CH 17

I’m at a slight loss for words

Translated by HamletJr

Edited by Spynine01

“Alright then, first of all, each of you will do your own warm-up exercises. Then, you’ll run a lap around the entire court! After you’re done with that, we’ll begin the badminton matches~!”

Gouda-sensei’s loud voice echoed throughout the gym.

You know this isn’t some sort of recital on an empty lot, right?

“Yui.”

“This is for our warm-up exercise.”

“Why are you holding out your hand? We sure as hell aren’t doing this together, it’d make us stand out way too much!”

“Tch…”

“Don’t just go and click your tongue… you’re making me remember some traumatic memories.”

After we finished our warm-up exercises separately, I went to get the equipment needed for the both of us.

I held a shuttlecock in my left hand and a racket in my right.

First, we had to do the single lap around the court.

However, Shiina just stood still instead, holding her racket in her hand silently.

I wonder what’s going on inside this girl’s head.

I approached Shiina.

“What’s wrong, Shiina-san? We have to get ready.”

I spoke to Shiina as “Suda Ritsuki”.

I’m pretty sure I heard her whisper, “The way you’re talking right now is creepy…”

I think I’m gonna go and die now.

“I can’t… I can’t get ready.”

“Why?”

“Last night(‘s band rehearsal), Shion was really aggressive(at making me practice the drums), and so my back hurts.”

“Y-you―!”

I quickly looked around us.

There didn’t seem to be anyone listening in on us, so that was a relief.

I don’t know why, but I always feel like some people are watching me from afar.

This girl is always so troublesome because she simplifies things way too much.

Also, please don’t call me Shion here.

“S-Shiina-san… My name is Suda, okay~. Please remember my name at  least~”

I addressed her with the amiable tone that I got from being a vocalist.

“Suda Yui… no, that sounds awful. Shiina Ritsuki sounds much better, don’t you think so?”

“Instead of playing around with our names, why don’t we go ahead and play badminton now?”

“I really can’t. In fact, I can’t even raise my arms.”

“Seriously..?”

“But my drumming skills are pretty high.”

“Damn, and I thought I was getting better at it…”

(TLN: Lost pun in translation. When she complained about her arms, she used: 腕も上がらない, which literally means “I can’t lift my arms”. When she spoke of her drumming skills, she used ドラムの腕は上がった, where 腕 can mean both “arm” or “skill”. Couldn’t find a way to TL this so I’d appreciate any suggestions!)

I felt a mysterious sense of defeat as I crossed my arms together and began thinking.

“We’re going to have a doubles match after this, right?”

“Looks like it.”

“So, what are we going to do about it?”

“Do your best out there, Suda-kun.”

“And what about you, Shiina-san?”

“I already worked really hard yesterday.”

“But I also worked really hard yesterday, you know?”

“Shion was the one who worked hard yesterday. Right now, you’re Suda-kun, right?”

No, no, no, why did I suddenly get into a verbal argument with her?

And she even managed to score a point at the end of it?!

What an incredible trick-play by her!

“Hey, can’t you at least swing the racket?”

“If you give me a massage, then maybe…”

“Specify ‘my arm’! You always say things that can cause misunderstandings if anyone else hears you.”

“But I’d be fine even if you massaged me somewhere else, you know?”

“Don’t make me feel nervous all of a sudden.”

“―Alright! We don’t have much time left, so let’s get these matches started~!”

Gouda-sensei’s voice echoed throughout the gym once more.

In the end, we didn’t even run a single lap around the court as we went into our matches.

Damn it. What am I gonna do about this…

“Kitarou and Shiina-san were whispering to each other just now.”

“There’s no way a guy like Kitarou would be able to get along with an unattainable flower like Shiina-san.”

“That Kitarou didn’t even run a single lap… How pathetic.”

“I’m sure they must’ve had some sort of dispute. She probably told him, ‘I don’t want to team up with you.’”

I could hear the boys around me laughing and ridiculing me from a distance.

Also, we didn’t have any sort of “dispute”. That’s a false claim I say.