violent tone dissipated, and Chunri's voice sounded somewhat loud and clear.

"Yayama-kun, and that dead-eyed guy over there, I'll leave the refereeing duties to you two."

Not far away, standing under the snow at the other end of the field, she had regained her senses and gripped her racket tightly, but she was still muttering the word "idiot" over and over again.

"Yukinoshita, please open your eyes and look carefully."

He tossed the ball high into the air.

The moment the ball fell,

Springtime raised her racket once more.

It was as if they had used up all their strength.

As he hit the ball towards Xiaoxue,

"This time, I won't lose again!!"

He shouted this vow towards the girl.

I won't lose again.

The ball flew straight towards the girl.

……

…………

Watching the intense match on the field,

For some reason, Yuihama looked at Hikigaya and asked softly, with a hint of anticipation in her voice.

"Xiao Qi, if you have time in the future, could you teach me tennis?"

"why?"

"I suddenly realized that even two strangers playing tennis together can be quite interesting."

After a long while, Yuihama stared at Hikigaya's face, which looked like someone owed her hundreds of thousands of yen, and suddenly burst out laughing.

She didn't tell Xiaoqi what was on her mind.

Because she was closest to Xiaoxue

I just noticed a strange sight.

Xiaoxue, who is always cold, proud, and powerful in front of herself and Xiaoqi.

But it was at the moment of catching the ball hit by Kasuga-kun that...

do not know why,

A tear rolled down the girl's cheek. Yuki, who was so strong in Yuihama's heart, kept rubbing her slightly red eyes afterwards.

Was your eyes covered in sand?

Yuihama was a little curious at that moment.

Because she doesn't understand.

(P.S.: Updates will be on time, you all know what I mean.)

Chapter 40: I'll share both happiness and troubles with you.