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The teacher taped me up, and when I returned to the gym, half-time was just about over.
Sasaoka stands up in surprise when he sees me walking back normally.
“Arase! Are you alright?”
“Yeah. They taped me up. I think I can probably manage for the rest of the time or so.”
I wonder how it would have gone while I was gone.
Perhaps we have a point difference that cannot be reversed.
I look at the score displayed on the timer while being driven by such anxiety.
“Eh ……? 25 to 18?”
There, the same point difference as before I left the field was written.
I believe it was 16-8 when I got injured.
That means they’ve scored nine points from that point, but we’ve scored ten.
With that Nakashiro, I can’t believe we’re within a point of that. ……
“Hehe, we did it right? We’ll do it if we have to, won’t we?”
“You’re right!”
“We can’t let Ito take all the good points!”
“Yeah, we’ve got this much in the bag.”
“If we win this, it’ll be because of us, right?”
“You were just out of breath most of the time, weren’t you?”
Nishino, Sugiura, Yamauchi and Miyashita responded confidently to Sasaoka’s words.
…… What a dependable classmate.
By the way, the person who took my place was Miyashita-kun. He pulled up his glasses and put on a smug look, and although he seemed to be pretty bad at exercising, he seemed to be running as hard as he could. thank you.
It’s great to be on a team, isn’t it? Teams are great. Basketball should be like this.
“Well, it’s also thanks to Nakashiro’s blatant demotivation after that.”
“What, is that so But didn’t Nakashiro never cut corners against any opponent?”
“Well, yes, but …… I guess it wasn’t enough after that fight with you, was it? He was clearly reluctant.”
“Nakashiro…”
I look at Nakashiro on the bench over there. I didn’t know what he was thinking because he was so dark-hearted, but maybe he was something simpler.
If that’s the same as his reaction of disappointment when I collapsed due to injury, it makes sense.
If he simply wanted me and Suika to fail, he wouldn’t have that expression on his face.
“……!”
Then I met eyes with Nakashiro over there. As soon as Nakashiro saw me, his eyes lit up and he laughed.
…… What can I say, maybe I’ve been spotted by a strange one.
The second half will start soon.
The number on the timer is getting closer and closer to zero. Before the timer was about to make its electronic beep, Kirihara-sensei spotted me and came up to me.
“Ito. Are you alright?”
“Well, I had it taped.”
“If it looks like it’s going to lead to serious injury, I won’t hesitate to stop you.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“…… indeed. Let’s see what you got. Let’s see the glimmer of youth that’s only now.”
I knew it would be difficult to understand him.
The timer was about to ring and the second half of the match was about to begin as I exchanged a word or two with the teacher.
Before the match resumed, Nakashiro, who could not control his emotions, came all the way up to me.
“Haha, you can still do it. I’m glad.”
Nakashiro, who had just met me, gave a small laugh.
“I guess it’s all reversed from here.”
“No, I’ll let you go in one fell swoop.”
It’s not like me. I think so myself. I’m not sure if I’m that positive.
Maybe it’s because I have to show someone somewhere that I’m good.
And it’s fun after all. I’ve been away so much, I’ve been through so much, I’ve already given up on basketball.
I thought I couldn’t have that tingly, blood-boiling feeling.
I can only thank Suika.
For reminding me of these feelings. I can’t believe I’m supposed to be doing this for Suika, but I’m doing it for myself.
“Well, first of all, I’d like to say welcome back.”
After receiving the ball from the courtside, Nakashiro immediately sets up a one-on-one against me on defence.
Right or left? Which way to fake and which way to dribble?
It is like the samurai in period dramas who are staring at each other without taking a single step.
“—–!”
But I didn’t see it coming and Nakashiro shoots it right at me. He goes in for a shot check after realising it.
Three-pointer; up by 12.
“Hey hey Arase, what a decision! Thanks to you, we’re getting yellow cheers from the fans!”
“Sorry. Next time, let’s see who scores the next one and take that cheer away from them.”
“…..! I’ll take care of it!”
I’m going to fire up Sasaoka, but this time, I’m going to give Nakashiro a one-on-one as if to say payback.
I bring the ball back right, left and leg-through (passing the ball under the crotch) and make it slow and steady. From there, I switch again at once and try to dribble through.
“I see you!!!”
Nakashiro is slow to react for a moment, but somehow manages to keep up with the defence.
But I make a sudden stop there.
“Ugh ……”
I shoot and decide to shoot, even though my face is distorted from the strain on my knees.
Nakashiro, who looks surprised, immediately grins.
And next, as his opponent was turning the ball around, Sasaoka reacted like a wild dog and stole the ball.
The ball he took was passed through his teammates and turned to me.
On offence, we have the advantage in a three-on-two situation.
After taking a good look at my opponent’s defensive situation, I went into shooting motion.
“Nah!?”
When the defender in front of me jumped up when he realised I was going to shoot, I switched to passing instead of shooting and passed the ball to Sousuke, who was under the goal.
“Nice pass!!!”
After shooting with great enthusiasm, Sasaoka winked at the cheering students (mainly girls).
…… If it wasn’t for that sort of thing, I think he’d be popular.
◆
“……!”
“Behind by a point again!”
Natsu is happily chatting next to me. I felt the same way, but I was more worried.
“Mouu, Suika! Even if you make that face, Ito-kun will never stop, right?”
“I know, but ……!”
Worry about what you worry about. You said you were doing it for Suika and yourself, but I wonder why you would go so far as to do that… I wonder what makes Arase-kun so excited.
“Ito-kun, he look just like the usual Suika, right? look like he’s having a lot of fun.”
“……!!!”
After Natsu told me, I looked at Arase-kun again. His expression gave off a boy-like innocence that I had never seen before.
That figure resembles that person I saw someday.
Looking at it, naturally the worried feeling I had earlier turns into something else.
Something cloudy inside me begins to shine dazzlingly.
“……Good luck.”
“…… Suika?”
“Good luck- Arase-kun!”
I found myself standing up and cheering for Arase-kun in a loud voice, without regard to everyone’s attention.
Natsu looks a little embarrassed next to me.
Arase-kun heard my voice, or perhaps his eyes met mine.
─ ─ Just watch me.
I feel like I was told that.
After that, the two teams continued to go back and forth, and the point difference was not closing from a four-point margin.
I didn’t expect to see such a heated game at a ball game, and the voltage around me was rising.
Gradually, the cheering from those around me became so tremendous that my support became less noticeable.
“Ah!’
There was less than a minute left. The goal difference remained the same, but then Arase-kun made a mistake.
In order to dribble past Nakashiro in front of him, he tilted his centre of gravity and looked in agony.
Nakashiro did not miss that moment and reached for the ball and played it.
Nakashiro caught up with the ball as it rolled forward. With no one in front of him, a one-man quick attack is completed.
“Got it ……!”
Convinced he’s going to score, Nakashiro gets into position for a lay-up.
It’s not good to be six points down at this time of the game. Please, please miss it – that’s what I was hoping for,
“!?”
Nakashiro’s surprised voice was accompanied by a loud cheer in the gymnasium.
Arase-kun, who had lost the ball, caught up with Nakashiro and made a powerful block from behind.
Nakashiro fell down with the same momentum. Arase-kun then took the ball back, dribbled forward and handled the pass.
Arase-kun’s teammate responded with a three-point shot.
“Yeaaaayyy!!!!”
The boys who made the shot shouted.
The score is now 37-36, a one-point difference.
Less than a minute remained. The opponents also used the time to pass the ball around. The ball was then passed to Nakashiro again.
“…… haha”
“……”
Both sides laughed happily.
◆
Oh no. It’s fun. I didn’t have a purpose in mind anymore.
All I could think about now was enjoying this moment.
A back-and-forth battle. The heat that makes it hard to believe it’s a ball game.
The exchange with Nakashiro.
The moment when a teammate’s shot was decided.
All of them reminded me of something I had forgotten.
Nakashiro in front of me is smiling all the time, as if he has found a good opponent.
His eyes are sharp, as if he’s about to shoot his opponent dead.
Before he runs out of time, Nakashiro dribbles and intercepts the moment.
At once, Nakashiro accelerates and shakes me to the right and left.
“——”
My knees scream with that violent movement. But I can’t lose here.
I will bite down at any cost.
I stopped suddenly and extended my hand to Nakashiro who entered a shooting motion.
───Waaaaaaaaaaaahhh.
The shot misses and I hear cheers and sighs from the gym.
Then we move to the final possession.
“Ito!”
“……!”
“Ah!”
Nishino rebounds the ball and passes it to me.
I pass past the defence in front of me and move forward.
But I’m running out of time. Four seconds left.
And finally, it’s a one-on-one situation with Nakashiro, as if it was staged.
I dribble to my left with all my momentum. But Nakashiro reacted just as quickly and blocked my path.
“─ ─ ─”
But it was only for a moment. I was able to react to the moment when the course was blocked and switched the ball over my back and switched the direction of movement to the right.
Nakashiro looked as if he had been momentarily caught off guard.
I didn’t miss that opportunity and went into shooting motion.
Nakashiro also quickly switched and reached out to block my shot.
It was like a replay of the earlier scene where the offence and defence had changed.
For some reason, the gymnasium, which should have been in a frenzy, seemed to be enveloped in silence, as if time had stopped.
Which of the two would win, it would be decided here.
“Gooooo, Arase-kun!!!!!!”
I heard a cheerful voice, louder than anyone else’s, I laughed a little and shoot it.
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