——Koutou Private University.
A prestigious school with one of the highest difficulty levels among Japan’s private universities, boasting top-class name recognition.
It has produced countless scholars, as well as many of Japan’s most renowned athletic elites.
And at this elite university, where both brains and brawn gather, I—Makishima Yuutaro—have been attending since this spring.
There was no way someone like me, who poured all three years of high school into soccer, could get accepted academically. I only got into Koutou University thanks to a soccer sports-recommendation exam. (In other words, I’m basically bad at studying.)
“Hey, first-years! Hurry up and finish your laps!”
“““Yes sir!”””
The Koutou University soccer club is a powerhouse team that has won the university league two years in a row, and practices are extremely intense every day.
We first-years, who still aren’t even allowed to touch the ball properly, were being forced to sprint back and forth across the field long past sunset.
After an hour of nonstop dashes, the final whistle finally blew, and every first-year collapsed where they stood.
The sun had completely set, and as I lay spread-eagle on the ground, utterly exhausted, someone leaned over me.
“You still alive—?”
The one holding a squeeze bottle was my teammate and fellow first-year, Azaki Seiichi.
He’s got this flashy, curly hair and is just as much of a sports-recommendation idiot as I am.
“…I am currently dying, thanks.”
“Ohh, dying, huh? Then you won’t get mad if I pour water on you?”
Azaki flipped the open squeeze bottle upside down and dumped its contents onto my face.
The water poured down like a waterfall, rushing into my nose and mouth all at once, and I immediately choked.
“Gah—! *Cough*—you bastard! Cut it out, Azaki!”
I half-yelled and chased him, but Azaki easily outran me with his smug, athletic legs.
“C’mon, don’t be so mad.”
“Seriously… after all that running, how do you still have this much energy?”
“Well of course I’m excited. Because after this—”
Azaki winked and pointed his phone screen toward me as I still lay on the ground.
Displayed on the screen was a chat between him and someone.
The conversation looked like him planning something with a girl, and the word “group date” popped up again and again.
“You know that girl in Izawa’s seminar? Aihara?”
“Ahh… the one you said was cute before?”
“Yep! I asked one of the girls in Izawa’s seminar, and they arranged a group date that Aihara-san would attend!”
Azaki, clearly excited, grabbed me by the collar and shook me back and forth like he was bragging.
“Amazing, right!?”
“Huh.”
“And! The group date starts at 8 p.m. tonight!”
“Hee.”
“…Why are you pretending not to care? Anyone who sees Aihara-san’s perfectly curvy figure would instantly pitch a tent dow—”
“More importantly, if it starts at eight, shouldn’t you hurry home?”
I waved him off like I was shooing a dog, and Azaki made a creepy little grin.
“Makishimaaa, you’re coming too.”
“…H—Hah!?”
“There are four girls, but we were short one guy, so I went ahead and added you.”
“Don’t screw with me! Hey!”
I lunged to grab him, but Azaki dodged smoothly and tossed his squeeze bottle at me.
By the time I caught it with both hands, he was already jogging away, waving.
“You should try sleeping with a girl at least once! If all you ever chase is a soccer ball, you’ll die without ever doing anything fun—”
“Shut up!”
Azaki left the field skipping, leaving one last crude remark behind.
He always boasts about his many experiences with women and uses that to tease me, which pisses me off every time.
On top of that, he never acts experienced in front of girls, which makes him even more annoying.
“Anyway… forget the group date. I’ll just do some extra practice.”
As I stood up for self-training, Azaki suddenly came running back.
“Makishimaaa! Forgot to tell you one thing!”
“What? If it’s about the group date, I’m not goi—”
“I brought you a jacket, since you seriously have zero fashion sense.”
“A jacket? Mind your own business.”
“Huh!? ‘Mind your own business’? You’re always wearing track suits! Even on days without club activities, you show up to lectures looking like some countryside delinquent!”
“I—I don’t see the problem!”
…I-I can’t talk back.
Coming from an all-boys school and spending my life doing nothing but soccer, I can’t pretend I have any fashion sense.
I lived in the dorms all through high school, never even had a girlfriend, and never cared about grooming.
“Think of a group date like a job interview. You’re presenting your market value to a girl.”
“Tch… you’re acting all high and mighty…”
“Anyway! I hung the jacket in your locker. So hurry up with that extra practice and get to the place I told you.”
Saying that, Azaki left the field for real this time.
A group date, huh…
I looked down at the soccer ball lying by my feet.
Besides soccer, I don’t have anything else to rely on.
Along with several other first-years, I stayed on the field, kicking balls around until just before lights-out.
✳︎✳︎
Post a Comment