第97話 知らない一面 - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

"Yuuta!" With the call, an orange sphere fit snugly in his palm. As he cast his gaze toward the basketball hoop, the distance was still too great to attempt a shot. Ahead of him stood two opposing defenders. One quickly blocked the passing lane, and he inwardly clicked his tongue in frustration as he searched for another way to pass. Each teammate was tightly guarded, leaving no clear recipient for a pass. "Go for it yourself!" A voice tinged with impatience echoed in his ears. Responding to the call, he shifted his weight onto his pivot foot and adjusted his balance. His opponent quickly reacted, positioning themselves to cut off his path. —This is it. He spun his body backward, advancing half a step ahead of the defender. Beyond the opened view, he spotted Toudou. As he extended his arm to pass, he sensed Toudou's expression hardening. "...Got it." He continued his dribble, forcefully breaking away from the cover defense with a side leap, shooting just before landing. The ball rebounded off the backboard and fell straight through the hoop. "You can pull off moves like that. So why do you always try to pass?" Toudou lightly tapped his shoulder as he spoke, a reminder of the strain on his body, which ached softly. "Passing is a crucial part of team play, right?" "Of course it is. But if passing is your only option, that's a different conversation." Toudou crushed the empty bottle in his hand, furrowing his brows. "Yuuta, your reluctance to decide the outcome yourself is showing in your play." "My ears are burning." He shook his head, trying to distance himself from Toudou’s critique. Toudou, being quite skilled at basketball, often provided advice post-game—not so much technical, but aimed at his mental fortitude. When he had once played with Shinohara, her opinion had been, "Passing is praiseworthy too," yet today's stance seemed the opposite. "But I took the shot in the end, didn’t I?" Precisely because it was a situation that called for individual play, he managed to push through assertively. The exhilaration of breaking free from the defense for the first time in a while still simmered within him. "Well, when push comes to shove, you do make decisions. In everything." "What are you trying to say? I don’t get it." "Haha, my bad. That last shot was really great." Offering an open hand with a cheerful laugh, they exchanged a light high-five. Just then, a gentle voice drifted down from above. "Yuuta-kun, that was impressive." Reina said, handing him a sports drink. "Thanks." Grateful, he accepted the offering, setting the tea Toudou had bought him aside. Toudou, not particularly perturbed by his actions, turned to Reina and spoke. "Is this the first time you've seen Yuuta play basketball?" "Yeah, it is. Yuuta-kun never really talked about basketball before." Reina replied, reminiscing about their time together when they were dating. Even after hearing the full story from him, it only seemed to create a potentially awkward mood, yet Toudou’s smiling demeanor didn’t allow for such tension. "Really? So, what did you think of Yuuta's basketball?" "I'm glad I watched. It was cool." Seeing Reina’s happy expression made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Stop, you're making me cringe." "But it's true, isn't it?" In response to Reina's words, he scratched his head vigorously. Toudou found his reaction amusing, laughing out loud. "You two seem to get along pretty well now, don’t you? That's great." "Well, better than before, anyway..." He couldn’t help but speak hesitantly. Letting details about what happened with Reina be known felt like exposing his own shortcomings—a pointless pride compelling him to silence. "Toudou-kun, did Yuuta-kun tell you everything?" Reina asked Toudou. By 'everything,' she meant the reason for their breakup. Toudou seemed to understand what she implied and nodded. "Yeah, he told me. If you want, I can confirm the details for you. It's not often you get a chance to clarify misunderstandings." "No, that's okay. I trust Yuuta-kun." Reina's straightforward refusal surprised him slightly. Toudou seemed equally taken aback but quickly nodded in understanding. "That's right. I trust him too." "Uh, thanks..." With their exchange, he murmured his gratitude. Reina then softened her expression. "There's no need to say things that put Yuuta-kun at a disadvantage. Let's not discuss this with anyone else besides Toudou-kun." He shook his head. "Actually, I've already mentioned it to a few friends in my academic department. I'll make sure to correct it." "No need. I leaned on Toudou-kun because he's Yuuta-kun's closest guy friend. If telling them leads to people saying bad things about you behind your back, I'd be the one to scold you." "Why would it come to that?" "Because if Yuuta-kun is seen negatively, it makes me sad. Unless you're not willing to avoid things that would make me sad." Reina asked, lowering her brows. ...That’s a tricky move. Hearing something like that, he couldn’t refuse. It's a sly, yet remarkably kind sentiment. Reina, in every way, considered his feelings. "Alright, I won't talk about it anymore." "Thanks." "That should be my line. Just how kind are you going to be?" With a wry smile, he noticed Toudou agreeing. "Right, she’s got such a big heart. You don’t find many people like her." "Indeed. I'm just trying to look good in front of Yuuta-kun." "Isn't it usually the other way around?" Toudou teased Reina, then continued. "Feel free to drop by sometimes. Our circle is quite free in that regard." "Oh, is it okay even if I'm not part of the group?" "Sure, we have people who manage us even without being officially registered." Toudou cast a mischievous glance at him. It was likely about Shinohara. That underclassman probably spent countless hours in the gym over the past few months. Considering that, Toudou’s suggestion seemed very feasible. After a moment of contemplation, Reina smiled and said, "I might take you up on that offer." "I’m starting in the next game. You should rest, Yuuta." Saying that, Toudou stood up and began walking toward the court. "It’s winner stays on, right? I’m playing too." As he stood, Toudou quickly waved him off. "Idiot, we have a guest. Try to reduce the time she has nothing to do, for the sake of the circle leader’s honor." "That's just for you!" Laughing lightly at his retort, Toudou ran off toward the court. It seemed a lowerclassman was stepping in for him, leaving Yuuta with no imminent chance of getting back in the game. As the whistle signaled the start of the match, Toudou moved deftly, quickly taking control of the ball. Reina, beside him, broke the silence. "You and Toudou have known each other since your freshman year, right?" "Yeah, that's right." Watching Toudou drive in and take a shot was mesmerizing, a sight even a fellow guy couldn’t help but admire. Reflecting on how they’d teamed up to shine in a previous inter-club basketball match when they first joined 'Start,' Yuuta realized just how much time had passed since then. Two years since they met. It's likely that his relationship with Toudou would continue even into adulthood. He's heard a saying that friends made in college are lifelong companions, perhaps because those friendships form after both parties have matured in values and behavior. Talking with Toudou makes him think that's true. Had they met in middle school, he isn't sure if they'd have become friends. The same goes for Reina and Shinohara. "What brought you two together?" "A welcome event for a different club. We hit it off there and then joined Start together." "That's nice. College friendships are special, aren’t they?" Reina remarked, retrieving a bottle of tea from her handbag—one size smaller than what he'd received. After taking a sip, she faced him with a sheepish smile. "You're making me blush staring like that." "Oh, sorry." Embarrassed, he quickly diverted his gaze. He hadn’t meant to stare; her face just entered his line of sight. But Reina stood out in this gymnasium setting, inevitably drawing attention. It was the same with Shinohara—wearing casual clothes in a gym made one conspicuous, especially if they were already someone who caught people’s eyes. "Come to think of it, Yuuta-kun, you've never been to my club, have you?" Sensing the reflective tone in her voice, he replied, "No, I haven't." "Right." She nodded, closing the bottle and storing it back in her bag. He’d long known she practiced archery, yet the opportunity to see her in action never arose. Honestly, he'd never even thought about visiting her club. "When you think about it, there must be so many sides of us that we don’t know about each other." "Probably. The amount you can learn in just a year is pretty limited." After all, even families that have been together for twenty years don’t know everything about one another. Yet, for students, a year is a substantial amount of time, which also means having many unknowns remaining could imply issues in how they approached their relationship. "You tried to get to know me, and I tried to know you, too." Reina shrugged off her coat and hung it over her left arm. Seeing its heft, he almost offered to help but quickly drew his hand back, given the post-game sweat still on his arm. "But maybe we both held back a bit too much. There were lots of things left unsaid." While tucking her bangs behind her ear, Reina continued. "So, there's something I want to ask now. Yuuta-kun, do you have someone you like right now?" Her straightforward gaze grilled into him.