That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 26

Chapter 26: That Heartbeat Hits 180 — The Sun of the Gymnasium and a Diamond in the Rough

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―Hikari Ichinose’s POV―

Squeak, squeak.

(I love this sound, the friction between the rubber of my basketball shoes and the well-worn gymnasium floor.)

The heavy vibration of the ball—thump, thump—linked directly to my heart through my palms. I took aim and released. The orange sphere left my fingertips, drawing a beautiful parabola before being sucked into the ring.

Swish.

Every time I heard that delightful snap of the net, adrenaline surged comfortably through my entire body.

“Nice shot, Hikari-chan! You’re in top form today too!”

“Thank you! I’m heading to defense next!”

With my ponytail flying, I ran around the court. My hair, tied up high, bounced around like a living creature every time I moved; people often told me it expressed my mood perfectly.

(Ah, basketball really is the best! The smell of this gym—a little dusty, but filled with heat—is where I feel most at ease!)

“Sky Hoppers,” the mixed adult and student basketball club I belonged to. Twice a week, men and women gathered in the gym at dusk to break a sweat. Generally, men in this world were treated with great care, like “flowers.” Many of them hated getting a tan, frowned at sweat as being “unclean,” and took it for granted that women would escort them.

Even the guys in the club, when it came to a game, would say things like, “It’d be a disaster if I got injured,” or “Isn’t giving your all kind of desperate and uncool?” and just played half-heartedly.

(To be honest, it’s boring. I want something more like… passion! A clash of souls! I wonder if asking for that from a man is just wishing for too much…)

It was then…

“…Um, excuse me. My name is Yuuki. I’ll be participating as a trial member starting today.”

At the entrance of the gym. The one who spoke in a modest but steady voice was a single man. The gym buzzed slightly when they saw the person who appeared. His height… he was taller than me, but on the smaller side for a basketball player. But, regardless, his face was beautiful. He had large double-lidded eyes and translucent white skin. The female members were getting excited, saying things like, “An incredibly beautiful boy is here!” and “Is he a model?”

Yuu Yuuki-senpai. At first glance, he had the kind of beautiful features seen everywhere in this world, the type that looked like he “needed to be protected.”

(Wow, he definitely is good-looking… But can someone that thin and pale actually play basketball? He’s probably the type who’ll run a little, say ‘I’m tired,’ and take a break like the other guys…)

However, when I saw the shoes he brought, I thought “Oh?” for a moment.

…They were old, but carefully maintained. These were the tools of someone who truly ran.

“Nice to meet you, Yuuki-kun. Just blend in as you like. Just try not to get hurt.”

With a casual greeting from the representative, a mini-game in a match format began. At first, I thought it would be the usual “lukewarm” game. A make-believe game where the guys just floated around the outside and took shots while worrying about their hairstyles. Rudely enough, that was what I thought. But that prediction was shattered into a million pieces the moment the game-style practice began.

“―!”

The moment a loose ball rolled away, a violent sound hit the floor. There was a heavy impact. Yuuki-senpai had dived for the floor faster and more decisively than anyone else. The smell of rubber singed by friction. He secured the ball while sliding and, without caring that he had hit his knees hard, connected a sharp pass to a teammate.

“Eh…?”

“Whoa, Yuuki-kun, you’re way too serious. That’s dangerous.”

“Whoa… is he for real? Being that desperate.”

“He has a nice face, but being that desperate is kind of a turn-off…”

The other guys were looking at him with repulsed eyes. But Yuuki-senpai just said a brief “Sorry,” and immediately stood up to run back on defense. His face was the definition of serious. With his groomed brows knit together, he didn’t even wipe away the dripping sweat, focusing only on the goal. Out of breath, enjoying the heat that seemed to burn his lungs, getting down and dirty with everything he had. That was the first time I had ever seen a “serious” man in this world.

Thump.

Something jumped deep in my chest. What was this? My heart leapt violently, as if someone had smashed a volleyball against it. My smartwatch was vibrating ominously over and over, but I didn’t care about that.

The supple line of Yuuki-senpai’s arms peeking out from his oversized tank top. The calf muscles that tensed up the moment he jumped. And above all, those “strong eyes” staring at a single point. I didn’t really understand what the world called “masculinity.” But, right now, Yuuki-senpai, covered in sweat and running desperately before my eyes…

(…Incredible. What is up with that guy? …He’s cool. Wait. He might be really cool!)

On my wrist, my high-performance smartwatch vibrated. A warning beep—beep, beep—sounded.

【Warning: Heart rate is rising rapidly. Please remain still.】

(Shut up already. This isn’t something that’s going to get better by staying still.)

Yuuki-senpai dived for a loose ball again by himself. Even when he scraped his knees and created red stains on his white skin, he didn’t stop for a second.

“Nice loose ball, Senpai!”

Before I even realized it, I was shouting Yuuki-senpai’s name to call for the ball louder than anyone else. Swinging my ponytail vigorously, I chased after Yuuki-senpai’s back. In the middle of this vast gymnasium, I might have found the true “light” I had been searching for all this time.

The premonition that something was beginning for me. It was certainly mixed into the heated air of this gymnasium.

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Peeeeeeeeeeee!!

The heartless whistle for the end of the game echoed through the gymnasium. The numbers on the electric scoreboard showed a difference of only “2” points. At the very end, the shot Yuuki-senpai released missed, grazing the edge of the ring.

“…Huff. …Huff…”

He put his hands on his knees, his breathing ragged. My vision flickered. Sweat pouring from every pore in my body became droplets that fell to the floor, following gravity. At the very, very end, the shot Yuuki-senpai released was unfortunately rejected by the ring and bounced away.

“…Ah, ahaha. We lost. Oh well, there’s another game next month.”

“True. I’m thirsty. Want to go grab a parfait when we’re done?”

“Good work. That was close, Yuuki-kun.”

“Yeah, there was nothing you could do about that last one. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Yes. …I’m sorry.”

The voice he used to give that short reply felt a bit lower and more tremulous than usual. And the other male members of the club had already switched back to “daily life.” To them, this was just “playing” after all. Even if they lost, it was the kind of event they’d forget after eating some ice cream from a convenience store on the way home. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t take my eyes off the back of Yuuki-senpai, who stood in the center of the court with his hands on his knees, his shoulders heaving.

(…Yuuki-senpai. Even though he was running so, so desperately…)

Even the defense that the other guys had skipped because “being serious is uncool,” he had covered by himself, running twice the distance. He had dived for loose balls, stretching his arms out with everything he had. I might have been the only one who was actually watching him like that.

“Hikari-chan, let’s start cleaning up. …Huh? Where’s Yuuki-san?”

“…Ah, um. To the restroom… I think! I’ll go ahead and start gathering the balls!”

As if fleeing, I chased after Yuuki-senpai’s back. The place he headed for was behind the gymnasium. It was a place where the evening sun was about to set, a mixture of orange afterglow and the chilly night air.

(…I wonder if Senpai is okay. He was working so hard, maybe he’s just exhausted.)

Holding the spare sports drink I had, I turned the corner to call out to him. And there, I saw “it.”

Wham.

A dull sound echoed. Yuuki-senpai had slammed his fist against the concrete wall.

“…………Ugh. …………Haah, how pathetic…”

His voice sounded like he was squeezing it out. With his hand against the wall, Yuuki-senpai hung his head. It wasn’t my imagination that his eyes looked moist.

(…Eh?)

I gasped and hid in the shadows. Yuuki-senpai was crying, all alone in the darkness where no one was watching. My head was in a state of confusion. It was far too different from the “men’s tears” I knew. On TV. A scene in a drama. Or a scene from a couple’s fight on the street. The tears men shed were always, without fail, tears of “escape.”

『I’m sorry, I won’t cheat again.』

『I’m sorry, I’ll do better next time.』

They were damp, slimy, and somehow calculated. Mere cheap “performances (tools)” to gain forgiveness from a woman. That was the definition of “men’s tears” as I knew it. But… The droplets currently overflowing from Yuuki-senpai’s eyes and wetting the ground as they ran down his chin were fundamentally different from that.

He wasn’t showing them to anyone. He was truly angry at his own weakness, all by himself. His tightly clenched fist had turned white. And those droplets falling to the ground reflected the light of the setting sun…

(…What is that? …It’s like a diamond… It’s sparkling…)

I was thinking of something so out of place. Reflecting the afterglow of the dusk, they emitted a light that was transparent, sharp, and far too beautiful—just like a polished diamond. It wasn’t to act spoiled toward someone. It wasn’t to get someone to forgive him. It was just an incredibly sincere anger and frustration toward himself, for wishing to “get better,” for working hard, and for still failing to reach his goal.

(…Ah, …aaaaah…)

At that moment…

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!!!!

A loud alert sounded from my left wrist. My left wrist screamed violently, as if to destroy the silence. The display of the smartwatch flashed a bright red warning color, indicating an abnormal situation. The heart rate figure displayed was “180.”

【Warning: Heart rate has exceeded 180. This is life-threatening. Please take deep breaths immediately and remain still. Would you like to call for emergency services?】

(…Shut up …just be quiet!)

I forced my left hand to hide the smartwatch. But it wouldn’t stop.

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart was raging so violently it felt like it would smash my ribs apart from the inside. It was painful. I didn’t have enough oxygen. My lungs felt hot. But this wasn’t because of the exercise. It was because my soul had been directly pierced by Yuuki-senpai’s “diamond tears.”

(…He’s cool…)

My thoughts were painted over by that single phrase. Everyone might laugh and say “it’s just a club match.” But this person was serious. He fought seriously and felt serious frustration. That straight-up heart was so beautiful, so blinding. This person, working harder at basketball than anyone else.

(((((Yuuki-senpai is seriously, seriously too cool!! I love him… I love him so much!!)))))

My brain was filled with those screams. This might be it. The “something” I had been searching for all this time. I felt as though my world had been completely repainted at this moment. My body desired the existence of “Yuu” before my eyes with everything I had, to the point where I thought the smartwatch must be broken. I didn’t need dressed-up sex appeal or spoiled words.

I… I just wanted to become a strong version of myself, someone who could stand by this person’s side and support him from behind.

“…Yuuki-senpai.”

Before I knew it, I had stepped out from the shadows. With a trembling hand, I held out the bottle of sports drink toward Yuuki-senpai.

“…Yuuki-senpai. …Good work today!”

Yuuki-senpai’s shoulders jumped as he turned toward me.

Thump.

【Warning: Heart rate has recorded 185. Immediately…】

(I told you to shut up! This is the good part!!)

My face was surely as red as a boiled octopus. Senpai hurriedly wiped his tears and tried to force a smile.

“Ah, …Ichinose-san. …Were you watching…?”

“…Yes! I was watching everything!”

I declared it with a cloudless smile, against the background of my heart’s explosive sound.

“…So you saw. A pathetic sight.”

“It wasn’t pathetic at all!”

“…Eh…?”

“…Yuuki-senpai’s tears just now. …They were the coolest in the world… no, in the universe! I… I really, truly… respect that part of you that works so hard!”

Yuuki-senpai’s eyes were wide. At that direct gaze, I could feel my face being dyed even redder than the sunset this time.

(This is bad, this is bad. My heart rate probably exceeds 200 now…!)

Even so, I didn’t look away. I forcefully grabbed his hand and pressed the bottle into it.

“So… next time, I’ll help you with your shooting practice! So that we can definitely win next time. …Please let me practice together with you, by your side!”

The watch on my wrist sounded another loud alert. But it was fine. I didn’t care if my heart stopped.

Because I had decided to keep running by this person’s side.

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