Volume 4 - Me, Her, and our Changing World
Chapter 10
"Okay, for real though... if we're not counting the stuff that's more personal, like how he's sweet and always reliable... then I guess his best points are that he's a great cook and he looks really cool when he plays basketball, maybe?"
As Chinatsu finished her thoughtful explanation, both Toudou-san and Sakurai-san reacted in their own ways. Having my girlfriend list my good points to her friends, right in front of me... depending on how you looked at it, it was quite a situation.
“Hehh, so Satou plays basketball?”
“Wait, Satou-kun can cook?”
Toudou-san probably reacted because she was in the girls’ basketball club, and as for Sakurai-san, I wasn’t sure, maybe she had some thoughts about the cooking part.
"Yeah, I've been playing since I was in my elementary days and I was on the basketball team in middle school, too. I didn't join the club here because I have to prioritize my part-time job because of some family circumstances, which means that I can't make it to practice every day. I still go play street basketball, though. Chinatsu has even come to watch me a few times... As for the cooking, well, I live alone so I have to make my own meals anyway, and lately, I've been getting more into it because Chinatsu always enjoys it so much."
When I said that, Toudou-san, Sakurai-san, and even Hojoin-san gave me complex expressions.
“…Say, Satou, are you actually some kind of high-spec guy?”
Toudou-san asked, as if representing everyone’s thoughts, and I shook my head.
“Hmm, I think my situation’s just a bit unusual. I’m quite sure that I’m pretty normal myself.”
"...Okay, I know I'm getting this from your biased perspective, Chinatsu, but from what I'm hearing so far, your boyfriend Satou is kind, dependable, a great cook who makes you home-cooked meals, self-sufficient enough to live on his own with a part-time job, and on top of all that, he's good at basketball? He’s basically a top-tier boyfriend material, no?”
“No, no, I think you’re exaggerating my capabilities way too much…”
Toudou-san looked at me, then at Chinatsu, and for some reason, she nodded.
“I feel like… there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”
"I just thought of something! Chinatsu-chan, why don't you have him make you a bentou? Then you two can eat lunch together. A guy who's good at cooking and makes lunch for his girlfriend... I bet that would score him some major points with everyone!"
Toudou-san seemed to be giving up on some idea, while Sakurai-san enthusiastically offered another suggestion.
A bentou, huh? Honestly, when we lived together, I did make her lunches before, but they were just leftovers from dinner. I think it wouldn't be too bad if I put in some real effort this time.
Thinking that, I quickly searched for some cooking videos and bookmarked a few promising ones.
“Hajime, are you going to make one for me?”
Chinatsu asked excitedly as she watched me operate my phone, afraid I might forget. I nodded.
“Yeah, if you’re okay with it.”
“Hehe, I know as a girl I should probably be the one making you a bentou, but honestly, if you did, I’d be super happy.”
Just seeing her smile like that made me want to cook for her even more. I guess this was what they called being head–over-heels.
"...You two really just slip into your own little world the second we let our guard down, don't you? At this rate, someone’s going to die, not literally, but from jealousy or envy.”
Toudou-san muttered, half in disbelief.
“By the way, what exactly is street basketball? I’ve heard an acquaintance mention it before, but I don’t really know how it differs from regular basketball.”
Amidst the conversation, Hojoin-san’s question caught me off guard. I wasn't sure how to explain that it was basically the same as regular basketball and hesitated for a moment, but then Chinatsu answered for me.
"It's not in a gymnasium court or anything, but it's in a really cool place with a great atmosphere. There are lots of adults there too, so it's a lot of fun, you know? Maybe you should come and see it sometime, Rena."
“My, I would certainly love to.”
“In that case, I kind of want to see too. I’m curious what basketball outside of school looks like, and since Chinatsu says Satou’s really good, I’d like to see for myself how good he really is.”
“Say, Hajime, how about today? Oh, wait, it’s probably not a good idea to take time off from your part-time job just for that.”
“Hmm, the other day I switched shifts with my senpai because he suddenly had a date, so honestly, if I just give a quick heads-up, it should be fine.”
Come to think of it, I should text him a thank-you message for covering my shift today. When I checked my phone, I also saw a message from Shinji: Going to play some ball before the new term starts. You coming?
I replied with a: Maybe.
“I think it’s fine, it’s not that far from here anyway, and with your club schedule, it might be hard to find another time. If you’re interested, let’s go.”
And so, I ended up taking them all to the usual basketball spot.
Thinking about how I was originally supposed to head to work, I couldn’t help but wonder how things had ended up like this. Still, I was happy that Chinatsu was getting along naturally with her friends. And personally, having her friends accept me felt… honestly, really reassuring.
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And so, as I led the four of them inside, the commotion from when I first brought Chinatsu seemed to happen all over again. For some reason, we were met with the strange phenomenon of university students and working adults clutching their heads and screaming about the unfairness of the world.
“Why?! Why is it that high schoolers get to have such sparkling youth while spring never comes for me?! Where did I take the wrong turn in life?!”
"...Of course. Normies have been winning since high school. They can just go die."
“Hajime… I thought… I thought you were one of us…”
Enough already. Be quiet, you guys. You’re making it hard for me to bring people here. Show some adult composure, please.
Anyway, as I pushed my way through the so-called "adults" who were trying to bother us, we headed for the court, but then I started getting weird looks from Toudou-san's group, too.
Hey, they're usually not like this, I swear. Please don't look at me like that; I'm not one of them.
Unfortunately, Misaki-san and the others weren’t around today. But instead, surprisingly, Gen-san was there earlier than usual. Since he’d often given me advice about Chinatsu, we’d become fairly close.
When I introduced him, saying “This is a friend of mine,” Gen-san looked me dead in the eyes, then at the girls behind me, and muttered seriously,
"Yo, Hajime... is everyone at your school good-looking except for you? Man, if that's true, that's gotta be rough."
"Are you stupid!? Of course not! Besides, it's been a while since we’ve seen each other, and that's the first thing you say to me? That’s kinda rude, Gen-san!"
“...But it's true! I mean, I thought Chinatsu-chan was gorgeous when you brought her, and besides you, the only other guy I know is Shinji. Between them and the girls you brought today, you're the only one with a 'normal-looking' face! ...Anyway, since when did you become the kind of guy who shows up to play basketball with an entourage of girls?"
"...Don't look at me with such a tragic expression. I just brought them along because they're Chinatsu's friends and they wanted to see what street basketball was like."
As Gen-san and I were having this back-and-forth, Chinatsu just laughed and stepped in to greet him.
“Good evening, Gen-san.”
“Chinatsu-chan, and your friends too, you’re all welcome anytime. Please enjoy yourselves.”
“Gen-san, isn’t that treatment a little biased?”
I sighed, exasperated, as Gen-san said that with a straight face. That’s when I sensed someone approaching from behind.
“…Quite a big group today, Hajime. So, is the secret out now?”
“Yahoo, Chinatsu-chan, happy New Year! You brought your friends today?”
“A lot’s happened, but yeah. Happy New Year to you too, Shinji.”
As I was casually exchanging greetings with Shinji, I looked over at him, only to find he'd gone completely still for a moment upon seeing Toudou-san and her friends.
Kana-san waved cheerfully beside him. She and Chinatsu seemed to have gotten along well lately, which made things much easier for me too. My only concern was that this popular guy might suddenly show up with another girl, but so far, Kana-san had stayed by his side the longest. Hopefully, it will stay that way.
“Eh? Aizawa? Wait, you and Satou know each other?”
Toudou-san reacted, and Shinji nodded, looking a little weary.
"Yeah, pretty much. I've been coming here since middle school. As for Hajime, we started hanging out a little after high school began, right after I lost to him in a 1-on-1... though, to be clear, I haven't lost to him since."
"Well, that's even more surprising than Chinatsu and Satou dating. I never would have pictured you two hanging out."
“…Thanks, I guess.”
“…..?”
For some reason, I felt that something was a little off about Shinji. But before I could fully process that thought, he offered a quick ‘see ya’ and started walking toward the bench with Kana-san.
“Ah, wait, can I play too?”
“You can, but… isn’t it a bit awkward playing in a skirt?”
Answering the suddenly eager Toudou-san, who had already lost interest in Shinji. However, my gaze remained fixed on Shinji as he walked away. What I failed to notice, however, was that someone else’s gaze remained fixed on Shinji as well.
