Rabu kome manga no sekai ni haitte shimattanode - V2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Toward the Ball Game Tournament

That day after school, Sei-chan and I were at “Moonbucks Coffee”.

We didn’t leave school together; we arranged to meet at “Moonba.”

If we’d left school together, my name would have been permanently written on the blacklist for sure.

Not that I really know what that blacklist is, though.

I ordered my usual plain iced coffee, and Sei-chan, as usual, had bought some kind of sweet, dessert-like drink.

This was, without a doubt, a proper after-school date.

Back in my previous world, I never would have dreamed that I’d be able to go on an after-school date with Sei-chan.

This is nothing but pure happiness.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Sei-chan was scooping up the cream on top with her spoon straw, opening her small mouth and eating it adorably.

Just watching her makes me want to writhe with happiness.

“I was just remembering what happened at lunch. I was thinking about how you’re as competitive as ever, Sei-chan.”

The truth is, I was just watching how cute she was.

“Ugh… That… just forget about it…”

“Hm? Huh? What?”

Sei-chan said it awkwardly, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to forget.

“That… that exchange with Tōjōin. I got a little carried away, I guess…”

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, is it? Tōjōin-san was the one who started it.”

“Well, that’s true, but… were you put off by it?”

Sei-chan asked, hiding her mouth a little with her drink and looking up at me.

My heart instantly gave a huge throb.

She probably isn’t doing it on purpose, but could she be any cuter?

“Of course I wasn’t put off. I thought that part of you was cute, too. I like it.”

“I-Is that so… Well, if you say so…”

Looking a little embarrassed, Sei-chan put the straw to her lips and took a sip of her drink.

“By the way, it seems the boys are playing baseball, but what about you, Hisamura? Shigemoto said you were good at it.”

“Well, I played baseball back in elementary school, so I think I’m better than the average person. But I think even an amateur like me would lose to Yūichi.”

I really don’t get that guy. How can an amateur hit two home runs off one of the top pitchers in the prefecture?

Just as you’d expect from a manga protagonist with outstanding athletic abilities.

Then again, if I’m saying that, the same goes for Sei-chan and Tōjōin-san.

“You’re set to go up against Tōjōin-san, but will you be okay?”

“Okay? What do you mean by that? Don’t tell me you think I’m going to lose?”

“Eh, no, that’s not it…”

I was just wondering if she’d be okay since she’d decided to face off against her in the heat of the moment.

I never expected Sei-chan to react like that.

“I will not lose to an Ojōsama who is all talk. What, does Hisamura, my boyfriend, think I’m going to lose?”

“…To think that you’d call me your boyfriend, Sei-chan…”

“Th-That’s not the point! Don’t say it out loud!”

Of course, I knew that wasn’t what Sei-chan was focused on, but for me, that part made my heart pound like crazy and made me so happy.

“Hisamura, you are, um, my boyfriend, right? It’s not something to get so excited about hearing at this point…”

“Fufu, you’re right. For someone who says that, you looked pretty embarrassed yourself when you called me your boyfriend, Sei-chan.”

“Kuh… I-I’m never saying it again.”

“Eh, I don’t want that. Say it again.”

It makes me truly happy to hear the words “Hisamura is my boyfriend” from Sei-chan’s lips.

There’s nothing sadder than the thought of never hearing it again.

“W-Well then, don’t tease me so much. It’s embarrassing…”

“Got it. I’ll do my best.”

“…When you say ‘I’ll do my best’ in situations like this, I feel like I can’t really trust you.”

“So, we were talking about whether you’ll beat Tōjōin-san, right? Of course you’re going to win, Sei-chan.”

“Oi, don’t change the subject.”

“I didn’t change it, I just brought it back.”

Right, that’s what we were talking about at first.

“There’s no way my girlfriend, Sei-chan, would lose to Tōjōin-san, right?”

“Th-That’s right. Of course, I will win.”

Yes, I managed to distract her.

Teasing Sei-chan is fun because her reactions are so cute, so I want to keep doing it.

But going too far is definitely not good, so I have to make sure I don’t do it to the point where she dislikes it.

“There aren’t any girls in our class with basketball experience, are there?”

“No. Including me, there are only people who have played it lightly in gym class.”

Well, even though Sei-chan has only played it lightly in gym, she’s reached a level where she can beat one of the top players in the prefecture, so I think it’s fair to say she’s better than an experienced player.

“I think Tōjōin-san’s class has three members of the basketball club.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Yeah, I heard it from Yūichi, so I’m sure it’s correct.”

Since Yūichi is on the basketball team, he has some contact with the girls’ basketball team as well.

Basketball is a sport played with five-person teams.

No matter how much stronger Sei-chan is than Tōjōin-san, if the gap between the other teammates is too wide, winning the game will be tough.

“Hmm, is that so…”

Sei-chan pondered for a moment while drinking her drink.

“Then the solution is simple. I just have to defeat Tōjōin and those three basketball club members by myself.”

“Whoa, you’re so cool I’m falling for you. Oh, wait, I already have.”

“Ngh! I-I told you not to say things like that…”

I couldn’t help it that time, because Sei-chan was just too cool.

And the truly amazing part is that she might actually be able to do it.

“In basketball, the shot that scores the most points is the three-point shot.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

According to the rules of basketball, a normal shot is generally worth two points.

But there’s a semicircle drawn far from the hoop, and if you shoot from outside of it and make the basket, it’s a three-point shot, and you get three points.

“In other words, even if the opponent scores two points, as long as I make every single one of my shots a three-point shot, I’ll win.”

“That’s a pretty extreme argument, but I guess you might be right.”

Of course, that’s true numerically, but in reality, it’s not that simple.

Since three-point shots are taken from far away, the probability of them going in is simply lower.

Even for pros, making thirty percent of them in a game is considered good.

Making every single one in a game is normally impossible… but.

This is reality for us, but it’s still the world of the manga “Ojōjama”.

And among the manga characters, Sei-chan has top-tier physical abilities.

If she tries hard, she might just be able to do it.

“But there’s no way I’ll be able to make shots on the day of the ball game tournament out of the blue…”

“Well, that’s certainly true.”

“…Alright, let’s practice.”

“Eh, practice? You mean basketball practice?”

“Of course. The ball game tournament is on Wednesday, so we have to prepare before then.”

“Whoa, you’re really serious about this.”

“I don’t want to lose to Tōjōin. She’s Shiho’s rival in love, so she’s my rival too.”

“So that’s how you think about it. Sounds like you, Sei-chan.”

“…Besides, because of her, I have to help Shiho with her cooking now.”

“…Eh, could that be the real reason?”

“N-No, that’s not it. The big reason is that she’s Shiho’s rival in love. The cooking is just a tiny part of it.”

…I wonder. She seems a little flustered, so maybe the cooking is the main reason after all.

“W-Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Anyway, I have to practice basketball so I don’t lose to Tōjōin.”

“Even if you say practice, where are you going to do it?”

“There’s an ‘Around One’ near here, right? There should be a basketball court there.”

“Ah, that place.”

Around One is an amusement facility where you can play various sports.

It’s a facility that also has bowling and karaoke, and depending on the location, some have places to play basketball.

“Alright, let’s go now.”

“Eh, right now?!”

“Of course. The ball game tournament is the day after tomorrow, so we only have today and tomorrow to practice.”

“Wow, you’re really serious…”

I never thought Sei-chan would get this serious…

She might be even more competitive than I thought.

“…Um, will you come with me, Hisamura?”

Sei-chan asked, looking up at me, her voice filled with a hint of anxiety and expectation.

She’s so unfair, that Sei-chan.

Even if she didn’t ask, my answer is already decided.

“Of course I’ll go. After all, I’m your boyfriend, Sei-chan.”

“Hmph… I-I see. As expected of my boyfriend.”

“Ah, crap, I’ve got a nosebleed…”

“Why?!”

Because you’re too cute, Sei-chan.

For the first time in a while, Sei-chan made my nose bleed.

 

Sei-chan and I left the café and headed for Around One.

Since we were in a hurry, Sei-chan ended up riding on the back of my bicycle.

T-To think I’d end up riding double with Sei-chan…!

“How am I supposed to sit? This is my first time, so I don’t really know.”

“Sit sideways on the rack in the back…”

“Like this?”

“Yeah, yeah. You won’t be stable just sitting there, so wrap your hands around my shoulders or waist…”

I realized it as I was saying it.

Does this mean Sei-chan has to press her body against mine?

It’s dangerous if she doesn’t, so she has to do it… but this is incredibly nerve-wracking.

I ride double with my little sister, Rie, almost every day, but Rie just puts her hands on my shoulders.

I once told her, “It’s more stable if you wrap your arms around my waist,” but she just said, “…Are you an idiot?” I don’t get it.

But I think I felt Rie, for just a moment, move her hands from my shoulders and try to wrap them around my waist. Unless I’m imagining things.

“L-Like this?”

Sei-chan placed her hands on my shoulders and gripped them lightly.

Her hands, softer than I’d imagined, touched my shoulders, making my heart skip a beat.

We’ve held hands a few times, but I’m still not used to it.

This time it’s my shoulders, which she’s never touched before, so I’m even less used to it.

Why is it that just being lightly gripped on the shoulders through my uniform can feel so soft?

“Is this okay?”

“Y-Yeah, it’s fine. Okay, here we go.”

I put strength into my legs and started pedaling.

At first, I was so nervous I couldn’t pedal properly, but after a little while, I was finally able to pedal like usual.

Sei-chan also seemed a little nervous, as her hands gripping my shoulders were quite strong.

“How’s the ride, Princess?”

“P-Princess?! What on earth are you…?”

“Hey, it was just a little joke. Don’t take it so seriously.”

“Ah, oh, I see… Hmph, not bad, my servant.”

“Oh, so I’m not a prince, huh?”

“Fufu, because it’s not a white horse.”

It seemed our little conversation had eased Sei-chan’s tension a bit.

“The ride isn’t bad. Is it because you give Rie a ride on the back every day?”

“Yeah, you get used to it when you give Rie a ride every day. Plus, where you’re sitting, Sei-chan, there’s a soft cushion thing for riding double.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, there is.”

“Rie was always sitting on the hard rack, so I bought it and installed it.”

If Rie was going to ride every day, I figured I had to put a cushion on for her.

I will protect Rie’s butt! …That sounds creepy, even to me.

Sei-chan, who probably had no idea what I was thinking, seemed to be looking to the side, watching the scenery pass by.

I’m just glad Sei-chan seems to be having fun.

Thinking that, I kept pedaling, and the traffic light right ahead turned red, so I hit the brakes.

“Ah.”

“Hah?!”

Not expecting me to brake, Sei-chan was thrown against my back by the law of inertia.

That much is something even Rie does often, so it can’t be helped.

But… there was one thing that was completely different from Rie.

It was the sensation on my back, or rather, probably the difference in physical development between Rie and Sei-chan…

Anyway, it seems Sei-chan’s are bigger… Since she was sitting sideways, they only barely touched my back, but their presence was immense.

“Sorry, I bumped into your back. Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine…”

“You have a nosebleed?!”

“Eh? Oh, you’re right.”

I hadn’t noticed either, but when I touched under my nose, there was blood.

Panicking behind me, Sei-chan took a tissue out of her bag and handed it to me.

“Thanks.”

I took it, tore off a piece, rolled it up, and stuck it in the bleeding nostril.

“Are you okay? It started when I bumped into your back… wait, can bumping into someone’s back cause a nosebleed?”

“Under the right conditions, I guess it can happen.”

“What kind of conditions are those?”

“The condition of riding double with Sei-chan on the back, I guess.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? In other words, should I stop riding double with you?”

“No, that’s not it. In fact, I’d rather you ride on the back for the rest of my life.”

“T-The rest of my life is impossible… When we’re old, you know, we don’t know if we’ll have the stamina…”

Hm? The conversation has veered off in a strange direction… but oh well.

Anyway, the light turned green, so I continued pedaling with her on the back.

“Are you really okay? If you want, I can take over and pedal.”

“As a guy, I can’t let a girl do the pedaling. I’m fine, the nosebleed will stop soon.”

“If you say so… When you ride double with Rie, does your nose ever bleed when she bumps into your back?”

“No, not at all. She’s my sister, and there’s not enough there to bump into, anyway.”

“Hm? What do you mean? Rie doesn’t bump into your back?”

“Uh, well, something like that.”

She’s my sister, so even if she did bump into me, I wouldn’t get excited enough to get a nosebleed.

And Rie isn’t as big as Sei-chan, so she doesn’t bump into me.

No, I should stop here. This is going to affect Rie’s dignity… Is it too late?

Well, I didn’t say it out loud, so it should be fine.

With those thoughts, Sei-chan and I headed to Around One, riding double.

…Apparently, Rie sneezed around that time, but I had no way of knowing.

 

We arrived at Around One, paid the fee, and entered the area where you can play sports.

There were places for futsal and badminton, a batting center, and all sorts of other sports you could play.

But Sei-chan and I passed them all by and headed for the basketball court.

Luckily, no one else was using it, so we were able to get on it right away.

“It’s been a while since I’ve touched a basketball…”

Sei-chan said as she dribbled lightly… and she looked like a total pro.

That wasn’t the dribbling of an amateur who hadn’t touched a ball in a while.

She effortlessly performed a leg-through, a move where you pass the ball between your legs, and a behind-the-back, where you pass it behind your back.

I don’t think those are moves an amateur can just pull off that easily.

A normal amateur has to look down at the ball when they dribble, because they can’t do it otherwise.

Of course, Sei-chan didn’t even glance at the ball as she pulled off one difficult dribble move after another.

“Hmm, I’m still not used to this.”

“Seriously?”

The word just slipped out.

Sei-chan handled the ball that skillfully, yet she still had a dissatisfied look on her face.

“Sei-chan, you’ve really never played basketball before, right?”

“That’s right. I’ve barely played any sports outside of school classes.”

She’s so amazing, I’m at a loss for words.

And yet, with just the amount of practice she gets in class, she becomes strong enough to beat someone at the prefectural representative level in any sport.

Sei-chan kept dribbling as she talked to me, then ran toward the basket.

She was incredibly fast, too. Normally, there’s no way an amateur could do a full-speed dash while dribbling.

Sei-chan probably wasn’t even at her full speed, but she ran toward the basket at a pace close to it and went for a layup shot.

It’s a shot where you hold the ball in your right hand, jump toward the basket, and gently place the ball in.

She looked so natural doing it, so cool──!

“Well, it’s only natural that goes in. The problem is the three-point shot… Hm? What’s wrong, Hisamura?”

I had averted my gaze with incredible speed, prompting Sei-chan’s question.

“Uh, um, Sei-chan… I don’t think you should do that shot in your current outfit.”

Sei-chan and I had come here straight after school. In other words, we were both still in our uniforms.

And being in uniform meant… Sei-chan was still in her skirt.

It was a pretty short skirt, so when she jumped with all her might, the momentum made it flip up…

“Eh? Ah…!”

It seemed Sei-chan had realized it too. Her face turned red as she let go of the ball and pressed down the hem of her skirt with both hands. Not that holding it down now did any good.

“D-Did you see?”

“I didn’t. I looked away just before I could.”

“I-Is that so… Well, that’s good, then.”

“I just think I might have seen a little flash of red.”

“So you did see!”

“I’m sorry!”

It was really close; I just barely saw it.

It’s not my fault. Probably.

I honestly tried to look away, but I just happened to see a little.

Well, okay, maybe as I was turning my face away, I left my eyes behind for a second.

I think that’s just how guys are. It can’t be helped.

“Ugh…”

“Sorry, Sei-chan.”

“No, um, it was my fault for jumping in a skirt… I don’t have my gym clothes today, so I’ll stop doing layup shots.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

It wasn’t just me here; there were plenty of other people around, of course.

Luckily, no one was around us right now, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

If anyone other than me saw Sei-chan’s sacred panties… I would never forgive them. They wouldn’t make it home alive.

I don’t want to commit a crime either, so I’d appreciate it if Sei-chan would be careful not to let her underwear show.

“I guess I’ll practice three-pointers and then head home for today. A jump shot doesn’t require as powerful a jump, so my skirt probably won’t fly up.”

“Yeah, I think that’ll be fine.”

Sei-chan then picked up the ball and moved away from the basket.

She stood outside the three-point line, lightly bouncing the ball on the spot.

“Okay, I’ll stand under the basket and pass the balls back to you after you shoot.”

“Ah, thanks.”

“That’s what I came here for.”

Practicing shots is more efficient with someone to rebound than doing it alone.

When you miss a shot, it can hit the rim and go flying off in any direction, so shooting and retrieving the ball by yourself is a pain.

“Leave the rebounding to me.”

“Thanks. But I feel bad making you run around so much.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“That’s why if I make them all, you won’t have to move from under the basket, right?”

Sei-chan said with a laugh, then let fly a jump shot with beautiful form.

The ball she released drew a perfect arc through the air and swished through the net.

So cool…!

I was so captivated that I forgot to grab the ball after it fell through the net.

“Hisamura, weren’t you going to get the ball?”

“Ah, s-sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It came back to me.”

Just as Sei-chan said, the ball that went through the net had bounced right back to her.

When a ball is shot with perfect rotation and doesn’t hit the rim, it comes back to the shooter.

There’s no way an amateur would sink a shot that cleanly on their first try.

“I’ll get the next one.”

If she kept shooting like that, the ball would always come back to her, but the return would be slow, and she probably wouldn’t sink every shot so perfectly.

I needed to do my job properly.

“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”

With that, Sei-chan once again prepared to shoot a three-pointer with her beautiful form.

Ah… seriously──.

“You’re so damn cool…”

“Ngh?!”

Sei-chan’s form broke the instant she was about to shoot, and the ball clanked off the rim.

“H-Hisamura, don’t just say things like that out of the blue. It breaks my concentration…”

“Sorry, it just slipped out without me thinking.”

“W-Well, if that’s the case, I guess it can’t be helped… can it?”

I went to grab the missed ball and tossed it back to Sei-chan.

“Try not to distract me too much.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Sei-chan’s cheeks were a little red, but she took a deep breath to calm herself.

Then, she started shooting three-pointers again.

One, two in a row. The third one went in, too.

An amateur might get one in by a fluke, but three in a row is no longer a lucky shot.

Sei-chan was completely, deliberately sinking them.

However, she missed the fourth, and Sei-chan nodded once.

“I’ve pretty much got it. From now on, I’ll sink a hundred in a row without making you move, Hisamura.”

“If you can do that, it’d be beyond amazing.”

And with that, Sei-chan, looking incredibly cool, began to shoot in succession.

 

A dozen or so minutes later… Sei-chan had failed to achieve her goal.

“Damn it, I missed on the seventy-second shot.”

Sei-chan said it with frustration, but in reality, the number she’d made was just absurd.

Even an experienced player couldn’t sink seventy-one in a row.

As I thought, “good reflexes” wasn’t a strong enough phrase to describe just how talented Sei-chan was at sports.

“That’s more than enough. It’s way too amazing.”

“But at this rate, making every shot in a real game is just a pipe dream.”

“Yeah, well, that might be true, but still.”

Not even professional basketball players have a 100% success rate during a game.

“I want to practice a little more… but it’s already getting late.”

“Yeah, it’s past six.”

We had been talking at a café after school, so we got here late to begin with.

Not much time had passed since we arrived, but it was already dark outside.

“But I want to shoot a little more and practice.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yeah, I’ve finally gotten a feel for it, so it’d be a waste to stop now. It’s not fair to make you stay, so you can go home, Hisamura.”

Saying that, Sei-chan shot another three-pointer.

That one also went in cleanly. I grabbed the ball as it fell through the net and passed it back to her.

“No, I’ll stay too.”

“Really? I appreciate it, but you don’t have to force yourself.”

“I’m only staying because I want to be with you, Sei-chan, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, I see… Um, thank you.”

Sei-chan’s face turned red, and she shot the ball as if to hide her embarrassment.

The one she’d shot when she was flustered earlier had missed, but this one went in perfectly.

“Nice shot.”

I said as I grabbed the ball and passed it back to her.

I got to see Sei-chan looking cool, so I felt like I could stay with her for hours.

And so, Sei-chan and I continued to practice shooting on the basketball court at Around one.

Around nine at night, Sei-chan and I left Around one.

Naturally, it was pitch black out, and we wouldn’t have been able to see a thing without the streetlights.

“It’s easier for you to get home with me staying, right?”

I said to Sei-chan, who was riding on the back of my bike as I pedaled.

“I won’t deny that… but it’s not like I was hoping you’d stay just so you could take me home.”

“Of course, I know that. Wait, so you did want me to stay?”

“Ah… w-well, I mean, it’s more fun practicing with you, Hisamura, than doing it alone…”

“…Oh, I-I see.”

I felt like I’d just taken a massive counterpunch.

I never thought I’d hear Sei-chan say that it was more fun with me, and I was so happy that for a moment, I couldn’t speak.

After that, things got a little awkward. I pedaled my bike in silence while Sei-chan rested a hand on my shoulder.

It wasn’t a bad kind of awkward, more like the air you get when you’re too embarrassed to talk.

“S-So, anyway, how was your basketball shooting practice?”

“Ah, yeah, right. Well, it wasn’t bad, but I’m still not at a level where I can sink every shot in a game.”

“Well, yeah, that’s a tall order.”

The reason Sei-chan was practicing basketball this time was to beat Tōjōin-san in the upcoming ball sports tournament.

Sei-chan boasted that she could win if she just made all her three-pointers, but that’s going to be tough.

“That’s why I plan to practice tomorrow, too.”

“Eh, you are?”

“Of course. The tournament is the day after tomorrow. There’s no way I wouldn’t practice the day before.”

“That’s amazing. Well, I’ll join you tomorrow, too.”

“Really? That would be a huge help, and I’d be happy.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“…Yeah. Thank you, Hisamura.”

Sei-chan smiled as she thanked me.

I get to be with Sei-chan, and she thanks me with such a cute smile. There’s no way I could choose not to help.

But to practice this hard just because she doesn’t want to lose to Tōjōin-san… is Sei-chan really that competitive?

“Sei-chan, what do you think of Tōjōin-san?”

“Huh? What’s with the sudden question?”

“Well, you’re practicing basketball this time because you don’t want to lose to Tōjōin-san, right? You’re getting so serious about facing her, so I was just wondering what you thought of her.”

“Hmm… I don’t dislike her. At first, my impression was that she was some Ojōsama who was stalking Shigemoto.”

“Ah, well, yeah.”

That was the truth, so there was nothing to deny.

“And I thought she was trying to get in the way of Shiho’s love life… but I realized that Tōjōin is just an awkward girl who happens to like Shigemoto, too. Now we even eat lunch together, so I don’t dislike her.”

“I see.”

“But… it is a little irritating when she teases me sometimes. You haven’t told Tōjōin, have you?”

“Told her what?”

“That… we’re… dating…”

Hearing her say it so shyly from behind me, I almost swooned, but I held it in since I was riding my bike.

“I haven’t said anything. But she might have sensed something from the atmosphere.”

“Ah, that might be true. She said something to me at the amusement park, too…”

“Eh, you talked to Tōjōin-san at the amusement park?”

“Ah, no… It’s nothing!”

“You sure?”

She probably did talk to Tōjōin-san about something, but she seemed too embarrassed to tell me, so I decided not to press it.

As we were talking, we arrived at the spot where Sei-chan and I usually part ways.

“Okay, you can drop me off here.”

“No, it’s late tonight, so I’ll take you all the way home.”

“I can’t ask you to do all that for me. I’ll be fine from here.”

Sei-chan said, but this was something I couldn’t back down on.

“I can’t let my girlfriend walk home alone this late at night. It’s dangerous, so please let me take you.”

“I-Is that so? Well then, I’ll, um, take you up on your kind offer.”

“Yeah, please do. And I’d be happy if you’d rely on me with your actions, not just your words.”

“Hmph… I-I’ll think about it.”

“Eh… y-yeah, I’d be happy if you’d give it some positive consideration.”

I never thought she’d actually consider relying on me, and I slipped into formal speech.

If Sei-chan were to dote on me, I might just die… but I’d die happy.

My heart was pounding a little from our conversation as I followed Sei-chan’s directions and took her home.

The house she guided me to was a normal, single-family home.

But thinking of it as Sei-chan’s house made it feel like a very special place.

“Thank you for today, Hisamura. For staying with me for my practice so late at night, and for taking me home.”

Sei-chan got off the back of the bike and stood next to me as she spoke.

“I just wanted to be with you, so don’t worry about it. Besides, I had fun watching you play basketball, Sei-chan.”

“I-Is that so? Well, I’m glad… Um…”

Sei-chan stood right next to me, looking up at me as if she wanted to say something.

But her cheeks flushed, and she closed her mouth.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“N-No, um, thank you so much for today. You were a huge help.”

“Yeah, I had fun, too.”

“Well, see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow. Good night.”

We waved to each other, and I started pedaling my bike.

…The way Sei-chan waves so reservedly is so cute.

With that thought, I reflected on how much fun today had been as I made my way home.

 

◇　◇　◇

 

After Hisamura left, Sei went inside and ate a late dinner.

She had completely forgotten that she hadn’t eaten dinner until after nine o’clock at night.

“I feel so bad…”

The fact that she hadn’t eaten meant that Hisamura, who had been with her, hadn’t eaten either.

When she considered that she had made him practice basketball with her for so long and then made him skip dinner, she felt an even greater surge of guilt.

(But knowing him… he’s so kind, he’d probably just tell me not to worry about it.)

The thought made her chuckle.

Hisamura was so overly kind that she could easily picture him saying that.

(Honestly, that boy… If I were a bad woman, I could treat him like a man of convenience.)

He was so kind and such a good person that if the girl he fell for was the worst kind of woman, she would most likely just string him along.

Sei imagined this herself, and despite being the one to think of it, she felt a little irritated.

(Well, I would never do something like that. I’m not some common bad woman. And well, that’s probably why Hisamura… f-fell for me… and I really do l-like Hisamura, which is why we started dating…)

Even though she was only saying it in her head, Sei’s face turned red.

But she was still in the living room with her Mother, so she couldn’t allow herself to squirm.

After finishing her meal, Sei tried not to think too much about Hisamura until she was back in her room.

 

While in the bath, Sei thought back on her day.

She had done some serious exercise for the first time in a while, so her body was a little tired.

A bath on a day like this always felt better than usual, so Sei ended up taking a long one.

“Haaah… this feels nice.”

She sank up to her shoulders, a sigh of pleasure escaping her lips.

While soaking in the tub, she began to massage her arms and legs, as if to soothe the body she had worked so hard today.

This was to prevent muscle soreness the next day.

As she massaged herself in the tub… one thing caught her attention.

“…Have they gotten a little bigger again?”

Floating just below her line of sight were two hemispheres.

By her estimation, she felt they had gotten bigger than before.

They had started to swell around the time she entered middle school, and now they had become something anyone would judge as “large.”

To be honest, Sei found them to be a huge nuisance.

“But whenever I say that, Shiho always gets angry…”

Apparently, for those who didn’t have them, it was infuriating to hear someone who did say they didn’t want them.

She remembered the one time she had jokingly said, “I’d give you half if I could,” and Shiho had given her the most terrifying look she’d ever seen.

Even though she was in the bath, the memory was enough to make her shiver.

Since then, she had tried to avoid talking about such things with Shiho.

“…I wonder which he prefers.”

The words slipped out, and Sei, mortified, turned bright red all by herself.

“N-No, it’s not like I care which he prefers or anything…!”

She said it out loud, but… it would be a lie to say she wasn’t curious.

(I-I’ve heard that men generally like them big… but I’ve also heard that some people prefer them smaller. I wonder which Hisamura is…)

As Hisamura’s girlfriend, she would be happy if she matched his preference.

But this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with effort.

Besides, while one might be able to work hard to make small ones bigger, making big ones smaller was impossible through effort alone.

(The only way to find out his preference is to ask him directly… but there’s no way I can ask something like that!)

Their relationship hadn’t progressed far enough for her to ask about something like this.

It had been almost a month since they started dating, but they were very wholesome and had still only held hands.

(B-But, well… we d-did do the lovers’ handhold.)

She couldn’t help but grin, and realizing it, she sank deeper into the tub to hide her mouth.

On the way home from Around one today, they had been riding double on his bicycle, so they obviously couldn’t hold hands.

But instead of holding hands, she had been close to Hisamura’s back, her hands on his shoulders.

It was the first time she had stared at Hisamura from behind, but his back was bigger than she had imagined, and it was a secret that her heart had skipped a beat at the feel of his rugged, bony shoulders, so different from a woman’s like her own.

Being close enough to feel his body heat from his back had a different kind of thrill than holding hands, and she had enjoyed it.

And at the very end, when Hisamura had walked her to her house… Sei had debated whether to be a little clingy.

It was because he had said, “I’d be happy if you were a little clingy,” while they were riding double.

The reason she couldn’t do it was that she didn’t really know how to be clingy, and, as expected, it was too sudden and embarrassing.

The clingy act that had come to mind at that moment was having him pat her head.

As someone with no experience in romance, Sei’s mind had jumped to scenes from the shonen manga she liked because of her big brother’s influence, where the girl gets her head patted.

The heroine, embarrassed but happy, gets her head patted by the protagonist.

That was what had popped into Sei’s head when she tried to be clingy with Hisamura.

But it was too difficult to suddenly say, “Pat my head,” so she couldn’t say it.

“…Maybe I’ll try saying it next time.”

She said, her cheeks red as she soaked up to her shoulders in the bath.

Suddenly, her smartphone, which was sitting on the edge of the tub, rang.

“Wah!?”

Startled by the sudden noise, she let out a cry, but she calmed down and picked up her waterproof phone while still in the tub.

The reason it had rung was a message from someone on RINE.

Wondering who it was from, she opened the app and saw Shiho’s name.

The message read…

‘By the way, you went to a café with Hisamura-kun today, right? Did something happen?’

That was what it said.

“What does she mean, ‘did something happen’?”

Sei muttered to herself, but she replied anyway.

“Yeah, we went. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘something,’ but after the café, we went to Around one together.”

The message was marked as read as soon as she sent it, and a reply came a few seconds later.

‘You guys really hung out! Was it fun?’

“It was less ‘hanging out’ and more him helping me with my basketball practice, but it was fun.”

‘Practice for the ball game tournament? How late were you there?’

“Until nine at night.”

‘Whoa!? It’s amazing that you practiced that much, Sei-chan, but Hisamura-kun is so nice for staying with you.’

“Yeah, he was a huge help.”

‘Did you give him a kiss as thanks?’

“Huh!?”

Shiho’s message made her shout in the middle of her bath.

Her voice echoed in the reverberant bathroom, and Sei hurriedly covered her mouth.

Her fingers flew across the screen, tapping faster and harder than before.

“I did not!”

‘Eh, you mean you still haven’t kissed?’

“Of course not! We’ve only been dating for a month!”

‘Well, yeah, but seeing how lovey-dovey you and Hisamura-kun are, I just thought you had.’

“L-Lovey-dovey…!”

She never thought Shiho saw them that way.

Trying not to let her agitation show in her message, Sei sent a reply.

“We’re not being lovey-dovey.”

‘But aren’t you sometimes holding hands when you eat lunch during the break?’

“H-How does she know that!?”

She never thought she’d been found out.

During lunch break at school, the five of them had been eating together recently, and Hisamura sat next to Sei.

Last week, as they were chatting after finishing their meal, Hisamura had suddenly grabbed her hand under the table.

She had been so surprised at first, her shock was so obvious that anyone would have asked if something was wrong.

She had immediately chided Hisamura in a low voice, but that guy was incorrigible and would sometimes hold her hand.

When the five of them ate together, the whole class would watch them, but they were mostly looking at Shigemoto, Shiho, and Tōjōin, so Sei and Hisamura didn’t get much attention.

And since they ate at the very back of the classroom, there were no other students on the side where Sei and Hisamura were sitting.

So even if they held hands under the table, no one could see.

Hisamura used this to his advantage, holding her hand and enjoying her reaction.

“That’s… Hisamura forcing his hand on me… we’re not holding hands!”

She sent a message that was a complete excuse.

‘Ehh, but you did the lovers’ handhold, too, right? And you initiated it too, didn’t you, Sei-chan?’

“H-How does she really know…! Did Hisamura tell her!?”

It was true that last Friday, she had grabbed his hand in retaliation.

Hisamura’s reaction had been hilarious, and she had felt a deep sense of satisfaction at getting him back, but he had immediately retaliated by switching to a lovers’ handhold.

To think that Shiho knew about it.

“I only grabbed his hand once! And that was just to get him back because he kept doing it to me… As for the lovers’ handhold, that was all Hisamura!”

‘Aha, so you did grab his hand, Sei-chan. And you did the lovers’ handhold, too.’

“Eh, what do you mean?”

‘All I knew was that you two were holding hands under the table. You just told me yourself that you initiated it and did the lovers’ handhold, Sei-chan.’

…Something like this had happened before.

“She tricked me again…!”

Still in the bath, Sei called Shiho, just like last time.

The ringtone sounded twice before the call connected.

‘Hello, Sei-chan?’

“…Shiho, you tricked me again.”

‘Ah, ahaha, sorry. But you’re the one who told me, so I don’t think I’m that much at fault, am I…?’

“I see, I see. So you’re saying you don’t need me to teach you how to cook anymore, Shiho.”

‘I’m so sorry, Sei-chan, it was my fault.’

Shiho apologized immediately.

Even with the skilled cook Sei teaching her, Shiho couldn’t get any better, so there was no way she could do it on her own.

If she practiced by herself, it would probably take years before she could cook properly.

‘By the way, Sei-chan, your voice sounds weirdly echoey over the phone. Where are you calling from?’

“The bath. I did some intense exercise today, so I’m soaking a little longer.”

‘Oh, I see… Can we switch to a video call?’

“I don’t mind, but is there a reason?”

‘Nah, just ‘cause, just ‘cause.’

With no particular reason to refuse, she accepted Shiho’s suggestion and switched to a video call.

Soaking in the tub, she held her phone vertically so that it showed the area around her face.

“Is this good?”

‘Yep! Sei-chan, long time no see!’

“I saw you at school today, so it’s been a few hours.”

‘Ahaha, you’re right. …Ugh!’

“What’s wrong?”

Shiho’s face on the screen twisted into a pained expression, and Sei asked, puzzled.

‘Well… that was my reason for switching to a video call, but seeing it really does a lot of damage to me…’

“What do you mean?”

‘I’m talking about those two mountains floating in the bath with you, Sei-chan!’

“H-Hey! W-Why would that be your reason…!”

Being told that so directly was embarrassing, and Sei used her free hand to cover her chest.

‘Well, I mean… I heard that Shigemoto-kun likes big breasts…’

“Ah, ah… I think Tōjōin said something like that.”

At the amusement park last week, when Shiho and Tōjōin had confessed to Shigemoto.

Tōjōin had indeed said that, and Shigemoto hadn’t really denied it.

It was a rather cruel way to expose someone, and she had felt a little pity for Shigemoto.

‘So I want to make my breasts even a little bigger, and I was hoping you could tell me how!’

Shiho said, leaning her face closer to the video call, questioning her with an intensity that seemed to radiate heat through the screen.

‘Tōjōin-san’s are big too, but yours are bigger, right, Sei-chan!’

“W-Well, I haven’t compared them, so I wouldn’t know…”

‘It’s fine! I compared them with my own eyes! Yours are definitely bigger, Sei-chan!’

“Why are you so confident?”

‘After years of staring at other people’s chests with envy… I just got good at telling, you know.’

“I-I see…”

Shiho had a distant look in her eyes, so Sei decided not to press the matter further.

‘Besides, Sei-chan, you’ve gotten even bigger than before, haven’t you?’

“H-How can you tell?”

‘Thanks to the eyes I’ve cultivated over many years. Not that I’m happy about it myself.’

It seemed Shiho could even tell when Sei’s breasts grew; her eyes were truly adept at discerning breast size.

‘So I want to ask you, Sei-chan, what’s the secret to making your breasts bigger!?’

“Th-The secret to making them bigger?”

‘Yes! I swallowed my pride and asked Tōjōin-san before, you know. She said, “Ever since I was little, I did breast enhancement massage while fantasizing about Yūichi rubbing them for me. Thanks to that, they grew this much, and I got the kind of body Yūichi likes!”’

“What an embarrassing conversation…”

But Sei was genuinely impressed with Tōjōin for being so conscious of that and working hard since she was a child.

‘So for the past week or so, I’ve been doing massages while fantasizing about Shigemoto-kun, um, rubbing them, but…’

“You don’t have to say it if it’s embarrassing, Shiho.”

‘I-It’s fine! Anyway, the main point is, I want you, Sei-chan, who’s even bigger than Tōjōin-san, to tell me how to make them bigger!’

“I see… Shiho, this is very hard to say, but…”

‘It’s okay, Sei-chan, no matter how hard it is, I’ll do it!’

To Shiho, who was determined to make her breasts bigger so as not to lose to Tōjōin, she wanted to give her best friend some helpful information.

But this time…

“I’ve never particularly tried to make my breasts bigger… they just grew, naturally.”

‘…Huh?’

Shiho’s voice dropped an octave.

“My Mother is also large, so I think it’s, um, genetic…”

‘…You’ve done, absolutely nothing? Even Tōjōin-san did something?’

“Yeah, I’ve never done anything for the purpose of making my breasts bigger.”

‘…’

“Sh-Shiho? Um, can you hear me?”

Seeing Shiho frozen on the other side of the video call, Sei called out, wondering if the call had been disconnected.

‘…Tch.’

“Eh? Shiho, did you just… click your tongue?”

‘Hm? What’s wrong, Sei-chan?’

“No, just now, you clicked your tongue…”

‘Ahaha, as if I would do that. Right, Sei-chan?’

“R-Right, I must have misheard…”

The Shiho on the other end of the call was smiling, but her eyes didn’t seem to be, so Sei decided not to pursue it any further.

‘So you haven’t done anything in particular for your breasts, Sei-chan.’

“R-Right, that’s correct. Um, sorry I couldn’t be of any help.”

‘No, no, it’s okay. I’m the one who should be sorry for calling you so suddenly while you were in the bath.’

“No, I’m the one who called you about that. It’s fine.”

‘Well then, see you tomorrow, Sei-chan.’

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

She hung up with Shiho, but… Sei found herself a little scared to see Shiho tomorrow.

 

◇　◇　◇

 

The day before the ball game tournament, Sei-chan and I were at Around One again after school.

“Hisamura, are you really sure about this? I plan on practicing for a long time again today.”

“Of course. I’m happy to be with you, Sei-chan. Besides, it’s fun watching you play basketball.”

“I-Is that so? Thank you, Hisamura.”

We rented a basketball court again, and Sei-chan began to practice.

Since we had already decided she would be practicing today, Sei-chan had changed into clothes that were easy to play sports in.

It wasn’t her school gym uniform or anything; it looked like she had brought sportswear from home.

She wore black, jersey-like pants and a matching loose, black, short-sleeved shirt.

The sporty look suited her, and she looked incredibly cool.

“? What is it, Hisamura? Is there something strange about my outfit?”

“No, not at all. If anything, you’re so cool it’s a problem.”

“Y-You’re exaggerating.”

I didn’t mean to exaggerate at all, though.

Sei-chan has no idea how attractive she is. She’s just too cool.

Just getting to see her play sports in this outfit felt like a win.

After a light warm-up, Sei-chan started shooting three-pointers.

She sank every single one, so I didn’t have to move from my spot under the basket at all.

She’s truly amazing.

“Alright, Hisamura, could you play a little defense for me?”

“Defense?”

“There’s no point in making three-pointers when I’m wide open. I need to be able to sink them with a proper defender on me.”

“I see.”

It’s true. When she faces Tōjōin-san, it’ll probably be difficult to get a completely unguarded shot.

To think about the actual match during practice… that’s Sei-chan for you.

“Got it. But I’m not that good, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

After that, I did my best to play defense against Sei-chan, but… I never imagined I wouldn’t be able to stop a single shot.

She’s so fast, her shots are so accurate… isn’t she a little too strong?

“Thanks, Hisamura. That was good practice.”

“Hah, hah… I’m glad.”

And why isn’t Sei-chan even out of breath?

You were the one moving more, weren’t you, Sei-chan?

She seems to be sweating, but it just makes her look cool and refreshed.

As expected of Sei-chan, the character with the best athletic ability in the “Ojōjama” original story. She’s on another level.

“Any more than this and the fatigue might carry over to tomorrow. I think I’ll call it a day.”

“Yeah, you’re right. How are you feeling, Sei-chan?”

“I don’t feel like I’ll miss a single shot in tomorrow’s game.”

“You’re too handsome…”

I bet she really won’t miss. She’s just too incredible.

I love that cool side of her, too.

We left the basketball court, but it was still only just past six o’clock.

“Hisamura, thank you so much for keeping me company. I’d like to do something to thank you.”

“I was just doing what I wanted, so you don’t have to thank me.”

“No, you helped me this much. I want to do something.”

Hmm, for me, just being with Sei-chan is thanks enough.

Ah, in that case…

“So, are you free for the rest of the evening?”

“The rest of the evening? Well, I told my family I wouldn’t need dinner today, so I’m free until about the same time as yesterday.”

So that means we can hang out until about nine at night.

“In that case, why don’t we hang out here at Around One for a bit? The time we spend on a date together can be my thank-you gift.”

“Is that really enough?”

“Of course. It’s the best thank-you I could ask for.”

The time I get to spend with Sei-chan is the greatest gift of all to me.

“For now, let’s get something to eat. You must be hungry after all that exercise.”

“You’re right. Yesterday, I didn’t even realize I was hungry until it was time to go home.”

Though it’s pretty amazing that she could move that much and not notice her hunger until after nine at night.

And so, we decided to hang out at Around One for a bit.

We had dinner at a nearby family restaurant, and Sei-chan, perhaps because she was hungry, ate quite a hearty meal.

Well, I ate about the same amount, but after we finished ordering from the waitress, she said with a blush,

“I-It’s fine to eat this much, right? It’s not like you’re treating me.”

It was adorable.

Of course it’s fine. In fact, I could watch Sei-chan eat for the rest of my life, so I’d be willing to pay just to keep watching.

She even ordered dessert, and the way she ate it so happily was cute, too.

We left the family restaurant a little after seven. If we were going to hang out until nine, something more casual than karaoke or bowling would be better.

“Wanna go to the arcade?”

“The arcade? I’ve never been.”

“Really? You don’t like them or something?”

“No, I’ve just never had the chance. Since I’ve never been, I’d like to go.”

“I see. Then let’s go.”

Around One also has an arcade, and it’s filled with all sorts of game machines.

“Do you play games, Sei-chan?”

“I’ve almost never played. I’ve tried a few mobile games, but that’s it.”

When we arrived at the arcade, I saw Sei-chan frown slightly.

“You okay? The arcade is pretty loud, isn’t it?”

“A little. But this much is fine.”

“The rhythm game section is noisy. Let’s move away a bit.”

Sei-chan’s physical abilities are high across the board, so her hearing is probably better than the average person’s.

If rhythm games are out…

“Have you ever played a crane game?”

“What’s that? A crane, like the ones used at construction sites?”

“Eh, you really don’t know?”

I never thought she wouldn’t even know what the machine itself was.

“Look, it’s that over there. It’s a game where you lift a prize with a crane.”

“…I see. So you get the prize if you lift it and drop it in the hole. That sounds interesting. There are a lot of machines, can I play any of them?”

“Yeah. I think you should look around and see which prize you want.”

“I see… There are a lot of prizes of anime and manga characters.”

“They’re popular.”

When you think of crane games, anime figures and things like that are probably the most popular.

And then there are the big stuffed animals… right, just like this one we’re passing.

“…”

Sei-chan stopped in front of it.

A single, large, stylized, cute, bear-like stuffed animal sat leisurely inside the crane game.

“Sei-chan, you want to get that?”

“N-No, well, out of all the prizes in this crane game, I was just thinking this one would be the most useful.”

What use could a bear stuffed animal the size of a person’s torso possibly have?

Well, Sei-chan sleeps with a body pillow, so she’d probably use it for that.

I knew that from the original story, and the thought of Sei-chan using a body pillow was so cute it made me swoon.

“Then let’s get it.”

“Yeah… but doesn’t this look difficult?”

“Hmm, it is pretty big.”

I put in some money first to try it out and show Sei-chan how it’s done.

It was the type of crane game where the crane moves as long as you hold the button, and once you let go, it stops and you can’t move it again.

I’m not very good at them either, so I tried once, but it barely moved the prize at all.

“…Can you even win this?”

“I-I think you can, if you try hard enough. You probably can’t grab and lift it, so I think the idea is to hook it and roll it.”

“I see. Can I try?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Sei-chan put in her money and copied what I did.

Instead of trying to grab and lift it like I did, she moved the crane to a position where it could hook and roll the prize, then let go of the button.

The stuffed animal moved more than it did for me, getting closer to the prize chute.

“Hmph, so that’s how you do it. Alright, I’ve got it.”

“If you use a 500-yen coin, you get six tries, which is one free play. Let’s do that.”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll win it in these six tries.”

“Good luck.”

Sei-chan then played six times, trying to get the bear stuffed animal to drop…

But the prize was so big it barely moved, and it just wouldn’t fall.

“Kuh, one more time! I’ll put in the 500 yen this time!”

“O-Okay, good luck.”

Sei-chan played again, and the stuffed animal inched closer and closer to the chute.

But just when it was on the verge of falling, it wouldn’t budge.

“Kuh, I’m out of change…!”

“I have some 100-yen coins.”

I said, putting a 100-yen coin into the machine.

“Thanks, Hisamura. I’ll win it with this…!”

She has the air of a character in a sports manga, vowing to make the shot entrusted to them by a teammate, but this is just a crane game, right?

Sei-chan focused with everything she had and, on her very last try, magnificently won the stuffed animal.

“Yes…!”

Sei-chan pumped her fist with a small “yes.” It was kind of cute.

But I was glad. If she hadn’t won it then, I would have had to go change a 1,000-yen bill.

Sei-chan retrieved the stuffed animal from the prize slot, a happy smile on her face.

But then she let out an “Ah,” as if realizing something.

“Who takes this home, me or you, Hisamura?”

“…Eh?”

“I’m the one who won it in this game, but you paid for more than half of the money. So I think it’s a problem of who gets to take it home…”

“No, no! I’m fine, you should take it home, Sei-chan.”

I don’t use a body pillow when I sleep, and if I brought home such a cute bear stuffed animal, I don’t even want to know what Rie would say.

“You’re the one who played and won it, so you should be the one to take it home.”

“But then, you paid for it…”

“I have no use for it if I take it home, and it’s definitely better if you use it as a body pillow, Sei-chan.”

“I see… Hm? W-Wait, how did you know I was planning to use this as a body pillow?”

Ah, crap. I said it.

“Um… I just thought the only place to put a stuffed animal that big would be a bed, and I just kind of figured you’d use it as a body pillow.”

“Kuh, true, if you think about it calmly, that’s the logical conclusion… I really was planning to use it as a body pillow.”

Good, I barely managed to get out of that one.

“Does it… weird you out? That I still use a body pillow even though I’m in high school.”

“Eh? No, not at all. If anything, I think it’s really cute.”

“Th-That kind of cute doesn’t make me happy. You mean cute like a child, don’t you?”

“Fufu, well, maybe.”

“Kuh, just so you know, it’s not like I can’t sleep without a body pillow. It’s just that I can sleep more soundly with one…”

That’s even cuter.

A cool girl like Sei-chan saying she can sleep more soundly with a body pillow… the gap moe is just too intense.

“I know, Sei-chan. You want to sleep soundly, right?”

“D-Do you really understand?”

“Of course. I understand that you’re cute, Sei-chan.”

“Y-You’re making fun of me again, aren’t you!”

Chatting like that, Sei-chan and I enjoyed our date at the arcade.

On the way back, I pedaled the bike again, with Sei-chan sitting on the back, hugging the body pillow.

As she sat there holding it, it was taller than her, making it look like she was buried in it.

“You okay, Sei-chan?”

“No problem.”

There was no way something that huge would fit in the basket, so Sei-chan held it tight.

The sight of her was so childlike, making her seem even cuter than her usual self.

“…Hisamura, are you smirking?”

“N-No, I’m not. Besides, you’re sitting behind me, so you can’t see my face up front.”

“That’s true, but I can tell from the atmosphere.”

Well, it’s true I was smirking a little because of how cute she was, but I can’t believe she noticed.

Brushing it off vaguely, I took Sei-chan home.

“Thank you, Hisamura. It was a big help having you with me for practice again today.”

“I had fun, too. And I learned that you love stuffed animals, Sei-chan.”

“I-I don’t love them! They just help me feel secure!”

Her excuses are even more endearing, which is what’s making me smirk.

“See you, Sei-chan. Let’s do our best at the ball game tournament tomorrow.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

We smiled at each other and parted ways.

<Prologue | Index | Chapter 2>