Learning!

The rhythmic sound of clubs striking balls filled the air.

Ryouta stood at the edge of the practice range, his fingers adjusting around the grip of his club. His 'coach'—the blonde girl—stood a few feet away, preparing to demonstrate.

"Alright, pay attention," she said, twirling her driver with a confident spin. "Golf's all about control. If you just swing without thinking, the ball's gonna go anywhere but where you want it to."

She stepped up to the hitting mat, spreading her stance. The moment she planted her feet, her playful energy vanished—her focus sharpened, her posture impeccable.

Ryouta's Basic Golf Knowledge (Passive Skill) kicked in.

Her stance—solid, weight balanced.Grip—neutral, neither too tight nor too loose.Backswing—smooth, controlled, no unnecessary motion.

His mind automatically processed the information, breaking down her movements in real time.

She took a deep breath—then swung.

Thwack!

The ball soared effortlessly, cutting through the air like a bullet, landing cleanly near one of the target circles in the distance.

A few heads turned toward them, impressed.

She exhaled and gave a satisfied nod. "See? Clean form, controlled power. Now, your turn."

Ryouta walked up to the mat. He could feel her side-eyeing him, probably checking if he was even paying attention.

Most guys who practiced here tended to steal glances at her, their gazes drifting lower whenever she leaned forward during a swing.

But Ryouta didn't care.

His eyes were focused only on the game.

The blonde girl noticed.

For a moment, her expression softened. A small smile tugged at her lips.

But then, she snapped back to serious mode, crossing her arms. "Alright, show me what you got."

Ryouta gripped the club, positioning himself as his passive skill replayed what he had just learned.

Feet shoulder-width apart.Grip firm, but relaxed.Backswing smooth, controlled—don't rush it.

He inhaled. And swung.

Thwack!

The ball flew—not perfect, but clean. It didn't slice or hook, landing farther than most beginners would manage on their first try.

Silence.

He turned to check her reaction.

The blonde girl was staring at him, eyes slightly wide with surprise.

Then, a smirk formed.

"…You're a fast learner."

Ryouta shrugged. "I watch and pick things up."

She studied him for a moment longer, then chuckled.

"Alright, newbie. You might actually have some talent."

The first clean hit had been a fluke.

Ryouta realized that the moment he tried again.

Thwack— The ball barely lifted off the mat, rolling pathetically a few feet forward.

Thwack— A complete miss. The club sliced the air, the ball untouched.

Thwack— This time, it shot off at a ridiculous angle, veering wildly to the right.

His grip tightened. What the hell…?

Even though his Basic Golf Knowledge (Passive Skill) gave him exact knowledge of how to swing, his body wasn't following through. It was like watching a high-level speedrun guide and trying to replicate it without muscle memory.

Ten swings in, and only one out of ten was decent.

Still, instead of feeling frustrated…

A grin spread across his face.

This felt like a challenge.

Even as sweat trickled down his back, even as his arms ached from repeated failure, he felt something ignite within him.

It was that competitive fire—that same drive he had in his past life when grinding through difficult games, pushing for the perfect run, learning patterns, adapting on the fly.

And right now, this was no different.

Each swing—a slight improvement.Each failure—a new lesson.

His posture adjusted, his grip subtly changing. His follow-through became a little smoother. His stance just a bit more stable.

The blonde girl—his 'coach'—had been watching in silence, arms crossed.

Her usual cheerful smirk was gone, replaced by something more curious.

Most beginners would get frustrated, embarrassed, or annoyed.

But Ryouta?

He was grinning.

"…You're really into this, huh?" she finally said.

Ryouta exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Well, if the game's gonna challenge me, I might as well challenge it back."

For a moment, the girl just stared at him.

Then, she smiled. A real, genuine smile.

"Alright, newbie. Let's keep going."

The familiar chime of the system rang in Ryouta's head.

[Beginner Mission: Make your first swing. ✅]Reward: Basic Strength Boost.

A strange warmth spread through his arms and shoulders, like a sudden rush of energy. It wasn't dramatic—he wasn't suddenly superhuman—but he could feel the difference. His grip was a little steadier, his arms less fatigued than before.

He clenched his fists. So the system really works…

But before he could process it fully—

[New Mission: Use golf to attract female attention. Reward: +1 Charm Stat.]

Ryouta nearly choked on air.

…Excuse me?

He re-read the mission description, but it remained unchanged.

He glanced at the blonde girl beside him. Was this because of her?

She was still watching him, her arms crossed, her expression somewhere between intrigued and entertained.

"You're improving," she said, nodding at his stance. "Still rough, but I can tell you're getting the feel for it."

Ryouta didn't answer right away—his mind was too caught up on the mission.

'Use golf to attract female attention.'

He wasn't exactly trying to, but if he thought about it, wasn't that kind of happening already?

From the very moment he walked into this place, he had been mistaken for a girl, dragged into an all-girls training section, and now had a personal coach who seemed oddly invested in him.

Was that enough to complete the quest?

Or… did he actually need to do something himself?

As if on cue, another girl from a nearby practice spot—a brunette in a sleek navy-blue golf outfit—paused mid-swing to glance in their direction.

"He's kinda cute, isn't he?" she whispered to her friend.

Ryouta heard it.

The system registered it.

[Mission Complete: Use golf to attract female attention. ✅]Reward: +1 Charm Stat.

Another rush of warmth spread through him—this time, lighter and subtle, like a refreshing breeze brushing against his skin.

He blinked. Did… did I just get more attractive?

The blonde girl smirked. "What's with that face?"

Ryouta shook his head. "Nothing. Just… thinking."

She leaned forward slightly, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're weird."

Tell me about it…

But at the same time, he couldn't help but grin to himself.

If the system wanted him to use golf to get attention…

Then fine. He'd turn this game into his next challenge.

Ryouta collapsed onto the practice mat, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

He was spent.

His 10:1 success ratio hadn't changed—for every ten swings, only one was decent. No matter how much he focused, how carefully he adjusted his stance, or how determined he was… his body just wasn't there yet.

His muscles ached, his grip weakened, and his shoulders felt like lead.

The Basic Strength Boost from earlier had helped, but it wasn't some miracle buff that erased fatigue.

The blonde girl crouched next to him, smirking. "You look like someone who just lost a boss fight."

Ryouta exhaled sharply, staring up at the blue sky above the practice range. "Feels like it."

She let out a chuckle. "Well, at least you didn't quit halfway."

"I was about to," he admitted, flexing his fingers to ease the soreness. "But I figured since I already embarrassed myself, might as well go all in."

She laughed. "That's the spirit."

Even though she was teasing him, her tone wasn't mocking. She was impressed.

Most beginners gave up after failing a few times. But Ryouta? He had failed over and over and still kept going.

That didn't change the fact that he was completely wasted.

No matter how much mental energy he had, his body had reached its limit.

With a sigh, he pulled himself up, dusting off his clothes. "I think I'm done for today."

"Smart choice," she nodded, standing up as well. "You can't just grind stats in one session. Improvement takes time."

Her words struck a chord. That's right.

He could always come back tomorrow.

This was the school's golf center, after all—students were free to use it.

And tomorrow was a weekend.

Not to mention, summer vacation was coming soon.

First-years got two months off—plenty of time to either train seriously or head back home for a while.

Ryouta rolled his shoulders, ignoring the lingering soreness.

One way or another, I'm getting better at this.

As he turned to leave, the blonde girl called out to him, "Hey, newbie."

He glanced back. "What?"

She grinned. "See you tomorrow?"

Ryouta smirked. "Yeah."

And with that, he walked away—one step closer to mastering this game.