The day after watching the soccer match with Sasaki.
I woke up on the bed where she slept yesterday, drowning in the lingering scent she left behind.
Waking up with Sasaki sleeping beside me… yeah, that’s something that will probably never happen again.
“…Right. Azaki said he’d come before practice today.”
If it’s before practice… he might show up any minute.
I took a shower to wake my groggy body up, tossed some bread in the toaster, and sipped on powdered corn soup I mixed with hot water.
“Sasaki’s potage soup was really good…”
Not just the soup—her pasta, her potato salad… everything was delicious. …The amount was insane though.
Yesterday, I saw all kinds of sides of Sasaki.
Sasaki cooking, Sasaki bathing (fully clothed), Sasaki sleeping in my arms, Sasaki being kind to children.
She gets mad easily, her older-sister act is annoying, and she’s childish as hell… But at the end she always shows a smile worth more than 100 points, so it’s impossible to hate her.
And she’s also just a normal girl—someone who falls in love, someone who was searching for the guy she saw during work years ago.
Kirishira Ayane is the kind of person who’d take care of someone like me all night long. At the very least, I want to support her romance as thanks.
“What kind of face does the guy look like—the one who made a national-treasure-class beauty fall for him at first sight?”
I’d like to see him once.
Is he as handsome as some Johnny’s idol or K-pop star?
Or maybe he’s got a Hollywood-actor vibe.
…Either way, he’s definitely someone from the entertainment world.
My chest suddenly felt tight and cloudy, so I downed the rest of the corn soup to clear my head.
“Hot—! …Huh?”
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
A call…? Ah, Azaki.
‘Yo Makishimaaa! I’m at your building so open the door!’
“Too loud for the morning. You collecting debts or something?”
I opened the door with a cup of soup in my hand, and seconds later, Azaki walked in wearing a tracksuit.
“Yo~ mornin’, Makishimaaa.”
“Morning.”
“What’s this? Holding a cup like you’re living some fancy morning life? You sports-recommendation-class-slacker!”
“Complain to the coach. I wanna practice too, you know.”
“Nope. You rest.”
“…Sometimes I worry more about your mental state than my overwork.”
I let him in, and we chatted across the low table.
The match yesterday, the team’s current situation—topics never ran out. But then Azaki got to the point.
“Makishima, the last group date was frustrating, wasn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know. You dragged me into it.”
“I’m frustrated. Aihara’s been cold to me since then, and all my attempts to pick up girls in Shinjuku and Shibuya failed.”
“…You seriously do that on a regular basis?”
If any girl willingly followed this walking pile of lustful intentions, I’d be terrified.
Yeah, I should stop calling him my friend.
“Back home, I was praised as a genius soccer boy… but I guess the city’s different.”
“Get to the point.”
When I urged him, Azaki straightened up and sat in formal seiza style.
“You might’ve noticed, but… in the last group date, I used you as bait. I showed the leader girl, Igarashi, your photo from the team site, and she said yes instantly… I’m sorry!”
He pressed his forehead to the floor.
Right, Sasaki told me he used me as bait. So it was true.
“Makishima! I’m sorry!”
“You don’t need to go that far.”
“Help me one more time.”
“…So zero actual remorse.”
He sat normally again.
That bow earlier was completely fake. I knew it.
“So, about the next group date I messaged you about.”
“Your topic transitions are way too fast.”
“Speedy transitions are essential for soccer players.”
“You’re always stuck in negative transitions though.”
“Stop mocking your best friend.”
“You sold your best friend and still call me that?”
“Anyway, the next group date—”
“Ignoring me, huh.”
He placed his phone on the table, opened the chat, and slid it toward me.
“Guess what! The next group date is with girls from Tokyo Aristo Women’s University!”
“Tokyo Aristo? Fancy name.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope.”
He snorted.
“Tch, country boy.”
“You literally called yourself a country boy earlier.”
He ignored me and continued.
“Tokyo Aristo is the highest-level women’s university in Japan, only perfect ladies can enter. Their exams judge everything—not just academics.”
“So like a noble-lady university?”
“Exactly. Being Aristo alone puts them top-tier in the girl hierarchy.”
“And those noble ladies are coming to a group date full of beasts like you?”
“Yep, three of them came just from seeing your photo.”
“HEY! Stop using my—”
“Also,”
He started stroking the table with a creepy grin.
“Those noble ladies~ well, when their campus is all girls, certain things build up, y’know? Even my wild face could reel them in.”
“D-don’t say it in that shady tone!”
I sighed, went to the kitchen, put the toast on a plate, and returned.
“I’m not going. Even if you wave rewards, I’m not going.”
“Aristo girls coming this time… they’re all older than you, though.”
S-shit… he’s attacking my weakness…!
“Not going! Absolutely not!”
“Oh? You’re not coming?”
Unexpectedly, Azaki gave up easily, stood up, and slung on his backpack.
“Then I guess our Golden Duo is disbanded.”
“We never formed that.”
“I won’t give you any killer passes or crosses anymore.”
“Hah!?”
He waved and headed out.
“What a shame, Makishima. Didn’t think you’d be the kind of guy who wouldn’t help his friend in need.”
“No—! Stop making it sound like I’m the bad guy!”
“Choose, Makishima. Refuse here, and you’ll spend all four years in the second team.”
“…!”
The moment he said that, a chill ran down my spine.
“I need your finishing ability. And you need my perfect passes. We rely on each other—we’re partners. But passers get evaluated just by creating chances. Eventually, I’ll get to the first team. But finishers like you won’t unless you score. If our partnership ends, the one who suffers is you.”
“But I—!”
“If you join the group date, I’ll make you the number one striker among all university graduates. If not, we’re done.”
Damn… this idiot trash Azaki, yet his scheming is top-tier.
But he wasn’t wrong.
I’ve watched his passing sense and soccer IQ up close. That’s why I’m growing.
If I lose Azaki now… I’ll fade into nothing again, like in high school.
“What’ll it be? Just sit there drinking water at the group date and you’re on the path to becoming pro.”
“…”
“Make your call, Makishima Yuutaro!”
I want to change.
I want to someday wear the number 9 as a pro.
That dream is why I came to Takato University.
“…Fine. I’ll go to the group date, and we’ll go pro together.”
“Makishimaaa…”
“You’re a garbage-tier human being, but right now, I need Azaki Seiichi.”
“Your wording is awful.”
And so, I—Makishima Yuutaro—once again formed a contract with the devil named Azaki, and decided to join the group date with Tokyo Aristo Women’s University.
✳︎✳︎
Group date day.
Eight of us from the soccer team arrived at a mood-lit restaurant with fully private rooms.
This time, aside from me and Azaki, everyone else was a junior or senior. I had been instructed to praise them whenever possible.
Basically, a service-oriented group date.
But this group date is tied to my future.
I’ll do anything—cheering, praise, even licking shoes if needed.
When we entered the private room, eight beautiful, elegant ladies from Tokyo Aristo were already sitting there, chatting happily.
But among them… one girl gave off a completely different, strange atmosphere.
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