I Asked A Beautiful Girl, Who Was About To Jump Off The School Rooftop, 'If You're Going To Die Anyway, Could You At Least Take My Virginity Before You Go?' To My Surprise, She Agreed.

The Introvert Is Challenged To A Match By The Ace Of The Soccer Team.

“Nobody’s here…”

The next day, during lunchtime, I stood alone in a corner of the playground, holding a soccer ball. With the events for the athletic competition decided, the following day marked the beginning of the practice period leading up to the main event in June. Students were supposed to make time during lunch or after school for voluntary practice sessions.

“I thought we were supposed to practice during lunch today…”

The arrangement in our class was to write practice schedules on the blackboard located at the back of the classroom. I had checked it in the morning, and it confirmed that practice was indeed scheduled, so I came to the playground on time. However, no one from my class who was participating in soccer had shown up.

(Having been excluded… but that can’t be it. Those types wouldn’t even participate in soccer for the sake of self-sacrifice in the first place.)

So why was I the only one here?

(They probably just got lazy.)

The reason for the absence of my classmates was likely the overwhelming strength of the sports elite class, whose soccer team was just too strong to beat. Although they might have felt motivated right after the announcement, it was plausible that they quickly lost interest after a day.

Yesterday’s excitement had faded into apathy, and as a result, here I was—a lone, introverted figure, standing with a soccer ball in the corner of the field.

(Initially, I was excited about trying to enjoy my youth, especially with support from Hatsune-san, but maybe this is beyond my reach…)

Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to blame my classmates.

The sense of indifference toward a school event in which I had no chance of excelling was something I understood all too well. This was just another way to pass time for me.

“Regardless, it’s hard to practice alone. What should I do now?”

Sighing softly, I lifted my head. On the opposite side of the playground, I noticed the members of the sports elite class practicing their shots. Most of them were likely third-year students belonging to the top tier of the soccer club.

The difference was apparent in their attire.

While I and the other regular students were dressed in our uniforms or gym clothes, the soccer club members wore specially designed training gear.

“Why are they making the regular students compete against those guys…? It’s just going to demotivate everyone,” I muttered to myself, kicking the ball I was holding with little thought.

The ball flew toward the goal where the soccer club members were practicing.

(Huh, it’s going farther than I expected…)

What was supposed to be a light kick sent the ball hurtling toward the goal, nearly a hundred meters away, on a sharp trajectory. It collided with a ball kicked by one of the practicing players, ricocheting off and beautifully shaking the goal net.

“Uh-oh, that might be bad…”

Unintentionally, I had displayed the superhuman athletic abilities I had gained from another world. The soccer club members practicing across the field looked puzzled at the ball that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

For a brief moment, they scanned the surroundings as if searching for something, before one of them pointed directly at me.

(Did they see me kick it…?)

Although it wasn’t intentional, I had inadvertently disrupted their practice.

Four of them started making their way toward me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were about to confront me about it. There was no way I could run away now, so what should I do…?

As I was contemplating, the soccer club members arrived in front of me. Among them was the renowned ace of the soccer club, Kawasaki Raito.

“Did he really kick that?”

Kawasaki asked a brown-haired member of the soccer club who stood beside him—the one who had pointed at me.

“It should be him… but up close, it doesn’t look like he has the power to shoot for the goal from here,” the other replied.

“There’s no way this guy could do it; he looks like such an introvert.”

“Isn’t it a case of mistaken identity?”

The tall, outgoing soccer players regarded me with a sense of superiority. Yet Kawasaki alone gazed at me with genuine interest.

“Ah, could you be Ueno-kun from Class 2-3?”

Unlike the others, Kawasaki approached me with a cheerful demeanor.

Realizing that Kawasaki recognized me seemed to cause the others to stop their mocking. Perhaps he had naturally deflected their teasing with his easygoing manner.

With looks like his, and if he was good at soccer, it was no wonder he attracted the girls.

“How do you know my name?”

Why does the handsome ace of the soccer club recognize the existence of an introvert from a different grade and department?

“I heard recently that there’s a boy classmate who’s close with Ichigaya-san,” Kawasaki said.

“I see…”

Come to think of it, Kawasaki confessed to Hatsune-san and was rejected. Could it be that he still hasn’t given up…?

“I’ve also heard rumors that you’re dating. Is that true?”

“Uh, well…”

How should I explain this?

When Hatsune-san was pretending to be my girlfriend, she declared that we were “dating.” Since she hasn’t corrected that statement, everyone still believes it to be true.

However, the reality is that Hatsune-san and I are just friends.

(But why is that…?)

There was a part of me that didn’t want to acknowledge that fact in front of this guy.

“It seems that it’s not entirely a lie, but it feels like there’s more to the story,” Kawasaki said.

“…”

What’s with this guy? Is he perceptive, or is he just overly presumptuous?

“By the way, which event are you participating in for the sports festival, Ueno-kun?”

“Soccer… I guess.”

“Hmm, that’s great.”

“…?”

Facing Kawasaki’s cheerful smile, I silently wondered what my participation in the event had to do with him.

“Ueno-kun, let’s have a match over Ichigaya-san,” he proposed.

“Excuse me…?”

“If I win the sports festival, I plan to confess to Ichigaya-san again during the awards ceremony,” he continued.

Wait, what is that?

As I stood there in disbelief, Kawasaki continued his explanation.

“I’ll defeat you in the match, win the championship, and present the trophy to Ichigaya-san to get her attention. Sounds like a solid plan, right?”

Kawasaki Raito.

Seeing him naturally stop his soccer club friends from mocking me suggests that he’s not a bad guy.

However, it doesn’t sit right with me that he treats Hatsune-san like a prize in a place where she isn’t present. He doesn’t understand that she wouldn’t appreciate a confession in such a public setting, like during the awards ceremony.

While it’s true that Kawasaki is overwhelmingly favored, I can’t stand his attitude, as if victory is already guaranteed before the match even begins and as if it’s only natural that he would win Hatsune-san’s affections when he confesses again.

(This might be because he’s had nothing but success in life so far, but… what is this unwavering belief that he’s the protagonist?)

And challenging me, an introvert, to a competition in his area of expertise feels unfair, doesn’t it? It’s strange that he behaves as if we’re equals despite that.

(I just can’t bring myself to like him…)

It’s fine for him to think he can defeat me. However, I couldn’t forgive his complete disregard for Hatsune-san’s feelings.

“I understand. I’ll accept that challenge, senpai.”

Before considering the odds or the finer details, I declared that.

It’s a classic case of a word exchanged for a word.

Even an introvert has their pride.