Chapter 3

Translated by KaiesV Edited by KaiesV

The discussion with Minamikawa-senpai was over.

So I was about to return to the hell called home.

Haah, I should go home.

I was about to go home in such a depressing mood——

「Wai–wait, you, hold on for a second!!」

I heard a strange voice behind me, so I moved my body in that direction——

There was that first-year student who was fighting with Minamikawa-senpai.

「Hmm? I believe you’re Hasebe, right?」

「That’s right, I’m Hasebe Kouki, a first year 」

「I see, I’m Sakata Yūji.」

「Sakata Yūji… Ah–, aren’t you the kid who recently transferred here? I’ve never seen you before.」

Apparently, he knows I am a transfer student.

「So, what can I do for you?」

When I said this, Hasebe said something with a serious expression on his face.

「You might as well abstain from that 1-on-1 earlier now.」

「Hah?」

What are you talking about?

「Now you only have to pay 10,000 yen. No, perhaps you don’t have to pay 10,000 yen. But on Wednesday, all of the students will be there. If that happens, you can’t abstain, and if you lose, you’ll lose your place, okay?」

「That’s fine, and there’s a chance I could win.」

Why does he proceed on the assumption that I will definitely lose?

From my point of view, it would be easy enough to bring the game to a 50-50 contest.

I’m going to listen to the advice of an experienced basketball player.

「You’ll never make it. Certainly Minamikawa-senpai has less sense than I do, and he’s not a threatening opponent. But that’s only if you’re a basketball player. Even seniors have been playing basketball for a year and a half, so the basics are ingrained. So this is an area where you can never win if you’ve never played basketball before. Even if you practiced for two weeks straight, you couldn’t.」

Okay, this guy is even more cold-hearted than I thought.

I kinda like him.

But hasn’t this guy considered certain possibilities?

「You can’t think of me as someone who has played basketball before?」

Like that Minamikawa-senpai, he usually believed me when I told him I wasn’t playing basketball.

I feel that he is a little naive, or perhaps he is not being careful.

「That’s impossible. I don’t feel you as one.」

Hmm? Doesn’t feel as one?

「What was the meaning of that?」

I couldn’t understand what Hasebe was saying, so I couldn’t help but question him.

「I, you know, I can tell. I can tell what sports a person has experienced just by looking at them. When a person, you know, experiences a sport, the fundamentals are beaten into their body and they develop an aura that is unique to those who have experienced it. This is the same for any person.」

Indeed, you can generally predict what sport a person is playing just by looking at them.

What Hasebe’s saying in this case, is that he can tell more accurately.

「I don’t sense any aura of basketball experience in you. Put your pride aside and abstain from this 1-on-1.」

This guy, is worried about me.

Apparently, there were kind guys in this school.

「Thanks for the warning. I’m sorry, but I can’t do without this much stimulation in my life right now. So I’ll fight him for 10,000 yen.」

My life is already going all kinds of crazy.

The hands of the clock were moving normally until the 5th grade, but now it feels like they are turning backwards.

In such a situation, I want to seek stimulation.

「Wednesday’s attract all kinds of galleries. You shouldn’t.」

「I knew it, you. Now that we’re here, come hang out with me for the next two weeks.」

When I said this, Hasebe looked surprised.

Nhn? What are you surprised at?

「Eh!? J–Just because you’re a bit of a hottie doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for it right away!」

「…………」

Why should I confess to a man?

This guy is just too weird.

「Eh, ah, that’s what you meant. It’s confusing…」

Apparently, Hasebe understood the intent of my statement.

「But you can’t, ever. You can’t win with just the bare minimum of basics.」

「No, I can definitely win if I have at least the basics.」

It is quite possible to win as long as you have at least the basics.

「I’ll prove it to you in two weeks. So teach me basketball.」

「Y–You, are r–really sure…?」

Hasebe let out an exasperated sigh,「Haah.」

「Okay, I’m a little nervous about doing something with a crazy person like you.」

Umu, I knew this guy was good.

「Then it’s settled. Take tomorrow off from club activities. As I recall, a park with basketball courts exists near here. We’ll practice there.」

「Ha? Eh? H–Hold on, That’s terrible. Sensei would be furious.」

「Tell your Sensei your foot hurts and get some rest.」

「Haah, okay… I don’t like pushy people… Well, fine, nice to meet you from now on, Sakata-chan.」

Nhn?

「Sakata-chan, you say?」

「Hmm? Did I get your name wrong? You are Sakata Yūji-chan, right?」

「You didn’t get my name wrong. What I’m asking is, why add the『-chan?』」

「Don’t worry about that. I’ll see you tomorrow for practice.♡」

「Ah, ahhh…」

This was my first encounter with Hasebe.

◇◇◇

Hasebe and I took a break from our club activities and even came to the park where the basketball court was located.

There, Hasebe teaches me how to dribble other than pass, i.e., handling and shooting.

He also taught me about lay-up shooting and shooting form.

I watched a video of basketball play on my computer yesterday, but it’s not easy to dribble and shoot in practice.

After about three hours of this, Hasebe approached me.

「Y–You’re kidding, it only took you three hours to be able to dribble like that without looking at the ball anymore…」

Apparently, I was growing without problems.

「Amazing, Sakata-chan. Oh right, well, let’s play one game with me.」

「I know that.」

I played 1 on 1 with Hasebe and I can honestly say this guy is a monster.

Not only his basketball skills, but his physical strength and athleticism are beyond that of a junior high school student.

And as a result of the fight, I was able to score a few goals.

But my defense was not good at all.

In the first place, it is impossible to stop Hasebe.

Seriously, I am the only one who can’t win.

I used to fight with an experienced basketball player in gym class, but Hasebe is too different level.

Such a great teacher Hasebe said,『Sakata-chan is a talented basketball player, so you can beat Minamikawa-senpai in two weeks.』

For now, let’s just say that Hasebe will be teaching me basketball all these two weeks, and at home I’ll be fishing for dribbling and shooting techniques on the Internet.

————About four days have passed since the practice————

My dribbling and shooting skills have improved, and recently I have been able to get three-point shots.

And now it’s lunchtime.

I have no friends, so I try to eat my lunch alone.

Well, from my point of view, being alone is not that lonely.

That’s true, you know? I really don’t feel lonely, okay?

By the way, I made lunch boxes early in the morning, so I’m really sleepy today.

I’m sleepy…

I’ll go to bed earlier next time.

Oh, and I’m getting tired from basketball practice.

As I am thinking this, the classroom door is opened.

A beautiful boy with black hair reaching down to his shoulders appears.

That beautiful boy is Hasebe.

「I knew I’ll see you here, Sakata-chan.」

「What do you want?」

「Sakata-chan, you are also a loner, aren’t you? If you like, why don’t you eat with me?」

Hmm?

「Well, I don’t really mind… but you want to eat here?」

「No, I’ll show you where I usually eat. We can eat there together.」

「Ahh, okay then.」

With only my lunch box, I leave the classroom with Hasebe.

Hasebe goes up to the stairs leading to the third floor.

Next, he tried to climb up to the stairs leading to the rooftop.

「Hey, isn’t this school forbidden to go on the roof?」

「You’re being watched. That’s why we’re not going to the roof.」

But there’s nothing here anymore, okay?

With that thought in mind, Hasebe stops at the stairs leading to the rooftop.

He then sat down on the stairs as he was and began to prepare his lunch.

「Haah………?」

Why is this guy sitting on the stairs like this?

「This is where I usually eat. No one will come here and they will never know that we are using it.」

Surely, this is a blind spot and people will never come here.

I never thought anyone would eat in a place like this.

「D–Do you always eat here?」

「Of course. A lot of people look at me with pitiful eyes when I eat in the classroom. That’s why I eat here.」

「I see…」

If I was eating alone, too, some people would look at me with some kind of pity.

Sometimes there are people who look down on me.

「I’ve been meaning to ask, you don’t have any friends, do you…」

「Yes, I don’t have any. If you say that, Sakata-chan doesn’t have one either.」

「Well, that’s about right…」

I don’t really think that having a lot of friends is an advantage in life.

「But you have the same freshmen on the basketball team, right? And yet you can’t make friends?」

「I can’t, you see, I’m so talented that my seniors and classmates are jealous of me.」

「Ahh–」

「It’s the same for you, isn’t it, Sakata-chan?」

「Well, yeah.」

I am also strong, so many people are jealous of me.

That’s why I can’t make friends in the tennis club.

Well, it can’t be helped.

And I’m aware that I have a personality problem.

「That’s why I invited Sakata-chan to this solitary space.」

「I see. So we are the same kind of people.」

「That’s what I said.」

Well, eating with this guy is better than eating alone.

And so we ate lunch together.

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