Episode 25 – First mixed-gender PE

At Kirika High School, P.E. is divided between boys and girls and held jointly with the neighboring class.
It is an opportunity to interact with the boys in the next class, with whom we do not usually have the opportunity to interact.
In other words, we do not usually see girls in PE.

Today, unusually, the PE class was a mixed gender class.
A net separates the center of the gymnasium, and each plays basketball.

The focus, of course, is on this person.

“I feel like I’m being watched. ……”
“It’s not that you feel like you’re being watched, it’s that you’re being watched in your fabulous ponytail, Saarachi!”
“I wonder if it’s that unusual.”

Ayado Saara
Her long hair is tied back for ease of movement, and she is dressed in half pants for ease of movement.
The skin tone area is unusually large because of the long legs on top of the already tall body.
The only girl taller and with longer legs than Saara is Nagase san of the volleyball team.

“Yes, yes, boys, don’t look too much at the girls.”

The teacher in jersey claps his hands to get the boys’ attention.
Once everyone had gathered to listen to the teacher’s talk, I could see from my position in the back of the line that the other boys were glancing in Saara’s direction.
I had never seen Saara in her gym uniform before, so it was a new experience for me.

“There were thirty-two of us in the class. We’ll practice shooting first, then we’ll split the class in half and have a game.”

First, though, we practice lining up one by one and throwing them into the goal.
Since the guys usually get together and physique themselves, they are all aware of the girls.
The girls, too, seem to be concerned about the boys’ play.

When it was Saara’s turn, she looked at her neighbors with all her might.
The classmate in the front was looking next to her with the ball, but the guy in the back didn’t point it out either.

Knowing or not of everyone’s attention, Saara stood at a distance, showing no signs of nervousness.

“….!”

It went straight into the basket cleanly and without any bounce at all.
The boys were also impressed, and the order of the shooters moved.
Saara looked back at me and I thought I saw her smile. No, it wasn’t my imagination, she probably saw me.

“Next is Iida.”
“Oh, okay.”

With the ball in my hand, I remembered Saara’s figure.
I remember her like this…..

“Ah”

The ball, which I thought went well, went straight and clean and hit the …… goal panel and bounced straight and clean back to me.
It’s not easy to get a shot off. ……

I pass the ball to the guy behind me and I go behind him.
I looked over at the girls and saw Saara, who was also going behind me, approaching.

“Well, that was close.”
“Oh, come on, are you here to be sarcastic?”
“No way. If it flies straight, it’s a pretty good shot, because you have a lot of luck to see if it goes in or not. If you aim at the frame from an angle, it will probably go in.”
“Nn…… got it, thanks.”

I turned back to have a slightly manly conversation with Saara, who gave me encouragement and advice.
A few eyes met, but soon the gazes that had gathered quickly dissipated.

It would have been conspicuous if I had been conversing with Saara. Even if we weren’t talking, we were getting a lot of attention.

Practice was over, and the real event was about to begin.
The boys were also playing, but they all stopped moving every once in a while with the ball in their hands.

The reason for this was probably obvious by now.

“—Ha!”
“No way!!”

Saara began to show off her much talked about physical skills.

She snatched the ball at great speed and shot a three-pointer on the spot.
She snatched the ball in mid-pass and made a long pass to the edge of the court.
Her ponytail flowed beautifully in all directions, like a thoroughbred’s tail.

The final blow was a one-handed jump shot after dribbling close to the net earlier.
First of all, the jump was too high, and it was so high off the ground that I thought it could have been a dunk shot if it wasn’t so good.

That was Ayato, who used to be obese and eat only onigiri (rice balls), and now is the perfect superhero Princess Saara. ……
I’m sure I’m the most overwhelmed by her awesomeness in the class.

“Iida!”
“Ah!”

A classmate on my team calls my name, and as soon as I turn around, the ball comes flying at me.
It is next to the net that separates the men and women, and it is quite far from the goal.
It’s far, but I don’t think it’s too far for me to reach with my physical ability.

(That square mark, huh?)

I follow Saara’s advice and throw the ball straight at the frame of the goal, not at the basket.
Just like the shot Saara made.

“Yo”

When I threw it in, the ball moved as I aimed …… and hit the panel and was sucked into the net.
I see, it’s certainly easy to put it in.

“You’re doing great.”

I turned toward the voice and saw Saara smiling and putting her hand on the net.

“Thanks to you.”

I lightly touched her hand over the net.
It was only a short exchange, as we were in the middle of a match.

In addition, I inevitably looked at the girls and noticed that apparently the other girls were looking at me as well.
A little awkward. ……

–Shortly after this, an accident happened.

“Pass!”
“Eh–kyah!”

Among the girls as play heated up, Saara and Nagase san, who was receiving a pass while jumping, made contact with each other.
As a result, Saara was pinned under Nagase san.

“Are you okay!”

I, who was nearby, went through the net and helped Saara up.

“I’m sorry, Ayado san! Are you okay?”
“I’m not hurt or anything, I think I ……Ouch! Oh, I think I might have sprained it.”
“Oh, no. ……”
“No, it’s not Nagase san’s fault.

Ayado was injured.
The classmates who learned about this voiced their opinions.

“–Now, that was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

One of the boys started to accuse her

“She was playing too rough, and I think that’s part of it.”

As the teacher was running toward us, the boys started to accuse her.

I looked at the class atmosphere, at Nagase san, and most of all at Saara – and clapped my hands to make a loud noise.

“ She says she didn’t do it on purpose, and it’s her problem! Telling her won’t cure it, will it? Nagase san, go to the infirmary.”
“Oh, yes. …… Sorry, Iida kun”
“And for Ayado san.”

The teacher also clapped his hands to disperse the boys, and Nagase san took Saara to the infirmary.

I’m worried about Saara’s condition, but after …… it’s not my place.
I’ll leave the solution to the two of them.