I Confessed My Sexual Preferences to My Online Game Best Friend, and the Person Who Showed Up at the Offline Meetup Was the Cute Girl from My Class - 31

Chapter 31: Ball Games Tournament

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The pleasantly refreshing May breeze carrying a hint of the dampness that signaled the approaching rainy season blew in through the classroom windows, making the curtains billowed. The greatest trial for students, the midterm exams, was looming ahead. The next event awaiting us was one that this school was said to get more excited about than even the culture festival or the sports festival: the Early Summer Ball Games Tournament.

Morning homeroom. The homeroom teacher scrawled large letters across the blackboard: “Ball Games Tournament – Event Selection.”

“Listen up. This is a chance to show class unity. The events are basketball, soccer, table tennis, and badminton. Submit your preferences—”

Before the teacher even finished speaking, the classroom exploded with excitement. Everyone stood up, walking around and animatedly discussing which sport they would compete in with their friends. At this school, the ball games tournament wasn’t just a sports event. It was a class-versus-class, point-based competition, and there were rumors that the winning class would even get a lavish party budget. More than anything, it was the biggest social battlefield for showing off to the person you like.

“—Yo, Kazuma. Obviously, we’re doing basketball, right?!”

Kaito from the seat next to mine leaned in, snorting with excitement. For the ace candidate on the basketball team like him, the ball games tournament was practically his home turf. And this year, he was in the same class as that Rin Shinonome. There was no way he wouldn’t be fired up.

“…Kaito. I want table tennis. Or at this point, I’d rather just make up the numbers for doubles in the corner of the badminton court.”

“What are you saying!? Back me up! Rin-rin’s entering girls’ basketball too, you know!? Fighting side by side on neighboring courts, that’s what youth is about!!”

“…Sorry, but that’s way too dazzling for me. I’ll quietly become background scenery at the edge of the gym.”

I, Kazuma Sato, had firmly resolved to thoroughly remain a “mob character.”

Now that the “group of three” with Shinonome-san and Ichinose-san—no, with Kaito included, a “group of four” was gradually becoming publicly accepted (somehow), drawing any more attention would only shorten my lifespan.

I glanced forward. At the center of a circle of girls, Shinonome-san was laughing happily as Ichinose-san clung to her arm.

“Rin-rin! It’s gotta be basketball, right!? Let’s dominate with Saki and Rin-rin!”

“Hahaha, yeah. I’m counting on your passes, Saki.”

A dazzling smile that stole everyone’s gaze. But for just a moment, just a single instant, her eyes caught mine.

(Nihehe. Kazu, trying to escape to table tennis? Haru’s not going to allow that, you know?)

Her eyes narrowed mischievously, as if I could hear that voice.

…I had a bad feeling. And that premonition became reality thanks to the “bombing” from the other queen.

“—Yes! Teacher! Can Saki recommend Kazucchi-kun, I mean, Kazuma Sato-kun’s event!?”

Ichinose-san raised her hand energetically. The entire classroom fell silent with a collective, “Huh, Sato?” Even Kaito stared with his mouth hanging open.

“…Ichinose. Sato seems to be hoping for table tennis.”

You must’ve overheard our conversation, right? Nice one, Sensei!

I thought that, for just a moment.

“Nope, nope! Kazucchi-kun absolutely must compete in badminton singles!”

“…Singles? Sato, do you have badminton experience?”

All eyes in the class focused on me. Why did it suddenly get this quiet? I flushed bright red, about to deny it, but Ichinose-san’s machine-gun chatter went off even faster.

“That’s right! Kazucchi-kun made it to the prefectural tournament Top 8 in middle school! I just remembered! Saki’s middle school captain used to call Sato-kun ‘that freakishly strong dark horse’!”

“…What?”

My heart made the loudest noise it had all day. Why? How did Saki Ichinose know that? It was true. I had poured myself into badminton in middle school.

But when I graduated, I thought to myself,”I’m done taking this seriously,” and switched to the go-home club… Or rather, the online game club(?). No one at this school should have known about that past.

“…Ichinose-san. How do you know that…?”

“Nihehe. My cousin was in the badminton club at the same middle school as you! She bragged about it, saying, ‘Sato-kun’s smash was so fast it looked like the shuttle was on fire!’”

“…!!”

…Her. That girl from the club. Why’d you go and tell her unnecessary stuff…!

“H-Hey, Kazuma! Seriously!? You were prefectural level!?”

Kaito jumped up, his chair scraping loudly.

…You didn’t know either!?

The boys in the class erupted too—“Seriously, Sato!?” “Our class can aim for badminton gold!” And while I stood at the edge of despair.. Shinonome-san slowly rose to her feet. She turned toward me and wore the most irresistibly calculating smile, one that made the entire class swoon.

“…Oh? So you’re that good at badminton, Sato-kun.”

“…N-no, Shinonome-san. That was a long time ago…”

“That’s fine. I kind of want to see you compete seriously. …Hey, Sato-kun. If you do your best and win… I’ll cheer for you with Ichinose-san, with everything we’ve got.”

“OOOOOOH SATOOOOO!! Don’t you dare refuse! You better accept it!!”

Kaito’s (jealousy-tinged) roar rang out.

…There was no way I could refuse. The class’s expectations. Ichinose-san’s innocent exposé. And… The uncompromising order from my partner named Rin Shinonome.

“…Understood. I’ll compete in badminton.”

When I answered in a barely audible voice, Ichinose-san jumped with a “Yay!” and Shinonome-san gave a satisfied grin.

Homeroom ended, and during the break, while Kaito was grilling me nonstop, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

【Rin: Morning, Kazu. …Top 8 in the prefecturals? You never told me that (lol)】

【Rin: Who knew our online-game knight was a real-life knight too!】

【Rin: Nihehe. I’m looking forward to seeing you be cool, partner】

Looking at the screen under my desk, I let out a deep, deep sigh. …Ichinose-san. She definitely did that on purpose. Her story about her cousin might’ve been true, but revealing it now was absolutely her carefully calculated production. She had set the stage where Shinonome-san and I, while pretending to be strangers, couldn’t help but be conscious of each other.

On the palm of Saki Ichinose the schemer, our daily lives once again began rolling toward a louder, more thrilling direction.

“…Haru. You’re grinning way too much.”

When I muttered under my breath, Rin, who was chatting with friends in the seat ahead, suddenly turned around. She winked at me with lightning speed, so fast no one else noticed.

I was sitting in the class, bathed in the light that signaled the end of May. On the other side of the class, there sat the school’s angel and my online-game partner.  My turbulent ball games tournament at the mercy of a girl with two faces was about to begin.

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