I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

Chapter 49 Ayaka Mino – Past 4 Exclusion

When I entered the gym, I immediately noticed something was off.

Usually, the club members who had already started their individual practice would shout out greetings to those entering the gym.

Following the usual routine, I also shouted “Good work!” as soon as I walked in.

However, the responses were faint, barely audible over the echo of bouncing balls, with a few scattered replies like “Yeah.”

It was obviously different from the norm.

Even after changing into my practice clothes and stepping onto the court, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort, and I touched the ball without focus.

“……”

My hands were numb, and that’s why my ball handling wasn’t as sharp as usual.

But today, I was in worse form than usual.

“Hasegawa. You should go home.”

About an hour into practice, the captain called me over and said that.

“…Sorry. I couldn’t focus.”

Even though he’s the captain, we’re both second-year students in high school, so it’s not something he’d usually say unless it was serious.

Most of the time, distractions come from external factors.

When passing the ball, other players would avoid eye contact, and during casual conversations, their smiles seemed forced.

I’m not the most sensitive to these subtle changes in others, but if it’s directed at me, I notice.

Especially when it’s coming from multiple people—it’s impossible not to pick up on it.

“Captain, something feels different today. Is it because of me?”

After debating what to say, I decided to ask directly.

The captain is a model student aiming for a recommendation to a prestigious university, so I figured he wouldn’t say anything unnecessary.

He furrowed his brow, then sighed.

“…Since you already know, it makes it easier to tell you.”

That was enough to make everything clear.

I didn’t want my intuition to be right in situations like this, but it seems I had no choice.

The captain looked apologetic as he spoke.

“There’s a rumor going around that you’re dating Mino. I don’t know if it’s true, but…you know, some of the guys in the club confessed to her, right? Those guys have been badmouthing you and Mino.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but the captain raised his hand, continuing, “Of course, I stopped them.”

“But then the others started teasing the guys, saying it’s pathetic to complain after being rejected. So, in short, there’s been some tension you didn’t know about.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

It must have been that someone saw me talking with Mino yesterday. If a fight had broken out just before I entered the gym because of me, this awkward atmosphere made sense.

For the captain, it was probably more convenient for me not to be around today, giving the other members a chance to cool off.

“After avoiding her for so long, now this happens the moment people think we’re dating…”

“Huh? Wait, are you actually dating her?”

“…We’re not. Just a figure of speech.”

I said this while tossing the ball into the basket. As it went in, a few other balls spilled out from the basket.

“Well, I’m heading out.”

When I said that, the captain responded with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about this. Thanks for understanding. It’s just for today.”

Without responding, I left the gym.

I couldn’t help but wonder if these guys, now in their second year of high school, weren’t embarrassed by getting caught up in such rumors. Thinking back to the underclassmen, who were being unusually quiet and considerate during practice, I felt more frustration about that than about being kicked out of practice myself.

“…How ridiculous.”

It really was ridiculous.

Wasn’t it shameful to be acting like this at our age?

I vented my frustration inwardly and sighed again.

Being pushed out of practice like this affected me more than I thought it would.

The idea crossed my mind that maybe I shouldn’t have gotten close to Mino in the first place, and I hated myself for thinking that.

I didn’t want to regret becoming friends with Mino. That much I knew was true.

It just so happened that I became close with Mino, but if it had been another guy, sooner or later, the same thing might have happened.

In that case, it might as well be me. I’m fine with that. I really feel that way.

But what if it had been someone else in my position? Like Sakakishita, for example.

Ever since Mino turned him down, I haven’t seen the two of them talking, so it’s an unlikely scenario. But I can’t help but think about it.

If I were as well-liked as Sakakishita, things might not have turned out this way.

The captain wouldn’t have had to push me out of practice, and maybe the scuffle wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Even if the rumors were just a misunderstanding, people might have been happy for us.

The fact that my relationships with others were so fragile that a simple dating rumor could get me ostracized—that’s my fault.

“Oh, Hasegawa. No practice today?”

As I changed into my school uniform and stepped into the hallway, Mino was standing right in front of me. She had her school bag slung over her shoulder and was holding her phone in her hand.

“No practice today.”

“Wasn’t there a tournament coming up?”

“…Rest is part of practice too, you know.”

In reality, practicing all the time just increases the chances of getting injured. I wasn’t lying.

Mino didn’t seem to question it, simply replying, “I see,” before continuing.

“Want to walk home together?”

…This invitation, right after what just happened.

If someone saw me walking home with a girl right after being kicked out of practice, it could stir up more trouble. And it wasn’t just any girl—it was one of the two people caught up in the rumor.

It would be smarter to find some excuse to turn her down for today.

“Today, I—”

“Don’t want to walk with me?”

My chest tightened.

Mino hadn’t done anything wrong. And neither had I.

Yesterday, Mino had said that putting yourself first is the most natural thing to do…

“…I have to stop by the staff room before I head home.”

“Did you forget to turn in another assignment?”

“Something like that. See you later.”

“Oh, okay. See you.”

I headed toward the direction of the staff room, though I had no reason to go there.

Mino didn’t follow.