The Classmate Who Is Adored by Everyone Smiles Teasingly Only at Me-Chapter 4V1 .12 - Infinite Possibilities of Ice Cream

Infinite Possibilities of Ice Cream 12

The billiard corner was on the third floor, along with the darts corner.

While the darts corner was somewhat lively, with university circle members and couples playing, the billiard corner was eerily deserted.

“I guess billiards isn’t popular.”

“It’s just a coincidence. Isn’t it fine? We have it all to ourselves, and there’s no one to laugh at our awkward beginner plays.”

It turns out that not only Sōma and Chika but also Miki had never played billiards before.

Although she came along, she stood there holding the borrowed cue, looking unsure of what to do.

“Do you know the rules of billiards, Sōma-san?”

“About Nine-ball, at least. You have to sink the balls in order from the lowest numbered one, and the one who sinks the Nine-ball wins.”

While rubbing the blue, dice-like chalk on the tip of the cue, Sōma recalls the rules somewhat vaguely.

“That’s simple enough. Let’s go with that, then.”

Chika immediately starts arranging the colorful balls from one to nine in a diamond shape.

“Wait, wait, wait. Since all three of us are beginners, let’s practice a bit before playing.”

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“Oh, right. Let’s do that first.”

While he said it was because they were all beginners, the truth was that Sōma was worried about his own skills.

It was just a superficial male ego, not wanting to show a pathetic performance in front of the girls.

And, his concern turned out to be valid.

The white cue ball, after being struck, rolled pathetically over the green felt and weakly hit the yellow target ball.

The yellow ball rolled just a few centimeters and came to a stop.

“…strange?”

While gazing at the motionless and undignified cue ball, he tilts his head.

Even though he tried to follow the tips he had looked up on his smartphone for the shot, it didn’t work at all.

He wanted to make a break shot like the scenes in movies and anime, going ‘clank’ with a satisfying sound, but it seemed quite challenging.

Glancing at the adjacent table, he notices that Miki, who is practicing alone, doesn’t seem to be doing well either.

It was a bit of comfort to see that even someone praised as high-spec struggles with it.

Suddenly, a satisfying collision sound resounds in the billiard corner.

Turning toward the source of the sound, he sees Chika making a beautiful shot.

“What the…?”

In front of the astonished Sōma, Chika takes another shot.

——Clack

The cue ball, with a delightful sound, races across the table at a speed far beyond Sōma’s shot, knocking the blue two-ball into the pocket.

“I see, I see, so you have to do it like this.”

Adjusting the chalk on the cue’s tip, Chika nods convincingly.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you’ve never played billiards?”

“Yes? I just looked up how to do it on my smartphone.”

“You can do that just from that?”

“Somehow, I managed to do it.”

Surprisingly, Chika has such talent.

Looking at Miki, she also has the same expression as Sōma.

“No way. That’s amazing.”

As someone who can only make clumsy and awkward shots, she looks at her with admiration.

“I’m also just winging it, but if you’re okay with it, shall I teach you?”

Sōma hesitates for a moment before answering.

However, there’s a saying that goes, ‘Ask and you shall be ashamed once, but don’t ask and you shall be ashamed forever.’

He decides it’s better to ask for advice honestly and lowers his head.

“Alright, teach me, please.”

“Um, make sure your face is facing directly forward in relation to the white ball, and your feet are in a stable position. Then, make sure your chin is right above the cue, and fix your gaze firmly on the point where you want to hit the ball, then push the cue straight ahead.”

Chika gives such advice while looking at her smartphone.

“I’ve been doing that, though.”

He tries to follow her instructions and takes the shot.

However, the ball travels pathetically, just like before.

“Maybe the power isn’t being transmitted properly. It feels different.”

Observing Sōma maintaining his stance after taking the shot, Chika tilts her head in thought.

“Imagine drawing the power up from your feet and through your arms. It’s like controlling ki or energy, like in manga. Pretend you’re becoming a character like that in a manga. But don’t think you need to exert much force. Normal power is enough. If you hit the point of the ball properly, you’ll be able to do it just fine.”

“If I could do it with just that explanation, it wouldn’t be such a struggle.”

Sōma said with a hint of frustration.

He can’t entirely fault her for not understanding what she meant.

Her instructions were too abstract, making it difficult to grasp and put into practice easily.

Thinking that he might have to practice repeatedly, he gives up on seeking further guidance from Chika and prepares himself to take more shots.

However, suddenly, Chika comes up close and leans over Sōma.

“H-Hey?”

Ignoring his bewilderment, she tightly grips the hand holding the cue, encompassing it in her own hands.

He can feel the sensation of Chika’s body spread across his back.

There’s a more significant volume to her than he expected, and its presence makes him restless.

“Ch-Chika…!?”

Miki is also surprised and flustered by Chika’s unexpected bold action.

Unsure whether to intervene or keep her promise to observe, she anxiously looks around.

“Sōma-san, please face straight ahead.”

Amidst Sōma and Miki’s nervousness, Chika remains incredibly focused.

“As I just mentioned, don’t put too much force into it. Also, when hitting the white ball, it’s better to imagine the cue’s tip extending further into the space beyond the white ball. Of course, you should aim for the trajectory to pass through the center of the ball, but when taking the shot, forget about the ball itself. The cue hitting the ball is just the outcome.”

“I see…”

The agitation hasn’t completely dissipated, he hasn’t been able to entirely push away the softness and warmth spreading from her back, and he has never undergone such spiritual training to be able to do that.

Still, he tries his best to focus on the cue and the white ball.

Otherwise, he won’t be able to match Chika’s sincere attempt to teach him.