CH 8.3

“There was a lot of trouble during yesterday’s lunch break because you weren’t there.”

“What?”

On Saturday afternoon, Sugiuchi and I were on our way to school when we heard that the girls’ basketball team had a practice game.

“There were a lot of things that could be misunderstood… I tried to ask her, but she was away after school.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sugiuchi raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t understand.

“What were you doing on your lunch break with Honma?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

“No, it’s fine if you don’t want to tell me. I don’t want to pry either.”

“Well, sort of. It’s no big deal.”

Sugiuchi muddied the waters.

When I told him about today’s practice game, he immediately took a bite, which led me to believe that he likes Uchinokura-san, but I can’t deny the possibility that he’s just bored and wants to keep me company.

The bike I borrowed is now being pushed by Sugiuchi.

Did you enjoy your nostalgia trip? I told him that I went to my elementary school.

“Must be nice going to an elementary school at night with your childhood friend…”

Well, in the end, the teacher chased us out and we somehow escaped.

“Come on, you adolescent a*****e, hurry up and kiss her!”

“Why?”

This conversation is too much.

“So, what did you find out about the guy Hinagata-san likes?”

“She said she’d seen him play a few times.”

“Yeah.”

“But now he’s injured and can’t play.”

“Yeah….”

“He’s probably from a basketball team. From another school.”

“What?”

“Maybe he’s sprained his ankle. It happened to me too in the Basketball club.”

“What?”

He handed me the handlebars of his bike and when I took it, he punched me in the shoulder.

“Ouch! Ehhhh… Why…?”

“Whyy? You bothersome idiot….!”

Sugiuchi closed his eyes with a difficult face and looked up at the sky.

When I arrived at the school and approached the gym, I could hear the girls’ voices and the high-pitched sound of basketball shoes scraping the gym.

I peeked in and saw several girls wearing unfamiliar uniforms from other schools. Behind them, I caught a glimpse of Hinagata in her uniform.

We decided to go up the stairs to the right of the entrance and watch the game from the second floor, so as not to get in the way.

The aisle overlooking the gymnasium was lined with benches and extra school chairs, so it was perfect for a casual viewing.

According to Hinagata, the morning was joint practice. They were going to play two games in the afternoon.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a basketball game properly.”

“I did, a couple of times in junior high.”

Sugiuchi touched his cell phone and put it in his pocket, as if he had finished checking some social networking site or something.

“…Hey, Tonomura.”

With a distant look in his eyes, Sugiuchi looked at the gym.

“Do you think there will be any slip-ups of polo during the match?”

“Go die.”

“Come on–! Now I’ve lost my thrill!”

You’ll lose it for the rest of your life.

“It’s not that kind of sport.”

Good grief. What the h**l is going on in this guy’s head?

“I don’t think it’s right to look at people who are serious about sports that way.”

It was a girl’s voice.

“What? You’re the one who’s looking for the bra and pants lines of the tennis and volleyball players during practice!”

“That’s the kind of thing you don’t get because it’s embarrassing. ….What’s that called? I heard you wear that on top.”

Information source: Ayahi.

“Huhhhhh? I know what you’re talking about!”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m sure you’re looking for a girl who’s got a sweet side that says, ‘I forgot it today, so I’ll just leave it as it is.’ But we’re not!”

Why is he so hot tempered, this guy?

“I don’t care what you say, but can you please stop lumping me in with ‘we’?

“What are you trying to be, a gentleman?”

“I didn’t tell you not to look at me with that erotic look.”

“…… So, did it sound like a girl’s voice?”

Honma peeked out from behind a pillar.

“Hello.”

Honma waved her hand adorably, and we replied with some random greetings like “Yo” and “Ui”.

The owner of the voice from earlier seemed to be Honma.

“I was going to join in, but I couldn’t because of the strange conversation between the two of you.”

Honma chuckled.

She also told me that I should wear a camisole or a tank top on top.

“Sorry about that, Honma. Sugiuchi is a Scumuchi.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“I’m not okay! What the h**l is Scumuchi!”

“Scum-Sugiuchi. In short, “Scumuchi.”

“I knew you’d say that!”

Honma sat down next to Sugiuchi, regardless of Sugiuchi howling.

“Honma, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m observing a club activity. I was wondering which club I should join. And then I saw you two walking in.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s that time of the year.”

Then, Uchinokura-san in her uniform on the court noticed me. She then poked Hinagata and looked at me again, as if to encourage me to look at her.

“Wha-?!”

When Hinagata saw us, her complexion became so red that even from a distance we could see it, and she then quickly hid behind Uchinokura-san.

“Hinagata-senpai, she’s so cute~!”

“She’s the one who said she wanted me to come watch.”

“The uniform is embarrassing Hinaga-san, what a maiden you are….”

Deeply moved, Sugiuchi nodded.

One of the club members acting as a referee sounded the whistle and went to the center of the field with the ball in hand, and the players lined up.

Uchinokura-san, who seemed to be the ace of the team, and Hinagata, were also in the starting lineup.

Whistle. The whistle sounded, and the game began with a jump ball.

I wondered what club Honma was in when she was in junior high school, but I guess she was probably in the homecoming club.

And even though it’s during the …… club activity observation period, why would she bother coming to see it on her day off?

Sugiuchi was completely absorbed watching the game. You could tell that there wasn’t going to be any accidental slip-ups.

Hinata had mentioned several times that Uchinokura-san seemed to be the ace, and the attack seemed to be centered around her. Sure, it’s kind of cool.

“Ah, yes, senpai. Is lunch ready yet?”

“Yeah. I was thinking of stopping by a convenience store later…”

With a rustle, Honma took out something from her bag.

“Here, senpai. If you’d like.”

She handed me a bag from the convenience store, and when I looked inside, I saw two rice balls from the convenience store.

“Ehh, a store-bought rice ball?”

Sugiuchi, who had peeked inside from the side, furrowed his brow.

“It’s not for you.”

“No, I know about …….”

Sugiuchi glanced at him and saw that Honma’s expression had hardened into a smile.

“It’s normal…”

With a sigh, Sugiuchi wrinkles his brow.

“‘If you haven’t eaten yet, Honma, let’s eat.”

“It’s fine, I-I’m alright!”

“Oh, Is that so?”

I took out a rice ball from the package and bit into it.

In the game, Hinagata steals a pass from the enemy and shoots a layup into an opponent’s basket.

“Whenever she’s playing sports, she becomes thirty percent more attractive.”

I agreed with Honma’s impression.

Hinagata, smiling and lightly clasping hands with his friends, seemed like a stranger to me.

“You too, senpai?”

“Eh?”

“I was watching the fall tournament. I knew you were a great guy.”

“If you get injured and quit, you won’t have anything left, though.”

Honma shook her head when I got a little self-deprecating.

“I don’t think so.”

Hope so, I mumbled, and took another bite of the rice ball.