I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 7

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Encounter

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After the final homeroom, the classroom still carried the heat from P.E. The smell of sweat and the sound of chairs scraping. Akira gulped down his water and laughed.

“That was the best, huh.”

In front of him, Kai Okabe, a towel still hanging around his neck, walked straight toward Mizuki Kiritani-san’s seat.

“Hey, Mizuki, my three-pointer earlier was seriously good, right? No-touch from that angle doesn’t happen normally. Come on, give me your honest thoughts.”

Too close, both his voice and the distance. Mizuki smiled awkwardly and pulled her chair back a little.

“Yeah, it went in. Everyone worked hard.”

“I don’t need ‘everyone.’ I meant me.”

The moment Okabe flicked his bag up onto his shoulder, something crashed behind him. His bag had hit the leg of Anno-san’s desk. The desk shifted, and the pencil case and notebook she was putting back into her bag scattered onto the floor. Her water bottle rolled and made a dry clattering sound. Before I realized it, I had already stood up. Okabe glanced back for only a moment, frowned, and simply turned his body back toward Kiritani-san.

“So, Mizuki. Can you watch my shooting form after school? I want you to get a side-angle video  for me. After all, a girl’s perspective really matters.”

“…Sorry, Anno-san. Are you okay?”

Even though Okabe was the one who did it, Kiritani-san apologized first. She stood and bent down to pick up the fallen pens.

“I-I’m fine…”

Anno-san couldn’t get the words out properly. She was probably startled by Okabe’s behavior. Her voice got lost somewhere in her throat and thinned out. I bent down and picked up the notebook from the floor before Kiritani-san could. The edge of the cover was dented a little. Pencil case, eraser, water bottle. I put the desk back in place and placed each item on Anno-san’s desk.

“All of them fell. You okay?”

“…Th-thank you, Mukei-kun.”

Her voice was faint like a mosquito’s. I saw her fingers trembling, so I lightly checked that the cap on her water bottle was tightened. I turned my gaze toward Okabe. He was still trying to talk to Kiritani-san.

“Okabe.”

When I called him, Okabe turned only his face toward me.

“What?”

“That was you who hit it, right? Shouldn’t you say ‘sorry’ first?”

“Huh? I only barely touched it. The aisle’s narrow. It can’t be helped.”

“Even if it’s barely, a desk isn’t part of the aisle. Save the dribbling for the court.”

I kept my voice calm as I spoke. Pushing with anger only made things worse. I was just laying out the facts. Akira cut in from the side.

“Okabe, just apologize. Sora does karate. Trust me, you don’t want to piss him off.”

“Why do I have to…”

Okabe pressed his lips into a line and reluctantly glanced toward Anno-san.

“…My bad.”

The words were light. But they came out. That was enough. Kiritani-san let out a small breath and turned to Anno-san.

“Anno-san, really, I’m sorry. Kai-kun, be a little more careful, okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I got it. Anyway, Mizuki, about that video—”

“That can wait until later.”

Kiritani-san cut him off firmly. The classroom air shifted back to normal, just slightly. I looked at Anno-san. Behind her glasses, her eyes darted away in panic, then slowly returned to me.

“The corner of your notebook’s bent a bit. If you put something heavy on it at home, I think it’ll go back.”

“…Yeah. It’s okay.”

“Here’s your eraser. It falls out easily, so I’ll close your pencil case.”

“…Th-thank you.”

Her words sounded like they might fall apart, but they reached me clearly. I nodded. Okabe pushed the door open with his shoulder and left with a dissatisfied “I’m going home.” Akira nudged my elbow quietly.

“Sora, nice assist. Honestly, your assist stood out more than mine today.”

“Yeah yeah, good for you showing off in front of Kiritani-san.”

“This kind of thing takes both of us, you know.”

Akira laughed. Kiritani-san, with only her eyes, said “Thanks,” then returned to her seat. Anno-san closed the zipper of her pencil case with both hands, then bowed her head awkwardly.

“…M-Mukei-kun.”

“What is it?”

“Um… Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. The desk may belong to everyone, but it’s not there to get hit.”

That was all I said before going back to my seat. The chair legs scraped the floor. Outside the window, the after-school light slanted slightly. Behind me, a small “…Yeah” drifted out. I pretended not to hear it. But I did. Definitely.

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After going home, changing clothes, and finishing a volume of a light novel, my throat felt dry, and I wanted something cold and fizzy. I put my wallet and phone in my pocket and headed to the convenience store. It was already fully night outside, and the wind cooled the leftover heat a little. As I walked, I heard thump, thump—dry sounds. The sound of a basketball hitting the ground. The rhythm wasn’t steady—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. I looked into the park the sound came from and saw someone alone on the court. Not in a uniform. In a tracksuit.

It was Asuka Hino-san. She was in the basketball club and one of the class’s Three Great Beauties. She was always cheerful in class, laughed loudly, and was at the center of the group at lunch. She, the kind of girl always surrounded by people, was practicing alone with a serious expression. Lowering her hips, dribbling. Stepping in, jumping. The net swayed and the ball rebounded. She brushed the hair from her forehead and took her stance again. Not a word was said. Only the sound she created with the ball echoed. It was unexpected—and honestly, a little cool.

I stopped, thinking it’d be rude if she noticed me watching.

“Oh? Mukei-kun? What’re you doing in this park?”

Her voice flew over, mixed with the rhythm of her dribbling. She raised her head and looked straight at me.

“Uh…”

“What are you doing? Stalking me?”

“You’re wrong! I live nearby!”

“Oh, makes sense. This place has a basket goal, so I use it a lot.”

She said it jokingly, wiping sweat off her arm with a laugh.

“…So? Why’d you stop walking?”

“I heard the sound. I was just surprised Hino-san was doing secret practice.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m in the basketball club, of course I practice. No one uses this place at night, so it’s kind of a hidden gem for me.”

She retorted lightly and dribbled again. The sound came a bit sharper.

“But you’re alone.”

“…I can focus better alone.”

She said that and shot the ball. It went in cleanly. Catching it with both hands, she gave me a quick sideways glance.

“Do you think you can pay the admission fee?”

“…I don’t have any money.”

“Then be my partner.”

She pushed the ball lightly against my chest. The warmth from her sweat transferred through it.

“Eh?”

“You stopped Kai today, right? Everyone praised Takatou-kun, but any experienced player can tell all of it was thanks to you. So, be my opponent.”

Her unexpected invitation felt kind of nice.

“Just dribble. If you don’t move, it’s boring.”

It was her usual bright smile, but the serious eyes from her solo practice were still there.

I can’t really refuse, can I…

I tossed her the carbonated drink I’d bought.

“Before that, hydrate yourself first.”

“Thanks. Mm! Delicious.”

She took a small sip and tossed the bottle back. Asuka-san’s gaze wasn’t on the ring.  It was on me.

“Here I come.”

“Got it.”

The sound of dribbling echoed through the night park once more.

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