Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818792436712389850
“Wow, that was really close. Seriously.”
The shot crossed the end line and went in.
That was the moment when the joyful voices rang out.
“…Well, it didn’t work out.”
The shot taken by our forward wasn’t bad at all. Sure, it hit the post, but with that trajectory, there shouldn’t have been any problem.
“Still, there’s no way he could have made it in time. Normally.”
However, just before crossing the final white line, he ran in. Aota did.
I also covered the goal earlier. But that was just me reading the situation and stopping him.
On the other hand, Aota caught up to the ball with his overwhelming physical strength. There was probably some reading involved, but I still thought it was impossible to catch up.
“Hey, that went in, right?”
Someone from our team shouted.
Shock. Well, I was confident about that one point, but this is really tough.
“Just focus! The counterattack is coming!”
Still, there’s no point in dwelling on it.
Switch gears…
Just as I thought that, I must have let my guard down for a moment.
“Ugh!”
“Next, it’s my turn to attack! Let’s go!”
From the first step, he was almost at top speed.
The difference in speed between him and an average player was staggering.
“Damn it! Amagami! I’ll leave the game plan to you for now!”
“Got it!”
There’s about five minutes left in the first half.
The choice I made was…
“Man-marking! That’s it!”
In an instant, the distance closed, and the battle was on the halfway line.
Aota doesn’t use the kind of clever feints I do. It’s not that he can’t use them; he doesn’t need them because he can outpace his opponents with speed and rhythm alone.
It’s like technique versus strength. That’s the essence of the power struggle between me and Aota.
“Let’s go, Ren!”
“Come on, protagonist!”
Steps, distance. No problem. Don’t aim for the ball in one shot, hunt it down step by step.
I follow Aota, who is charging straight at me, running alongside him.
Between dribbling and sprinting, sprinting is obviously faster.
“Damn! That’s nerve-wracking!”
“It’s okay if you really get nervous!”
Counterattacks, changes in pace. My body is getting used to it.
The pass option, thanks to Amagami’s instructions, doesn’t result in a fatal blow.
──With five minutes remaining, I’ll cut Aota out of the game.
“Hayami-san! We don’t need to waste time anymore!”
“Got it.”
It seems they’ve finished setting up their defensive formation. Even if I get easily beaten here, it won’t matter.
“…But that’s not going to happen, is it?”
As always, this guy never goes according to such mild expectations or assumptions.
“Aota! Pass! Let’s keep it moving!” “That guy! Just get rid of him quickly!”
The outfielders. Well, to be precise, they’re not outfielders, they’re Red Team players, so they’re infielders… Oh well, whatever.
Thought. In that moment, Aota’s foot gently kicked the center of the ball.
“!”
The signal to dribble. A minor movement, like restarting an engine that had stopped.
The outcome was decided in an instant.
That much was certain.
＊＊＊
Ah, I knew it. Yeah.
Kicking the ball and running. There’s nothing complicated about it, nothing difficult.
So why does it feel so exciting, so thrilling?
…No, it’s probably because of this guy.
Ever since I started playing as a kid, he’s always been there, and because of him, I’ve come to love this so much.
“—Ren. Thanks.”
I only know one way to repay the favor.
Here, I’ll show him.
I’ll win against Ren with every ounce of my being.
＊＊＊
With a thud, I found myself sitting on my butt.
What happened? The blue-haired boy in front of me had vanished, and cheers echoed from behind.
“Wow!! A bullet shot from the center of the court!! And!! A perfect trajectory that slipped through the narrow gap between friend and foe!!”
A goal. It took me a moment to realize the fact.
“…I was beaten, wasn’t I?”
No, I know. I know that even if I’m stunned, the fact remains the same.
“Hayami-san. Take my hand.”
Amagami offered me his hand, and I stood up for now.
“Did you see what Aota did just now?”
“It was an Elastico. He used his right foot to get past Hayami and immediately took a shot. …That guy is too much of a monster.”
Elastico. After slightly sliding the ball with the outside of his foot, he sharply cuts back in the opposite direction. It sounds simple when you say it, but even among professionals, there are almost no players who can use it effectively in a match.
It’s a technique that boasts such difficulty and has an overwhelming practical effect.
Once it’s executed, you can say that 70% of the time, the opponent will be beaten.
“Well, the whistle for the second half has blown, so let’s head back to the bench.”
“…Yeah, let’s do that.”
We brushed the dirt off our pants and walked back to the bench.
Along the way, we overheard the conversations of the many spectators gathered alongside the field.
“He’s so cool, isn’t he, Hasegawa?”
“Yeah, it’s amazing that he’s so good at sports, but he also has a GPA of nearly 70, right? He’s a genius!”
The girls were chatting excitedly.
“Man, I wish I could be that good at sports too.” “You idiot, you could never do that. Hasegawa is special.”
The boys were laughing.
No good, my head is still foggy. I shouldn’t be listening to such trivial things.
“Excuse me, I’m going to wash my face. I’ll be right back.”
“Hayami-san?”
Grabbing a towel from the bench, I left the field.
＊＊＊
“Aota-senpai is so cool. Oh, Hayami-senpai seems to be going somewhere. Maybe the bathroom?”
By the side of the field, in front of the flower bed, Mihoshi muttered to herself.
Those words made me feel a little uneasy. Or rather, I had a bad feeling about it.
“Mihoshi. I’m going to go too.”
“Huh? Where?”
“To pick flowers!”
“Oh, okay, sorry about that.”
I couldn’t see his face from a distance. But I could tell that his heart was definitely shaken right now.
“This situation reminds me of the day we first met.”
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