We returned to class after the bell rang, and the moment I sat down at my desk, Misaki leaned in with a teasing grin.
"So, how was it?"
I let out a tired sigh. "It went better than I expected."
As soon as we met our teacher, the first thing he asked was what exactly Sanae meant by sharing a bed together.
After explaining the situation, he understood what had happened and simply warned Sanae to be more mindful of how she phrased things to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Honestly, I was relieved. Our homeroom teacher turned out to be a very sensible man—he actually listened to the whole story before jumping to conclusions, unlike most people.
The rest of the classes went by smoothly, and soon, it was time for the last period of the day—something a little special.
Every Friday, we have P.E. as our final class, but today was different. We were having a joint session with another class, and it seemed we'd be competing in a friendly dodgeball match.
There was no prior notice, but honestly, it wasn't necessary. It's just dodgeball—no special preparations needed.
The class was moved to the gym, marking the first time we had P.E. indoors. Up until now, our P.E. sessions had been held outside on the field, mostly consisting of basic physical exercises.
The gym itself was impressive—an open hall with a basketball court in the center. Above, on all sides, were long spectator area to enjoy any match , while below on one end featured a small stage. The entire space was spacious, clean, and well-maintained.
I could only assume that the equipment storage was just as well-stocked, filled with everything needed for various sports.
The other class soon arrived—Class 1-D, the group we'd be having our joint session with.
As the students filed in, my eyes were immediately drawn to a certain girl. It was impossible not to notice her—she stood out effortlessly with her tall height and striking pink wolf-cut hairstyle.
Both classes were soon divided into four teams each, with six players per team—a mix of boys and girls.
Before the games began, the teacher explained the rules. It was standard dodgeball, with one key difference—there would be no revives. Once a player was out, they were out for the entire match.
Each match would last 10 minutes. If an entire team was eliminated before time ran out, the opposing team would be declared the winner. Otherwise, when the timer ended, the team with the most remaining players would claim victory.
To make things more engaging—and to encourage us to give it our all—the teachers announced that the students on the winning teams would get to skip the next P.E. class.
Now that was something.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against P.E. or exercise, but I *do* find it exhausting. So, the chance to take a break from it now and then? Yeah, that sounded pretty good to me.
The team I was assigned to consisted of two girls and four boys, including myself. Unfortunately, none of the people I was close to ended up on my team.
And it wasn't just me—Misaki and Yuka were also placed on different teams. As for Sanae, she got permission to sit out and watch since she still hadn't received her P.E. uniform.
The first match featured Yuka's team from our class. Her team was balanced, consisting of three boys and three girls.
As for their opponents from Class 1-D, my eyes were once again drawn to that tall girl with the striking pink wolf-cut hairstyle. She was on the opposing team, standing confidently with her arms crossed, giving off a calm aura as if it's not a big deal to her.
Class 1-D got the first throw, and the moment the game started, one player from Yuka's team was immediately eliminated—by none other than that tall girl with the pink wolf cut.
What followed was a completely one sided massacre. Within just six minutes, every single one of Yuka's teammates had been taken out by her.
Now, Yuka was the only one left standing on the field.
The tall girl wasted no time, launching the ball at Yuka with full force, clearly intending to end the game right then and there.
But Yuka wasn't going down that easily.
Even though she was the last one standing, she refused to give up. Planting her feet firmly on the ground for balance, she clenched her teeth and braced herself. The impact was strong, but somehow—somehow—she managed to catch the ball.
Now it was Yuka's turn to strike back.
She gripped the ball tightly, took a deep breath, and threw it with all her might. Her efforts paid off as she managed to eliminate two players from the opposing team. However, that was as far as she could go.
Before she could do more, the tall girl effortlessly caught her next throw, sealing Yuka's fate.
It wasn't that Yuka was Totally unathletic. She had solid self-defense skills, but when it came to endurance-based activities, her stamina was lacking. This game demanded more than just reflexes, and unfortunately, that was her weakness.
The game ended before the timer even ran out, with Yuka's team suffering a complete defeat.
Just as I had expected.
There was no way anyone in our school could beat that girl—not in any sport or competitive game. She was a prodigy, excelling in both. For as long as she could remember, she had never lost to anyone in either.
After shaking hands with the opposing team as a sign of respect, Yuka returned to our side, but it wasn't just anywhere she headed—she made a beeline straight for me.
She sat down next to me, her presence even more noticeable as she positioned herself on my side, settling into the same space as Sanae, who was still silently clinging to my arm, just as she had been every time she gets the chance .
Misaki wasn't with us, though I could spot her nearby with her own team. I glanced at Yuka, noticing how her shoulders slumped and her expression looked downcast. I didn't like seeing her like this, so I tried to lighten the mood.
"Why are you so upset? It was just a simple dodgeball match," I said, trying to tease her a little. "Or do you want to skip P.E. class that badly?"
Yuka pouted, her expression filled with frustration as she leaned her head against my shoulder. "I wanted to show you my cool side, but ended up showing my lame side instead," she murmured, her voice tinged with disappointment.
I chuckled softly and ran my fingers through Yuka's hair, my touch gentle as I reassured her. "Don't worry, you did your best. And to be honest, you were pretty cool out there—at least to me."
Perhaps my words were more comforting than I expected because she closed her eyes, silently savoring the warmth of my hand.
Then, from my other side, I felt a light tug on my tracksuit. Turning, I found Sanae gazing up at me, her eyes practically demanding the same treatment.
I sighed inwardly. Seriously?
It was a bit awkward, but I adjusted my posture, sliding their head down slightly towards my chest— both my hands managed to pat their head from their behind.
A heavy silence settled around us.
Only then did I notice the stares drilling into me—not just from my own classmates but from the students of 1-D as well.
I sighed again, this time out loud.
Great. Now I was drawing way too much attention.
…Am I the only one embarrassed by our situation?
The next match began, but our class suffered another defeat. This time, it wasn't due to a complete wipeout but rather because we had fewer players left on the field when the timer ran out.
Then came Misaki's team's turn.
Even before the match started, I could already see the cracks forming in their teamwork—or rather, the complete lack of it. The reason was obvious: she was stuck on the same team as her former "friends," the very people she had cut ties with not long ago.
To make matters worse, Misaki wasn't particularly athletic. Knowing her own strengths, she opted to play as an outer player, supporting from the sidelines instead of actively engaging on the field.
Unfortunately, that decision did little to change the outcome.
As expected, her team crumbled under the lack of coordination, and just like with Yuka's team, they lost before the timer even ran out.
Man, I always knew our class wasn't the athletic type, but this is just humiliating. Three matches, three losses. At this point, it's not even about skipping P.E anymore—we need to at least salvage some dignity for our class.
Now, all the pressure falls on us, the last team standing. If we lose too, our class will have suffered a complete shutout. I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders.
Alright then, I guess I have to get serious. However, in dodgeball, no matter how skilled one person is, you can only go so far alone. It's a game that heavily relies on teamwork and strategy.
With that in mind, I attempted to communicate with my teammates as we made our way to the field after the teacher called us. But the response I received completely caught me off guard.
"Don't talk to us, or we'll kill you."
The three boys in our team said it in perfect unison, their eyes filled with unspoken resentment.
Hey! I know you guys don't like me, but isn't this a bit much?!
Fortunately, the two girls on our team stepped in. One of them crossed her arms, her tone firm as she addressed the three.
"You three, we need to work together if we want to win this. It's all on us now. Don't you want to skip the next P.E. class too?"
Contrary to our expectations, the three boys suddenly broke into wide grins, their expressions filled with mischief.
"But we don't want to," one of them declared smugly.
"That's right," another chimed in. "If nobody gets to skip P.E., then we won't miss out on all the eye candy."
The third one smirked, casting a glance my way before adding, "And besides, there's no way we're letting this guy gain even more popularity with the girls by winning this match. Even if it means losing, we refuse to let that happen."
Having laid their shameless intentions bare, they burst into laughter, the kind you'd expect from villains reveling in their own wicked schemes.
The two girls shot them looks of utter disgust before subtly shifting away, as if mere proximity to them would taint their dignity.
I let out a weary sigh. Teenagers and their overflowing hormones…
Though, if I were to be completely honest, I couldn't entirely disagree with their first claim. It was true that P.E. often came with certain… visual perks. But there was no way in hell I'd ever say that out loud. I had a gut feeling that if I did, my life expectancy would take a severe hit.
Anyway, if those three refused to cooperate, there was no point in wasting energy trying to convince them. For now, we could only focus on doing our best to win.
One of the two girls on our team chose to take on the role of an outer player. A wise decision—giving that position to any of those three idiots would've been a mistake. With no intention of winning, they'd probably just stand there ogling instead of actually playing.