{Continuation: Satou-san and Yamaguchi-kun}

I don’t understand what’s so great about Satou-san.

If it were up to me, I’d prefer someone a bit cuter. Her plain hairstyle tied into a single ponytail, her skirt length that screams model high school student, and her makeup-free, plain face—there’s nothing about Satou-san that I find cute.

If she had a good personality, I might understand, but Satou-san isn’t that impressive in that regard either. It’s common for her to react to a joke with a five-second delay or even ask for a repeat, which is just her everyday behavior. Her lack of sensitivity is off the charts.

I know she’s a kind person, but I personally don’t like those who can’t manage their own lives but are always eager to take care of others. She’s simply not my type.

Despite that, Yamaguchi-kun can’t take his eyes off Satou-san.

Today’s PE class is basketball for both boys and girls. Teams of five are formed for the games.

Naturally, during breaks between matches, it’s possible to slack off a bit under the pretense of cheering. Yamaguchi-kun took full advantage of this break and was intently watching the girls’ game.

On the divided gym floor, Satou-san was participating in the girls’ game.

She was struggling to keep up with the ball in play, her body lagging behind her eyes. Even when the ball came her way, her dribbling was awkward, and she quickly lost possession to the opposing team’s girls. It was painfully slow to watch.

Yamaguchi-kun was following Satou-san with an unusually serious expression.

Whenever the ball came to Satou-san, he would lean forward eagerly, holding his breath if she started dribbling. And when Satou-san lost the ball, he would slump in disappointment. He wasn’t watching the boys’ game at all, displaying an almost too sincere attitude.

But I don’t get it.

“What do you find so great about Satou-san?”

“—What’s with the sudden question?”

Yamaguchi-kun flinched at my question as he crouched next to me. I almost laughed, thinking he should have noticed me ages ago. He was so absorbed.

“I was just curious why you picked Satou-san of all people.”

Because of my smirk, or maybe the question itself, Yamaguchi-kun frowned. He opened his mouth as if to argue, then closed it and looked away, clicking his tongue.

“It’s not a big deal. I don’t expect someone who doesn’t understand Satou-san to get it.”

I was intrigued by his surprisingly serious tone and wanted to provoke him further.

“Is it because there’s less competition?”

When I threw that out, Yamaguchi-kun looked genuinely annoyed. He asked back in a frustrated tone, neither confirming nor denying.

“Why do you care about that?”

“Well, I’m curious. There are a lot of cute girls in our class.”

Our class may not be full of beauties, but there are a few cute girls in Class C as well.

Besides, there are other classes or even underclassmen to consider if you’re talking about girls. It’s natural to wonder why he specifically chose Satou-san. At least for me, I can’t see the appeal of Satou-san at all.

On the other hand, Yamaguchi-kun, who was in the basketball club and is reasonably athletic and academically decent, also happens to be extremely well-mannered with girls and teachers. Instead of settling for someone safe, wouldn’t it be better to aim a bit higher?

I don’t mind who he likes, but it makes me want to ask.

What’s the reason he’s so into Satou-san?

“For now, just tell me how you ended up falling for Satou-san.”

I half-jokingly pushed him, and Yamaguchi-kun gave me a blatantly annoyed look.

Still, he answered in a mumble.

“There’s no particular trigger…”

“There has to be something. There’s no way you’d choose Satou-san without a reason.”

“There is.”

This time, Yamaguchi-kun answered firmly and then looked away.

He sighed lowly and continued.

“Satou-san is cute.”

I was at a loss for how to react, and thinking that questioning him further would be rude, I decided to stay silent.

In other words, it’s a case of “beauty in the eye of the beholder.” It’s a cliché, but love is blind, and maybe to Yamaguchi-kun, Satou-san seems like an unparalleled beauty that outshines other girls. That’s an area beyond my understanding.

Still, come on.

Just after I shrugged, Yamaguchi-kun suddenly tensed up. I looked over to see what was happening, and sure enough, his eyes were already fixed on the girls’ court.

Satou-san had the ball.

Moreover, it was right in front of the hoop, with the opposing team’s guard conveniently out of the way—an ideal chance.

The girls in Class C all called out Satou-san’s name at once, cheering loudly, “Go for it! Shoot!” Satou-san repositioned the ball and hesitantly got into a shooting stance. I could see her hand slipping slightly.

“…Ah.”

Yamaguchi-kun let out a faint exclamation.

His face was tense with anxiety. It was clear he was on edge.

While this was happening, Satou-san took a deep breath and shot.

Her hands were out of sync, and the ball hit the rim, bounced off, and then surprisingly fell into the net with a slight jolt. It was a lot less dramatic than if it had gone in smoothly.

Satou-san’s shot made it.

The gym erupted with cheers. The girls from Class C rushed over to celebrate Satou-san’s undoubtedly first goal. It was like a festival, and they might even lift her up in celebration. Although I couldn’t see Satou-san’s face, it was clear she was thrilled.

I was a bit surprised myself; I honestly thought it wouldn’t go in.

“Wow, a miracle.”

As I murmured, Yamaguchi-kun, seemingly coming to his senses, glared at me.

“No. Satou-san practiced a lot and worked hard, so it wasn’t just luck.”

His response was so earnest that I felt hesitant to make a joke.

In front of my stunned face, he relaxed his shoulders as if relieved. Despite saying it wasn’t luck, he seemed reassured.

Soon after, the whistle blew signaling the end of the girls’ game.

Both teams bowed to each other, praising their efforts, and Satou-san’s teammates cheered her on. Eventually, Satou-san broke away from the group, crossed the sideline, and ran up to the boundary line of the gym to call out to Yamaguchi-kun.

“Yamaguchi-kun, I scored a goal! I made a shot!”

Breathless and smiling with her teeth showing, Satou-san looked quite endearing.

I thought it was touching that she came to report this, but Yamaguchi-kun responded in a surprisingly indifferent tone.

“Yeah, I happened to see it.”

“Happened to see it?”

“It was good that it went in, but the form wasn’t great. The timing of your hands when you threw it was off. You need to practice more.”

What are you talking about?

“And your dribbling stance was bad too. You were too focused on the ball and had poor posture. You should fix that as well.”

Isn’t this supposed to be about the shot? Why bring up those criticisms now?

While I stood there dumbfounded, Satou-san nodded with a knowing smile.

“Yeah, thank you. I’ll work harder next time!”

She waved her hand a bit and went back to the girls’ area. Yamaguchi-kun watched her retreat with an exaggeratedly indifferent expression. Though, considering he was watching her, it’s clear he was interested.

I couldn’t help but grin again, this time for a different reason.

“Yamaguchi-kun, you’re not very honest, are you?”

“—What? What do you mean?”

Yamaguchi-kun’s shoulders jumped, showing ten times the surprise. Recognizing my smirk, his eyes darted around. I felt the urge to tease him further.

“Why don’t you just tell her directly? Tell her it wasn’t luck.”

“I didn’t say it was luck.”

“And ‘happened to see’? That’s a lie.”

“It’s not a lie. I was talking to you the whole time.”

Listening to his unconvincing arguments, I’d bet he’s probably never given Satou-san a direct compliment, and might even be extremely awkward about saying something like “cute” to her. He might not have even confessed his feelings. If that’s the case, he’s really pathetic.

His flustered state was too entertaining, and I wanted to push further.

“Hey, did you teach Satou-san basketball?”

Yamaguchi-kun, who used to be in the basketball club, hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, but why?”

“Is your plan to criticize her and then have practice sessions just the two of you?”

At that moment, Yamaguchi-kun gasped. Was that on target?

He immediately turned red and shouted,

“Ah, just shut up already, leave me alone!”

He seemed ready to pounce like a wild beast, so I scrambled away through the gym like a zebra fleeing from a predator. After a few laps around the court, we were both caught by the gym teacher and scolded.

For now, I still don’t understand what’s so great about Satou-san.

But, just as Yamaguchi-kun shows a different side of himself when it comes to Satou-san, Satou-san might have a side that’s incredibly cute, only visible to Yamaguchi-kun. The way she reported her goal felt like that.

In any case, it’s a combination that keeps me intrigued.

Yamaguchi-kun’s not being honest is too interesting, so I’ll keep observing for a while longer.