A Serious Table Tennis Showdown in the Erotic Game
Children who have not yet become adults harbor vague fantasies about growing up. They imagine that the clumsy, immature kid they were at nineteen will somehow evolve the moment they turn twenty, transforming into a responsible, patient adult. That’s why people say things like, “Now that you’re an adult, stop acting childish and take responsibility for everything.”
But that was never going to be possible.
Just looking at the students from the education center playing table tennis right in front of me proved it.
“Hey! That’s a foul!”
“No it’s not~ Who decided that was a foul?”
“I-it’s international rules!”
“This isn’t an international match, it’s domestic.”
These people, who could now definitively be called adults, had reclaimed the pure innocence of childhood with nothing more than a single table tennis ball and two paddles. They hurled pure, illogical accusations at each other, bickering over who had won in the most heartwarming way imaginable.
As I watched them and let out a soft chuckle, Lee Harin, who had been observing me from the side, looked over with clear disgust.
“...You look like a middle-aged uncle.”
I returned the favor with a single light word.
“You too.”
Maybe it was because we were watching our friends play so purely, but our own conversation somehow felt a little childish as well.
“Haah, why on earth do I have to share classes with a guy like you...”
Lee Harin lowered her head, apparently feeling self-loathing at the fact that she was even having this exchange. Still, nothing changed.
Our education center didn’t follow the typical high-school system where the same group of classmates took every lesson together. Instead, it used a university-style course registration where students chose and attended the classes they wanted. Once you picked a course, you were stuck seeing the same faces for at least half a year.
That was why I looked at her with a smug grin and teased, “What are we going to do about this tragedy? We’ll have to see each other for at least the next six months.”
Lee Harin immediately flared up. “Stop saying weird stuff!”
“...Stawp saying weeeird things, nya~!”
“Ah, seriously...”
Of course, I had no intention of stopping there. Besides, Jo Ayoung—who hated physical education—was off in a classroom taking theory lessons, so there was no one here who could rein me in. I spent the time happily teasing Lee Harin as she showed every possible reaction.
“If you don’t want to trade childish banter, how about we play a round of table tennis?”
At the suggestion, Lee Harin scrunched up her face and flatly refused. “Absolutely not.”
I gave her a light, mocking laugh. “Well, I figured... that would be the case.”
The dismissive tone made her glare at me. I slowly continued.
“You’re scared, aren’t you? Of losing to me at table tennis.”
For a moment, Lee Harin’s expression twisted into something so fierce it defied description.
“Losing...? Me?”
That day, I witnessed something like a heat haze rising from a person—the kind of thing you only saw in manga.
“...Fine. I’ll accept that pathetic provocation.”
With those words, Lee Harin picked up a paddle from the side. It was the double-sided racket with rubber on both faces, the type most commonly used in modern table tennis. The way she naturally extended her thumb forward to grip it told me she wasn’t a beginner who had only picked up a paddle once or twice.
The sight made me tense up slightly. I grabbed a double-sided paddle of my own and said, “Hoo. Bring it on.”
The white ball bounced twice on the blue table.
“...Eleven points, single game?” Lee Harin asked.
I thought for a moment before answering, “How about best of three to eleven?”
She nodded immediately, as if it didn’t matter either way. She didn’t seem to entertain even the slightest possibility of losing.
I smiled inwardly at her confidence and raised my hand. “Wait a second.”
Lee Harin, who had been about to toss the ball up and serve first, froze.
“...Why?” The question carried clear killing intent.
I answered hurriedly. “Well, we should decide who serves first and maybe add a bet, right?”
With her head still half-tilted, she glared at me. “...Whatever. I’m going to win anyway.”
We agreed that I would serve first, and the bet turned into the absurd condition that the loser had to grant the winner’s wish.
Whew...
At this point, even I was starting to feel nervous. As a guy who had played a fair amount of table tennis back in the day, I had assumed I held the advantage. But seeing Lee Harin’s overwhelming confidence up close filled me with inexplicable anxiety.
So I decided to carefully gauge her skill level and began with a short cut serve using heavy backspin.
Whoosh. The white ball rose above my head. With a solid thud as my foot stamped the ground, the ball shot forward.
Given the backspin, I figured there was a ninety-nine percent chance it would catch the net unless she used a topspin drive. Or she might just lift it lightly. I naturally assumed she wouldn’t have the advanced technique, so I expected an easy chance ball to return.
But then—
“...Hup!”
With a heavy thud, Lee Harin stamped the ground and drove the ball with powerful topspin, smashing it straight into my court.
Expecting an easy return, I had no choice but to miss it completely.
Bounce—whirrr.
The white ball spun rapidly as it sailed behind me.
“......”
With a stiff expression, I walked over to retrieve the ball. Lee Harin, watching me with a smirk, said, “Hey, want me to go easy on you now?”
Those were words a man should never hear.
My lips trembled. I forced a smile. “Not bad...”
Despite what I said, my insides were shaking. Just how good was this girl at table tennis? It might have been an outdated way of thinking, but none of the women I had met before played with this much style or skill. I couldn’t help but be genuinely rattled.
So this time, instead of a straightforward cut serve, I faked my motion and delivered a curving drive loaded with topspin.
“...Hooop!”
With a heavy thud, the ball rocketed forward with all my power. Even Lee Harin couldn’t return it easily. When the ball floated back a little high with a clean tap, I slammed it down.
Smash.
The flower of table tennis. Unlike other techniques, it carried no spin—just pure power that crushed the opponent’s court and flew back at high speed.
This time I looked at her and said, “Ah, was that too strong?”
“......”
Lee Harin silently retrieved the ball that had gone behind her. Now it was her turn to serve.
Unlike me, she tossed the ball with a smooth motion. The instant it aligned with the net—thud—she drove it forward with explosive footwork. It was a drive serve as fast as her powerful step.
I debated whether to cut it or counter with my own drive, then chose the latter with even greater force.
Hoo—thud!
The ball that had entered my court returned to hers with even sharper spin. Lee Harin tried to counter with a drive just like I had, but she missed it completely.
Tap—whirrrrl.
The ball she had struck spun wildly and flew behind her.
“Phew...”
Having taken two points in a row, I regained some composure. On the other hand, Lee Harin’s expression had grown slightly rigid as she picked up the ball and served with a different rhythm this time.
She flicked her paddle with a quick whir, delivering a sidespin serve. It curved sharply left and right—the kind of serve that would be difficult for a beginner to return even once. Since I wasn’t a beginner, I met the ambiguously spinning ball cleanly.
Another smash.
Thud—kwaang!
The ball struck her court with a sound like it might burst and flew past her.
“...Was that too strong?”
I flipped the scoreboard beside me. That made it three points already.
I had been a little flustered at the start by how much better she was than I expected, but so far my skill still held the upper hand. I had completely regained my composure and was already pondering what wish I should ask for.
Yet when Lee Harin returned to the court, her expression was anything but ordinary.
“...Not bad.”
With those words, she immediately delivered a cut serve. I tried to return it with a drive again, but—
Shiiiiing—
The ball clipped the net, spun miserably, and dropped.
Watching it, Lee Harin muttered quietly, “I’ll admit it. You really are pretty good at table tennis.”
Then she extended her paddle toward me.
“...Of course, you won’t be scoring any more points from here on out.”
It was Lee Harin’s declaration of victory.