Volume 4 - Me, Her, and our Changing World
Chapter 17
Our school gymnasium was quite spacious, with proper spectator seats on either side of the court. They were usually meant for guests during events like graduation ceremonies, and sometimes the gym was even used as a venue for official matches.
However, while the gym is usually only occupied by club members, today, many students had gathered. This was because what was supposed to be just a casual one-on-one match between me and Satou-kun had, through rumor piling upon rumor, created a strange crowd-gathering effect.
For that reason, I had consulted with Satou-kun beforehand and decided to say a word before we began. We can't stop the rumors, and there's no point in denying them one by one either. If that's the case, then what was I to do? I felt that simply denying it in front of everyone gathered here would be the most effective. When Satou-kun heard my idea, he just said, ‘Alright, I'm on board.’
I took a deep breath to compose myself and looked around. Strangely, I didn’t feel nervous. Even in the crowd, I found Chinatsu right away. Even though I shouldn’t have been able to see her expression clearly, I somehow knew she looked a little worried. Since then, she and Toudou-san had tried to help stop the rumors, but there were too many people talking and it was impossible to reach everyone. So I’d just told her, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.’
(Alright. Before the match, I need to do what I came here to do.)
With that thought, I deliberately bounced the basketball a few times, letting the sound echo. And then, just as the buzz died down for a moment as everyone wondered if the match was about to start, I raised my voice and began to speak.
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“Um, we’re still going to have the match, but before that, I have something to say to those of you who came here because of the rumors."
As Chinatsu watched, Hajime stepped forward and spoke. In the sudden hush that settled over the noisy crowd, his voice rang out clearly.
To Chinatsu, it was a voice that always made her feel safe.
"First of all, what Satou-kun from Class D and I are betting on is not my girlfriend… Minamino Chinatsu."
The commotion grew louder. And then, a heckle flew from the crowd.
"What, are you chickening out right before the match even starts!?"
The one who had heckled was the upperclassman who had confessed to Chinatsu and had a displeased look on his face after being rejected. Following his lead, several others started to boo. But Hajime was not flustered at all and stood there confidently. He waited for the jeers to die down, and at a moment when his calm voice could be heard, he continued speaking.
"There are people shouting things, but please, just think about it for a second. ...It's just common sense, isn't it? I don't want there to be any misunderstanding, but there is no way I would let anyone else decide whether or not I get to be with Chinatsu, regardless of who wins or loses this match. My feelings for her aren't so shallow that they would change just because I won or lost. Besides, you all understand that a guy who would use his own girlfriend as a prize is the lowest of the low, right?"
At his definitive words, Chinatsu's heart soared. And then, this time, it wasn't heckling from the boys that rose up, but cheers from the girls.
"...Ehh, I wish someone would say something like that for me, just once!!"
"Seriously, Chinatsu's boyfriend is pretty great. I didn't know anything about him, but he sure is a hidden gem!"
“Well, I still don’t think he can beat Satou-kun though.”
They weren’t exactly cheering for Hajime to win, but the mood had unmistakably shifted in his favor. Hajime glanced at the crowd’s changing reactions and went on.
“Ahem. Anyway, setting that aside, I am going to have a match with Satou-kun. We share the same name, so it’s only natural that people compare us. And honestly, Satou-kun is a genuinely cool guy, so since the start of the school year, I didn’t mind being called 'number two’..."
At that point, Hajime stopped speaking for a moment, then turned to look at Chinatsu.
“But then, there were people—including Satou-kun himself—who said they weren’t satisfied with me just being called that. So I thought, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a proper match for once. So, for those who came here believing the rumors and expecting to see a fight over a girl, I think you'd be better off leaving. Regardless of the outcome of this match, I am Minamino Chinatsu's boyfriend, and she is my girlfriend, and nobody has the right to complain about it… That’s all I wanted to say.”
His words, though spoken calmly, seemed to carry a weight that no one could deny. Perhaps that was why, from partway through, everyone had fallen silent and was listening to him. Chinatsu, too, listened quietly, filled with pride and, for some reason, a touch of poignancy that had settled in her chest. Having finished his speech, Hajime bowed his head, turned, and then looked at the other Satou-kun next to him. Satou-kun, in turn, addressed the crowd.
“…Sup everyone. I’m the other Satou Hajime, from the basketball club. I can’t say cool stuff like the other Satou just did, but I’ll make one thing clear—I already have someone I like.”
At his sudden confession, a wave of what could only be described as shrieks went up, far louder than anything Hajime had caused. Even Saki looked stunned, staring toward him. Chinatsu shook her head slightly. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yuuko stiffen beside her.
"Ah, sorry! I got a little nervous and said that in a weird order! Um, what I meant is, it's not Minamino-san! So I just wanted to say that I'm not fighting with Satou over her!"
As the other Satou-kun laughed in a fluster, Hajime, standing beside him, pressed a hand to his mouth, unable to hold back his own laughter. Seeing this, it would be impossible for anyone, no matter how they twisted it, to think these two were in the middle of a conflict. Even from the first time they’d met, Chinatsu had sensed that both of them actually got along surprisingly well. And with that, the heckling completely vanished, and a somewhat peaceful atmosphere began to fill the gym.
"Well, as for who it is, I have no intention of making a public confession, so let's leave it at that! And, as for why we're having a match... the biggest reason is for myself, and for the basketball club."
As he said this, the buzz from his ‘someone I like’ comment died down, and the crowd fell silent again, listening. "For the basketball club?" a voice could be heard. Chinatsu had heard from Hajime that Satou-kun had been scouting him and Aizawa, but with all the rumors, most people had no idea about that.
"Honestly, our basketball team isn't very strong. But, as you'll see from the match we're about to have, this Satou is seriously good. And there's one other person I have my eye on, too. If I win this match, they've both agreed to join the club!"
Voices of ‘Ooh’ went up, along with what sounded like an upperclassman saying, "Sorry our team is so weak," which was met with laughter from the underclassmen. With that, the atmosphere in the gym shifted, as if this were just a friendly event for the basketball club.
"So with that said, I'm going all out! In fact, I'm the one who's the challenger here. But like Satou said, this was only ever about the two of us having a one-on-one, so if you're not interested, please feel free to leave! ...Oh, and this is important! If there's anyone here still calling this Satou 'number two,' then... I'll personally come and have a word with you, so please be advised!"
And when Satou-kun finished, everyone's interest had shifted. It was no longer about a gossipy story of two guys with the same name fighting over the popular Minamino Chinatsu. Now, their curiosity was focused on a single question: Just what kind of player was this other Satou Hajime, the one who Minamino Chinatsu was dating, the one who the protagonist-like and well-liked Satou-kun spoke so highly of? As a result, after all that had been said, no one left. The people who had been jeering at the start were now staying to see Hajime lose. The rest of the crowd had probably decided that since they were already here, they might as well watch. And so, amid this new atmosphere, Chinatsu fixed her gaze on Hajime as he stood on the court, determined to witness the match before her and not miss a single move.
