The Guy Who Messed Up Is Gradually Doing His Best - Chapter 16

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning.”

I enter the classroom while greeting the teacher.

“””Good morning.”””

As soon as I enter the classroom, everyone lowers their voices. The once noisy classroom becomes quiet. That kind of hurts a little.

Since there was no point in worrying about it, I headed straight to my seat, but I felt like I was being watched.

——Hmm?

My desk is so clean, it looks like it was polished. Is it just my imagination? While I’m wondering about this, the morning homeroom starts.

It doesn’t seem like there are any important announcements. However, when it was announced that I would be participating in the sports festival, the quiet classroom became lively.

Since I’m sitting at the front, I can’t see everyone’s reactions, so I can’t help but think the worst.

“Niiyama-sensei, um, which event is Gouda-kun participating in?”

I heard a beautiful voice from diagonally behind me. Did it sound a bit happy because of my wishful thinking? As I wondered who it could be,

“Gouda-kun will participate in the folk dance.”

The teacher, who had answered that way, turned to face me, so I nodded slightly in response.

Then, once again, the classroom became noisy. I didn’t know who it was, but hearing a voice that seemed to say “I did it” and another voice responding with “Yeah” made me feel a bit relieved.

It means that a few people are welcoming me, right? My heart feels a bit lighter.

After that, I’ll go straight into the first period class. It seems that Niiyama-sensei is also the modern Japanese language teacher. It’s hard to keep up, though.

The problem is the next gym class. I brought my gym clothes just in case, but where am I supposed to change? There’s no boys’ locker room, right?

It seems that in PE class, they will practice the dance for the sports festival, oh, the dance that the entire grade will perform. But today, the field is being used by the second year, so they will practice in the gym. However, since it won’t fit, only classes A and B will participate.

What they told me was that today, once again, the nervous chairperson, Kimishima-san, and the vice-chairperson, Fukata-san, along with Makino-san, Kirishima-san, and, oh, the whole class. The whole class? I might think, but everyone is still here without moving.

“Y-you don’t know where the gym is, right? I’ll show you.”

“Thank you.”

If I move in a line, I feel like the students from other classes are looking over here (toward the hallway) wondering what’s going on. Even though I’m walking while looking ahead, I can barely see them out of the corner of my eye. Some are pointing.

I don’t know how to react, so I’ll pretend not to notice.

It took about five minutes to get to the gym. Everyone, not having much time, hurriedly headed to the changing room, but they kept glancing over at me.

I don’t think it’s because they’re worried about me being left alone, so it’s probably just telling me not to peek. They don’t trust me.

“What will Gouda-kun do?”

I didn’t know where I should be, so I just stood by the wall of the gym, and the PE teacher called out to me.

They’re tall and slender, and they look like they must be really good at sports.

“I…”

It seemed there was no place to change, so I thought I might just observe, but then I suddenly noticed the basketball hoop. Nostalgic.

“Hey, have you ever played basketball, Gouda-kun?”

“I’ve never done it before, but…”

Right now, I hardly go to school, so I have no experience with most sports.

But as for me from before, or rather, my past life, there are quite a few sports that I used to play regularly in school classes or club activities.

Since I was in the volleyball club (because I thought it would make me taller), I only played basketball during class and occasionally with friends from the basketball club.

In my past life memories, I have experience, but what will happen in this case? Will I be able to play basketball well? I want to try it out a bit.

“I want to give it a try.”

“Oh, nice. I like kids who are motivated. Gouda-kun, you’re not participating in the dance, right? If you don’t get in the way, you can use that side over there.”

It’s worth a try. Apparently, the students decide on the song selection and choreography for the dance, so the teacher is relatively free… not that they have nothing to do, but they just monitor to ensure no one gets hurt. They said they would occasionally come over to me as well.

I quickly changed in the warehouse where I got permission, then grabbed a basketball and headed to the hoop.

As the girl starts dancing, I do some light stretching and then shoot some hoops. Not good. The feel of the ball is so nostalgic that I can’t help but smile.

It’s echoing quite a bit in the gym, but since it’s a dance song, it’s not that loud, right?

Well, since I’m alone, there’s only so much I can do, but I’ll try to do what I remember. I need to get back the feel for the ball.

Pinch the ball, flick it with my fingertips, and repeat the wall bounce two or three times.

Next, for the figure-eight, it’s usually done quickly to avoid the ball touching under my legs, but for now, let’s prioritize getting used to the ball by doing it slowly.

Hmm, my body feels awkward.

Even so, just when I thought I was starting to regain some feeling, I bounced the ball again for a change of pace. Nice.

If I remember correctly, the dribble is like this for the two-handed crossover, and the front change is like this, right? It feels a bit off, but let’s try again. Yeah, I think it’s probably right.

But, after all, my movements are still a bit awkward, so I jump, bounce a little, and rotate my shoulders and neck to loosen up my body again before trying. Alright, it feels good.

If I alternate between dribbling back and forth and side to side with one hand, I guess the warm-up is good enough. Finally, the shot. I’m not good at it, though.

And before that, when I looked to see if I was bothering the girls, they were all facing away from me.

Everyone’s movements are synchronized and beautiful. It looks good.

Alright then, with determination, I don’t remember my friend’s name, but I tried shooting in the form my friend was using.

If I can just mimic the form I remember, my clumsy shot should turn out pretty well.

However, I’ve been so focused on my form that my shots aren’t reaching the goal. But it’s okay because I’m having fun.

When my shots aren’t going in, I reset my mindset with a layup and then shoot again. If I’m really into it, the bell signaling the end of class rings.

“Phew.”

——That was close.

I forgot my towel in the storage room, so I almost wiped my sweat under my gym uniform. I was about to flash my stomach.

I hardly ever exercised, but I can still move pretty well.