NTR Kousuke

Chapter 126: The First Year Ends.

So, having finished the third semester finals in tenth place, I'll probably make it into the special advanced class focused on college prep next year.

As far as I know, Tanaka-kun, Nagase-san, Osada-san, and Takahashi-san (Nagase's friend) are guaranteed, with Hiroshi and Ninomiya-san (Nagase's friend) just barely making it in.

Koji seems like he's just over the line.

Tomorrow is the closing ceremony.

Today is the ball game tournament, and I have to enter either basketball or soccer. But since I'm in the basketball club, I was pushed into soccer.

There's a basic rule that specialists have to play a different sport.

And so, the match begins.

In the game against another class, the ball came to me at a good moment?!

Koji: "Kousuke!"

Koji is also in the basketball club, so he's here with me...

I make a small swing at the ball coming my way!

Ah.

The ball flies way off in the wrong direction...!

Koji: "...Kousuke, I thought you could do any ball game, but... soccer just isn't your thing?"

"...My bad."

This is it... This is why I hate soccer.

Even though my best friends Sho and Atsuki were in the soccer club, this is why I never chose soccer.

When I kick the ball with my foot, it never goes where I want.

I've always been terrible at kicking balls since I was a kid.

It's so bad, it's embarrassing. I'm okay at other ball sports, but soccer...

The ball goes to the refreshing handsome guy on the other team!

Oh no! He moves really well!

Well, of course—he's from the tenth group in the sports department.

Physically, he's got something amazing.

I finally get over to check him,

and the refreshing handsome guy flashes a dazzling smile,

?: "It's a drive shot!"

...Seriously? Are the sports department guys really geniuses at sports?

Drive shot, as in that one? The legendary one the captain does?

The ball rockets toward the goal at amazing speed!

A fast, strong trajectory!

At this rate, it'll go way over the goal and become a goal kick.

If it's that drive shot, the ball drops at an impossible angle with intense topspin and goes in!

Gyurururururu!!

The ball sails far over the goal and goes out.

Our goal kick...

?: "Haha! It didn't drop, huh? How do you make it drop? Do you know?"

The refreshing guy asks me, looking embarrassed.

"Put topspin on it? Maybe?"

?: "I have no idea. That's just the only technique name I know! Honestly, I can't even handle the ball well with my feet."

"...I get it. I feel the same."

In the end, I kept having these playful scuffles with the refreshing handsome guy until the soccer match ended.

We actually talked a lot until the ball came to us.

The sports department stuff is super interesting.

In the end, it was a scoreless draw and went to penalties, but the tenth group won.

When the match was over, the three of us who lost just lounged around in our class.

As we were about to clear out for the next match, I said goodbye to the handsome guy.

Then—

Osada: "Ryo-kun! Good job! ...Wait, Saito-kun?"

Osada-san? Is Osada-san's rumored boyfriend this refreshing handsome guy?

I was shocked...

Osada-san had a maiden's face and her voice was totally different from usual... If she was always like that, she'd be super popular, right? It was such a cute smile...

Ryo: "Haha! Saito-kun? Ren's that kind of girl. Oh, so you know Ren. I was surprised since Ren doesn't really know many boys! Just call me Ryo, okay?"

He offered a handshake, so I shook his hand.

He's a refreshing handsome guy who reminds me of Atsuki back in the day.

Ryo: "I'm here as a baseball scout, so I'm not that smart, but nice to meet you! Saito-kun!"

"...There are three Saitos in our class, so just call me Kousuke, okay?"

Ryo: "Alright, Kousuke. Nice to meet you! Ren's got a tough personality? She's kind of reckless, so look out for her, okay? See you!"

"...See you, Ryo-kun."

Ryo: "Just Ryo is fine!"

"Okay, Ryo."

Osada-san hurriedly chased after Ryo!

I'd heard from Nagase-san, but they're a couple who only have eyes for each other, seriously and earnestly.

...That just makes them shine even brighter to me. Ryo... seems like a good guy.

Just the closing ceremony is left, but at the very end of my first year, I made a new friend.

☆ ☆ ☆

Osada Ai puts her foot down. side: Osada Ai

Saito-kun in front of me has no expression... No, he's kind of smiling, isn't he?

"Saito-kun, forget what happened earlier, okay?"

Saito: "...Huh? About what?"

Saito-kun blinks in feigned confusion. So obvious!

"Don't play dumb, okay? When I saw Ryo, I was grinning, my voice was higher, and my tone was..."

Saito-kun gives me a faint smile,

"Your tone was really cute?"

My face goes bright red, and I instantly regret it.

Saito-kun will probably be my classmate and rival in the special advanced class next year.

I barely beat him this third semester, but there's no real difference between us.

I still owe him a bit for the Tomonaga thing, but once we move up, we'll be even.

I heard that Saito-kun and Ryo hit it off and became friends during the ball game tournament.

Ryo may seem like that, but he's sharp, so he must have sensed something about Saito-kun.

...I feel like there's something serious and stoic that shines in Saito-kun, too.

Of course, I don't see him as the opposite sex.

As I'm thinking that,

Saito: "...About Ryo, right? We just met, but he has this natural, easy-going way of getting close to people. He's refreshing, straightforward, and bright."

"Exactly! He's been like that since middle school, you know? Ryo is...!"

Two minutes later, I snapped out of it...!

Saito-kun is watching me with a big smile.

"You had the best smile when you were talking about Ryo, Osada-san."

Saito-kun walked away, looking happy.

...He got me.

I trust Ryo's judgment.

He's not good at studying, but he's really observant and has great instincts.

If Ryo hit it off with Saito-kun right away, then Saito-kun must be a good person.

...So why did Saito-kun have such a rough time?

Did he just not have an eye for people? ...Maybe that's it. But even adults can't always see through people, and you don't really know until you try being with them. Who knows.

...I wonder what kind of friendship Ryo and Saito-kun will have.

It was on a day at the end of winter that I found myself thinking about things like that.