My Youth in Grand Blue!

"PaB wins!"

Shiro raised the flag to announce the victory.

Kudo ground his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do—after all, they were the ones who started using underhanded tactics in the first place.

Damn it! That squinty-eyed guy doesn't even know how to play tennis, so how the hell does he know the rules so well?!

Whatever, losing the first match against those beasts is fine. We'll just win the next two!

That's what Kudo thought. He didn't believe that PaB had anyone strong besides that group of monsters.

"Then, the second match begins!"

Next up was the girls' doubles match: Chisa and Aina vs. a high ponytail senior from TB and a short-haired girl.

Both of them had once asked for Shiro's contact info, and they had good conversations with him.

That high ponytail senior was even the runner-up in the beauty pageant—she almost had a "deep exchange" with Shiro at the Ryugu Inn~

"Oh? Isn't that the beauty pageant champion, Kotegawa? Too bad this isn't a competition you can win by flipping skirts!"

The high ponytail senior looked at Chisa mockingly, her eyes filled with hostility.

Not only had Chisa stolen the first-place crown from her, but she also got to see Shiro every day!

The moment Chisa heard the words "flipping skirts," anger boiled up inside her. In her heart, she was already whipping Iori again.

Aina trembled beside her, unsure why the atmosphere had suddenly become so intense…

"Match start!"

Chisa served the ball with surprisingly proper form and angle.

The high ponytail senior hadn't expected Chisa to be this professional and fumbled a bit at the beginning, but being a pro herself, she quickly regained composure.

Even though Aina was clearly less skilled, she and Chisa had unexpectedly good coordination, keeping the match evenly matched with no clear advantage on either side.

"They're unexpectedly good," Shiro said in surprise, sipping a beer. He had expected this pair to lose badly and was already prepared to use a backup plan.

"Totally different from the earlier match," Iori commented. The previous match was just one-sided domination with no technique at all.

"That's harsh, Iori."

"We worked really hard, okay?"

The bean-eyed senpais complained. It was their first time playing tennis, so of course there wasn't much technique involved.

"By the way, Shiro, why did you come down? Weren't you acting as the referee?" Azusa asked, a little puzzled. She had just witnessed Shiro's whole operation.

Shiro waved his hand nonchalantly. "No need. I had a good chat with the referee. He's a completely fair judge now!"

The Knife Negotiation Technique is unbeatable!

(′｀;)?

Azusa looked up at the referee's chair in confusion. Why did it look like the referee was trembling?

"It's neck and neck! Since it's like this, let's cheer for our girls!"

On the court, the match was still dead even. Most of the enemy team was already drunk. Their morale was through the roof—they could crush the opponents spiritually!

"Oh! That's a great idea!"

"Kitahara, you occasionally come up with something good."

"In that case, Iori, you lead the cheer!"

Everyone agreed and pushed Iori to the front.

After all, Iori's capability had been proven in the beauty pageant—he was the key player. He'd surely pull through this time too.

"Leave it to me! Everyone, shout with me!"

Iori pounded his chest confidently. This time was different—this time he was 100% confident!

"Chisa! Nice body!!!"

"Kotegawa! Nice body!!"

"Little Chisa! Nice body!"

"Chisa is amazing! Nice body!!!"

Shiro didn't quite understand the chant, but given Kitahara's glorious history, he shouted along too.

Such a powerful cheer quickly attracted a crowd of perverts wandering around campus.

Clearly, they were all drawn by the shouts about a girl with a nice body. The news spread quickly, and soon, the stands were packed with ogling pervs.

The shameful scene made Chisa's face burn bright red, but she had no choice but to stay focused on the match. It felt like she was in a new kind of shame-play…

Seeing Shiro cheer for their opponents made the high ponytail senior burn with fury. She immediately switched tactics.

They began aiming straight shots at Aina—body shots! A strategy where you target the opponent's body!

It worked like a charm. TB quickly gained the upper hand.

But Chisa, who had regained her composure, didn't back down and countered with the same strategy.

The match became deadlocked once again—until…

"Chisa! Nice body!"

"Kotegawa! Nice body!"

"Believe in yourself, Chisa! Nice body!"

"Nice body!!" 

With those three idiots leading a massive chant, Chisa couldn't take it anymore. She squatted down on the ground, her ears completely red with embarrassment.

"You bastards! Stop shouting already!!!"

Aina yelled angrily. There was no way she, a total newbie, could take on two people alone!

"TB wins!"

Thanks to Iori's tireless "support," the outcome was no longer in doubt. Shiro didn't even get a chance to implement his plan.

Everyone quickly distanced themselves from Iori, who was being approached by a furious Chisa.

They had learned from the beauty pageant, whether Iori succeeded or not, it's best to cut ties with him immediately or risk getting caught in the crossfire…

As Iori was being stripped of his clothes, Shiro silently pulled out his camera to capture the moment. This was probably the first and last time Iori would be undressed by a girl.

…

Shiro returned to the referee's seat and kicked out the TB referee.

Come on, it's his beloved Kudo-senpai's match—he had to be front row for this!

Watching the three clowns who made him the butt of the joke gather together again, Kudo felt his blood pressure spike.

This time, he would give them a lesson they'd never forget!

But then…

He looked at Iori, nearly naked except for his boxers, and sighed. "So… where's your jacket?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

"For him, nudity is the uniform."

"Let's hurry up and start. We're waiting to use your prize money to go diving~"

"..."

For a moment, Kudo wondered if it was even worth fighting with these people…

"Match start!"