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 - 38

Chapter 38: Only the Two of Us in the Big Gym

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The gymnasium in the afternoon was wrapped in heat far surpassing that of the morning. Across the three courts lined up side by side, cheers of victory and groans of defeat intersected everywhere, the air growing heavier and more humid.

“…Unbelievable. Kazuma, you seriously made it all the way to the semifinals?”

From the very front row of the spectator seats, Kaito let out a stunned voice.

I, Kazuma Sato, had followed up my preliminary wins by taking the quarterfinals in straight sets. The combination of the “savings” from middle school and the predictive ability I honed in online games had apparently toyed with the current club players more than I expected.

“…Well, I just got lucky. More importantly, how’s our class doing overall?”

“Awesome! Looks like table tennis is out, but we’re advancing in boys’ basketball, and soccer made it into the final tournament. And right now, what’s about to start in front of us is today’s main event.”

Kaito’s heated gaze was directed at the center of the gym, on Court Two where the girls’ basketball semifinal was about to begin.

Class Two (our class) was facing Class Five, one of the tournament favorites. On the court, Rin Shinonome was lightly practicing her shots, her ponytail swaying, while Saki Ichinose bounced energetically around her.

“Rin and Saki are fired up more than ever today… Especially Rin. She hasn’t missed a single shot for a while now. If she keeps looking that gallant, she’s gonna gain even more fans.”

Kaito was right. In her uniform, Shinonome-san was the very embodiment of the “sun of the school.” She leapt high and released her shots with a supple snap of her wrist. From all over the stands came shrill cheers of “Rin-san!!”

…She’s amazing. As expected.

I took a sip of my sports drink and leaned forward over the railing. This was the “perfect Shinonome-san” at school, but I could see it. After making a shot, she gave her right wrist a small shake, as if checking it. That was the habit she showed when she overfocused during online games.

I remembered her once saying, “It’s just a habit of mine, you know~.”

Haru… You’re pushing yourself too hard. You’ll burn out in the second half.

I sent that warning to my partner only in my heart. When the whistle blew to start the match, Court Two instantly transformed into a battlefield. Shinonome-san’s movements were even sharper than in practice. She tore through the defense with piercing drives, drawing two defenders with her, yet still threading perfectly accurate passes to Ichinose-san. Ichinose-san, too, wore her carefree smile, but on the court she carried out her duties as a point guard with icy precision.

“Rin, over here!”

“Got it, Saki!”

Their coordination was pure art. But what captivated me the most was the seriousness in Shinonome-san’s eyes. Sweat ran down her cheeks, her bangs clinging to her forehead, yet she chased the ball relentlessly. Three years ago on the other side of a screen, she had urged me on through a voice laced with static. Now that same passion moved before my eyes in the beautiful form of Rin Shinonome. She was almost divine. I forgot even to shout alongside Kaito, simply holding my breath as I stared at her.

Halftime. With Class Two holding a wide lead, the players returned to their bench. Our seats were almost directly above it.

“Rin!! Saki!! You guys are amazing!!”

Kaito leaned forward and shouted until his throat nearly gave out. Ichinose-san noticed and turned toward us, waving with a beaming smile.

“Nihihi! Kaito, you’re way too loud! Kazucchi-kun, were you watching too!?”

At that voice, Shinonome-san, who had been wiping her face with a towel, lifted her head.

Her gaze passed over Kaito and locked directly onto me.

……

Our eyes met. There were countless students around us. Kaito was shouting beside me. And yet, in that instant, it felt like there were only the two of us in the world. Shinonome-san shifted the towel around her neck slightly. Then, with a mischievous Haru smile, so subtle no one else would notice, yet unmistakable to me…

Snap.

She gave me the most vivid wink.

“…………!!”

My heart leapt with the loudest sound of the day—no, of my entire life.

Thud. Thud.

I could feel my blood rushing all the way to my ears. My face burned as if it might boil over, and I nearly crouched down on the spot.

“…? Hey, Kazuma, what’s wrong? The heat getting to you?”

“…Nothing. …My heart rate just went up a little.”

“Haha, back-to-back badminton matches’ll do that! Don’t overdo it! …Wait, Rin just looked over here and smiled, didn’t she!? Whoa!! Was that for me!? Was that my personal cheer!?”

Kaito celebrated wildly in complete misunderstanding, but I knew. That wink wasn’t for Kaito. Not for our classmates. Not for her rabid fans. It was a “buff” directed solely at me, the one who had exchanged promises with her in last night’s voice chat.

…That’s unfair, Haru.

I covered my face with my palm, desperately trying to calm my raging heartbeat. But behind my eyelids, the afterimage of her sweat-glistening smile and that playfully closed eye burned on and refused to fade.

“—Second half, begin!”

The referee’s voice rang out.

Shinonome-san returned to the court, her expression once again that of the “angel of the school,” as if nothing had happened. At school, she was the popular girl, and I was a plain mob character. Yet within this massive crowd, there was a “secret signal” only we shared. That sense of superiority and the irresistible flutter in my chest pushed my feet back toward my own court.

“…I can’t be satisfied with just getting the top four.”

Feeling the full effect of the “buff” she’d given me coursing through my body, I tightened my grip on my racket.

That afternoon… My shuttle would slice through the court as fiercely as her shots. My selfish wish of victory… I released the unprecedented fighting spirit swelling within me into the hot winds of June.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー