The tumultuous week drew to a close, and it was now Tuesday of the following week—the day before midterms were set to begin.
A thin veil of tension hung over the classroom, and combined with the rain that had been falling since Saturday, the atmosphere felt particularly gloomy.
"God, I'm depressed."
"Whoa... Hashimoto’s actually studying."
"What kind of guy do you think I am...?"
I’d spoken to Hashimoto because I’d spotted him doing the unthinkable—having a textbook open during a break—but his reply was completely devoid of life. Even with tests looming, this was a bizarre sight.
"You look like death. Did your girlfriend dump you?"
"Don't you dare jinx it!! ...Seriously, don't even joke."
"Sorry."
I apologized immediately, caught off guard by the sheer gravity in his voice. Hashimoto let out a heavy sigh.
"We have PE third period today, right?"
"Yeah."
"And we were supposed to start our soccer unit today, right?"
"Right."
"But... it's raining, isn't it?"
"Ah..."
Suddenly, Hashimoto’s eyes snapped open, and he lunged forward to grab my shoulders. With a look of utter desperation, he pleaded, "Coach Yanagida... I just want to play soccer."
"I see."
"I'm not a coach, and this isn't a basketball manga," I said, prying his hands off me. He immediately collapsed face-down onto his desk.
"It's been raining since Saturday, so I haven't been able to kick a ball once... I'm at my limit. If I don't play soon, I’m actually going to snap...!"
"You've got a terminal case of soccer withdrawal."
I was exasperated by the sight of him writhing like a soccer-starved zombie, yet at the same time, I couldn't help but respect the sheer depth of his passion. Right then, the PE class liaison walked into the room.
"PE today is in the gymnasium! Bring your indoor shoes!"
"Okay~" "Got it."
I gave a sympathetic pat to Hashimoto’s shoulder. He didn't even twitch.
§
Our school’s gymnasium was a standard-sized building, just large enough for two basketball courts.
For today's class, the gym was split down the middle. One half was reserved for basketball, while the other half near the entrance had three badminton courts set up. It was effectively free time—everyone could play whatever they wanted for the duration of the period.
Once the equipment was set up and we’d finished our warm-ups, the class split into their preferred sports. Unsurprisingly, badminton was dominated by girls. The few boys who joined were mostly small groups of friends who weren't particularly athletic.
I figured I’d just find a corner and hit a shuttlecock against the wall to kill time.
"Oh? You chose badminton too, Yanagida-kun?"
I looked up from testing the tension of my racket to see Takamiya-san looking surprised. It seemed she was the only one from her trio who’d picked badminton.
"Haruka was dragged off to the basketball court by Miki. Miki’s on the girls' basketball club, and Haruka’s pretty athletic herself."
"I didn't realize Mukai-san was in the basketball club."
"She’s been a basketball nut since elementary school. Were you in a club, Yanagida-kun?"
"Oh, I—"
"Yanagida-kun played badminton in middle school!"
"Huh...?"
I turned toward the voice that had suddenly cut me off to find Akise-san standing there, holding a basketball and looking incredibly smug. Mukai-san jogged up behind her.
"Haruka! The girls' match is starting! Oh, Karin and... Yanagida-kun, you're doing badminton?"
"I'm coming! Yanagida-kun! I'm going to play my heart out, so make sure you're watching, okay?"
And with that, the two of them hurried off as quickly as they’d arrived. Takamiya-san and I shared a look of mutual confusion.
"...What was that about?"
"No idea..."
While we stood there blinking, the rest of the class had already begun their games. Takamiya-san mentioned she was a complete novice, so I led her to the edge of the court—to stay out of the way—and gave her a quick rundown on the basics.
"The easiest way to hold it is with the racket face perpendicular to the floor... Right, like you’re shaking hands with the grip. When you swing, don't just flick your wrist; use your whole arm. Ideally, you want to be side-on to the shuttlecock and move your whole body, but you can worry about that once you're used to the feeling."
"Like... this? It's harder than it looks."
"Everyone starts like that. Let's try hitting a few."
I stepped back and lightly tossed a plastic shuttlecock toward her. She swung with a... well, let’s call it a very unstable posture. There was a sharp clack as the racket connected, sending the shuttlecock flying off in a completely random direction.
"Ah! Sorry, I missed."
"Actually, just making contact on your first try is great. This time, focus on the angle of the racket face..."
I demonstrated the proper form a few more times. Once she was consistently making contact, we started a light rally. It had been a while since I’d held a racket, and since these were just school-grade equipment rather than competitive gear, the weight was a bit off—but I could manage a basic clear back and forth.
"Haa... haa..."
"Should we take a break?"
After a few minutes of rallying, I realized something. Takamiya-san didn't have bad reflexes. In fact, she’d picked up the rhythm and learned to hit the shuttlecock straight remarkably fast.
The problem was her stamina. It was nonexistent. She’d been chasing the shuttlecock for less than ten minutes, yet she was already on the verge of collapse.
As Takamiya-san leaned against the wall to catch her breath, I glanced over at the girls' basketball match on the other side of the gym. I caught sight of Akise-san driving toward the hoop with the ball.
...She’s good, I thought, genuinely impressed.
She was technically in the Go-home Club, but she had plenty of stamina and knew how to use her body. Her ball-handling was a bit unpolished, but compared to the non-club members, her skill level was on a different plane.
She evaded two defenders with a sharp crossover and, while her teammates boxed out the rest, she soared into the air for a layup... and missed.
"Aaaaaagh! No!"
"Don't sweat it, Haruka!"
"So close!"
Mukai-san and the rest of her team shouted encouragements as Akise-san clutched her head and wailed. As she turned to get back on defense, her eyes locked onto me.
"Y-Yanagida-kun... don't look! Don't look at me when I fail like that...!"
Does she want me to watch or not?
I was watching the game get even more heated when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find Hashimoto holding a basketball.
"Oh, Hashimoto. What’s up?"
"Come play basketball with us!" he said with a bright, refreshing smile.
"...I'm playing badminton, though."
"It's not like the teachers said we’re locked into one sport. You're just resting anyway, right? We’re trying to get three five-man teams going for the guys, but mine is one short. I need you."
"I've never played basketball before."
"None of us have, unless you're in the club. I'm a total amateur too."
That was a fair point. And if they were desperate for a fifth man, I couldn't really say no.
"Don't complain if I'm terrible. ...Sorry, Takamiya-san. I'm going to go help them out."
"Don't... mind me... I can't... move anyway... haa..."
I left Takamiya-san still slumped against the wall. She really needed to work on her cardio.
I followed Hashimoto to the basketball court and was introduced to the team. It was two of his soccer club teammates, one track and field guy, and one volleyball player. Zero basketball experience across the board.
I’d felt a bit hesitant because they were all part of the popular, extroverted social elite, but they actually welcomed me quite warmly. Maybe that was just their nature at work.
"Yo, Yanagida. I'm Akasaka from the soccer club. Good to have you."
"I'm Sudo. Have we talked? Man, seeing you up close, you’re a giant. How tall are you?"
"Yanagida. Nice to meet you. ...I was 183 at the physical examination in April."
"For real!? Hey, Yanagida, ever thought about volleyball? With that height, you’d be a starter in no time. Oh, I'm Minami, by the way."
"I think I’ll pass..."
Akasaka, Sudo, and Minami. Despite it being our first real meeting, they were all incredibly friendly. I could see why Hashimoto hung out with them.
However...
"..."
"Uh, right..."
There was one guy who hadn’t said a word and was currently glaring at me with enough intensity to burn a hole through my head. If I remembered correctly, he was in the track and field club... Oka, I think?
He was shorter than me but had a naturally stern face, and the sheer malice he was radiating was actually pretty intimidating. I didn't think I’d ever even spoken to him. As I stood there wondering if I’d somehow offended him, Minami leaned in and whispered while resting a hand on Oka’s shoulder.
"This guy has a massive crush on Akise-san. He’s basically oozing jealousy because you’re so close to her."
"............I see."
He wasn't just oozing it; he was practically drowning in it. The annoyance I felt at being glared at for no reason was immediately replaced by a pang of guilt.
The awkward part was that Akise-san and I weren't actually dating in any official capacity. But if someone asked what we were, I wouldn't know how to answer. To be honest, I didn't even understand it myself.
"Wait, Yanagida-kun? Are you in the next match?"
The girls' match had ended, and Akise-san’s group was heading our way. Her skin, flushed and slightly damp with sweat from the workout, looked unexpectedly alluring. I had to look away—only to find Oka huffing like an angry bull. It snapped me back to reality.
"Hashimoto invited me. He needed a fifth man."
"Don't make it sound so businesslike! We’re counting on you, man!"
"Get off me, you’re gross."
I shoved Hashimoto away as he tried to sling an arm around my neck. In this humidity, the last thing I wanted was a sweaty guy clinging to me. Akise-san watched our exchange with a bright, playful smile.
"I'll be cheering for you! Do your best!"
She reached out and gave my hand a firm, encouraging squeeze.
The girls around Mukai-san immediately started squealing, while a wave of pure murderous intent erupted from the boys. Oka looked like he was about to snap and lunged at me, only to be held back by Akasaka and the others. Hashimoto gave a weak, pained smile.
"Hey, could you maybe not cause a civil war in the team before the whistle even blows?"
...Sorry about that.