Chapter 19 - Summer Comes
(1)
There are two things to do once July arrives.
One is the final exams.
The other is...
"Hey, Toya! It's coming—!"
"Got it."
Toya kicks the ball flying toward him.
The ball flies toward Makoto.
Makoto traps it with his chest and dribbles toward the goal.
The class match.
It's like a competition to determine superiority based on points from various athletic and academic events.
I was playing volleyball, and Airi was playing Othello.
In between matches, we came to cheer for Makoto and Toya, who were playing soccer.
Makoto is moving around like a fish in water.
As expected of the Soccer Club's ace.
Even to someone like me who knows little about soccer, he stood out.
Though it might just be because I'm biased toward my boyfriend.
In contrast, Toya is...
"That guy isn't moving at all."
Yes, he's just spacing out in his own half without ever crossing the center line.
"Toya-kun is fine like that."
Airi says this with a smile.
Isn't he just slacking off because he loves to slack off?
"You'll see if you look closely."
Since Airi said that, I looked.
It's a middle school class match; there's no way I have specialized knowledge of soccer.
It looked like they were just repeating so-called "long ball" soccer.
But it seemed that every ball that entered our class's half was returned by Toya.
Moreover, he returned them with his first touch.
I don't know when he was looking at Makoto, but every ball he returned was received by Makoto.
"Is he aiming?"
"You noticed?"
Airi looks happy.
"He mentioned he played soccer in elementary school, right? He's been like that since then."
"If he's that good, he should move further up."
"He moves when it's time. Ah, there he goes."
Airi points.
Indeed, Toya crossed the center line for the first time.
Noticing this, Makoto quickly sends a pass to the right side.
Toya, while still looking down, sent a cross with his first touch.
...Or so it seemed, as the ball hit the inside of the upper left corner of the opponent's goalpost, bounced, and shook the net.
"Nice, Toya!"
In contrast to Makoto, who made a victory pose, Toya returned to his own half without saying a word.
Even when the opponent penetrated with dribbles, he read every pass and sent the ball to Makoto with his first touch.
"Toya had a special talent too..."
"Now you understand what I meant when I said it was a waste that he quit soccer!"
Airi is rejoicing as if it were her own achievement.
Maybe I can afford to praise him a little.
I kept watching Toya after that.
With that attitude, no one would be on guard.
The match continued to be one-sided, and our class won.
I didn't watch the subsequent matches, but apparently, they won them all.
Airi also won all her Othello matches.
If the other matches had been more competitive, our class probably would have finished in first place.
(2)
The next morning.
"Good morning, Toya-kun."
Today, I obediently accepted Airi's kiss.
My body won't move; it's muscle pain.
Well, it's been a while since I moved...
"Are you okay?"
"...Somehow. Go on down first."
Airi nodded and left the room.
It hurts when I raise my arms.
My legs too.
Enduring the pain, I change clothes and go downstairs.
Even descending the stairs is painful.
Kanna and Airi are waiting in the dining room.
"Yo!"
Kanna greets me normally.
"Morning."
I reply, take a seat, and eat breakfast.
"How pathetic. You're in that state after moving for just two days?"
"It can't be helped. It's been a long time since I've exercised."
"Are you an old man, or what?"
"Shut up."
After that, I go to the washroom to get ready.
"It's because he normally doesn't exercise at all."
"But for someone who hasn't done it in a while, he was amazing, almost as much as he used to be."
"Was he even more amazing back then?"
"Well, he used to sweep all the trophies at the local tournaments."
"He was that good? Well, that makes sense... if it was him."
"It's no big deal. Look, I'm ready."
When I return, Kanna hurriedly finishes her coffee.
"Well, shall we go?"
Everyone was already in summer clothes.
When girls wear summer clothes, colored underwear can be seen through.
"I wonder what color bra that girl is wearing today!"
Did I used to make a fuss about things like that with Makoto?
When I asked Airi, she burst out laughing and lifted her sailor uniform.
It was a tank top.
Did she laugh even more seeing me blush?
I walked while thinking about such things.
Unusually, the conversation during the commute centered on me.
"Why did you quit soccer?"
"I was told to quit club activities because of entrance exams."
"Couldn't you have made a living with soccer?"
"It's not that easy."
"But your play was amazing. ...Though you didn't seem to have any motivation."
"Hey, hey, how can you kick so accurately?"
To Airi's question, I thought for a moment before answering.
"Maybe it's the result of... wall-kicking?"
"Wall-kicking?"
"You know the slopes at the elementary school? I used to kick the ball there. See, since it's a slope and bumpy, you don't know where it'll fly, right? So I was looking for a spot where I could kick it back to a single point without having to move myself."
"Amazing..."
"I didn't have anyone to practice passing with. At first, I did it with the goalposts, but they told me I was in the way, so I had no choice."
"Were you a loner?"
"Pretty much..."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Then, while I was doing wall-hits and listening to the coach, Makoto came over and asked, 'Be my passing partner.' I did it reluctantly. Then the coach saw it."
"And you were recruited?"
"Yeah. At first, I was recommended for attacking mid, but I thought moving around would be a pain. So I asked to be a DF. Then he told me, 'You're a libero!'"
"Hmm, so you've always been a lazybones. Why did you start soccer in the first place?"
"Maybe because Makoto recommended it?"
"You should have just refused."
"True..."
Now that she mentions it, she's right. Why did I accept?
"More importantly, is Kanna okay? The final exams are this weekend, right?"
"I'm fine already. I've been studying perfectly every day."
If she could just stop sleeping during class, she'd get even more points.
"Good luck, Kanna."
"You bet!"
Kanna makes a victory pose.
Final exams.
My performance was as usual.
Kanna apparently did very well.
Well, since it's Kanna saying it...
Airi also apparently had a satisfactory result this time.
Makoto is usually around the same level as me.
And the following week.
The results are posted.
First place was Airi.
I also fought quite well, placing within the top 50.
A stir occurs.
The cause was Kanna.
Kanna's grades were around the middle.
Kanna and Airi hug each other in joy.
"With this, we can go to Hofu!"
"Really! We can go!"
From the shadows, Saeki-san and Nakama watched them, looking frustrated.
"I'm glad, Kanna."
"Yeah, it's thanks to you two. Airi, I'm glad I wasn't a drag!"
"There's no way that would happen!"
And so, the first semester's events mostly ended.
Though Makoto and the others have started practicing for the prefectural qualifiers.
The closing ceremony.
I receive my report card.
It's not bad.
Airi is as usual.
Kanna must have done exceptionally well, as she was overjoyed and hugging Airi.
"Airi, are you traveling for summer vacation?"
"Hmm, maybe just going back to my father's family home for Obon."
"I see."
"What about Kanna?"
"No particular plans."
"And Toya-kun?"
"I don't think I have any particular plans either."
"I see... maybe I'll stay home too?"
"Eh?"
"Why does it lead to that!?"
Kanna and I look at Airi simultaneously.
"Because, when you think of summer vacation, there's going to the pool, going to the mountains, going to the sea, going to festivals... it's full of fun things."
"Spend at least Obon with your family."
"Besides... Kanna will be with Makoto-kun, right? Won't Toya-kun be lonely?"
"I'll be fine!"
I'm not a child.
"You don't need to worry about me. You're always together, so your parents probably want to go somewhere as a family once in a while, right? I think my house is probably the same, so you should go."
"Hmm..."
I had no way of knowing at this time that this would actually become a reality.