Chapter 5 – Summer’s Door
Volume 3
Early August.
Today is the day that the girls’ basketball team, led by my senior, Madoka, has a game. To be precise, it’s the third round of the prefectural tournament, and if they win, the fourth round in the afternoon.
Today’s plan is to cheer them on.
I was told that I didn’t have to come to the first and second rounds because it would be uncool to lose there. Fortunately, it seemed that the team had won there, and we were able to go and cheer for them.
First, I met up with Ichiya.
We had decided on the train and the coach we would take over the phone last night, so I waited at the platform. As the train slowed down, I saw a familiar head in the window. I could tell from the back of his head that he was reading a book as usual.
After getting on the train, I walked two doors down and approached Ichiya.
[Good morning, Ichiya.]
[Good morning]
He closed the book he was reading and greeted me back.
[Did you do any club activities in junior high school, Ichiya?]
I talked to him as we were riding on the train.
He was not very willing to talk about himself, so I took this opportunity to ask him.
[English Drama Club.]
[…Uwa.]
[What’s with that reaction?]
A chilly voice asked.
[No, I just thought it somehow suited Ichiya]
[…I see.]
He didn’t seem to be convinced when I said it was typical of Ichiya to join it.
[I was also a member of the Nippon Kempo club.]
[Wait a minute, Ichiya]
[What is it now?]
[You were in an athletic club and you were a martial artist?]
I couldn’t believe it.
[Is there a problem?]
[It’s not a problem, but…]
I couldn’t believe it, but I tried to imagine it.
Ichiya in a bodysuit and protective gear.
The lightness of his footwork and the leanness of his movements to the contrary.
The face behind the mask is as cool as ever, overwhelming the enemy with striking techniques without changing a single expression.
[Oh, you look great, Ichiya. Do you have any pictures? Let me see.]
[…]
While I was doing this, the train arrived at the station where we were to get off, and the sports center was about a ten-minute walk away.
[It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Nakahama sports center. I haven’t been to this sports center since my third year of junior high school, so it’s been about ten months. Oh, That monkey house is nostalgic.]
There is a monkey house on the grounds for some reason. When I tried to get close to it, I was grabbed by the collar by Ichiya.
[You can do that later. You’ve got people waiting.]
[Oh, yes, that’s right.]
But I was a little sad to leave.
When I was in junior high school, basketball tournaments were usually held in this Nakahama Sports Center, so I was rather familiar with it. Whenever I had free time, I would come to this monkey house and play with the monkeys. I have fond memories of pretending to feed the monkeys and pelting them with pieces of bread as hard as I could.
Tsukasa Senpai was waiting for me at the entrance of the main building.
[Good morning, both of you.]
[Good morning, Tsukasa-senpai.]
When Tsukasa Senpai saw us, she smiled at us.
Today’s Tsukasa Senpai was wearing a tank top with a halter-neck corset and a tight mini-skirt with frills on the hem. A summery look.
She was also carrying a large basket in her hand.
[What’s that?]
I was curious, so I asked her.
[It’s a simple sandwich for lunch. I hope it won’t go to waste.]
[Yeah.]
If we lose in the third round in the morning, we’ll have to withdraw from the field, and the sandwiches will no longer be needed. In order to eat Tsukasa Senpai’s homemade sandwiches, I really need Madoka Senpai and the others to do their best.
[Well, I’m sure since it’s that senpai, it will be fine.]
[Yes, you’re right.]
After chuckling at one of Ichiya’s words, Tsukasa senpai took the lead and walked into the gym.
On the court, both schools were already starting to get ready. We brazenly walked right up to them, acting like we were a part of it.
[Yo. Sorry to have you come all this way to cheer us on.]
Madoka Senpai noticed us and came running towards us.
[Don’t worry about it. I’m on a date with Nachi-kun anyway.]
[Ah, right, right. You’ve always been like that, damn it.]
Madoka senpai glared at Tsukasa senpai with an annoyed look on her face. However, she quickly returned to smiling. Tsukasa senpai was also smiling. It seemed to be their own way of greeting each other.
[How are you doing, Madoka-senpai?]
[Well, I’m doing great. I don’t think I’ll have any problems in this game. What I’m worried about is this afternoon. We haven’t won a single game against a team that’s probably going to advance with us.]
[It’s not a good feeling if you know that you’re weak against someone.]
[True.]
Madoka-senpai nodded with a serious face.
It was a face I hadn’t seen much of, that of a female basketball team captain.
[Well, there’s no point in worrying about it now. We have to win this game first. I’ll count on your support.]
Then Madoka senpai turned to Ichiya, who had not yet said a word since he came here.
[You too, Toyachi. I’ll be in your care today as well.]
[….]
But Ichiya remained silent.
[Madoka, I think you just made a slight slip of the tongue.]
[Ah…]
[…Idiot.]
When Tsukasa senpai pointed it out, Madoka-senpai and Ichiyareacted in different ways. And, to my dismay, I didn’t understand the “slip of the tongue” part of senpai’s statement.
Madoka Senpai turned to the court in a bit of a panic.
[Okay, okay, don’t stop. Be sure to warm up. Especially for the third year, if there is an opportunity, keep doing it.]
She commented to the club members who were watching us.
If you think about it, I don’t think that’s a line of dialogue that Madoka-senpai should be speaking here.
[That’s right, Toyachi. Why don’t you just wave your hand at them?]
[…I refuse.]
[Isn’t it fine? It’s not going to hurt. Come on, come on.]-
At the urging of Madoka senpai, Ichiya reluctantly raised one hand in the air. Even with that, more than half of the third years who were doing warm-up waved back. The destructive power of Ichiya is enormous.
[Okay, let’s try Nacchi next.]
[Ehh, me too?]
I had no choice, so I had to do it too. I waved my hand with a smile, meaning, “Good luck, I’m rooting for you”. Oh, that was a surprise. A few of them waved back. Of course, I’m no match for Ichiya.
[Madoka, that’s why you asked these two to come, isn’t it?]
[Don’t worry about the details. It’s just a little pick-me-up.]
[Geez]
Senpai puffed up her cheeks.
Surely, if they’re willing to work hard for this much, it’s an easy task.
[I’ll show you the results in return. Just watch.]
[Yeah, we’ll do that.]
So we went up to the middle of the first-floor audience seats.
The first match ended in an overwhelming victory as Madoka Senpai was so confident.
[It’s about time. Let’s have lunch. There’s enough for you too, Toya-kun.]
Hearing Senpai’s words, Ichiya nodded silently…It’s fine with me, but you should reply to your seniors with words.
[You don’t have anything to drink, do you, senpai? I’ll go get some.]
[Ah, Can you do that? I couldn’t bring enough for all three of us.]
Hearing senpai’s reply, I stood up. I climbed over the chair I was sitting in and moved to the back row, which was empty, and then went out to the aisle.
[That’s bad behavior, you know]
I got scolded by senpai.
But, since I was sitting in the middle, it was difficult for me to get out.
I laughed and covered it up and went to the vending machine corner. I once bought a sweet café au lait for IChiya when he asked for coffee, but he got angry and said, [This is just coffee milk]. I thought it was polite of him to drink it down with a frown on his face.
So I bought sugar-free coffee for the two of them. For me, it was café au lait.
On my way back to my seat with three cans, I saw from a distance that Ichiya and senpai were sitting side by side. Perhaps it was difficult to have a conversation with an empty seat in between, so Ichiya moved to the seat where I had been sitting until a while ago.
(I wonder what kind of conversation senpai and Ichiya are having?)
I thought about this as I walked forward.
But when I reached them, I couldn’t help but stop moving.
[…]
Senpai and Ichiya look very picturesque when they are sitting side by side. Ichiya is intelligent and calm, and looks more mature than her age, while Senpai is known as “the most beautiful girl in Seirei”. Perhaps this is what they mean when they say they look good together. This is not the case with me.
[What’s wrong, Nachi-kun?]
She was worried about me pondering over it, but the answer that came out of nowhere was inexplicable.
[…Ichiya, that’s my seat.]
I wonder what I’m thinking.
[Are you an elementary schooler or what…?]
[I don’t care if I’m an elementary schooler. I’ll sit there.]
I gave the bottle to Senpai and sat down in the seat that he had given me.
Silence.
I wondered if it was my fault that the atmosphere was so bad, but Ichiya was as usual, and senpai patted me on the head while chuckling. In the end, I was the only one who felt uncomfortable.
We shared a can of coffee and had a sandwich for lunch.
And then…
[Oh, a sandwich? Nice.]
Madoka senpai appeared, wearing a club jersey and T-shirt.
[Thanks for your hard work.]
[Mm. Thank you for your support, Nacchi.]
She sat down on a chair in the back row.
[Madoka, what about lunch?]
[I’m wondering what I should do. My next match is in about two hours. It’s hard when you’re playing at the tournament level and time is packed.]
[Well, do you want some of this?]
Tsukasa senpai held out the basket and said.
[That’s right. I’ll do that.]
She quickly extended her hand and grabbed one.
[If we win the next game, we’ll be in the top four, right?]
[Yes, that’s right. If we can get to that point, I’ll have no complaints… Okay, I’ll be off. Our point-scorer is going to participate in a three-point shooting competition. I’ve got to go cheer her on.]
Indeed, when I looked towards the court, I saw that players from various high schools had gathered there. It’s a regular event at high school tournaments. In case you’re wondering when it comes to boys, it’s a dunking contest.
[Tsukasa, the sandwiches were delicious.]
In the end, Madoka senpai took the can of coffee from Ichiya and poured it down her throat.
[Do your best.]
[Leave it to me.]
That was the exchange between Ichiya and Madoka-senpai while returning the coffee.
And then senpai ran down the stairs of the audience seats with a light step.
The wall of the top four was much thicker than expected.
We lost a lot of points in the first half, and although we pushed hard in the second half, we could never get the point gap down to zero. If you only look at the second half, we probably scored twice as many points as the other team. Especially the last play. In the last play of the game, Madoka senpai’s coast-to-coast running shot is etched in my mind.
But if we lose, it’s over. In particular, because Seirei Academy is a preparatory school, third-year students are not allowed to participate in any club activities after the summer, even if they are in the physical education department. This was practically the last tournament for Madoka senpai.
One by one, she called out to the tearful club members, consoling and encouraging them.
To conclude the event, all the club members lined up in a row and bowed to the audience. We, and everyone else who was cheering them on, applauded them.
[I’m going home first.]
After the applause was over, Ichiya stood up.
Tsukasa senpai and I watched until the end as Madoka senpai and the others left the court, and then decided to leave.
[Uryaaaah!]
A piece of bread that I threw with all my might hit the monkey on the forehead. At the same time, I was hit on the back of the head by Tsukasa senpai.
[Hey. Don’t bully the animals.]
[No, I was just feeling nostalgic.]
It is usually a piece of sandwich bread, so even if it hits them, it won’t hurt, and the monkey is completely unfazed and runs to pick it up.
[It was a pity about Madoka, wasn’t it?]
[Yeah]
But it can’t be helped. That’s the way it is in competitions. If someone wins, someone else loses. For every winner, there is a loser. If you put it that way, the only school that isn’t disappointed is the one that stands at the top.
So I can only hope that today’s game was one that Madoka-senpai had no regrets about.
[How were things for you, Nachi-kun?]
[Me? Of course, I didn’t have any regrets either. I lost in the third round, but at the last minute, they let me play as a regular.]
But by the third quarter, I was stuck with four fouls, and in the end, I had to leave the game with five fouls. But I still gave it my all, so I have no regrets.
[And these are the shoes I was wearing at that time.]
I hooked my foot on the fence and showed her the basketball shoes I was wearing.
At the time, I wore them out at a rate of less than a year, so I had to replace them three times, and this was my fourth pair of basketball shoes. And I’ve been using them as regular shoes since I retired after the team competitions.
[So, what should we do now? Do you want to make a date for the week?]
Senpai changed the subject and feelings.
There it is, the mysterious quota-based dates.
[No, I was hoping we could reschedule.]
[Do you have any plans for today?]
[That’s not what I meant. It’s already evening, and I wonder if I’ll be able to spend more time with you if we do it another day….?]
When I said this, senpai’s eyes widened in surprise.
[Since Nachi-kun insisted, let’s just go somewhere for tea today.]
[That will count as a date, you know.]
It was getting a little annoying… Okay. I’ll show you that I’m not going to be pushed around all the time.
[…U]
Senpai stopped walking at the same time.
Okay, I’ve got the upper hand. I stuck my tongue out in my mind.
But…
[Right, that’s fine. Then I’ll go home alone from here. I don’t want it to be called a date just because we’re walking together. Please go home alone too, Nachi-kun.]
[E-eh?]
This was an unexpected development.
(Umm…)
However, leaving me stagnant in my thoughts, Senpai walked off on her own.
After about ten steps, she turned around.
[Bleh.]
She really stuck out her tongue at me.
[Ah, no, I’m kidding. It was a joke, senpai.]
I hurriedly chased after her.
Apparently, I’m not cut out for these kinds of tactics.
§§§
Madoka made one last check to make sure the door was locked before leaving the club room.
The plan was to disband at the game site, but she came back to the school with about half of the club members to clean up the practice balls and other things they had brought with them. Afterward, they had a meeting where they brought snacks and juice and talked.
By the time Madoka left the clubhouse, night had already begun to fall.
In the darkness, Madoka found someone standing leaning against the gate post of the school gate.
[Yo, Toyachi. What are you doing here?]
[I was just passing by.]
When Madoka asked him, he replied in an unamused tone. This doesn’t mean that there was actually anything uninteresting about it. This was his default.
[I see. So, how long did you wait…?]
[Less than two hours, I guess.]
[You know, you should at least send me a text. I didn’t even know you were waiting for me, I was having a little farewell party in the club room.]
A sigh leaked out of Madoka’s mouth in exasperation.
However, since he was waiting for her, she couldn’t blame him anymore.
[So, do you have any business with me?]
[No, I was just passing through.]
[I see. So you are sticking with that.]
Without warning, Ichiya began to walk. Madoka wondered what he would do if she didn’t move. But she could easily imagine a scene where she was the one left behind as Ichiya continued to walk. Therefore, Madoka didn’t try the plan but quickly stepped forward.
The conclusion to the proposition was so easy that as a result, there was no clear time lag in the timing of their walk.
[I’m sorry about today, even though you came all that way to cheer for me.]
Madoka said as they walked towards the station.
[It can’t be helped. No one can keep winning. If you fight, you will lose at some point.]
[Well, that’s true… So, How did I do today…?]
[Nachi said your last play was brilliant.]
[That’s his opinion, right? What about you?]
At Madoka’s question, Ichiya thought for a few seconds.
[…It’s not easy being the captain of the club.]
A tasteless and plain comment came out of Ichiya’s mouth.
[Comforting and encouraging the crying club members…]
[That’s part of the duty of a captain.]
[But who’s going to cheer up the captain? Even though the captain is just as frustrated as the rest of the team.]
Surprised by his words, Madoka looked at Ichiya, but his face remained as expressionless as ever. His neat face was only looking forward.
[What, did you come because you were worried about me?]
[…]
This time, there was no reply.
Although he had always been a man of few words, today he was even more silent than usual. It was no use, so Madoka decided to talk on her own.
[Unfortunately, I’m not that soft. Regrettably.]
[…That’s good to hear.]
[I’ve done everything I could and I have no regrets. There’s nothing left behind on the high school basketball court.]
If there was one thing that bothered her, it was the fact that she had never won an official game against the high school she played against today. However, this is a challenge for the entire Seirei Gakuen girls basketball team, not for Madoka alone. Hopefully, the younger members of the team will be able to accomplish this someday.
[Ah, shoot…]
After that, the two of them walked in silence for a while, and then suddenly, as if remembering something, Madoka spoke up.
[In any case, I should have said, “It was really hard for me, too. But I couldn’t cry in front of the club members”, and showed one of my tears… Can I start over now?]
[No thanks. No one expects that.]
[I’m sorry, I’m an uncute girl.]
Without thinking, Madoka stopped and stared at Ichiya. However, he continued walking. She was now practicing the proof of the proposition she had just made.
[If that’s what you think, then just shut up and follow me. I’ll buy you something.]
[Sure, sure. I’d be most grateful.]
I wonder what’s with this guy. Madoka scratched her head as she thought about it.
In the meantime, Ichiya was continuing onward. When he said “follow me”, it was a literal “follow me”, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of waiting.
Madoka quickly followed the back of Ichiya that was about to melt and disappear into the dim darkness and lined up beside him.
TN: Nachi is jealous 😀
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Impatient MTL Reader 
Woah a new simple life chapter 😮
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