Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818622176441362585
“Sorry, man. I’m quitting soccer after middle school.”
He said that with a smile.
He was my comrade-in-arms, someone I had played with since elementary school.
He was an amazing guy who could do anything flawlessly, and he was strict with himself and others, never allowing even the slightest slack.
People around him praised him as a “genius,” but I knew the truth.
He was the first to arrive at practice in the morning, ran longer and faster than anyone else, and never let his concentration slip until late at night.
Call him a genius? That’s normal. He works so hard and is more serious than anyone else.
Of course, there is such a thing as talent. Even with the same amount of effort, there will always be some difference in ability.
But the guy I’d been watching all along wasn’t the kind of player who could be dismissed with such words.
He had a burning determination. It was as if the court was his only place in the world.
So I couldn’t accept it.
“Why are you quitting? You said you wanted to go to the national high school tournament.”
“Well, it’s not that I hate soccer, but I found something else I want to do.”
There was no lingering regret or remorse. Seeing his composed expression, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.
“Are you sure you want to quit so easily? Everything will be wasted!”
For the first time, I vented my anger at him over soccer.
Up until then, I had been scolded before, but I had never scolded him… no, it was unthinkable for me to scold him.
However, in the next moment, I realized that the burning emotion was my own ego.
“—Aota. Don’t become like me. You can definitely become a pro.”
His eyes, which were unusually bright and cheerful, were deep and dark.
“Wait—Ren! I…”
Yes, even though I blurted out, “Everything will be wasted,” trying to stop him, I just wanted to play soccer with him.
—I just wanted to play soccer with Hayami Ren.
＊＊＊
Our school’s sports festival is a bit unique.
Usually, each class forms a team for each sport and competes, but at our school, the classes are divided into four color groups, and teams are formed by grade level.
Basically, it’s like the first-year Red Team, the second-year White Team, the third-year Blue Team… and so on, with 12 teams competing in each event.
Well, what I’m trying to say is…
—It’s a hassle. That’s all there is to it.
“First-year Red Team, gather over here!”
“Third-year White Team, gather over here!”
After the school-wide assembly led by the physical education committee and student council, everyone gathered on the field according to their grade and color group, as previously announced.
“Oh, Hayami. You’re in the second-year Green Team too?”
“Oh, Itakura. It’s reassuring to see you here.”
When I went to the designated spot, I made eye contact with Itakura, who was standing there with his arms crossed, exuding an air of mystery.
“…I wondered this last year too, but why are there green and yellow teams?”
“No one knows. Anyway, Hayami, how many events are you going to compete in?”
“Um, well, let’s see…”
Four events: baseball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer.
“I think I can do volleyball and basketball to some extent.”
Of course, I’ve never done them outside of PE class. Still, it’s just for fun, so it’s fine.
“Hayami… What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“So, you think the sports festival is just a festival, and winning or losing doesn’t matter, right?”
Why did he figure that out… Anyway, whether we win or lose, it shouldn’t matter, right?
“Sorry, Hayami, but I’m going to win them all! After all, I hate losing!”
…Yeah, this guy is really annoying. He’s the type who would build a sand castle while everyone else is playing in the sand.
“I agree. The great man said that failure is the foundation of success. However, that is only the logic of those who ultimately achieved success.”
“Ugh… That voice…”
Oh, another annoying person has arrived.
“The best thing is to accumulate countless successes without a single failure. That’s what I think, what do you think, Hayami-kun?”
Before I knew it, standing behind me was a third-year student who had also been assigned to the green team.
It was the student council president, Tsubaki Sanada.
“Hmph!!!!”
As usual, Itakura freezes. I wonder what would happen if he made eye contact with a cheerleader during the game?
“Even though the teams are different for each grade, the points are shared by color. In other words, if you second-year Green Team members don’t win, Green might not win.”
“Uh, yeah. Maybe so…”
Even so, there’s no way anyone would take this playful event seriously…
“We’re going to win!!!! Red team!!!!”
Oh… there they are.
“No way! We’re going to win, white team!!!!”
Seriously?
This school is so intense…
“It’s getting exciting.”
“It seems so…”
In the first place, since I’m in a different team from Aota, my role as Friend A is to play the supporting role. Fight well and lose well.
That’s the ideal.
“Hayami-kun. It seems you’re misunderstanding something.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head at the president’s words.
“It’s not that you don’t want to win. It’s that you don’t even seem to be trying to win because you know you can’t.”
“…So what? What’s the problem?”
Trying to do something you can’t do is arrogant. I thought the president was the type who would think that way.
“It’s true that the most athletic second-year student is Hasegawa-kun, who was assigned to the Red Team. Moreover, there are two other strong first-year students on the same Red Team.”
“Huh?”
“One is Amagami-kun from the soccer club. He seems to be quite good at sports.”
“…Yeah, he does seem capable.”
I somehow felt that way. Actually, the president’s tone of voice sounds like a data character…
“In fact, those two could be the core of the Red Team’s first-year and second-year teams.”
“Yes, it would be solid.”
Assuming that there are four colors and teams for each grade in soccer, there would be 12 teams.
Even if the first-year Red Team wins or the second-year Red Team wins, the number of points the Red Team can earn will not change.
In other words, if they want to win the championship, they have to defeat both of them.
“Well, I understand that, but who is the other person the president is talking about?”
“Huh, are you spacing out? She’s always with you.”
“…No way.”
“Yes, that’s right. Shiramine Hisui. She may look like that, but she’s quite athletic.”
…Wow, really?
“Yeah, the Green Team’s goal is simple. The boys have to defeat Hasegawa and Amagami, and the girls have to defeat Shiramine. That is the ultimate goal.”
That’s impossible….
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