Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7071ik/17/
On my way home, I heard the sound of a ball being poked in the distance, so I took a peek and saw kids playing in the park. I saw kids who looked like junior high school students playing in the park.
“Here~, try to get it.”
Correction, they were not playing.
They looked like they were playing basketball, but when I looked closer, I saw that one boy was playing against four other boys.
From the looks of it, the foursome was the more experienced basketball player and the one was probably inexperienced.
The four boys were passing the ball around while making fun of and agitating one of them.
One boy was also chasing the ball frantically, even though he was about to burst into tears at any moment.
I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see such a boy.
My feet were moving impulsively.
I put down my bag and headed toward the boys.
Then I cut and took the ball that the four boys were passing around.
It had been a long time since I had held a basketball.
“Don’t get in my way.”
One of the boys in the group of four called out to me in a quarrelsome manner.
One of the four kids looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Sorry, sorry. You seem to be having fun. Please let me in on it.”
I said, and the boys looked at each other without saying a word.
“I’ll join this team. Please.”
I put my hand on the shoulder of the boy who was alone and bent down to ask again.
The boys gathered around for a moment to talk, then agreed.
“The rules are that if you take the ball away from your opponent or score a goal, we switch sides, and the first to score three goals wins. If we win, you have to buy me a juice, glasses onii chan.”
“Fine. In return, if we win, you have to do one thing for us.”
“”””Yes””””
Maybe because of their numerical superiority and experience, they don’t imagine losing. I think I’m going to have to snap them once and for all.
“My name is Shoma, nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
“Hiroto.”
“Hiroto kun then. Then, Hiroto kun, when the game starts, you must stay close to one of the kids. You can’t leave him no matter what happens. Let’s win and make them pay for what they did to us.”
“Okay. I understand.”
Hiroto kun wiped his moist eyes with his sleeve.
The boys’ team started attacking with rock-paper-scissors.
“Let’s go!”
The boys passed the ball around as if they were experienced players.
Hiroto kun-kun, as I had said, stayed with one of the boys and did not let him pass the ball.
After connecting to the goal, they go for a shot.
But I quickly turned around and knocked the ball away from them.
The boys were surprised.
The defense changed.
“Hiroto kun. Can you shoot?”
“Yes. But I can’t dribble very well.”
“I understand. That’s enough. I’ll tell you to run when we attack, and you’ll run as fast as you can toward the goal. Until then, you wait quietly at the end of the court. I’ll show you how fun basketball can be.”
I say to Hiroto kun and start dribbling.
The boys are not stupid and use their numerical superiority to play defense.
I have the ball and three of them are trying to get it, one of them is with Hiroto-kun.
I keep dribbling so that they don’t get the ball.
Waiting for a certain moment.
I was dodging the boys coming from three different directions, dodging to the left, right and left.
After a while, I saw one of the boys following Hiroto-kun coming towards me, perhaps out of impatience.
At that moment
“Run!”
I shouted.
At the same time, I fluffed the ball forward.
“Where are you throwing it? You just give up?”
“we got our guys, so it doesn’t matter.”
“I don’t know about that.”
I replied with a smile.
When the boys turned around, they saw Hiroto-kun running alone in front of the goal.
Hiroto kun caught the ball and put it into the goal.
“Nice shot, Hiroto kun!”
I said with a thumbs up and Hiroto kun smiled back at me.
The boys who had been beaten began to argue with each other.
“Why are you coming over here? I told you to stay with him!”
“Shut up! You guys didn’t take it away from him fast enough!”
“If you hadn’t moved, I would’ve taken it!”
“Bullshit!”
I get between them and pass the ball to them.
“Yes, it’s your turn to attack.”
“I know!”
From that point on, the boys were a wreck.
They missed passes, they didn’t shoot, and their defense was full of holes. Their defense was full of holes.
Now their position is reversed from when I found them.
I worked with Hiroto kun and we started scoring.
The result was an overwhelming 3-0 win.
“Yes, we won. You promised to do what we said, didn’t you?”
“”””I’m sorry.””””
“Why are you apologizing?”
I asked and the boys went silent.
They seemed to understand what they were doing.
“If you know what you’re doing, that’s fine. You won’t do it again, will you?”
“Yeah”.
“Then, next time, you all have fun playing basketball. Got it?”
“Okay.”
“All right, then. Let’s switch teams and play one more game.”
“Eh?”
“Juice for the winners.”
“”””Yeah!””””
Then we played basketball together until dark.
I was happy to help because Hiroto kun was playing basketball with a smile on his face.
I bought juice for everyone at the end, and we disband.
See you later~ glasses onii chan!”
“Yeah, see you!”
I hadn’t played basketball in a long time.
I went home, soaking up these thoughts.
I didn’t notice a figure hiding behind a tree in the park.
“I knew he is cool.”
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