CH 54

A shadow approached Sei-chan who was sitting alone, it seems like Sei-chan had also noticed her.

“Good job, Shimada-san. You’re a real monster.”

“Good job to you too, Tojoin-san, and I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Tojoin-san sat next to me and spoke.

“Do you want some water?”

Sei-chan offered some water from the plastic bottle she was holding.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll only accept indirect kisses from Yuuichi.”

“I-I see…”

I took another sip of water, a little puzzled by the unwanted information that came back to me.

“Speaking of which, has Shimada-san at least kissed Hisamura-kun yet?”

“Gofu…”

At Tojoin-san’s abrupt question, I nearly splurted out my water.

“W-What are you asking me all of a sudden?”

“My, it’s normal in love stories. So, did you?”

“N-No, we haven’t done it yet.”

“Eh really? I would have thought that you guys would have done that already.”

“WHY?!”

“I mean, you guys are so lovey-dovey after all. Honestly, I’m jealous.”

“W-We’re not-! E-Eh? Jealous?”

“Of course, I’m not aiming for Hisamura-kun. It’s just that I want to go out with Yuuichi as soon as possible and have some lovey-dovey se-… a lovey dovey relationship with him too.”

“O-Oh yeah…? D-Didn’t you almost say something else at the end…?”

“It was your imagination.”

The conversation was cut off at once.

They watched the game together, but it seemed that the game was just going back and forth.

Neither Sei-chan nor Tojoin-san were currently on court , nor were the girls from the basketball team on Tojoin’s team.

This was a battle between complete amateurs.

Unlike the grueling atmosphere of the first half of the game, the current match gives off the feeling of having fun, regardless of how good or bad you are.

We sat side by side watching the game, I asked Tojoin-san something that was bothering me for a while.

“Tojoin, about the punishment we were talking about earlier.”

“Ahh, the one about you dating Hisamura-kun.”

“D-Don’t say it so loudly.”

I looked around to see if anyone else was around and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that no one was nearby.

“Shimada-san, I have a question I’d like to ask you too, if that’s okay.”

“What?”

“Why are you hiding the fact that you’re going out with Hisamura-kun?”

“What?!”

I felt my cheeks instantly turn a scarlet red. I wasn’t expecting to be hit with such a direct question out of the blue.

“If it were me, I would have made it public and yelled ‘This is my Yuuichi’ and bragged to everyone about us.”

“That’s what you would do…”

“In fact, even now when we’re not dating, I feel like bragging Yuuichi to the world. Also, by telling others, it will serve as a check on other women that says ‘I’m not going to let you touch him.’”

“You are doing that even without dating him, you know.”

“Oh, yes. But Fujise is the only one who’s trying to fight me for him, so I want to get rid of her as soon as possible.”

“Don’t be so rude, if you lay a hand on her. I’ll never forgive you.”

I said with a glare in my eye, while she just chuckled and continued.

“Don’t worry, I won’t eliminate Fujise-san or anything. Well, if it’s harmful for Yuuichi I just might.”

“Have you ever done that to another woman?”

“Fufu, I’ll use my right to remain silent.” 

“……” [TLN: She might not be FMC but damn she’s such a bae. Yanderes ftw.] [ED: very agreed. Could do without the stabby part though.]

It’s almost a confession that she did at this point, I’m a bit too scared to ask for the details.

“I didn’t commit any crimes, rather it was the women who harmed Yuuichi who were committing the crimes. Something like stealing his luggage and whatnot.”

“Well it can’t be helped… but you really didn’t do anything bad right?”

“Yeah, I didn’t kill her.”

“Y-Yeah…”

I’m not going to ask her any more questions about that.

“Back to the point, if I were in Shimada-san’s position I would announce to everyone that I was going out with Hisamura-kun, especially when he’s being eyed by other women.”

“Uuu…”

I let out a groan as she hit me where it hurt.

Indeed, at the baseball game earlier, Hisamura was very active and was being called “cool” by various other girls.

In fact, some of the girls even took action and talked to Hisamura after the match.

When I saw the scene I was thinking (This woman is going after my Hisamura!) and glared at her. Hisamura even saw my face at the time.

That was awkward. I didn’t want Hisamura to see me like that..

“So why don’t you go public with it? If you do, you can keep the girls in class in check while also being able to make out in class, which can only be seen as a good thing for you and him.”

“Tha-That…”

“Nn? What is it?”

Tojoin-san peered into my face as I murmured in a small voice.

“I-I’m embarrassed to let, you know, anyone else know about it…”

“…!”

I buried my face in my knees in order to hide my red face.

I said this as I looked away from Tojoin-san. I could feel my cheeks slowly turning a bright shade of red.

“You’re really good at making me nervous, Shimada-san.”

“W-What do you mean?!”

“Are you always showing that sort of look to Himamura-kun? It’s only a matter of time before Hisamura-kun dies of sugar overdose at this rate.”

“W-What the hell does that mean!” [PR: hisamura nosebleed counter when?]

I don’t understand what she’s saying right now but I can understand that she was teasing me. In an attempt to rebel against her I raised my voice a little.

“But I can’t believe that Shimada-san wouldn’t tell anyone else about it for such a cute reason.”

“Ku… D-Don’t tease me too much.”

I turned my head away as I said that.

“I thought you were hiding it because you were embarrassed that Hisamura-kun was your boyfriend.”

“N-NO, OF COURSE NOT!”

I denied it with the most vigour I had the entire day.

As expected, since I shouted too loudly, several students around looked at me and Tojoin-san.

I noticed it and looked down immediately.

Tojoin-san smiled when she saw my reaction.

“I’m kidding, I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d react that strongly to it.”

“Ku… you have a bad character, you know.”

“But I’m glad to know that you really like Hisamura-kun and are going out with him.”

“Uuu…”

I was indeed embarrassed to be told that straight up.

Tojoin-san chuckled again at the sight and continued to watch the basketball game.

“I’ll go back to the court in the last 3 minutes, what about you Shimada-san?”

That being said, I looked and saw that there was only 5 minutes left for the game to end.

And the difference in points is close to none. But my team was losing by just 2 points.

“Well, maybe I’ll get on when it’s time.”

“Yeah. The last three minutes, no one on the basketball team will be on.”

“Eh, really?”

The first half with the three members on the basketball team on the court , we were down by 5 points.

With the three players gone, I would have gained an advantage against them.

“I haven’t stooped so low that I would feel proud over winning a close game with three basketball players on my team.”

“I see, Then I’ll do my best to deal with you. Have you made an appointment to borrow Shigemoto’s chest yet?”

“I’d like to book you for the foreseeable future though. But in a few minutes I’ll have you crying to Hisamura-kun’s chest.”

We stood up at the same time and laughed.

“If I win, you’ll go announce your relationship with Hisamura-kun. Got it?”

“You haven’t forgotten about that yet?”

“Of course, being embarrassed is a cute reason. But I think the benefits of your relationship going public would outweigh it.”

“I don’t wanna announce it, even if the benefit outweighs my reason.”

“Yeah, well, prepare to announce it soon.”

“Nah, let’s just get ready to decide your punishment instead.”

I said as we walked towards the court.

After a few minutes, Tojoin-san and I subbed back into the game.

As she had said earlier, the girls from the basketball team didn’t come along with her.

It was truly just a one on one between me and Tojoin-san.

The girls were all on board with the idea. Males and females alike were watching the scuffle. They all wanted to watch a match between me and Tojoin-san.

The gymnasium erupted in cheers, when the both of us came out.

The both of us laughed as we received various cheers from the entire gymnasium.

The difference was just two points in favour of Tojoin-san’s team.

“We’re gonna win this thing by a point.”

“You should wait till you’re asleep before you start sleep-talking.”

I’m not going to lose, they both declared, and then the last three minutes finally began–.

In the last three minutes, the ball was in our hands.

The rest of the team was reading the air and also wanted to watch the one on one between us.

After two rounds of offense and defense, the game seemed to be evenly matched.

When I scored one, Tojoin-san also scored one.

It repeated a couple of times, so I’m pretty sure we were evenly matched.

I scored two three pointers in both my attacks.

In the first half, Tojoin-san defended against me very closely since she thought that she would be able to score since her teammates were there.

But now that it’s completely a one-on-one, and you know that there’s no help coming, you have to make sure you don’t get overtaken by the other.

That’s why she was defending a little closer to the hoop, but I took advantage of that and made a light three-pointer on the first shot.

I had 2 three pointers whilst Tojoin had 2 two pointers.

The number of goals scored is the same, but there is a difference of two points.

In other words, the score that the Tojoin-san’s team initially led by disappeared and the score was tied.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, it was Tojoin’s turn to go on the offensive.

It would be the last time Tojoin-san would attack in time.

“You’re good, Shimada-san….”

Tojoin-san, holding the ball around the three-point line, said to Sei-chan, who was hunched over and playing defensive in front of her.

“You too, Tojoin-san. But I won’t let you pass.”

The score was tied, but I had to defend against this score if I wanted to win.

“Do you really want to hide Hisamura-kun that much?”

“I told you earlier…”

“ ‘I’m proud of my boyfriend’ ‘I want people to know about him’ ‘I want people to know that I’m proud of him’ ‘I want people to know that he’s my boyfriend’ Do you not feel that way?”

“That’s..!”

“Especially when Hisamura-kun isn’t an embarrassing boyfriend?”

At that moment, Tojoin-san set off.

With a quick dribble, she feints to the right and immediately cuts back to the left.

“Ku…”

I was at the mercy of the enemy and was completely outpaced and so she passed by me.

There was no one in front of Tojoin-san, and she could easily shoot at the goal.

She ran straight with the ball and shot a layup shot.

“What?!”

The moment the ball left Tojoin hand, Sei-chan, who was chasing behind her, hit the ball.

Tojoin-san was surprised to hear her voice as she didn’t expect to be blocked from behind even though she had completely passed her.

The struck ball hit Tojoin-san’s foot and then went out of the court.

The clock stops and an inbounds was given to Sei-chan’s team.

Ten seconds left.

One of Sei-chan’s teammates threw the ball back in and Sei-chan caught it.

In a flash, Sei-chan passed half court and made a dash towards the basket. 

Eight seconds left.

Tojoin-san is a little further away from Sei-chan, just one step outside the three-point line, ready for Sei-chan’s attack.

If Sei-chan were to set up a shot, she should be able to dribble past Tojoin-san just in time.

Six seconds left.

Sei-chan could win with either a two pointer or three pointer.

She’s on a lookout for the three-pointers, since she’s dribbling around the center line, opening up some distance between her and Tojoin-san.

Four seconds left.

Sei-chan hasn’t set off yet.

Tojoin-san prepares herself, thinking that she is about to make a move, but she doesn’t.

Two seconds left.

(No way!)

That’s when Tojoin-san realizes the final attack that Sei-chan was about to launch.

A moment later, Sei-chan stops dribbling and holds the ball.

With that, she shot ahead.

A very long shot from more than three meters away from the three-point line.

Tojoin-san, who had been guarding the ball from a distance, could do nothing but stare at the beautiful form of the ball.

The ball had a bigger arc than usual because it was shot from a long distance.

“Tojoin-san, I’m the type of person who likes to keep my precious things to myself, without showing them off to everyone.”

The moment Sei-chan said that- the ball was sucked into the ring.

There was a moment of silence in the gymnasium, and the next moment an explosion of cheers rang out.

The victor was Sei-chan.