Volume 1 - The Abandoned Kitten, Her, and Me.
Chapter 13Minamino Chinatsu couldn't take her eyes off the 2-on-2 basketball game before her, or rather, off Satou Hajime.
"Hajime-kun is quite something when he's playing basketball."
Though she had been told that, she never really had the impression that he was particularly skilled in sports, so she thought it might just be some sort of lip service. Nevertheless, there was a part of her that had some expectations. Even though he didn't stand out, the fact that he was secretly good at basketball might be a strong point, she thought.
And how right was she with that?
Dash!
With that sound ringing out, a not-so-tall figure dashed across the court. The opponents were a pair of what seemed to be working adults, laughing as they showed off in front of the dashing man's female companion. Both of them had a larger build, likely over 180 centimeters tall.
Compared to the slim and not-so-tall Satou, it truly looked like a battle between an adult and a child.
"Shinji!"
"Got it, partner!"
Against such opponents, Satou dribbled past them numerous times, sometimes scoring by himself, other times giving passes to Aizawa for the score. Aizawa himself executed dazzling dunks, and cheers were echoing from the bench that served as the audience.
"They're amazing, both of them."
"That's right, Hajime-kun has been playing basketball for three years in middle school, so he's got a solid foundation, and he's got good dribbling and passing skills. And even though the street court's hoops are set lower to make it flashier, Shinji-kun can still make it look exciting. Well, in his case, he doesn't really go all out unless there are girls around."
As they conversed, on the court, Aizawa had just scored another point.
"Hahaha, you old timers seem to lack the stamina, huh?"
"What? Just watch as us old timers show our refined spirit! Seriously, both of you being high school students and bringing girls along to play basketball, it's way too enviable, you idiots!"
"Shinji, don't provoke them too much."
"Senpai, you're letting your true feelings show too much. Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll end up with a sore back again, and your wife will scold you, alright?"
Such exchanges could be heard from the court, as they played nearby. From the audience's seat, jeers also flew towards them. In the midst of this, Satou was seen laughing. Somehow, it felt like the Satou who was normally quiet at school was a facade, and that the real Satou was here.
"Hehe, you seem completely focused."
"It's just… I'm kind of frustrated."
With a slightly teasing yet gentle tone, Misaki-san spoke, and Chinatsu murmured in response. Come to think of it, she realized belatedly that she wasn't wearing her mask here at all. She had been brought here after making a selfish request, overwhelmed at the entrance, guided while holding hands, and in the midst of it all, she found herself here in her natural state.
"What's Hajime-kun like at school?"
"To be honest, he's like an inconspicuous guy. Aizawa stands out, but they don't interact at all in school. And Satou doesn't resemble what he's like here either. Plus, Satou doesn't really look like that at all, and he probably skips P.E. class. If he were to show what he's like here at school, he definitely wouldn't be treated so harshly..."
"Hmm, you seem to be interested in him... Despite denying it, could this be the scent of love?"
"...Geez, that's not it! But, it's somehow frustrating. Everyone here doesn't give off that vibe at all... At school, I stand out quite a bit, but Satou seems so inconspicuous."
"Ah, I can imagine."
"And even though he's actually so amazing, he handles things by himself at home, works part-time, and is unexpectedly kind despite seeming distant. His cooking is delicious too, and he's acknowledged so much here…"
"Hmm, mm."
"In contrast, I'm the one who gets compliments like 'you're good at studying' or 'you're cute,' but honestly, I don't have much to offer. Even though Satou is actually more amazing… There are those who mock him, yet he doesn't even bother to defend himself. Ever since we became friends, I've found myself depending on him all the time, but I can't really do much for him in return."
"Ah, it's that school caste thing or something, right? It's a pain, isn't it? Those sorts of things."
While their conversation made Chinatsu feel somewhat tangled up, a voice interjected from the side. It was the gal-like onee-san who had been leaning on Aizawa earlier.
"Me too, you know, I couldn't fit in with that whole high school thing, so I ended up dropping out. But when I went outside? There was this sense of freedom that I felt. I mean, it's not like you can't survive without being good at studying."
"Kana-chan, despite saying that, managed to work while getting her high school equivalency and got into college. She's amazing."
Misaki-san praised the gal named Kana. To be honest, it was surprising to Minamino that someone so beautiful and seemingly carefree had dropped out of high school, and that she had gone on to get her high school equivalency and enter college despite her looks.
"Oh, you're making such a surprised face. Uh, your name is Chinatsu-chan, right?"
"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."
"Hehe, it's fine, it's fine. I'm used to being seen as surprising."
With a laugh, she seemed incredibly carefree and irresistibly charming.
Then Kana continued.
"So, what was it again? Was there something that happened to Hajime-chi that made him a target at school?"
"Yeah, well, I don't really talk to Satou much at school, so our relationship isn't known, but when we got involved in a small incident, um, I felt something fuzzy."
"Hmm... Well, that's an intriguing aspect of your relationship. But, well, isn't it okay? Let them say what they want."
"Huh…?"
"You see, even though I've only gotten to know Hajime-chi here, he's a really good guy, and he's attractive even if he's not to Shinji's level. It doesn't matter how he comes across in high school. Hajime-chi manages to showcase his positive qualities to you, his girlfriend, and Chinatsu-chan is falling all over for him, right? No matter what others might say, it won't have any impact on your relationship or your life."
Chinatsu, who had been listening, stared blankly at Kana's triumphant expression. She wanted to say that she wasn't falling for him again, and actually, she hadn't fallen for him in the first place, but somehow, Kana's words and her attitude had taken the edge off her response.
"Well, Kana-chan's argument might be a bit extreme, and I do think it's hard to say that the relationships within high school don't matter at all to high schoolers. But yes, there's also the fact that someone knows your real self, and just having that can make things okay. That's definitely true."
Listening quietly, Misaki-san smiled gently and looked at Chinatsu.
"How much do you know about Hajime-kun's situation, Chinatsu-chan?"
"...Well, we've only really become close recently. I know he lives alone and works part-time, but not much else. About basketball, there's someone who knew about his middle school days in our class so I heard it from them, and when I asked if he was still playing basketball now, he brought me here."
To be exact, she had been brought here after she had selfishly asked and nagged Hajime, but she wasn't lying.
"I see. Then, I don't think I need to tell you about his situation. Whether he decides to share it is up to your efforts, Chinatsu-chan. But there's just one thing I want to say... Please take care of Hajime-kun."
"...Yes, if there's something I can do."
She didn't know anything.
She hadn't resolved anything.
But by having her story heard by this kind and beautiful onee-san and the gal-like onee-san, Chinatsu felt like her course of action had somehow become clearer.
(I want to know more about him.)
She didn't even know if this feeling was love.
She didn't want a relationship as fragile as that of her parents.
But she did want to learn more about Satou, that much she knew.
"Darn it! We lost! ...I can't move anymore."
Looking over, it seemed that the game had ended. The two working adults were sitting down, while the two high schoolers were high-fiving.
From middle school to high school.
For herself, who only knew the community of family and school, this place felt refreshing.
(Satou and Aizawa high-fiving, if this happened at school, it would be the talk of the day.)
Thinking such things, she decided to prepare drinks and towels for Satou's return. But then, she had a moment where she thought this might be a girlfriend move, shook her head to clear her thoughts, and stood up.
Misaki-san, looking calmly at Chinatsu, was the only one who noticed that her cheeks were slightly flushed.
