V1 - Chapter 12

Volume 1 - The Abandoned Kitten, Her, and Me.

Chapter 12

Along with Minamino, who seemed to be somewhat in an excited mood, I arrived at the place I had been coming to for the past year. This place had a darts bar as well, and it had two courts and also served light meals. It was a gathering spot for basketball enthusiasts in this town.

As we entered through the door, a few familiar faces noticed us and greeted us. They were old m—older brothers in their twenties and thirties who worked nearby and lived around here. They first glanced at me, then looked puzzledly at Minamino beside me, and then turned their heads toward me at an almost comical speed, as if their heads were creaking.

"Are you... Are you saying Hajime brought a girl with him?"

"Huh? Isn't she incredibly cute? Is she a high schooler? Damn, it's a real high school girl."

The information that I had brought a girl, especially a stunningly beautiful one, seemed to spread to the people on the back court in no time. On Saturdays, various people, from working adults to college students, gathered here. Though street basketball came in various forms, this place had a certain organization to it, and there were many friendly people.

Above all, unlike within the high school, there was no weird caste system here. Instead, what mattered was your basketball skills, how much you loved basketball, and whether you were simply a 'good person'. While the conversations could be crude and straightforward, and the crowd somewhat rough, this place was comfortable for me.

And even now, people were approaching us one after another, probably welcoming us so that Minamino, who came here for the first time, wouldn't feel out of place.

"Eh, I'm surprised. Is she really your girlfriend? You didn't hire a model or anything, right?"

"I never expected Hajime to bring a girl. Good evening, girlfriend. How's it going? Want to get to know each other better? Why don't you scan this QR code on your messaging app as a sign of us becoming an acquaintance?"

"Ah, me too, me too."

"Alright, I decided. I won't give you a single good spot to shoot today! Damn, showing off like that."

Perhaps, hopefully, they weren't just crowding around because she's cute. Minamino looked a bit tense, so I grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to me.

"Alright, you guys, don't go around hitting on her. Besides, you've got a girlfriend, don't you? I'll tell on you! And seriously, crowding around a high school girl? I might report you to the cops."

For now, I ignored the still-grinning adults and walked toward the door at the back, making my way to a relatively safe spot.

"Sorry about that, Minamino. I'll introduce you to some safer people here."

"O-okay."

I had held her wrist amid the commotion, but I hoped she'd understand the situation and forgive me. With that thought in mind, I walked together with Minamino to where a particular couple was waiting.

One was a man with a cleanly shaved head and rugged facial features, a giant in a sense. Honestly, I didn't know exactly what he did for work. I was too intimidated to ask. But what I did know was that despite his imposing appearance, he was actually gentle and surprisingly agile.

The other was a slim, elegant woman. The contrast was stark, making it easy to miss, but she was quite tall for a woman. Known as the Beauty and the Beast duo, they were the owners of this place and also the organizers of the street basketball circle. The woman was also the older sister of the senior co-worker who brought me to this place last spring.

"Good evening, Yuuji-san, and Misaki-san. I've brought a friend along today, and since it might get too noisy over there, could I leave her here? Is that alright?"

I greeted the two and introduced Minamino. Minamino, who had been introduced, quickly bowed in greeting.

"Ah, I'm Minamino Chinatsu! Satou, um, Hajime-kun and I are classmates, and he's helped me out a lot. I selfishly asked him to bring me here to watch basketball today! Nice to meet you!"

"Good evening, Hajime-kun. And welcome, Chinatsu-chan. Hehe, I heard you were getting attention at the entrance. Of course, it's fine. Shall we watch your boyfriend in action? Hajime-kun's quite impressive on the court, you know?"

"Hey, Hajime. And nice to meet you too, miss. ...You're quite stunning, I must say. Hajime, there sure is more to you than meets the eye. Still, I'm glad to see that you're enjoying your youth in high school. I've got to head out for a bit, but have a good time."

The two greeted Minamino with smiles, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Even though I had introduced her as my friend, it seemed like these people were really interested in high school romance drama.

"Ah, erm, Hajime-kun and I aren't exactly in that kind of relationship..."

"It's fine, it's fine! Why not chat with this onee-san here, including about that kind of stuff? Still, you young ones sure are really interesting, huh?"

Misaki-san welcomed Minamino to the bench beside her and started chatting right away. Given Misaki-san's exceptional communication skills and Minamino's outgoing nature, I wasn't too worried about them getting along. However, a different concern crossed my mind. Well, as long as Misaki-san was with her, I was sure she wouldn't be bothered by unwanted attention.

And then, as Yuuji-san's smile grew narrower upon hearing Minamino's greeting, his gaze turned gently towards me, there was something ticklish about his expression. I couldn't help but laugh, "Ahaha." Even though I hadn't experienced a typical high school romance, it also felt quite wrong to say, "I somehow ended up becoming good friends with the top beauty of our school."

"This is quite an unusual combination, I must say. Hajime, and over there is Minamino, I assume?"

While we were chatting, a voice called out from behind. Oh, right, he's here today. Although I had thought it was a 50/50 chance whether he'd come after Minamino decided to accompany me, it seemed like I lost that bet.

"Eh? Aizawa-kun?"

Minamino, who had been talking with Misaki-san, turned towards us and widened her eyes as she said his name. It made sense—Aizawa Shinji was another male student from a different class at the same high school. Although he was also well-known, he had a reputation separate from Minamino's and the other Satou-kun's.

In our high school, which was considered a decently advanced institution, he stood out with his gray-dyed short hair, earrings in his ears, and a necklace that dangled on his exposed neck. Despite his punk appearance, he maintained good grades, came from a well-off family in the local community, and even contributed financially to the school. That's why the teachers couldn't really interfere. He was a mix of a scholar, a son of a family with good social standing, an honor student, and a troublemaker all in one.

"Oh, Hajime-chi is here too. Shinji, show me something cool, okay? I'm looking forward to it!"

Saying that, Kana-san approached and waved at us with a fluttering hand as she casually draped her arm around Shinji's shoulders. As you might've guessed, I don't know her surname. Then, Shinji playfully tapped her seemingly recent girlfriend's shoulder and told her, "Leave it to me," as they walked over to us. Her demeanor, coupled with her slender figure, has the potential to awaken the appetite of a carnivore. 

Shinji is popular, while his taste in women isn't the best, he often changes the ones he's seen with. According to him, he doesn't turn anyone away who comes, nor does he chase away those who leave. So, there's probably no chance that he'll approach Minamino.

"Hmm, this could become a scoop if it's known, don't you think?" 

Giving us a quick glance, Shinji approached us before letting out a smirk along with those words, prompting a reaction from Minamino.

"Wai–, Aizawa-kun!?"

In response to that, he even narrowed his eyes even more, as if teasing us before sending a questioning gaze our way. 

"Shinji, there are special circumstances, so don't tease her too much."

I replied with a sigh.

Aizawa Shinji, although he was a problem child and rarely interacted with the students around the school, he was actually one of my street basketball friends. Despite what his overbearing appearance suggests, he was far from being a delinquent. It was just his fashion, influenced by his affiliation with a different hip-hop group. I knew this well. Furthermore, he was aware of my circumstances to some extent. He also knew about this place and my part-time job, as well as it being one of the reasons that contributed to my growing indifference towards how I was perceived within the school. 

"Uhh?"

"Talking about the scoop was just a joke. Plus, I'm pretty tight-lipped, so you can relax. ...By the way, I thought you were just a superficial idol type, but you've got a good eye for guys, Minamino. Alright, Hajime, let's team up today and show them what we've got. Although, the old men are fired up to make sure you don't shine too much since you brought a girlfriend."

"Geez, I can't believe those old men are all only full of vigor at times like this... Well, even though you say that, I know you just want me to give you the good parts instead."

"Haha, well, it can't be helped with my position on the court. Increase your height first before complaining."

"Damn, what do I have to eat to grow tall like you?"

As our unusual back-and-forth banter unfolded—two people who rarely interacted at school—Minamino's stunned expression only added to the amusement. Well, even with just this, I secretly thought that bringing her along was a good idea.