After the evening shift meeting was over, Naruse turned the eraser in his hand and tapped the tabletop gently while looking at the words written on the blackboard.
"Private reading party?"
Choose your favorite book, read it to the guests one-on-one, face-to-face, and share the joy of acquiring knowledge and insights. This is the cultural festival project that Class C of the first year finally voted for.
Although it is a bit remote, it seems that it is because it is relatively simple to implement, or the word "private" tightly captures the hearts of adolescent boys and girls. Once this proposal was made, other options immediately eclipsed it.
The project has been decided, and the cultural festival executive committee member specifically responsible for this matter has been selected. Today’s evening class meeting ends here, and the remaining matters will be gradually determined later, such as the candidate for the “scholar”.
"If there are not many people who volunteer, then the only choice is to vote."
"No, no, this kind of thing where you can freely share your sexuality...share your hobbies, there will definitely be a lot of people signing up."
The conversation between two boys not far away fell into Naruse's ears. He smiled, thinking that this might be what most people think.
After packing up, everyone in the classroom had almost left, and the two students on duty were discussing in front of the cleaning cabinet, preparing to clean.
"Chunhai." Naoko was going to the handicraft club's office and came over to ask him about his plans.
It was his first time here, and he had nowhere to go in Tsugao, and it was too early to go home, so Naruse was also a little embarrassed.
"Want to come to the handicraft club?" Shangzi suggested.
"Won't I bother you?"
Naruse also knew that they were busy preparing exhibits for the cultural festival and should not have time to pay attention to him.
"If you just look at it, it's not an intrusion."
Naruse thought for a while, "I want to take a walk around the school first, and then I'll go over to see you later."
Shangzi nodded, told him the location of the department, and then left first.
Coming to the corridor, Naruse looked at the atrium below, and suddenly a familiar voice came from beside him.
“‘The handsome transfer student from Class C’ was left out in the cold right after school.”
He turned around and saw Kazuye holding his glasses and looking at him, "Sure enough, the uniforms in Tokyo are better looking."
"It should be said that the uniforms of private high schools are more beautiful, after all, the prices are not cheap."
Morimi raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
Seeing that her hands were empty and she didn't have a bag on her shoulder, Naruse asked, "Don't Morimi plan to go back yet?"
After entering high school, Morimi did not join any clubs and would often go home after school. He already knew this from previous chats.
However, she is still the library committee member of Class E, and occasionally has to go on duty in the school library.
"Well... I have nothing to do if I go back too early. I plan to read some more books at school." Morimi said, a little more hesitant than usual.
Naruse glanced towards Class E. Two girls poked their heads in the back door, met his gaze, and suddenly shrank back.
"Did they ask you to come here?"
"What?" Morimi turned around.
"No, it's nothing." Naruse realized that he had gone astray, "So you really came to laugh at me."
Morimi smiled lightly and pushed up his glasses: "I just happened to see Naruse standing here in a daze. Where is Naoko?"
"Let's go to the club room first."
"Really? So be it, I'm going back to the classroom."
She turned around and returned to the classroom. Naruse didn't stand there any longer and went downstairs from the other side of the corridor.
After a while, two girls from Class E stuck their heads out again.
"Ah, the handsome transfer student from Class C is gone..."
"What a shame."
In the classroom, Haixing squinted at the two people at the back door, then looked at Morimi, who was sitting by the window with his chin in his hands, seemingly doing nothing. Then he looked at the test paper on the table in front of him that was full of mistakes, and he just felt bored.
"Why does there exist such things as make-up exams in the world..."
......
When school is over, wandering around the school wearing conspicuous uniforms from other schools will still attract a lot of attention.
After wandering in the atrium for a while, seeing more and more people looking at him, Naruse turned around and walked towards the gymnasium.
Several indoor sports clubs each occupy a part of the venue and train independently without disturbing each other.
Bang! Bang!
The basketball keeps rising and falling, hitting the floor fiercely, and as the ball carrier shuttles left and right, breaking through the surroundings, getting closer and closer to its final destination.
Bang!
The basketball that touched the ground bounced up again, returned to the dribbler's hands, and was then shot out.
The short flight left an arc that ended abruptly. The basketball hit the backboard and then fell into the net without any accident.
Hikaru Takigawa exhaled, turned around and high-fived his two teammates, with a smile on his face.
The basketball that landed on the ground bounced a few times before returning to the players' hands, and the next round of competition began again.
"Huh?"
Hikaru Takigawa suddenly stopped, and the ball that had just been passed to his hand was taken away the next second.
"Light!" Another team member nearby immediately reminded, "Don't be in a daze!"
"Sorry."
Takigawa Hikaru raised his hand, left the venue immediately, and said hello to the side: "Shishima, come and take my place."
"Ah? Okay..."
Another girl wearing a basketball uniform hurriedly came on the court, but the rhythm was interrupted. The flying basketball was gently caught, and no one cared about it at this time.
"Spring Sea."
Under the watchful eyes of the basketball players, Hikaru Takigawa walked to the sidelines, wiped his sweat, and said hello to Naruse, "Come to see me?"
"Just strolling around. I seem to be disturbing your training?"
"It doesn't matter." Takigawa Hikaru smiled, "There haven't been any competitions recently, it's just ordinary daily training."
"Speaking of competitions, October is the Autumn National Sports Festival. Is the junior women's team this year a twelve-team system or a forty-seven-team system?" Naruse asked.
"Does Harumi also know this?"
She was a little surprised, then shook her head, "This year is a forty-seven-team system, but it has nothing to do with us. The coach in charge of selection will not set his sights here."
"Really?"
Naruse's understanding of this kind of sports event basically comes from comics, and he only has a superficial knowledge. "Didn't you make it to the semi-finals of the national competition last year? There should be a lot of people paying attention to you."
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"Only the champions can be remembered."
Takigawa Hikaru looked at him, "For me, stopping at the semi-finals is actually a sad thing, and Harumi mentioned it so casually."
"Sorry." Naruse apologized immediately.
"Hahaha, just kidding."
She laughed and then added: "Speaking of last year's competition, after losing that game, the coach at the time went too far. He actually said that it was my responsibility to stop in the semi-finals."
"...Really?" The real middle school coach is much colder than what Naruse saw in the comics.
"He said, 'To be able to lead these kids to the semi-finals is Takigawa's limit.'"
"Huh? Wait a minute..."
"I always feel that I lack the most critical point of motivation, the coach said so."
Naruse, who was about to say something, fell silent again.
Because of Hikaru Takigawa, their team, which may not have the same overall strength, reached the semi-finals of the national competition;
Also because she "lacks the most critical bit of motivation", their limit can only be reached by the top four.
"That coach probably wanted to encourage Hikari," Naruse said. "The limit when I was in the third grade was the top four in the country. By the time I reach high school, I might be able to reach the finals."
Hikaru Takigawa smiled, "Basketball is not a one-person sport. Those teammates from last year are no longer here."
"Aren't any of them in Tsugao?" Naruse asked.
"Yeah."
She nodded, "Except for me, the other team members have been poached by famous basketball schools in the county."
He was even more surprised, "Didn't anyone invite Guang?"
"Yes. But those schools are not in Tsumae. After I went there, I had to live in a student dormitory. When I thought about not being able to live at home for three years of high school, I refused them all." Hikaru Takigawa said matter-of-factly.
"..."
Naruse probably understands what she lacks in motivation.
"Light,* do you like basketball?"
Takigawa Hikaru looked at him for a while.
"Haruko?"
"..."
After chatting with Hikaru Takigawa for a few words, she returned to the court to continue training. Naruse stayed for a while before leaving the gym.
Like most clubs, the activity room of the Handicraft Club is also in the annex building, and Shangzi told him that its location is on the second floor.
"Handicraft Club..."
While searching, Naruse glanced at the house number and slowed down.
Two girls in blue ties shook the drops of water on their hands, walked up from behind, and talked in a low voice.
"... Judging from Ritsuko's intentions, she seems to be planning to let her take over as the minister after she reaches the third grade."
"Wow, I can't accept it."
"Anyway, as usual, we have to withdraw from the club. Besides, there is no one more reliable than her in the first grade."
"Who knows if she is really reliable, she is always smiling, how hypocritical. Maybe she is dark inside... After all, her biological parents died long ago."
Naruse stopped and turned to look back.
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*"Do you like basketball?": From "Slam Dunk" Haruko Akagi.