A Saiyan's Journey

"Come in."

With Yukinoshita Yukino's cold voice, Shin and Akagi finally stepped into the Service Club room—as Shin had expected, Yukinoshita Yukino was the only one present.

It seemed that Hachiman Hikigaya, the "protagonist" from the original work, really wasn't at this school, or else Hiratsuka Shizuka would have likely thrown him in here by now.

"So, is there anything you would like to request?"

Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze swept over Shin and Akagi, lingering briefly on Shin.

People are visual creatures, and even Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't immune to this; compared to Akagi, Shin clearly aligned more with her aesthetic preferences, which made her look at him a bit longer.

However, Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't shallow, and appearances were something she didn't particularly care about, so she quickly withdrew her gaze and asked them both, "Go ahead, what is it you would like to request?"

Shin glanced at Akagi beside him, unsure of what Akagi had in mind for the request—surely it wouldn't be something absurd like asking for help with a "Mediterranean" hairstyle.

"Ahem, actually..."

Akagi cleared his throat twice, and then, as if reading from a prepared speech, he spoke up loudly, "I want to ask the Service Club to help me pursue a girl."

"...Huh?"

Hearing Akagi's request, Yukinoshita Yukino showed no particular reaction, but Shin, standing next to him, was taken aback.

It wasn't surprising for him to be caught off guard, considering that Akagi had been so adamant about meeting all the well-known beautiful girls at the school. Shin had always assumed he intended to pursue one of them.

But now, faced with Yukinoshita Yukino, Akagi said he wanted to pursue another girl...

Of course, if it were someone else, Shin might have thought, "Could it be that the girl he's referring to is Yukinoshita herself?" But in Akagi's case, he probably lacked the subtlety for such a roundabout approach.

If Akagi really wanted to pursue Yukinoshita, he'd most likely just come out and say, "Please go out with me."

So, when Akagi mentioned "pursuing a girl," he probably meant someone else.

"Oh? You're interested in pursuing a girl? Who is it?"

Yukinoshita Yukino nodded at his words, seemingly intrigued. After all, school romance was a topic that always captivated young people, and as a high school girl herself, it was only natural for Yukino to be a bit interested.

Deep down, though Yukinoshita Yukino appeared very aloof, she still had a somewhat vibrant inner world.

"It's a girl who often comes to watch the soccer team practice..."

Akagi showed a rare display of shyness, scratching his head as if embarrassed to mention the girl.

Seeing Akagi's behavior, Shin looked as if he had seen a ghost—he had been guessing that the "other girl" might be Utaha Kasumigaoka or Eriri, but it turned out to be neither.

It seemed that although Akagi was enthusiastic about meeting these beautiful girls, he had never actually thought about pursuing them; he probably just saw them as idols.

It was quite peculiar, really, that a soccer star would have his idol not be a football celebrity but rather a school beauty.

"A girl who often watches the soccer team practice... I see. So, you're on the soccer team."

With his sporty appearance, it was obvious to Yukinoshita Yukino that Akagi was a member of the soccer team.

However, Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't interested in soccer and didn't know that Akagi was considered one of the top players.

"Do you know the girl's name? What class is she in?"

"I... I don't know."

Akagi responded awkwardly—despite his interest in the girl, he had evidently never spoken to her.

Actually, as a soccer ace, if that girl genuinely had an interest in soccer, Akagi would have had a good chance of striking up a conversation.

Yet, despite being so thick-skinned in other situations, Akagi became surprisingly bashful when it really mattered, which Shin found quite surprising.

"I see. We'll have to start by gathering the most basic information."

Yukinoshita Yukino nodded, understanding Akagi's situation.

A young soccer player who had taken an interest in a girl who watched their games but was too shy to approach her—such a youthful and innocent reason for asking for help.

This request wasn't too challenging, and Yukinoshita Yukino quickly made a decision:

"You'll be heading to soccer practice soon, right? Will that girl be there?"

"Huh...? I do have soccer practice soon, and as for that girl, she should be there. She's been coming almost every day lately."

Akagi hesitated for a moment before nodding quickly.

"Alright, go to your soccer practice. I'll be nearby to help you approach her and get a sense of the situation."

Yukinoshita Yukino was the kind of person who acted promptly; once she had made a plan, she immediately set it into motion.

"Right now? Don't you need to keep an eye on the Service Club?"

Shin asked curiously. Leaving now would mean the Service Club would be left unattended.

Currently, the Service Club didn't have Hachiman Hikigaya or any other members; Yukinoshita Yukino was the only one in charge. If she left, the room would be empty.

"This can't be helped. Handling requests is the Service Club's duty. If someone truly needs our help and doesn't find us here this time, they will come back another time."

Yukinoshita Yukino replied calmly and looked at Shin.

"You're his friend, aren't you? Do you want to come along and help?"

Shin thought for a moment. Since he only had eight hours in this dream world, which conveniently matched his sleep time, he didn't have any pressing reason to leave early.

With a decent amount of money in his bank account, he didn't need to take on a part-time job, and going home now would just mean playing video games.

Though Akagi could be a bit clueless, he had been helpful in easing Shin into some social circles at school. From Shin's perspective, Akagi was indeed a friend.

Since his friend needed help, Shin had no reason to refuse.

"Sure, I also want to see what kind of girl Akagi is interested in."

"Good, then let's go."

Yukinoshita Yukino nodded and naturally took the lead, walking ahead.

Shin and Akagi instinctively followed, then exchanged glances, momentarily surprised—they hadn't expected Yukinoshita Yukino to so easily take on the role of their leader.

One had to admit that Yukinoshita Yukino had quite a commanding presence.

To be continued…