Vol. 2 Chapter 46 – A Close Look at Asahi Hikaru’s Day (1)

Thwack! The satisfying sound of a ball being struck echoed repeatedly through the indoor facility.

“Thank you so much, really, for accommodating such a sudden, unreasonable request…” (Reiya)

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I also wanted you to get to know the world my daughter lives in.” (Mitsuki)

As I expressed my gratitude again, Hikaru’s mother, standing beside me, responded with a cheerful smile.

In front of us, Hikaru dashed across the court, her shoes squealing as she moved freely side to side.

Today was Wednesday, the day after the closing ceremony—the first day of summer vacation.

And this was the indoor practice facility of the Sunset Tennis Club, where Hikaru belonged.

I was here observing her practice session.

There were two main reasons why I’d suddenly decided to do this.

One, as just mentioned, was that I wanted to understand Hikaru’s daily life as a tennis player.

When I eventually accompany her on tours, she would naturally be the center of everything.

How does she spend her time before a match? What about meals? Are there other things she needs to do, or conversely, things she shouldn’t do? There must be many things to consider.

If possible, I wanted to learn about them now.

The other reason was to gain new inspiration from a new experience.

The high-difficulty quest Taiju-san had initially assigned me: ‘Devise 100 events.’

Hikaru’s presence was undoubtedly a major factor in managing to overcome that.

Starting with the sudden maid outfit, her jealousy towards a toddler, and so on.

Just in the past week alone, she had given me tremendous stimulation.

I was sure she would be a great help in tackling the upcoming ‘Devise 100 items’ quest as well.

Though, I never expected to get permission yesterday to observe today…

“By the way, her practice partner is quite skilled too. Is she also from this club?” (Reiya)

On the court, across the net from Hikaru, stood a woman.

She was taller than Hikaru, with slightly long hair tied back in a ponytail.

“No, she belongs elsewhere. That’s Aoshima Himeka-san. She’s 21 now, ranked 3rd in Japan for women’s singles. She’s a rising young player who recently won an ITF 80 tournament. She’s back in the country between tournaments right now, so we asked her to be a practice partner.” (Mitsuki)

“So… she’s a professional, right?” (Reiya)

“Well, simply put, yes. She probably earns enough money from tennis to make a living.” (Mitsuki)

She was probably just stating facts plainly, but—

“Despite that… Hikaru seems to be overwhelming her quite a bit…” (Reiya)

On the court, Hikaru and Aoshima-san were rallying, starting from serves.

Although they weren’t keeping score, it was a practice format almost identical to a real match.

Neither seemed to be holding back just because it was practice.

Under these circumstances, even to my amateur eyes, it looked like Hikaru was dominating the woman ranked third best in Japan.

“Hmm, well… yes. The other player just finished a tournament and is probably tired, that’s part of it… Still, I didn’t expect it to be quite like this…” (Mitsuki)

Even Hikaru’s mother looked a little surprised by this fact.

As Taiju-san had mentioned before, it seemed Hikaru was no longer just ‘strong for a junior.’

“Reiya-kuuun! Did you see that just now!?” (Hikaru)

Having scored a winner with a forehand down the line, Hikaru reported gleefully.

“Hey, Hikaru! Don’t appeal to the spectators during a match! You’ll get a warning!” (Mitsuki)

“Okaay… Sorry…” (Hikaru)

I chuckled seeing her turn back to face her practice partner, looking dejected.

In moments like these, she wasn’t much different from when she was hanging out in my room.

About two hours passed, and it was time for a lunch break.

Hikaru must have had some concerns during practice, as she was talking with the analysts on the opposite side of the court.

Meanwhile, Aoshima-san, the practice partner who had been preparing to leave on the near-side bench, gathered her things and jogged over to us.

“Asahi-san! Good work today! Thank you so much for inviting me!” (Himeka)

Coming right up to the ball-stopping net, she greeted Hikaru’s mother in the clear, articulate voice typical of an athlete.

“Good work. Thank you for coming all this way. Hitting with an active tournament pro for so long was probably a great learning experience for Hikaru too.” (Mitsuki)

“No, no, learning experience is putting it mildly. Hitting with Hikaru-chan is very educational for me too. Besides, I got thoroughly beaten today… Couldn’t she compete on the WTA tour right now and win…?” (Himeka)

“Hmm… Maybe, but we’re still observing for now. You know how incredibly moody she can be, right? It’s especially pronounced when her environment changes. When she went on her first overseas tour, it was truly a struggle…” (Mitsuki)

Aoshima-san chuckled wryly as Hikaru’s mother let out a deep sigh.

“True, her performance has always been inconsistent…” (Himeka)

“Tell me about it… How many matches has she lost to lower-ranked opponents because of that…” (Mitsuki)

“But now, she seems consistently at her peak… no, actually, she feels like she’s stabilized at an even higher level than before…? Even accounting for her pre-tournament focus, it’s like she’s a completely different person… Did something happen?” (Himeka)

“Hmm… A lot happened, good and bad, but most of the good things are thanks to him, I suppose.” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother said this, gesturing towards me.

“And who might this be? I was curious during practice…” (Himeka)

It seemed she had also been wondering about me, the observer.

“Ah, I’m—” (Reiya)

“Hikaru’s precious, precious boyfriend.” (Mitsuki)

Before I could introduce myself, her mother casually revealed it.

“Eeeh!? Hikaru-chan has a boyfriend!?” (Himeka)

“Has one, or rather, they’re a freshly minted couple who just started dating.” (Mitsuki)

“Wow… That’s somehow a bit more shocking than losing at tennis…” (Himeka)

“Huh? But Himeka-chan, didn’t you say you got a boyfriend when we met last time?” (Mitsuki)

“…We broke up. A month ago.” (Himeka)

Aoshima-san replied, her voice filled with sorrow.

“Oh dear… Why did you break up?” (Mitsuki)

“Traveling for the tour meant I couldn’t come back home for days on end, and he said not being able to see each other so much was just too hard…” (Himeka)

“Ah… The classic story…” (Mitsuki)

“Yes… At first, he said it was totally fine, that the longer we were apart, the deeper our love would grow, all sorts of convenient things… that idiot…” (Himeka)

Shedding silent tears, she began listing grievances against her ex-boyfriend.

Hikaru’s mother, perhaps understanding her feelings, nodded sympathetically and continued to console her.

Even though it was about someone else, I somehow felt a pang of empathy…

“Um… Excuse me for asking, especially since we just met, but could I ask you one question?” (Reiya)

I raised my hand slightly, interrupting their conversation.

Since I had the rare opportunity to talk to an active female pro tennis player, there was something I definitely wanted to ask.

“Yes, what is it?” (Himeka)

“Is it… well, is it better if your partner comes along with you on tour…?” (Reiya)

“Absolutely! A partner who comes along is an SSR boyfriend!!” (Himeka)

“I-I see…” (Reiya)

“Tennis, you know, it’s a lonely sport where you can’t rely on anyone on the court, right? So, having someone to support you off the court, at least, is incredibly reassuring… I think! I’ve never dated anyone like that, so I wouldn’t know! But probably… no, definitely!” (Himeka)

“Ah, thank you… That was helpful.” (Reiya)

I thanked her for answering politely, despite it being a question from a stranger she’d just met.

“But, why do you ask something like that…?” (Himeka)

“He intends to accompany Hikaru on her tours eventually, paying his own way.” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother added context for Aoshima-san, who hadn’t grasped the intent behind my question.

“Eeeh!? Is that true!?” (Himeka)

“Well, it’s just talk for now, I haven’t built up the foundation for it at all yet…” (Reiya)

“Still, just planning to do it is amazing. You’re still in high school, right…?” (Himeka)

“Y-Yes… I’m the same age as Hikaru, so second year.” (Reiya)

“Eeeh… So young, yet such a locked-in commitment, what an incredible romance…!” (Himeka)

She stared intently at my face, as if finding it unbelievable.

Her reaction made me feel both happy and somewhat embarrassed.

“Isn’t he sweet? When she said she got a boyfriend, I wondered what kind of guy she’d bring home… I never expected her to bring such an understanding boyfriend. Actually, he came to observe today because he wanted to know what Hikaru’s daily life is like, for that very reason.” (Mitsuki)

“Wow, that’s nice… How wonderful…” (Himeka)

“R-Really…?” (Reiya)

“Yes. After all, getting people to understand that what we do isn’t a normal job is the most important and difficult part. So, I’m truly envious of Hikaru-chan for having such an understanding boyfriend…” (Himeka)

She gazed at me intently with eyes full of admiration.

“No, I’m really not that… Still far from it…” (Reiya)

“No, no! Be confident! That’s not something you can say with half-hearted resolve!” (Himeka)

“Ah, thank you…” (Reiya)

Being praised so unreservedly was a little embarrassing.

But hearing an active player validate me as a ‘good boyfriend’ according to her values certainly boosted my confidence.

“Still, being completely defeated not just in tennis but in romance too is actually quite a shock…” (Himeka)

“You’re still young, Himeka-chan, you have plenty of time ahead of you. If you like, shall I introduce you to some of the coaches here at STC? It might be biased favoritism, but I think there are quite a few good men among them.” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother gently consoled Aoshima-san, who spoke with a weak laugh.

After that, while being gently teased by the two of them, I got to hear various stories.

Of course, Hikaru and she would have their differences, but I felt I learned at least something about the mindset needed to date a pro tennis player.

“Ah, look at the time… Well then, I should be going! Thank you so much for today! Please invite me again sometime!” (Himeka)

“Yes, likewise, let’s do this again.” (Mitsuki)

She shouldered her racquet bag and left with her staff.

Just as she departed, as if swapping places—

“Ahh… I’m tired~! hungry~! Reiya-kun, give me a huuuug~!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru, her various desires leaking out unrestrained, walked over to us.

“Nope! We agreed no excessive flirting during practice, didn’t we?” (Mitsuki)

“Aww…! But it’s break time now, so it’s okay, right~…?” (Hikaru)

“No. Once you switch into romance mode, it takes time to switch back to combat mode.” (Mitsuki)

“But I can switch right back~…!!” (Hikaru)

Across the net, Hikaru stomped her feet resentfully.

Perhaps because Aoshima-san had been so composed, Hikaru seemed even more childish than usual.

“Well, well, I really came here today wanting to see the usual Hikaru, so… it might be better if you just treated me as if I weren’t here…” (Reiya)

“Aww… Reiya-kun, you’re taking Mom’s side too~…?” (Hikaru)

“Taking sides… Well, yeah, I guess I am…” (Reiya)

“Traitor~…!” (Hikaru)

She grumbled her complaints at me, but I had prepared a secret weapon for just such an occasion.

“Alright, then how about this instead? When practice is over, we go to this together?” (Reiya)

“Hm? What’s this… Sum… mer… Fes… Summer Festival!!” (Hikaru)

What I held out was a flyer for a summer festival that someone from the Chamber of Commerce had brought during my part-time job.

It was a treasure I had secured upon learning it would be held at a shrine within walking distance.

“I wanna go, I wanna go! I definitely wanna go! Mom, it’s okay if we go after practice is over, right!?” (Hikaru)

The effect was even more outstanding than I had imagined.

“Only if you finish all of today’s menu properly.” (Mitsuki)

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it all! I’ll do it right now! That’s right! Then we need to go eat lunch quickly too!” (Hikaru)

With that, Hikaru, forgetting her fatigue, dashed off towards the exit.

“Sigh… Even saying she’ll turn pro, she’s still such a child…” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother sighed, sounding exasperated but somehow pleased.

“Well then, shall we go too?” (Mitsuki)

She prompted me with a pat on the back, then continued—

“Still, the way you handle her… you’re better at it than I am… Maybe I should seriously consider having you accompany her for the entire process…” (Mitsuki)

She murmured, as if talking to herself.