72.新しい日常③ - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

"You're part of the basketball club, right?" As we finished our lunch, Todo asked, somewhat formally. Though I felt puzzled, I nodded and replied, "Yeah, I am." Lately, I haven't defaulted on the club fees, and I've been attending the activities. You could even call me a model basketball club member. "I'm the manager, right?" "More like an assistant manager. You mostly come when Yuu is around," Todo replied to Shinohara, then turned his gaze back to me. "Next week, there's a basketball club tournament as usual. You know about it, right?" "Oh, right. It's that time of year again." The intramurals held every year during the welcoming season. It's a tournament held in that brief period after the seniors graduate and before the new students join. Aside from my club, 'start,' our university has multiple basketball clubs. The size and vibe differ among the clubs; some promote a friendly atmosphere, while others are more like proper teams. I've wondered why those keen on basketball don't just join the team, but some students have to work part-time to pay tuition. Considering that, the different levels and atmospheres across clubs help distinguish basketball players, which is an advantage that official teams don't offer. However, clubs with many casual players are distinctly disadvantaged in tournaments. Consequently, some clubs choose not to participate from the start. "Is your club strong?" Perhaps unaware of all that context, Shinohara asked this question. Todo and I exchanged looks, nodding slightly. Todo was the one who spoke up. "Our university has seven basketball clubs participating in the tournament. In winter, we placed right in the middle." "In the middle? Fourth place, huh. That's kind of hard to react to." "Right? But, well, if Yuu were there, we could've been second or third. He skipped out, after all." Todo smirked, and I frowned. "I didn't skip." Well, strictly speaking, I was bedridden, dealing with the aftermath of what happened with Reina. I was more down than I could believe, and I didn't feel like doing anything. Lately, the feeling has faded, but it's still stuck somewhere inside me. On Valentine's party day, Reina's expression seen from inside the elevator remains etched in my memory. The meaning of those tears is something I could only understand by asking her directly. Perhaps the prickliness I felt from Natsuki the other day was due to that incident. Natsuki is Reina's friend, after all. "Hey, senpai." "Hm?" Snapped out of my thoughts, I replied briefly. "I want to see you do well in the match." "No way." I turned her down without a second thought, and Shinohara puffed her cheeks. "Humph!" Poking at her inflated cheeks, the air leaked out with a hiss. Amused by Shinohara's increasing pout, Todo scolded us from the side, "Don't flirt in front of me." "We're not flirting." "Really? I thought that was the whole point." "Shut it, you're wrong!" "Senpai, you're so rude!" While Shinohara flailed about in mock outrage, I turned back to Todo. "I don't want to participate." "Got it, thanks." "Wait, that doesn't make sense." Instinctively retorting, I saw Todo shrug. "'Start' is just a club, you know. Most of us are just here to have fun now, and there won't be any of those troublesome situations like last time. We're good to give it our all." "What do you mean by giving it our all? What are you expecting from me...?" "Well, some super plays." Todo said it nonchalantly, and as I tried to respond, Shinohara spoke up first. "Senpai, are you really that good?" Todo immediately nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty good. Didn't you notice during the shooting?" Shinohara stood up and exclaimed, "Right!" Her voice echoed in the cafeteria, soon swallowed by the surrounding noise. They were free to get excited, but I doubted I could live up to their expectations. My stamina was lacking, and if I played a full match, I might collapse. That's my current state. "Yet, Yuu doesn't take any shots during games, only passes. So, all the best passes come to me. In a way, he's useless." "That's harsh..." I sighed heavily, and Todo grinned. "If they win, do they get anything? I bet Senpai, being simple-minded, would fall for that easily." "Whose side are you on!" Snapping at Shinohara, she burst into laughter. "It's a mistake to think your ally will always be there to support you!" In short, she's siding with Todo. Though her choice might seem frivolous, it was typical of Shinohara. I quickly abandoned the idea of winning her over, opening my mouth to continue. "Is there a prize or something? If not—" "There is." Todo's immediate reply left me blinking in surprise. Last year, the prizes were travel vouchers given to the top two clubs. Back then, I wasn't interested in a club trip with 'start,' so for me, it was as if there was no prize at all. That's why, even with what happened with Reina, I didn't hesitate to skip the winter tournament. However, if Todo says there's now a monetary prize for the club, that's a different story. "What will the prize money be used for?" Seeing my eagerness, Shinohara let out an exaggerated "Whoa..." I wanted the fancy university student, earning as a salon model, to keep quiet. "You sure are curious." "Don't underestimate living alone." If there's prize money, that would definitely motivate me. Of course, distributing it among members isn't likely, so it would probably be used for club activities. The question is the purpose of that money. Todo laughed and assured me, "Don't worry." "The prize will go towards club activity expenses. If we win first place, our club fees are waived for three months." "So that means..." Club fees are 2,000 yen per month, mainly for gym rental, balls, and shoes. If there's leftover money, it's supposed to be refunded equally to members annually, though it's never actually happened. It likely gets used for welcoming parties and such. Thinking of it as a chance to get 6,000 yen each, it's quite an intriguing prospect. Those nitpicky seniors from six months ago are gone. The remaining seniors are kind and likely won't participate due to job hunting. There's virtually no reason left for me to refuse now. Suppressing my inclination to readily agree, I put on a reluctant expression and spoke. "Alright. I am, after all, a club member." Considering the lazy period of spring break, participating in the tournament would be quite a worthwhile endeavor. Besides, I wanted to support my friend Todo in some way. Todo flashed a grin, showcasing his pearly whites. "Great, it's settled then. I'll send you the details next week via message, so keep an eye out." "I'll come to cheer you on too!" "Yeah, yeah." Having just entered my third year, I felt that this coming university life would be anything but dull. With job hunting looming next year, maybe I should start participating in the events I missed last year, using this as a kickoff. Watching Todo's back as he walked towards the return counter, I thought about all this. "You're not very honest, are you, senpai?" "Leave it." It seemed Shinohara had seen through me. With this, even Todo might have picked up on my thoughts. Slightly embarrassed, I placed my empty sweet and sour pork container on the tray. "Let's go." "Hehe, alright!" —I don't want to show too much of my awkward side. As I sensed the obedient presence of my junior, I thought about how I'd prefer to avoid showing any clumsy moments.