───● The Basketball Club Junior High Girl Has a Nice Smile ●○●
On a Sunday when the summer heat had truly begun to set in.
The buzzing of the cicadas was starting to get on my nerves. I’d been cooped up at home with nothing particular to do since I woke up, but.
“So hot…”
Seriously, it’s too damn hot!
I have an air conditioner in my room, but I want to save on electricity as much as possible, so I basically never turn it on.
I could make the excuse that it’s this hot, so I have no choice, but summer has only just begun. If I turn it on for every little thing like this, I’m worried about what’s to come.
“…Guess I’ll go outside.”
You might say it’s even hotter outside, and you might be right, but it’s a matter of feeling. It’s better to be active outside than to just suffer from the heat inside.
I took a quick shower to wash off the sweat and changed into some comfortable clothes. I threw my basketball, a towel, and some other things into my backpack.
“…Yuka might be there…”
I checked my phone and saw that the only message was one from first thing this morning.
Being the wholesome basketball club girl she is, she might be practicing right now.
I was surprised to find myself looking forward to playing basketball with Yuka.
I mean, she just keeps getting better and better. Of course, it’s fun to watch. It wouldn’t be strange at all if she took back her spot from me soon. Though that would be sad!
Is she really a junior high school girl?
“Alright. Let’s go.”
I locked up and headed to the park.
The midsummer sun was, as expected, scorching the concrete with ferocious intensity, but the outside air felt somewhat pleasant.
As expected for a Sunday afternoon, there were already people at the park’s basketball court.
“Well, can’t have it so eas—huh?”
A strong sense of déjà vu.
I realized it when I got close enough to see the people on the court.
Among the four girls playing basketball, there was one I knew very well.
“It’s Yuka.”
Short black hair with a blue hairpin.
It might be because she wasn’t in her club jersey today but in the clothes she always wears when we play together, but I was able to spot Yuka right away.
Don’t tell me… is she being bullied again?
There was that incident before.
A bad feeling crept up on me, and I moved closer to the court just in case.
“Over here!”
“Yeah!”
“You can shoot it!”
“Nice shot!”
Oh, it’s fine.
All four of them had serious expressions, and unlike last time, I could immediately tell they were giving their all to the game.
“I’m tired~!”
“Let’s take a break.”
Whoa… that’s a new side of her. Yuka’s showing leadership.
From their conversation, they seem to be in the same grade, and I heard Yuka is the only first-year who plays in official games, so maybe it’s natural for her to be in a leadership position.
The four of them headed to the bench on the side of the court.
Hmm, what should I do? It would be rude to interrupt Yuka and her friends while they’re practicing. But then again, I came all this way to play, and I do want to get a few shots in.
…If I do some shooting with my back to them, maybe they won’t notice?
I’ll just take a few shots and then leave. Yeah. That’s the plan.
I took the ball out of my backpack and entered the court, trying not to be seen. I turned my back to them and dribbled the ball a few times.
A light warm-up.
Between the legs, now behind the back…
Yeah, the ball feels good in my hands.
I bounced the ball once, twice, then took a jump shot from mid-range.
Swish. With a satisfying sound, the ball sank into the net.
Yeah, from this distance, my success rate is nice and high.
Alright, two or three more shots and then I’ll head ho—
“Onii-san.”
Just as I was about to get into my shooting form.
A familiar voice from behind me.
What… the hell…
“H-How did you know…?”
“How many times do you think I’ve seen you play, Onii-san…? I can tell right away.”
Yuka, who had somehow appeared right behind me, called out.
Her bright smile was dazzling.
“Whoa, my bad, my bad. I thought I’d be in the way, so I’m leaving now.”
“What? You’re leaving?”
“Those are your teammates, right? It’s fine. Practice hard.”
It would be wrong of me to interrupt her precious practice time with her classmates. I gave Yuka a little wave and was about to leave with my ball.
At least I got to take a few shots. That was good.
“Um!”
As I crouched down to put my ball back in my backpack, a voice called out to me.
I turned around to see Yuka’s three teammates all walking over to me together.
Wh-What is it?
“““Please teach us how to play basketball!!”””
Huh…
It seemed that having them ask me to teach them was unexpected for Yuka too, because the four of them were arguing about something.
…Or rather, it felt more like Yuka was getting angry at them and the other three were just brushing it off…
Did I do something bad to Yuka?
“Uh~ Yuka, I think I’ll head home after all. I feel bad.”
“Ah! N-No, that’s not it! Onii-san, d-don’t go…”
“…? You sure?”
Her face is red. Is she okay?
“Just like you teach Yuka, please teach us basketball too!”
“If it’s something I can teach, I don’t mind…”
Watching them play earlier, it’s clear that Yuka is a cut above the rest.
The other girls are like your typical junior high school basketball club members.
I think they’re pretty good, but at that level, there are still things I can teach them.
“Yay!! My name is Suzuka, it’s nice to meet you!”
“I’m Kaho!”
“Miho here~!”
Whoa, their energy is incredible… So young.
Am I an old man already…? They offered their hands, so I shook them, and they pumped my arm up and down.
So much energy…
“Moo~~~~!!!”
Yuka is furious. I guess I really was in the way…
I’ll have to apologize to her personally on social media later…
I don’t know if it’s because they’re junior high students, but they all picked up the skills quickly.
They put what I taught them into action right away, and they were able to make it their own immediately.
I see. I can understand why someone would say that junior high students are the best.
I forgot who said that. And I think they were talking about elementary school students, but still.
“Onii-san, Onii-san!”
Because Yuka calls me Onii-san, the other girls in the basketball club started calling me Onii-san too.
Miho-chan even called me Onii-chan. Yuka got super pissed. Scary.
This girl with the ponytail… I think her name was Suzuka-chan.
“Onii-san, what exactly is Yuka-chan to you?!”
“Hey, Suzuka!!??”
Yuka put Suzuka-chan in a headlock with incredible force.
No, seriously, that has to hurt…
Yuka probably wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea, so alright, I should be clear about this. I’ll restore Yuka’s good name.
“Yuka, huh… Well, we haven’t known each other for that long, but. To me, she’s already like a little sister.”
Those are my true feelings. Before I knew it, I started looking forward to playing basketball with Yuka, and we started talking about things other than basketball, too. I myself think I quite like the time I spend talking with her.
Was that a little presumptuous…? But Yuka seems to have warmed up to me quite a bit, so I want to believe she wouldn’t mind, but…
“A-A little sister…”
Oh, sorry, it seems like she did mind.
I want to cry. I was wrong.
“Okay, okay, my turn to ask a question! Do you have a girlfriend, Onii-san~?!”
This time, the question came from the very gyaru-like Miho-chan. So forward~ Are all junior high students like this these days?
“I don’t.I’m single.”
“Ehh~ That’s so surprising! Okay, okay! Then I nominate myself as a girlfriend candidate~!”
“Miho!!!”
Wow~ Yuka is really mad~. A moment ago she was a little down, and now she’s angry. I’m worried about Yuka’s emotional stability.
But anyway, the way she immediately nominated herself as a girlfriend candidate, it must be that junior high is the time when you’re in love with the idea of love.
“““Thank you very much!”””
“Yeah, thank you for letting me join in~”
The three girls other than Yuka headed back to the bench. Miho-chan even said something like, “I’ll come confess to you in three years~!”
She seems like a gyaru, but she’s a cheerful, nice girl. She’ll probably have forgotten all about me in three years…
“Um, thank you very much. Ma-Masato-niisan.”
“Hm? No, no. I should be the one apologizing for interrupting.”
I don’t know what brought about the change of heart, but Yuka started calling me Masato-niisan. I don’t mind at all, but was I just imagining that she disliked being treated like a little sister earlier…?
“They’re nice girls. You should treasure them.”
“You’re right. If you’d like, please come and watch one of our games sometime.”
“Oh, definitely. I’d love to see you play in a game, Yuka.”
Can the general public even get into those games? Maybe if it’s a tournament…
“Um…”
“Hm?”
Illuminated by the setting sun, Yuka’s cheeks seemed to be a little red.
But still, looking at her like this, I can’t help but think that even though she’s young, Yuka’s face has a feminine roundness to it that’s cute. Her jade-green eyes are clear and beautiful, too.
She’ll definitely be a beauty when she grows up.
There was a short pause.
“It’s nothing.”
“…? You sure? Well then, see you next time. I’m always down for practice.”
I don’t know what Yuka was thinking about in those few seconds.
It looked like she swallowed some words.
“Yes. Next time, I want to practice, just the two of us.”
“Hahaha, you’re right. If I’m teaching you, Yuka, it’s better if it’s just the two of us.”
The level at which I can teach her is completely different from the other girls.
In that sense, practicing with just the two of us would probably lead to more skill improvement for Yuka.
“Yes!! I’ll be in your care again!”
The smile on Yuka’s face as she gave me a cheerful reply at the end was, as I thought, really cute.
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