Soccer Club

Even after being soaked in exhaustion all day, Tetsuya prepared to head to the Soccer Club for practice as usual.

He stopped at the intersection and turned around to say goodbye to us.

I suggested going with Tetsuya to check out the Soccer Club.

"Seisuke... are you thinking of joining the Soccer Club family?"

"Not entirely sure yet, just want to feel the atmosphere first."

"Our atmosphere goes without saying—pretty harmonious. Plus, we have a well-rounded setup, so even if you're not great at kicking, there are other departments you can join."

With that, Tetsuya gave my arm a squeeze.

"But that would be kind of a waste of your ability."

Ryota, who had been silent all along, suddenly nodded as if in agreement.

"Why do you guys somehow come to that conclusion? There's no basis for it."

"Haha, just feels like a man's instinct about what he's good at."

Not dwelling on the topic, I invited Ryota to come along too.

But he said he wanted to check out the Archery Club instead and declined.

And so, we parted ways at the fork.

"Seisuke, how's your soccer?"

"I can play a bit, know the basic rules."

"By the way, I've seen you sharing some match highlights. Do you have frequent practice matches?"

"Not really. Aside from the weekly fixed fitness training, the rest of the time we organize some internal games."

"You must know a lot of upperclassmen."

"Of course! I often practice with a lot of seniors and have met many like-minded friends."

Seeming to recall something pleasant, a hint of joy showed on his face.

"That's nice, making a lot of new friends."

"That sudden remark makes it sound like you can't make friends yourself... But speaking of which, Seisuke seems to have pretty good luck with girls."

"...Why do you say that?"

"I've heard some envious and jealous whispers on the side."

Envious... huh?

"Either way, it's other people's business. I don't really care about it."

"Saying that is pretty in character for you, Seisuke."

"By the way, there's a freshman in the Soccer Club named Hirata Yousuke, right?"

No longer dwelling on mundane small talk, I steered the topic to what I really cared about.

"Yeah! Hirata Yousuke from Class 1-D. He's a midfielder with high soccer IQ, exceptionally seasoned in handling many key plays."

The moment I brought up Hirata, he seemed to recall the other's strengths.

"Sounds like a freshman who's really good at soccer."

"Not just good at soccer—he's an excellent person off the field too."

Hearing Tetsuya's words, I couldn't help but feel curious.

"Can you tell me more?"

"On the field, he connects the team as a key player. Off the field, he gets along with everyone."

"Not just us first-years—even the upperclassmen speak highly of him."

Tetsuya gestured animatedly as he talked, then suddenly asked a question.

"Why did you suddenly ask about him, Seisuke?"

"We met briefly before, so I was just curious to ask around."

"I see."

Tetsuya nodded and didn't press further.

"Tetsuya, didn't expect you to show up today. The first-years' originally scheduled practice got pushed to tomorrow because of the quiz."

"You're looking energetic as always, Yousuke-kun!"

Two figures reflected on the edge of the field.

Past Tetsuya's frame, Hirata Yousuke noticed me.

"You're... Hajima-kun, right! I remember you."

"Long time no see, Hirata-kun."

"Why the sudden visit to the soccer club? Are you interested in our club?"

"You could say that. Every time I see Tetsuya mention this place, he's visibly overjoyed, so I couldn't help but be curious."

"Could I trouble you to show me around, Hirata? It won't interfere with your training, will it?"

"Of course not!"

Hirata Yousuke nodded cheerfully.

"In that case, I'll leave it to you, Yousuke-kun, to show him around. I need to head to the locker room first to change into my gym clothes."

With that, Tetsuya walked off toward the locker room.

Watching Tetsuya leave, Hirata spoke up brightly:

"How are you finding campus life so far?"

"Though there have been some unexpected things, overall it's been pretty good."

Seeming to understand what I was referring to, he nodded with a hint of emotion.

"And you all?"

I glanced sideways, watching his figure as he gazed out at the field.

"Class D... we're trying to get better."

"Would you like to join in and get some exercise, Hajima-kun?"

Following his steps to the center of the field, he deftly hooked a soccer ball.

He bounced it steadily on his foot a couple of times, then let the ball stop in front of me.

"Hajima-kun, good work out there."

At halftime, I stood by the sidelines discussing the flow of the game with Tetsuya.

But behind me came the voice of Kushida Kikyo.

I turned around and saw her holding out a towel and two bottles of water toward me.

A bit surprised, I found the items thrust into my arms before I could react.

"The towel's for wiping off sweat—it's still a bit chilly in this weather..."

"And when you exercise, you need to stay hydrated."

Seeing this, Tetsuya immediately grabbed one of the bottles from my hands, twisting off the cap with a lively expression:

"Kushida's really good to you, huh... Seisuke."

Kushida gave a faint smile.

"You and Hajima-kun worked together brilliantly. That was impressive."

She replied politely, then turned her gaze back to me.

"You've worked hard too..."

"Don't you dare say thank you!"

I was just about to thank her when Kushida cut me off, a little annoyed.

Just then, Tetsuya rubbed his leg and let out a sigh.

"Ah, I didn't warm up properly. I'm gonna go rest over there for a bit—you two talk."

And with that, he dashed off in a flash.

That guy...

"How did you know I was here?"

I twisted open the bottle cap and asked.

"I sent you several Line messages, but you didn't reply..."

I instinctively patted my pocket and realized I'd left my phone in the rest area.

"Sorry about that..."

"It's fine! I asked a few friends, and they said they saw you at the gym, so I came over."

"And I just happened to catch your free kick—you assisted Hamaguchi's goal, it was amazing!!"

Her delight was written all over her face, and even I couldn't help but be infected by it.

"I was thinking about club stuff, so I came with a friend to check things out."

"Kushida, have you thought about which club to join?"

She pursed her lips, as if thinking.

"As for clubs, I haven't decided yet."

"Lately I've been busy making friends with my classmates..."

"But..."

She seemed to be hesitating over whether to tell me.

"It's okay..."

I comforted her.

"Don't worry about it. Let me introduce you to the new friend I've made."

Hearing my words, her previously drooping head instantly lifted.

She raised her face with a hint of joy.

"Sure, sure!"

She seemed to have turned back into a happy, lighthearted butterfly.