In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Rumored to Be an Easy Bitch (♂) Among Lustful Girls - 25

Chapter 25: A Maiden (185cm 75kg)

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Weekend came. I went to the city gymnasium in the neighboring town to watch Haruto’s game. I took the train in the opposite direction from my usual route to school. As we planned in advance, Hinayo was already on the train car.

“Good morning, Hirakawa-kun!”

“Morning, Nishimeya-san. Thanks for going out of your way to take the same train with me.”

“N-No, no, this is nothing…!”

Hinayo lived near our high school. Naturally, her nearest station was the one I always got off at for school. Since we were taking the train in the opposite direction this time, we had arranged in advance which car she would be in so we could meet up. The reason for this was that Haruto had told me that I could be a bit too defenseless sometimes, which made me an easy target for molesters. Sure, it might be because I was someone with the moral value of the original world, but apparently, I also gave off some kind of aura that made me attract dangerous girls.

Really? I’m just a plain, introverted guy, though… Well, whatever.

“I think this might be my first time watching a basketball game outside of gym class.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, me too. I’ve known Haruto since middle school, but I never actually went to watch his games.”

“Was Fujisaki-kun a regular on the team since middle school?”

“Yeah. He’s tall, works out, and loves basketball so much that he practices whenever he has free time. Naturally, he got really good at it, and by our second year of middle school, he had already become a regular.”

“That’s amazing… He’s just like the main character of a manga.”

“Yeah, he’s one of those types that just powers through everything without realizing it.”

It was a common trope in trending web novels. A laid-back protagonist who kept leveling up without thinking too deeply and suddenly, the protagonist became a formidable powerhouse. 

Haruto was probably just like that in the basketball club sense. On top of that, he was friendly, had a dazzling smile, and was kind to everyone. Tall, lean, and muscular—a perfect combination for becoming a popular guy. Yeah. Haruto was definitely a chick magnet. There were way too many things about him that I could never imitate. I was sure that after today’s game, Nishimeya-san would become one of Haruto’s admirers, too.

“Come to think of it, this is my first time taking the train in this direction.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. There’s no reason to come to the city gymnasium in the neighboring town unless you have a specific reason. And if you’re heading to a bigger city, you’d go in the opposite direction.”

“Seeing unfamiliar places like this kind of makes my heart race.”

“Yeah, I get that. We have to be careful not to get off at the wrong station though.”

Before we knew it, we had arrived at our stop. After some idle chatter, we made our way to the city gymnasium, and Nishimeya let out a sigh of relief. New places could be nerve-wracking because you worry about getting lost. Yeah, I totally get that. Thinking back, Nishimeya seemed a lot less nervous when talking to me now. If she could build more confidence in herself, she’d probably be able to talk to anyone. This was a good first step. Definitely a positive sign.

As we walked through the concourse of the gymnasium, we spotted our school’s basketball team warming up. Among them, Haruto stood out the most.

“Hey, Haruto!”

“Oh! Asahi! Nishimeya-san! You guys made it!”

“Of course, I came to see my best friend’s big moment. How many points are you aiming for today?”

“Hmm, maybe around 50? Just kidding~”

Since I didn’t know much about basketball, I just gave a simple, “Oh, wow,” in response. But later, I looked it up and found out that the record for most points scored by an individual in a single game in Japan’s pro league was 45.

Is this guy planning to go pro or something?

“Thanks for coming, Nishimeya-san.”

“N-No, I didn’t really do anything worth thanking for…”

“Not many people come to watch basketball games, so just having you here makes me really happy.”

“I-It’s really not that big of a deal…”

“I’m going to give it my all, so cheer me on, okay? Well, I better get back to practice. See you later!”

Haruto ran back to join the rest of the team for warm-ups.

What the hell was that? The way he was acting toward Nishimeya was exactly how someone acted when they liked someone. I knew Haruto too well. He definitely liked Nishimeya. There was no doubt about it. Sure, Nishimeya and I had gone through a lot together, but that was just an accident… It couldn’t be helped.

From now on, I’d focus on playing the role of matchmaker and making sure Nishimeya and Haruto ended up together. Yeah. That was the plan.

Hinayo and I sat in the bleachers of the gymnasium. There was still some time before the game started, and the floor was bustling with activity. Other schools’ basketball teams were practicing with their balls, and some people were mopping the floor at a ridiculous speed.

“H-Hirakawa-kun, are you thirsty?”

“Ah, yeah, maybe a little. The air conditioning in this gym makes the air really dry.”

“I-I’ll go buy something for you…!”

“Eh? You don’t have to worry about that. Actually, Nishimeya-san… I can’t help but have this bad premonition at letting you get drinks for us…”

I suddenly recalled that herbal tea incident from the other day. Well, she’d probably just use the vending machine this time, so things shouldn’t turn south like before. 

“A-Ah, that was, uh… An a-accident, so…”

“Y-Yeah, an accident… It was just an accident…”

“E-Exactly! So, I’ll go get them now!”

As if shaking off her lingering thoughts, Hinayo bolted toward the vending machines. I hadn’t told her what I wanted, but it should be fine. I wasn’t too picky, but I really hoped she wouldn’t bring back something like corn potage or sweet red bean soup.

I glanced at the seats across the court absentmindedly, then, I spotted a familiar figure. Ash-brown hair that stood out, a slightly gyaru-style outfit, and for some reason, she was holding binoculars while scanning the basketball players on the floor.

“…Huh? Isn’t that Sotogahama-san over there?”

For some reason, Riria was also here to watch the basketball game.

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