As I Know Anything About You, I'll Be The One To Your Girlfriend, Aren't I? - Volume 1 Chapter 2.3

I Hope You Understand 3

During a tennis match, the sides of the court on which players stand switch several times. Currently, Suika is not on our side but on the opposite. Amidst the cheers from both teams, it’s hard to get my voice to reach her.

“…Uh, there.”

Perhaps because I raised my voice, I felt dizzy again. I ended up leaning slightly toward Kujo-san, and she supported me by placing her hand on my shoulder.

“Sorry, my bad…”

“…No. Miyashiro-kun, you shouldn’t overdo it. You’re not in your usual condition.”

“I know, but…ah.”

With a “pang,” Suika’s ball hits the net again. It was a shot from a not-so-difficult position. The usual Suika wouldn’t make such a mistake.

“Ah, Suika… really sorry… What should I do…? Should I go somewhere out of sight…?”

“Miyashiro-kun, if that’s the case, why don’t we… Kyaa!!”

“Kyaa?”

A sudden scream came from Kujo Kurenai, the cool beauty next to me. The cuteness of the scream, though it might be rude to say, was unexpected.

“What’s the matter? Oh, a bee?”

There was a bee in front of her.

“Kujo-san, be careful, because…”

“Wa, wawawawa… bee! Bee…!”

“Seriously?”

Kujo-san’s retreat, taking two, three steps back, lacked any trace of her usual mysterious composure.

“Bee, scary, scary… ah, kyaa!”

“Careful!”

Stepping on a small stone, she slipped and nearly fell backward.

In haste, I caught her just in time. I supported her body by wrapping my arms around her waist from behind.

Thin, warm, soft. And she smelled nice. I was close enough to notice all these things.

“…Sorry.”

“No, I’m glad I caught you in time.”

In my arms, her eyes widened, and her face flushed red from her neck to the tips of her ears.

Was it because she panicked seeing the bee, or because she nearly fell and got flustered?

Or maybe.

“…Ah.”

I inadvertently focused and “saw” it. The mist that emanated from her body at this close distance was indeed the same color as her name.

“…!”

Although we haven’t spoken much, as classmates, as friends sitting next to each other, I find Kujo-san appealing.

To be honest, the beauty of her that struck me on the day we first met is something I believe will remain unmatched for the rest of my life.

Even so.

…Ah.

My entire body cooled down at once. Sensation faded from my fingertips, and even my sense of reality became slightly distant.

The color before my eyes signifies love and affection. To me, it’s the most terrifying monster in this world.

“…? Um, …Miyashiro-kun?”

She calls out to me from within my arms, her voice tinged with confusion.

But, I can’t respond properly anymore. My stiffened body won’t move as I wish…

“Kyaa!”

“What’s that!?”

Gashaan! At that moment, the loudest noise of the day sounded nearby.

Startled, my body jumped, breaking free from the paralysis.

Turning to the source of the sound with Kujo-san, we saw a ball stuck in the fence right in front of us.

Not metaphorically. The ball was wedged into the wire mesh, hanging there without falling.

If there hadn’t been a fence, it would have passed right between Kujo-san and me.

“Sa, Service Ace… definitely the fastest serve of this match…”

“Or maybe, the fastest of the tournament…? With her small stature…?”

The girls next to us murmured in awe. Even I could tell from the collision’s sound and how the mesh was dented how fast that ball was flying.

“…Suika?”

It seems my childhood friend was the one who served that unbelievably fast ball. She didn’t strike a victory pose; instead, she remained motionless, her head down.

Eventually, she exhaled deeply and moved to the next service position, her gaze never meeting mine.

“Um, Miyashiro-kun…”

“Ah, yeah, …oh, sorry…!”

I had been holding onto Kujo-san, who almost fell, the entire time.

Thanks to the noise from Suika’s serve hitting the fence, my concentration broke, and now, I couldn’t “see” Kujo-san’s color.

After she stood up on her own, I finally let go. I felt like her touch lingered on my palms.

“Sorry for holding onto you for so long.”

“…No, thank you.”

“…The bee is gone now. It got scared off by the noise.”

“Good. I’m just a little scared of them. Just a little.”

“Just a little, huh?”

“…You’re mean.”

Kujo-san glared at me with a sulky look.

The sophisticated beauty who exuded an adult charm seemed, like a magic trick, to transform into a cute girl.

“Sorry, sorry. Anyway, Suika is… wow.”

Inside the court, Suika’s play had drastically changed from earlier. Her steps were quicker, and each shot was more forceful.

She seemed determined to finish quickly. It was as if her drive was visible in her aggressive play.

Unable to withstand Suika’s fierce attacks, her opponent sent a weak lob. Suika, leaping so high it almost seemed like she was flying, smashed it down mercilessly.

The ball looked like it might burst…

This was going to be a win for her. Somehow, I just knew.

“Nice shot!”

“Go, Suika!”

“Finish it with the next point!”

Suika’s teammates cheered her on.

“She really is amazing, Ado-san.”

“Right? She’s incredibly hardworking.”

“…”

“Her family used to be a renowned warrior family, and Suika has been trained in various martial arts as the heir. Now, she’s called upon as a helper in various places, excelling in everything because of her efforts from the past.”

“The first thing you praise is her hard work.”

“Well, that’s Suika’s best trait. I’ve always thought so, despite our long association.”

“Hmm…”

Kujo-san nodded, and then a strange silence fell between us.

She was the one to break it.

“By the way, how are you feeling?”

“Thanks to you, I’m feeling much better… Embarrassingly, you saw me at my worst.”

“…At school, there are days when you seem to be struggling. Like when we first met.”

“Was I? Maybe so.”

I don’t remember which days were bad since it’s almost a daily occurrence for me to feel under the weather.

“I won’t ask for details, but do you have any specific conditions that make your days good or bad?”

“It’s hard to say what conditions make me feel worse. The doctors say it’s a complicated illness with a lot of individual variation.”

My condition, inherited from my father, affects my immune and autonomic nervous systems.

Physical or emotional stress can unpredictably trigger my condition, affecting various aspects of my life.

Living calmly is the best treatment, my doctor said, but that was impossible for my father, and it’s the same for me.

To create and to express is akin to living; to be still is like being dead.

So, as long as I live, I need to manage this troublesome condition, even if it means giving up on some things.

“I guess it’s more like a constitution now, and I just have to accept it.”

“Right. …But maybe technology could solve some parts of it.”

“How so?”

“Nowadays, with wearable devices… like smartwatches. With those, you can collect a lot of personal data, so maybe we can find some trends. Not just those, but generally, they’re recommended for health management.”

“Huh, smartwatches, huh?”

I hadn’t thought of that. But it might be worth trying.

As we talked, Suika’s match came to an end.

As expected, Suika won. The court filled with applause, praising the efforts of both players.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Leaving? I see. Thanks for everything; you really helped me out.”

“I just happened to pass by.”

Despite having seen various sides of her, in the end, Kujo-san left with her usual cool demeanor.

I realized today that she might be more pleasant than I thought.

On the court, Suika and the Itozumi High School members lined up across the net from the opposing team’s members, exchanging handshakes.

The ace player from the opposing high school, with a wry smile, lightly tapped Suika on the shoulder a few times.

They seemed to be saying things like, “I won’t lose next time,” or “Let’s do it again,” creating a refreshing atmosphere.

After watching them for a while, I too started going home.