Rie sat at the printer, carefully guiding the freshly printed pages into the tray. The quiet hum of the machine filled the small newspaper clubroom, mixing with the faint smell of warm paper and toner.
A sudden tickle built in her nose.
"Ah—choo!"
Her body jerked forward, and several pages fluttered to the floor, their corners brushing softly against her shoes.
Blinking in surprise, she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, a faint flush coloring her cheeks as she leaned down to gather the fallen sheets. The steady whir of the printer continued behind her, indifferent to her small mishap.
"Looks like someone's talking about you."
Yuri's voice drifted across the clubroom as she sat cross-legged at a nearby desk, photo sheets spread before her in neat stacks. The faint rustle of glossy paper accompanied her lazy sorting.
Rie lifted her head, still rubbing her nose, a faint sniff escaping.
"You think so?"
"Mm, I do. But I bet—" Yuri paused mid-sentence, lips curling into a teasing grin. She flipped through another photo, her tone turning playful.
"Or maybe you're hoping it's Katsuragi?"
Rie froze, her hand still hovering near her face, the tips of her ears turning pink.
"W-w-w-what…! N-no, I'm not!"
Rie's words stumbled over themselves, her cheeks blooming a sharp pink. She bent quickly to retrieve the scattered newspapers, fingers brushing against the slick pages. A few crumpled slightly under her clumsy grasp, the faint rustle sharp in the quiet room.
Her eyes darted to Yuri, avoiding the teasing sparkle she knew was there.
Yuri tilted her head slightly, the corners of her mouth tugging upward in quiet amusement as she watched Rie fumble with the papers.
"You put his photo on the front page, even though he didn't play that well," she murmured, flipping a sheet between her fingers. Her eyes gleamed with playful curiosity.
"It's obvious… you like him. A subtle, creative way to let your feelings show. So… cute."
Rie straightened abruptly, clutching the wrinkled papers to her chest. Her voice wavered, tight and fragile in the quiet room.
"P-please… stop it… I can't handle this anymore. The only reason I put him on the front page… it's just that he looked better than the others on the team."
Yuri's eyes twinkled as she leaned forward slightly, tilting her head. Fingers drumming lightly on the desk, she let the words trail out with gentle amusement.
"So… you do find him a little… appealing, huh?"
Rie's hands clenched tighter around the papers, a sharp flush spreading across her cheeks.
"N-no… that's not what I meant…Yuri!"
Yuri chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms above her head. The sleeves of her cardigan bunched around her elbows as she relaxed.
"I'm only teasing. Calm down, geez."
Rie pressed her lips together, turning her gaze to the floor, her cheeks still tinged a deep pink.
Yuri reached into her bag, fingers brushing against the fabric. A small, playful smile curved her lips.
"Ah… I almost forgot. There's something I want to show you."
Rie's arms crossed over her chest, shoulders tensing slightly. She glanced up, voice quieter than before.
"And… what's that?"
From the pouch, Yuri produced a photo, holding it so Rie could see.
Rie froze, eyes widening as she took an involuntary step closer. Her fingers twitched slightly. The image captured Shino mid-laugh, eyes softly squinting in a rare, relaxed expression.
"W-what…! How did you… get this?"
Yuri's shoulders lifted in a light shrug, a soft giggle threatening to escape.
"I took them during the match… about fifty shots, every pose I asked him to. Isn't he… adorable?"
She spread the best ones across the table, the faint shuffle of photos like a soft whisper in the quiet room. Rie leaned forward just a fraction, unable to tear her eyes away from the crisp, well-framed images, especially those of Shino's understated, gentle smile.
Rie's lips parted slightly, voice barely audible.
"These… are so cute… I want them."
Yuri leaned back slightly, fingers hovering over the photos, a teasing gleam in her eyes.
"They're yours… if you admit a little… that you like him."
Rie's grip tightened on the papers, voice tight and low. Her eyes flicked toward the photos, then away, cheeks warming further.
"W-why would I want them…? It's not like I like him or anything…"
Yuri let out a small, playful sigh, beginning to gather the photos with a casual grace. The soft rustle of paper accompanied her movements.
"Okay, your loss. I'm sure these would fetch a good price around the school."
A sudden movement, a sharp intake of breath—Rie blurted,
"W-wait! I want them!" Her hand shot up over her mouth, eyes wide and panicked.
Yuri's lips curved into a satisfied smirk, tilting her head lightly.
"Ah… finally being honest with your feelings, huh?"
Rie's hands shook as she took the photos, clutching them protectively, ears glowing red. Her gaze stayed firmly on the bag in front of her.
"P-please… stop teasing me."
Yuri's expression softened, the corners of her mouth lifting warmly. She nudged the photos toward Rie.
"Since you're so cute… here, take them. They're yours."
Rie slipped the bundle into her school bag quickly, fingers trembling slightly, eyes refusing to meet Yuri's.
From across the room, Kanae sat by the window, sunlight tracing soft lines across her desk. She flipped through the club's bulletin board notices with lazy precision, the faint scratch of paper filling the quiet. A pen rested between her fingers before she tucked it neatly behind her ear.
Her gaze drifted toward Rie and Yuri, a small smile playing at her lips, amusement flickering in her eyes.
The basketball team's turning into quite the story this year… I'll be keeping an eye on their games. Try your best to catch my attention, Nanaho. Make it worth writing about.
The boys' locker room at Toshigawa Academy buzzed with low chatter and the metallic clatter of locker doors. The scent of sweat, detergent, and cool metal hung in the air. Sneakers squeaked softly against the tiled floor as the team changed.
Takahiro pulled his shirt over his head, adjusting the hem before speaking, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Hard to believe we did that well against Yokonan, huh?"
Hayato sat on the bench nearby, tightening his headband. A few strands of hair slipped forward, and he brushed them aside with the back of his hand.
"Yeah… no kidding."
Takahiro rolled his shoulders once, the fabric of his shirt shifting against his skin.
"Still, I feel good today. Doesn't matter what Nanaho-senpai throws at us—I'm ready for it."
Noboru groaned from where he sat slumped against the locker, legs stretched out lazily. He gave a half-hearted glare at the ceiling.
"That's just you. I swear, Nanaho's got something planned for me. Feels like she actually hates me or something."
The room filled with the faint sound of laughter, sneakers tapping, and the rhythmic thud of someone closing a locker door.
Laughter echoed off the tiled walls as Hayato and Takahiro both broke into grins, their voices overlapping.
"I'm being serious, man! She's evil!" Noboru protested, sitting upright and tugging at his wristbands, the elastic snapping softly against his skin. His frown deepened when the others kept laughing.
Across from him, Tetsuo crouched to tie his sneakers, his movements calm and precise. The shoelaces tightened with a muted scrape against the rubber sole.
"Tetsuo, you were great out there yesterday," Hayato said, giving him a friendly slap on the back.
"If you hadn't joined the team, we would've been crushed. Seriously—thanks for coming on board."
"Yeah," Takahiro added with a slow nod, his tone carrying quiet respect.
"Can't thank you enough."
Tetsuo straightened, brushing imaginary dust from his knees. His eyes held a steady light as he spoke.
"I'll make sure we reach the Inter-High preliminaries. And this time, we'll beat Yokonan."
A brief silence followed—then Hayato smiled, the tension melting into a shared energy.
"Yeah… let's do our best."
A few feet away, Shino crouched by his open locker, the laces of his left shoe pulled tight with a quiet scrape against the floor. His fingers paused for a moment.
I didn't really do much in that match… but playing with everyone was fun. That's enough for now.
He exhaled softly, tightening the knot once more.
I'll improve before our first game. Definitely.
The door creaked open, and Yukio's sneakers squeaked lightly as he stepped in, clipboard pressed against his side.
"Good, everyone's here already. Nanaho will be a few minutes late—class ran over."
Noboru slumped back against the lockers, arms dropping limp. A sigh slipped from him, half in relief.
"Thank god… bought myself a little more time."
Shino zipped up his warm-up jacket, the soft rasp filling the quiet.
"So… what do we do until she gets here?"
On the bench, Takahiro leaned forward, elbows on his knees, a faint crease between his brows.
"It's been bugging me—we still don't have seven. We can't even play in the prelims like this."
Shino's fingers brushed the zipper of his jacket, tracing the seam as if the motion could hide his unease.
"I asked Kurai to join…" His voice wavered, low and careful.
"But he told me he quit basketball. For good."
He kept his gaze fixed on the locker door, its dull metal reflecting just enough light to keep him from meeting anyone's eyes.
A beat of silence passed. Yukio rubbed the back of his neck, clipboard shifting under his arm.
"If only we had someone like Makoto… our team would be complete."
Takahiro tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with thought as he glanced toward Hayato.
"Wait… what about that tall foreigner, Liam Ainsworth? He's in your class, right? Maybe we could ask him to join."
Yukio leaned back against the locker, tapping the edge of his clipboard thoughtfully.
"Yeah… someone that tall and athletic would be a huge help."
Hayato crossed his arms, brow furrowing.
"I tried asking him this morning," he murmured, voice calm but firm.
"He refused… he's focused on track and field."
Yukio chuckled lightly, shrugging, one shoulder rising.
"Maybe we could talk to the track coach? Just to persuade him a little?"
Hayato shook his head slightly, gaze steady.
"Even through the coach, it wouldn't work. At the end of the day, it's his choice. We have to respect that."
Yukio's grip tightened on the clipboard, knuckles whitening.
"You're right… but we still need to figure something out. I really want to play this year."
Takahiro's voice lowered almost to a murmur, eyes fixed on the floor tiles.
"I wonder… what we're going to do."
Yukio straightened, letting the clipboard rest against his side, eyes scanning the team. His voice was calm, measured, carrying quiet resolve.
"Let's not worry about being short on players… it won't change anything. All we can do is work with what we have and make the best of it."
Hayato nodded once, shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Yeah… you're right."
The team began moving, spreading out across the court. The faint squeak of sneakers on polished wood echoed softly, mingling with the low hum of the gym lights.
Yukio stretched his arms above his head, shoulders lifting in a slow arc.
"Okay… before Nanaho gets here, how about a friendly three-on-three?"
Noboru bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, jogging in place, grin tugging at his lips.
"Now that's more like it," he said, eyes glinting with energy.
Shino dribbled a loose ball slowly between his hands, eyes flicking toward the group. His shoulders hunched slightly as he tilted his head.
"So… how should we organize the teams?"
The captain leaned back on his heels, hands resting lightly on his knees.
"Seniors versus freshmen… but that might be a little unfair."
Tetsuo strode toward the center court line, posture confident, steps deliberate.
"I don't mind taking on the three of you."
Noboru bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah… I can beat all of you easily."
Hayato's gaze stayed steady, lips pressed into a thin line. He shifted into position, stance balanced.
"Careful what you wish for, Noboru."
Noboru let out a low laugh, hands lifting in mock surrender.
"Bring it on… we'll win easily."
Tetsuo planted his feet firmly, the ball resting in his hands. A smooth, practiced flick sent it arcing toward the hoop, the swish cutting cleanly through the quiet gym.
Hayato shook his head slightly, eyes following the shot.
I don't know how he does it…
"Okay… let's get started."