Chikasugiru Karera no, Juunanasai no Tooi Kankei [LN] V1 Chapter 3.8

Chapter 3 - Their Encounter

The second match of the day ended around 3:00 p.m. as the sun began to set.

As expected, after two matches in a row, both teams moved slowly and played defensively against each other, and the match ended in a scoreless draw.

I played the second game as well, and after the match, my legs felt heavy like lead, and my feet were sore from wearing spikes for so long.

I massaged my feet by the bench after the match, thinking, my legs are going to be heavy for the rest of the night.

After that, we cooled down and maintained the field. After the club activities ended, I changed into my school uniform and rode home on my bicycle with Yuriko. I was too tired to pedal my bike, and Yuriko laughed at me, saying, "Kenichi, you're slow."

"I played two matches."

"You look very weak."

Yuriko said in a playful tone. As we cycled slowly side by side, a car passed by us, and Yuriko's school uniform skirt swayed in the breeze.

We eventually parted ways, and I finally returned home late in the afternoon.

"Welcome home."

When I entered the living room, Izumi, who was sitting alone reading a paperback book, looked up.

"I'm home. Where's Mom?"

"She's out having tea with a friend from the neighborhood."

Is that so?, I said, putting down my club enamel bag, unfastening the second button of my shirt, and sitting down in the chair across from Izumi.

After two matches, my body was still very tired. My joints ached, my legs were sore, and I felt drowsy as if my consciousness was blurring.

"Kenichi, would you like something to drink?"

"Ah, yeah."

Izumi got up from her seat, took an orange juice from the refrigerator, filled a glass with ice, and handed it to me.

I thanked her, took the glass, and drank the sweet, cold juice with a slurp. The sound of ice hitting the glass echoed faintly in the living room, which was starting to become dark in the evening.

"I'm so grateful that you brought my lunch today. Thank you."

When I said this, Izumi smiled and gently shook her head.

"No problem. And I enjoyed watching the match, too. Kenichi-kun, you scored a goal, didn't you?"

"Ah. That was after a while since I could kick a ball well."

After saying that, I drank the orange juice again. The sourness of the juice was soothing to my tired body. I let out a breath and asked Izumi about that matter.

"What were you and Yuriko talking about today when the match was going on?"

Then Izumi gave me a complicated look and chuckled.

"It's a secret."

This again, I thought, and I let out a sigh.

"Yuriko told me that too."

When I told her, Izumi smiled playfully and said, "Girls have their own secrets."

While we were talking, I finished my orange juice and got up to take a shower. Izumi also went back to her room to prepare dinner.

I went into the bathroom and took a cold shower on my head. The cold water flowed from my head and spiraled down my legs, cooling my fatigued heated muscles.

---However, I wonder what they were talking about at that time.

I was still curious. They seemed to talk for a long time during the match, but I wondered if they shared the same interest. I have no idea what they were talking about, but since I was the only connection between the two girls, they were probably talking about something related to me.

I took a shower from my head and closed my eyes, and the image of those two in the tent talking about something came to my mind.

Sweat and dirt had been washed away by the cold water, and my body felt much refreshed, but a vague, indefinable feeling seemed to be building up in my chest.

Even after living together and even after more than a decade of being together, understandably I only know a part of what these girls are thinking and what kind of personalities they have, both about Izumi and Yuriko.

That thought made me feel lonely and empty. As I turned off the water, I could faintly hear the sounds of the city echoing in the distance.

End of chapter 3