“Yanagida, the role I want you to play is ‘The Wall.’”
“The Wall?”
“On defense, you swat down every shot and pass, putting enough pressure on the attackers to protect our goal! On offense, you’ll pressure their defense to support your teammates!”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on one guy...”
“Just don't hit them directly, or it's a foul.”
I listened to Hashimoto’s instructions as we headed toward the court just before the start of the match.
Sudo chimed in with some extra advice. Apparently, if you try to force your way through an opponent or bump into them, it's called charging or blocking, and it counts as a foul.
“For now, just watch the fouls. As long as you swat away every ball that comes within your reach, we’ll be fine! I’ll give you specific orders as we go, so just move when I tell you.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and about blocking shots—it’s a no-go to touch the ball once it reaches its peak and starts falling back down.”
“...That sounds pretty technical.”
“Well, this is basically just for fun, so let’s take it easy and make sure nobody gets hurt.”
Minami gave me a light, encouraging pat on the back as I groaned at the long list of rules.
Grateful for his concern, I stepped onto the court and exchanged brief nods with the opposing team. Since I didn't recognize most of them, only Hashimoto and the others were actually making small talk.
With nothing to do, I let my gaze wander and spotted Akise-san operating the scoreboard.
When our eyes met, she made a small fist and cheered in a low voice, “Go for it!” Feeling a bit embarrassed, I gave her a small, reserved wave back.
“You guys are flirting every chance you get! Look at Oka! He looks like a beast that’s forgotten how to speak!”
I said I was sorry, okay?
“Yanagida, can you handle the jump ball? You’re the tallest guy on the team. Oh, and remember, unlike a shot, you have to wait until the ball starts coming down, so watch the timing.”
“Yeah, got it.”
At Minami’s request, I walked to the center circle.
A tall male student from the other team stepped forward—though he was still shorter than me. He had a bit of a flashy, "playboy" look to him. If I recalled correctly, he was in the volleyball club... what was his name?
The guy flashed a grin as we squared off.
“Yo, Master! I’m Hamasaki. Nice to meet ya!”
“I don’t remember taking on an apprentice...”
“Now, now, don't be like that! I seriously respect you, Master Yanagida. This nickname is just a sign of that, you know?”
...I remembered now. Last Thursday, the day the rumor about me and Akise-san dating started spreading. In all the chaos, some guy had asked, “Will you let me call you Master?”
But why "Master"? Was there even anything I could teach him?
While I stood there puzzled, the preparations finished.
Once both teams were in position, the referee approached with the ball and whistle... wait, it was Mukai-san.
“I’ll be the ref! Are you two ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Y-Yo! Ready!”
...Wait, what?
Hamasaki, who had been wearing a cocky grin just a second ago, had suddenly turned bright red and started acting incredibly fidgety. He kept stealing nervous glances at Mukai-san... Ah, I see. For a flashy guy, he was surprisingly easy to read.
Mukai-san didn't seem to notice at all, putting the whistle to her lips with a bright, carefree smile.
“Here we go! Tip-off!”
With the sharp blast of the whistle, Mukai-san tossed the ball straight up.
Hamasaki and I leaped at almost the same time.
To be honest, since there was nearly a five-centimeter height difference and I was fairly confident in my jumping ability, I figured I wouldn't lose. However, I should have expected more from a volleyball player.
Hamasaki reached his peak a split second before I did, flicking the ball away and toward his team.
“Yeah!”
“Nice jump, Hamasaki!”
As the opposing team lunged into an attack, we scrambled into defense.
“Sorry, I missed it!”
“Don’t sweat it! You can't beat a volleyball player in the air!”
“That guy is actually the best first-year in the volleyball club, despite the attitude.”
I took my position while listening to Minami’s grumbling.
Led by a guy who I assumed was from the basketball club, the opposing team charged with overwhelming momentum. Under Hashimoto’s direction, we tried to hold them back.
Every time I tried to close in on the ball carrier, they’d sense the pressure and pass to a nearby teammate... Wait, I can reach that.
“Got it!”
“Wha—!?”
“Nice cut!”
I lunged forward and swatted the ball out of the air.
Amidst the groans of the passer and the cheers of my teammates, a single shadow pounced on the loose ball. It was Oka, sprinting at a terrifying speed.
Following Hashimoto’s immediate command, we switched to the offensive.
I hurried toward the other side of the court, but my turn never came.
Oka calmly passed back to Minami when two defenders rushed him. Minami drove in further, faked a shot, and then passed back to the charging Oka, who finished it with a layup.
It was a brilliant sequence that left no room for me to intervene.
“Nice, Oka! Minami!”
“Nice shot.”
“...Nice.”
“…………”
I tried to join in on the praise, but I got no reply. In fact, I still hadn't heard Oka make a sound other than a grunt...
I understood why he was upset, but it still felt a bit lonely.
The game continued while I was feeling sentimental.
The opposing team’s fierce counterattack began. I reached out as before to intercept their passes, but—
“Out!”
“Ah...”
I had knocked the ball in a wild direction, sending it flying out of bounds.
The game resumed with Hamasaki’s throw-in. The basketball club guy caught the ball and drove in with sharp, polished movements, scoring easily. It was the kind of play that was almost beautiful to watch.
“Sorry, I hit it the wrong way...”
“Don’t worry about it! Shake it off!”
I refocused at Sudo’s words. This time, we were on the attack.
The ball went from Minami to Sudo, and then I heard my name called as the pass came to me. I caught it with both hands and looked around to see Hamasaki and another guy closing in to steal it.
I instinctively aborted the pass. Dribbling awkwardly, I escaped to the side and called out to a nearby teammate.
“Oka!”
“...!”
There was no verbal reply, but he responded perfectly to the pass.
Oka, whose ball handling was far smoother than mine, shook off his defender and threw a back-pass to Hashimoto, who was waiting at the three-point line.
Hashimoto took the shot and sank it for three points. Was there anything that guy couldn't do? He was the soccer club ace, yet he was great at basketball too.
The surrounding classmates erupted in cheers.
I hadn't noticed until then, but our match had become the center of attention. More than half the girls playing badminton had stopped to watch us.
Even Takamiya-san was watching intently, despite still being slumped on the floor.
Hashimoto came over for a casual high-five, and I responded before looking toward Oka. I wanted to acknowledge the play, but he wouldn't even look at me.
With him being this cold, it seemed like getting on good terms was going to be impossible. Then again, with my social skills, it probably wouldn't matter who I was dealing with...
The game carried on despite my inner turmoil.
It turned into a back-and-forth seesaw game. Amidst the heated struggle, the ten-minute match flew by until only one minute remained. The score was tied at 25–25; we were in the final stretch.
Since Hashimoto had just scored, the ball was in the opposing team's hands. As the basketball club member charged toward me at a terrifying speed, I braced myself.
His eyes were locked onto mine, a sharp grin on his face.
“Heh... I’m glad, Yanagida. I’ve been waiting for the chance to go head-to-head with you like this...”
“I have no idea who you are, though...”
“You don’t need to know... I just want to crush you right in front of Akise-san!!”
You too?! I wanted to yell, though I was simultaneously impressed by how popular Akise-san really was.
Despite his twisted motivation, his movements were fast and precise—the result of grueling practice and real experience.
The moment my focus wavered, he tried to blow past me with a heavy step that looked like he was lunging for the floor. He caught me completely off guard.
As I started to turn in a panic, I saw something.
Standing by the scoreboard was Akise-san, her hands clasped together as if she were praying for me—
“Don’t... underestimate me!”
I didn't want to look like a loser in front of her. Every man has a moment where he has to try his absolute hardest to look cool.
I dropped my center of gravity low, angling my body toward his path. I took a wide step with my right foot, landing on the ball of my foot with the heel lifted. In the next heartbeat, I kicked off with my left foot, using the momentum to pull my body forward.
It was a badminton step I had practiced thousands of times in middle school until it was part of my DNA.
My chance to show the culmination of that training had been ruined by my own past mistakes... but my body still remembered the rhythm.
In an instant, I cut off the basketball player who was trying to blow past me—and then it was his turn to be shocked.
He had predicted I would catch up. He had kept his center of gravity neutral so he could immediately cross back, and the ball passed between his legs as he tried to switch directions.
“I’m not underestimating you...!”
“Dammit...”
This time, I really wasn't going to make it.
Just as he tried to slip past my back—
“Yanagida isn't the only one on this team, Kuriyama!!”
“What!?”
Hashimoto lunged in from the side and snatched the ball away.
As cheers erupted from the crowd at the brilliant play, Hashimoto flashed a confident grin at the stunned Kuriyama and me.
“Run, Yanagida!!”
“...!”
I didn't need to be told twice. I bolted.
My destination was the opponent's hoop.
Kuriyama, realizing he couldn't catch me, shouted for his teammates to stop Hashimoto.
Hashimoto seemed to have predicted that move too. He immediately passed the ball to the fastest person on our team: Oka from the track and field club.
“Oka, do it!”
“Right!”
The only person standing between Oka and the basket was Kuriyama, who had scrambled back.
Oka shot a momentary look of empathy at Kuriyama’s desperate face—but then his eyes sharpened, and he looked up.
“Yanagida!!”
He called my name for the very first time.
The pass came flying toward me, feeling slightly heavier than a normal basketball.
The clock was ticking down the final seconds.
This was the last chance. The win or loss was entirely in my hands.
I couldn't fail. For the sake of the guys who had connected this play, I had to make this shot.
I got as close as possible to increase my odds and jumped with everything I had.
It was a perfect jump, nothing like the one at the start of the game.
As I held the ball up toward the rim, a thought crossed my mind.
—I didn't realize the hoop was this low.
The ball left my hands, clipped the backboard, and dropped straight through the center of the ring.
As soon as it cleared the net, I landed—and the final whistle echoed through the gym.
The entire gymnasium erupted. Both boys and girls were cheering, and I could hear people praising us from all sides.
As I stood there in a daze, Hashimoto came over and threw an arm around my shoulder. Sudo and the others were right behind him.
“Seriously, nice shot, Yanagida!! You nailed it!!”
“Stop it, you’re sweaty... It was only because Hashimoto backed me up. And Oka, too...”
I trailed off and looked at Oka. He was wearing his usual sullen expression, but he looked me straight in the eye and held out his palm.
Sensing his intent, I reached out, and he slapped my hand with a stinging amount of force. It hurt, but strangely, I didn't mind.
“Even if you were wide open, you timed that perfectly. I really thought we were going to lose...”
“Hey, are you sure you won't join the volleyball club?”
“No way, he's a natural for soccer! That footwork is wasted on basketball!”
“Wait a second, I told you I'm not joining a—”
Thump. A soft sensation pressed against my back, cutting me off.
I looked around to see what was happening, only to find everyone staring with wide eyes and open mouths. Nobody seemed capable of giving me an explanation.
I tried to turn around, but my mind went totally blank when I felt arms wrap around my waist and heard a familiar voice.
“Yanagida-kun.”
“...Akise-san?”
Akise-san was hugging me from behind.
The pressure of her arms tightened, and the warm, soft sensation against my back became unmistakable. I knew this feeling. It was exactly what I’d felt against my chest when I’d caught her after she tripped the other day.
“A-A-Akise-san? What are you doing? For now, please let go...!”
If I thought about this any more, my brain was going to overheat.
I tried to address the situation, but she showed no sign of letting go. If anything, she squeezed harder.
Pressing her forehead against my shoulder, she spoke in a soft, heated voice.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m being a bother. But Yanagida-kun was just so cool and wonderful back there... I just couldn't help myself.”
“I... I see.”
Being praised that directly made my embarrassment shoot through the roof.
I couldn't find the words to say anything else, and my motivation to argue about the hug evaporated.
I looked back toward the front... only to see Hashimoto and Takamiya-san looking at me with eyes of pure exasperation, Mukai-san with a sparkling, delighted face, and Oka, who had finally regressed into a beast and was roaring with pure jealousy.
“Look, man... I know there's a lot going on, but saying you guys aren't dating after this is just being dishonest...”
“I don't intend to meddle in your private life, but you should really learn to pick a better time and place.”
“Wow...! Youka, you’re so bold to hug him in front of everyone like that...!”
“Grrrrr... Fshaaa! Graaaaaaargh!”
Shut up! I’m sorry!