Chapter 123: The Service Club Activities of the Swimming Team Ace and the Volleyball Team Ace

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Today... I have to go to Saki's house..."

The alarm clock rang, and a hand stretched out from under the blanket, slamming it down.

Immediately after, a girl with short brown hair, a pure appearance, and a tall figure threw off the covers, got out of bed barefoot, and walked to the wardrobe. She rubbed her eyes as she opened the wardrobe and picked out a dress that Saki had suggested she wear.

After changing into the dress, she walked to the full-length mirror and examined herself from the side. Seeing that the dress didn't quite match her height, and considering that her long legs exposed under the skirt might attract more attention from passersby, she hesitated for a moment before changing into a loose T-shirt and jeans that didn't accentuate her figure.

Narahashi Miki, a second-year student at Sobu High School and the ace member of the volleyball team.

Once a poor student, she was lucky enough to be specially admitted to Sobu High, the top school in Chiba in terms of academic performance, due to her height of 180 cm and excellent volleyball talent. Miki was undoubtedly fortunate.

But at the same time, she was often troubled by her height.

Having developed faster than her peers since childhood, she was much taller than other girls, and even boys of the same age. In elementary school, she stood out conspicuously in her class, and many classmates called her a monster or a giant, ostracizing her.

Although she seemed to have stopped growing much after entering Sobu High, only gaining two centimeters by her second year, her current height of 182 cm was already enough to make her stand out.

Society's aesthetic preference was for petite and cute girls, and overly tall girls were undoubtedly prone to attracting strange looks.

Even though Ms. Hiratsuka had talked to her, telling her not to mind the strange looks from her classmates and that she was actually very beautiful and excellent, she still couldn't calmly face the gazes of others.

Knowing something was one thing, but reality was another.

The long-term exposure to strange looks had already made Miki develop an inferiority complex, always shrinking her head and hunching her back timidly.

Even though she knew this herself, it was hard to correct.

Fortunately, things were different now compared to elementary and middle school. At Sobu High, she was no longer alone.

Her classmate, Hayase Saki, had a similar experience. Although Hayase Saki wasn't as tall as her, her voluptuous figure was equally eye-catching, and her shy personality made it hard for her to make friends with those around her. The moment they saw each other, they felt like they were looking at another version of themselves.

With similar experiences and mutual understanding, the two quickly became good friends.

Well... friends who ate lunch together at school every day.

After all, one was a member of the girls' swimming team, and the other was a member of the volleyball team. Both were aces of their respective clubs and had to attend their own club training sessions. Since their training schedules didn't align and their homes were in different directions, going home together after school was a luxury.

However, even though they rarely met outside of school, and their main interaction was finding a quiet corner to eat and chat during lunch, and even in class, they avoided drawing attention by not speaking to each other, Miki still felt that they were very good friends.

After all, they had already shared everything with each other, and she even knew that Saki was currently obsessed with the president of the Service Club, constantly thinking about him.

She even dragged her to look at some white stockings, cat ears, and maid outfits on Friday, wanting to buy her a set too.

'It was ridiculous... If you want to please the president of the Service Club, that's fine, but you actually want to drag me into wearing such an embarrassing outfit like white stockings, cat ears, and a maid outfit for the president to see...'

'Has Saki completely forgotten her status as the ace of the girls' swimming team? Wasn't she just temporarily joining the Service Club as a temporary member because someone asked her to?'

From the lunch she had at the Service Club, it was clear that Saki was infatuated with the president's body and didn't want to leave.

However, even though she thought Saki had been acting a bit perverted lately, Miki didn't distance herself from Saki.

Good friends were hard to come by, and finding a good friend with a similar personality and experiences who wouldn't detest each other was even rarer. She cherished her friendship with Saki very much.

"Mom, I'm going to a classmate's house to play. I should be back for dinner tonight. If I'm not, I'll contact you."

"Going to a classmate's house? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's Saki! I don't have any male friends."

"You only have one female friend, right?"

"Then why are you asking!!!"

After changing her clothes and finishing her morning routine downstairs, Miki quickly ate the breakfast her mother had prepared, said goodbye, and hurried out of the house with a small bag to catch the train.

Although her mother had once again touched on the scar of her only having one good friend, the thought of Saki introducing her to new friends today filled her heart with anticipation.

She knew that today was the Service Club's activity at Saki's house, and she hadn't really wanted to go at first. How could someone as shy and socially anxious as her attend a gathering full of strangers?

But when Saki said that besides the Service Club president, Hachiman, there would only be the silent and elegant Sakurase Shino, and the seemingly weak and easy-to-bully politician's daughter, Ichinose Ayano, who was different from the fierce Yukinoshita Yukino, she couldn't help but feel tempted.

As someone with few friends and a social anxiety disorder, she really wanted to make friends too, but usually, she couldn't. In places with so many people, she didn't even dare to speak loudly.

In a small private gathering like today, she should be able to make new friends.

Even if she couldn't befriend the wealthy Ichinose Ayano, she should be able to make friends with the silent Sakurase Shino.

Her social anxiety was still better than being completely introverted.

Saki had become very active and bold under the guidance of the Service Club president, and even shared her new friends with her. If she could be half as bold as Saki was now, she would be satisfied.

"Huh? Why hasn't Saki replied to my message or answered my call? Could she still be asleep?"

Miki got off the train and headed towards Hayase Saki's house while looking down at her phone to avoid the strange looks from passersby due to her 182 cm height.

Seeing that Saki had told her to come early, but now wasn't replying to her messages, she couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant.

Although she had been to Saki's house before and knew the way, she wasn't familiar with Saki's family. She didn't dare to ring the doorbell and ask Saki's family to open the door for her.

As she approached Saki's house, Miki had no choice but to call Hayase Saki again.

Beep!

Seeing that the call had finally connected, Miki immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said,

"Hey, Saki, are you awake?"

["Huh? Ah! Oh! Mi, Mikki, are you here now?"]

"Yeah, I've gotten off the train and am on my way to your house. Are your parents home?", Hearing that Hayase Saki seemed to have just woken up and was still a bit groggy, Miki almost thought she had come too early, but she still patiently asked.

There was no other way. It was supposed to be a gathering for socially anxious and withdrawn people, but if adults suddenly joined, she wouldn't be able to make friends at all.

["Then just ring the doorbell when you arrive. My parents have already left... the house. I'll hear it and come... to open the door..."]

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

After confirming that Saki's parents weren't home, Miki nodded in relief, but she was still puzzled by Hayase Saki's strange tone.

"Saki, are you feeling unwell? Your voice sounds a bit strange..."

["I couldn't sleep last night and stayed up late... I just woke up... I'm a bit tired..."]

"Stayed up late? Do you like your president that much? You were so excited that you couldn't sleep and stayed up late...", Hearing that Hayase Saki had stayed up late, Miki immediately understood the reason.

Saki had been nagging recently that she hadn't had much time to spend with her president, and now that she had a whole day to spend with him, she must have been too excited to sleep.

Well... although she didn't quite understand how charming the Service Club president was to make Saki so infatuated.

But Saki's changes are indeed heading in a good direction. She can't even manage her own social anxiety and inferiority complex, so naturally, she can't advise Saki.

["Um, well then... I'll hang up now and change clothes..."]

It seems that her little thoughts have been discovered, and Hayase Saki is somewhat embarrassed, stammering and eager to hang up the phone.

"Okay, don't be too hasty, I'll walk over slowly."

Knowing that Hayase Saki is not in any trouble but is still sleeping in bed, Miki is no longer worried. After finishing her conversation with Hayase Saki, she hangs up the phone and slows her pace on the way to Saki's house.

'It's really great that Saki has found someone she likes, and it seems to be a boy who can make her better.'

'Should I also give it a try...'

But the discipline at Sobu High is very strict. If she were to find a student from the same school, the risk would probably be very high.

Although there are rumors spreading about the president of the Service Club having improper relationships with the opposite sex, he is, after all, the childhood friend of the student council president. Even with the rumors, no disciplinary committee member has stepped forward to investigate the president of the Service Club.

'From this point of view, Saki is quite bold, daring to compete with the student council president for a boyfriend...'

Hmm... although the student council president has set an example by denying this and rarely interacts with the president of the Service Club at school, they go to school together every day, so it's obvious that they have a particularly good relationship.

However, whether the student council president and the president of the Service Club are really a couple or not, she still admires Saki. After all, there are many girls in the Service Club with strong auras and high status, much higher than the level of popular kids. Saki has really worked hard to stay in the Service Club, a place that makes those with social anxiety uncomfortable, for the sake of the person she likes.

Miki is randomly thinking about her good friend and confidante in her mind, and it takes her a long time to walk the short distance to Hayase Saki's house.

Ding! Ding!

Gently pressing the doorbell, Miki stood quietly in front of the door waiting.

However, it seemed that something unexpected had happened, as Hayase Saki did not come to open the door immediately as agreed on the phone.

Miki waited for a while, feeling that the nearby dog walkers seemed to be staring at her, so she pressed the doorbell again.

Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!

"Coming, coming!", With the urging of the doorbell, Hayase Saki, with a face full of blush, finally appeared in front of Miki.

"Excuse me... Saki, did you go back to sleep just now?", Miki followed Hayase Saki into the house, and after blocking out the gazes of the passersby outside, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, looking at Hayase Saki, who seemed to have rushed over to open the door and was still a bit out of breath after coming in, her inner doubts grew even stronger.

'What did Saki do last night? Simply staying up late shouldn't cause this, could Saki have secretly done that kind of thing?'

"Uh, well...", Hayase Saki noticed that Miki has become suspicious, and her gaze involuntarily drifted to the side, her fingers awkwardly scratched her red and hot cheeks, not knowing how to explain the reason for her late arrival to open the door.

If it were only Miki, she could find some excuses to cover it up, but once Miki finds out the truth, her lies will be exposed. What's the use of lying now?

Miki was a bit puzzled by Hayase Saki's reaction and was about to change her shoes and sit down to ask more about the situation, but as she followed Hayase Saki to the living room, she found an unexpected person sitting there.

"Pre... President?"

'Didn't Saki say that the people from the Service Club wouldn't come so early? How come the president of the Service Club arrived earlier than me?'

"Do you also want to join the Service Club? You're calling me president again," Hachiman stood up from the sofa, smiling as he looked at Miki, the good friend that Hayase Saki has brought over.

"No, no, Hikigaya-kun, I just misspoke," Seeing Hachiman's teasing smile, Miki's heart tightened, and she quickly explained.

It's just that Saki has been constantly mentioning the president in front of her, so she subconsciously followed suit and called him president.

Miki couldn't help but look at Hayase Saki beside her, 'What's going on? Your president came early, and you didn't even warn me just now.'

Hayase Saki pretended not to see the look Miki was giving her and slowly walked to the kitchen to open the fridge and get some tea.

She didn't expect the president to come so early either. Originally, she wanted to bring Miki over first to discuss how to further develop her relationship with the president today, but who knew that she wouldn't even need Miki's help? She woke up to find the president already in her bed.

Although the current situation was a bit awkward, and Miki would probably find out about her relationship with the president, it's okay. As long as she dragged Miki into the same situation, she wouldn't have to feel awkward.

'After all, Miki's height makes it hard for her to find a boyfriend. Once Miki understands the president's power, she won't always tease me for becoming more and more perverted.'

"It's okay, Miki, you can call me president if you want. You and Saki are good friends. If you're not happy in the volleyball club and want to join the Service Club, I welcome you anytime," Hachiman looked at the offering that Hayase Saki has prepared for him and nodded with a smile.

'Miki is indeed very tall. Among the many girls around me, she is the tallest one.'

'If you add sports shoes, she really is taller than most boys, no wonder she suffers from strange looks and feels inferior.'

"Um... thank you, President..."

Seeing that Hachiman didn't mind her slip of the tongue, Miki nodded with a red face, completely accepting the title of president for Hachiman.

She has to accept it, right? After all, today is the Service Club's activity, and Sakurase Shino, Ichinose Ayano, and her good friend Hayase Saki are all calling him president. If she alone called him Hikigaya-kun, wouldn't that be making herself stand out?

She's here to make friends today, to fit in, to be like everyone else in the Service Club.

However, even though she and Hayase Saki were both calling him president, she still felt something was off.

'The president arrived at Saki's house earlier than me, which means Saki must have gotten up early to open the door for the president, right? Then why did Saki just say she was sleeping and take so long to open the door for her?', The previous doubts resurfaced in Miki's mind.

'The strange tone during the phone call, being the ace of the women's swimming team but getting out of breath after running a few steps, the blush on her face that won't fade...'

'No, it can't be...'

'Isn't today the Service Club's activity? How could they be so bold...'

Miki couldn't believe that her good friend was doing that kind of thing with the president of the Service Club before she arrived.

But with the images of her friend already appearing in her mind, she can't help but look at Hayase Saki, who was walking over with the tea.

[T/N: If you're into anime mashup worlds, crazy girls, and a protagonist everyone somehow falls for, give "Animania: Everyone Loves Me" a shot. I had a blast translating it. Maybe you'll have just as much fun reading it.]

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