"You want to beat Narika?"
"Yeah."
A few days had passed since the Athletic Festival.
It was a weekend afternoon. I tilted my head at the sudden murmur that escaped Hinako’s lips.
"Are you still hung up on losing to her in tennis?"
When I asked, Hinako gave a firm nod.
"Narika’s a tough opponent to beat."
"I know that... But I still want to win."
Hinako replied while sprawled out across my bed.
Ms. Shizune, who was waiting in the corner of the room, watched Hinako with a look of impressed surprise.
"How rare. I’ve never seen the Young Lady burn with such a spirit of rivalry before."
"Is that so?"
Ms. Shizune nodded in response to my question.
"Essentially, the Young Lady’s grades are excellent because she follows the policies of the Konohana family; she rarely possesses a sincere, personal drive to improve herself."
It was true that Hinako’s true nature was quite slothful, as evidenced by her current state.
This might indeed be a rare sight.
"Did something happen to cause this change of heart?"
"...Well, I have an idea as to why."
Ms. Shizune turned a pointed, heavy gaze toward me.
Why was she looking at me like that?...I couldn't think of a single reason.
In all honesty, it would be difficult for Hinako to defeat Narika without some serious training. But Hinako was often tied up with family business, leaving her with very little time to practice.
Still, if there was a path to victory... it would be to find a sport Narika was bad at.
(Does Narika even have a sport she struggles with?)
I decided to ask her the next time we saw each other.
◆
The following day.
I wasted no time in approaching Narika at the Academy.
"So, Narika, are there any sports you’re bad at?"
"I'm not sure where that came from, but... well, there is one."
I blinked in surprise at Narika’s answer.
Even though I was the one who asked, I hadn't actually expected her to have a weakness. I’d been under the impression that Narika was essentially an all-around genius when it came to athletics.
"What are you bad at?"
"Dodgeball."
"Dodgeball? That’s a pretty simple game."
I’d never really thought of dodgeball as a serious sport.
The last time I’d played was probably during a Ball Games Tournament back in middle school. It was a staple of elementary school play, though—splitting into two teams and trying to hit each other with a ball about the size of a volleyball.
Thinking about it now, dodgeball was actually a well-designed game. There were rules where an outfielder could return to the court by tagging someone out, and then there was the American dodgeball format that didn't use outfielders at all. As a kid, I’d just played it innocently, but its simplicity was backed by a solid structure.
"Dodgeball requires... well, you have to hit people with the ball, right? I'm not very good at being the target of those pained expressions..."
"...I see."
That made perfect sense.
Dodgeball was a game where losing literally hurt. You were being pelted with a ball, after all.
Moreover, even from a guy’s perspective, Narika’s athletic ability was monstrous. She likely felt a lot of internal resistance toward hurlng a ball at full strength at a group of slender girls. She had probably been given some truly resentful looks in the past. The bitter expression on her face told the whole story.
"Narika, actually, Konohana-san said she wanted a rematch with you—"
I quickly filled Narika in on the situation.
Narika nodded thoughtfully.
"I see, I see. However, dodgeball is a team sport. It would be difficult to do with just the three of us like we did with tennis."
"Ah... that’s true."
One-on-one dodgeball would just be a violent game of catch. Besides, Hinako’s reflexes weren't bad either. It would take forever to reach a conclusion.
(Maybe I should think of something else.)
Or so I thought, until—
◆
"Today's lesson will be dodgeball."
It was the fourth period, during PE class.
The teacher made the announcement while tucked a ball under one arm.
Apparently, even Kikou Academy included dodgeball in its curriculum.
the students split by gender and took their places on the courts. As if they had coordinated it, Hinako and Narika ended up on opposing teams, facing each other down.
Hinako vs. Narika—the other students seemed to pick up on the sparks flying between them, and a crowd began to gather.
Then, the match began.
"Hah!"
"Hm, a good throw."
Narika caught the ball Hinako had hurled with ease.
"Next—it is my turn."
Narika fired back, but Hinako avoided the shot with a nimble, light-footed move.
"I've seen through... that movement!"
"Hmph, I haven't even shown you my true strength yet."
As Hinako puffed out her chest, Narika let out a fearless laugh.
The surrounding students watched their fierce back-and-forth with eyes full of awe.
(...This is starting to feel like a battle manga.)
I wondered when exactly we had slipped into the world of a shonen series.
"Wahya!?"
Suddenly, a small shriek erupted from the other court.
When I looked over, I saw Asahi-san sitting on the floor at the edge of the court. She was rubbing her cheek, clearly in pain. It looked like she’d taken a ball to the face.
Since I happened to be standing nearby, I rushed over to her.
"Asahi-san, are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah. I'm fine, but..."
Asahi-san laughed it off, but a single trail of blood trickled from her nose.
"Oops... I got a nosebleed."
"Let's get you to the nurse's office."
I made eye contact with the teacher who was approaching, and they nodded in approval. Confirming that taking her to the infirmary was the right move, I took Asahi-san’s hand and helped her up.
"You're so kind, Tomonari-kun."
"This is just common courtesy."
"The fact that you can say that so easily is exactly why you're kind....Thank you."
For the usually boisterous Asahi-san, her gratitude was uncharacteristically demure.
There was something unexpectedly cute about her in that moment, and I reflexively averted my eyes.
"Eh? Wait? Don't tell me, Tomonari-kun, are you blushing?"
"I'm not."
"Liar! You just looked away! Tell me, tell me!"
Asahi-san started poking me in the ribs.
She was friendly with everyone, but... I really wished she’d be more mindful of personal space at times like this. Being this close would make any healthy guy blush, not just me.
I started walking her toward the nurse's office.
On the way, I felt a heavy gaze on my back. I turned around, curious—
"Yikes..."
Hinako and Narika were both staring at me with eyes that were terrifyingly cold.
Why...?
◆
Later, during the lunch break.
"Wait, a draw?"
"Yeah."
By the time I’d dropped Asahi-san off and returned to the gym, Hinako’s match had already finished. When I asked about the result, it turned out to be a tie.
"The winner... was Asahi-san."
As Hinako made the announcement with a look of pure bitterness, I could only tilt my head in confusion.