───● The Basketball Middle Schooler Teaches ●○●

​The autumn wind has started to carry a bit of a chill.

​Even so, it’s strange how quickly your body warms up once you start moving.

​…And even if you aren’t moving, sometimes you can still feel a different kind of warmth.

​”Oh, I think that’s our destination over there.”

​”I think you’re right!”

​I grabbed Masato-san’s hand and started walking faster toward our goal.

​”Whoa, hey! Yuka, you don’t have to rush!”

​”I do! If we don’t hurry, someone else might take the spot!”

​”If that’s the case, it’s probably already taken—jeez, you’re as strong as ever, aren’t you?!”

​I listened to Masato-san’s voice behind me and giggled. As long as I’m with Masato-san, the cold doesn’t bother me at all!

​”Ah, man. Looks like it’s already being used.”

​”You’re right… I guess that’s to be expected on a weekend.”

​The thump-thump-thump of a basketball bouncing echoed through the air.

​Today was the day we were supposed to find a new spot for Masato-san and me to play. We’d pored over maps and found this park that looked secluded, but since it was a day off, of course there were people here.

​Two girls, probably elementary schoolers, were using the hoop.

​”Let’s head to that bench for now.”

​Masato-san pointed to a roofed bench nearby. We set our bags down and sat, watching the younger girls play.

​”I thought this place might be a hidden gem, but I guess the local kids know about it.”

​”But… maybe it’ll be empty on weekday afternoons…”

​Our search for a new court has been a bit of a struggle. There are gyms nearby, but they’re always crowded, and I’d be embarrassed if people I knew saw me there…

​Once winter really hits, playing outside will get harder, so I want to find a spot soon, but…

​To be honest, I actually really like this part too. We spend more time walking together than we do actually playing basketball, so it feels… kind of like a date.

​”Well, let’s keep this place as a candidate. The court might open up soon, so let’s get warmed up?”

​”Right!”

​At Masato-san’s suggestion, I hopped off the bench. When it’s cold, it’s dangerous to start moving suddenly, so I have to be thorough with my stretches.

​After we’d been warming up for a while, the elementary schoolers seemed to be taking a break or heading home, because they moved away from the court.

​Having finished our warm-ups, Masato-san and I grabbed the ball and stepped onto the pavement.

​”Alright, let’s start with some shooting.”

​”Yes!”

​Pushing the court search to the back of my mind, I focused on the ball. I have a winter tournament coming up soon, so I need to practice, practice, practice!

​The sound of the ball hitting the ground, the screech of sneakers on the court… I loved these sounds. They always made me feel sharp and focused.

​…Except, sometimes, I couldn’t help but watch.

​”There we go…”

​A graceful dribble, followed by a smooth jumper.

​Ah, Masato-san is just so cool. And the fact that I’m the one playing basketball with him makes me happier than anything else.

​I shook myself out of it and tried to focus on my own play. I dribbled toward the hoop, then tried a fadeaway jump shot.

​Clang.

​The ball hit the rim and bounced away. I’d made it the other day, but it’s still such a hard shot…

​I went to retrieve the ball to try again when—

​”Um!”

​”?”

​I turned around, startled. The two elementary school girls from before were standing there, holding their own basketball.

​I waited for them to speak, wondering what they wanted.

​”Could you teach us how to play basketball?!”

​They both bowed politely. Ah, I see. That makes sense…

​If they saw Masato-san playing, of course they’d want him to teach them. I was exactly the same way when we first met.

​”Uh, sure… let me go ask if he’s okay with it.”

​”?”

​I was about to go get Masato-san’s permission when I noticed the girls tilting their heads in confusion. Did I say something weird?

​”We want you to teach us, Big Sister!”

​”E-eh? Me?!”

​”Why not? Sounds like a plan.”

​”Masato-san!”

​Before I knew it, Masato-san was standing right behind me, watching with a smile.

​”They saw your play and thought, ‘I want to be like her,’ right? In that case, you should be the one to teach them, Yuka.”

​”B-but… Masato-san is much better…”

​”Don’t worry about me!”

​If Masato-san says so, I can’t really say no.

​I’ve helped out my teammates before, but I’ve never really taught anyone younger than me…

​”Wow… he’s such a handsome guy.”

​”Yeah, he’s really cool.”

​”Maybe we should ask the boy to teach us instead?!”

​”Ah—wait! I’ll teach you! I’m your coach for today, okay?!”

​Hearing the girls start an ominous-sounding strategy meeting, I immediately committed to being their temporary instructor.

​The girls were in third grade, apparently. Their skills were still very basic, which was only natural, but they were surprisingly eager—a far cry from the vibe of their “strategy meeting.”

​The girl with the headband must have been naturally athletic; she picked up everything I told her instantly. The girl with the ponytail had a surprisingly beautiful shooting form for her age.

​Before I knew it, their enthusiasm had rubbed off on me, and I was teaching them with everything I had. Time flew by.

​”The most important thing is dribbling. You have to practice it a lot until you can do it without even looking at the ball.”

​””Okay!””

​…I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to this specific court, but if I do and these girls are here, I’d love to see how much they’ve improved.

​I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my wristband.

​”Make sure you guys stretch properly before you go home.”

​Masato-san, who had been watching us from the sidelines the whole time, walked over with a towel.

​Man, it would be so great if Masato-san were my manager. I’d enjoy practice so much more… wait, no, I wouldn’t want everyone else in the club to see him…

​””Okay!””

​Following Masato-san’s instructions, the two girls began to stretch.

​”Masato-san, I’m sorry for making you wait.”

​”No way! It was fine. I got to practice my own shots, and I got to see a really great side of you, Yuka.”

​”Oh, stop it…”

​When he says things like that with that smile, there’s no way I can’t be happy. Masato-san is so unfair.

​”Hey, Mister!”

​”Hm? What is it?”

​”The stretches are hard! Could you push us from behind?”

​”Sure thing~”

​…Wait, there are two of them, can’t they just push each other? But by the time I thought of it, it was already too late.

​”I’ll push the Mister’s back too!”

​”Whoa, hey, be careful. We’re stretching.”

​The moment Masato-san started pushing the ponytail girl’s back, the headband girl draped herself over Masato-san’s back.

​”I want to push Mister’s back too!”

​”Eh? I don’t really need a stretch right now…”

​”I don’t care! I’m doing it!”

​Before I could blink, the two of them had Masato-san sandwiched between them under the guise of “helping him stretch.”

​…And the looks on their faces were nothing like the serious expressions they’d had while playing basketball. They were the faces of girls completely indulging in the feel of Masato-san’s body—a look of pure, unadulterated female predatory instinct.

​”If you want to stretch that badly, Big Sister will help you!!!!”

​”Wah! Big Sister is mad!”

​”Run for it!”

​Jeez! It always ends up like this!!

​”I’m so sorry about today…”

​”Don’t be! It was fun. Thank you, Yuka.”

​After the girls left, we practiced for another thirty minutes before leaving the court ourselves. It’s starting to get dark so much earlier now. I guess I should give up on finding a new spot and just use the gym nearby.

​”Seeing you deal with younger kids for the first time was really heartwarming.”

​”Really…? Honestly, they were so serious when we were playing, and then…”

​I know Masato-san is handsome, but they shouldn’t just be rubbing all over him like that… it’s bad for their upbringing!

​”You really felt like a big sister today.”

​”A big sister, huh…”

​The autumn wind shook the trees lining the street, and I wrapped my arms around myself. The night air really is starting to get cold.

​A few more minutes of walking and we’d be near my house. Lately, it’s become a routine for him to walk me this far before we head our separate ways. Today was no exception.

​”Oh, we’re here. Well, let’s keep looking for that court, okay?”

​”…Um.”

​”?”

​Masato-san stopped because I called out to him. I reached out and took his right hand, giving it a squeeze.

​When we first met, I was so nervous I couldn’t even dream of touching him, but things are different now.

​…Except for one thing. My heart still beats just as fast as it did that very first day.

​I looked straight into the eyes of the boy who was looking at me so curiously.

​”Once I’ve grown up… please make me your girlfriend.”

​”…!”

​This feeling will never change.

​Someday, when I’ve grown up enough that we look like a couple instead of just a brother and sister… I want to be his girlfriend.

​”W-well! Thank you so much for today!”

​I waved at him energetically and turned to run. I couldn’t stay cool until the very end!

​But telling him how I feel is important, right?

​Before I knew it, I couldn’t even feel the cold anymore. Feeling my body burning with heat, I sprinted the rest of the way home.

[ The Case of Maeda Yuka ]

​< Yuka

​19:48 | Yuka: Masato-san, thank you so much for today!

​19:48 | Yuka: Teaching must be really hard, isn’t it? Thank you as always.

​20:02 | Masato: Good work today! In my case, my student is exceptionally talented, so it wasn’t actually that hard lol

​20:02 | Masato: You looked really cool while you were teaching, Yuka.

​20:08 | Yuka: Ehehe, it’s all thanks to having a great teacher.

​20:08 | Yuka: I am a middle schooler now, after all!

​21:25 | Masato: As expected! You’re moving a bit less than usual, so make sure you stretch properly, okay!

​21:35 | Yuka: Yes, I made sure to do it thoroughly after my bath.

​21:58 | Masato: Alright, let’s keep working hard starting again tomorrow!

​22:03 | Yuka: Yes!

​22:55 | Yuka: I’ll definitely keep liking you, Masato-san, forever and ever until I grow up into a woman.

​22:55 | Yuka: So once I’m an adult, please look at me as a girl, okay?

​23:00 | Yuka: …Just kidding, saying that is a little embarrassing.

​23:00 | Yuka: Good night!