Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817139558660048790/episodes/16818093076856209775
After the lunch break, the second half of the ball game was underway.
Outside, it was raining, as if the fine weather until the morning had been a lie.
Thanks to this, the outside competition was canceled. The class points were assigned based on the results of the competition up to that point.
If I hadn’t been unwilling to play in the ball games and had the competitions switched, I would have been happy to fly.
Thanks to this, students from outside competitions were crowding into the gymnasium to watch the basketball game.
“Well, the attention is increasing. My time has come.”
“Give me a break.”
”Even if you say so, it can’t be helped since the outside competition was canceled, can it? Besides, it seems that the match between our and Nakashiro itself is attracting a lot of attention.”
“Why is that, ……?”
“First of all, Nakashiro has a nice face. And he’s also good at basketball. That means he’s extremely popular with girls! It’s only natural that a lot of girls come just for him. As expected, he’s my rival.”
That last one aside, it seems likely. Even during physical education, he was cheered loudly.
Naturally, they want to him them perform well at events like this.
“On the other hand, you are a transfer student. Due to the incident last month, there are many things that are attracting attention. Furthermore, you are friends with famous beautiful girls in the grade. Besides that, you’re also good at basketball.”
……Isn’t my assessment the only one that’s wrong?
The last one is good. But what about the one before that? It’s true that Yuri and Kurase are beautiful girls, but is that all you have in your image of me?
“In other words, there are a lot of male students who hold a grudge against you guys. They’re hoping you’ll make some uncool mistakes. Me too, by the way.”
“Hey.”
At any rate, I understand why our game is attracting so much attention.
These days, I can no longer say that I don’t want to stand out.
I don’t mean to cut corners, but it’s also troubling to have too many expectations.
—piiii!!
“Let’s go!”
The count on the timer reaches zero, and the match is about to begin.
Sasaoka was full of enthusiasm as he headed toward the court.
The referee was a different teacher from the one who was in charge this morning.
…… or rather it’s Kirihara-sensei. She is wearing a jersey and sporty attire, which is unusual for her
“What are you doing?”
“Look, don’t you see, I’m a referee?”
“I understand, but ……”
“Don’t worry. I can at least referee properly.”
I was a little concerned, but if she said so, I guess it was all right.
“But why didn’t you do it in the morning?”
“I was doing the girls’ competition in the morning. This time it was just a battle between our classes. I came here to feel the passionate glow of youth.”
“Haa……?”
“Especially since you reek of romantic comedy.”
As usual, this person doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
As usual, this person doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
“Look, it’s starting. Get ready.”
The teacher urged Nakashiro’s team to gather in the center of the court as well, and the two teams greeted each other to start the game.
We started with a jump ball. Nakashiro takes his place beside me at the center circle and whispers,
“I’m going to win.”
“Sorry, but that’s our line.”
Tip-off.
The ball was thrown straight up at the start of the game, and Sugiura from our team and Yasuda from Nakashiro’s team were fighting for it.
First, let’s start with this ball. Sasaoka receives the ball, dribbles, and attacks the opponent’s goal.
“Hey! You’ve got to get there first!”
And then he shoots a layup shot…but perhaps the defense in front of him is in the way, the ball goes astray, and the shot misses.
While Sasaoka was frustrated, the ball went to his opponent, and a pass was connected.
And then it comes to the person who should have it.
“Then, first of all, let’s say hello.”
So saying, Nakashiro shoots a quick attack – a three-pointer despite the numerical advantage of two to one.
A beautiful form and a beautiful parabola. The moment he hit it, he was convinced it would go in.
The ball rattled the net and made a pleasant sound.
The crowd cheered.
But rather than rejoice with the other side, I immediately release the ball and launch a reverse rapid-fire attack. After a shot is taken, I take advantage of the moment when the opponent’s defense is most likely to let down its guard.
Pass one of your opponents with a crossover (switching the dribbling ball to the opposite hand) and take a jump shot on the spot.
My shot hits the black edge of the board and is sucked into the ring in the same way.
Both Nakashiro and I raised the corners of our mouths in amusement.
◆
“wow ……”
Such words spilled out of my mouth.
From the very beginning, we are seeing a pretty high-level battle.
It’s hard to believe that this is a school ball game, it’s more like a battle between the aces of the top ranked teams in the prefectural tournament.
When Nakashiro got the ball, the audience went wild.
When Arase-kun takes the ball, the crowd cheers.
The students in this gymnasium were paying so much attention to the game that they were not even paying attention to the team playing on the other court.
“Huh, this is amazing. I haven’t seen such an exciting match in a long time.”
“Yes,……, Suika is also very excited.”
The game was so exciting that it made me feel like I was suffocating just by watching it. And yet, there is still the anticipation of what will happen next.
Experienced and non-experienced alike were uniformly fascinated by their play.
“Nakashiro is so amazing!? How can he shoot like that?!”
“And Ito too, right? He’s not even on the basketball team, but it’s amazing that he’s playing against him”
“Nakashiro kun!!”
“Go for it!”
The cheering around them was beginning to heat up.
But gradually, the score was getting closer. Nakashiro’s team was still the better team in terms of strength. Whenever Arase’s team missed a shot, Nakashiro’s team was sure to score at the right moment.
They also box out rebounds well (*push the opponent out of the way to secure a better position to get the rebound), and in these areas, the difference between the two teams gradually begins to emerge.
However, Arase-kun was desperately jumping on loose balls to make up the difference.
It was probably the first time I had ever seen Arase kun that desperate.
But maybe that wasn’t a good thing.
“Eh, huh….”
“────!”
As soon as Arase-kun got involved in the rebound and played the ball, he collapsed on the spot and was unable to move.
◆
Oh no. The point difference is getting away from us. As a team, we are too decisive.
The score is now 16-8.
If we don’t work a little harder, we won’t be able to catch up in the second half.
Thinking this, I dove for a ball that my teammate had shot and missed.
It was close to my position, and I thought I could get it.
However, I was so busy playing the ball that I couldn’t make it my own.
And the timing of the landing.
“Ouch!?”
I felt a momentary pain in my knee and fell there.
I was breathing hard, and I didn’t have the energy to get up because of it.
It …… hurt.
The referee, Kirihara Sensei, may have sensed the abnormality, stopped the game and came over to me.
“Ito, are you okay?”
“….. I’m all right.”
“Arase, are you okay?!”
“Ah, yeah……”
I came to my senses at the shouts of the teacher and Sasaoka and the others, and somehow managed to look up.
And then I met eyes with Nakashiro, who was looking down at me.
“…..”
And then he looked away quickly and silently.
It was a clear sign of disappointment.
…… bastard.
“Ito-kun!”
“Arase-kun! Are you okay!”
Then, Suika and Okai-san, who should have been on the bleachers earlier, somehow entered the court looking worried.
“Yeah I just fell down a little…Ouch!?”
“A little!?”
“Arase-kun!?”
I stood up, trying not to worry the two of them, but the pain came on slowly again.
“At this rate, you can’t continue. Ito, switch places. Take him to the infirmary.”
“W-Wait, please! I’m fine!”
If I continue to back down, the other team will surely be able to pull a point away from us.
If that happens, I won’t be able to fulfill my promise to Suika.
“Don’t be stupid. There’s no need to be reckless at a ball game tournament.”
“T-that’s ……”
“I don’t know what you are in a hurry about, but as a homeroom teacher, I can’t let this continue. Hey, Okai, Takimoto. You two, take him to the infirmary.”
“Y-Yes”
“…..”
“Look, you’d better go, Ito-kun.”
I had thought that there was no such thing as obsession. I thought that if I couldn’t do it, that was fine.
But what is this? Why so many …….
I couldn’t say anything and was taken to the infirmary on the shoulders of the two girls.
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