Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818622177313064025
The sun rises. The bright light streaming in through the window makes the back of my eyelids blurry.
“Ugh, my muscles ache…”
What a disappointment. My whole body aches as if it were creaking. It feels like gravity is twice as strong for me.
“Ugh…”
I crawl out of bed and take off my sweatshirt.
“Oh, what’s this?”
Then, I noticed several purple bruises on my chest.
Even though I was wearing protective gear, I guess getting hit by a ball as hard as a rock over and over again would cause bruises.
As I was thinking about this, the door opened.
“Ren-senpai. It’s about time…”
It was Shiramine who appeared. Why is she here? I’ll put that question aside for now. Yeah.
“Um, I’m sorry? You’re at that age, after all…”
Shiramine smiled awkwardly, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
It seemed like she had misunderstood something.
Well, I guess so. Even though it was my own room, to someone else, it must have looked strange to see me standing there in my underwear, staring at my own body right after waking up.
“No, that’s not it, is it, Shiramine-san?”
I wasn’t admiring my own body. I wasn’t that narcissistic…
“No, no. Don’t worry about it. There are times like that. I’m an understanding junior, so… um, yes. It’s okay.”
There was no mistake. It was pity. It was as if she was saying, “No, I understand. There are times like that, right?” It’s like a mother showing superficial understanding to her son who has developed middle school syndrome.
“No, that’s not it, really.”
“Ah, ha ha. Oh, I see. Breakfast is ready. Let’s eat together and go to school.”
The door closed with a thud. After that, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs could be heard.
“…Huh, did she understand my misunderstanding, or did she not?”
Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that she saw me at my worst.
After changing clothes and eating breakfast, Shiramine and I left the house.
The weather was cloudy. The gloomy sky looked like it was about to rain at any moment.
“What sports did Ren-senpai decide to participate in?”
Shiramine asked cheerfully. Come to think of it, I’m getting used to going to school together like this.
“Baseball and… volleyball, I guess.”
I think I can do those two well and be helpful.
“So you’re not playing soccer?”
She looked a little disappointed.
“Yeah. I’m sorry, but it’s not because I’m slacking off. It’s just… I can’t do it right now, even if I want to.”
“Huh?”
Shiramine looked more confused than surprised.
“Maybe it’s because of my injury. My body doesn’t move the way I want it to, but outside of the field, I’m the same as I used to be.”
I don’t know why. At first, I thought it was because my instincts had dulled or I had gotten worse due to the break.
But…
“My legs… won’t move.”
They feel heavy, like stone, and won’t lift off the ground. My head knows what I should do, but…
“I see…”
“Yeah. But I’m really trying my best.”
“I understand. We’re on different teams, but I’m on your side… I’ll be watching your brave performance.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
I said that. However, Shiramine stopped and looked down.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are my words putting a burden on you?”
Those are difficult words. That’s what I thought.
If Shiramine hadn’t said those words, I wouldn’t have tried as hard as I did yesterday, and as Friend A, I might have just thought about how to lose in a good way to make Aota stand out.
But even so.
“Thank you, Shiramine. I think I was happy that you said that to me at that time.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I think I wanted someone to say that to me.”
I wanted someone to believe in me. You are not like that, are you? I think I probably had that kind of desire to show off.
So when I was told, “Do your best,” I was a little happy.
“I’ll do my best with everything I’ve got. I’ve decided that. So it’s not a burden.”
I don’t want to blame others for my own incompetence anymore. Even if something happens, it’s enough for me to suffer alone.
“…You always say things like that, don’t you?”
Shiramine seemed a little dissatisfied. She believed my words, but she couldn’t help blaming herself. I felt like that was what she was thinking.
“Well, you’ll understand when you see me on the day. You’ll see how seriously I’m trying.”
“…You’re very confident, aren’t you?”
“Shiramine-san said so. So maybe I’m actually amazing.”
After a while, the school came into view. As soon as we passed through the school gate, we acted like strangers.
We acted as if we had nothing to do with each other.
We couldn’t make any mistakes. If rumors spread that a friend like me was dating someone like her, I would surely…
“Hey, Ren. You’re early today.”
“Hey, Aota. It’s the same as always.”
Someone calls out to me in front of the shoe rack. It’s Aota.
“Oh, by the way, what event are you participating in at the sports festival?”
Again? Shiramine asked me the same thing earlier, but is it really that interesting?
“I’m…”
“Hey, Shiramine Hisui san. You look beautiful today… Hmm. That greeting is a little awkward.”
There were two people in the student council room.
One was Shiramine, a first-year student.
And the other was…
“What is it? I don’t think you would call me here just to talk to me.”
Opposite Hisui Shiramine, a head of long black hair swayed slightly.
“It’s about the ball game tournament. As you requested, I put Hasegawa Aota and Hayami Ren in different teams, but I wanted to ask you if you’re really okay with that.”
It was Sanada Tsubaki, the student council president.
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