Oliver looked at the crowd gathered around him—Haruko with concern written all over her face, several girls clearly moved by something, and his male classmates behind him bursting into spontaneous applause.
He slowly raised his hand and typed a single symbol into the air:
"?"
What's going on?
Are they… applauding because I used the bathroom?
"No, no, no! It's not what you think..." Oliver hurriedly tried to explain, waving his hands. "I just wanted to go to the bathroom…"
"Alright, classmate Oliver, you don't need to explain anything!" one student said, eyes shining with understanding.
The others nodded vigorously. "We understand everything," they said, stretching out their arms in solidarity.
"This is the last year for seniors like Akagi and Kogure. You're pushing yourself to the limit for their sake, aren't you? So that they can leave with no regrets!"
"N-No… I…"
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Haruko suddenly interjected, stepping forward passionately. "Oliver trained through the entire holiday before the school year began. Whether it was windy or raining, he didn't stop even for a second!"
"That's right!" she added proudly. "Every time I visited the gym, Oliver and Sakuragi-kun were out on the court practicing hard!"
"Oliver… you're such an amazing man!"
Pah pah pah pah pah!!
Applause exploded in the corridor again like thunder. Everyone was looking at Oliver with admiration. Heads nodded in approval, and even some sophomore basketball players wiped away tears.
"We can't let our hero go hungry, can we?!"
The students looked at one another and silently came to a mutual understanding.
"Wait… Wait!! What are you doing?! Let me go!" Oliver shouted in panic as his classmates suddenly lifted him up and carried him into Haruko's classroom like a trophy.
No… I'm going to lose control...
If they keep shaking me around like this, it's going to be even more...
"It's okay! Leave it to us!" they said cheerfully, ignoring his struggles.
Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Oliver couldn't resist as he was gently forced to sit on a bench. Before he knew it, the table in front of him was filled with fried noodles, steamed buns, fried rice, bananas, and all sorts of other snacks and foods.
"W-What is all this…?"
Oliver looked at the mountain of food with a twitching eyebrow, turning slowly to glance at the classmates surrounding him.
"This is our lunch. We're sharing it with you!"
With bright smiles, they patted their chests, proudly declaring: "Don't worry! We've got plenty more if you're still hungry!"
"Uh… Actually, I'm already full… I just wanted to…"
Oliver tried to clarify, but before he could say another word, a shy girl squeezed her way through the crowd and stopped just in front of the desk.
"Classmate… Oliver…"
The girl with neatly braided hair had a red face and was panting. Clearly, she'd used all her strength to push through.
"Please… Please accept this!"
With trembling hands, she held out a pink envelope toward Oliver.
"You are…?"
Oliver blinked in confusion, staring at the envelope, then at the blushing girl in front of him. Screams of excitement came from the girls in the back, while the boys shouted in unison:
"Ohhhhhh!!"
"I… I'm Sato Aiko from Class 3, Grade 1…" she stammered, bowing slightly. "You may not have noticed me before, but… I've been watching you since that match back in junior high…"
Sato's face turned even redder. She twisted the hem of her skirt nervously, her entire head steaming from embarrassment.
"This… this is how I feel…"
"I hope you'll do your best in the tournament…"
"OHHHH!! IT'S A CONFESSION!!"
Everyone exploded in cheers. Excitement filled the room as if fireworks had gone off. Some students even chanted:
"What a popular guy! Shohoku's savior!!"
Oliver remained seated, holding a banana in one hand and a scoreboard panel in the other. His face was utterly blank, eyes drifting across the classroom—cheering classmates, the nervous Sato, the stunned Haruko.
"?"
He typed another invisible question mark in the air.
I just wanted to go to the toilet.
Why did it turn into this?
The enthusiasm, the gifts, the applause, and now a confession? He could feel their genuine goodwill and expectations pressing down on him.
Can I really say, "I wasn't training… I just needed to pee"?
They even praised me and gave me food. Am I supposed to blurt out, "You're all overthinking. I just needed to go to the bathroom."
And this girl… she gathered all her courage to confess.
Can I really say to her, "Actually, I just wanted to go to the toilet"?
So heavy!
I can't say it!!
I really, really can't put it into words!!!
Oliver stood up abruptly, cold sweat running down his face. "Of course… of course! Shohoku must aim to dominate the nation! We can't afford to stop training, not even for a moment! Ahahaha…"
GROWL!!
His stomach betrayed him loudly. Everyone heard it. He sat back down immediately, face grim, holding his belly.
"I… I'm sorry, Sato-san… Right now, my main focus is basketball…"
"Guuu——!!"
Another loud growl came from his stomach, making Oliver tremble like a leaf.
"Haaah… That's why… I can't respond to your feelings…"
"It's okay! It's really okay!" Sato waved her hands in a fluster, her eyes full of sympathy.
"I never expected anything in return, classmate Oliver. Just having you understand my feelings… that's enough for me."
She smiled gently and pointed her fingers together in front of her chest.
"For someone like you… basketball comes first."
No, that's not it.
The most important thing for me right now is the toilet!!
Oliver screamed in his heart.
"Eat quickly, classmate Oliver! You're so hungry you can barely stand!"
Sato pushed the plate of food closer to him in concern.
No… there's another reason I can't stand...
"Thank you… for your concern… I'll eat now…"
He picked up a piece of fried noodle with trembling chopsticks.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"
A loud voice interrupted the scene like a needle popping a balloon.
Everyone turned toward the doorway. Oliver blinked in surprise.
Standing in the corridor was a group of girls, hands on hips, expressions fierce, each one sporting a headband that read:
"I LOVE Rukawa!"
"Oh no… it's them…"
Someone in the crowd muttered.
"The noisiest group around… The Kaede Rukawa Support Team."
The classroom quieted instantly.
"Why are you here?" one of the boys sneered. "Your beloved Rukawa isn't even in this class."
"Hmph!" the leader of the group stepped forward, pointing a sharp finger at Oliver. "Because of him!"
She jabbed her finger even harder in Oliver's direction.
"Stop this poor act already! You think this kind of stunt will make you more popular than Rukawa-sama? Don't flatter yourself!"
"What did you say?!"
The temperature in the room dropped. Oliver's classmates stepped protectively in front of him.
"You're just jealous because Oliver's getting attention!"
"Rukawa's not the only good player!"
"This guy's the one who's worked himself to the bone!"
"Enough!" Haruko stood up. "You don't understand anything about what Oliver's done for the team!"
Amid the growing tension, Oliver lay slumped over the desk, face half-buried in a plate of fried rice, both hands trembling.
His classmates defended him fiercely.
The room filled with shouting voices, accusations, and pride.
But Oliver's mind had only one thought.
I just wanted to go to the bathroom.
Why did it turn into this?
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