Chapter 7:
Hanging Out with My Circle
SHINOHARA JUMPED UP AND DOWN EXCITEDLY as I approached. “The gym smells kinda nice! It’s exciting.”
The other circle members looked on in fascination. Everyone was clearly conscious of her presence. The more skilled players used flashier techniques than usual to sink hoops. She had such a powerful presence that it made me nervous to be next to her…even though she was just hopping around.
The lobby had a staircase leading to the second floor. My plan was to show her the way and have her watch from up there. When I walked in the direction of the stairs, she obediently followed.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Second floor,” I replied.
She tugged at my sleeve. When I turned around, she was looking up at me unhappily. “That’s too far. I want to see things from up close. Is that wrong?”
So she noticed the second-floor seats.
The gymnasium used by Start was owned by the city, and the basketball court was as big as the university’s gym. The wide view commanded by the second-floor seats was a major selling point. It was perfect for spectating.
But despite that, Shinohara still complained. Her dissatisfaction baffled me.
“There isn’t any space for spectators on the first floor. You don’t want the ball flying out of bounds and hitting you.”
“But it feels more real. I wanna see you play up close.”
So she said, but her eyes revealed a deeper truth. It was all too clear that she was lying. She wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“Is there any other reason you want to be on the floor?” I asked.
Shinohara looked unhappy for a moment, but then, she sighed. “It’s just lonely, you know?”
“Huh?”
“Being tossed up to the second floor alone is lonely! I hate being alone all the time!”
“Who are you, me from middle school?!”
“Ugh, whatever!” She humphed and turned away.
This was getting pretty exasperating.
She was an exceedingly beautiful woman, wearing a trendy trench coat and with her hair perfectly in place. Despite her beauty, though, she really was innocent in a lot of ways.
“Okay, then join us. You can play without getting permission on days we aren’t in tournaments.”
Start was a relaxed enough circle that anyone could join in, even if they didn’t have experience. They lent out practice clothes for girls, and they always emphasized that even beginners could join the fun, so it’d be just fine.
However, my suggestion made her face cloud over.
“Hm? What’s wrong? I thought you liked basketball.”
“Well… Yes, that’s true,” she answered vaguely. I could tell that the idea didn’t excite her much.
So watching and playing are two different things for her. Well, I guess that much is obvious.
If that was how she felt, then I wasn’t about to force the issue. Going back to the first floor and letting her spectate from there would be best for both of us. There was courtside space. It was mostly occupied by other circle members, but that was probably fine by her.
“Fine. You can watch from the first floor. Just watch out for stray balls.”
Shinohara’s face lit up. She bowed and said, “Thank you so much!”
I hadn’t really done anything special, so the situation was extra awkward for me.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Heh heh!” She smiled happily. Seeing that, I smiled too.
I hated doing things alone in middle and high school as well. I’d always find a way to hang out and chat with friends. Just being with people you like was fun, and being social made it difficult to know how to deal with time spent alone. But as I grew up, my sensibilities had naturally changed. I was fine going to karaoke alone now, which I couldn’t have done back then because I was too embarrassed. I didn’t want anyone to see me. What would the staff think of me going in alone? Back then, I’d always felt that everyone was watching and judging me.
That, too, changed. Whether I was walking through town or working at my job, it was rare for me to ever have an interest in passersby. Even if I did, it didn’t last long. Eventually, I realized that everyone felt the same way, and the feeling of being watched just disappeared.
That was something you realized when you spend enough time alone. Shinohara would too, with time.
“You really are my underclassman, huh?” I mused. I was well aware that she was younger than me, but there hadn’t been many opportunities to really feel that difference.
She shot back at my idle commentary, “Wow, what’s that supposed to mean? What, do I look old to you?”
I put a hand atop her head and laughed, “Ha ha ha, no, that’s not it.”
“Hyah!” she squealed.
I suddenly remembered how she’d acted when Motosaka did something similar. At that Christmas mixer, she’d brushed his hand away.
So I quickly pulled my hand back and apologized, “Sorry.”
“Huh?” Shinohara looked confused, but after a moment she laughed to herself. “It’s okay if you do it, silly.”
“O-oh, really? Thanks.”
“Ha ha! You’re too cute.”
“Shut up!” I felt my face burning red and turned around before she could notice. I pictured her smirking at me from behind. This was the first time her devilish attitude had actually gotten to me.
Without looking back, I returned to the court. Toudou appeared from the entrance. The shoes he’d been wearing hung from both hands.
“Heyo. What’s up with you two?”
“Shinohara says she wants to watch from the first floor. That’s okay, right?”
Toudou looked at her for a moment and nodded. “Hell yeah, more than okay. I bet everyone would like her even closer, honestly.”
“Thank you so much!” Shinohara thanked him emphatically. As she bowed deeply, he laughed and waved for her to stand back up.
“No problem, no problem. While you’re here…” He seemed to think of something and said, “Shinohara, was it? Come over here for a sec.”
“What’s up?”
When I tried to follow her, though, Toudou stopped me. “You run drills alone for a bit. You’ll just be a pain.”
“What do you mean, a pain?!”
“Ah ha ha! That’s totally him!” Shinohara burst out laughing at my impotent rage.
I had no memory of being that kind of guy, but if it lightened things up, then I was willing to let it slide. I trusted that Toudou wouldn’t do anything stupid, too, so I left them and continued on to the court.
The nostalgic scent of anti-slip floor treatment welcomed me back.