After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 36

Even during P.E. class, Yukina kept worrying about her bangs.

When she moves around, she sweats. When she sweats, her makeup and especially her bangs get ruined.

(No way I’m showing Yuu-kun an ugly side of me…!)

Because of that, she tried not to move too much or get too serious in class.

But whenever it wasn’t her turn, she would turn her eyes to the other side of the court, burning with motivation that had nothing to do with the lesson.

(I’m gonna see Yuu-kun looking cool with my own eyes!!)

It was the first P.E. class since she found out that Yuu was her savior.

And temptation was everywhere.

“Hey, isn’t Yukina really fired up today?”

“Right? You must’ve had something good happen recently.”

“Your makeup’s been on point lately, too.”

“And you even got your nails redone.”

“Hehe, you noticed? Oh, and from now on, call me Setsuna, not Yukina.”

Her friends, Miyajima Honoka and Miyajima Honoka, looked at each other in confusion.

What kind of change of heart was this? Until recently, she said she hated being called that name.

While they were still thinking about it, Setsuna had already moved into action.

She pulled out a pair of binoculars and started watching one particular boy on the other side of the court.

“Yuu-kun… his abs are amazing… and those arms… mmm.”

“Where did you even get those binoculars…”

“You’re bleeding from your nose?”

Ignoring their comments, Setsuna stayed completely absorbed.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Yeah, I thought you were into Shindou before.”

“Well, Shindou’s honestly been kind of lame lately. I get it.”

“Phew. Break time.”

“Good work.”

When Yuu’s team’s game ended and they took a break, Setsuna finally relaxed a little too.

She quickly hid the binoculars, watching for the teacher walking around, and took a deep breath.

At this rate, if she kept watching Yuu so passionately, her heart might actually explode.

“You’re really into this?”

“You must like him a lot.”

“W-well? He’s my savior, so I care.”

“Wasn’t that supposed to be Shindou?”

“Him? No way.”

—Kyaaa!

Then, at that moment.

A loud and high-pitched scream came from somewhere nearby.

“What’s going on?”

“Did something happen?”

Yukina and her friends turned toward the sound. There stood a single male student.

─Rei, I dedicate this victory to you.

─Yeah. I’ll be expecting it.

According to the girls around, Shindou had walked right up to the girls’ side of the court and made that dramatic declaration.

In his own class, Shindou’s fake charm had already started to crack, but students from other classes didn’t know that yet.

So when they saw his showy words and his so-called pure love toward his girlfriend, some of the other girls actually got excited.

“Ah, is he showing off to all the girls right now?”

“Yeah. Even if our class knows the truth, he’s still popular with the others.”

“Well, at least he does look good.”

“Oh no, he’s coming this way!?”

While Yukina and her friends chatted, Shindou walked straight over to the far corner where they were standing.

Yukina frowned in disgust and looked up at him as if she were staring at a pile of trash.

“Yukina, watch closely. I’m going to crush Shiomi out there! Once you see that, you’ll fall for me all over again!”

“Die.”

Her muttered word didn’t reach him.

With another stinking and self-absorbed line, Shindou strutted back toward the boys’ court.

“…Wow. That was rough.”

“Yeah, he’s worse than I heard.”

“…”

While her two friends were stunned speechless, Yukina silently prayed in her heart.

(Yuu-kun, do your best!)

Her eyes were already fixed on Yuu and no one else.

◆

Normally speaking, there was no way anyone could beat Shindou’s team, especially since he was in the boys’ basketball club.

It wasn’t like yesterday, when there was some kind of bet going on. So even if they lost, it wouldn’t really matter.

It wouldn’t but still…

“Shiomi. Try not to embarrass yourself too much out there! None of your teammates look like much either, so this game’s already mine!!”

Yeah, it’s hard to stay calm when someone taunts me like that.

And for some reason, all the girls were watching closely.

Apparently, Shindou was still popular with the girls from other classes.

“…”

Even Kuroe-san was watching him quietly.

I wondered what she was thinking about all this.

If the girls were watching, that meant Yukina probably was too.

I didn’t want to look lame in front of her either.

And speaking of Yukina…

“Gasp.”

She was standing there waving, holding a pair of binoculars in one hand and a cheering fan in the other.

Please, stop. That’s embarrassing.

“Shiomi! Please, you have to help us beat that jerk!”

“Yeah! Let’s show that narcissist what real pain feels like!”

“We can’t just forgive him for stealing Kuroe-san!”

And then there was this mess, my teammates begging for help, and fueled by pure revenge.

Well, I couldn’t just ignore that.

Even if Shindou had something against me personally, making fun of the whole class was too much.

“Alright. If you’re fine with me, I’ll help you.”

It’s been a while since I’ve played seriously… but maybe I’ll manage somehow.

“Ha! As if a bunch of losers like you could ever win!”

That guy…

Then, the game began with the sound of the whistle.

Even though it was just a P.E. class, both teams felt strangely intense.

Well, aside from Shindou, the other team didn’t seem very motivated. They were mostly just going along with him.

It was kind of nerve-wracking having the girls watch.

“Haa, watch this!”

“Ah!?”

Shindou caught the ball, smoothly got past Oumi, and took a shot.

The ball arched perfectly and went straight into the hoop with a satisfying swish.

The girls cheered loudly at the same time.

“These weaklings aren’t even worth my time.”

Shindou felt proud as he waved at the girls and walked back to his side of the court.

“Damn it!”

“Calm down, Oumi. Let’s stick to the plan.”

“…! Right.”

I spoke to the frustrated Oumi, and we decided to carry out our strategy.

“Ugh!? Surrounding me with three people is unfair!”

“Hey, Shindou! Pass it here!”

“I can handle this by myself… ah!?”

Because of our plan, Shindou, surrounded by three of us, tried to dribble past on his own without passing.

Seizing the opportunity, Tamaki knocked the ball away and stole it.

While Shindou was distracted, we passed the ball along, and when I got it, I got past one defender and made a layup.

“Nice, Shiomi!”

“Ah, thank you. But it’s all thanks to Tamaki and the others.”

“That was amazing. You’re really good!”

Being praised like that made me a little embarrassed.

But after so long, it actually felt fun to play seriously again.

◆

Damn it!

I let my guard down! That was unfair, three against one!

“Hey, Shindou. If you’d passed just now, you could’ve broken through. Don’t run by yourself.”

“No, I just got careless! They’ve only scored two points. I’ll get them next time!”

“W-wait!”

I ignored what Imaoka was saying.

Aside from Shiomi, the others were just amateurs. As the ace of the school basketball team, that should’ve been easy for me.

Even thinking that, the ball was stolen again, and the other team scored another shot.

“Shindou… this is P.E., use your teammates properly…”

“I know, geez, shut up.”

Well, Imaoka wasn’t wrong.

If I’d passed once and then gotten it back, I could’ve broken free from them easily.

Right, stay calm. I need to look cool in front of Rei, too!

While thinking that, the ball came back to me. Those idiots surrounded me again without learning their lesson.

Stay calm, pass the ball first─

“Huh? Shindou, are you running away?”

“Basketball club, right? Aren’t you embarrassed to lose to us?”

“Well, we technically already won.”

“─Argh! You guys, don’t get cocky just because you stole the ball once!”

“Hey, Shindou! Pass─!”

“I can handle this by myself!!”

“Ah!?”

Ignoring Imaoka, I faked a move. When I shifted left, a small gap opened up, and I tried to break through it.

See, it was easy for me─.

“Ngah!?”

Waiting ahead was Shiomi.

He stole the ball from me again, dribbled forward, and made a three-point shot.

…After that, things just kept getting worse.

The only successful shot I made was the very first one. After that, every time the ball came to me, it got stolen, so eventually I didn’t even get the ball anymore.

And yet my teammates kept missing shots, and when the timer went off, the result was obvious.

─16 to 6.

We got completely crushed.

“Hey, Shiomi’s actually really good?”

“He’s experienced, right? Look at how he moves.”

“They over there looked like they were having fun. And our score was this low with teamwork? Even though the girls were watching.”

After the game, my teammates started talking like that one after another.

Shiomi is better than me!? Ridiculous…

“Are you saying it’s my fault!? It’s your fault for missing shots!”

“Hey, Shindou… that’s…”

“What are you saying? You blew it yourself!”

“Exactly. And it’s just P.E., why get so mad?”

“Yeah, you’re way too worked up.”

“─”

These guys.

Because of them, I ended up looking foolish, too.

I had wanted to show off and look cool, but… fine. Rei would think I’m cool no matter what.

I thought that and turned toward the girls.

─That Shindou guy looked so lame just now.

─Right? He blamed his teammates, too.

─His face is good, but nothing else.

─Don’t you know? Shindou’s personality is apparently terrible.

─Eh, really?

─Ah, no, he’s coming this way.

“Tsk.”

I heard the girls’ cold laughter.

My face burned, and I just wanted to run away.

“R-Rei…?”

“…Haa.”

“Um…”

When I nervously called out to her, she gave me a freezing and icy stare.

And let out a disappointed sigh, as if I had completely let her down.

No… this isn’t me!!!!

This isn’t who I am!!!!!

I screamed inside my head, and all I could do was leave that place.