Soccer Club

Even though he was exhausted after a full day, Tetsuya was still heading to the Soccer Club for practice as usual.

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

I told him I wanted to go with him and check out the Soccer Club.

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

"I'm not completely sure yet. I just want to get a feel for the atmosphere."

"You don't have to worry about that. Our atmosphere is great, and we have all sorts of facilities. Even if you're not very good at soccer, there are other teams you can take part in."

With that, Tetsuya gave my arm a squeeze.

"But it'd be a bit of a waste of your abilities."

Ryota, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly nodded as if he agreed.

"Why have you both suddenly come to that conclusion? There's no real basis for it."

"Hahaha, I guess it's just a guy's instinct when it comes to what he's good at."

I didn't dwell on the topic and invited Ryota to come with us as well.

He turned me down, saying he wanted to check out the Archery Club.

And so, we parted ways at the fork in the road.

"Seisuke, how good are you at soccer?"

"I can play. I know the basic rules."

"By the way, I often see you sharing live match updates. Do you have practice games often?"

"More or less. We have regular fitness training every week, and the rest of the time we organize internal matches."

"You must know a lot of upperclassmen."

"Of course! I practice with a lot of upperclassmen, and I've made plenty of friends who share my interests."

He seemed to think of something that made him happy, and a hint of delight showed on his face.

"That's great. You've made a lot of new friends."

"That sounds like you can't make friends... Anyway, you seem to be pretty popular with girls, Seisuke."

"...Why do you say that?"

"I've occasionally heard people talking about how jealous they are."

Jealous...?

"It's other people's business, so I don't really care."

"Now that you mention it, that does suit your personality."

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

I was done with the dull small talk and steered the conversation toward what I really wanted to know.

"Yeah! Hirata Yousuke from Class 1-D. He's a midfielder with great game sense, and he's remarkably composed when dealing with crucial plays."

As soon as I mentioned Hirata, Tetsuya seemed to recall his strengths.

"He sounds like a really skilled player."

"He's not just good at soccer. He's a great person off the field, too."

Tetsuya's words piqued my curiosity.

"Could you tell me more?"

"On the field, he's a key player who brings the team together. Off the field, he gets along with everyone."

"Not just with the rest of us first-years. Even the upperclassmen think highly of him."

Tetsuya gestured enthusiastically as he went on for a while, then suddenly asked, "Why did you ask about him out of the blue, Seisuke?"

"I met him once before, so I was curious and wanted to find out more."

"Got it."

Tetsuya nodded and didn't press any further.

"Tetsuya, I didn't expect you to come today. The first-years' practice was supposed to be today, but it got postponed until tomorrow because of a quiz."

"Yosuke, you're looking full of energy today!"

Their shadows fell across the edge of the field.

Hirata Yousuke noticed me over Tetsuya's shoulder.

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

"It's been a while, Hirata."

"What brings you to the Soccer Club? Are you interested in joining?"

"Sort of. Whenever I see Tetsuya talking about this place, he can't hide how happy he is. It made me curious."

"Could you show me around, Hirata? I wouldn't be interrupting your practice, would I?"

"Of course not!"

Hirata Yousuke nodded cheerfully.

"Then could you show him around, Yosuke? I'm going to change into my sportswear."

With that, Tetsuya headed for the changing room.

After watching him leave, Hirata cheerfully asked, "Are you settling into school life?"

"Some unexpected things have happened, but overall, it's been pretty good."

He seemed to understand what I was referring to and nodded pensively.

"What about you?"

I turned to watch him gazing out over the field.

"Class D? We're trying to get better."

"Would you like to join us for some exercise and see how it feels, Hajima-kun?"

I followed him to the middle of the field. He deftly hooked a soccer ball up.

He juggled it twice with his foot, then stopped the ball right in front of me.

"Nice work, Hajima-kun."

During the break, I was standing at the edge of the field, talking with Tetsuya about how the game was going.

Then I heard Kushida Kikyo's voice behind me.

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

I was a little surprised, but she promptly placed them in my arms.

"You can use the towel to wipe off your sweat. It's a little chilly today..."

"And remember to stay hydrated when you're exercising."

Seeing this, Tetsuya immediately took one of the bottles from me. As he unscrewed the cap, he grinned. "Kushida's so nice to you, Seisuke..."

Kushida smiled softly.

"You and Hajima-kun make a great team. You're both really good."

She gave him a polite reply, then turned her attention back to me.

"You've worked hard, too..."

"Don't thank me!"

I was just about to thank her when Kushida interrupted me, sounding a little annoyed.

Just then, Tetsuya rubbed his leg and sighed. "Ugh, I didn't warm up properly. I'll go rest over there. You two chat."

He dashed off in a flash.

That guy...

"How did you know I was here?"

I twisted open the bottle and asked her.

"I sent you a few messages on LINE, but you didn't reply..."

I instinctively patted my pocket, then remembered I'd left my phone in the rest area.

"Sorry about that..."

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

"And I arrived just in time to see your free kick—you assisted Hamaguchi in scoring. That was amazing!"

Her happiness was plain to see, and I couldn't help catching some of it myself.

"I was thinking about which club to join, so I came here with a friend to see what it was like."

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

She pursed her lips, as if thinking it over.

"I haven't decided on a club yet."

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

"But..."

She seemed unsure whether she should tell me.

"It's okay..."

I reassured her.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll introduce you to some new friends I've made."

At my words, her drooping head sprang up.

She lifted her face with a happy smile.

"Sounds great!"

She seemed to have turned back into a cheerful, light-footed butterfly.