Side Hayato
Damn it... what am I doing?
I absolutely cannot afford to lose today. I can't let them see me in such a pathetic state!
Of all the matches I’ve played, this has to be one of the most miserable.
I knew I was more nervous than usual because everyone was watching. I knew that, but I still couldn't afford to drop this match.
It was for Natsumi-senpai, whose match would follow mine. It was for Kazunari—for my Best Friend's big day. And it was for me, so that I could be reborn!
I had intended to end this match with a decisive victory to set the mood for the rest of the day, but...
Contrary to my plans, everyone in the stands was still looking down at me with worried eyes. And the expressions on the faces of Kazunari and the others—the ones who always cheered for me—hurt the most.
How pathetic can I be?
"Phew..."
Calm down. Just calm down.
Concentrate... I had to focus on the match, just like always.
I hadn't lost yet. We were just back at the starting line.
This set, no matter what, I would... definitely...
"Natsumi-senpai, what can we do to help Yokokawa-kun...?"
At Natsumi-senpai's words, Todo-san showed even more concern than I did.
I had never seen her looking so desperate before. It confirmed it—Hayato’s presence in Todo-san's heart was truly changing.
"Todo-san, how would you feel if Yokokawa-kun called you by your first name?"
"Eh?"
"I mean, if Yokokawa-kun called you Marina... how would you feel?"
At first glance, Natsumi-senpai's question seemed to have nothing to do with the match. Todo-san looked utterly bewildered.
Of course, I had an idea of what Natsumi-senpai was getting at, but would it really be okay? If we made Todo-san stand out too much here, wouldn't it cause trouble for Hayato later...?
"Don't you think a First-name basis is special?"
"Well... of course I think so, but..."
Todo-san seemed seventy percent confused and thirty percent embarrassed. Unlike with friends of the same gender, using a first name with someone of the opposite sex usually implied a certain level of intimacy.
"Well, look at the people around here. Most of them are calling Yokokawa-kun by his name without honorifics anyway!"
"Ah..."
"Wait, what!?"
I saw it then. It was exactly as Natsumi-senpai said!
She had said it jokingly, but it was true that many of the girls in the Fan Club addressed Hayato without any honorifics.
That meant that if Todo-san—who was firmly in the Best Friend Group Category—called him by his first name, it wouldn't seem strange at all!
"What will it be? Personally, I think the girl closest to Yokokawa-kun is you, Todo-san... are you really okay with losing to this crowd?"
Natsumi-senpai prodded her with a slightly provocative tone. Her voice was playful, but her eyes weren't laughing. She was being serious. She was trying to push Todo-san to take that "one more step."
And how would Todo-san react to that?
"...Honestly... you're as meddlesome as ever."
"...Isn't that Natsumi's best trait?"
"...Wait, is this conversation going where I think it is...?"
"...Yoko is quite dense..."
"...How rude! Even I noticed what's going on!"
"...Quiet. This isn't something she should realize because of a straight pitch from the sidelines."
"...Guh..."
"Final Set!! Yokokawa to Serve!!"
The Umpire called for the start of the Third Set, and the match resumed with Hayato's service.
This was finally it. If he could just manage to flip the switch in his head, then maybe...
Wham!
Just like in the First Set, a powerful explosive sound echoed as the ball flew from his racket. It shot in a straight line toward the opponent's court—but it clipped the net on the way.
"Let!!"
The Umpire made a call I had never heard before.
If it hit the net, wasn't that a Fault?
"Nishikawa-san, what was that...?"
"A Let, simply put, is when a serve hits the net but still lands in the opponent's service box. If it had landed out, it would be a Fault—a miss. But since it was in, it's a Let, and he simply gets to redo the serve."
"I see. Thanks for the Commentary, Nishikawa-san..."
That was news to me. I'd never heard that term.
But that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Hayato—of all people—had hit a serve that clipped the net.
I had never seen him do that before. Things were looking seriously bad.
"Ngh!"
Wham!
Without a moment's pause, Hayato fired his next serve. But the course was clearly going wide.
"Fault!!"
"Damn it..."
I felt like I heard a frustrated mutter that shouldn't have been audible at this distance.
It was the first time I had ever seen Hayato look so vexed.
Hayato... stay calm...
"So, what's it going to be, Todo-san?"
Natsumi-senpai brought up the topic that had been momentarily put on hold.
And Todo-san...
Side Marina
Yuzuki-senpai's words were brief, but her voice and her eyes made it clear she wanted a decision from me right now.
Calling Yokokawa-kun by his first name... of course, I didn't hate the idea. Not at all.
But I knew that calling a boy by his name held a special meaning. Even someone as dense as me could understand that much.
Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai were like that.
And the reason Yuzuki-senpai and Tachibana-kun started using first names was because they had started dating.
Using first names between the opposite sex—even if it didn't mean they were a couple—carried a special weight.
For some, it might just be casualness. For others, it might be because they were a Childhood Friend or had some other special bond.
But for me... no, I think for everyone I care about, calling someone of the opposite sex by their name had a specific reason behind it.
So... what about me and Yokokawa-kun?
At the very least, we aren't... lovers.
I think of him as someone precious to me. But in that sense, Takanashi-kun is also a boy who is precious to me.
If someone asked me if those "precious feelings" were exactly the same kind, though... honestly, I still didn't really know.
Yes... I "didn't know"... right?
But wasn't "not knowing" the same as admitting they were different?
My feelings for Yokokawa-kun and my feelings for Takanashi-kun and the others.
Ever since I became vaguely aware of that difference the other day, I felt like something inside me had shifted significantly. But... wait, I shouldn't be thinking about my own confusion right now. I have to think about Yokokawa-kun.
Anyway, what Yuzuki-senpai said was true. People all around me were calling him by his name without a second thought.
It made all my agonizing seem foolish. They just shouted it out so easily.
But... were they really that close to him?
Were they closer to Yokokawa-kun than I was?
...No, that's definitely not it.
I've never seen Yokokawa-kun show the smile he gives me to any other girl.
I've never seen him being close with anyone else in private.
He's always looking out for me.
He comes to my classroom every single day. Even when other girls talk to him and he gives them a polite smile, that's all it ever is.
Maybe it's just because I'm a member of this group.
Even so, I could say with absolute confidence that our relationship was much, much closer than those people around us.
It might be conceit on my part, but I can say clearly now that I am the girl who is closest to him.
And yet, I'm the one stuck using a formal Surname basis while everyone else is calling him by his name... it's frustrating.
...Frustrating?
...Am I really frustrated by that?
But if that's what Natsumi-senpai meant by "losing"...
Once I thought that, the frustration just overflowed.
I... I... I'm the one who!
"Love-fifteen!!"
"""Aaaaah!!!"""
"""Hayato, do your best!!!"""
Finally, Hayato committed a Double Fault, giving the opponent the first point.
Watching a sight I had never seen before made the anxiety around me grow...
"Hayato-kun!!!!"
"!?"
The noise of the crowd was anything but quiet, yet a lovely voice rang out through it all.
She probably wasn't used to shouting, but for some reason, her voice was clearer than any other sound. It was powerful and full of emotion.
Perhaps that's why Todo-san's voice echoed across the court with such startling clarity.
Side Hayato
A Double Fault... how long had it been since I made such a basic mistake?
That error made me realize just how abnormal my state of mind was. I knew it... I knew it, and yet...
"Hayato-kun!!!!"
A single cry that felt like magic, instantly clearing the circular thoughts and panic from my brain. A voice that belonged to someone precious, sinking deep into my heart.
Even though the match was still going, I couldn't help but look toward the source of that voice—the person I loved.
I looked because her voice was a shock, a surprise... and a joy.
"Hayato-kun!!!!"
There she was, clenching her fists and desperately shouting my name.
But you know... Todo-san. No, Marina-san.
That's a little unfair, isn't it?
I had decided long ago that I would be the first one to call you by your name.
To call me at a time like this... it was completely unexpected.
But... being called by my name by the one I love feels this good, huh?
"Hayato-kun!!! Do your best!!!"
"!?"
It was a shout of encouragement full of strength I never would have expected from her. But that sight, that voice, struck my heart.
Strength I had never felt before welled up inside me. My thoughts became simple... clear.
I understood it now. I had been too greedy, too focused on myself. I was trapped in my own head, spinning my wheels.
And because of that, I was making the most important person—the person I always want to see smiling—worry. I was making her sad. I was failing at the very thing I wanted most.
"Hayato-kun!!!!!"
That's right.
If I can't stop thinking about things other than tennis, if I can't focus on the game alone...
Then I'll just...
I'll do it for you.
I'll win this match entirely for you!
I will!!!!!
The moment she cheered for him, Hayato looked over at us with a look of surprise.
The strained expression he had worn this entire time vanished, replaced by a happy smile that seemed almost out of place.
He gave us a firm nod, then turned back to the court, placed a hand on his chest, and took a slow, deep breath.
He settled into his service stance once more.
Then, he tossed the ball straight up.
Wham!!
A powerful, sharp strike down that contrasted with his now-fluid movements.
This intense serve, unleashed with a soft yet large motion that was clearly different from before, pierced the opponent's court.
Without missing a beat, Hayato closed the distance to the net.
The opponent seemed rattled by the sudden, sharp movement. They managed a half-hearted return, which Hayato calmly tapped back near the net.
The ball rolled leisurely into an empty spot.
"Fifteen-all!!"
"""Yessssssss!!"""
"""Ha-ya-to!!! Ha-ya-to!!!"""
The Hayato Call, which had sounded so ominous just moments ago, roared back to life as the Fan Club erupted.
It wasn't just the opponent who was shocked by his sudden change in playstyle; we were too.
"Hehe, exactly as I thought ♪"
Natsumi-senpai wore a smug expression all to herself. Todo-san looked at her with a mix of wonder and embarrassment.
"Um, Yuzuki-senpai... why did Yoko... Hayato-kun...?"
Todo-san was probably dying to know why her calling his name had fixed everything.
But how to explain it? That was the tricky part. It would be best to keep it somewhat vague while hitting the main point.
"Well, let's see. It looked like Yokokawa-kun was overthinking things, so I thought we'd just give him a surprise to blow all that junk away."
"A surprise to... blow it away?"
"Yeah. After all, being called by your first name is special, right? If someone you don't care about does it, it doesn't mean much, but if it's someone you're close to, it makes you happy. Doesn't it?"
"T-That's... well... true."
"Like I said, I think you're the girl closest to him, Todo-san. He thinks so too, and deep down, you know it's true, don't you? Being called by name by someone that important makes you happy... but when it happens totally out of the blue, it's just as shocking."
"Ah!!"
"Simple, right? But it clearly worked."
It might be simple, but I think that's how people work. I know I get fired up just by the way Sara-san calls me. Especially when she calls me "Darling"... well, you know.
"I-I see..."
Todo-san seemed to accept the explanation, but her face was turning red again. She probably had a few other thoughts of her own.
"Look, Todo-san. Yokokawa-kun is looking this way. ...Seriously, that guy needs to focus on the match."
"E-Eh... H-Hayato-kun, do your best!!! Ei!!!"
Flustered, Todo-san suddenly raised both hands like a cheerleader and started hopping up and down. Her face was bright red with embarrassment.
Faced with such a reward, Hayato's expression melted for a split second, but he immediately turned forward and tightened his resolve.
He definitely tried to play that off.
"!?"
Taking another deep breath, Hayato tossed the ball up. He arched his back gracefully and swung the racket down with everything he had.
Wham!!!
It didn't look like he was straining, yet the sound of the serve was more explosive than anything that had come before. The ball, like a bullet, slammed down right on the inside line. The opponent reacted and dashed for it, but they couldn't reach it!
"Thirty-fifteen!!"
"""Kyaaaaaah!!!!"""
"""Nice serve!!!!"""
"Hayato-kun!!"
"Yokokawa-kun!!"
"""Ha-ya-to!! Ha-ya-to!!"""
With that Service Ace, the Fan Club was completely revitalized.
The "Hayato Call" bloomed across the court, and Hayato's face was full of confidence once again.
Still, the way he kept stealing glances at us... in a way, he still wasn't focusing on the tennis. It didn't seem to be a problem, though.
"Yokokawa-kun, keep going!!!"
"Yokokawa-san, fight on!!"
"Hayato, you've got this!!!"
Not to be outdone by the Fan Club, Yuji and the others were shouting as well.
I couldn't lose to them!
"By the way, aren't you two going to cheer?"
"It's not that I'm not cheering. I simply have no intention of shouting another man's name at the top of my lungs besides Kazunari-san."
"Me too."
"Haa... you two really are something."
Natsumi-senpai looked exhausted by their unwavering stance. But even if they weren't making a sound, you could tell they were cheering just by looking at them.
Whenever Hayato served, they both moved as if straining with him, and whenever he scored a point, they both shared a smile.
"Hmph!!!!!"
Wham!!!!
Using his entire body like a spring, Hayato slammed his racket into the ball.
This time, the opponent managed to react and send back a return. Hayato's next shot was a low-altitude bullet that skimmed the net. The bounce was dull, forcing the opponent to crouch awkwardly to reach it. That resulted in a weak return.
"Ngh!!"
Hayato had anticipated it. He accelerated toward the ball.
Unlike before, he maintained his momentum and slammed a powerful Volley.
The ball became a bullet again, piercing the court exactly opposite the opponent's position.
"Forty-fifteen!!"
"Yes!!"
"""Kyaaaaaah!!!!"""
I couldn't help but shout at the brilliant shot. It was magnificent.
The energy in the stands was skyrocketing. Both the momentum of the match and the atmosphere of the venue were entirely on Hayato's side.
Still... Hayato was incredible right now.
Even to my amateur eyes, it looked like he had successfully integrated the raw power from earlier into his natural style. Or perhaps it was a synergistic effect that had powered him up even further.
"Yokokawa-kun, just one more point!!!!"
"Yokokawa-san, this is it!!!"
"Hayato, do your best!!!"
Swept up in the mood, even Yuji and the others were shouting louder than usual. Sara-san and Hanako-san were watching intently, and Hayato, while maintaining his stance, stole another glance our way.
And I...
And Todo-san...
"Hayato, go for it!!!"
"Hayato-kun, win!!!!"
The moment Todo-san and I shouted together, the cheering suddenly died down. All sound vanished.
It was that "mysterious phenomenon" that happens sometimes in a noisy classroom where everyone suddenly stops talking at the same time.
Because of that, only Todo-san's and my voices rang out clearly across the court, reaching Hayato.
Hayato gave us a dazzling smile in return.
"Hmph!!!!!"
Wham!!!
He tossed the ball up and delivered what felt like the most powerful strike of the day.
The ball flew from his racket so fast that it was impossible to follow from the stands.
Before I knew it, the ball was already rolling... behind the opponent.
...What happened?
...How was that shot?
The opponent stood frozen, racket still ready, as if they hadn't been able to react in the slightest.
"...Game Set!!! Match Won By Yokokawa..."
"Yesssssssssss!!!"
"Hayato-kun, you did it!!"
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"""
The moment Hayato's name left the Umpire's mouth, the biggest cheer of the day erupted from everyone.
"""Ha-ya-to!!! Ha-ya-to!!!"""
The entire area was filled with joy, as if we had already won the whole tournament.
There were cheers, screams, and an endless "Hayato Call" and applause.
And we were part of it too.
"Oooooh, that was amazing!!! What was that shot!?"
"...That was impressive. I am genuinely surprised."
"N-Natsumi-san, is Hayato always that good!?"
"Hmm... he's good, yeah, but that final set was several levels above his usual. It seems he finally broke through."
Everyone was buzzing with excitement, high-fiving each other as they praised Hayato's performance.
Todo-san was hugging Hanako-san (who looked like she was saying "good grief," but was clearly happy deep down).
As for me...
"Well... you see..."
"Fufu... Kazunari-san, it's wonderful to be so happy for a friend. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
Pat, pat...
When Hayato's victory was decided, I had unintentionally let out a massive roar of excitement.
I'm not ashamed, exactly. It's just... embarrassing. Especially with the way Sara-san was looking at me with such a gentle gaze.
"No, I know, but..."
"Honestly... when you make such a cute face... I..."
The smile Sara-san gave me for a fleeting second reminded me of Mayumi-san's teasing, mischievous look. I immediately straightened my expression.
That was close. If I had stayed embarrassed like that, I probably would have been "doted on" right there on the spot.
"Kazunari!"
After greeting his opponent, Hayato came running over to us.
Normally, he should have gone to his teammates first, but I guess this was just how we did things.
Clap!
Our high-five made a sharp sound, followed by a round of applause from the Fan Club.
This was a ritual we always did when Hayato won, so the people around us were used to it.
But this time, everyone else joined in too.
"Yokokawa-kun, great match!"
"Hayato, that was awesome!"
"Yokokawa-san, well done!"
"Yokokawa-kun, good work!"
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
He rhythmically high-fived everyone who held out a hand, and then finally, he stopped in front of...
"Hayato-kun..."
Todo-san hadn't held out her hand, but Hayato stopped right there.
He looked happy, as if he were savoring the sound of his name.
"...Thank you, Marina-san. Because of you, I was able to win."
"Eh... eh... eeey!? A-Auuu..."
Whether it was because he used her name or because of the thanks—probably both—Todo-san's face turned so red I could almost see the imaginary steam puffing out from her head with a "pshhh" sound.
The way she started flailing her hands was actually pretty cute.
Still, Hayato used her first name so naturally. Had he been practicing?
"...Marina-san... I... this match was for... for you..."
"Ooooi, Hayato!!! How long are you going to stay there!!! You're holding everyone up!!!!"
"!?"
I nearly facepalmed at the manga-like timing of the interruption.
But that was a close one. If no one had stepped in, was Hayato about to confess? I actually got a bit nervous for a second.
"Sorry! I'm coming!"
"H-Hayato-kun?"
"Sorry, Marina-san!! Anyway, thanks for the support... it really made me happy!!"
"U-Um, yeah! Congratulations again, Hayato-kun! And... you know... y-you looked really cool!!"
Blushing furiously, Todo-san congratulated him with everything she had. Hayato raised his right hand.
Clap!
They shared a modest high-five, and with a beaming smile, Hayato headed back to the court.
Todo-san watched his back for a long time.
She didn't say another word, simply seeing him off with a gentle smile.