What even is a “rainbow-colored youth”? It was a question that I constantly pondered. I’d told Serika that we should have a clearly defined goal, but here I was, unsure of what I was striving for. What a joke.
The school festival concert and the conversation I’d had with Hikari right after—surely both were part of the rainbow-colored youth I sought. But now, for some reason, I felt like I was straying from my goal, even though I’d successfully begun dating Hikari, the girl I loved.
Was it because I had tangible problems that weren’t a part of my idealized youth? Could that have been why? The tension in my friend group, the question of the band—there were no easy solutions for either. And maybe they weren’t even problems at all. These sorts of worries were a dime a dozen in life.
I was searching for something abstract, searching for something I pictured in the depths of my heart. I wanted to become friends with the people I admired. I wanted to date the girl I’d fallen in love with. I longed for something I could obsess over. And I wished to live every day to the fullest.
If that was all I desired, then I’d already achieved my goals. It was inevitable that a few problems would arise in the process. So what the heck was I missing? To begin with, what had made me want a rainbow-colored youth in the first place? Before my empty, gray-colored youth, before all my regrets... What had driven me to go through a high school glow-up the first time?
What I’d been wanting was...
“Hey! Come on, Natsuki! Lets race to the top of that mountain!”
Suddenly, I recalled a childhood memory. Miori, whose hair was short and boyish, dashed past me, her back steadily receding into the distance. “Wait,” I said, desperately trying to keep up...
“Hey, Haibara, wake up! Answer this problem.”
The teacher’s voice, plus a painful sensation on my cheek, returned me to reality at last. I opened my eyes and raised my head. Murakami-sensei, our math teacher, glared at me from the podium. To add to that, the entire class was watching me. I looked to my side; evidently, Hikari had been poking my cheek with her finger. She glared at me with cold, reproachful eyes for some reason.
“I see you’re finally awake.” Murakami-sensei let out an exasperated sigh.
“Ummm... Good morning,” I said.
“Am I a joke to you? Hurry up and solve this problem.”
Apparently, it was my turn to answer a problem in class. There were a number of math questions written on the blackboard; Okajima-kun, who sat in front of me, and Fujiwara, who sat in front of him, were standing before the board with chalk in hand. I guess the last problem’s for me.
I bowed to Murakami-sensei as I wrote the answer on the board. It must’ve been a fairly difficult problem for a first-year, because the class oohed when I finished.
“Good grief,” Murakami-sensei grumbled in a fed up tone. “Correct—even though you don’t pay attention in class.”
Sorry, but this is my second time in high school... I’d considered pretending like I didn’t know how to solve it, but decided against it. He likely would’ve been even angrier, since he’d caught me snoozing. I apologized to Murakami-sensei and returned to my seat. When I sat down, Hikari appeared to be in a terrible mood. She glanced at me coldly and then turned away.
“Did... Did I do something wrong?” I whispered.
“What were you dreaming about?” she asked quietly.
My dream? What was it about, again? I was definitely dreaming about something, although I can’t remember what. But what does that have to do with this?
I hesitated. “Are you angry with me?”
“No, not really.”
Th-There it is! Girls always say they’re not angry even when they are! What the heck did I do? I’m too thickheaded to even guess... That aside, Hikari is really cute when she puffs up her cheeks to show that she’s upset. I meekly listened to our lesson, unsure of what to say.
Suddenly, Hikari whispered, “You were sleep talking and said Miori-chan’s name.”
O-Oh... I see, so that’s what happened. Come to think of it, that does sound like what I was dreaming about... I guess I said Miori’s name while reliving old memories, and Hikari must’ve heard me. She’s my girlfriend; it wouldn’t feel good to hear me mumble another girl’s name in my sleep.
“Um,” I began. “Erm, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You have no reason to apologize, right?” she replied aloofly. She was correct, but I couldn’t do anything except say sorry.
What should I do? I have absolutely no idea.
Her mouth suddenly slackened. “I’m kidding. I’m really not upset.” She rested her chin on her hands and looked at me, snickering with glee.
These pranks are bad for my heart—will you please quit it? Though, I guess I was at fault here.
“But I’m still curious. What kind of dream was it?” she asked.
“I was dreaming about when I was a kid. I used to play with Miori and some other kids.”
Back then, we’d been part of a group of four friends. Miori’s whims would dictate what we did when we hung out. I’d always call out her name as I chased after her. The dream had played out as a clip from our childhood routine, one that was an extremely distant memory.
“Makes sense. The two of you are childhood friends, after all.” Hikari nodded in understanding. “Stories of when you were young, huh? I want to hear more details later.”
“They’re not very interesting,” I warned.
“Still, I want to know. You don’t talk much about yourself.” Her observation caught me off guard.
I didn’t divulge information about myself because I didn’t like my old self. Plus, seeing that I couldn’t tell people that I’d traveled back in time, there weren’t many things I could say. But I was happy that my girlfriend was curious about me. And I also wanted to know more about the girl named Hoshimiya Hikari.
While we whispered to each other, I felt Murakami-sensei’s glare land on us. I hastily leaned away from Hikari and turned my attention onto my textbook. I’m sorry I’m an irresponsible student who’s only got good grades going for him...
***
After school, I grabbed my bag and left the classroom. I had a shift at Café Mares today, so I wasn’t meeting with the band. Plus, because Serika was still mulling over the future, the plan was for us to practice on our own for the time being.
“Brrr, it’s cold,” I said.
It was especially chilly out due to the rain. Maybe it’s time to bring out the big coats. I stepped out of the school’s front entrance and opened my umbrella. I’d wanted to walk to the station with Hikari since I didn’t have club activities, but she had literature club today. Sad... Lining up our schedules is pretty hard.
“Um, Haibara-kun.”
Someone called out to me from behind, and I glanced over my shoulder. Standing there was a girl from the class next door to mine. If I remember correctly, she’s...Miwa-san? She chatted me up every once in a while, so I remembered her name. She had a calm demeanor and was pleasant to talk to.
“Hey, Miwa-san. What’s up?”
“Erm...” She hesitated. “Haibara-kun, are you going home now too?”
“Yeah. I’ve got work today.”
“I... I see. You work near the station, right?” she asked timidly.
I nodded. “Yep. At Café Mares. It’s got a great ambience, and the coffee is delicious too, so I highly recommend it.” Man, when did I start speaking so smoothly? I deserve a pat on the back! Communication really is all about experience. I’ve had more opportunities to practice after the concert, with all the people talking to me.
“If... If it’s okay with you, could we walk together until then?”
Miwa-san wasn’t a stranger, but I wouldn’t have gone as far as to say we were friends. If I wasn’t just being overly self-conscious, then I had an idea why she was talking to me. And that made it difficult to answer her. Why? Because I had a girlfriend.
It’s gotta be a bad idea to walk home with another girl. Nanase works at the same place as me, so she’s a different story, but Miwa-san doesn’t fall into that category.
Sensing my hesitation, Miwa-san looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Um, is it true you’re dating Hoshimiya-san?”
I didn’t want her to make such an expression. If I could, I wanted to be kind to the people who fell for someone like me. But priorities are priorities. There was nothing for it. All I could do was give her a nod.
“I see,” she said after a beat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in a tight spot.”
“Nah, you didn’t.”
“To be honest, I knew. The rumors have already reached my class, and the title of the song you sang at the concert made it obvious... But I couldn’t give up until I heard it from you directly.” Teardrops spilled out of Miwa-san’s eyes. She looked just like Uta had on that day. “You’ve probably figured it out by now...but I liked you. I liked you, Haibara-kun.”
“Thank you. I’m happy to hear that.” Those were the only words I could offer her, and she knew that.
Miwa-san vigorously rubbed the tears away with her sleeve and smiled at me, her eyes puffy. “Goodbye.” She ran out into the rain. She’d been holding a foldable umbrella, but she flew off without bothering to open it.
I was worried she’d catch a cold, but I had no right to stop her. A sigh inadvertently slipped out of my mouth. I was delighted to be the target of someone’s affection, but it felt heavy at the same time.
I wanted to be popular, but now I feel like I’m only bringing sorrow to others. In that regard, it’s a good thing that Hikari and I are dating now. News that we’re a couple will keep spreading. Once people know I’m taken, they’ll stop seeing me as a potential love interest.
This is fine. The only person’s affection I can return is Hikari’s, after all.
I opened my umbrella and stepped out into the rain. I’m on the clock until 9 p.m. tonight with Kirishima-san. A lot of regulars will come by, so I’d better work hard.
***
I stopped mindlessly cooking and took a breather.
As the store settled down, Kirishima-san called out to me. “Hey! I heard you finally got yourself a girlfriend. Good for you!”
“Thanks...” I said. “Wait, who told you?”
“Hmm? Heard it from Shinohara-kun and Yuino-chan.”
Oh right. The three of them worked the same shift yesterday... Those blabbermouths! Kirishima-san is going to be a pain to deal with now that the cat’s out of the bag. She always turns everything into a big deal.
She brought her mouth close to my ear, smirking widely. “Sooo, how’s it going? Did you do it already?”
“Quit it with the dirty questions. Can’t you behave like a lady?” I replied. Really? That’s what you wanted to ask?
“My, oh my. I think you need to stop putting girls on a pedestal.”
Just let me dream! I’m a virgin, for god’s sake! Though I shouted at her internally, if I let too much information about myself slip, Kirishima-san would become even more annoying, so I stubbornly kept my cool. “We haven’t done anything yet. We’re a wholesome couple.”
“Reeeally? Tell me again, how long have you two been dating?”
“It’s only been a week.”
“Wow! So you’re in the passionate honeymoon phase! How nice!” Kirishima-san gazed into the distance with a reminiscent expression. “I went through that too.”
With her looks and personality, I’m sure she’s got tons of experience in romance. Isn’t she dating someone right now too?
“Hey, show me a pic of her! Bring one out!”
I yielded to her persistent pestering and showed her a picture of Hikari and me. It was the photo we’d taken around the beginning of the school year. Come to think of it, we haven’t taken a pic since we started dating.
“Whoa! She’s super cute! Holy crap, she’s adorable!” Kirishima-san squealed loudly in excitement.
Understandable reaction. She is extremely cute. And she’s my girlfriend. Heh heh heh...
Right then, the door to the back room opened with an audible creak. The manager peeked out of the break room, smiled broadly, and then closed the door again.
Uh... Can you at least say something? That was terrifying. Kirishima-san seemed to think the same, because she wordlessly began to clean the shop, her face white as a sheet. After we cleaned in silence for a while, she quietly shimmied up to my side.
“So... Have you kissed?”
Um, do you ever learn? Seriously, this girl...
“Oh, so you did,” she teased as soon as she sensed the tiniest hint that I’d wavered. “How nice! You seem happy.”
“Kirishima-san, don’t you have a boyfriend?”
I’d asked that merely to reverse the situation, but she groaned instead. “I got dumped two days ago.”
That’s...super recent, indeed. The air around her suddenly began to turn gloomy. Wh-What am I supposed to say here?
“I-It’s fine, really. No need to worry about me. Mm-hmm. I had a feeling he was taking advantage of me from the beginning... I don’t really care that we broke up... Haaah...”
I don’t think you’d be tearing up if you didn’t care. But I’ll keep my mouth shut.
“I need to find a new love, just like you did, Natsuki-chan.” Kirishima-san rested her chin against the window frame with a distant look in her eyes. “Anyhoo, is she your first girlfriend?”
I nodded.
She looked at me enviously. “I hope it lasts. My first boyfriend evaporated just like that after two weeks.”
“I appreciate the support, but can you quit making statements that are so hard to respond to?” I retorted. Kirishima-san had an excessive number of self-deprecating jokes up her sleeve. She seemed to have far more life experience than I did, and I was the one who had leaped through time.
“I know! Now that you’ve got your first girlfriend, your big sis here will give you some tips on romance.”
“I’d genuinely appreciate that,” I said with some pause. “I don’t know anything about romance.”
“Riiight?! So you can count on me!”
“Kirishima-san, do you have much experience with it?”
“Sure do! I always date assuming we’ll get married, and my current boyfriend’s my fourth... Sorry, he’s not my current boyfriend anymore... Huh? Can I even help? Wait, was I dumped four times? What... What even are romance tips?” Kirishima-san mumbled to herself with her head hanging down.
“You’re the one who suggested it, so please don’t spiral into the darkness,” I said, shaking her shoulders.
She returned to life and managed to utter, “Sorry, Natsuki-chan... I might not be very helpful.”
“I’ve got zero experience with romance, so any input will help plenty.”
“You mean it? Okay then! Ask me anything. Like, is there something you’re worried about with your relationship?”
“Well... How do I put this? It’s something that’s been bothering me, but...” I hesitated. My concerns were probably much more basic than what Kirishima-san was expecting. Eventually, I managed to wring out my question. “What are couples supposed to do?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Uh, what?”
Yeah, I expected that reaction, but I’m being sincere here!
“What do couples do? You mean like on normal dates? You’re not asking me about flirting, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, dates. What did you do?”
“Hmm. I like shopping, so I dragged my boyfriends along with me a lot. We also watched movies, went to amusement parks, aquariums, that kinda stuff. It was fun to go karaoke or sightsee together too.”
“I see...”
“Relaxing at home together is also a good time. Y’know, like a house date? You can flirt to your heart’s content at home too. Like, it doesn’t really matter where you are—wouldn’t you have fun as long as you’re together?” Kirishima-san pointed out. “Isn’t that why you started dating?”
That’s true. I’m satisfied just being with Hikari.
“Or what? Don’t know where to invite her out to? Is that what’s up?”
“Kinda... I guess that’s where I am. We went to watch a movie the other day, but I’m not sure what to do next. What kinda thing would make us more like a couple? I’m not really sure.”
Kirishima-san hummed, earnestly ruminating over my question. “Natsuki-chan, if you’ve got nowhere you wanna go, then why not ask her? I don’t know what kind of girl she is, but I’d bet she’s got a bunch of places she wants to go with her boyfriend,” she said, her tone awfully gentle. The way she delivered her advice made her seem more mature than usual. “Plus, you don’t need to worry about seeming like a couple. The relationship is between you and her; what’s important is that the two of you are comfortable. Who cares what other people think, yeah?”
This is the first time it’s actually felt like Kirishima-san’s older than me... Wait, in reality, I’m the older one, though I’m more like a grade-schooler when it comes to romance. “You’re right,” I said. “Thank you.”
Her advice gently seeped into my chest. Worrying about this on my own won’t help. I should talk to Hikari, and we can decide together. I’ve got no experience in romance, so nothing will come from forcing myself to show off.
Kirishima-san laughed. “Was that really useful? Oh boy, we talked about something serious for once.” She smiled bashfully, and her cheeks turned a bit pink from embarrassment.
“Can I get the bill?” a regular customer called out.
“Oops, yes! Please wait just a moment!” she replied and briskly walked over to the register.
A question suddenly hit me as I watched her go. Why has Kirishima-san been dumped four times when she’s good-looking and has a great personality? Then, what she’d told me just moments ago flashed into my head.
“Yes, I am! I always date assuming we’ll marry, and my current boyfriend’s my fourth... Sorry, he’s not my current boyfriend anymore... Huh? Can I even help? Wait, was I dumped four times? What... What even are romance tips?”
Oh... Maybe it’s because she’s too serious... I’m wholly convinced that’s why, but you know what they say: let sleeping dogs lie. All I can do is pray that her next love turns out to be a good one.
***
I headed home from work; it was about a five-minute walk to the station from the café. The first half of my shift had been hectic today, but all I did during the latter half was chat. Kirishima-san’s mood fluctuated like crazy, which wore me out, but I also gained a lot from our conversation. People with life experience really are a world apart. Who, me? The only thing I’ve accumulated is years of idling away...
“Huh?” When I entered the station, right as I passed through the ticket gate, I spotted a familiar figure’s back.
“Hey, isn’t this cute? It’s trending right now!”
Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wore the same uniform as me. Her slim body supported both a backpack and an enamel sports bag slung over her shoulder. She looked like a high school girl on her way home after practice.
“It’s cute. It looks good on you, Miori.” Walking next to her was a slender high school boy with a pleasant mien.
They were Motomiya Miori and Shiratori Reita. For a split second, I’d almost wanted to call out to them, but I didn’t since it would’ve been insensitive of me to disrupt their alone time. She playfully poked Reita’s side every now and then, jovially chatting with him.
Man, they go home together after practice. ’Course they do. They’re dating, after all. I guess it didn’t feel real until I saw them together firsthand.
“Then our alliance is over. Our partnership is now dissolved.”
I suddenly recalled the conversation I’d had with Miori the night after the school festival’s second day. She sounded sorta unstable back then, but I guess it was just my imagination. At least, I don’t see any signs of distress in her smile now that she’s talking to Reita.
“I’m worrying too much,” I murmured.
I was shocked that our partnership ended just like that, but Miori was only stating the obvious. It’s pointless to draw out something unnecessarily. That’s all she meant.
I stopped at a vending machine and bought a black coffee. If I bumped into them here, Miori and I would end up taking the same train while Reita went home alone. It would put me in a tricky position, so I killed some time instead.
I was dating now, and so were my friends; that meant there were more things to pay attention to. Setting aside whether that was good or bad, it was only natural that people’s relationships would change as time passed.
I took a sip of canned coffee. As always, it didn’t taste very good.
***
The next day, homeroom was livelier than normal. The reason? Because we had a new event coming up.
“Our school’s ball game competition has been scheduled for Wednesday next week. Starting today until then, gym classes will be dedicated to practicing for each event. Work hard and go for gold,” our teacher said.
“Hell yeah!” Okajima-kun of the soccer club cheered.
The ball game competition? Oh yeah, our school holds that around now.
Beside me, Hikari whispered, “What’re the events?”
“I think there’s basketball, soccer, volleyball, dodgeball, and table tennis,” I replied, listing them as the memories came back to me.
Dodgeball was the only mixed-gender event; guys and girls played separately in the others. One person could only participate in two events max. Due to class size limitations, if the boys chose to play soccer, the girls would play basketball, and vice versa.
“Natsuki-kun, you sure know a lot about this,” Hikari remarked.
Anyone would be well versed in the format if they did it three years in a row.
“Hmm... Maybe I’ll choose table tennis. Otherwise, I’ll end up dragging everyone down,” she said, worry filling her voice.
Come to think of it, she said table tennis was her best sport when we went to the Spor-Cha. Considering how abysmal her athletic abilities are, her only choice is to play what she’s best at—table tennis. “Yeah, that sounds good,” I said.
“What are you going to choose? Basketball?”
“Well, I’ve got the most confidence in it, so...”
For sports like basketball and soccer, only one person who played on the school’s team would be allowed to participate in that event. Honestly, it’d feel like cheating if I played the basketball event, since I’d technically been part of the team during my first round of high school. But people who’d been part of their team in junior high could play, so maybe it didn’t matter that much.
“I want to see you play basketball again,” Hikari said.
“All right,” I said coolly. Okay! Basketball it is! Who cares about the rules? I’m gonna live up to Hikari’s expectations! Besides, in my pursuit of a rainbow-colored youth, I’ve gotta tackle this event with all I’ve got! If we want to seize victory, then it’s definitely best if I play basketball.
“During the ball game competition, we’ll get points depending on how well we place in each event. All classes will be ranked based on their overall points. If we win, I’ll get to brag about it during faculty drinking parties, so do your best for me!” our homeroom teacher added unnecessarily.
“Whaaat?” groaned everyone in the classroom.
“Right, we’ll be competing against the other classes. I’ll give it my best shot.” Hikari balled her hands into fists and let out an enthusiastic little grunt. She was cute when she pumped herself up.
During my first stint in high school, I was a leftover for all three years, so I just got tossed into dodgeball since it requires numbers... Will I get to be in the basketball event this time?
“Also, pick one person to be on the ball game competition executive committee.” With that, our teacher ended homeroom and left.
Fujiwara will probably be our committee member. I looked around the class. The room was abuzz with chatter about which event to enter. Everyone was full of life as they talked about the sport they wanted to participate in.
“Natsuki, are you picking basketball?” Reita asked. The usual group had gathered around my seat.
“If the guys are going to play basketball, then I plan on it,” I replied.
“If we’re aiming to win, then it’s better if we do. We’ve got Tatsuya too.”
We essentially had two basketball team members. If we added people with outstanding reflexes like Reita or Hino, winning would be more than just a dream—even if we were only first-years. Of course, that depended on the whole class’s opinion.
“Reita, are you fine with us not playing soccer?” I questioned.
“I don’t mind either way. But I can run the practices if we choose soccer,” he said.
Nanase wore a dejected expression as she let out a heavy sigh. “I’m certainly not excited for this... What should I choose?”
“Ah ha ha! Yui-Yui, you really hate exercise!” Uta exclaimed.
“What about you, Uta-chan? Do you want to play basketball?” Hikari asked.
“Yeah!” Uta paused and surveyed the classroom with a conflicted look. “Is what I want to say, but I think our class would have a stronger boys’ basketball team. Welp, I like soccer and dodgeball too! I’ll give whatever event I’m in one hundred percent!”
“Perhaps I’ll play in the same event as Uta and hide behind her,” Nanase muttered.
“Yui-Yui, no! I don’t mind if we’re on the same team, but you need to try!”
Watching Uta and Nanase banter like that calmed me down.
Then someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to see Fujiwara standing there. It was rather unusual for her to initiate conversation with me.
I was wondering what she wanted, when she asked me something completely out of left field. “Haibara-kun, will you be the committee member?”
It took me a moment to process her question. “What? Me?” I pointed at myself, eyes wide as saucers.
She nodded, her expression placid as always.
“Fujiwara, aren’t you going to do it?”
“I’d intended to, but apparently class representatives aren’t allowed to serve both positions.” She shrugged.
Oh right. She’s our class rep too. Was that a rule? “Still, why me? We’ve got Reita.”
“I don’t mind doing it,” said Reita, “but I agree you’d be more qualified. Right, everyone?” He glanced around, seeking input from the others, and they all agreed for reasons unknown to me.
“Uh, why?” I cocked my head to the side.
Fujiwara and Reita exchanged a look.
“The executive committee member for the ball game competition is in charge of unifying and leading the class, right?” she said.
“Everyone will happily follow along if you do it,” he said.
“No way. That’s not true... Right, guys?” I asked, inviting everyone else to speak up. But for some reason, I was met with fervent rebuttals.
“Nah, dude, who else could do it but you?”
“The other classes see us as Class Haibara, y’know.”
“Haibara-kun, we’ll all be super motivated if you lead us!”
“Honestly, I don’t give a crap who it is as long as it’s not me, so you’ve got my vote.”
Hey! Whoever just said that is being too honest! Dammit. They were speaking up all at once, so I couldn’t tell who it was... “Okay, I’ll do it. After hearing all that, how can I not?”
That aside, I’m basically forced to accept the role, what with this mood! I-It’s probably just the lingering excitement of the school festival affecting them all, but I still feel genuinely happy that they’re giving me a vote of confidence. Isn’t this another facet of youth? A smug grin crept across my face.
Fujiwara smiled playfully, high-fived Reita, and giggled. “Haibara-kun, you’re too easy.”
“Unexpected as it is, Natsuki’s not used to getting compliments,” Reita explained.
I glowered at Fujiwara. “Hey, did you set me up?”
“I didn’t lie once,” she said with a wry smile.
Hino approached me and smacked my shoulder. “Haibara, you just got punked into doing odd jobs.”
So it really is just a bunch of odd jobs! I knew I had some faint recollection that the exec members just do boring chores! Argh, damn it all!
“The competition is only one day, so you won’t actually have that much to do. It’s a lot easier than being on the executive committee for the school festival. All you need to do is organize our class and help with setup,” Fujiwara added.
Don’t you dare think you can be nice after tricking me...
“Don’t glare at me. I meant every word; I think you’re the most qualified one to do it,” she said.
“Okay, guess I don’t mind doing it.” My sulky response caused everyone around me to burst into laughter.
“Good luck, Natsuki-kun.” Hikari shot me a supportive smile from the next seat over.
“Hey, I’ll give you a hand if there’s anything I can do to help.” Just as Reita said that, the first period bell rang, and everyone rushed back to their seats.
Reita, you’re good at concluding conversations as always...
***
We had Modern Japanese during our fourth period, but our teacher decided to give us the second half of class for self-study. Instead, we used this perfect opportunity to decide which events we would enter for the ball game competition. Mito-sensei had a reputation for being kind, and she readily consented.
Since I was on the executive committee, I had to stand at the podium in the front. The entire class’s focus was on me. I thought it’d make me nervous, but I was surprisingly fine. This was nothing compared to how many people had been watching me at the school festival, so perhaps I’d become numb to the attention.
“Here, I’ll take notes for you.” Reita stood up, strolled over to the blackboard, and picked up a piece of chalk.
Wow, he’s actually helping me! I can always count on you, Reita. Thanks, man... “All right, let’s pick our events,” I declared.
“Okaaay,” the class replied dully.
Without another word, Reita wrote out the names of each event on the blackboard.
“First up, how should we decide who’s playing basketball and soccer? Boys or girls?” I asked. The class opinion was remarkably split on that subject.
“It looks like we’ll have to vote on it, then,” Reita suggested.
We did a show of hands, and as a result, it was decided that the boys would play basketball, and the girls soccer. Okajima-kun, who was part of the soccer club, cradled his head in his hands as he lamented.
I suspect that some people knew I wanted to play basketball, so they voted in my favor. I’m probably being overly self-conscious again.
“Natsuki, what next?” Reita prompted, drawing me out of my thoughts.
Oh right. I’m in charge, so we won’t get anywhere if I zone out. That’s the basics of leadership, but I didn’t realize it because I’ve never organized anything before. Did Reita offer to take notes to cover for me?
“Erm, okay, let’s start with soccer. Please raise your hand if you want to play soccer.” I kept the meeting going, my tone tentative all the while. I was embarrassed by my inexperience, but I couldn’t exactly bolt either. If there were any points of concern, Reita would speak up.
And so after some to-do, we smoothly decided on the players for each event. Dodgeball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball were all popular choices, but we reached a compromise, either through discussion or rock, paper, scissors, so no major issues arose.
I would be playing basketball along with Tatsuya, Reita, Hino, and Okajima-kun. Tatsuya was—needless to say—the basketball team’s ace, while Reita and Okajima-kun were part of the soccer team. Hino was the only one who was part of the go home club, but he was exceptionally athletic. We’d assembled my ideal team members by sheer chance.
As for the girls in our friend group, they all got what they wanted, with Hikari in table tennis and Uta and Nanase in the soccer event. Since we’re on the topic, Uta, Tatsuya, and Reita would also be participating in dodgeball. We’d have been short on people for some events if everybody only played in one, so five or six people needed to be in two.
“Any other questions? If not, then let’s go with this,” I said.
Deciding on the events wrapped up smoothly, so everyone used the leftover time for self-study. However, because the teacher wasn’t present, we all had excess energy from discussing the ball game competition, and the class quickly devolved into small talk.
Those who were motivated to win chatted about the newly formed teams, while those who weren’t as into the competition chatted about TV dramas, games, and the like. The classroom’s an incoherent cacophony, but that’s just how things do be sometimes.
I didn’t like it when I was peer pressured into joining the team spirit mob for events like these. It made me feel out of place... Ugh. Memories of the past are flashing through my mind. Go away! Disappear!
Anyway! Only the people who want to try hard should. My job’s just to create an environment where they’ll want to give it their all.
***
Once classes ended, the atmosphere inside our classroom immediately turned laid-back. There were those who hurried to leave, those who stayed behind and chatted, and those who headed to their club activities. Among all that hullabaloo, I was the only one who had to attend to a different matter—the ball game executive committee meeting.
I knew it. This job’s a pain in the ass. Damn you, Fujiwara... Meh, I don’t have work today, and I’ve got nothing else to do, so I guess it’s fine. Our homeroom teacher had told me which classroom the meeting was to be held in. As I headed over, I saw someone walking in front of me.
“Miori?” I called out to a female student with her black hair pulled into a ponytail.
I’d recognized her correctly; she looked back at me, and her face scrunched into a disgusted frown. “Ugh.”
What’s with that response? That sort of expression brings back memories of the past, so please stop. People used to hate it if I so much as talked to them... No one reacts like that nowadays, though, so I’ve been over the moon.
“Hold on, are you an exec member too?” she asked.
“Yeah. What, did they force you into this too?” I replied.
“It was against my will. I was napping when they were picking who it would be, and the job got pinned on me... Dammit.” Miori groaned; she looked extremely displeased.
“Sounds like you brought that on yourself.”
“I’m gonna be late for practice,” she grumbled. “This blows.”
I caught up to her, and we walked down the hallway side by side. That phone call was the last time we’d spoken. We were in different classes, so there weren’t many opportunities to bump into each other, and now that our partnership was over, we had no reason to call one another either. That was why it felt somewhat awkward now.
Unable to bear the silence, I searched for a topic to chat about. “How’s it going with Reita?”
“What do you mean, ‘how’? Does it look like we’re fighting?”
“No, uh, yesterday on my way home, I saw you guys at the station. It looked like things were going well.”
Miori seemed surprised for some reason. “You were there?” she asked.
“Yeah, I happened to be getting off from work.”
“Really? You could’ve said something.”
“No way I could’ve! I can’t barge in on your alone time with Reita.”
“That’s what stopped you? Wow, I’m surprised you could read the room.”
“Shut up. Even I have that much common sense.”
It was a normal conversation, and yet for some reason, Miori felt faraway, even though she was right next to me. Something was off about her tone, expression, and mood. It didn’t feel as if she was trying to be friendly with me like she used to. However, it didn’t feel like she was pushing me away either. Miori appeared to be uncomfortable as well.
Our conversation came to a stop again. Now that we were no longer partners, we couldn’t grasp how close we ought to be.
“So... How about you?” she asked after a while.
“How about what?”
“Are you doing a good job with Hikari-chan?”
“Well.” I hesitated. “Kinda? Probably, I think... I’m sure...”
“Why’re you being so vague?”
Because it’s possible that I’m the only one who thinks things are going swimmingly. “To begin with, we’ve only been dating for a week. We’ve only gone on one date.”
“Same goes for me. How was I supposed to answer that?” she said sulkily.
I took a long, hard look at Miori. I’d always seen her as my reliable partner, but this was the first time she seemed small.
“What?” she asked with a frown, shifting uncomfortably under my gaze.
“Come to think of it, is Reita your first boyfriend?”
“He is. So what? Got a problem?” Her tone was very sour.
I assumed she had tons of experience in romance, but looks like I was off the mark. Makes sense—I didn’t hear any rumors about her dating in middle school, despite her popularity. So her attitude of knowing everything about men was just her usual tough-guy act. Miori’s always been like that. She shows off and acts brave even when she’s struggling and alone.
“Then you’re in the same boat as me,” I remarked.
“I don’t like how that sounds. Don’t lump me together with you!” She turned pink from embarrassment.
Hah, cute.
“But you get it now, right?” she continued.
“Get what?”
“The reason I said we should stop being partners,” Miori answered after a beat.
Oh, she’s bringing that up.
“I’ve never dated a guy either, so I can’t really lord over you and give you advice anymore. I can only give input on the pre-dating stage.”
“Seriously? That’s why?”
True, Miori and I had formed a cooperative relationship. My benefit had been that she would offer useful advice on how to execute my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan. If the subject related to strengthening friendships or getting a girlfriend, then she was confident that she could give me tips based on her experiences. But she’d never dated before either, so she had nothing to say concerning the troubles that came along at that stage.
On the other hand, Miori had benefited from this partnership because I could help her get closer to Reita. Now that she’d achieved her goal, she had nothing more to gain. The conclusion was the same no matter how many times I ran the numbers: we had no reason to remain partners.
I understood that logic. I really did, but our dissolved alliance still stuck with me for some reason.
“If you need someone to rely on going forward, then you’ve got people way more qualified than me. Besides, I think you’re at the point where you can get through anything on your own, without depending on others,” Miori said.
“Don’t you think you’re giving me too much credit there?” And here I thought you’d be the only one who wouldn’t overestimate me. I felt a little bad. Miori was trying to keep her distance from me, but I didn’t want that. “Even if we’re not partners in crime, I’d appreciate it if you listened to my concerns normally—as friends who’re both only a week into dating. Isn’t it normal to ask each other for help?”
She stayed hushed. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something unsettled me. What she’d stated was certainly part of her reason for ending our partnership, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the whole story. She was probably hiding something from me.
“If you’re too friendly with me, Hikari-chan will get jealous, you know?”
“Well, I guess I do get that feeling from her,” I admitted, recalling Hikari’s reaction when I’d mumbled Miori’s name in my sleep. She was joking, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t bother her at all.
“See? Same here. I’ll be in a sticky situation if Reita-kun thinks I’m too close to you.” Miori let out a sigh of relief. “You also said it over summer break, remember? You told me to stop hanging out at your place. And that goes double now that we’re dating other people. It’s a good time for us to evaluate how close we should be.”
She’d left me no room to object. I tried to find the words to reply, but we’d reached our destination. The classroom was full of second and third-years I’d never seen before. It looked like half of the committee was already present.
Where are the first-years? I scanned the room and spotted Mei waving at me, so Miori and I walked over to him.
“Th-Thank goodness you’re here, Natsuki.” He looked like he was about to break into tears. “I was terrified because I didn’t recognize anyone.”
“Hey, Mei. Were you pushed into being on the committee too?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say I was pushed into it... It’s more like I sensed what everyone else wanted.” He laughed as he gazed into the distance with a hollow stare.
Yep, he got pushed into it...
“He’s in the same band as you, right?” Miori asked.
“Yeah. He’s Shinohara Mei. Be nice to him.”
Mei seemed perplexed as he watched Miori and me talk.
“I’m Motomiya Miori. We’re both on the executive committee, so let’s get along.” She shot him a smile so pleasant that it was hard to believe she’d been in a terrible mood moments ago.
Nervous, Mei bowed to her over and over. “Y-Yes! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Ah ha ha...” She laughed awkwardly, unsure how to respond. “I wonder who the last member is?”
“Yeah. Class three’s exec member should be here too,” I said.
Miori was class 1-1’s executive member, I was 1-2’s, and Mei was 1-4’s, so there should’ve been one more first-year, from class 1-3, on the committee. At Ryomei High, each grade was divided into four classes.
As the three of us chatted, a voice called out to us from behind. “Excuse me...”
We turned around; there stood a nervous-looking girl. Her loosely tied black hair rested on her shoulder, and she wore a pair of blue-rimmed glasses. She was clutching some books in front of her voluptuous breasts.
She came off as plain at a glance, but on closer inspection, I noticed she had cute and pretty features. I feel like I’ve seen her before... Or maybe not? Is she a first-year?
“I’m Funayama Shizuki...from class 1-3.” Her voice was shaky; instead of being nervous, she sounded more like she wasn’t used to speaking. She mostly kept her gaze to the ground, but on the occasions our eyes did meet, she’d look away.
Though I don’t mingle with class three much, I know who the popular kids are... I don’t even remember her from my first round of high school. She’s probably one of the quiet kids.
“I’m Haibara Natsuki, from class two. Nice to meet you.” I greeted her with a smile, trying to create a friendly atmosphere.
“Oh yes... It’s nice to meet you.” Funayama-san replied with a bow.
Communication didn’t seem to be her strong point, but unlike Mei, she had a calm demeanor. Her conduct was relaxed and measured, or to put it more precisely, she had an air of elegance.
“I’m in class one. Motomiya Miori. Since we’re all committee members, let’s get along!” Miori said cheerfully, grinning widely.
“I know who you two are...naturally. You’re both famous,” Funayama-san said after a small pause.
“Huh, really? I get why this guy’s famous after his rampage at the school festival, but me too?” Miori replied.
“Can you not call it ‘rampaging’?” I quipped.
“Serika said that was a good thing for you rock-and-roll types,” she shot back.
“Please don’t lump Serika’s sensibilities with ordinary people’s.”
“You really sweat the small stuff for a guy. This is why you’re not popular... Oh wait, I guess you’re already popular.”
“Hey, it’s hard to respond when you change your mind on the spot.”
While Miori and I bantered, Funayama-san and Mei exchanged glances for some odd reason.
“They...seem close,” she said.
“That’s how outgoing boys and girls mix,” he said.
Do those two know each other?
Mei answered that question for me. “W-We’ve spoken a few times, so... We have... Right?”
“Of course. I haven’t forgotten you, Shinohara-kun.” Funayama-san smiled sweetly at him.
Evidently, they were on fairly good terms. At the very least, she didn’t seem nervous talking to him compared to when she interacted with me and Miori. In spite of that, Mei had still been worried about whether she remembered him or not. Then again, if he was confident about one thing, it was his weak presence.
A third-year boy gently clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’re all here, yeah? Cool, then let’s hurry up and start so we can go home pronto!” he said. “To kick things off, let’s move the desks into a circle.”
We stopped chatting and followed his instructions, arranging our desks into a roundish shape fit for a meeting. Once we’d finished moving things, all the committee members sat down. After the room had quieted, the third-year boy began to speak again.
“I’m sure everyone has cram school or clubs to get to, so let’s make this quick. We need to pick someone to spearhead the committee, so how about I do it? Thoughts?”
He was handsome; his expression and mannerisms brimmed with confidence. He had a voice that carried well, and though he’d asked the question in a pleasant tone, he possessed a charisma that naturally led people to obey.
I knew him. He was a third-year, Yanagishita Yugo-senpai. He’d recently retired from the basketball team, but he was their former ace and captain.
The third-years teased him, saying things like “You’re impatient as ever,” but they didn’t mean anything by it.
Seeing that there were no objections, Yanagishita-senpai promptly moved the discussion along. “Cool. I’m Yanagishita Yugo, the ball game competition executive committee’s new head. I don’t like dealing with bothersome things, but I’ll see whatever’s been left in my hands through. Not that there’s much to this job, though.”
He made eye contact with the girl sitting next to him as he spoke. At his signal, she began passing out the handouts they’d prepared. Thorough as always, just like my first time around.
“The goal of this meeting is to review the rules for each event, and the competition schedule. You might think you know all the games’ rules already, but to ensure the competition progresses smoothly, they will be simplified, and the duration of play will be shortened. For example, basketball games will be divided into ten-minute halves. As committee members, your job is to go over these changes with your class.”
He stated each piece of necessary information without wasting any words. It was a huge difference from my tottering display of leadership earlier. Yanagishita-senpai clearly had the ability to act as a leader anywhere. He’d always operated like this on the basketball team too—he disliked pointlessness and preferred efficiency.
“These handouts summarize each event’s rules. You’re free to explain, give these out, or do whatever you like. Details that are easy to mistake are listed in red.”
I flipped through the papers. These are super easy to understand! This’ll be a cinch if I make copies and hand them out to my class.
“That’s enough about the rules. If there are no questions, we’ll move on to the next topic.”
Our meeting ended in about thirty minutes. Due to Yanagishita-senpai’s efficient approach, we’d covered an incredible amount of information in a mere half hour.
“The committee head, he’s... He’s amazing,” Mei said.
“Yanagishita-senpai, yeah?” Miori said. “He’s extremely talented. He’s really good at basketball too.”
He’s also smart. I believe he’s the top student of his year, I added internally, but it would’ve been odd for me to know that information, so I kept it to myself. Instead, I went with a harmless remark. “Thanks to him, we didn’t need to say anything, and we breezed through the meeting.”
He would occasionally ask us first-years for our opinion, but other than that, we hadn’t played any part in the decision-making. I hadn’t particularly wanted to be involved, so I wasn’t dissatisfied by that, and Yanagishita-senpai had likely understood how we felt. With his personality, if there’d been someone competent and motivated who wanted to be in charge, he would’ve left it to them.
Normally the executive committee would meet around five times before the ball game competition, but with Yanagishita-senpai’s policy of “It’s more annoying to gather everyone up multiple times, so let’s quickly decide everything we can,” we’d managed to cram a considerable amount of content into one session. At this rate, we would be fine meeting only two more times.
The time-consuming tasks were planning and coordinating the competition day schedule, as well as the breakdown of the point system to determine the class rankings. By convention, it changed slightly every year.
I bet Yanagishita-senpai will think of something by the next meeting.
“Which events are you all playing in?” Miori asked.
The four of us first-years left the room and went down the hallway. We all needed to return to our classrooms, so we were headed in the same direction.
I answered her question first. “Basketball. You?”
“I’m playing soccer. I wanted to play basketball, but we decided the girls would play soccer.” Miori crossed her arms haughtily. “Reita-kun’s going to teach me, so I don’t mind how it turned out.”
She looked like she wanted to say, “Aren’t you jealous?” but I really wasn’t.
Reita’s a genius, so he sucks at teaching people, you know. Though, that was just when it came to academics. Who knows if he’ll be a bad soccer coach too...? Oops, we shouldn’t just carry on our own conversation.
“What about you, Mei?” I asked.
“I’ll also be playing basketball... It happened before I even realized...” The air around him suddenly became shrouded in gloom. “I need to practice hard so I don’t hold my class back... Or else the extroverts will kill me.”
Judging by his attitude, sports must not be his strong suit. He looks like he really doesn’t want to play.
“Ah!” he exclaimed out of nowhere. “That’s right, Natsuki. Aren’t you excellent at basketball? Please, teach me how to play!”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” I began, “but are you serious about practicing?”
Only a handful of students would go through the effort of training on their own for the ball game competition. And I planned to be part of that handful.
“If I don’t practice a little bit, I’ll seriously be useless...” Mei sighed.
Funayama-san, who was walking beside him, watched him closely.
When he noticed her staring, Mei became flustered. “C-Can I help you with something?”
“Oh, no... I’m sorry.” She looked away and bowed.
Huh, that was some weird back-and-forth. “What about you, Funayama-san?” I asked her too.
“I’m...participating in volleyball. As I’ve played it to some extent in the past,” she replied.
“Really? Like in middle school?”
“Yes... Although I quit after half a year.”
Oof, touchy subject. I’d like to keep the conversation lively, but I don’t even know if Funayama-san wants to keep talking to me. It’s hard to tell because her tone doesn’t change.
“Hey, what’re those books you’ve been carrying around?” Miori asked, eyeing Funayama-san’s chest.
“This is my compilation of past ball game competition documents. I was entrusted with being on the executive committee, so I thought it best to study a little bit...”
“Wow, that’s awesome. You’re really diligent,” Miori said in shock.
Funayama-san shook her head. “Unlike other people, I’m clumsy and slow, so this was a necessity.”
Yeeep, that’s something a diligent person would say. “Y’know, the only thing on my mind was hoping this would be over ASAP since it’s a pain in the butt.”
“Of course that’s what you were thinking,” Miori replied.
“What’d you say? I don’t want to hear that from you—you were half asleep during the meeting!”
“Whaaaat? I was awake, barely. Puh-leez, stop making stuff up!”
While we chatted like that, our group split into two—me and Miori in the front, Mei and Funayama-san in the back. Of course this would happen; Miori and I have been talking the whole time... I feel kinda bad. How are Mei and Funayama-san doing?
It was an endless stream of awkward silence behind me. I could feel Mei anxiously crying, “Help me!” with his gaze.
What do you want me to do? I pretended not to notice and returned my eyes to the front.
“Hey, are you listening?” Miori asked.
I nodded.
“So I also told them that you and I are just childhood friends, nothing more. Then I got sorta worked up—I mean, it’s not like we’re even close or anything. What a joke! And anyway, you’ve got Hikari-chan now. What’s the point in lashing out at me?”
Miori’s still the same as always. We were so awkward earlier, but now that we’re talking again, she doesn’t stop. She looked like she was enjoying herself, though, so I didn’t comment on it. Given no other choice, I made interjections every now and then to indicate I was paying attention.
Meanwhile, the two behind us made some progress in communication.
“Excuse me, Shinohara-kun,” Funayama-san said. “I watched your concert at the school festival.”
“Huh?! Oh, um, thank you very much,” he said.
“Shinohara-kun... I’m not very knowledgeable about instruments, but you played bass, correct?”
“Y-Yes! That’s exactly right! It’s the one that sounds like DUN, DUN!” Mei nodded enthusiastically.
Can’t you be a bit more composed when you talk?
“So, erm.” Funayama-san was having her own share of struggles, and her eyes wandered the halls, searching for something to say. I assumed she was trying to keep the conversation alive, but I was soon proved wrong. “You...were...cool. I’m cheering you on,” she said, her cheeks flushing.
Her words were so unexpected that Mei turned to stone, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“I... I used to think you were the quiet type like me, but you did your best on such a conspicuous stage. I thought you were very incredible and cool up there,” Funayama-san continued, her voice unsteady and her face still bright red.
“Um, well, erm, th-thank you...?”
“D-Don’t. Um, that’s just what I thought... I’m sorry.”
Uh, guys, what is this? What the heck did I just hear? I looked over at Miori, and she shrugged. I sneaked a glance behind me; both of them wordlessly walked along, their faces scarlet.
What’s with this mood? This is completely outside of my expectations—what the hell am I supposed to do here?! I feel like I just witnessed the start of a romance manga.
***
When I got back to my classroom, I received a RINE message from Mei asking to meet up. I’d had a feeling this would happen. In all likelihood, it related to what had just transpired.
I headed to the second music room and opened the door. Mei was aimlessly pacing around. As soon as he noticed me, he rushed over in a panic. Hey! Don’t cling to me!
“Wh-What just happened?!” he cried.
“Dude, why’re you asking me that?” I replied. That’s my question! Seriously, what happened between you two?
“Do you think she mistook me for you?”
“No way she did. She mentioned the bass, remember?”
“Y-Yes, that’s what I thought! So she truly was talking about how cool I was, right?!” He looked absolutely befuddled. “No, that’s impossible...”
You have too little confidence in yourself... “Aren’t you happy? She complimented you. It turned out to be a good thing that you performed at the festival.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. Eh heh heh... I rarely receive praise from others, so I’m elated.” His expression slackened into a sloppy, bashful smile. It looked kinda creepy, but I had the compassion not to point that out.
“It looked to me like she has a thing for you,” I said. Her face was bright red, and she put so much effort into complimenting him—if that’s not a crush, then that’s just too cruel a trap!
“N-No way... Though to be honest, I do want it to be true,” he said, grinning his ears off.
Since I came up here, might as well practice. I unpacked my guitar and began tuning it as I questioned him. “So what do you think about her?”
“I’ve spoken with her a bit in the library, and I’ve always thought she was cute...”
Seems like he’s pretty pleased by this. “Then why not go for her? I felt sparks flying.”
“Y-Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he said. “But don’t you think I’m a terrible match for her?”
“Man, you’re a handful...”
“What?! Your real thoughts are leaking out!”
“If you don’t think you’re a good match, then the conversation ends here,” I said, lightly strumming my guitar.
Mei hugged my leg. “B-But I want to do something about that! My chance is finally here, and in truth, I’ve liked her for a while now! I’m begging you... Natsuki, please help me!”
I kinda gleaned that already, but you should’ve just said so from the beginning! “I don’t have any good advice to offer, though.” My romantic experience also basically amounted to nothing. It would’ve been no exaggeration to say that I knew zilch.
“What are you talking about? You’re dating the Hoshimiya-san! You don’t need to be humble with me. Anyone can tell at a glance that you’re teeming with romantic experience.” Mei hit my shoulders, silently protesting, “Don’t be like that!”
You’re getting kinda annoying, y’know? For a guy who’s confident that you know all about me, you’re extremely off base, FYI. “Hikari is my first girlfriend,” I told him.
“Still, you used your techniques to win the heart of our school’s idol, right? Please teach them to meee!” he begged persistently. “Well, if you were to tell me the gap between our appearances is too wide, then I guess you’d be right...”
“Fine,” I said with a wry smile. He’s normally timid, so if he’s being this pushy, then he must be serious. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he doesn’t want this opportunity to slip away. “I can help a friend out.”
“Yay! Thank you so much!” Mei reacted with an over-the-top cheer of joy.
He resembles the old me, so I can’t help but want to lend him a hand. Though, given how the two were acting today, it’s very possible he won’t need any help from me.
“Wh-What should I do first?” he asked, his voice teeming with excitement.
Is it just me, or is he expecting way too much of me? “First, I think you should wait and see how things play out at our next meeting. If you go too hard out of nowhere, I feel like she’ll pull away. You don’t even have her contact info, right?”
“Oh, um,” Mei said hesitantly. “After we parted ways with you two, she asked me to swap contacts.”
Uh, she definitely likes you, then. “Even better—you can wait for her to contact you. It seems like she’s going to make the first move.”
“Y-You think so? Okay, I will!” Mei nodded, looking somewhat relieved. He’d steeled his resolve to ask me for assistance, but he was still nervous about making a move on a girl. I completely understood that feeling.
“Don’t trust my advice too much, all right?”
“It’ll be okay!”
What’ll be okay? It’s probably too late to even bother asking. I wish he’d stop overestimating me so much. I only have safe advice to give. Well, thankfully it looks like they’ll get together even if I only give him safe advice.
***
Quite a long time had passed since I’d begun playing my guitar in the second music room. It was now completely dark outside. I should head out. I got too absorbed in practice. Mei had left for work a while ago, so I was alone.
On my way home, my feet brought me towards the gym for some reason. I looked down at the courts from the second floor; it seemed like clubs were finished with practice too. Given the time, that only made sense, but there were still a few people around. Our gym had three courts, and the girls’ basketball team was holding free practice on the one closest to the school building.
“Forty-six...!”
There was no way I could’ve mistaken her for someone else—it was Sakura Uta. She had a cage full of basketballs next to her as she single-mindedly took shots over and over.
“Forty-seven...!”
She kept shooting from outside the three-point line. When she ran out, she collected the scattered balls. She repeated this process endlessly.
Uta only counted the shots she made. Her accuracy wasn’t great by any means, but her concentration was hair-raising. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. As I watched, she soon became the only student left.
The gym was still as death, except for the rhythm of balls hitting the floor, balls hitting the rim, and balls swishing through the hoop. These three noises reverberated continuously.
“Worried?” said a voice from behind me.
I turned around. Miori approached me in her practice clothes as she wiped her neck with a towel.
“No, I was heading home and just got a little curious,” I said.
“Uta’s been like that for a while now. Ever since you rejected her, that is.”
I’d been vaguely aware of that. But in spite of myself, my face twisted into a frown when Miori pointed it out.
“Hey, don’t torment yourself over it. I don’t think it’s a bad change,” she added.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. She’s working really hard, but not excessively. And if she overdoes it, I’ll stop her. All she’s doing is giving up on her crush and channeling those feelings into basketball. I don’t think it’s a problem,” Miori said as she watched Uta.
I was concerned, but Miori’s evaluation of the situation was probably more accurate than mine, since she’d been practicing with Uta all year.
“Actually, I think she could become a starter, and now’s when she needs to give her all.”
“Really?”
“Yep. The second-year who plays the same position as her, Miyata-senpai, is out of the picture because of an injury. Uta’s hampered by her height, but she’s got the technical skills to make up for it. If only she could expand her court vision just a bit more... Well, that’s not something that improves quickly,” Miori said matter-of-factly. “That’s why she’s trying to create a weapon that’s easy to see.”
“Three-pointers, huh?” I murmured. We observed Uta earnestly practicing shooting threes. “So what were you doing?”
“Me? I was in the weight room.”
Ah, building up those muscles. No wonder she’s dripping with sweat.
“And you? Were you practicing the guitar?”
“Pretty much. Our band’s taking a break, but we’re still practicing on our own.”
“How passionate. Well, if you hadn’t put in that much effort, you couldn’t have held such a killer concert,” Miori said. She turned her back to me and went into the gym again.
She’s fired up too. I can tell, even from behind. Immense happiness welled up inside of me—her reliable figure overlapped with the one I knew from the past.
“Oh, that’s right,” Miori said, suddenly remembering something, and then glanced over her shoulder. “Funayama-san asked me for advice. You know, the girl from the committee?”
“Uh-huh. Don’t tell me...” At that moment, I had a feeling I knew what this would be about.
“She’s into Shinohara-kun. Since they’re working together in the same committee, she wants to use the opportunity to get closer to him... She came to me for help, but I don’t feel like I can do much for her.” Miori wore her typical conflicted expression.
We both smiled dryly.
“She’s got the wrong idea about me. She thinks I know all the ins and outs of romance or that I’m some kind of battle-hardened veteran just because I’m dating Reita-kun!” Miori let out a troubled laugh.
Well, Reita is the most popular guy in our year... Miori must look like a romance master since she’s dating him. So basically, Funayama-san shares the same logic as Mei. He’s also under the wrong impression about me because I’m dating Hikari.
“Mei asked me for advice too. He’s liked Funayama-san for a while now and wants to do something about it, so he asked me for help. But what am I supposed to do, you know?” I said.
Miori blinked in surprise. “What? You too? Then we don’t need to do anything, right?”
“Well, this pretty much confirms that their crushes are mutual.”
“What the heck! Then we can just cheer them on from the bleachers and it’ll work out. That takes a load off my shoulders!” Miori said, relieved.
Because of her caring personality, she tended to become motherly whenever someone came to her for help, even if she didn’t know them well. That trait of hers was why she’d always been concerned about me, and why she always saw things through until they reached a proper conclusion.
“Yeah, it’s just a matter of time now,” I said. It’s huge that I was able to confirm Funayama-san likes Mei. I don’t know much about love, but there’s no way nothing happens between them. Yeah! This is a shoo-in for sure. With that, let’s hurry on home and take a bath.
“All right, then. I’ll make Uta stop now and go home,” Miori said.
“Right... I’ll go on ahead of you guys.”
“Yeah... I think that’d be good.”
It’d just be awkward if I waited for them.
“Okay, see ya.” Miori waved goodbye.
After she turned away from me, I watched her disappear and then headed home.
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