Episode 82: The Final Match

Time had flown by in the blink of an eye; it felt like only yesterday that we’d fought our way through a gruelling battle to secure our place in the prefectural tournament, yet here we were, on the verge of the actual competition.

I’m usually the sort of person who doesn’t get too nervous and believes things will work out somehow, but this time, I’m feeling a little nervous.

It’s my first prefectural tournament, and what’s more, I’m the captain. Everyone else is nervous too, so I have to lead the team.

　If we lose, that’s the end of it.
Right now, I just want to stay on the court for as long as possible.

That pressure weighs heavily on me.

Aside from the pressure of the match, I have another worry.

Since we’ve made it to the prefectural tournament, Takizawa told me which university she’s going to, as promised. I haven’t told Takizawa, but I want to go to a university in the same prefecture too.

The reason is simple.

　I don’t want to lose touch with Takizawa.

　I’ve been torn about this for a long time.
　Should I start working soon and become independent, or go to university to pursue the career I’m interested in?
　But recently, I’ve started to feel that I want to go to university.

　I want to become an architect.

　My father was an architect, so I’ve looked up to her since I was little.

　My father designed the entire layout of this house. The layout, with its attention to every detail, is just like her.

　A home is a great source of support for those who live in it. It also becomes a precious place where one lives with loved ones.

I want to be the sort of person who can create such a precious place.

My father and mother are no longer with us.
Yet, the many memories they left behind are here, and they have enabled me to carry on living on my own. This house is a precious place for me, and a precious home that supports me.

I want to be able to build a home like that.

　I’d given up on applying to architecture faculties because they’re all so competitive, but thanks to Takizawa, I’ve managed to study hard enough to reach a level where going to university isn’t out of the question. I’m thinking of discussing it with my grandparents soon.

　If I’m going to university, it would obviously be better to go to one close to home where it doesn’t cost much, but I didn’t want to lose touch with Takizawa once I finished high school.

　Someday, I want to tell Takizawa how I feel.
　I want to say ‘I like you’.

　I want to tell her, but I don’t think now is the right time. I wanted to stay close so that I could do it whenever the time was right.

　Telling Takizawa how I feel, and getting her to feel the same way, isn’t easy; I even think it might be an impossible dream.

　That’s exactly why I didn’t want to be apart from her.

　And, as if in inverse proportion to my recent worries, Takizawa’s attitude has changed dramatically.

　Since the prefectural high school championships qualifiers, Takizawa has become much more open. And no matter what I do to her, she doesn’t seem to mind much, and she rarely rejects me anymore.

　I tried various things just to see.

　Whether I held her hand or kissed her cheek or lips, as long as we weren’t outside, Takizawa hardly ever said she didn’t like it. It’s been proven that if I go too far, she gets angry.

　Could it be that I’ve gone too far and she’s just got used to it…?

　In any case, whilst I’m happy to be touched by Takizawa, my mind is filled with questions as to why this is happening, and my thoughts are becoming increasingly muddled.

　And then, the actions Takizawa takes in the most unexpected moments push me to the brink, as if my heart might burst.

　The other day, I felt like my heart was going to shatter.

I wanted to express my deep gratitude, so I hugged Takizawa. But I never expected her to hug me back.

I want to ask her why she did that, but if I do, I’m sure she won’t speak to me for a while.

I’m so preoccupied with Takizawa… I want to know her better, but this distance is so frustrating…

Despite these worries, I left home determined to focus on today’s match.
The match, Takizawa, university.

There’s so much to think about, and I’m constantly filled with anxiety.

The prefectural tournament is held in a much larger venue than the qualifiers.

The venue I’ve always longed to play in—

　There were so many people, and they all looked so strong that I felt completely overwhelmed. Standing here, I felt as though my own spirit was too weak and I might just vanish into thin air.

I shook my head vigorously from side to side.

Takizawa had said she’d come to watch today.
I couldn’t let her see me looking like a fool.
I gave my cheeks a few light slaps to psych myself up again.

My teammates were gathered near the entrance. Mai and Miumi were there too.

‘Captain, are you late?!’
‘It’s still five minutes early.’
Saying that, I ruffled Mai’s hair.

‘Hina-senpai, please let go of Mai-senpai, she’s suffering!’
‘That’s right, that’s right!’

The two of them were in perfect harmony, and as soon as I let go of Mai, she started fussing over her. Since when had these two become such good friends?

　But this wasn’t the time to be worrying about that, so I gathered the team together to start our warm-up and strategy meeting. As the match time drew nearer, I realised I’d received a message from Takizawa.

‘I’m here.’

Just those two words made my heart swell, and I felt a surge of energy coursing through my body.

I just wanted to see her, even for a moment.

There was still a little time before the match, so although I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find her, I decided to look for Takizawa.

　After a quick search of the venue, I found her straight away. I was impressed with myself for knowing Takizawa so well. I’d thought she’d probably be hiding in a corner somewhere, avoiding people, and sure enough, there she was in a damp, deserted spot.

“Takizawa, why are you in a place like that?”

“Endo-san?!”
she looked quite startled and stared at me, still cowering.

‘There were so many people, I was hiding…’

At those words, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

That’s just like Takizawa.

I’d been quite nervous leading up to the match, but thanks to Takizawa, I felt a lot more relaxed. Seeing Takizawa’s face puts me at ease. I really do feel, deep down, that Takizawa’s influence is incredible.

‘Hey, Takizawa.’

‘Hmm?’

‘Will you pat my head and tell me to do my best?’

　I don’t think she’ll stroke my head, but I bend down anyway. I’m hoping she’ll at least say ‘Good luck’. As I wait, feeling all giddy, something I hadn’t imagined happened.

　Takizawa pulls me by the arm and hugs me tightly.
　There are lots of people in the venue; some are looking at us, while others just walk past without paying any attention.

　Takizawa, why……?

“I’m rooting for you. I’ll be watching.”

Saying that, Takizawa stepped back from me and gave me a clumsy smile.

Takizawa is so sneaky…

Just one of her actions is enough to throw my emotions into such turmoil.

My racing heart shows no sign of settling down.

“I’ll make sure this is a match I won’t regret, whether we win or lose.”

Saying that, I turned my back on her.

I’m so eager to get the match started now that I wonder where all the anxiety I felt just a moment ago has gone.

Takizawa gives me so much courage.

The buzzer sounded to start the match.

Our first opponents are the team that reached the last eight last year.
I reckon it’ll be quite difficult to win.

　The opposition scored the opening goal straight away.

As expected, our marking was a bit loose at the start, so we scored the opening goal of our own to show we weren’t going to be outdone. However, the opposition’s momentum didn’t stop, and they scored several goals in a row before the first quarter ended.

Fifteen to twenty-three.

It wasn’t a gap we couldn’t close, but I felt we’d fallen quite a way behind.

Amidst the gloomy atmosphere in the team, Mai spoke to me from the bench.

‘I might be moving a bit strangely today, but I want you to play as you always do, Hina.’

Just as I wondered what she was planning to do, the second quarter began, so we took to the court.

Miumi-chan was moving even better than usual.
My shooting was on form today, too.

However, the opposition’s momentum was even more formidable.

I realised this was the standard of the prefectural tournament.
My shooting was being closely marked, and I was under intense pressure.

　In the midst of this tough situation, Mai cut through the centre of the court.

The rest of the team were taken by surprise and were slow to react.

Mai always assessed the team’s situation calmly, passing to set others in motion or moving herself, but she rarely drove towards the basket herself.

In the blink of an eye, she closed the gap to the basket and scored.

“Don’t just stand there, everyone! Let’s attack again!”

　Mai said this with a smile, but it was the first time I’d ever seen her look so determined.

Thanks to Mai, the team’s energy returned.

I played just as I always do, no, with even more determination than usual. No matter how tight the opposition’s marking was, I kept scoring from outside.

Mai’s momentum didn’t let up until the very end.

I think it was a pretty heated match.
　We hung on until the very end.
We kept clawing back points right until the final whistle.

However, the final score was 56–41, and we lost.
Our opponents were a team that regularly competes in the prefectural championships.
We’d given it our all for such a short time, but it just wasn’t enough.

After the match, the whole team gathered for our final meeting.

It was a short period, but I’d thrown myself into the club with everything I had. Yet now, I won’t be able to do that anymore.

　I’ve always held back from crying in front of others, so even now I’m unconsciously holding back and no tears are coming.

Mai, the other third-years, they’re all crying, and among the underclassmen, there are only those shedding tears or wearing sombre expressions. Amidst all this, I’m the only one forcing my usual smile.

‘Hina, well done. Thank you for leading us right to the end.’

Mai says this through her tears and hugs me.

　A few words from the teacher at the final meeting, a few words from the third-years.

Even then, I couldn’t cry.

What a heartless person I am.

I find myself wondering if I really didn’t try hard enough, if I didn’t put enough effort into this club activity, which I’d thrown myself into so wholeheartedly, that I can’t even cry at its end.

When did I start taking the club seriously, again…?… Oh yes, it was the day Takizawa came to watch our practice match.

　From that day on, I started practising seriously, thinking I might be watched by Takizawa at any moment. My initial motivation might have been impure, but as I kept at it, I began to want to go to the prefectural tournament.

It’s the same with my studies. I started them initially to get closer to Takizawa, but now I’m working hard for my own sake.

She always gives me the spark to get serious.

She’s probably gone home by now, so next time I see her, I’ll thank her profusely. Having made up my mind, I decided to leave the venue.

‘Hina, see you at school!’
‘Hina-senpai, please do come to club practice once in a while!’

Hearing those words from Mai and Miumi-chan, I waved goodbye.

I’d returned to the familiar scenery, yet the walk home felt longer than usual. Memories swirled through my head, and I found myself lost in thought, glad that I’d given it my all.

　As I walked, the usual park came into view.

The place where my life truly began.

My feet carried me there naturally.

—A place that means the world to me.

When I went inside, there was no one there.

No, on closer inspection, there was a girl swinging on the swings. The moment she saw me, she jumped off the swing and ran over.

‘I thought you might come today. Well done on the match.’

Takizawa may not be the most articulate, but there is kindness in her words.

We move to a park bench and sit side by side.

‘…I lost, even though you came all this way to watch.’

I wanted to look cool in front of Takizawa.
I wanted to be the sort of person who could sit beside her with my head held high. A sense of dissatisfaction swirls round and round inside me.

“Was it a match you regret?”

Those words startled me.
Did I regret it? —No, I thought I could hold my head high and say that I’d done absolutely everything I could.

“No. I gave it my all, and I don’t regret a single thing. I’m genuinely glad I took the club seriously.”

“—Well then, you’ve put your money where your mouth is.”

At those words, my chest and the corners of my eyes grew warm.

“You idiot, Takizawa.”
“I’m not an idiot.”

I held back the tears with all my might. I was teetering on the edge of breaking down; it felt like even the slightest touch from her finger might send me crashing to the ground.

“There’s no one here, so you don’t have to hold back.”

As soon as she said that, I heard the sound of everything I’d been holding back all this time finally crumbling.

Tears began to spill out of me.

　So, I can cry after all…

I’d thought I couldn’t even cry when I’d given it my all. But there were definitely emotions deep inside me.

For some reason, in front of Takizawa, I end up laying bare everything I’ve been hiding.

I don’t want her to see me like this, yet the tears keep spilling out and won’t stop.

I’m glad I tried so hard.

I’m glad I was able to play basketball in the match until the very end without any regrets.

　I’m so glad my teammates were such wonderful people.

The more I think about it, the more my emotions, the happy moments, the fun times, and the painful ones, get all jumbled up and spill out as tears.

That day, Takizawa didn’t say a word; she just stayed by my side until I’d stopped crying.