Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 2 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: I’ll Shelter You When the Rain Falls

When June rolled in, the rainy season came with it.

Outside the window, rain was falling from the sky with a gentle pitter-patter. The continuously dreary days had likewise caused the atmosphere of the classroom to become overcast.

The muggy air made me sweat, and my skin felt uncomfortably sticky. It’s hot, I complained to myself. It’s way too humid. This climate sucks! It makes me depressed. The dry weather in the middle of summer is way better than this.

This is why I hate the rainy season.

I felt like I was coming back to life a little when I fanned myself with my notebook. I couldn’t focus on class, so I scanned the room to see how everyone else was faring. My fellow classmates were gazing down listlessly.

The humidity had shot up compared to last week, so everyone had changed to their short-sleeved shirts. Unfortunately, it wasn’t terrible enough that we’d be allowed to turn on the air conditioner. It’s actually kind of miraculous, the way we’re in this shitty sweet spot for the weather. I hate this!

I managed to endure until our English teacher finally said, “All right. That’s it for today. Make sure you properly review the material,” and ended the class, which thankfully brought us to lunchtime.

“Natsuki, let’s go eat.” Reita invited me to lunch, as always.

“Coming,” I said and stood up. I was about to leave the classroom but stopped because something had been bothering me.

“Uta-chan? Are you listening?” I heard Hoshimiya ask.

“Oh, uh, sorry. What were you saying?” Uta replied as if she was snapping out of a daze.

Uta’s been acting strange lately. She’s obviously much more down than usual. Her energy has been missing for days, and she looks so lethargic. Even someone as blind as me can tell, so it must be clear as day for everyone else... And I feel like she’s been talking to me less and less.

“Hey, Reita,” I called out.

As if he’d read my thoughts, Reita asked, “Are you worried about Uta?”

Well, I did stop in my tracks to watch her. I’m sure anyone could tell what I was thinking, not just Reita. “Yup. She’s been acting really weird lately. Shouldn’t we ask her what’s wrong?” I asked.

Reita appeared conflicted, but he gave me an answer after a short pause. “I am worried, but I’m hesitant to force her to talk about something that she doesn’t want to tell us.”

That’s a fair point. I found myself agreeing. “But,” I began, remembering what had happened at the pasta restaurant, “considering the timing, don’t you think this could be related to Miori’s problem too?”

Reita held his chin in his hand as he thought about my theory. “I’ll do some investigation. So why don’t you ask Uta what’s got her so down?”

“Huh? Why me? You’ll definitely do a better job of helping her than me,” I said. I’m pretty useless when it comes to giving advice, but Reita might be able to offer something helpful. Is there even any point to splitting up the work between us? I thought hard as I cocked my head to the side.

Reita looked like he had mixed feelings when he finally answered me. “It’s best if multiple people don’t press her for answers when it comes to delicate subjects like this. Uta’s normally a chatterbox, but she’s not telling any of us what’s wrong, right? And if she only feels comfortable confiding in one person, then you’re the best man for the job. Because Uta...” he stopped himself there.

I knew what he was going to say without needing to hear the rest. Reita’s tone and expression implied, “She’s in love with you.”

“Then isn’t that... Isn’t that even more reason it shouldn’t be me?” I asked hesitantly. I’m in love with Hoshimiya. I can’t give Uta the answer she wants to hear. It doesn’t matter how worried I am, I don’t have the right to intervene in her private life.

Reita went deep into thought once he understood what I was trying to say. He eventually patted me on the shoulder and broke the silence. “I think if it were me, I’d be happy if the person I liked was worried about me.”

“Okay. I’ll ask her what’s up,” I said after some thought. This feels like too much responsibility for me, but I’m concerned about Uta and Miori. I want to know what’s going on.

“I’m counting on you, Natsuki. All right then, I’ll head to the cafeteria,” Reita said.

“Hold on. Where’s Tatsuya?” I asked.

“He went down with Hino and the other guys already.”

“Oh, right...”

The six of us had gotten closer to our other classmates lately. Because of that, we didn’t group up together during lunch or after school as often anymore, much like today. But I set those thoughts aside and parted ways with Reita. I went to the school store to buy bread and brought it back to our classroom.

During lunch, the students moved their desks into groups of around five or six and ate lunch there while chatting. But when I returned, I didn’t see Uta anywhere. Hoshimiya and Nanase were eating with Fujiwara and some other girls.

“Hi, Natsuki-kun. You’re not eating in the cafeteria today?” Hoshimiya questioned after she noticed me in the room, her eyes fluttering open and closed.

“Yeah. I felt like eating some bread for once,” I replied. I held up my bag with the three pieces of bread I’d bought from the school store. “Anyway, where’s Uta?”

Hoshimiya shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t even notice her leave.” She looked very worried.

“We’re unsure whether we should look for her because she might want to be alone,” Nanase added. She looked composed as always, but I could hear the unease sprinkled into her voice.

Nanase’s right, though. If Uta wants to be alone, searching for her might make things worse. Uta might find our concern annoying and overbearing. Those thoughts made me want to stop trying to find Uta.

Hey, what the hell do you think someone like you could even do? a phantom of my past self asked me.

After mulling it over for a bit, I told the other girls, “I’ll go look for her.”

I don’t know what I’m doing, but there must be some way I can help Uta, I answered my past self. The “cool me” that I’m trying to become, that awesome guy I conjured up for my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan... If I want to be a protagonist like him, then I can’t leave my friends alone when they may be crying. Nothing will change if I just shake in my boots!

At the very least, I hope being by Uta’s side can give her strength.

***

I knew many places in our school where you could escape to when you wanted to be alone. After all, I’d always been hunting for places to eat lunch alone during my first time in high school. I had plenty of secret spots in my back pocket. No one knew more about being a loner in this school than me.

It was raining, which meant that Uta had to be indoors. I checked the staircase landing by the rooftop entrance, the empty space in the club building where everyone dumped random stuff, and then the empty classroom at the back of the second floor. Bingo.

A small figure quivered in surprise when I opened the door to the empty classroom. Uta was sitting on a desk by the window. She looked over to the door nervously, and her eyes widened in surprise when she realized it was me.

“Natsu...?” she asked timidly. “What’s up?”

Normally her voice would’ve been loud enough to reach the heavens, even when taken by surprise. But her tone didn’t have its trademark pluck today. She also lacked her usual expressiveness.

“Hey. Let’s eat together,” I said, raising my bag of bread.

“This is out of nowhere... Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah. I’ll leave if you hate the thought of eating with me, though. It’s up to you.”

“I don’t hate it, but...” Uta clearly looked unwilling.

There’s no point if I back out here, I thought and didn’t wait for a verbal rejection. I pushed a desk and chair from the edge of the classroom over to where Uta was sitting and stuck them right in front of hers. Our desks were facing each other, and I took a seat across from her.

I started nonchalantly eating my bread. Uta looked defeated and took a seat in her own chair.

“Did you eat already?” I asked.

“I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t feel like eating,” she replied slowly.

“You should try to eat something at least. Here, take my yakisoba bread.” I removed the bread from my bag and put it in front of her. She looked reluctant, but she picked it up and began eating.

I’ve never seen Uta act so cold. I feel like this is going to awaken something within me... Whoa, stop right there! Calm down. What the heck am I thinking? Clearly the nerves are just getting to me since I’ve never done anything like this before.

“How’d you know I was here?” Uta asked as she chewed the yakisoba bread.

“I’m second to none when it comes to finding places to hide alone,” I proudly proclaimed.

“Um, even if you try to look cool, what you just said is...” she replied, choosing her words carefully.

“Hey, can you stop looking so disgusted? My heart is made of glass, you know.” I felt quite hurt by the cold reception.

My sulking managed to get a smile out of Uta. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you the cold shoulder,” she apologized.

Oh, her tone sounds a bit perkier now, I thought.

“I didn’t think I could eat much because I didn’t have an appetite, but now that I’ve started eating, I feel like I could wolf down more,” Uta admitted.

“Did you catch a cold or something?” I asked.

“Ah ha ha. No, I’m fit as a fiddle,” Uta said with an empty laugh. She was obviously forcing herself to smile.

What’s this? I feel sad... This isn’t Uta’s smile that I know and love so well. What happened to make her like this? Well, that’s what I’m here to find out. But where do I even begin? 

Silence fell between us as I struggled to find the words to break the ice. The dead air alone was unsettling. Uta usually had infinite topics to talk about when it was just the two of us. We continued to eat quietly. The gentle pit-pat of the rain against the window filled the room. It felt like the rain was steadily picking up as time passed.

Just when I was about to open my mouth, Uta suddenly spoke up. “I actually don’t dislike rain.”

Her words took me by surprise. I thought someone physically active like Uta would hate the rain.

“The sun gets shrouded by the clouds, and the rain keeps people from going outdoors. You know, kinda like the world is shutting us inside. I think it feels a little cozy. I’d get tired if there weren’t days like this every now and then,” Uta explained.

“I’m not really sure I know what you mean,” I said, tilting my head to the side. That was so poetic that I don’t really get it. 

“Ah ha ha. Sorry, I said something weird. I don’t usually talk about this stuff,” she said.

Her follow-up also surprised me. Maybe I’m not really, truly seeing anyone. No, Uta said it herself: she doesn’t always vocalize everything that goes through her head. Hearing her say that had thrown me into a whirlpool of my own thoughts. Looks like I think I have people figured out more than I actually do.

I decided that now was the time to bring up the question. “Did something happen with the girls’ basketball club?”

Uta nodded.

I was right. Something did happen during practice, which means this is likely related to Miori’s situation.

“The mood on the team has been bad lately,” Uta began. As I’d expected, there was trouble brewing between members of the club. “On the weekends, we normally have practice in the morning and then a few hours of individual training in the afternoon. You’re not forced to stay for independent training, but it’s kind of the norm... After all, the tournament is coming up.”

I listened to Uta speak as I nodded and gave her other little signs encouraging her to continue. Right, it’s already June. The Interhigh prelims are right around the corner, I recalled.

“So honestly, it feels like we’re all being forced to stay behind after practice,” she continued.

Ah, yes, peer pressure. It’s natural to get fired up for practice around now, after all.

“But Miorin doesn’t participate in self-training much. Last Saturday and Sunday, she only stayed for morning practice and then left. Of course, the afternoon sessions are optional, so Miorin hasn’t really done anything wrong.”

Aha! So this is about Miori. I don’t know what she did on Sunday, but she was hanging out with us on Saturday. Miori’s not the type to throw herself into club activities, though. Plus, she’s still just a first-year. There’s always going to be a difference in passion levels between the upperclassmen and lowerclassmen, I thought understandingly.

However, Uta added, “Coach put Miorin on the starting lineup a short while ago.”

“What?! For real?” I blurted out and accidentally leaned too far forward on my desk.

It’s barely been a few months since the entrance ceremony, and a first-year is already a starter? That’s crazy! I knew Miori was good, but... Hmm? Was she a starter during her first year in my original run? Oh, yeah, I think she was. I completely forgot!

“Yeah. And because she’s a starter now, our senpai are angry that she doesn’t seem to have much drive to practice. Miorin’s also pretty strong-willed, so... You know what I mean?” Uta asked.

“Yeah. I think I can imagine what happened,” I replied.

I could clearly envision the older girls on the team saying something rude to Miori, and Miori confidently shooting back her own sarcastic comment, topped with her trademark smile. Miori’s the type to fight back if you try to start something with her. I bet it blew up into a whole argument. That would explain the awkward atmosphere between her and Wakamura’s group on Saturday. 

Wakamura and the other two girls had clearly treated Miori with animosity, and Miori hadn’t shown them the respect that an underclassman normally would. Of course Uta would be exhausted if that’s the mood hanging over everyone’s head during practice!

Words started spilling out of Uta little by little as her train of thought lost coherence. “I don’t know what to do... I-I’m the closest person to Miorin, so I want to help, but the senpai are so stubborn. I can’t do anything.”

“I see,” I remarked. Uta’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, huh?

She stared out the window and murmured softly, “Yeah, so that’s why I’ve been drained lately. I don’t like hearing all the gossip either.”

Uta gets along with just about everyone. I’ve never heard her say a mean thing about anyone, ever. She wouldn’t know how to react if she heard someone bad-mouthing her close friend, I thought. She’s not the type to go with the flow and participate in the trash talk, but these are upperclassmen she’s dealing with. She’d offend them merely for trying to defend Miori. 

And to begin with, Uta doesn’t have the gall to firmly refute what others are saying. She’d probably just give them a weakhearted smile or something to hide her real feelings. It dawned on me that Uta’s energy had been depleted by circumstances outside of her control.

“I’m sorry. It’s not fun to hear about,” Uta said, distress evident in her tone.

Why are you apologizing? There’s nothing for you to apologize for, I thought and shook my head. “The least I can do is listen when you’re in a bind. And maybe I can help.”

I can’t say I’ll fix the problem since I’m an outsider to the issue. Things would only be exacerbated if someone unrelated tried to step in, I reasoned. But at least she can vent to me about it. 

My intentions must’ve gotten through to her because Uta said, “Thanks,” and smiled at me. “I’ll work harder. I want Miorin and our senpai to reconcile.” She uttered a small, “Hmph!” of determination and clenched her fist in front of her chest, a gesture reminiscent of the energetic Uta I’d been missing.

It looked like she was going out of her way to reassure me, though. “Uta, don’t push yourself too hard,” I said.

When she registered my words, Uta looked like she was about to burst into tears for a split second, but she vigorously shook her head, and a familiar smile formed on her face.

“I’ll be fine! Improving the atmosphere is my forte!” Sakura Uta assured me with a seemingly cheerful smile.

***

I’m not directly involved, so I can’t solve whatever the issue is. I know that...but isn’t there something I can do? I thought. I hated how depressed two of my close friends had been acting lately.

I didn’t have work after school today, so even when the classroom had emptied out, I stayed in my seat absentmindedly staring out the window. Since it was still raining, the number of puddles kept increasing. I watched them expand as I ruminated.

There’s no point agonizing over it here. I should go see what’s going on for myself, I eventually decided and headed over to the gym. However, a lone student who was part of the go home club would stand out observing a girls’ club practice, so I climbed up to the walkway (Is this thing a catwalk?) that lined the gym wall. I wouldn’t stand out too much from there, and people rarely ever looked up.

Our school’s gym had three courts that clubs used in turn. Today, the boys’ and girls’ basketball clubs each occupied one, and the badminton club was on the third. All of the members from each club were shouting with zeal, likely more so than usual because their respective tournaments were drawing near.

The girls’ basketball club was currently having a five-on-five practice match. I didn’t need to search hard for Miori because I quickly spotted her playing on the court. Her presence clearly outclassed those of the other nine girls. It only took a split second of carelessness from her opponent for Miori to steal the ball. From there, she made a fast break alone and sank a shot.

Whoa, she’s crazy fast. She accelerates so quickly that I almost don’t believe she’s a girl... But I didn’t hear a single person cheer, “Nice!” when she scored. Just as I thought that, I heard the members cheer when a different player’s shot went in. Well, this definitely feels like targeted malice. 

My face contorted into a displeased frown. Their coach, who was watching from the sidelines in a chair, witnessed the whole thing but remained silent. Hmm. I can feel their discord emanating all the way from here, so there’s no way their coach didn’t notice. Is the coach mulling over the situation, or are they the type that doesn’t interfere with player dynamics much? Regardless of what the coach was up to, Uta was watching the players from the bench with a glum look on her face.

During the five-on-five practice match, all of the first-years were either watching from the bench or refereeing the game. The only exception was Miori, and the reason for that was, of course, because she was exceptionally skilled. I could tell from my bird’s-eye view that Miori was obviously their best player, their ace, so to speak. She was in no way eclipsed by the second- or third-years on the court. In fact, she looked like she was even better than them. The ability she displayed made it clear as to why she, a mere first-year, had been selected to be a starter.

Man... She’s the embodiment of sheer talent itself. It almost makes me envious.

Miori clapped her hands to demand a pass. Her teammates didn’t try any funny business like refusing to pass the ball to her, probably because their coach was watching. Miori caught the ball and nimbly drove it towards the hoop. As soon as two defenders moved in to block her, she forced her way past them and did a clean layup.

It was an excellent play, but Miori just sniffed with a nonchalant expression afterwards. It was a very unendearing gesture—I could understand why the upperclassmen hated her. Wakamura’s face twisted in frustration when Miori passed by her.

This looks like a hard problem to solve. I’m sure the upperclassmen are jealous because their starting spot got snatched away by a cheeky underclassman. Well, they’re definitely barking up the wrong tree by criticizing her for not participating in individual training time, though, I thought.

I watched for a while until their practice ended. After the coach left, many of the members stayed behind to continue training on their own, Uta included. However, Miori had already disappeared from the court.

“Hey, what are you doing?” a voice asked out of nowhere.

“Aaah!” I yelped in surprise. I turned to find that Miori had somehow gotten next to me. “D-Don’t surprise me like that!”

“I’m the one who’s surprised. I found someone shady hanging around the gym,” she scoffed.

I tried not to stand out, but I guess someone would spot me eventually since I watched their whole practice. “Hey, who are you calling shady?”

Miori shot me a look. “A guy unrelated to the girls’ basketball club watches us all afternoon. Wouldn’t you call that shady?”

When I think about it logically, I must’ve looked really creepy staring nonstop at the girls practicing. Panicked by the realization, I lowered my head. “You’re absolutely right! I’m very sorry.”

She sighed. “Did Uta ask you for help?”

“Nope, she didn’t. I was just curious about what was up,” I answered honestly.

“I see,” she murmured and then turned away from me. “Do whatever you want, just don’t get reported to the police.”

She’s got a point about that, I agreed, but I didn’t want to let the conversation end yet. “Miori—”

She cut me off right there, preventing me from even asking my question once again. “It’s got nothing to do with you,” she said flatly. The atmosphere between us was not welcoming to discussion of this topic.

I hesitated but just said, “You’re the same as always.” Miori always sticks her nose into other people’s problems, but she won’t let anyone meddle with hers. She’s been like that since we were kids. It’s no wonder she became our brat commander, I thought. Well, there’s no point in staying here any longer. I stealthily left the second floor of the gym and went outside.

Once again, someone called out to me. “Oh, I knew it! I thought I caught a glimpse of you earlier.”

“Aaargh!!!” I yelled.

Uta, who’d been walking towards me as she wiped away sweat, stopped in surprise. “Wh-Why are you yelling? Don’t do that! You surprised me.”

“S-Sorry... Please don’t call the cops on me.”

“Ah ha ha. What are you saying? I wouldn’t do that,” she said gently.

I sighed in relief. Miori treating me like a suspicious prowler had made me more nervous than I’d realized.

“You’re really kind, Natsu,” Uta said.

“Where’s that coming from out of the blue?” I asked.

Uta didn’t reply but turned her attention to the vending machine and bought a few sports drinks. She opened one of the bottles and gulped down its contents in one swig. “Phew! That hits the spot!”

“That was a magnificent chug. Are you gonna drink all of those?” I teased.

“Obviously not! My senpai asked me to get these.” She jokingly glared at me.

Of course not.

Uta sat down on a nearby bench. “I’ll take a short break here.”

“I can’t believe you’re staying for individual training. You’re really pumped up, huh?” I glanced at the clock. It was already past 7:30 p.m. The other clubs were starting to clean up.

“All of us are super motivated,” she replied then patted the space next to her.

Is she telling me to sit? I obediently took a seat next to her.

Once I did, she asked, “So, what do you think?”

“What do I think? About what?”

“Our practice. You saw it all, right?”

“Well, I do think what they were doing was pretty devious,” I answered. From what I got out of observing them, the second- and third-years loathed Miori, with Wakamura at the heart of it all. There were also members who looked fed up with it, so not everyone felt the same way. I could definitely tell that the other first-years looked unsure of what to do, just like Uta.

“Yeah...” she agreed. “I think so too. Why’d things turn out this way?”

“Have things been like this ever since Miori was selected to be a starter?”

“Pretty much. A little after that was announced, Miorin and Wakamura-senpai got into an argument because Miorin was about to head home before individual training. The mood has been like this ever since then, and they’ve been isolating Miorin,” Uta explained.

“Did they ever say anything before that when Miori didn’t join in on individual training?” I questioned.

Uta thought for a moment and then answered, “No. Wakamura-senpai and the other upperclassmen just got really hostile towards Miorin out of nowhere and started complaining about her behavior. I was honestly surprised. Wakamura-senpai is usually a really nice person... I thought something must’ve happened to trigger their change in attitude.”

It really is unexpected. Wakamura is a second-year, and she’ll be the captain next year. Sounds like everyone in the club thought she was a relatively levelheaded person too. At the very least, it doesn’t seem like she’s the type to start picking fights for no reason.

“Is it because she’s jealous?” Uta muttered.

“You mean because if Miori weren’t around, Wakamura-senpai would’ve been chosen as a starter?” I asked. Did losing the starter position change Wakamura? I wonder... Something feels off about that. She didn’t come off as the spiteful type after observing her today. They didn’t communicate during practice, but Wakamura did proactively pass the ball to Miori. After some speculation, I finally said, “If that’s the reason, then that’d make her and her crew some terrible upperclassmen.”

Of course Miori’s attitude towards her upperclassmen would worsen if that were the case. She wasn’t the type of person to quietly take unreasonable mistreatment, after all.

“Yeah. I think so too. I feel bad for Miorin,” Uta said, the darkness in her expression showing no sign of disappearing. “Isn’t there something I can do?” she whispered.

Right then, I heard footsteps; Miori was walking towards us. She’d finished changing into her school uniform and was wearing her backpack while holding her sports bag. Evidently, she was on her way home.

The gym entrance was in front of the rest space with the vending machines where Uta and I were talking. Miori caught sight of us on her way out and looked over in our direction. Our eyes met, and she quickly looked away. However, she stopped moving.

There was a brief moment of silence wherein all we could hear was the gentle rainfall, and then Miori opened her mouth. “I’m sorry for putting you through all this, Uta.”

“No, don’t be. Miorin, are you okay?” she replied.

“I’m not one to be hurt by this level of harassment. Don’t worry about me,” Miori said and then left.

...She looks like she doesn’t care, but I bet she’s just putting up a front. Still, I’m the only one who’ll notice her bluff.

“I’m fine. Everything is A-OK, really. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Her words from the other day flashed through my mind. It sounded as if she had meant to reassure herself more than anything. Really, no one realizes that Miori’s exhausted by all this. Even Uta’s convinced that Miori is mentally impervious. She’s a good actress, after all.

“Why doesn’t she participate in individual training?” I asked Uta as I watched Miori’s back gradually disappear in the rain.

“Huh? Isn’t it because it’s a waste of time to keep slogging on inefficiently after practice is over? There are times when she does stay behind...but less so lately, probably because of the atmosphere.”

“That’s very like her, but it’s not how I’d expect a first-year to behave.”

“Ah ha ha. I think so too. But Miorin is super talented.”

It’s not like Miori’s doing anything wrong. But that doesn’t mean people will be okay with her just because she isn’t strictly in the wrong. People dislike anyone who can’t read the room—like me during my first go at high school. However, Miori is different from me; she’s attentive and socially well-rounded. That’s why this whole situation is strange. Would she really just shrug off such a serious matter? What if there’s something else behind all this?

While I was deep in thought, Uta stood up, sports drinks in hand. “I’ve gotta go back now.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry for taking up your training time.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who started talking to you. See you tomorrow,” Uta said and ran back into the gym.

Right when she went back inside, a deep voice suddenly spoke up from behind me. “What a load of horseshit.”

I turned around. “Tatsuya...” I wondered how long he’d been listening.

He walked up to me and pointed in the opposite direction of the gym. I guess that means he wants to talk while we walk home. Well, I suppose it is about time to start heading that way, I thought.

“What about your bike?” I asked.

“I take a bus from the station on rainy days,” he explained.

The rain had temporarily halted when we walked outside. However, it would likely start back up again at any moment, to no one’s surprise. The downpour had left behind large puddles here and there which made it hard to walk. I took a big step over the one in front of me.

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I just happened to pass by after we finished practice,” Tatsuya said from beside me.

“How much did you hear?”

“I heard everything after you guys started talking about the other members being jealous of Motomiya becoming a starter,” he said. “Well, I could’ve guessed what you guys were talking about without hearing all that. I practice right next to them every day; I’ve witnessed it firsthand.”

Well, obviously Tatsuya would know more about the situation than someone like me.

“It’s a bunch of crap, seriously. It’s such a stupid thing, and they’re hurting Uta because of it,” he spat out.

He’s really riled up about this.

“What’s her name? Wakamura? Should I just give her a good whack on the head?”

“I get that you want to fix the problem, but that’s way too barbaric! You’ll get suspended for sure.”

“...I was just kidding,” he said.

That didn’t sound like a joke to me.

Tatsuya let out a sigh and looked up at the dark sky. “I know. Nothing’ll turn out well no matter what I try.” I could tell he’d been worrying about the situation in his own way and had come to the same conclusion as me. “The only solutions I can think of involve brute force. I don’t understand how those girls feel, so I can’t really say anything... And I can’t even make Uta feel better the way you do,” he continued to say.

“I don’t make Uta feel better either, you know.”

“No, you do. I can tell. She hasn’t cried yet because you’re around,” he said with confidence.

Tatsuya’s been friends with Uta since middle school. I’m sure he knows things about her that I don’t.

“But there is one thing that comes to mind about all this,” Tatsuya said as if he’d just remembered something. “Motomiya is definitely skilled, but her play style is too individualistic. It’s not like she doesn’t pay attention to her surroundings...but it’s obvious from the way she plays that she doesn’t trust the upperclassmen.”

I’d gotten the exact same impression from Miori’s plays today.

***

“I’m home!” I called out.

As soon as I got back, I went into my room and threw myself down on the bed. Changing out of my uniform felt like a bother, so I just kept it on and stared up at the ceiling.

This probably also happened during my first round of high school, I thought. Back then, I’d practically never spoken to Miori, nor had I been friends with Uta. That’s why I had no info on this problem. I had been on the boys’ basketball club with Tatsuya, but I had no clue about any conflict that the girls’ basketball club might’ve run into, even though I’d practiced on the court next to them.

Welp, it may be my second chance at life, but it looks like I’ve got no clever way of resolving this issue with my knowledge of the future. I’ll just have to do my best with what I’ve got to work with right now.

But there was something that came to mind. It was a memory of Miori’s play style during our third year of high school, one that had happened during the prefectural tournament semifinals. The girls’ team was coincidentally playing on the same day as us, so we sat in the audience and cheered for them. I hadn’t been interested in the game, but even so, Miori had left a strong impression on me.

“Oh, I get it now... I thought something felt weird while I was watching,” I muttered, finally starting to understand why watching her play had been so off-putting.

The Motomiya Miori that I know is actually great at leveraging the skills of those around her. She didn’t used to be a player that focused on her own individual abilities. Would her play style change so drastically in the span of three years? No. Miori stopped acting high and mighty a long time ago. She isn’t the type of person to only rely on her own skill, and that’s why I sensed something was off. I mean, come on! Personalitywise, she’s an expert at using the people around her, which means something happened that caused Miori to stop passing to other people, I concluded.

“She wouldn’t give me a straight answer even if I asked her.”

So my only choice is to collect information. Right as I thought that, my phone started to ring from over by my pillow where I’d tossed it. I checked the screen to see “Sakura Uta” displayed there.

It’s unusual for Uta to call me.

When I picked up her call, I heard rustling noises. “Uta?” I called out tentatively.

I could hear her voice, but it sounded like she was far from her phone. “Hold on a sec! I’m putting in my earphones.”

I waited as ordered until Uta’s voice came through my phone once again, except it was much clearer than the first time. “Sorry, sorry! You weren’t sleeping yet, were you?”

“Nope, I haven’t even bathed yet,” I replied.

“Good. I was worried about what I’d do if I woke you up.”

“Yeah, but it’s nowhere near bedtime.” I checked, and it was barely past 10 p.m. It’s way too early for bed.

“Whaaat? I’m usually in bed by now, you know.”

“You have practice every day, so you must be drained. I’m in the go home club, no practice to wear me out.”

“Well, I guess you’re right... But don’t you have work, Natsu? Isn’t that tiring?”

“I usually work until ten on weekdays, so I can’t sleep by then even if I’m tired.”

“Huh, really? Don’t you need plenty of sleep to feel energized the next day?”

“Seven hours of rest is plenty for me. I usually sleep around midnight and wake up at seven.”

I thought it was an extremely common schedule, but Uta cried out, “Whaaat?!” in a surprised tone. “You need at least nine hours! Otherwise, you’ll sleep during class!”

“I’m not too sure about that one. Uta, wouldn’t you sleep in class either way?” I’d meant it as a lighthearted joke, but she fell silent for a moment.

“That’s true...” I heard her mumble seriously.

Uh, is it true? You sleep like a baby. “They do say a well-slept child is a well-kept child, and that’s important for you, Uta.”

“Um, Natsu? What’re you trying to say?” she sounded a bit sullen. “I’ve been growing bit by bit lately.”

“Really? That’s great to hear.”

“Hey! I feel like you’re treating me like a kid... Hmph! I’ll be taller than you in no time at all, okay?”

“How much do you plan on growing? Are you going to become a model?” That’ll make you around 178 centimeters, you know. There aren’t many girls as tall as me. The tallest girl in our class is Nanase, and she’s probably only around 160 centimeters.

“A model? That sounds fun! I can’t wait,” she replied with enthusiasm.

“Whoa there! Exactly how much do you expect you’re going to grow?”

Uta was definitely on the shorter side of our class at around 150 centimeters. She’d need to grow almost thirty centimeters to reach my height. You’ll be a completely different person if that ever happens!

“Ah ha ha! I was joking, but I really am jealous of your height, Natsu,” she said.

Well, she’s a basketball player, so it must be a serious concern for her. Height was crucial for basketball and a clear advantage to have. Since Uta lacked that asset, she was limited to certain positions and would always be fighting an uphill battle.

“Just a teensy bit is enough, so won’t you give me some of yours?” she pleaded.

“Sure, but that’ll be ten thousand yen per centimeter,” I joked.

“Wow, that sounds like an excellent deal! I’d buy up every last centimeter if I were an adult!” she exclaimed. I heard her giggle in the background as well as something that sounded like cloth moving around. She was most likely adjusting her blanket.

I’m guessing she’s calling me from bed, in the same position as when she sleeps, I thought.

I heard her yawn. “I’m getting sleepy,” she said. Her voice sounded somewhat laxer than usual.

This is a cute new side to her. It makes me really feel like I’m talking to a girl... Huh?! Is this the legendary “falling asleep on the phone” thing?! Wait, no. Is that outdated? Hold on, it should be relatively new around now... Yeah, but so what? No, no, stop it! Now’s not the time for me to be having a one-man show. I have to keep the conversation going.

“Are you going to sleep now? Should I hang up?” I asked.

“Not yet. Stay on the call until I fall asleep,” Uta replied.

“Uh, I can’t, I still need to take a bath...”

“Then just stay on for a little longer... Hey, can we do a video call?” She casually dropped a bombshell of a request.

“Sure, I guess...” She’d asked so lightheartedly that I agreed without thinking. Huh? Wait, we’re going to video call right now? For real?! 

Flustered, I tidied up my messy hair. My phone changed from the call screen to displaying Uta in pajamas. Her hair looked fluffier than usual, as if she’d just blow-dried it. She was lying on her belly, arms wrapped around a pillow and her chin resting atop it as she stared at her screen. The phone was likely leaning against the wall.

Uta’s face was extremely close. I hadn’t turned my camera on yet, but I was already feeling nervous. She looked so different from usual that it made my heart pound. When she’s this close, I can really tell how pretty she is. No, I’m being forced to notice it!

“Natsu? What’s wrong? Hurry uuup!” she rushed me as she kicked her feet up and down.

“O-Okay...”

Uta smiled as soon as I turned on my camera. “Ah ha ha! It’s Natsu!”

“Well, of course it’s me. Isn’t that obvious?” I was so nervous that I felt like my response had come out colder than I’d intended.

“Wait a sec... Natsu, are you nervous?”

She’d hit the nail square on the head. Am I that easy to read if even Uta saw through me? But I’ll be damned if I admit that! I’d better cover it up, I thought and shook my head. “Nope, not at all.”

“Really? Well...I am,” she said with her face half buried in her pillow. She looked away out of embarrassment over what she’d just said. “...Because I’ve never called a boy this late at night before.”

I felt my face heat up. “I’ve never called a girl this late before either,” I admitted. I’d called Hoshimiya just once before, but that had been at around eight or so. It felt different to be on a call with a girl past ten at night, and it was a video call to boot.

We both fell silent.

Argh, ugh, this is bad! I feel super embarrassed. I really wanted to roll around on my bed, but I couldn’t let Uta witness that. An unbearable awkwardness fell between us.

“Oh, really? Huh, that’s unexpected. Oh, but I guess you wouldn’t have? Natsu, you just went through your high school glow up, after all. Are you actually not too used to talking to girls?” she fumbled out a jab.

“Shut up! Got a problem with it?” I replied after a moment. Normally, I was the one who teased Uta, but she’d very clearly seized the initiative today.

“Ah ha ha! You’re so cute. Natsu is sooo cute! Heh heh.”

Ah, well, I’m glad she sounds like she’s having fun. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her laugh wholeheartedly like this. “Anyway, why the random video call?”

“Do I...have to say why?”

Uta looked like she wanted to say it, so I pushed her to. “Of course you do.” I’d said that partially as payback for her teasing, but I was also curious as to why she’d called me at this hour.

I’ve never gotten a call from Uta before. She rarely uses RINE in the first place, and we basically never text each other. Though I do message Hoshimiya and Nanase relatively often.

“Um... Because, I wanted to see you, Natsu,” she said in a quiet voice.

Huh? Huuuh?! Wha— Dammit, you... That’s dirty! That has to be a foul. She’d dealt a critical hit, bringing my HP down to zero.

Both of us looked away. We were on a video call, but neither of us could look up. Because we both knew that our cheeks had turned scarlet.

I glanced at my phone screen and saw that Uta’s blush had reached her ears, but she’d also chosen the same time to glance at her own screen. Our eyes met again, and we instantaneously averted our gazes.

The extremely unbearable silence continued. Eventually, I finally managed to break it with a terribly mediocre quip. “D-Didn’t you see my face just a few hours ago?” I managed to wring out of my throat.

“T-True. Ah ha ha, what the heck am I saying?” Uta quickly babbled out. “It was a joke. Yeah, just a joke! Forget I said that.”

You want me to forget it? You’re asking for the impossible again. I wish you’d be more self-aware of how high your attack stat is!

“I-It’s kind of hot in here!” Uta said and got out of bed, leaving my screen. I heard a little beep and then a whirring noise. It sounded like she’d turned on her fan. When she returned to the camera, her hair was fluttering in the light breeze. “Aaah! That feels good!”

Right as she was returning to her original position on top of her pillow, my screen accidentally displayed Uta’s exposed chest. I feel like I caught a glimpse of it just now, but let’s pretend I saw nothing. Oh, that’s right... She’s not wearing a bra because she’s about to go to sleep...

“To be honest, I just wanted to cheer myself up,” Uta said sincerely while I was thinking wicked thoughts. “It’s true that I wanted to see you, though. I cheer up when I see your face!”

After a beat, I said, “If my face cheers you up, then I’ll show it to you as much as you want. It’s a small price to pay!”

“Ah ha ha, thanks. I think that with your help, I can go to school tomorrow too.”

You can go to school tomorrow too? Hmm. She feels cornered enough that she can’t bear going to school?

“Wakamura-senpai got mad at me today,” Uta mumbled. It sounded like it’d happened after I left. “I asked her why she was so harsh towards Miorin. And I tried to encourage her to have a proper talk with Miorin, but she told me off, saying that I was just another first-year acting cheeky.” Uta giggled, but there was no feeling behind it.

She’s trying to stick up for Miori, but her position is just getting more and more uncomfortable, I surmised. After that, she gradually began to vent her feelings to me with little cohesion.

Ultimately, Miori’s position in the club was weaker than Wakamura’s side, which was made up of second-years. In the beginning, there were members who’d just watched while staying neutral, but they were steadily joining Wakamura’s side and isolating Miori.

Uta hated that dynamic within the club. She’d summoned her courage to talk to the upperclassmen, but no dice.

“Actually, I called Miorin before you, Natsu,” she said, looking forlorn. “She told me not to back her up. That I should stick to everyone else.”

That does sound like something she’d say. She doesn’t want to get Uta mixed up in her problem.

“I know she’s probably worried about me... But it makes me sad! Miorin won’t rely on me even though we’re friends.” She sounded like she was kicking herself for her own powerlessness.

After a moment, I asked, “Hey, Uta. Will you tell me about Miori?”

“Sure? But you’re her childhood friend. Wouldn’t you know more about her than me?”

“Describe to me how she plays basketball. She didn’t always play the way she does now, right?”

“Huh? O-Okay...” she said. “Well, she’s too much like a one-man team right now.”

“I thought so... Then, do you know the reason why she stopped passing to her teammates?” I asked.

“Hmm...” Uta thought, resting her chin atop her hands. “Now that you mention it...she did openly stop passing the ball around two weeks ago. But she always scored points on her own, so I didn’t really think too much of it.”

It started two weeks ago, huh? That’s pretty recent. Maybe that’s why Wakamura and the other girls started picking a fight with her. I won’t know anything for sure until I do some more digging, though. But I’m a mere outsider to the problem. It’s hard for me to confirm my theory.

“You have an idea, don’t you?” Uta asked. Her tone was stronger and firmer than before. “I’ll help you, Natsu. So won’t you tell me what you’re thinking about?”

“It’s nothing more than a hunch, though,” I said hesitantly.

“That’s fine. I just hate standing by, doing nothing.”

“All right,” I finally said after thinking it over.

Uta’s help was indispensable if I wanted to do something about this matter. Wakamura and others’ true motives and the reason why Miori was keeping to herself—I had formulated a deduction for what was going on, but I needed to take action to verify it. Miori was my childhood friend, one whom I was stuck with, so I decided to enlist Uta’s help for her sake.

***

The girls’ basketball club was playing in a practice match next weekend. Their opponent was a powerhouse and one of the top eight schools in the prefecture, Karakure High School. This would be the team’s last opportunity to make any changes and finalize the starting roster before Interhigh prelims began.

“I’m not even going to make it onto the bench. I’m not good enough yet, so in the bleachers I go,” Uta said after she finished outlining the schedule for the girls’ team.

“You’ll have your chance to show your stuff once the third-years retire,” I encouraged.

“Yeah. I’m going to keep training hard!”

It was lunchtime, and we’d finished eating, so Uta and I were talking, just the two of us. We blended into our surroundings naturally, just two students chatting in the hallway with their backs against the wall. But we had an ulterior goal. Uta’s eyes kept roaming the halls. I could tell she was thinking, “Are they here yet? Are they here yet?”

Hey, now, our cover will be blown if you’re too obvious!

“Ah, they’re coming,” she whispered.

I deliberately didn’t turn to check and continued to pretend we were having a pleasant conversation.

“Oh, look, it’s Uta. Hey! How’s it going?” The second-years from the girls’ basketball club, including Wakamura, were walking down the hall.

Of course, this was no mere coincidence. After we’d confirmed that Wakamura and the other girls were eating in the cafeteria, Uta and I had stood in the corridor that second-years had to walk through to get back to their classroom. We stayed there pretending to be engrossed in small talk, waiting in ambush.

Uta’s expression stiffened for a moment but quickly transformed into a bright smile to return the greeting. “Hello!”

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to be so harsh,” Wakamura apologized. Her tone was friendly, but it didn’t sound like a sincere apology.

“O-Oh, it’s fine...” Uta looked like she had mixed feelings about the apology, but she shook her head back and forth.

“By the way.” Wakamura pointed at me.

Hey, it’s rude to point at people!

“Is he your boyfriend?” she asked.

“What?!” Uta’s cheeks instantly turned scarlet. “N-No, he’s not!” she forcefully denied, arms flapping in front of her wildly.

Wakamura and the other girls exchanged looks, and then they each began to speak up.

“But we see you two hanging out a lot recently... Right, girls?”

“Weren’t they together after practice too?”

“Didn’t this guy watch us practice from the second floor?”

Whoever said that last bit, won’t you please forget what you saw?!

“If you’re not dating, then what’s your relationship?” Wakamura asked with a puzzled look.

“Huh? Our relationship? Well, we’re friends.” Uta appeared to be dying of embarrassment as she looked up at me. “We’re friends, right?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s true; we’re just friends,” I said, backing her up. Your destructive power is overwhelming when you stare up at me at that angle, so please don’t ever do that again.

“Hmm?” They all shared a look and then started smirking.

“What is it?! Jeez!” Uta’s reaction to their teasing was so overblown that I could feel my own face getting hot. Her attitude could’ve been mistaken for a confession that there actually was something going on between us.

“Well, take good care of Uta, okay?” Wakamura said.

Given the way that she’d asked me, it felt wrong to say no, so I just nodded.

“Why are you nodding?!” Uta exclaimed, though she looked a bit glad.

Don’t get happy just because of that! I get it, you’re cute! I cried out internally. I chose a safe answer to give. “Uh, ’cause... Wasn’t she telling me to take care of you as a friend?”

Uta squinted at me and her cheeks puffed up. “If that’s why, then I guess it’s fine...”

Excuse me, why do you look displeased by that answer? After listening to our banter, Wakamura suddenly started staring at me hard. Wh-What is it?

As if she’d remembered something, Wakamura asked, “Hey, aren’t you that guy from Saturday?”

I’m glad you remembered! Looks like the conversation will go as planned without me having to force the subject. I was worried the only thing we were going to get out of our ambush was a teasing.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen you before,” I replied.

Wakamura turned away awkwardly. “I’m sorry. I made things unpleasant, didn’t I?”

I was so thrown off by her up-front apology that I didn’t know what to say. “No, it wasn’t...” I began, instinctively trying to gloss it over, but nothing would change if I did that. I stopped myself and decided to be bold. It won’t be weird if I ask about it now. “Actually, did something happen between you and Miori?”

I felt the air ice over immediately. The girls went silent and Uta looked at me nervously.

“She flirted with Rika’s boyfriend,” the girl with sharp eyes next to Wakamura blurted out.

“Mana, shush,” Wakamura cautioned.

“You don’t want people to think we’re bullying her for no reason, right?”

I’m guessing Rika is Wakamura’s given name, based on that exchange. I haven’t heard this bit about Miori before, though. I glanced over at Uta to see if she already knew about this new information, but she shook her head.

“What do you mean she flirted with him?” I questioned.

“It’s like I just said. She was messing around with someone else’s boyfriend.”

Would Miori ever do that? I doubt she’s as used to hanging out with boys as she leads others to believe. Besides, she’s gunning for Reita right now, so there’s no way she’d make a move on another guy.

Uta and I kept silent as Mana continued to explain their side of the story. “There’s more to it than just that, though. Like, she was chosen to be a starter, but she doesn’t participate in individual training ever, and she’s got a cheeky attitude... Anyway, we don’t like her, so just stay out of it as much as possible. That’s all.”

“Is that true?” I probed Wakamura after a moment.

She met my gaze but then quickly averted her eyes. “Everything Mana said is true.” She looked unwilling, but she continued to speak. “But what upsets me about her the most is...is that she...”

I have a feeling I know what she’s going to say, so I should interject here. If I’m right, then I can take control of the conversation. I decided to take the gamble and completed her thought. “Is it because she doesn’t play with the team?”

Wakamura looked at me, astonished. Bull’s-eye!

“How’d you know?” she asked.

“I could see that much after watching her play,” I replied.

Miori’s play style is conceited, so much so that even Tatsuya and I can tell from afar. I’m sure it’s much more overbearing for her teammates who play alongside her. You know, watching her play makes you think, “Ah, she’s playing basketball alone.”

“Well, yeah, that’s exactly what I think,” Wakamura reluctantly admitted. “Miori’s crazy good, and I know she’s got great court vision, but lately she never passes to anyone. And she just does whatever she wants, even when we should be following our set plays... I hate that! We can’t leverage everyone’s strengths when she’s playing.”

The two girls next to Wakamura looked a bit surprised. She’s probably the type of person who doesn’t talk about her feelings much, I reasoned.

“I’ve pointed it out to her over and over again, but she doesn’t improve. I keep inviting her to practice with us after Coach leaves because I want to improve her coordination with the team... She’s much more talented than I am, so she could do it if she actually tried, but it’s like she doesn’t even care. I bet she looks down on us. That’s why I’ve been so annoyed by her!” Wakamura looked frustrated as she spoke. “And then someone saw Miori with my boyfriend, so I asked her what she was doing with him, but all she said was, ‘What’s the problem with that?’ She’s unbelievable! I can’t get along with her.”

The two girls with Wakamura nodded their heads in agreement. Hmm. Isn’t that kind of your boyfriend’s fault too?

“I know it’s awful for everyone else. And you, Uta... I didn’t want the mood to become like this.” Wakamura apologized to Uta once more and then left with her friends.

“Natsu.” Uta looked at me, eyes anxious.

“Yeah, this is a tough one,” I said. It doesn’t seem like Wakamura’s a bad person. This would be a lot easier if there were an obvious villain that we just needed to take down. But most problems in reality aren’t like that. People make little mistakes that inadvertently hurt others, and everyone has their own reasons for acting certain ways. Sometimes it’s a difference in opinion or a misunderstanding, and then the cause of the problem gets all jumbled up and confusing to pick out.

That’s why we can’t solve a problem with a single magic bullet like they do in books or movies.

“But I’ll do whatever I can to help,” I told Uta. I’m not a hero in a fairy tale, so the only thing I can do is carefully unravel the tangled threads. At the very least, I’d like to clear up any misunderstandings between them. “I understand what Wakamura is thinking now. Next, we need to figure out what’s going on inside Miori’s head.”

***

During lunchtime the following day, I poked my head into the classroom next door. It was alive with chatter.

“Haibara-kun, do you need something?” a girl standing by the entrance asked me.

I’ve seen her around before, but I don’t remember her name...which feels bad because she clearly knows mine. This has been happening pretty often lately, and oh boy, is it awkward every time! Ah, whatever. Anyway...

“Can you call Miori for me?” I asked her.

“Okay!” She walked towards the middle of the classroom where Miori was.

Miori had been smiling at the center of the girls in her class, but when she noticed my presence, her smile blatantly transformed into an annoyed look. For some reason, the girls around her started getting excited. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Miori walked over while saying something like, “I told you already, we’re not like that! I don’t know him by choice.”

She sighed. “What do you want?”

“We’ll stand out talking here, so let’s go somewhere else,” I replied.

After thinking for a moment, she agreed. “Yeah, true. I don’t want any rumors about us starting either.”

“What do you mean?” I cocked my head to the side.

Miori pinched my cheeks when I did. Hey! That hurts, you know! I scowled in protest which caused her to let out another sigh.

“People who are unaware of how much influence they have on others are so aggravating,” she complained.

“I’m not trying to be unaware...” I muttered. After the incident with Tatsuya, I was now fully cognizant that everyone was greatly overestimating me. Well, this is my second round of life, so I am a little bit more capable than the average high school student.

She sighed a third time. “It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. Also, your tie’s crooked.” She looked exasperated, but she reached her hand out to fix it. “Stay still.”

Her tone left me no room to say yes or no. Miori fixed my tie without waiting for my permission. It wasn’t a good idea to disobey her when she used that tone, so I stayed still and let her fix it.

Our height difference is really apparent when she’s this close. Miori was taller than me when we were kids. While I was reminiscing, I heard shrill squeals from the girls behind me. I glanced in the direction of their cries to see that the group of girls Miori had been chatting with were watching us, eyes twinkling. All of them were covering their mouths with their hands.

“Oops.” Miori looked like she realized she’d messed up and then dragged me out of the classroom by my arm. She led me away and only let me go once we’d gone far enough. “Ugh, I lose my rhythm when you’re around!”

She’s been in a really foul mood lately. Look, she just sighed again. That’s four times already! When she’s with other people, she keeps up the happy smile, but when it’s just me and her, she immediately starts sulking.

“So? Where are we going?” she asked.

“To the gym.”

“Huh?! Why do we have to go all the way there? If you just need to talk to me, then here should be fine.”

We had gone a decent distance from her classroom, and although we were still in the hallway, there weren’t many other students walking around. If our purpose had just been to talk, then this place would’ve sufficed. But I had no intention of solely having a little chat with her; I’d chosen the gym for a reason. Knowing Miori, she won’t give me a straight answer if I ask her normally.

“Don’t sweat it and just follow me,” I said.

Miori hesitated. “You’re being awfully pushy. For you, anyway.”

“Yeah, well, I just wanted to give you a lesson.”

“You? Give me a lesson? On what?”

“Basketball.”

“Huh?” Her face scrunched up in confusion. I could tell she was thinking, “What the hell is he saying?”

Well, I’d think the same thing if I were her. Miori followed me nonetheless, albeit reluctantly. We walked side by side to the gym. Once we arrived, I took off my indoor shoes and stepped out onto the floor in my socks. The gym was open for everyone to use during lunchtime, but there usually weren’t many people around because it was so far from the classroom building. Today, only one other person was around.

And that person was only here because I’d asked them to come to the gym.

“Oh, you’re here! I brought your gym shoes, Natsu!”

“Thanks, Uta.” I took the bag with my gym shoes from Uta. I wish I had basketball shoes, but I had no reason to buy any this time since I’m not in the basketball club.

“I also brought Miorin’s basketball shoes from the clubroom!” she exclaimed.

“Th-Thanks... But why are you here too, Uta?”

“I dunno! I’m just here because Natsu called for me.”

Miori shot me a puzzled look.

“I wanted Uta to be the ref,” I said matter-of-factly. I finished putting my shoes on and then opened the gym’s equipment room. I picked a random ball out of the basketball cage, tossed it over to Miori, and stood in front of her. “Let’s play, one-on-one.”

“Are you serious? You’ve never even played basketball before.” She was not enthusiastic and looked taken aback by my proposal. It was a natural reaction since she had no idea what I wanted out of her.

“Miorin, don’t worry! Natsu is really good!” Uta assured her.

“I heard about what happened at the Spor-Cha, but even if you claim he’s good, you mean he’s good for an amateur, right?”

Miori was my childhood friend, so she knew I’d never played basketball all throughout middle school. That was why she was doubtful even though Uta was vouching for me. However, this was actually my second round in life. I had skills Miori didn’t know about.

“No! Natsu is actually really good!” Uta insisted.

“Yes, yes, Uta. I understand what you’re saying.” Miori shrugged.

She doesn’t seem down to play, so it’s time to rile her up, I thought. “Well, I don’t mind you running away if you don’t think you can beat me.”

She huffed and glared at me. “You really piss me off. Don’t complain when I crush you, okay?” I’d successfully turned Miori’s competitive spirit into my ally.

“A plain old one-on-one wouldn’t be any fun though, right?”

“So that’s what you were aiming for. You want something out of me if I lose?”

It was helpful that she was quick on the uptake. I nodded. “If you win, I’m all yours. You can do whatever you want with me.”

“Um, no, I don’t want that...”

I almost fell over due to her fast reply. Uta’s hands flew over her mouth, and she timidly asked, “Y-You’ll be hers? Natsu, that’s very bold of you...”

“I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant I’d be her lackey or something!” I explained.

“I don’t care what you meant; I don’t need someone like you around,” Miori said.

“Hrrk!” Her remarks were like daggers, and it felt like I’d just been stabbed twice in quick succession, causing me to freeze up. N-Not bad... You’ve got some fight in you, but I can still throw down! I pulled myself together. “But if I win, then—”

“‘You’ll be mine!’ Is that what you want to say? Sooo pushy...” Miori’s face turned a little pink and she hugged herself.

“No!” I yelled. Come on, don’t let her throw you off!

“If I win, then you have to tell me everything that’s been weighing on your mind!” I declared.

Miori blinked at me in wordless surprise.

“I told you to rely on me. Don’t keep everything to yourself.”

“Why? This has nothing to do with you,” she said slowly.

“I knew you’d say that. That’s why I went out of my way to challenge you to a match,” I said. Behind my words, I implied, “If you lose, you’ll talk honestly, right?”

Miori glowered at me. “Fine. Your plan’s ruined if I win anyway.” A humph escaped from her throat, and then she started dribbling the ball.

She’s being obstinate right now, so this is the only way. Well, drastic measures are always the best way to get through to her.

“All right, then. You ready?” she asked.

“Come at me,” I replied.

With that, Miori and I kicked off our one-on-one.

She thinks I’m a beginner, but that’s old news. Plus, I’ve got the physical advantage as a boy.

Miori charged forward, but I read her move. I extended my arm and smacked the ball out of her hands.

“What?!” she exclaimed.

I grazed her hand, so I think that’s a foul, I thought, but our helpful referee, Uta, did an outward sweeping motion with her arms and yelled, “Saaafe!”

Um, isn’t that for baseball? Ah, well...

Miori’s brows were furrowed with confusion. We switched sides, and now I was on the offense.

“That... That was luck, right?” she questioned.

“You’ll see if it was luck or not soon.” I began to dribble slowly. The ball bounced up and down rhythmically and fit perfectly in my hand. I saw the look in Miori’s eyes change.

I started with a crossover and nimbly stepped in with my right foot, but it wasn’t enough to sidestep Miori. I suddenly stopped and did a reverse dribble to spin the other way. I extended myself to the left this time, but I still couldn’t shake her off.

Is this really the agility of a girl? I knew it wouldn’t be easy winning against a first-year good enough to become a starter...but I’m not done yet! I forced my way past with the ball in hand and leaped into the air using all the momentum I could gather.

Miori jumped as well, trying to block my layup, but as she did, I pulled the ball back to my body. Right when I was directly below the hoop, still airborne, I raised the ball again and tossed it up with a strong flick of my wrist to give it enough spin. The goal was behind me, but I could approximate where it was without needing to look.

“What the—?!”

It was a clean double clutch. Miori’s form crumbled from surprise, and she fell down. The ball went through the hoop at the same time that her butt landed on the floor. I looked cool as a cucumber on the outside, but in actuality I was secretly sweating bullets.

Th-That was close... I would’ve looked so lame if I’d missed! That was really lucky. I don’t even need to ask myself whether it was luck or skill; that was one hundred percent a fluke. The basketball gods are on my side! I regretted my confident act, but Miori didn’t seem to have noticed my panic.

She was still sitting on the floor and staring at me, dumbfounded. “H-How can you...?”

“Giving up already? I only scored once,” I said, provoking her.

She slapped her cheeks and stood up. “Did you go as far as to practice basketball for your high school debut?”

“Yeah, something like that.” I couldn’t think of a good response, so I just let her keep the misunderstanding. Well, based on what Miori knows about me, it’s not like there’s a better guess.

“I still won’t lose, though,” she said.

We switched sides again. Miori’s expression was serious now, and she dropped her knees low with the ball in her hands. Looks like she’s giving it her all now. I know she’s really strong. Not gonna lie, but I didn’t think she was going to be that hard to shake off! Somewhere inside of me, I was underestimating her because she’s a girl, but it’s time to wake up. She’s much better at defense than Tatsuya.

“Oh, yeah, we never agreed on any rules. How about first to three wins?” I asked.

Miori nodded.

***

“Well, there you have it,” I said.

In the end, I’d been the first to score three points, with a final score of three to one. Miori was honestly much stronger than I’d anticipated. It felt like I’d scored every point by a hair’s breadth.

She had her hands on her knees as she tried to calm her ragged breathing. “Haah... Haah...” she panted.

“It’s my victory. Now, as promised, you have to rely on me!” I guffawed loudly. I was feeling especially wired because my opponent had been Miori.

She finished catching her breath. “Do you want me to rely on you that badly?” she asked as she wiped her sweat off with a towel she’d borrowed from Uta.

“I don’t particularly want to be relied on, but lean on me anyway.”

“You know that doesn’t make sense, right?”

“Hey, you’re the one who’s been meddling in my business!” When I’d been depressed about Tatsuya, Miori had been the one to help me.

“What’s wrong, Sir First-Place Prodigy?” she’d asked.

When I was standing outside in the pouring rain, Miori had raised an umbrella over my head. You were there for me, so if you’re in trouble, then I’ll stick my nose in even if you don’t want me to!

“That was because...I’m your partner for your grand plan,” she countered.

“I can use that reason too, y’know,” I said.

Miori desperately began shaking her head. “I asked you to help me with things related to Reita-kun. That doesn’t include my everyday problems. It wasn’t that kind of agreement. That’s why there’s no reason for me to depend on you at all—”

I interrupted her before she could go on. “There is. Aren’t we friends?”

Hey, Miori... You say we’re childhood friends by unfortunate chance, but I didn’t talk to you once in my first round of high school. In my original time, we didn’t have that kind of relationship whatsoever. You and me being friends—that’s a story from long ago...which is why, now that I’ve regained our friendship, I want to cherish what we have.

“Friends, huh?” Miori murmured.

I didn’t know what I’d do if she denied that. It definitely would’ve hurt, and I’d likely feel down in the dumps. I’d probably skip school, go home, and mope in my bed for the rest of the day. Thankfully, as I’d hoped, Miori did not object and remained silent. Evidently I wasn’t the only one who thought we were friends again, and I took comfort in that.

“Now, start talking. Spit it all out! If something’s bothering you, then let’s brainstorm together.”

Motomiya Miori is a meddlesome person who likes to help others yet never relies on anyone else. But I’m here to change that. I’ll teach her that she’s got me around now.

“This isn’t a problem that’ll go away if I ask you for help,” she said after some hesitation.

“But maybe I can do something, just like how you helped me back then.”

Uta, who’d been silently listening to our conversation until now, chimed in. “Me too! I feel the same way. I want to help you, Miorin. It makes me sad when you don’t rely on me.”

We were the only ones in the gym, so it fell silent along with us.

After a while, Miori finally spoke up. “I was probably scared.” Her tone was self-deprecating. “Relying on other people means showing them your weakness, after all. I don’t want to show anyone my weaknesses. I’m not actually a strong person, but I wanted to appear that way.”

She looked up at me with a fragile smile.

“Simple. Just show them your true self.”

Miori said that to me, but it turns out she’s been carrying similar worries around with her... No, it’s because she had similar worries that she could give me the correct answer—since that’s what she actually wants to do. All right, then. It’s my turn to help Miori, just like how she helped me!

“Miori, you don’t need to act tough in front of me,” I said. I didn’t think words would be enough to convey how I felt, but I needed to express my emotions to her. So I took a step forward and got closer to her.

“Natsuki?” she questioned.

I mustered up all my courage and hugged Miori. I’d never dare do this to another girl, but I managed because she was my childhood friend. She didn’t resist my embrace but timidly wrapped her arms around me.

“Ew, you’re just a virgin. You must’ve used all your guts for this.”

“I told you. Stop acting tough.” I lightly smacked her on the back of the head.

“I’m sorry,” she said, tone miserable. “Hey, Natsuki?”

“What?”

“I’m having a really hard time right now. Maybe I’m getting my just deserts, but it’s still painful.”

“Yeah.”

“Is it okay...if I rely on you?” Her voice trembled with each word.

“Of course,” I quietly replied as I held her close.

***

Now then... There’s a problem. When am I supposed to let go? What would all the men of the world do here? This is my second round of life, but this is the first time I’ve ever hugged a girl, so any so-called future experience is out the window. I mean, I just let my emotions take the wheel! I’m baffled as to how this happened... Dude, what are you doing? I asked myself.

We were both hugging each other in silence. I could feel Miori stirring slightly in my arms.

My thoughts were racing. It feels like Miori’s calmed down too, so I guess it’s about time to separate, but I’ll look cold if I let go of her without any warning, and that would suck! Also, she feels kinda soft, and I’m very aware that I’m touching a girl right now, and she smells good, so I low-key don’t wanna move away. Not that I can say that out loud— Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there! What the heck am I thinking? This is Miori we’re talking about; get ahold of yourself! Seriously, man, calm down, okay?

I heard Miori sniffle quietly by my ear and felt her breath against my neck.

Wh-What do I do?! Aaah! I’m getting really nervous. Crap, I can feel my heart pounding! While my mind was running amok, Uta was staring at Miori and me. At first, she’d been watching over us with warm eyes, but the warmth was slowly losing its heat and instead becoming colder and colder. Wh-What’s wrong?

No, more importantly, what am I supposed to do in this kind of situation? How did I end up hugging Miori while Uta’s staring daggers at me? I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that this was the result of my actions.

“You can let go now. Uta’ll get mad if you don’t.” Miori gently pushed me away.

Thank you for the cue. You’ve just saved my life!

“I’m not mad or anything. It’s just... Don’t you think that was a bit too long?” Uta stared at us hard.

I was unsure of what the correct response was. “Yeah, maybe it was a bit too long,” I fumbled out sheepishly.

Miori turned to Uta and put her hands together apologetically. “Uta, I’m sorry. It’s because Natsuki likes me.”

What the hell is this girl saying?! She was crying moments ago, and now she’s acting like nothing happened. Uncute as always. I let my nerves get to me and lost myself there! Wait, no, I wasn’t nervous or anything... Whatever, at least she’s recovered enough to put on the cheerful act again. 

I noticed Uta still glaring at me for reasons unknown. Again, why me? Shouldn’t you be glaring at Miori now?

“Didn’t you say I could depend on you? A man doesn’t go back on his word, right?” Miori said.

“Why does your question sound more like a threat?” I asked.

“I am threatening you. Once I start relying on you, you can’t turn around and say, ‘Nah, just kidding, I’m done.’ Got it?”

“I’m not going to say anything like that.”

“Never, ever. Okay?” She paused and then, as if the words were spilling out of her uncontrollably, said, “You won’t abandon me again, right?”

Surprised, I looked at Miori. She was referring to what had happened between us in middle school. I was jealous of her back then and shut her out of my life. At that point in time, I was a gloomy guy and a spineless coward who was always alone. I couldn’t stand being around Miori, who shone brightly in the spotlight, surrounded by people, so I avoided her.

I’d told her, “You shouldn’t hang out with someone like me!”

For me, that was a memory from almost ten years ago.

“Even though I act like it’s nothing, I was actually really nervous when I talked to you the morning of our entrance ceremony,” Miori admitted.

But for her, the memory was only two or three years old.

“I didn’t want you to notice, so I tried really hard to act like we used to.”

I had hurt Miori, but by this point I’d nearly forgotten that. Or more accurately, I had never imagined that she would be hurt by what I said. That’s why it had never even crossed my mind to think about what Miori was feeling while she spoke to me.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m over it. Because now we can chat like we used to again.” She gently picked up the ball that had been rolling around. “And you told me I could rely on you.”

Miori stared at the worn out ball and, little by little, began to tell us the details of what had transpired between her, Wakamura, and the other second-years.

***

“I was overjoyed when I was chosen to be a starter. I thought my skills had been recognized. Okay, well, it definitely did go to my head. I thought, ‘I’m still only a first-year, but I made it on. I’m pretty awesome!’”

Miori shot a three-pointer from where she stood. The basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air and then swished through the hoop without touching the rim.

“But, I think around two weeks ago? I was about to go home after practice ended when I realized I forgot something, so I went back to our clubroom. When I did, the door was open, and I overheard our senpai talking.”

“Don’t you think she’s been acting cocky lately?”

“I can’t believe she’d assert her opinion like that just because she was chosen to be a starter. She’s still fresh out of middle school!”

“Come on, guys, you’re going overboard... Though, I do think she’s too cheeky sometimes.”

“She’s usually a good girl!”

The ball bounced on the ground and rolled back to Miori’s feet.

“At that point, I wouldn’t say they were bad-mouthing me yet. I even heard some people stick up for me, and it’s true that I was in over my head back then. I thought their opinions were valid.”

Uta looked torn, but she stayed quiet and listened. That probably reminded her of some unpleasant memories, I guessed.

“In the moment, I didn’t feel like I was hurt by their words... But during practice the next day, I’d think, ‘Oh, these people don’t like me deep down,’ and then I couldn’t bring myself to pass to them. Even when I was in a situation where I should pass, I started forcing my way past the defense instead.”

Miori picked up the ball once again and passed it to me this time. The ball flew right to my chest, but it came a beat slower than I’d expected. I could sense her hesitation from that pass alone.

“And then Wakamura-senpai got upset with me. She told me, ‘You’re not even trying to be a team player.’ I wanted to fix it too...but I couldn’t pass the ball to anyone at all. I was trying my best, but Wakamura-senpai kept indiscriminately berating me, so I accidentally talked back to her. I said, ‘I’m scoring points, so what does it matter?’ Now I don’t talk to our senpai much because of that.”

Her voice gradually began to shake as she spoke. The feelings that she’d kept contained for so long trickled out with her words.

“And then the final blow happened last Friday. It was the day before we went to watch the movie together. I was already feeling uncomfortable at practice then, so I didn’t participate in individual training and left... But then I got tangled up with an upperclassman from the soccer club.”

Miori cast her eyes downwards and began rubbing her face with her sleeve.

“He was someone who’d talk to me occasionally. On that day, he invited me to walk home with him. I was a little scared, but I selfishly thought that since he was in the soccer club, if I became friends with him, maybe I could get closer to Reita-kun... So I walked to the station with him.”

“And that guy was Wakamura-senpai’s boyfriend?” Uta asked.

Miori nodded. After that, someone had spotted the two of them walking together and Wakamura caught wind of the rumor. Hearing that Miori had been skipping out on self-training time to seduce other people’s boyfriends, Wakamura went directly to Miori and pressed her for an answer. Miori told her the truth at first, but Wakamura trusted her boyfriend and refused to believe her.

That’s why, in the end, Miori had become irritated and said, “What’s the problem with that?” As a result, the two of them got into an argument, and that’s how we’d reached our current dilemma.

Silence blanketed the gym after she finished telling the whole story.

“I see,” I said after a while. “Um, then, isn’t Wakamura’s boyfriend bad news?”

That’s truly disgusting behavior, I thought. He’s got a girlfriend already, but he’s hitting on another girl? That’s outrageous enough, but let’s say—for the sake of argument—he got permission from his girlfriend to do that, and he chose to make a move on an underclassman who’s in the same club as his girlfriend?! Whatever train of thought led him to do that freaks me out! Why in the world did he think he wouldn’t get caught?

“Well, that’s true, but Wakamura-senpai is convinced that her boyfriend is a good guy,” Miori reasoned.

“Well, that just means she’s got shit taste in men,” I retorted.

Uta awkwardly looked away and said, “Honestly, I do think Wakamura-senpai does kinda...”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t her ex a delinquent? I remember her saying he used to hit her a lot,” Miori added.

She and Uta looked conflicted, and then both of them smiled bitterly.

“What do you think I should do?” asked Miori.

“Hmm...” I uttered. Wakamura wouldn’t listen to her side of the story with the way things are right now. I mean, Miori already failed to get through to her once. Then what is the correct decision...? I can see the answer! First, we need to get the atmosphere between them back to the point where they can talk normally. In other words...

“Right now, you’ve got to get over your, uh, ‘can’t pass to others’ syndrome,” I told her.

She hesitated. “Yeah, you’re right. I know I can’t stay like this forever.”

There was a possibility that this wasn’t something she could solve easily. It would be significantly harder to cure if her symptoms turned out to be something like a case of the yips.

I passed the ball to Miori. She caught it and passed it back to me. We repeated this multiple times to practice basic passing. Her passes were filled with uncertainty at first, but she soon returned to her normal form.

“I think I can do it if I’m passing to you, Natsuki.” Miori let out a sigh of relief.

Uta piped up. “Then what about me?” She spread her arms wide to request a pass.

“Of course I can pass to...you...Uta...” Miori tried to pass the ball to Uta, but there was an unnatural delay to her throw. “Huh? Wh-Why?” The pass itself was nevertheless successful, and it somehow managed to reach Uta’s chest. “Th-That’s weird... I was doing just fine with Natsuki. Sorry. I’m sorry, Uta!” Miori looked frightened about something as she repeatedly apologized to Uta.

This is a serious psychological injury! And I fear it might be getting worse. I don’t think she was this bad when I observed her during practice. Is Miori’s trauma intensifying the more her relationship with her team declines? She did say she couldn’t pass the day after she heard them gossiping about her behind her back. 

Uta gently passed the ball back to Miori. “It’s fine; don’t worry about it, Miorin! I’m on your side.” She said each word with care, trying to reach Miori’s heart with her own sincere feelings.

“Yeah, thanks. I know... I know you are!” Miori nodded over and over and took a deep breath as if trying to shake off the terror haunting her.

This isn’t like Miori. It’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen her. To be fair, she did admit she didn’t want to show us her weak side. Plus, she’s trying to overcome adversity right now. In that case, I’m here to push her from behind.

Miori took her time and passed to Uta. Uta caught the ball and then returned it to Miori. The two of them repeated this back-and-forth many times over. I also joined in, and the three of us scrupulously passed the ball between ourselves.

Miori could pass to me without issue, but her passes were a little off when her target was Uta. However, with each successful pass, she grew more confident. And with each repetition, her movements became smoother and smoother.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it now,” Miori murmured, relieved.

“Now you just need to pass the same way to your senpai,” I said.

She hung her head and muttered, “I don’t know if I can, though.” Then she paused and looked at me. “Natsuki.”

“What?”

“Do something about this,” she said with pleading eyes.

It’s hard to say no when I’m the one who just told you to rely on me, but there’s only so much I can do here! “You know this isn’t a problem that I can magic away by saying something to them,” I told her.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Miori knew she was asking for the impossible and meekly nodded. “Why the heck am I so scared? All they did was talk a little smack behind my back...”

Humans naturally fear being hated by others, and Miori knows she’s hated, so she’s instinctively frightened. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just... Miori normally behaves like she’s mentally impervious, so no one on the girls’ basketball team would notice that she’s succumbing to that very fear.

“I want to be strong enough that I don’t care what other people think.” The words trickled out of Miori’s mouth like raindrops falling from the sky.

I wished I could quietly raise an umbrella over her head before she was completely soaked by those forlorn little drops. At the very least, I wanted to be there for her until the rain clouds hanging over her heart cleared.

“Then I’ll support you so you can stand strong.”

Just like how you supported me so I could look cool for the rainbow-colored youth I’ve been dreaming of.

“In return, you don’t need to put up the tough act in front of me. You can whine, complain, whatever—I can take it all.” I pounded my chest. “Lay it all on me!”

Miori blinked in surprise. “You’re just lame old Natsuki, so why’re you trying to act all cool? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Hey, shut it! Obviously, you saying that is what’s gonna make me feel the most embarrassed!”

“Aren’t you always embarrassed anyway? Like, just as a human?”

“As a human?!” I yelled out in shock.

She giggled softly and then brought her lips close to my ear so that Uta couldn’t overhear. “Does this mean that our partnership will continue from here on out?”

“We’ve just added an additional term to the clause. Not a big addition, so yeah.”

She giggled again. “Look at you, acting cool... And you’re actually pulling it off. Thanks, Natsuki!”

If you smile at me like that at point-blank range, I’ll unwittingly become captivated by you!

But before I could fall any deeper in, Uta’s low voice snapped me back to reality. “I feel like...you two are off in your own little world.”

“W-We’re definitely not! Right, Natsuki?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right. We want your help too, Uta!”

Miori and I tried to put Uta back in a good mood, but she wasn’t cheering up. “Honestly, I’m not going to be much help with fixing Miori’s can’t-pass syndrome,” I said. This is a matter of her heart, after all.

Miori looked at me with anxious eyes. Faced with such a timid look, I almost wanted to keep up my cool guy act and say, “I’ll do something about this!” But I knew an outsider like me couldn’t intervene in their club activities, so I made eye contact with Uta, who was pouting hard.

“Uta, can I leave Miori to you?”

“You guys need me? But won’t you two be fine without me?”

“I’m counting on you to back her up when I’m not around,” I said, pointing at Miori.

Oddly enough, Miori turned away. “Stop treating me like you’re my parent or something! It’s super embarrassing.”

Uta chortled at that, and her pout transformed into a broad grin. Her usual smile had returned, and she cheerfully declared, “All right, if you put it like that. Miorin and I are besties, so I’ll help you out!”

Hearing her one-sidedly proclaim the two of them as besties, Miori’s lips loosened up into a small smile of her own. “When did we become besties? Not that I mind.”

As she finished saying that, the school bell rang, echoing throughout the campus. It signaled that lunchtime was ending in five minutes. Oops, we talked for too long! Getting back to our classrooms from the gym would take a good while.

“Oh, fudge! We’re gonna be late!” Uta cried.

“Run, Uta!” Miori yelled.

The two girls rushed to the gym entrance, changed into their indoor shoes, and dashed off, leaving me behind. It’s a relatively far walk, but we have five whole minutes. You didn’t need to panic so hard... Ah, whatever. They looked like they were having a good time.

I strolled over to the door and started changing my own shoes. As I did, someone spoke up from off to the side. “I’ll do something about Wakamura-senpai’s boyfriend.”

My hands flew up with a start, sending the shoe I’d been holding flying. “O-Oh, hey, Reita. Can you not appear out of nowhere?”

Recently, Tatsuya and Reita have been sneaking up on me without any warning, and it’s going to give me a heart attack one day!

Reita glanced at my stupid face. He ignored me and continued talking. “His name’s Kurano Masato. He’s my senpai in the soccer club. I’ve always thought that he was a shallow guy. I heard he started dating Wakamura-senpai a while ago, but apparently he’s pushy and makes moves on other girls.”

Aren’t you being kinda frosty right now? I thought. “How long have you been here?”

“From the very beginning. I knew you and Uta were up to something.”

Reita began walking off, so I hastily grabbed my gym shoes and followed after him. Wait a sec... Does that mean he saw Miori and me hugging? I was mortified. Crap! Sorry if this puts a damper on your plan, Miori. The mood seemed too heavy to try and give an excuse as to how we’d ended up in each other’s arms. Reita had seen the whole thing from start to finish, but he hadn’t even teased me like he normally would have.

“So, what exactly is this ‘something’ you plan on doing?” I asked.

“I’ve got a few ideas,” he replied flatly.

Uh, he doesn’t look very happy.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t get involved with Miori any further,” Reita bluntly said.

If the Reita says it, then I don’t think I need to worry about it.

***

After our little meeting, ten days remained until the practice match with Karakure High School. Miori got into the habit of messaging me concise daily updates.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been feeling a bit better.” 

“Uta’s back to her cheerful self again.” 

“I’m going to do my best. I want to find a compromise with my senpai.” 

“I passed to Wakamura-senpai today.” 

“I feel like I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things.”

Every time she did, I’d respond with something simple to encourage her. “Really?” “That’s great.” “Nice going.” “Sounds like you’re working hard.” Uta was also helping out, so Miori was gradually starting to pass more.

Finally, the day before the practice match arrived. I received a RINE message from Miori that simply said, “I think I got this. I’ll try my best.”

That’s a relief, I thought as I read her message. My pondering was interrupted by the doorbell. It’s already 11 p.m. Who the heck is visiting so late at night? I huffed internally but didn’t move from my bed.

Instead, I yelled my little sister’s name. “Namikaaa?” The door next to my room opened noisily.

“Just get it yourself,” she complained, but I heard her walk downstairs to answer the door. My dear little sister was as admirable and reliable as always! For the record, our mom was already asleep, and our dad wasn’t home because he worked in Tokyo.

Come to think of it, considering how late it is, I should be the one who answers. With that thought, I leisurely got up from bed, but then I heard Namika yell, “Huh?!” She sounded surprised, so I panicked and ran down the stairs to our front door.

She was holding her hands over her mouth in excitement. Phew! I don’t know what’s going on, but at least she doesn’t look like she’s in danger.

Namika beckoned me over. “C-C’mere! It’s Miori-senpai!”

Huh? Miori?! Why’s she here? Confused, I moved closer to the entrance, and just as Namika had said, Miori was standing there in her casual clothes.

“What’s up? Why’re you here out of the blue?” I asked.

Miori looked embarrassed and hesitated for a moment. “Never mind why... Can we talk outside for a sec?” she asked, then quickly turned back outside.

“H-Hey! What are you and Miori-senpai to each other?!” Namika asked. “I knew you two were friends in elementary school, but I thought you guys stopped talking in middle school! I mean, I get why she wouldn’t wanna have anything to do with you: unlike her, you’re a downer to be around!” She looked extremely worked up.

“Oh, shush. Don’t hit people over the head with the truth,” I said, trying to calm her down before I followed after Miori.

I lived in a residential area, so no one was walking around at 11 p.m., and the streets were completely silent.

“You shouldn’t be out this late on your own! It’s dangerous,” I scolded. Though being out late was nothing new to her, this was much later than normal. I know Miori’s got club activities and all, but it’s nearly midnight. Her parents must be worried sick.

“Sorry.”

“I’ll walk you home. You can talk about what’s bothering you on the way.” I began walking, and Miori obediently followed next to me.

But she didn’t say a word, so I initiated instead. “Miori?” I questioned. She must want to talk about something. 

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t really have anything I want to say in particular. I just wanted to see you.” She sounded more dispirited than usual.

Huh! Really? She has nothing to say... She just wants to see...me? “Huh? What, are you in love with me or something?” I asked after I’d fully digested her words.

“Wow, you’ve become way too overconfident lately. Of course not, you moron!”

“You’re the one who told me to have more confidence...” I grumbled. A smile crept across Miori’s face when she saw me acting down. “Anyway, why’d you ring the doorbell? You could’ve just called me.”

“You’re right. Why didn’t I do that?” she wondered aloud. “Tee hee,” she giggled while lightly tapping a knuckle to her head as if to say, “Silly me!” Then she commented, “Ha ha, it looks like Namika’s found out about our relationship.”

“It’s not as if there’s anything between us that we need to hide, but it’ll be a pain if she gets the wrong idea.”

Miori ignored my statement and changed the subject at her own discretion, as usual. “I haven’t seen Namika-chan in a hot sec, but she’s gotten really cute! Do you think she has a boyfriend?”

“Of course not. She’s only a second-year in middle school!”

“I wonder about that,” Miori replied mischievously.

“Hey, cut it out! You’re making me nervous.”

She shot me a look. “I didn’t know you had a sister complex. What a riot,” she teased.

Ha ha. Very funny, nice joke... Sh-She’s joking, right? My sister can’t have a boyfriend yet. It’s way too soon for her!

While I was starting to fret about my little sister’s relationship status, Miori changed the topic again. “Hey, can you do me a favor? Can you come to our practice match tomorrow? You just need to stay for the beginning. That’s plenty,” she requested quietly, her voice trembling oh so slightly.

I heard she regained her ability to pass the ball and is back to normal, but she must be nervous about performing in a real game. That’s probably why she showed up here all confused. I told her to depend on me, and she believed in me.

“Sure, I’ll come be your cheer squad,” I said. If just being there will bolster your confidence, then of course I’ll do it. 

The corners of Miori’s eyes softened with relief—my feelings had reached her.

***

The next day was Saturday, and the only thing I had scheduled was work in the afternoon. So I showed up at school using that as my cover story.

The girls’ basketball club was having a practice match with a powerhouse, Karakure High School. Parents and friends of the players had shown up to spectate the game. I shouldn’t look out of place this time with all these folks around!

I climbed up to the second floor. I’d arrived after the players had finished warming up, right before the match was about to start. The teams each did their pregame huddles and then sent their five starters onto the court. And of course, Miori was one of our five. Oh, there’s Wakamura too. Did she successfully snatch up a starter position?

“Huh?” I said to myself. Miori was acting strange, peering around the gym restlessly. Our eyes met.

Looks like she was searching for me. At least she’s realized I’m here. Miori stuck her tongue out at me, trying to get a reaction out of me. Oh, grow up! I came here for you, remember? She looked like she’d settled down, so I felt at ease for the moment.

My eyes fell to the players on the bench. Uta was waving at me, trying to be stealthy so no one around her would notice. Her wave then changed into an okay sign. Is she telling me not to worry? All right, then! I’ll relax and enjoy the game.

The referee threw the ball in the air to kick off the game. Our team won the tip-off and were on offense first. Miori was on the right side of the court and caught a pass when she reached the opponent’s three-point line. She dribbled the ball towards the goal and pushed past Karakure’s defense. Their center moved to cover Miori, but right as she did, Miori passed the ball without looking.

This looks good. Our center caught it. No one was guarding her, so she easily shot the ball in from right under the hoop. “Oooh,” I heard both teams’ benches buzz with surprise. Karakure’s players were purely impressed by Miori’s skill, whereas Ryomei’s players were likely shocked that Miori had passed the ball at all. Our center who’d received the pass looked a little shaken up.

“Miori...” I heard her say.

“I’ll pass the ball,” Miori replied simply, and ran back to their side of the court for defense.

Next up was the opponent’s offense. Our girls took their positions for a zone defense and skillfully suppressed Karakure’s attack, causing their offense to stagnate. Taking advantage of their lapse in concentration, Miori swiftly intercepted a pass. With the ball in hand, she made a fast break to their side of the court, but our opponent was a powerhouse for a reason. They quickly returned to defend, forcing Miori to the side of the court. She was close enough to the goal, so she acted like she was about to take a shot, but when the opposing players tried to block her, she quickly bounced the ball to the other side of the court—

—right to where Wakamura was running.

Wakamura swept up Miori’s beautiful pass and effortlessly made a layup for another two points. Nice, she’s passing so well! Looks like her syndrome is a problem no more. Far from it, that was a perfect pass.

“Nice pass!” Wakamura raised her hand up towards Miori. Miori flinched but timidly brought her own hand up and they high-fived. “Let’s win this game!”

That was all Wakamura had said, but Miori gazed at the hand she’d just high-fived with for a moment. “Yeah!” she yelled and enthusiastically nodded.

The two teams took turns fighting for the ball, and it changed sides over and over.

“Let’s calm down and take the point back!” Miori instructed. Karakure had just scored, putting Ryomei behind.

The upperclassmen on the team looked conflicted about receiving orders from a first-year, but Wakamura wordlessly supported Miori’s play, so no one argued otherwise. They looked awkward in the beginning, but as the match plays out, everyone is getting more and more in sync. Their team plays look great with Miori as the pillar.

“Nice one, Miori!”

“Don’t worry! Shake it off! We’ll make the next one!”

The girls were giving each play their all, and through those efforts, their hearts were connecting as a team. Although there’d been some misunderstandings, now their true feelings were being conveyed by playing basketball together.

Miori set a screen to create space for Wakamura and then quickly moved towards the goal for a pick-and-roll. “Wakamura-senpai!” she called out.

Wakamura flawlessly passed the ball straight to Miori. She caught the pass and in one beautiful fluid motion shot the ball into the hoop. This time, Miori held up her hand to Wakamura.

“Nice one!” Wakamura returned her high five with a bright smile.

The whistle blew, signaling the end of the game. The final score was seventy-three to seventy-one. It had been a close match, but Ryomei came out on top. Miori looked up at where I was standing and raised her fists triumphantly.

“Nice job,” I cheered. Her lips curled into a contented smile. Looks like I don’t have to worry about her anymore.

***

All right, time to go to work. There’s no reason for me to stick around here. Not only is there no point, but if I stay too long, people will think I’m somebody suspicious! With that latent fear in my mind, I left the gym and walked towards the school gate.

But right as I stepped out of the door, I ran into Miori, Uta, Wakamura, and the other upperclassmen, facing off in front of the gym. I panicked and hid just before anyone noticed me.

“I heard from Reita-kun. It was true that Masato pushed you to walk with him, wasn’t it?” Wakamura said.

Masato? Oh, right. That’s the name of Wakamura’s boyfriend. Miori nodded awkwardly. But, man, Reita took action fast. That’s our guy!

“I’m sorry for not believing you, Miori.” Wakamura lowered her head.

Miori looked uncharacteristically flustered and unsure of how to respond. “N-No, it’s fine... It was my fault. I lost my temper and cheekily asked what the problem was, so of course you’d misunderstand!”

“Heh heh heh... That’s true!” Uta blurted out without thinking.

“Uta?!” Miori cried out in shock.

Uh, Uta, weren’t you supposed to be on Miori’s side? Ha ha...

Wakamura’s serious expression relaxed. She looked up at the sky and said, “I broke up with him already. Next time, I’ll definitely find someone dreamier to date!”

The other upperclassmen surrounding her exchanged worried looks. Evidently, it was well-known that Wakamura had poor taste in guys.

“Um, then... Can I say something?” Miori asked. Her voice was shaking.

“Of course, go on.” Wakamura and the other girls nodded kindly.

Miori began to detail the whole course of events to them, the same way she had told Uta and me. Wakamura and the other upperclassmen listened quietly. Once Miori had finished her story, the girl next to Wakamura was the first to speak up.

“So you heard us... I’m sorry.”

She’d been with Wakamura when Uta and I had ambushed them in the corridor. I think her name was Mana? Is she apologizing because their bad-mouthing was the impetus that caused Miori to stop passing? It sounded like Mana and a few other second-years had been in the locker room on that day, but Wakamura hadn’t been there.

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s true that I was in over my own head and—”

“No. That’s no excuse for what we said. Of course you’d be thrilled. You should be thrilled—you were chosen as a starter, after all! We’re the ones in the wrong here.” Mana was struggling with her words a bit, and her head was hanging down, but I could hear her clearly enough. “We were jealous of you, Miori... Having an inexperienced first-year easily overtake us in skill made us frustrated, and we took it out on you. So...we’re sorry.”

The other second-years also lowered their heads apologetically. Miori only got more flustered and frantically tried to get them to raise their heads.

The sight caused Wakamura to giggle. “An inexperienced first-year? No way! You’re not giving Miori enough credit.”

“Urgh,” Mana groaned. It sounded like she’d taken some psychological damage from having that truth forced on her.

“I-It’s true, though. It’s only been two months since I joined the club,” Miori said with a strained smile.

Completely ignoring the mood, Uta started cackling loudly. “Ah ha ha!” She was holding her stomach and laughing her heart out.

Seeing Uta’s exuberance, Miori and the upperclassmen all loosened up. They shared a knowing look and shrugged their shoulders. “Oh well,” their expressions said.

After witnessing their reconciliation, I stealthily left the scene, trying not to get spotted. I looked at the sky above. Up until yesterday, it had been overcast, but today it was one vast, blue plain without a cloud in sight. This morning, the weather forecast had announced the end of the rainy season was near.

The dazzling sunlight shone down on us. Summer was calling. I don’t think it’ll rain again for a while.