Although we didn't see anyone we knew, Ayase's appearance stood out at an elite school like ours, and people were glancing her way.
"Don't tell anyone, okay? …See you later."
With that, Ayase picked up speed.
Maybe she was annoyed at the curious stares of our classmates, or
maybe, if she was as kind as I wanted to believe, she was trying to make
sure she didn't cause me any trouble.
It didn't matter either way, though. From here on, we would act as
promised and pretend to be strangers.
"Okay. Got it," I said to her as she turned her back.
I didn't expect a reply.
But that wasn't a bad thing.
I'd had a lot of excitement that morning, and I was as tired as if it was
already the end of the day. Unfortunately, this wasn't a story; it was
reality. I couldn't count on some author to conveniently decide I'd done
enough for now and skip along to the next morning.
My busy day went on without a break, and with no regard for our
emotions, Ayase and I were soon thrust into each other's company once
again.
It happened during PE.
It was first period, and we were practicing for Sports Day again, on the
same tennis court as before. Only one thing was different.
"Taaaake thaaat!!"
Narasaka's shout was followed by a calm remark from the other side of
the court.
"Hey, Maaya, you're hitting the ball too high."
The speaker had been a stranger not long ago, but I now knew her quite
well. She was my stepsister.
Ayase, who had been leaning against the fence listening to music—or
rather, English lessons, as it turned out—was now engaged in a rally with
her friend.
Was it because she had almost died that morning? I didn't know what
had caused her change of heart, but she was running around on her side of
the court, doing a pretty good job.
"…a…mura."
She had tied her hair back, and it was dancing beautifully in the air like
the tail of a thoroughbred horse. Her arms were bare, as were her thighs.
Her whole body was firm and tight as she leaped around the court, swinging her racket with precise, economic movement and guiding the ball
exactly where she wanted it.
"…ey…atch ou…mura."
I wasn't into tennis or anything, but I could tell that a lot of people's
eyes were glued to Ayase's top-class performance. You could barely tell
the difference between her and a professional player. I was staring, too, so
I was hardly one to judge. But I did think ogling a girl in the middle of
class instead of focusing on your own game was a good reason for
personal reflection. That said, I would happily reflect until the cows came
home if that meant I could keep watching. That was how well she
played…
"Hey, Asamura!"
"Huh? …Whoa!"
I heard my best friend yell at me just as a circular shadow shot into my
field of vision. I quickly pulled my racket next to my face, just in time for
a ball to smack it lightly against my forehead.
It hurt.
"Pay attention, for Pete's sake. That ball isn't as hard as a baseball, but
it's dangerous if it hits your head."
Maru came running toward me and picked up the ball as it bounced
across the ground. He looked exasperated as he hit his racket against his
thick shoulder. The gesture looked inexplicably cool. It really irked me
how someone athletic could make simple moves like that look so good.
If you were wondering what Maru, who would be playing softball on
Sports Day, was doing here on the tennis court, that was because we were
taking turns using the practice court, and half the time, each group had to
play the other group's sport.
This was a problem unique to sports with limited practice space, but it
was precisely because of this that guys like Maru, who played on the
school team, were allowed to take part. If they weren't, they'd lose out on
practice while other students took up the space.
"Sorry," I said. "I was just, uh, you know."
"You were drooling over a girl, weren't you?"
"Has anyone ever told you you're too perceptive?"
"Probably. But that's just how I roll, and I don't give a rat's ass about
people who can't deal with it."
That was our team's catcher for you. He lived to the beat of his own
drum.
He glanced toward the girls, who were happily hitting the ball back and
forth.
"Were you watching Ayase? I thought I told you she was bad news…"
"No, you've got it all wrong."
He was right that I was watching Ayase, but it wasn't like he thought.
We may only be stepsiblings, but she was still my sister. I didn't have a
crush on her or anything. But Maru misinterpreted what I meant.
"Then Maaya? Well, she's all right."
"I'm trying to tell you it isn't like that."
"Don't worry about it, my boy. Maaya's nice. I recommend her. She's
bright, lively, and gets along with everyone. She has good grades, and she
got an A rating on the practice exam for Waseda University. People say
good things about her."
"Don't you know a little too much about her?"
"She's a popular topic. She stands out, though for all the opposite
reasons Ayase does. The only downside is that too many guys are after
her, and the competition is fierce."
Was it just my imagination, or did Maru seem to talk faster when he
spoke about Narasaka? Looking into the placid eyes behind his glasses, I
couldn't tell what he was thinking. I wondered briefly if he might have a
crush on her but then decided to shelve that thought. I couldn't begin to
imagine my best friend becoming infatuated with a girl.
"I don't see Narasaka that way at all," I said. "But if I did, it's doubtful
I could beat the competition."
"Ha-ha-ha. Maybe you're right."
"As my friend, you're really supposed to disagree."
"Narasaka's the caring type. See how she's gotten an outcast like
Ayase to play tennis with her?"
"I get the feeling she'd go for a solid, serious type of guy."
"Just the opposite. People like her tend to be attracted to losers who
need help."
"Then maybe I have a chance."
"…Are you being serious?"
Maru looked at me like I was crazy. I'd only said what came to mind,
and I couldn't understand why he was making that face.
"Listen, Asamura. You aren't the loser you think you are."
"Are you trying to say I'm even worse than I think?"
"Whoa, turn down the negativity, okay?"
I flashed him a wry smile—I'd only been joking. He sighed heavily
and started scolding me like a wife telling off her husband.
"You're intelligent. At the top of our grade."
"H-hmm. It feels weird when you praise me like that."
"Calm down. Right now, I'm explaining why Narasaka wouldn't like
you, so it's more like an insult."
"Either way, could you be a little less straightforward?"
I knew it was Maru's way to be outspoken, but I would have preferred
a little more discretion. Not that I cared whether I had a chance to be
Narasaka's boyfriend, of course.
"......…Hmm?"
As we continued to whisper while stealing glances at the girls, I
noticed Ayase turn our way. She must have realized we were watching her.
Our eyes met for just a moment, and she quickly looked away. That was
wise. The other students might have gotten suspicious if we stared at each
other for too long. She'd made the right decision.
Still, even a fleeting moment like that was enough for some people to
notice.
Maaya Narasaka was one such individual.
I could see why people said she was caring. Some of that probably
came from her sharp insight. Ayase and I had met each other's gaze for
only a split second, and she must have only seen it out of the corner of her
eye, yet she noticed a change in Ayase and shot me a questioning glance.
Then she tilted her head a fraction. She looked like a squirrel or a prairie
dog—it was cute. I could understand why my classmates liked her.
Come to think of it, I should probably stop staring. Ayase had worked
hard to keep people from noticing, and I was putting her effort to waste.
I hastily turned away.
"Weren't you saying you didn't see her that way?" Maru asked.
"I don't. Really."
"Hmm. Guess you're a guy after all."
"Remarks like that are problematic and likely to give people the wrong
idea."
"So it's just typical high-school-boy lust, then."
"I don't think I like your choice of words!"
"Of course, I don't think you're the kind of guy who would carelessly
act on his carnal passions. But don't worry—your heart belongs to you
alone. You're free to think whatever you want."