V2 - Chapter 11

Volume 2 - Me, Her, and that Feeling's Name 

Chapter 11

Concentration. Immersion. As I delved into the ocean of thought, I allowed my body to act on instinct, free from doubts and distractions.

Perhaps it was the result of years of practice, but there were moments when I became strangely attuned to this state of being. I enjoyed this feeling.

Dribble, dribble...

The sensation of the ball in my hand became second nature. Even without seeing it, I could feel its presence. I could oversee the entire court like I had a bird's eye view.

Dribble!

With a well-timed drive, I bypassed one opponent.

Swoosh!

Swiftly, another defender came to cover, but it was futile. Whether he came or not, I was determined to make the shot. If two opponents did come, well, that was a different story.

Pass!

I passed the ball in the direction where I knew he would be, yep it was a no-look pass.

At that moment, the opponents had a look of surprise and I was sure that Shinji, who's face wasn't visible to me, had a satisfied grin.

Thwack! Ping!

From the hands of Shinji who received it freely, the ball was immediately shot——

Swish!

A pleasing sound rang out.

I enjoyed making the shots myself, but I also relished the sound of my teammates capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of the opponents. That fleeting sense of omnipotence, that thrill – as long as I could experience this feeling, it didn't matter where I was. Until recently, that was all that mattered. But now——.

◇◆

On Saturday, after finishing my part-time job, I brought Chinatsu along for a game of basketball.

Earlier in the day, Chinatsu had gone to visit Suzuka-san in the hospital to bring over some clothes for her. After that, we spent the afternoon together at my house. However, our time together mainly consisted of watching anime that was available for streaming. I'll just say that we enjoyed the story of a spy, an assassin, and a family of superhumans, leaving it at that.

In the evening, I had a part-time job, and Chinatsu, who insisted on coming along again, sat at the counter watching me work while drinking juice and munching on yakitori. Our izakaya had an open kitchen and a yakitori grill in front of the counter, so you could say that the people working in the kitchen were quite visible from the counter.

Given it was Saturday, most people sitting at the counter were regulars, and not many new customers came in alone. "It's fine having only one person at the counter, since it'll boost Hajime's motivation more," said my manager and senpai——apparently, my senpai, who was Misaki-san's younger sibling, had heard rumors about me and Chinatsu from the latter——while grinning. Thus, I experienced working in the kitchen while being watched by Chinatsu behind the acrylic barrier and getting orders from the regulars who were also grinning at me.

"So? I guess you got that towel from Minamino?"

As I wiped away my sweat with a towel after a game, Shinji, who had played alongside me, asked with a smirk. His gaze was directed at Chinatsu, who had come with me today——she seemed to be engrossed in a conversation with Kana-san.

"...Since when did you become psychic?"

"Huh? You always used plain towels, but suddenly you started using a more stylish one. It's obvious that you received it as a gift from someone. And as far as I know, the only person who would give you something like that would be Minamino, who came with you again today."

"...Sigh, you're pretty sharp."

I replied with a sigh.

He may seem rough around the edges, but he's surprisingly observant. His thinking is logical, and his mind works quickly at times.

Heaven indeed bestows more than one gift on some people.

"So, have you two... done it yet?"

"Hey… we're not in that kind of relationship."

"Sounds like a ‘not yet’ to me. Seriously, this is why it’s frustrating with virgins… But honestly, I think you guys make a good pair. You could use some restraint, and Minamino… I wasn’t interested at first, but after paying some attention, seems like she’s a bit kinky."

"...Shinji."

"That’s why you should settle things quickly. If needed, I can even give you a crash course—"

"I don’t need it… but thanks anyway."

"…Yeah."

Although he seemed to be making dirty jokes, I knew he was genuinely concerned. That's why I hang around with him.

——But I really didn’t need a crash course. I mean, seriously. Am I so hopeless that I would need some kind of advice from a popular guy in my grade?

"What are you guys talking about? If it’s about love, let this old man join in too!"

"…Senpai, I don’t think that’s the right way to join a conversation… Hey, Hajime-kun, it's been a while since last week. It’s great you brought your girlfriend again today."

While Shinji and I were talking, two tall adults who had come onto the court approached us.

We hadn't played any games with them yet today, but they were the pair we played against the last time I brought Chinatsu here.

They were each other's senpai and kouhai at their company, a bit older than us, but friendly and easygoing.

"Good work today, Gen-san, and Makoto-san."

I greeted them.

The one called senpai was Gen-san, and the younger one who always tsukkomi'd Gen-san was Makoto-san. I don't know their names in Kanji. Gen-san had a family, loved his daughter dearly, and was often scolded by his wife. Makoto-san had been dumped by his girlfriend last month.

They were kind people who cared about me without prying into my circumstances. Well, Gen-san often ends up being swayed by Shinji's teasing, though.

Meanwhile, it seemed that Chinatsu was engaged in a lively conversation with Kana-san, so, with these two and Shinji, I decided to have a bit of a love consultation.

I didn't need a crash course, but to get advice if I ever miss any timing, I thought Shinji, who is of the same age group, Gen-san who is married, and Makoto-san, who, despite having been dumped by his girlfriend, still had an experience of having a girlfriend and is friendly, were good people to ask.

"…Sigh, I wonder when was the last time I felt excited from a kiss… How bittersweet… Makes me want to drink beer."

"…Single life can be tough. I wanted to have such a youth, too. Though, it seems like senpai’s daughter might experience this so-called youth sooner than me."

"Just confess and do it."

I won’t say who said which line for my peace of mind. After briefly sharing my story without deep details, I started regretting as all three seemed quite unhelpful.

"My daughter won't date or do it with anyone."

"Despite saying that, you know that she would soon say things like 'Father stinks,' right? She's seven now, too. Ah, it's about that time."

 

"…Don’t remind me, I know the reality, but surprisingly she still gets along well with me. Khh, but someday, she will experience youth like this. And she definitely won’t tell me about it."

Gen-san, who had been initially concerned about my love life, started worrying about his daughter’s future kisses. Makoto-san laughed, and Shinji, looking exasperated, was already playing with his smartphone.

Pay attention to what I’m saying!

Perhaps my sentiments reached them, as Gen-san suddenly looked at me with a serious expression and spoke.

"...Ah, anyway Hajime, neither I nor this guy lived such a youthful life to be able to give you advice, but just try conveying your feelings to the person you like. In the end, you can never really understand the feelings of the other person. This is true whether you are lovers or married. And obviously, the other person won’t understand your feelings, either. So, just convey and listen properly, that’s all."

"Even though you say that, senpai, you had a fight with your wife last time because you were busy fiddling with your smartphone and was not really listening to what she was saying, right?"

"..."

Despite his wise words, Makoto-san threw a boomerang at Gen-san and the latter immediately left.

"Ah, did I tease him too much? But, Hajime-kun, I agree with what Gen-san said. If I can offer one piece of advice, it's that once you fall in love, it's an uphill battle from the start. And your only weapon is passion. So, Hajime-kun, your only task is to convey that passion properly... Well, coming from someone who failed to do so and got dumped, it might not mean much... And on second thought, considering your partner is that girl, Hajime-kun, aren't you already living the life of a normie. Eh? Did you even need this advice in the first place? ...Can I be excused for a moment?"

Then, Makoto-san said something sensible too, looked at Chinatsu, and then at me, and for some reason, he made a melancholic face and made his exit.

"To sum it up, they're saying you should just go and confess.  I don’t believe that anything would go 100% especially since I don't like that number, but it should be fine."

Shinji said nothing more.

And I knew. At least in the past six months since we met, he had never proactively given such advice to anyone. He was always the one being confessed to and the one breaking up. Rinse and repeat.

In other words, he was unreliable.

"...But still, I guess they're right. Properly convey my feelings and listen carefully, huh..."

It was late in the evening today, so I thought I would consider this advice more thoroughly on another occasion. Nevertheless, I knew that it was futile, and the advice had already taken root in my heart.