SWNOVELXO Chapter 136
Chapter 136: The Heart-Throbbing Boy
After leaving the pavilion in the courtyard, Hikigaya wasn’t sure if Horikita would take his words to heart. But based on what he knew about her, this ice-cold girl was the epitome of stubbornness—like a mule that wouldn’t stop until it hit a dead end!
He could only hope that her head was tough enough.
Lunchtime.
Following intel from a certain little angel who wanted to be friends with everyone, Hikigaya arrived near an outdoor basketball court. As expected, under a large banyan tree nearby, he spotted two boys eating bread.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing here?!”
The two boys immediately showed wary expressions upon seeing Hikigaya.
“Class C’s Komiya and Kondo, right?”
Ignoring their warning, Hikigaya casually sat down next to them and took out a yakisoba bread he had managed to grab from the convenience store.
Komiya and Kondo exchanged glances, clearly seeing the wariness—and a hint of fear—in each other’s eyes regarding Hikigaya.
“Tch, bad luck!”
Komiya muttered under his breath. Though he was clearly annoyed, all he could do was complain. If it came down to it, he and Kondo were prepared to find another place to eat.
They couldn’t afford to provoke him, but they could at least avoid him!
“You two are members of the basketball club, right?”
Hikigaya’s sudden words made both of them freeze instantly. They stopped in their tracks and turned back to stare at him in silence.
Others who weren’t in any clubs might not understand, but for those in sports teams—especially since these two were part of the basketball club—not only did they know Hikigaya, but they were also well aware of his close relationship with their coach due to the student council.
Ever since summer began and the IH Summer Tournament approached, Komiya and Kondo had frequently seen Hikigaya in the gym during practice, often alongside a senior student. He was not only in discussions with their coach but also interacting with other club coaches and team leaders.
So, when Hikigaya suddenly brought up the basketball club, both Komiya and Kondo felt a chill run down their spines.
“W-What do you want?”
Their voices were stiff, and they didn’t even notice the slight tremble in their tone.
“Isn’t the IH Summer Tournament coming up? As a student council member, I just wanted to understand the club members’ thoughts and see if anything needs improvement.”
Hikigaya spoke calmly.
“Really?”
Komiya and Kondo were clearly skeptical.
“I know what you two are worried about. I heard you guys got into a fight because you were jealous that Sudo was chosen for the official team roster?”
“Jealous? Us? There’s no way we’d be jealous of that damn gorilla!”
Komiya and Kondo immediately reacted with agitation, strongly refuting the claim.
“That guy has zero teamwork and plays selfishly in practice games—how the hell did he make it onto the official team?!”
“But since he earned the coach’s approval, that means Sudo’s basketball skills aren’t bad. At the very least, he must be better than you two, right?”
Hikigaya’s words were like a bomb going off. Komiya and Kondo instantly exploded with anger, arguing back and forth about how their skills were no worse than Sudo’s.
Moreover, their roles on the court weren’t flashy offensive positions like Sudo’s. Instead, they were more like support players who assisted teammates and set up plays. Since offensive players naturally stood out more, the only thing they lacked was a stage to showcase their abilities.
“Forget it, don’t argue with this guy anymore. No matter how much we say, he’s just an outsider who doesn’t understand anything!”
Komiya looked extremely angry, but more than that, he was unwilling to accept it.
Just as he and Kondo were about to leave, they suddenly heard Hikigaya’s voice from behind:
“What if this opportunity was right in front of you now?”
Their movements came to an abrupt halt. Even though they wanted to get away from Hikigaya as soon as possible, his words made them involuntarily turn back. Their tone carried a hint of doubt… but even more, anticipation.
“You… What do you mean by that?”
Hikigaya, as if he hadn’t noticed their reaction, continued,
“You both should know that the spots for away games are very limited, and the school’s approval process is extremely strict. That’s why clubs are very cautious when selecting players for the official roster. You understand this, right?”
Komiya and Kondo nodded. They were well aware of how rigorous the selection process for the basketball club’s official roster was.
“With your current abilities, you’re still not qualified to be on the official team. However, since the school places importance on developing athletic talent, they are relatively lenient toward players with potential but lacking skills. Generally, clubs are given three to four spots for such players to travel with the team, allowing them to watch and learn from the games. The purpose is to broaden their horizons, push them to improve, and motivate their growth.”
Since Hikigaya had been handling club affairs for a while, he was well-versed in these details.
The school had strict regulations for clubs participating in away games, including a limited number of participants. As a result, only students on the official roster had the opportunity to travel for matches. Take the basketball club as an example: the official team consisted of only seven players—five starters and two substitutes. This meant that less than one-third of the club members had the chance to compete in matches.
Because of this, clubs had been negotiating with the school to increase the number of travel spots. Their goal was to provide opportunities for talented players who had not yet made the official roster to attend matches, observe, and learn—essentially a way to accelerate the growth of newcomers.
In reality, these additional learning spots were what first-year players desired the most. Compared to the upperclassmen, they still lagged in skill, physical ability, and training experience.
However, these extra spots weren’t just contested by first-years—second-year players also fought fiercely for them. From what Komiya and Kondo knew, these spots had always been taken by second-years in previous years, leaving almost no chance for first-years to participate.
“You… What exactly are you trying to say?”
Their voices unconsciously tensed up as an unspoken yet thrilling possibility formed in their minds.
Hikigaya smiled.
“Nothing much. It’s just that every year, these spots are taken by upperclassmen. I think it’s time for a change—to give newcomers more opportunities to learn and grow. What do you two think?”
Komiya and Kondo exchanged glances. They could see the same thought in each other’s eyes. And at the same time, they understood exactly what Hikigaya was implying.
Clearly… they were tempted!