116. Daily Life: Even Jumping into the Yellow River Couldn't Wash This Clean

Facing Nobitai's attempt to provoke him, the boy agreed immediately. This wasn't due to a lack of composure, but rather out of respect for his opponent; since the man was hell-bent on seeking his own defeat, he saw no reason to refuse. As the saying goes, a quick death is better than a lingering one—when a problem can be solved with action, there’s no need for idle chatter.

For Matsubara Mei, whether or not he employed drop shots was irrelevant; he was fearless. Although the boy was currently inhabiting a body not his own, his expertise in badminton had not diminished in the slightest. Furthermore, with the combined experience of two lifetimes, his proficiency in controlling this physique far surpassed that of the original owner. He could toy with Nobitai without needing any tricks.

As the halftime break ended, Matsubara took command of the match with a combination of high lobs and short-angled shots. Back and forth, long and short—Nobitai, lacking both stamina and proper footwork, could only scramble after the shuttlecock like a puppy chasing a balloon floating in the air. Exhausted, Nobitai soon collapsed to the floor. The badminton club coach, witnessing Matsubara’s performance, couldn't help but nod, calling out calmly, "First game over! 21-1!"

"How impressive... combining long and short shots to keep the opponent running until their stamina is completely drained, leaving them wide open for continuous point losses..." remarked Oda Fuyuka.

"I... I’m not playing anymore!"

Matsubara, still waiting for the second game, watched as Nobitai slammed his racket down, ignored his friends' attempts to persuade him, and ran out of the court, eventually disappearing from sight. Matsubara shook his head in regret. "That wasn't satisfying at all. But then again, there’s nothing to boast about in beating someone who isn't even in the badminton club, is it?" The boy shrugged.

Matsubara and his companions left the court. Once outside, Fuji stretched and smiled, "It’s my turn now."

"Eh? Vice-Captain Fuji has an event too?" Oda Fuyuka asked in surprise.

"Yes, my match is the last one, so I’ve been fortunate enough to watch from Shishiyama-senpai’s soccer match all the way to Matsubara’s badminton game," Fuji replied with a smile.

"I’m quite curious, what is Vice-Captain Fuji’s event?" Iwamura Yuna asked, tapping her chin with a delicate finger.

Fuji didn't answer; instead, his smile seemed to grow a bit more enigmatic.

***

Looking at the long slide, the table frame, and the red and blue metal pucks, Matsubara twitched his mouth, amused and helpless. "So it’s shuffleboard..."

"Is this really an elective course? I don't see a single soul here..." the two girls said, scanning the desolate surroundings.

"Heh heh, aren't we still here?" Fuji appeared behind them, smiling.

The boy, suddenly remembering something, looked at Shishido Ryo. "By the way, Shishido, don't you have to participate? I remember you chose this as an elective too, right?"

"Ah... that’s a long story..." Shishido blinked, then explained how he had dropped the shuffleboard course.

"I see. So you signed up for this too, Shishido. I don't mind you being my opponent, though. Want to give it a try?"

Fuji leaned over to inspect the end of the slide, then rubbed the puck against it, as if testing something. His entire process looked surprisingly professional.

"Ah, no thanks... truth be told, I’m terrible at this, so I’ll pass." It wasn't that Shishido was intimidated by Fuji's display, but the desolate atmosphere combined with the dying sunlight streaming into the dim arena—especially when paired with Fuji’s smile—made a chill run down his spine.

"Is that so? That’s a shame." Fuji didn't mind. He took one puck of each color and pushed them alternately across the board.

"Huh... you can play like that?" Matsubara watched Fuji amuse himself, thinking with a bitter smile that the scene was strangely hypnotic. For a moment, he felt like Fuji was possessed by some sort of "great genius," and that "black-bellied" bear... no, the title of "true genius" was certainly well-deserved.

"It feels... like an activity for the elderly," Akazawa murmured, watching Fuji’s shuffleboard pucks come to rest at varying distances along the slide.

"Tch... whatever makes you happy." Seeing Fuji’s beaming face, he couldn't help but look away, curling his lip in disbelief.

"Still, given Fuji’s personality, this kind of activity actually suits his style quite well," Inui Sadaharu noted, scribbling rapidly in his notebook.

"Unlike Atobe and Shishido, who spend a long time securing a victory, or Yanagi, who can't even get a win, there’s no one else participating in shuffleboard, so victory is guaranteed." Fuji didn't feel at all awkward playing both sides, continuing to slide the red and blue pucks back and forth, his smiling expression never wavering.

***

The next day.

Walking down an alley with Matsubara, Shishido held his head and sighed boredly, "It’s so rare. After the elective classes yesterday, Tezuka actually gave us a day off. I’m really not used to days without training..."

"You, seriously..." The boy looked at Shishido’s perplexed expression and gave a helpless smile.

"I think the Captain doesn't want us to be too exhausted for the next match. After all, the competition in the Kanto Tournament is dozens of times more intense than the prefectural qualifiers. He definitely wants us to rest both our bodies and our minds properly. We should cherish this precious break the Captain granted us," Matsubara said with a smile, almost like a piece of advice.

*Ring-ring!*

Feeling his pocket vibrate, Matsubara glanced down, pulled out his phone, and stared at the unfamiliar number, letting it ring.

"So troublesome... since the era is completely different, there are no smartphones, and I don't even know if this number is a telemarketer or a spam call..." the boy thought, feeling helplessly exasperated.

"Why aren't you answering?" Shishido asked, seeing Matsubara in a daze.

"No... it’s nothing. Moshi moshi?"

Matsubara pressed the answer button.

"Is this Matsubara-kun? This is Oda. There’s something I’d like to ask you."

Listening to the cute, youthful voice on the other end, Matsubara stammered, "Ha..."

"Is it someone you know?" Seeing Matsubara’s strange expression, Shishido curiously leaned in, his long ponytail swaying like a broom. The boy, hearing Oda Fuyuka speak, couldn't help but let out a violent sneeze!

"Achoo!"

"Hey, hey, stop shaking your head, Shishido! You’re making me ticklish..." Matsubara said, shooting him a reproachful look and rubbing his nose.

"Matsubara-kun, are you alright?" Oda Fuyuka asked with concern on the other end, having heard the loud noise.

"Ah... I’m fine, just a sneeze," Matsubara quickly replied.

"Wari, wari..." Shishido apologized with a dry laugh, then whispered expectantly, "Is that girl with the kawaii voice Oda?"

"Eh? How did you know?" Matsubara looked at his phone, realizing he hadn't even turned on the speakerphone.

"A voice that cute and distinctive is impossible to forget once you’ve heard it. Is she asking you out on a date?" Shishido whispered behind his hand, his eyes and mouth curving into a crescent shape as he teased.

"What are you saying? She just wants to meet me to..." Before Matsubara could finish explaining, he heard movement from the phone. "Matsubara-kun... are you still there?"

"Ah, yes, I’m here. Since the tennis club doesn't have any activities today, let’s meet at the place you mentioned."

"Great, I’ll see you there."

After hanging up, as Matsubara put his phone away, Shishido’s smirk widened. "And you denied it. Not only did you exchange numbers, but you’ve already set a place for your date. No need to be so secretive, Matsubara. My lips are sealed; I won't tell anyone."

"It’s really not what you think. I don't even know how she got my number..." The boy felt black lines of frustration hanging over his forehead. Why did he feel like he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River?