Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 5 - Chapter 2.4

After a fun weekend, another ordinary week began. It was the day before the ball game competition, which made the atmosphere during our regular classes somewhat restless. Whispers about the big day floated around everywhere; it seemed like everyone was looking forward to it. However, Tatsuya, who would’ve normally taken the wheel in those kinds of conversations, was reticent.

During math class, Murakami-sensei pulled out our answer sheets for the quiz we’d taken last time. “I’m announcing the results of the quiz. This time, we had a rare perfect score.”

Murakami-sensei routinely gave us quizzes, but they were considerably more difficult compared to our exams, so even I’d never gotten a perfect score on one before. I wonder who got a hundred points?

“Come pick it up in the order I call you,” Murakami-sensei said. “Nagiura Tatsuya. You’ve really been hitting the books lately.”

“Whaaat?!” Shocked cries filled the classroom.

Tatsuya didn’t look particularly proud of himself; instead, he looked listless as he retrieved his answer sheet.

“T-Tatsu?! What happened to you?!” Uta exclaimed.

He didn’t react much to her astonishment and simply replied, “Uh, nothing much. I’ve just been studying.”

We were then called up in order of our scores. The second to be called was me, with ninety-two points. Once everyone got their papers back, Murakami-sensei looked around the entire class.

“All of you should take a leaf out of Nagiura’s book and put more effort into your studies. That daily effort leads to better grades.” Murakami-sensei wrapped up the class with that, and then the end-of-period bell rang.

Immediately, Uta and Hikari beelined for Tatsuya’s seat.

“Hey, Tatsu! What happened to our ‘Lamebrain Alliance’?!” Uta exclaimed.

“Yeah! Was the steadfast bond the three of us shared just a hoax?!” Hikari chimed in.

I joined them over there as well. “Lamebrain Alliance”? What the heck is that? Did the three of them really form that sort of alliance?

“I don’t remember ever joining a nonsensical alliance like that,” Tatsuya said, strongly denying their coalition.

Yeah, that’s right. It’s quite nonsensical.

“N-No waaay,” Uta cried. “We’ve been betrayed! Hikariiin!”

“We’ve been had, Uta-chan. Unforgivable! Don’t worry—I’ll never betray you,” Hikari said.

They inexplicably began consoling each other. Nanase observed them, eyes filled with exasperation.

While the two girls made a fuss around Tatsuya, I whispered to Nanase, “Are Hikari’s grades really that bad? Wasn’t she around average?”

“She’s fallen to Uta’s level as of late. Probably because she’s been too preoccupied by her novel—and you,” Nanase replied.

“Are you possibly insinuating that it’s my fault?”

“It’s half your fault. Make sure she studies,” she said frigidly.

Y-Yes... Sorry, mom...

“At any rate,” she continued, “Nagiura-kun ranked around sixtieth on our previous midterm exam. He didn’t bring it up, though.”

Sixtieth? There are two hundred and fifty students in our year, so he pretty much made the top cut. Considering how he was practically last in the first semester, his improvement is beyond exceptional! “How come you know about it, then?”

“Don’t you know? Nagiura-kun and I are quite close. I tutor him every now and then.”

Oh, really? That’s sorta unexpected. It’s nothing out of the norm, but it’s really hitting me how other people’s relationships change even when I’m not around.

Tatsuya looked over at Nanase and me. “What’re you two whispering about?” he asked suspiciously.

“We’re complimenting you. It’s impressive that you got a hundred points,” I said.

“It was just a quiz. I’m not gonna ace the actual exams.” Tatsuya snorted. He wasn’t trying to conceal any embarrassment; he earnestly believed that.

“Did you go through an attitude change?” Hikari asked.

Tatsuya scratched his head and gazed out the window with a faraway look. “Well... Something like that. I just wanted to give both school and basketball my all.” He stood up and said, “Gonna run to the bathroom.”

Before he could walk out, Uta grabbed the hem of his uniform. Having made some sort of decision, she asked, “Tatsu, have you been feeling down these days?”

“You think so?” he replied.

“You’d normally be more pumped! C’mon, you got a perfect score!”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. I might’ve reacted that way before. But it’s not like I’m not happy about it,” he said dispassionately. Without so much as a pause, he said, “Aight, bathroom for real this time,” and left.

Uta watched him go, displeasure written all over her face. Hikari and Nanase exchanged looks.

Reita joined up with the rest of us. “It’s great that he’s working so hard, but he’s not acting like himself.”

“Did something happen?” Uta wondered, tilting her head to the side.

Nanase looked conflicted as she watched Uta. “It’s not my place to say,” I overheard her mutter.

“Natsuki, can I have a sec?” Reita beckoned me over to the balcony. There was a gentle breeze outside. He leaned his elbows against the railing and looked out towards the school grounds. “Natsuki, you’ve also realized by now, right? The reason Tatsuya’s working so hard, I mean.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a guess,” I said after a beat.

Tatsuya said that he could entrust Uta to me, but I turned her down. If I’m not gonna grant her wish, then he wants to be the one to bring her happiness. So since she fell for me, he’s trying to become someone more outstanding than me... He’s probably thinking something along those lines.

“Tatsuya’s not particularly emotive anymore because his goals are lofty. He’s acting like this because he’s constantly thinking, ‘This isn’t anywhere near enough.’ He’s still easy to understand,” Reita explained.

“It’s good that he’s working so hard, but it’ll wear him out if he keeps that mentality up,” I said.

“Yeah. And more importantly, he’s not the Tatsuya we’ve grown so fond of. He’s boring right now,” Reita bluntly said. From the side, I thought he looked a little angry. “So let’s go get the old Tatsuya back.” He raised his fist.

I bumped my fist against his. “Yeah! Let’s remind him how fun it is to be a bunch of dumbasses with us.”

Reita and I both have our own personal reasons for doing this. Even if Tatsuya’s become this way because he’s matured, it’s not any fun for us. He’s always spouting dumb shit; he’s loud, short-tempered, kinda pushy, and yet he’s got his sensitive and tricky-to-deal-with sides too. But we like him that way. That’s the guy we’re friends with.

And that’s why...we’re gonna bring him back!

***

That day after school, we had our third executive committee meeting. All we had left were final checks of the schedule and advance prep, so we finished quickly. Then at last, tomorrow would be the day of the ball game competition. As a committee member, my duties would include refereeing, coordinating the schedule, organizing the classes, and so on.

“Natsuki, can we practice some more today?” Mei asked as the four of us first-years walked down the hallway.

“Oh, you down? I planned on training today anyway. Tomorrow’s the big day, after all,” I replied.

Unexpectedly, Miori chimed in. “Guess I’ll tag along, then. I’ve got nothing else to do anyway.”

“No practice?” I questioned.

“We’re off today. We get a break once every two weeks.”

“Should you be using your day off for more basketball?”

“This time, I’m gonna prove that I’m superior to you.”

“That’s some pointless effort. Kudos,” I said with a shrug.

Miori glared at me. “What’d you say?”

“Pardon me, may I sit in as well?” Funayama-san asked. “I won’t be very helpful since I’m not participating in the basketball event, but I’d like to watch you all practice.” She didn’t explicitly say so, but everyone knew she probably just wanted to spend more time with Mei.

“Sure you can. Right, Mei?” I said.

“O-Of course!” He vigorously nodded his head over and over.

Simmer down, there. “Cool, let’s head over together.”

Today, we practiced at the city gym’s court. It was cheap for personal use, and there wouldn’t be a lot of people on a weekday night. We walked past the station and arrived there. As expected, no one else was around.

We changed into our gym shoes before stepping onto the floor. Mei had the ball we’d bought last time, but the gym had more available for people to borrow. One ball wasn’t enough for a good training session, so we snagged a second.

“You’re playing basketball tomorrow, right? How’re you feeling?” Miori asked.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve been training on my own,” I replied. Including the time I practiced with Mei and Miori in the park, I’d put myself through three sessions total. I’d also spent gym classes playing basketball, so I had regained most of my touch.

“You’re taking this pretty seriously,” she remarked.

“Yeah. Though, I know there’s the crowd who’d say it’s only a ball game competition.”

“Hey, giving this your all is very you. I also think it’ll be more fun that way.” Miori sank a shot neatly through the hoop.

She’s good. Her shooting form is sleek as ever.

Meanwhile, on the other half of the court, Mei and Funayama-san were practicing while flirting.

“I-It went in!” he yelled.

“Wow! Nice shot! That was amazing!” she exclaimed. She cheered him on as he kept shooting ball after ball.

“I wasn’t sure how they’d work out, but seems like it’s smooth sailing for them,” I said.

“It’s because they’ve both picked up on each other’s feelings. They’re definitely going to get together. This was way easier than helping you and Hikari-chan,” Miori said matter-of-factly.

I wouldn’t expect any less confidence from my super adviser! Well, former adviser.

“Forget about those two; it’s time for our one-on-one.”

“I’m supposed to be giving Mei pointers, though,” I said. “Oh well, I’ll help him later.”

Miori and I played another string of matches. I won about seventy percent of the time.

“Again!” she shouted, irritated by her losses. But right then, the doors opened. “Huh?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

Reita, Okajima-kun, Hino, and Hikari entered the gym.

“Hey, Miori,” Reita said.

“R-Reita-kun? Why’re you here?” she asked.

“Natsuki invited me. He said he wanted to practice together if I still had energy after soccer. I’m in the basketball competition too,” he explained. “I figured I might as well bring Hino and Okajima too.”

“We’re both on the soccer team, after all! If Reita’s coming, then I’m down too!” Okajima-kun flashed his pearly whites and shot us a thumbs-up.

“I had nothing goin’ on today, and the city gym is close to my home.” Hino laughed lightheartedly, shrugging his shoulders.

“I happened to run into them after literature club, so I came for moral support.” Hikari smiled.

What an absolute angel. You’re the cutest girl in the world, as always!

“By the way, where’s Tatsuya?” I asked.

“He went home to study. He said there’s no point in going ham over the ball game competition.” Reita sighed.

“He started acting like a Goody Two-Shoes all of a sudden, that jerk. He even got a hundred on the last quiz,” Okajima-kun growled.

“Isn’t he acting weird lately? Was he always like that?” Hino wondered, cocking his head to the side.

“It’s fine. We can still practice without him,” I said.

With Mei thrown into the mix, we played a three-on-three practice match—me, Mei, and Okajima-kun versus Miori, Reita, and Hino. Funayama-san and Hikari cheered us on as they chatted on the side.

“You’re Funayama-san, right? I’m Hoshimiya Hikari,” she said.

“Th-That’s right,” Funayama-san replied. “I’m surprised you know my name. I’ve been meeting a lot of famous people lately.”

“What? Am I famous?”

“Of course. You’re the school idol.”

Hikari laughed. “Oh, stop it! No, I’m not!”

They look like they’re hitting it off well. I’d expect nothing less from Hikari’s astounding communication skills. “Mei, look around when you try to pass. If you’re not sure where to throw it, give it back to me.”

“O-Okay! I will!” he said. As we practiced in a real match format, he gradually got better on the court.

“You can tell you’ve improved, right? Now you just need to show the fruits of all your training during the actual competition,” I told him.

“D-Do you really think so?”

“You’ll do great. Have some confidence.” I patted him on the back. My words weren’t empty; he really had been putting in a lot of work. I heard class four also has Kijima-kun, a member of the basketball team, playing in the event. They’re bound to be a tough opponent.

“But we’re facing your class in the first round,” Mei said.

Right. Sadly, class 1-2 is squaring off against 1-4 first. “That was up to the lottery draw.”

“Ha ha ha... Curse my bad luck...”

We continued our three-on-three, but not for too long.

“Let’s stop here for today,” I said.

“Done already? I can keep going for a long time,” Okajima-kun said.

“We don’t want to be too tired for tomorrow. Let’s listen to Natsuki,” Reita said.

My group aside, Reita and the others joined in after their club activities. Stamina and timewise, we shouldn’t practice for any longer. We’re getting our priorities backwards if we overwork and harm ourselves. “All right, then. I’ll go wash my face.”

When I exited the city gym, it was pitch-black outside. The chilly breeze felt good against my sweaty body. I twisted the faucet, gulped down some water, and rinsed the sweat off my face. “Phew. That’s refreshing.”

After I finished, I returned to where the others were. On my way there, I heard voices from within the darkness. Is someone at the back entrance? I impulsively peeked around the corner to see Funayama-san and Miori talking. What’re they doing over there?

“Thank you so much for all your help,” Funayama-san said.

“Nah, I didn’t do much. All I did was watch over you,” Miori replied.

“Still, you gave me the courage I needed. Now, all I need to do is confess to him tomorrow.”

“Good luck. I’m sure it’ll go well.”

I could only hear disconnected phrases, but that was what their conversation sounded like. Miori was helping Funayama-san just like how I was helping Mei, so I guess Funayama-san’s thanking her... Wait, she’s gonna confess to Mei tomorrow? Man, their relationship progressed fast.

“Pardon me if I’m mistaken, but may I ask a small question?” Funayama-san asked.

“Hmm? Sure, you can ask me anything.”

Funayama-san hesitated, struggling to get the words out. She needed a moment to brace herself before asking, “Miori-san, you love Haibara-kun, right?”

It felt like time had stopped. A gust blew by, and fallen leaves danced in the air.

Huh? No way she does. Funayama-san’s assertion was so out of left field that my brain froze. What was even stranger was that Miori remained silent. She’d normally laugh that sort of comment off...so why isn’t she saying anything? That makes it seem like—

“What would you do...if I told you I love you?”

Miori forced a smile. “Come on, Shizuki-chan. That’s a mean joke. Don’t you know I’m dating Reita-kun?”

Yeah. Funayama-san’s misunderstanding something. Well, people generally get the idea that Miori and I are closer than we actually are.

“Haibaraaa! Are you there?” I heard Hino call.

Whoops, the others are looking for me! I wiped my face with a towel and returned to the gym entrance. They were waiting for me in the lit space there.

“Oh, there he is!”

“Sorry. I was washing my face,” I told them. The other two will probably rejoin us soon.

***

“I asked because I know that.”

“Then don’t say any more.”