When Ichin came over, Haruno was already up—and had even changed into a white tracksuit.
"Morning, little Ichin, Utaha! How do I look in this outfit?"
Haruno stood before them and spun around lightly, her tracksuit outlining her curves perfectly.
Ichin took a good look, then gave her a thumbs-up. "Looks great. Once we get to the tennis court, Haruno-nee, you'll definitely turn heads."
At one meter seventy, Haruno was tall by Japanese standards, and with that natural aura of confidence she carried, she was the type of woman many men would secretly admire—but few would dare approach.
Pleased by Ichin's praise, Haruno puffed out her chest proudly. "Heh, not bad! You've got good taste!"
Just then, Yukino came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly made sandwiches.
"Don't listen to my sister's nonsense. Come have breakfast."
"Hey! What do you mean nonsense? I'll have you know your big sister was the school idol back in both high school and college!"
Yukino ignored her, calmly setting the breakfast down and starting to eat.
Ichin and Utaha exchanged amused glances, then sat down as well, enjoying Yukino's egg-and-bacon sandwiches with freshly brewed coffee.
Seeing how everyone ignored her, Haruno puffed up her cheeks in mild frustration, but in the end, she could only sit down and eat too.
After breakfast, everyone changed into sportswear and packed a change of clothes for after they'd worked up a sweat.
As for tennis rackets—Ichin and the others had already gone out to buy them after work yesterday.
The indoor court did offer rentals, but Ichin preferred having his own racket; borrowed ones never quite felt right in his hands.
Once everything was ready, they met up with Kō Yagami and Rin Tōyama downstairs, and together they headed off to the tennis court.
On the drive there, Utaha sighed with a hint of regret. "Too bad Eriri didn't come. I was planning to bully her a little."
Ichin, who was driving, chuckled. "That's because you made your intentions too obvious. She noticed right away. Otherwise, she really might've come."
Utaha pouted. "Can't be helped. That girl's not so easy to fool anymore."
"Well, she's in her second year now—twenty years old. Not a high schooler anymore."
"Twenty, huh…"
At that, Utaha glanced sideways at Ichin, narrowing her eyes with a faint smile. "You know, Ichin, we're twenty-one already."
"Yeah, twenty-one. Next year's our senior year."
Ichin nodded, already knowing what she was hinting at. With a smile, he said, "Don't worry. Once I turn twenty-two next year, we'll go register our marriage. The paperwork might take a bit of running around, so be ready for that."
Utaha's face instantly lit up with a radiant smile.
"Okay! Then I'll be looking forward to it."
Although the two of them were already living like a married couple in every sense, Utaha still looked forward to taking that step officially—especially the wedding that would come after.
While writing her novels or TV scripts, Utaha would sometimes find herself daydreaming about what her future wedding with Ichin might look like.
But now that the time was drawing nearer, she didn't need to just imagine it anymore—she could plan it herself.
Still, for the moment, Utaha decided she should do some proper research, gather a few ideas, and then discuss the wedding details with Ichin when the time came.
Half an hour later, everyone finally arrived at their destination for the day—the indoor tennis court.
The reservation had already been made in advance, so all they had to do upon arrival was check in under their names.
When they got there, Aoba, Sakura Nene, Hifumi, and Hajime had also just arrived. Hazuki, Kirino Kousaka, and Ruri Gokou were still about ten minutes away, so the group decided to head in first.
Aoba and the others had brought their sportswear along, so after changing in the locker room, they followed Haruno's lead to the courts.
Since it was Saturday morning, the indoor courts were bustling with activity—men and women alike—though the four courts Ichin's group had booked were reserved exclusively for them.
"Whoa! This place is huge!"
Aoba exclaimed in excitement, hugging her brand-new tennis racket as she looked around the spacious indoor arena.
Haruno chuckled beside her. "Alright, alright, don't get too excited. Come over here and warm up with me first, or you'll definitely hurt yourself later."
"Okay!"
The four of them immediately followed Haruno's lead and joined Ichin's group.
As soon as they arrived, the sight of Ichin surrounded by so many attractive women naturally caught the attention of other players—especially the men.
It couldn't be helped. Among all these people, Ichin was the only man, and every single one of the girls around him was stunning in her own way—tall and mature types, cute and petite ones, every style imaginable.
Unfortunately for the onlookers, the court area was sectioned off. Ichin's group had booked four entire courts, and no one could approach without their permission—so there was no chance of anyone coming over to flirt.
After everyone stretched and warmed up for a bit, Hazuki, Kirino, and Ruri finally arrived.
Hazuki had driven over to pick up Kirino and Ruri, so the three came together.
Upon arriving, Hazuki smiled and said, "You guys are pretty fast, huh? Go ahead and start. I'll warm up with Ruri and Kirino first."
Ichin nodded and turned to Yukino. "Yukino, can you start by teaching everyone some basics? Like how to hold the racket and swing properly. We'll begin practice after that."
"Of course," Yukino replied calmly. Practicing was one thing, but teaching the others was equally important.
So Yukino began giving lessons to the complete beginners, explaining the fundamentals of tennis, while Ichin was dragged off by Haruno to one of the side courts.
"Come on, come on, let's play a bit first! It's been ages since I've had a match!"
Standing across the court from her, racket in hand, Ichin said with a wry smile, "Take it easy on me, Haruno-nee. It's been years since I last played too."
The truth was, Ichin hadn't touched a racket since high school PE classes, but at least he still kept in good shape—swinging the racket didn't feel completely foreign.
Bouncing a tennis ball on the ground a few times, Haruno grinned mischievously. "Hehe, that's exactly why it's fun—to bully someone while I still have the chance!"
With that, she tossed the ball high into the air and unleashed a powerful serve that landed precisely at Ichin's feet.
Watching the ball rocket toward him, Ichin's eyes widened. This is what she calls 'rusty'?
He had no choice but to quickly adjust his stance and swing his racket to meet the shot.
----
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