These two guys are hogging everything for themselves.
Even though there are so many of them, how could these two hog everything? She had to talk to the club president about this.
"Nanasaki, Rihoko, let's go! Let's protest to the president! We want Manager's guidance too!"
Tachibana Mikari grabbed Aoi Nanasaki and Sakurai Rihoko and ran toward Tsukahara Hibiki.
"Huh?", Aoi Nanasaki stared blankly at the furious Tachibana Mikari, exchanging a glance with the nearby Sakurai Rihoko.
'It's just temporary manager guidance, even if it's effective, isn't it a bit much to go protest to the president?'
———
At that moment, Hachiman was chatting outside the restroom with the tall, high-ponytailed Tsukahara Hibiki.
Uenohara Ayano and Hayase Saki, in order to avoid suspicion, left for the pool after receiving his guidance, full of gains.
He pretended he had just arrived, came out of the restroom in swim trunks, and happened to bump into Tsukahara Hibiki, who was looking for someone.
"President Hachiman, I thought your Service Club wasn't coming today. So, how's the progress going?"
Tsukahara Hibiki looked at Hachiman, who was showing off his muscular body in just swim trunks, patted his chest, and asked with a chuckle.
She had been here for quite a while today and hadn't seen Hachiman or any other Service Club members. She had thought Hachiman must have chickened out after seeing her elite swimmers and didn't want to help relieve their training stress.
"The others came last time just to get a feel for your girls' swim club atmosphere. It's fine if they're not here now. I'm the only one acting as manager anyway. As for progress, it's not very fast yet. Not counting Saki, I've only dealt with Ayano."
Hachiman felt the hand on his chest was a bit inappropriate, and Tsukahara Hibiki's gaze was quite fiery. But thinking that she was the one who brought him into the girls' swim club, he let it slide.
Maybe she was abusing her power. No, sacrificing herself for the greater good. Tsukahara Hibiki was also a member of the girls' swim club with strong skills and also needed help relieving training stress.
"Dealt with Ayano? Her performance yesterday wasn't just a coincidence?", Tsukahara Hibiki was momentarily stunned by Hachiman's words, looking at him in surprise and uncertainty.
She already knew yesterday that Uenohara Ayano's performance had returned to normal, but Ayano's performance had always been unstable.
Moreover, yesterday was Hachiman's first day; even if he gave Ayano a private lesson to relieve stress, it was unlikely her state would improve so quickly. So she hadn't attributed Ayano's performance to him.
But now that he said this…
"Yeah, I believe she'll perform steadily today too, with a slight improvement in results," Meeting Tsukahara Hibiki's surprised gaze, Hachiman smiled and nodded.
Although Uenohara Ayano had only recently begun receiving his "nourishment," and her improvement wasn't as significant as Hayase Saki's, compared to her previous unstable state, even a small gain would be obvious.
"Looks like… I really found the right person… As expected of the Service Club's president."
Tsukahara Hibiki stared at Hachiman, a bright smile slowly appearing on her face. She hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him forcefully into her chest.
She knew she had been asking too much from the start, actually expecting Hachiman to counsel so many elite members and relieve their training stress.
Each of them had different personalities, but their athletic ability and physical strength were undoubtedly outstanding.
Athletes already face tremendous stress from daily training, not to mention these girls who had never tasted the sourness of love and had no proper outlet. With their pent-up stress and strong bodies capable of intense training, even helping just one of them would be too much for an ordinary guy.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked attracting the Disciplinary Committee's attention by pulling a male into the girls' swim club. She had seen Hachiman, full of vigor in the Service Club surrounded by so many girls, even spending weekends partying with the volleyball ace and a politician's daughter at Saki's house. She trusted his capabilities and looked forward to him helping the swim team.
But she didn't expect him to be this strong. He dealt with Uenohara Ayano in just one day. She couldn't tell whether Ayano was too naive or Hachiman was too powerful.
"President Hibiki, this isn't appropriate… someone could come by any moment," Hachiman, pulled close with Tsukahara Hibiki's arm around his neck and nearly hugged, felt the immense softness pressing on him. He gently struggled to escape her gravitational pull, hinting that she should watch her behavior.
Though he had ventured into the girls' swim club alone, as someone blacklisted for suggestive activities, he had no fear of the Disciplinary Committee watching him.
But Tsukahara Hibiki was different. She was quite respected in the club. If other girls saw this, it wouldn't look good.
"You're right, let's go inside and rest. Helping Ayano and the others doesn't need to be rushed, just do your best. Don't push yourself. You need proper rest," Tsukahara Hibiki agreed immediately, pulling Hachiman toward the restroom, wanting him to sit down and rest.
She also wanted to witness how effective Hachiman's stress-relief method was. After all, he had dealt with Uenohara Ayano in just a day.
Ayano's negativity drove her crazy. Despite being so skilled as a first-year and full of potential, she always lacked confidence and viewed things pessimistically.
When Hayase Saki ran off to the Service Club, Sayuri had worried that Ayano would be the next to quit.
Thankfully, after bringing Hachiman into the swim club, not only did Saki return, but Ayano's dropout risk was also eliminated.
But several members had already experienced Hachiman's strength. As club president, she had no idea what it was like.
To better arrange future training for the members, she needed to personally assess Hachiman's stress-relief abilities.
"Huh? Is this really just resting?", Hachiman, who originally planned to find Tachibana Mikari, was dumbfounded. Tsukahara Hibiki was way too bold and direct.
Yuina and the others had already told him about their relationship with Tachibana Mikari. With the personality data provided by Tsukahara Hibiki, he knew Tachibana Mikari was competitive and never backed down, and highly motivated when interested. He could easily deal with her.
But he didn't expect the easiest one to handle in the swim club wouldn't be Ayano or Tachibana, it was President Tsukahara Hibiki.
Tachibana Mikari and the others hadn't even begun the stress-relief training, and here was Hibiki, already eager to go.
"Of course it's real. Just sit and rest well, President Hachiman," Tsukahara Hibiki turned and gave Hachiman a meaningful smile. She wasn't going to do anything bad to him.
Anyway, this wasn't urgent. This was a long-term stress-relief assignment. It was necessary for Hachiman to balance work and rest.
She just wanted to get a slight taste. Since the members had started accepting his guidance, how could she, the president, have zero experience? That'd be too embarrassing to give orders or guidance.
Tsukahara Hibiki thought it through well. No one was around, so it was the perfect time to drag Hikigaya into the restroom and close the door, no one would disturb them.
But before she could drag him inside, she heard a familiar voice from the other end of the hallway.
"President!"
"You're the one hogging everything!"
Tachibana Mikari, who had been looking for Hachiman, had already run into Ayano and Saki who were on their way to training. But they said they'd just come out of the changing room and hadn't seen Hachiman.
Just when Tachibana Mikari was beginning to think maybe she was overthinking and Hikigaya hadn't shown up today, she saw her president sneakily dragging him into the restroom.
Unbelievable!
So the president was the one hogging it all.
Following behind her, Aoi Nanasaki and Sakurai Rihoko looked at the two in front of the restroom, their expressions complicated.
They felt that Tachibana's "hogging everything" comment was a bit much. They just wanted some of the manager's guidance to improve. How was that hogging?
But judging by President Hibiki's actions with Manager Hikigaya earlier, it seemed like there really was some kind of secret relationship going on between them.
Dating is normal. Even if the Disciplinary Committee is strict, they can't completely ban student relationships. If not at school, then after class.
But dragging someone into the club for dating, and even trying to go into the restroom together… they couldn't possibly just be washing hands together, right…?
"Tachibana? And Nanasaki, Rihoko, you're here too? Why aren't you training? What are you doing here?", Tsukahara Hibiki saw the imposing Tachibana Mikari demanding answers, and even Aoi Nanasaki and Sakurai Rihoko staring at her. She had no choice but to let go of Hachiman's hand, clear her throat, and return to her usual dignified demeanor.
But Tachibana wasn't having any of it. She walked over to Hachiman, glanced at him, then turned to Hibiki, crossed her arms, raised her chin, and huffed.
"Don't change the subject. President, explain what you and Manager Hikigaya were just doing."
"I've been working hard training for several laps before taking a break, and yet you're doing this during club time."
"...Tachibana, calm down. I just had a private matter with Manager Hikigaya and needed a quiet place to talk," Tsukahara Hibiki looked at the smug troublemaker Tachibana and felt a headache.
'This girl… definitely trying to stir up trouble for me.'
Student clubs were like companies, strictly hierarchical. Juniors couldn't challenge seniors. But Tachibana Mikari was clearly an exception. Despite being a second-year, she had no respect for third-year seniors, even the club president.
Still, Tsukahara Hibiki, who knew Tachibana's personality well, wasn't truly angry.
Tachibana wasn't some justice-fueled Disciplinary Committee member. She didn't care enough to report Hibiki. She was likely using this as leverage to demand something.
But what exactly did she want? Tachibana was competitive and unlikely to use underhanded means to get a starting spot. Yet there wasn't much else Hibiki could offer.
"What kind of private matter requires going into the restroom? Is it some special performance-enhancing guidance? I know Uenohara's results have stabilized and even improved under Manager Hikigaya's guidance."
"If that's the case, then I want guidance from Manager Hikigaya too."
Tachibana didn't believe Hibiki's excuse at all. As she spoke, she looked at Hachiman.
At first, she had taken an interest in him because he was the good-looking guy raised by Minami and Rin. But now, seeing Uenohara and Hayase's improvement was thanks to him, her interest grew even more.
She had long disliked Minami and the others. Why not use this opportunity to snatch Hachiman and make him participate in the girls' swim club daily, ignoring Minami and the rest?
"Manager Hikigaya is currently guiding Uenohara and Hayase. Your turn will come in a few days," Hearing Tachibana's request, Tsukahara Hibiki instantly understood her intentions but politely refused.
She brought Hikigaya here to relieve pressure. Tachibana didn't seem stressed. Others could say they were stressed, but this cheerful, carefree girl wasn't qualified.
Still, Tachibana wasn't completely worry-free. As someone driven by interest, if she lost motivation for swimming, she'd likely quit faster than someone just under pressure.
"President, that's unfair! You said we could ask Manager Hikigaya for help, and now you're monopolizing him!"
Tachibana wasn't backing down, looking thoroughly wronged.
"How am I monopolizing him? I already said he's busy guiding Uenohara and the others."
Tsukahara Hibiki looked at the three girls, Tachibana, Nanasaki, and Rihoko, all wanting to speak up, and sighed helplessly.
If it were just Tachibana, it would be manageable. But now with the other two, how was Hikigaya going to handle it?
Don't let it end up with Hachiman failing to relieve their stress, and instead being overwhelmed by so many of them together.
"Uenohara and the others aren't even here right now, so can't he guide me, Nanasaki, and Rihoko first? Right, Nanasaki, Rihoko? You also want to be guided by Manager Hikigaya, right?"
As Tachibana Mikari spoke, she looked to her sides, to the cold-faced, short black-haired Nanasaki Ai and the frail-looking, grayish-purple short-haired Rihoko Sakurai, and coaxed them.
She knew there was definitely something fishy about Hachiman's guidance. Yesterday when Uenohara Ayano was being guided by him, she didn't show up at the poolside at all. What kind of guidance had to be done in secret?
Today, the club president Hibiki even pulled Hachiman into the bathroom. Maybe yesterday, Uenohara Ayano and Hachiman were also secretly doing bad things in the bathroom.
But she didn't care. She originally wanted to take down Hachiman to make Minami and the others regret showing off their handsome guys in front of her.
If she could drag Nanasaki Ai and Rihoko Sakurai into the water as well, even better. She believed that in the girls' swim club filled with so many beautiful girls, Hachiman would make a wise choice between them and those three mere gyaru girls like Minami.
———
"Nanasaki and Rihoko, are you two sure you also want to receive guidance from Manager Hikigaya right now?"
Seeing through Tachibana Mikari's intentions, Tsukahara Hibiki raised an eyebrow. However, she didn't directly expose her, and instead smiled as she looked at Nanasaki Ai and Rihoko Sakurai.
"Let me say this first, Manager Hikigaya's guidance is a bit special. Even if you don't want to accept it halfway through, you'll still have to observe the guidance, and you can't reveal anything about it to others."
Originally, she wanted Hachiman to take things slowly. Relieving their stress didn't need to be done in one day. Just pick the most stressed one each day and guide them, that was enough.
However, although the outwardly cold but inwardly gentle Nanasaki Ai was as diligent as ever and didn't seem too stressed, there was some trouble at Rihoko Sakurai's home. It seemed her mother had passed away recently. So she thought it was still necessary to check on Rihoko Sakurai's mental state.
"Hm? Observe the guidance? If everyone else can accept it, then I should be able to as well."
Nanasaki Ai was a little puzzled by President Hibiki's meaningful smile, but remembering that second-year senior Hayase Saki and fellow first-year Uenohara Ayano had both received guidance from Manager Hikigaya, she nodded.
She had actually privately approached Manager Hikigaya in the cafeteria before, asking for his guidance. Now that the president agreed, refusing it would be unreasonable.
Although she didn't really understand the meaning of that "observe the guidance" part, was it because the more effective direct guidance by Manager Hikigaya involved physical contact, so if someone didn't agree, they could just sit by and listen to a less effective lecture-type guidance?
"As long as you can accept it, that's fine."
Seeing Nanasaki Ai agree in her confusion, Tsukahara Hibiki nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned toward the obviously unwell Rihoko Sakurai, smiled, and asked:
"What about you, Rihoko? Your condition hasn't been good lately. Would you be willing to receive guidance from Manager Hikigaya to improve your training results?"
"Of course, if you feel that Manager Hikigaya's way of guiding is unacceptable, you don't have to continue. However, to prevent any leaks, when Manager Hikigaya is guiding others, you'll also have to be present."
Although under the circumstances of trouble at home, it would be better for Rihoko Sakurai to take a rest, after Hibiki tried persuading her, she still insisted on showing up for swim club practice. So she had no way of sending her away anymore—she could only help Rihoko Sakurai in her own way.
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