Volume 4 - Me, Her, and our Changing World
Chapter 16
Nothing unusual happened on the day we made that agreement. But the next day, when I went to school, I felt that the looks people were giving me were somehow different from usual.
And as soon as I entered the classroom, Ishizawa was smirking, while Chinatsu and Toudou-san looked at me from across the room before approaching together.
“Hey, Hajime, what’s this all about?”
“Huh? Did something happen?”
When I just stood there, confused by Chinatsu’s slightly worried expression, Toudou-san muttered, ‘Well, I figured as much.’
"To put it simply, a rumor is spreading, not just in our year but among the second and third years as well, that you and Satou-kun are going to have a one-on-one basketball match with Chinatsu as the prize."
“…What?”
At those words, I was stunned. What kind of rumor was that? Wait, did she say it spread to the other years too?
“They’re saying that during PE yesterday, you guys started talking about it. Is it true, Hajime? …Right now, Yukko and Rena went out, saying there's something they want to check on."
"First of all, we are indeed having a match, but the wager, obviously, is not Chinatsu. It's whether Shinji and I will join the basketball club or not. Also, it was something along the lines of 'if I win, or rather, if I put up a good fight, then no one is to call me 'number two' anymore'... That’s all it was about… It just started from their usual teasing. Sorry, I was careless.”
"Well, in any case, I'm relieved... because if you were the kind of guy who’d bet your own girlfriend without her permission, I would’ve punched you
“See? I told you Hajime would absolutely never do something like that."
"But even you looked a bit worried, didn't you, Chinatsu? Hey, boyfriend, make sure you cheer her up properly! I’ll go do some information-gathering. —Hey, Ishizawa! You know I really hate guys who spread rotten rumors. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?”
Ishizawa flinched visibly and turned away, trying to escape as Toudou-san glared sharply at him before walking off.
"...Chinatsu, I'm sorry. I never thought it would become such a big deal. I apologize for making you worry."
"It's fine... More importantly, are you really going to have that match, Hajime? Against, um, Satou-kun?"
“Honestly, I don’t even know how it came to this. I think Sakurai-san must’ve told Satou-kun about me and Shinji’s basketball skills. Then he invited us to join the basketball club, and when the usual ‘number two’ teasing came up from the other guys, Satou-kun agreed we should settle some things with a game. Shinji jumped on the idea, and, well… I guess I wanted to try playing against him too.”
“…That’s kind of unusual for you, Hajime. So, as your girlfriend, all I have to do is watch you win, right?"
“You think I’ll win?”
“Of course! …Well, I don’t actually know much about Satou-kun or basketball in general, but what kind of girlfriend would wish for her boyfriend to lose? Besides, this’ll be the first time I will see you in your competitive mode at school. You’re always great, but I love that side of you too. And I know very, very well how cool a person you are."
“…You know, you're so unbelievably cute, I might just pounce on you later at home today."
I whispered that softly into her ear as I leaned close. Her face turned bright red, and she hit me lightly in the chest. I was really glad no one else was around.
◇◆
“So, Ikkun, mind explaining what’s going on?”
Yuuko had called out her childhood friend to a quiet spot behind the school building and was questioning him.
“Well… I just wanted to have a proper match with Satou once. You know the reason, right? You’re the one who showed me that video the other day and after watching it, I really wanted to challenge him!”
“...? Perhaps you haven't heard the rumor yet?"
“Rumor? No, I came straight here when I saw your message before I was heading to the classroom. What is it about?”
“They’re saying that you and Satou-kun are going to play basketball with Chinatsu-chan as the prize.”
“What…!? Why the hell did it turn into that!? …Wait, you’re right, looks like I’ve got a bunch of messages after yours…”
Yuuko sighed at her childhood friend’s genuinely shocked expression. He often came across as a perfect, flawless guy—but in reality, he tended to charge ahead without thinking. Usually, his talent and good nature kept things from turning into disasters, but this time, it was a full-blown accident.
“…And you’re not planning to throw the match or anything, right? You’re going all out?”
“Of course I am! Besides, everyone underestimates Satou too much. He's got way more basketball experience and a better track record than me, you know?"
"I'm telling you, nobody knows that... But well, depending on how you look at it, this could work. Honestly, I was already thinking that the cooking thing alone is popular with the girls, but that it lacks a certain punch... hmm, alright. So, let's just leave the rumor as it is, shall we? And hey, sorry, but this time, I won't be cheering for you."
“Uh… well, yeah, I guess that can't be helped?"
"Hah, don't make such a pathetic face... honestly. You got that? Like I said before, my number one ship right now is the Chinatsu-chan and Satou-kun couple. If you get in the way of that, even if it’s you, Ikkun..."
“Alright, alright, you’re scary! I'll deny the rumor too. How far has it spread?"
"It's probably reached the third-years... or rather, the rumor that Chinatsu-chan got a boyfriend had already made the rounds, so I think the 'match against the Satou with the same name' rumor had probably already spread in a similar way.”
"Isn't that rumor spreading unusually fast? Ah, in that case, even me denying it is pretty much pointless at this point, huh?”
"Mm-hmm, it's fine to leave it as is. Just, Ikkun, I want you to loudly deny the ‘Chinatsu-chan is the prize’ part to make sure no hate is directed at her. The rumor about the match itself doesn't need to disappear."
"I don't really get it, but okay! And hey, I'm sure it will be fine. On the contrary, if this gets all the interested parties to gather, it'll be a chance to make them understand that Satou is not some 'number two' or anything, right?"
"...Even if you don't get it, as long as you know what to do and understand what you just said at the end, that's fine. ...Honestly, if you had been thinking that from the start, and if you also understood that in this scenario you're playing the role of the foil, then that line would have had some real persuasive power."
Yuuko sighed. Her brain was already beginning to work at full capacity as she thought, 'Now, I'll have to process this into a story I heard from someone else, not directly from this childhood friend, and then I need to consult with Saki-chan and the others later.'
◇◆
"To what extent was this according to your expectations?"
“…You're one to talk. It's rare for you to take the initiative and act for someone else's sake, to the point of calling me out unusually at school like this."
Shinji was surprised that Rena, who was his fiancée in name only, had called him out in this way. And, the fact that she didn't doubt for a moment that he had a hand in it was, as he thought, just like her.
“I see no reason to beat around the bush, so I’ll ask again. To what extent was this according to your expectations?"
"It's true that I'm the one who made it easy for the information to spread... The guys who were causing trouble yesterday are probably under the delusion that they're the ones who spread the rumor, but you knew they didn't have that kind of influence, which is why you came to me first, isn't that right?"
Rena nodded. This girl was bright and had good intuition. Or rather, perhaps it should be said that they had received a similar education in how to think. However, it seemed she hadn't yet figured out why he had done it.
"Who do you think would win if Satou and Hajime had a match?"
“I’d assume Satou-san from the basketball club, no? Their physiques are different, and Satou-san's abilities also seem to be considerably higher."
“Right. Then what about me versus Hajime?”
"...I don't grasp the intent of your question, but I believe you would undoubtedly be superior in that case as well. I am aware of your abilities. Well, if it were a match between you and the basketball club's Satou-san, I honestly couldn't say, but even then, wouldn't Satou-san have the advantage due to his daily practice and physique?"
Shinji nodded in satisfaction at Rena's words. As expected of someone raised as a young lady, she seemed to be properly equipped with the ability to see through people's capabilities. Believing that because of this, she would understand, Shinji spoke.
"You're probably right. By the way, the first time I met Hajime, I challenged him to a match and the result was, I lost. Or rather, I was made to think I had lost."
“…Pardon?”
"It wasn't a fluke, and it was a best-of-three match, so it's not like I was completely underestimating him. And yet, I'm pretty sure if we played again under those same conditions, I'd lose most of the time... an opponent who, just as you assessed, I should normally be able to beat almost every time."
"I don't… quite follow."
“Neither do I. I don’t know why he’s built the way he is. But he’s got this terrifying mental strength when it comes to real matches—especially under pressure. The more people there are watching to make the other Satou nervous, the better the setup. And if it’s their first time facing each other in a real match, then Hajime’s probability of winning is extremely high. Even in the worst-case scenario of a loss, the price is merely joining a club. From my perspective, it's a wager I can go all-in on and still profit. And you know me—I'm the type to resolve all matters in a single stroke."
"Is that why you spread the rumor?"
“Yeah. When the guys yesterday brought up a match, I realized it was the perfect setup. My guess is, even Satou was looking for a way to get Hajime officially recognized. Though I doubt he expected it to blow up this much.”
"...I see. Honestly, I don't know the basketball club's Satou-san personally. However, I still can't shake the concern that the very phrasing of 'Chinatsu-san is the prize' is a double-edged sword."
"It's something those idiots who started the fire came up with. All I did was fan the flames... But you don't need to worry about that either. Just watch. Hajime probably won't start the match while letting everyone think that Minamino is the prize."
“Is that right?”
"I don't know the specifics of what he'll do, but he's the type of guy who doesn't neglect those kinds of things. ...So this is just a temporary measure, purely for the sake of gathering all the idiots who mistakenly thought they could meddle in their relationship."
A look of comprehension dawned on Rena's face, but she opened her mouth as if she had one final question.
"But if you didn't tell either of them your plan, what would you have done if it had caused their relationship to break?"
In response, Shinji answered with a scoffing laugh.
"...I doubt my judgment is wrong, but if they were to break over something like this, then that's all their relationship was ever worth, right? What I can say is that I believed it wouldn't... and, let's see... how about I say that I believe the Hajime I know isn't so fragile as to break over this, and that if I just set the stage for him, he has enough of a spark to make people acknowledge him on his own?"
"...! I... see. Please excuse me."
Rena looked visibly stunned at his words and even then, it wasn’t often that she showed such emotion. Shinji realized he’d said something uncharacteristically sentimental, and for the first time in a while, he was genuinely looking forward to tomorrow.
