CH 132

–The voices of the cheering crowd.

–The excitement of sports.

Every time a game gets underway, a mixture of cheers and sighs can be heard.

“Everyone is so excited~”

I watch this scene idly from inside the tent.

The temperature is beginning to drop these days.

It is getting a little chilly.

And yet, there is a heat in the area that I have never experienced before, and it makes me feel warm inside.

The heat seemed to be carried over to the first aid tent where I was.

…I guess I’m surprised I can’t get out of it.

The sports festival had begun, and the morning’s competitions were nearing their end.

I glanced at the time on my phone and then at Rin’s homemade program.

It was already the start time of the basketball game in which Rin was scheduled to participate.

“After all. I’m not going to be able to cheer for Rin… The other first aid teams … aren’t coming back at all.”

I sighed and turned my attention to the people playing soccer on the field.

A loud sigh escaped my mouth this time as I watched the considerable excitement of the cheering crowd.

As expected, this is an event in which a lot of interest is shown in the audience.

And those of us who have little chance of being active have no choice but to wait for the time to pass by like this.

It’s heaven for those who can enjoy it, but for people like me, it’s just an event and a hell.

What do I enjoy? Exercise?

For me, it’s two words: ‘Not interested!’ are those words.’

Well…

It wasn’t bad…to think and practice with Rin, Kenichi and others.

“Yo, Towa! How are you doing?”

“K-Kenichi!?”

“Haha! What’s the matter? You’re so surprised~. How’s that for a rumor?”

“No, it’s … I was simply surprised that you stood behind me. Don’t stand behind me, all of a sudden…”

“Are you some kind of sniper!?”

I shrugged my shoulders at Kenichi’s comment.

I was surprised….

Kenichi’s well-timed appearance made me panic.

For the time being, I tried to deceive him, but……Ah, yeah.

He’s grinning so much.

I can only assume he knows what I’m thinking about this.

“Ah, so, Kenichi. What can I do for you?”

“Haha, Don’t look at me so coldly~. I’m just bored between competitions. I came to see if you are doing your job properly.”

“Don’t worry, I’m doing what I’m assigned to do. Although, the first aid team is not busy at the moment.”

“But you haven’t had free time yet, have you?”

“Well, yeah. It is good that no one is injured.”

The first aid tent has been waiting since the morning, but only two people came.

And that’s about all I came for, just to give them a band-aid.

But this kind of staff is there in case of emergencies, so it must be a good thing that nothing happened.

I stared blankly at the schoolyard.

“Even so, the sports festival is very exciting~.”

“Of course, it’s one of the school’s main events!　How can we not be excited? By the way, this will go on for two more days.”

“Geez… Are you serious? For me, it’s impossible for me to understand this excitement… Events are troublesome.”

“Don’t say so. It’s true that it’s hard to integrate if you don’t have any fun activities going on, but now you have Wakamiya. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“If you have something to do, you don’t have time to do it. And you wouldn’t have to spend your time … just enduring the passing of events, would you?”

“Certainly.”

The sports festival in middle school was agony, wasn’t it?

The race was a humiliating clash.

he cheering that everyone had to do together.

The team gymnastics that we had to unite in unison.

Ahhh, … it’s seriously hell just to think back on it.

Originally, I’m not the type of person who can speak out that loudly, but he said, ‘You should really do it!’ Cheer properly! I’m not the type of person who can shout that loud, but the cheering group leader is always trying to get me to say something like, “Do it for real!”

Besides, many of the guys who played the leader are … a bit of a yankee, so it was hard for me to speak up.

When I think about it, …high school sports festivals are peaceful.

There’s no weird coercion or anything like that.

“What’s wrong, Towa? You look at me with a faraway look in your eyes as if you were remembering your own black history.”

“… Don’t read me… as if it’s obvious.”

“No, no, no, it’s just that Towa is so easy to understand. What’s on your mind?”

“Well… I was thinking that event things are different in high school and middle school, with a different level of enthusiasm. There is less compulsion and more freedom, you know? In middle school, it was like, “How many times are we going to do rehearsals?” I understand that it’s part of compulsory education, to teach the students about the unreasonable group behavior in the world.

“Towa is as twisted as ever…”

“Just leave it alone.”

“Well, in high school, there are no troublesome restrictions around. Look at this one, for example.”

“That’s …”

A man and a woman talking to each other.

It looks like a normal scene, but looking at the grades on the … class T-shirts, are those upperclassmen?

But the people they are talking to are first-year students judging by the color of their jerseys.

Some looked friendly, while others were smiling affectionately.

“Club-related, huh? They’re all friendly with each other.”

“Haha! You’re talking like that again, and you know Towa is aware of it, right?”

“I’m aware of it. They’re seniors and juniors in a club, right? It doesn’t seem particularly unusual…”

“Well, sure. Maybe some of them. But not all of them, I don’t think. They are talking in a kind of innocent way, aren’t they? Fidgeting a little bit.”

“Ah… sure.”

The guy takes out his phone and says something shyly.

And a girl… who looks distressed about it.

The other guys and girls seemed like they knew each other.

So … that’s what you mean.

“Don’t turn school into a dating place, right?”

“No, no~. I’m sure you don’t understand this Towa, but students are rather like that. You can’t just go out and meet new people, and hope for the best.”

“I don’t want to have a mental breakdown myself.”

“You say so, but you know what? School events are a great opportunity to legally interact with other grades and classes! I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple was born on this day.”

“I’m not interested.”

Well, if I approached her, I’d get a lot of don’t’s, and besides…

I’d hate for Rin to make a sad face and say, “Towa-kun, were you that kind of person?”

“Well, Towa has Wakamiya, so you wouldn’t understand the thoughts of the men of the world.”

“Don’t read my mind again… I mean, if you say that, then Kenichi is the same, right? I don’t care if Fuji-san stabs you in the back, okay?”

“If it’s Kotone, I really want it! I mean, Kotone being jealous is the cutest thing ever.”

“Don’t worry too much, okay?”

“And Towa, too, if you insist. The rumors have been flying around lately.”

“Hey, hey. Don’t be a prude, …. I don’t hear any rumors about anyone except Rin.”

“You don’t? Think objectively about yourself after school.”

“Objectively…”

“Hmm” I and think back to my recent actions.

I prepare for the sports festival and…

When Rin is late for a committee meeting, I study in the classroom.

When that happens, there is a high probability that Ainoya-san will get involved.

Is that perhaps the case?

“Oh. I know that expression!”

“… We were just having a normal conversation.”

“There’s a saying, ‘There’s no smoke where there’s no fire,’ right?  Lately, Showa has become more active. That’s what happens when you have a prominent figure like Wakamiya and more interaction with other people. The word is spreading steadily that you’re a mysterious person who has a beautiful woman as his companion.”

“Are you serious? It’s troublesome…”

“Don’t worry about it! The rumor-mongers and naysayers are just jealous, after all. You should be proud of it, and turn it into a confidence booster! On the other hand, it’s rude to change your behavior or distance yourself because of rumors.”

“I won’t do it. I don’t care what they say now.”

“That’s good. However, don’t be arrogant…, but in Towa’s case, self-esteem is so low that it seems to have nothing to do with it.”

“…Mind your own business.”

“Hahaha!”

Kenichi held his stomach and laughed.

It’s different when people are getting into trouble … and you can afford it.

I understand and get fed up with my situation, though.

This is not an option.

It’s the path I chose, and I’ve decided to do my best … even if I’m told this and that along the way.

Besides, for Rin, being subjected to this kind of jealousy and curiosity is probably an everyday occurrence.

When I think about it, my problem is trivial.

“For now, I’ll do what I can.”

“That’s the way it should be! I’ll do what I can to help!”

“Thank you, Kenichi.”

I pumped my fist in the air and smiled carefree at my best friend.

Then, Kenichi sat down in a chair and was about to say something…

“Wakamiya-san, a freshman, is playing in a game right now, and she’s about to lose!”

I heard a voice in my ear, shouting like a wild onlooker.

I got up, grabbed my bag, and ran out of the tent, when Kenichi called out to me from behind.

“Are you going?”

“I’m sorry Kenichi, but I’m going to need you to cover for me for a minute.”

“Taku… Hurry up and get going.”

Kenichi sighed and sat down on a chair in the first aid tent instead of me.

With Kenichi in the background, I headed for Rin’s location.