Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818792437394665436
The white trajectory stretched out quietly.
A perfect arc, a beautiful spin.
“Nice shot!”
The ball moved as if sucked in, and was sucked into the goal.
A comeback. The second goal.
“…It went in, huh?”
Exhaustion suddenly hit me. It seemed that my fatigue had finally caught up with me, and I was out of breath.
“Damn… my legs feel heavy.”
“Hayami-san! Are you okay?”
Amagami rushed over to me.
He looked somewhat flustered.
“The game isn’t over yet. We’ve got five minutes left. Let’s defend until the end.”
“Yes.”
From there on, the game was one-sided.
The red team attacked, while our green team defended as a unit.
However, our concentration never wavered.
Our hearts were connected by a single, long thread.
—4:42 PM. The outcome was finally decided.
“The green team’s second-year students win 2-1!”
“Yeeeees!!!”
The cheers of our teammates and the applause of the crowd mingled together.
“Damn it! That’s so frustrating! We were completely outplayed!”
“…Somehow, we managed to win.”
To be honest, by the end, I was just standing there on sheer willpower.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground in the middle of the field.
I didn’t feel much of a sense of victory. I was just exhausted. That’s how I felt.
“Ren, can you stand up?”
“…Yeah.”
I took the hand offered to me and stood up.
Despite the loss, Aota’s expression was bright and cheerful.
“It was a complete defeat. I’m sorry, Ren, but I didn’t think we’d lose.”
“I didn’t think we’d win either.”
“That’s a lie. You were confident you’d win, weren’t you? Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this tired.”
Aota smiled brightly.
I even felt a little envious. I couldn’t imagine myself making such a face after losing.
“Um, is the closing ceremony right after this?”
I said, trying to cover up my embarrassment at my own inadequacy.
“Yeah, I think we’re supposed to gather at the first field…”
Aota didn’t seem to remember the details either, and answered with a tilt of his head.
Then.
“Hase-kun!! That was close!!” “You were so cool!!”
Cheers rang out from the crowd.
Wait, is it normal to say that now? We’re in the middle of a moment of male friendship!
“Thanks for the support. I’ll go say thanks first.”
“Oh, okay. Then I’ll go to the venue first.”
“Huh? Aren’t you going to the infirmary first?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, you hurt your right foot, right? A long time ago.”
…Huh? How does he know that?
“Well, I could tell from the way you were moving.”
“Really?”
Both Itakura and this guy, how can they tell?
“…I’m sorry, I didn’t notice even though we’ve been together all this time.”
Aota ran toward the gallery. He bowed deeply and thanked them.
“Man, that’s why he’s the protagonist.”
What a cool guy. Well, whatever.
“Hayami-san, thank you for your hard work.”
In his place, Amagami appeared.
“Hey, Amagami. Thanks for your hard work.”
“Today, I really… thank you so much. I learned a lot.”
“No, no, there’s nothing I can teach someone like you, a soccer elite. Hold your head high. You’re good at this.”
“But… I…”
It seems he’s still worried about his previous actions.
“Amagami. I’m counting on you to take care of Aota. You’ll be able to stick with him until the end.”
There’s no point in saying anything else
So, I said that much and headed to the closing ceremony.
The closing ceremony consisted of a brief speech by the student council president, the announcement of the winning team, and a ceremony to honor the students who had performed well in each team.
“First, the winning team is… Green. It feels a bit embarrassing to boast about ourselves.”
The president, Sanada, took the microphone and spoke. Despite her words, she remained expressionless and continued.
“Now, we will announce the outstanding players. First, from the red team…”
Two third-year students were called to the front.
Next.
“Second-year student, Hasegawa Aota =. Come forward.”
There was a loud cheer and applause. It was like a chorus of yellow voices. He was indeed popular.
Well, that’s to be expected. It was to be expected.
“Next is the White Team.”
After the Red and White Teams, it seems that the Green Team will be last.
“Hey, Hayami. Do you get something if you’re selected?”
Ito, leaning on his crutches, asked me.
“Last year, they got a certificate and some candy as a prize, but I wonder what it’ll be this time.”
“Oh, right. Well, get ready, Hayami. You’re definitely going to be called, aren’t you?”
“No way… Well, I guess it’s not that unlikely.”
In the end, he did perform well in the two events he competed in.
“Hayami Ren.”
“Here I come.”
To be honest, I didn’t want to be called, but it seemed that wasn’t possible.
All the outstanding athletes gathered together. Then, Chairman Sanada received a certificate from Honjo, who was standing nearby.
“Now, as the representative, Hayami Ren, please come up to the stage.”
“Yes…”
I climbs= onto the stage, trying to suppress the urge to grimace. I wishes Aota could take his place.
“Congratulations, Hayami-kun. You looked great, really impressive.”
“…Thank you.”
He takes the certificate with dry fingertips and bows his head. He decides not to exchange any unnecessary words, as he might be mobbed by the chairman’s fans later.
“Now, let’s give him another big round of applause.”
And so, two years passed. The second ball game tournament of high school came to an end.
After cleaning up the tents and other facilities, I took my belongings from the classroom and headed for the school gate.
In the end, I was so busy after the game that I didn’t get to see Shiramine.
“Aota and the others are going to keep practicing. That’s really impressive.”
I walked past the field, feeling impressed.
The area around the school gate was already sparsely populated. Half of the students had probably already left.
“Oh! It’s Hayamin-senpai, the most valuable player!”
“Huh? I am Hayami Ren, the most valuable player…”
The voice calling out from behind, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, belonged to Koganei.
“Oh, you just had to say it yourself. How embarrassing.”
I went along with it, but now look what I’m being told.
“That was amazing, the final match. Beating Aota-senpai like that.”
“Haha, it’s all about skill. …Well, I’d like to say that, but not scoring in the last five minutes was just pure luck.”
“Is that so?”
“Definitely.”
“Still, you were cool, weren’t you? Not as cool as Aota-senpai, but still. Well, I’m going back to club activities. Bye-bye, Hayamin-senpai!”
Koganei waved her hand vigorously and returned to the field. …In the end, what was she here for?
“Well, never mind.”
Koganei is that kind of person. I left the school gate without giving it much thought.
Then.
“Good job, Ren-senpai.”
She was standing by the flower bed.
“…Yeah. Good job. You too, Shiramine-san.”
“I’m not that tired. After all, I lost both competitions right away.”
Shiramine came up beside me naturally, and we walked side by side.
“Thank you for today. The last one… really encouraged me.”
“I’m glad. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you could hear me because I was quite far away.”
Huh? Something’s stirring in my chest.
My heart, which is usually calm, is somehow agitated… I feel that way.
“What shall we do tonight?”
“Oh, um, well, I wonder what we should do…”
This is bad. I’m not making a weird face, am I? I’m starting to feel uneasy.
Or rather…
(Oh, what’s this? Do I really like Shiramine?)
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