That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 25

Chapter 25: That Everyday Life Is Only Temporary — The Gentle Murmur of Calm After the Storm

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―Yuu Yuuki’s POV―

The scent of tatami rushes brushed against my nose. It was different from the high-end room fragrance of the Ootori mansion. It was a scent that carried a hint of moisture, cheap yet dear—the smell of my own home.

(Ah… as I thought, this small space is where I feel most at ease. Having my own place is the best.)

Three hundred million yen. The legal chains that had bound me. The realization that they had vanished filled the tiny four-and-a-half-mat room.

(Ah… Just as I thought, normal life is the most relaxing. To be honest, I hadn’t felt truly alive since I was saddled with three hundred million yen in debt and forced into that unjust contract. …Well, time for dinner.)

I stood in the kitchen and started making dashi in a well-worn Yukihira pot. I took the potatoes and carrots left in the fridge, along with some pork I bought on sale, and boiled them down with a slightly strong mixture of soy sauce and sugar. What I finished was “Special Nikujaga,” thoroughly infused with the golden dashi. The sweet aroma rising with the steam seemed to gently soothe my stomach, which had grown cold from the “controlled meals” at the Ootori mansion.

(-..It’s delicious. As I thought, home cooking is the best.–)

Rattle, rattle, rattle!! Thump, thump, thump, thump!!

My quiet dinner time was shattered by the sound of someone violently pounding on the veranda window.

“Hey, Yuu! Are you alive?! Let’s celebrate your resurrection! We’re starting the ‘Live Stream of a Pet Dog’s Dinner,’ let’s gooo!”

The window sash, which I had forgotten to lock, swung open with force, and Miya Akutsu tumbled in with her silver hair disheveled, smartphone in hand.

“Whoa, Miya-san?! That’s dangerous, coming in with that much momentum. I mean, please just come through the front door like a normal person.”

“Quit your yapping! You still got your balls attached or what?! Kehyahya! Look at this, listeners! Look at this defenseless, cute face of my dog! Oh, wait, you guys can’t see his face, can you?! Kehyahya! Yuu, stop with the polite speech! Also, no honorifics!”

(I don’t know how Miya-san found out about the Ootori incident, but she rushed over because she was worried… Even though her streaming persona is as loud as ever.)

“…Thanks, Miya. Truly. Oh, I just finished making dinner. It’s not really a proper thanks, but do you want to eat with me?”

“…Um.”

Miya’s movements froze in an instant. The business-smile she had been wearing for the viewers on the other side of the screen peeled away, and her eyes darted back and forth between the offered bowl and my face.

“…Tch, ah? Y-Yeah. …Well, if a dog is going to go that far, I guess I could do a taste-test for you… or whatever.”

《Miya Akutsu. At this moment, her heart rate recorded an all-time high. Due to the combo of Yuu’s unannounced drop of honorifics and the “home-cooked meal” that provided a sense of security greater than her own mother’s, the level of paralysis in her brain had reached a lethal dose.》

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The following day. I visited the Kisaragi Law Office to express my gratitude.

“Kisaragi-san. This is just a small token, but thank you so much!”

With a beaming smile, I held out a box of the most popular sweets I bought at the station.

“…Eh, ah, well… I only did what was natural. …I couldn’t just overlook the Ootori’s tyranny. (A-Ah, so he smiles like that. …I’m so glad… that I believed in the law, in justice…) “

“That may be so. But if you hadn’t helped me, Kisaragi-san, I don’t know what would have happened to me by now. I’m really glad there are respectable lawyers like you around!”

When I expressed my gratitude with all my heart, Kisaragi-san abruptly turned her face away.

(Is Kisaragi-san blushing? She always seems cold, but she’s probably a very kind person at heart. …Being a lawyer is a wonderful job indeed.

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From there, I headed to Rin Asami-san’s apartment. It was for my once-a-week duty of taking care of Yuki the cat.

“Yuu-kun. I’m so glad the Ootori’s curse was broken. Yuki-chan is full of energy too. She’s happy about your liberation… Ah, by the way, do you want to take a shower?”

“Please don’t say that with the same tone as ‘Do you want a glass of water for now?’ It’s not raining today and my clothes aren’t dirty!”

“No! It may be invisible, but the lingering scent of the Ootori or perhaps that filthy silver-haired woman’s particles, might be contaminating your beautiful cells! Now, take them off!”

“What are you even saying?! Just so you know, stealing my underwear to sniff it is also forbidden! Maybe I should have you return my jacket too~?”

“How could you…?! That’s so heartless!! (If I’m deprived of the jacket, I’ll have no way to charge my energy…!) “

Rin-san was the same as ever. …Still, if they hadn’t rushed to the Ootori’s villa, I don’t know where I’d be now.

(..I’m actually grateful, but to be honest, it’s hard to be straightforward about it because of the perverted and troublesome behavior…)

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On the way back, I stared at the sign for “Les Ailes,” where I used to work. The Ootori Group had withdrawn, and now the shutters were down.

(Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Reika-san and Kujo-san after that. …And that drone pilot. I want to say thanks, but I haven’t been able to meet her even once.)

Suddenly, my body felt a little heavy. I felt as though I had lost muscle due to a lack of exercise without realizing it since the Ootori incident.

(Alright, let’s move my body a bit. If I stay like this, it’ll affect my return to society.)

I checked for recruitments on social media.

【Mixed Basketball Club “Sky Hopper” for Adults and Students: Currently seeking trial members!】

(This is it. I want to play basketball for the first time in a while and just purely break a sweat. …Yeah, let’s apply right away.)

Without hesitation, I tapped the send button on the application form.

(It would be nice if I could make some normal friends.)

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The high-pitched “squeak” echoed comfortably through the silent gymnasium. The sensation of the basketball shoes firmly gripping the floor. The familiar, grainy texture of the worn ball in my hands and the smell of rubber. After being liberated from Reika Ootori’s unreasonable debt, this “sound” was what I had sought above all else.

(Having time to focus purely on moving your body is great. …I really do love basketball.)

A loose ball rolled toward the sideline. Without hesitation, I threw my body toward the hard floor. There was an unpleasant sound of my knees scraping, and the heat of friction burned my skin. However, the exhilaration the moment my fingertips reached the ball washed away the pain.

“…Um. Yuuki-kun, are you okay? You don’t have to be that desperate…”

“Did you hurt your face? That’s dangerous, you know, for a boy.”

I could tell the other members of the club were giving me looks that were part-recoil and part-bewilderment.

《In this world, many men believed that “getting down and dirty while giving your all” was uncool. This world—where men were treated kindly by women just for being male, even if they didn’t work hard to achieve results—created that environment. Of course, not everyone was like that, but such men were in the minority.》

But it didn’t matter to me. Right now, I just wanted to focus on basketball.

(It’s not fun unless you do everything with your all, right?)

In the face of my intense aura, words flew straight at me.

“Nice loose ball, Senpai!”

When I looked up at the vibrant voice, there was a girl who jumped higher than anyone and smiled more brilliantly than anyone else.

Hikari Ichinose.

Peeking out from her oversized basketball tank top was surprisingly translucent white skin and supple, toned upper arms. Her large, double-lidded eyes sparkled, and a small snaggletooth peeked through her carefree smile. The refreshing scent of soap and citrus reached me, carried by the wind. She gave off a healthy sexiness and an overwhelming “sunny” brilliance. Though she was my senior in this club, she was likely my junior in terms of age. She watched my play with straight eyes, her ponytail bouncing with her movements.

(Ichinose-san’s play… she’s good. And above all, she looks like she’s having fun. …It reminds me of when I was frantically playing basketball in my original world.)

“Thanks. …Your shot was amazing too, Ichinose-san.”

“Haha, keep watching! I’m going to sink a three points next!”

During a break in practice, the woman who represented the club walked over to me.

“Yuuki-kun. You’re experienced, aren’t you? I can tell by your movements. …Actually, there’s a league match with neighboring clubs next month, and I was wondering if you’d play as a starter. Our team needs a ‘serious’ player like you right now.”

“Me, a starter…? Even though I’m still just a trial member?”

“I want you to. …Can I count on you?”

Staring straight into her eyes, I gave a short “Yes.” I was purely happy to be needed, and I decided on the spot to join the club and participate in the tournament.

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After every club practice ended, I asked for permission to stay behind in the gym alone.

Thump, thump—I kept the rhythm and practiced my steps. I always stopped at the exact same spot. The place I aimed for was the right 45-degree angle, just outside the three-point line.

(…It’s just like that day.)

《Yuu Yuki. He had a bitter memory from before he came to this world. His seniors’ retirement match in high school. A two-point difference. A few seconds remaining. The shot he released from this “right 45-degree angle” missed, and his seniors’ summer came to an end. Even now, he hadn’t forgotten the heat of his own tears that dripped onto the floor that day.》

(…I’ll make sure not to make the same mistake as back then. …Practice. All I can do now is practice relentlessly.)

One shot, two shots. Over and over again. From the right 45-degree angle, I continued to shoot. On days when the club didn’t have practice, I practiced at a nearby basketball court.

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Then, the day of the tournament arrived. The heat of the venue. The voices of encouragement. Our team made an unexpected charge and advanced all the way to the finals. And then, in the finals, near the end of the game. Three seconds left. The numbers on the scoreboard showed a two-point deficit.

The clamor of the venue. The pressure of the opposing team. The teammate carrying the ball saw that I couldn’t shake my mark and, in a split-second decision, passed to Ichinose-san. From there, she threw a no-look pass to me as I shook off the defense. As if drawn in, the ball settled into both of my hands.

The place I was standing was the right 45-degree angle.

(…Are you kidding me? …Ugh!)

I was shocked by the identical situation to my past. My heart pounded violently, like a bell ringing in my ear. My vision narrowed. One second, two seconds. I released the ball with the same form I had practiced.

(……!)

Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

The buzzer sounded for the end of the match. As if fleeing, I sat down behind the gymnasium. In the darkness, I slammed my fist once against the cold concrete wall.

“…………Ugh. …………Haah, how pathetic…”

Pathetic. I had retrained my body and tried my best in my own way, but in the end, nothing had changed. The memories of my original world and my current unworthiness mixed together, and my vision blurred. Naturally, a droplet rolled down my cheek and fell. I was so miserable and frustrated that I felt like I was going to end up hating myself.

(…I haven’t grown at all… me. What am I even doing, seriously…)

It was then…

“Yuu-senpai.”

Standing before me was Hikari Ichinose.

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