A Normal June

Some time had passed since the competition. It was June. I had finally returned to my ordinary life.

Strangely enough, I wasn't bothered by it.

As usual, I went to play basketball after school. I was feeling particularly energetic today.

The school's basketball team was preparing for an upcoming tournament, and I was helping them by playing on the opposing team during their practice.

Having Souta with me made things more enjoyable as well. At least when I was with him, I felt comfortable.

"Ready?"

Souta looked at me while bouncing the ball in his hands.

"As always."

"I don't like that answer."

I smiled.

"Why?"

"Because you're probably going to make us run all over the court again."

"I'll do my best."

Souta shook his head.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

The game started the moment the whistle blew.

I realized how serious the opposing team was during their very first possession.

They moved the ball quickly and made excellent use of every opening. Our school team's players constantly had to shift around on defense just to keep up with them.

Since I was playing on the opposing team, I tried to play against their system as effectively as I could.

When I received the ball, the player guarding me immediately stepped in front of me.

I made a move to the right.

The defender followed.

I changed direction again and found a brief opening.

I drove toward the basket.

But before I could get any farther, another player came over to help.

I had no choice but to pass.

I sent the ball to Souta.

Souta went up for the shot.

The ball hit the rim and bounced out.

The opposing team immediately went on the fast break.

We ran back.

Keeping up with their pace wasn't easy.

They scored first.

Then they hit another three-pointer.

The score quickly became 5–0.

One of my teammates picked up the ball.

"Don't lose your shape!"

We went on the attack again.

This time, the ball came to me.

I got past my defender.

I drove toward the basket and jumped for the shot.

I scored.

5–2.

But the opposing team's pace didn't change.

On their next possession, they broke apart our defense with quick passes.

Then they hit another three-pointer.

8–2.

Souta came over to me.

"Control your breathing."

"I am."

"No, you're not."

I nodded with a brief smile.

But he was right.

I was already starting to struggle.

As the game went on, their defense became even more aggressive.

Every time I got the ball, two players would close in on me.

They weren't completely stopping me.

But they weren't giving me any room to play comfortably either.

During one possession, I lost the ball.

The opposing team immediately went on a fast break.

I tried to get back.

But I couldn't catch up.

They scored an easy basket.

18–9.

The whistle blew.

We were given a short timeout.

Everyone was breathing heavily.

My jersey felt heavy from all the sweat.

Souta sat down beside me.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Your face says otherwise."

"I'm just a little tired."

Souta laughed.

"It's only halftime."

I leaned my head back.

"I didn't want to hear that."

After the short break, we went back onto the court.

We played a little better in the second half.

Souta made several good passes.

I scored twice more.

We started closing the gap.

22–16.

For a moment, I thought we might actually come back.

But the opposing team was experienced.

They didn't panic.

They slowed the pace of the game.

They kept possession for a long time.

As we became more tired on defense, they started finding openings.

A three-pointer.

Then a layup.

27–16.

I clenched my teeth.

I couldn't move my legs as quickly as I had earlier.

After every possession, I had to spend a few seconds catching my breath.

But I kept going.

During one play, I stole the ball.

I passed it to Souta.

He immediately sent it back to me.

I went for a three-pointer.

The ball bounced off the rim before dropping in.

27–19.

Souta raised his hand.

"That's it!"

But the opposing team answered immediately.

They hit a three-pointer on their next possession.

30–19.

As the game approached its final minutes, everyone was exhausted.

But the opposing team was still playing under control.

We were trying to close the gap, and that only caused us to make more mistakes.

We entered the final minute down 34–23.

Souta passed the ball to me.

"Until the end."

I nodded.

I accelerated one last time.

I got past my defender.

I drove toward the basket.

Another player stepped in front of me.

I lifted the ball and passed.

Souta caught it.

Shot.

Basket.

34–25.

But there was very little time left.

The opposing team kept possession.

The final whistle blew.

The scoreboard still showed the same difference.

36–25.

I stood there for a moment.

I tried to steady my breathing.

We had lost.

And we'd lost by a clear margin.

Souta came over to me.

He placed his hands on his knees.

"They were really good today."

I nodded.

"Yeah."

The opposing team's players were already walking off the court, talking among themselves.

I watched them.

They had beaten us.

And it hadn't been by chance.

They had simply played better.

Souta patted me on the shoulder.

"We'll be better at the next practice."

I smiled.

"Definitely."

As I walked off the court, my legs still felt heavy.

But strangely enough, I wasn't upset.

There was a big difference between fighting to win first place in a competition...

and losing a basketball game.

No one expected me to be perfect here.

I didn't expect that from myself either.

I had simply played.

And for the first time in a long while, losing didn't make me feel like I had failed.

After leaving the court, we sat down on the benches along the side of the gym.

We were both completely exhausted.

Souta leaned his head back and took a deep breath.

"I can't feel my legs anymore."

"Mine aren't much better."

We sat there quietly for a while.

The voices of the other students could still be heard inside the gym.

Just then, I saw the door open.

Nozomi walked in.

She had cold drinks in both hands.

When she saw us, she came straight over.

"I brought these for you two."

Souta lifted his head.

"Really?"

Nozomi handed him one of the drinks.

"Here."

As soon as Souta took it, he opened the bottle and took a few sips.

"Thanks."

Nozomi handed the other drink to me.

"This one's yours."

"Thanks."

I opened the bottle and took a drink.

The cold liquid spread through my body as it went down my throat.

"That feels good."

Nozomi smiled.

"I saw how exhausted you two were during the game."

Souta raised an eyebrow.

"You were watching?"

"Yeah."

"The whole game?"

"Most of it."

Souta smiled slightly.

"So you were watching me."

Nozomi paused for a moment.

"I was watching the team."

Souta's smile grew a little wider.

"Sure."

I looked at the two of them for a few seconds.

Then I rested the bottle on my knee.

"By the way..."

Souta looked at me.

"What?"

"I didn't realize Nozomi was watching you so closely during the game."

Nozomi immediately turned toward me.

"Umut."

"What?"

"Don't start."

I deliberately continued.

"I mean..."

I looked at Nozomi.

"You were looking at Souta more than anyone else during the game."

"No, I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

"I wasn't."

Souta joined in.

"I noticed it too."

Nozomi turned toward him.

"You stay out of this."

I tried not to laugh.

"See? Even Souta noticed."

"Both of you are so annoying."

Souta laughed.

"I didn't even do anything."

"You're agreeing with Umut."

"Because he's right."

Nozomi crossed her arms.

"You two are seriously like children."

I shrugged.

"We lost the game. At least let us have some fun."

Souta nodded.

"I agree with Umut on that."

Nozomi stared at the two of us for a few seconds.

Then she reluctantly smiled.

"Fine."

She took another sip of her drink.

"But if you two say something like that again, I'm never bringing you drinks again."

Souta immediately looked at his bottle.

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes."

I started laughing.

Souta laughed too.

Nozomi just shook her head at us.

For the first time in a while, I felt this relaxed after losing a game.

Maybe winning wasn't what mattered today.

Just sitting around with my friends and talking about stupid things was enough.

We sat on the side of the gym for a little while longer.

We were almost finished with our drinks.

Souta stood up and stretched his arms.

"I think we can leave now."

I stood up as well.

"My legs still hurt."

"If I'd known you two were going to complain this much, I wouldn't have brought you drinks."

"We thanked you a lot just now."

"Thanking someone is one thing. Complaining is another."

Nozomi shook her head.

The three of us left the gym together.

As we walked down the hallway, Souta suddenly turned to Nozomi.

"Are you coming to practice tomorrow too?"

Nozomi looked at him in surprise.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Souta thought for a few seconds.

"The team might need some help."

I looked at the two of them and smiled.

"The team?"

Souta looked at me.

"Yeah."

"Or do you mean you might need some help?"

Souta's expression suddenly changed.

"Umut."

Nozomi also gave me an annoyed look.

"Don't start."

I shrugged.

"I was just asking."

Souta laughed softly.

"You're always misunderstanding things."

"Sure."

Nozomi sighed.

"You two really never get tired, do you?"

When we reached the school entrance, it was time for us to go our separate ways.

I was heading in a different direction, while Souta and Nozomi were going the same way.

Just before we parted, Souta turned to Nozomi again.

"It'd be nice if you came tomorrow."

Nozomi thought for a moment.

Then she smiled.

"Okay. I'll come."

A small smile appeared on Souta's face.

"Sounds good."

I looked at the two of them for a few seconds.

I was about to say something, but I decided against it.

Then I raised my hand.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

I turned away from them and started walking home.

After taking a few steps, I instinctively looked back.

Souta and Nozomi were still walking together.

They were talking to each other.

I couldn't hear what they were saying.

But there were small smiles on both of their faces.

I watched them for a moment.

Then I turned my eyes forward again.

A strange feeling settled inside me.

I'd known Souta for a long time.

Seeing him like this...

Made me happy.

Maybe more than I expected.

But this time, I didn't feel like teasing them.

There was no need to force anything.

I would just let things develop naturally.

I had my own life to focus on, too.

The next morning, when I arrived at school, everything was just as usual.

Classes began.

The teachers explained their lessons while the students quietly took notes and talked among themselves.

I followed the lessons without thinking too much about anything.

When lunch break came, I took my violin and went to the Student Council room.

I practiced alone for a while.

For some reason, my mind felt unusually calm today.

Yesterday's game came to mind.

We had lost.

But I wasn't bothered by it.

Just as I was about to put my violin away, the door opened.

I looked up.

Souta walked in.

"I knew you'd be here."

"What happened?"

Souta walked in and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Nothing."

We sat in silence for a few seconds.

Then he looked around the room.

"Is Nozomi not here?"

"No."

Souta nodded.

"She can't come today."

I smiled when I saw the look on his face.

"Disappointed?"

Souta immediately looked at me.

"What?"

"Because Nozomi isn't here."

"Don't be ridiculous."

I tried to hide my smile.

"I didn't say anything."

"With you, I don't need to."

We talked for a little while longer.

Then the bell rang, and Souta returned to his class.

After classes ended, I went to the gym again.

The basketball team was practicing.

Souta was there too.

After practicing for a while, we stepped off the court and drank some water.

Souta closed his bottle.

"I'm going somewhere with Nozomi tomorrow."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Where?"

Souta thought for a few seconds.

"To buy something."

"What are you buying?"

"I don't know. We haven't decided yet."

I nodded.

"I see."

Souta looked at me.

"You're not coming."

"You didn't invite me anyway."

"You wouldn't have come even if I had."

"True."

We both laughed.

Then Souta stood up.

"I'm heading home."

"Okay."

Souta took a few steps before stopping.

"By the way..."

He turned around.

"Don't tease me about Nozomi anymore."

I smiled.

"I didn't say anything."

"For now."

Then he left the gym.

I watched him for a few seconds.

When I got home that evening, my room was quiet.

I put my bag down.

I sat on my bed for a while.

Then I picked up my violin.

I didn't feel like practicing any particular piece today.

I just wanted to play.

I placed the violin against my shoulder.

The bow moved slowly across the strings.

The room filled with music.

After a while, I closed my eyes.

I didn't think about the competition.

I didn't think about winning first place.

I didn't even think about the basketball game we'd lost.

I just listened to the music.

After a while, I stopped playing.

I lowered the bow.

I quietly looked at my violin.

Maybe I didn't have to turn everything in my life into a goal.

Always getting better...

Always winning...

Always proving something...

All of those things could be good.

But sometimes, simply enjoying something was enough.

I put the violin away.

Then I walked over to the window and looked outside.

The June night was quiet.

This time, the silence didn't bother me.

The next day after school, Souta and Nozomi left school together. Souta had a few things he needed to buy for the basketball team, and Nozomi had agreed to help him.

They headed toward the city center.

"Are you sure you know what we're supposed to buy?" Nozomi asked.

Souta checked his phone.

"The coach sent me a list. I think that's everything."

"You think?"

"The list is a little confusing."

Nozomi sighed.

"Give me the phone."

Souta handed it to her.

Nozomi carefully looked through the list.

"Needles for the basketballs, tape, a few towels..."

She paused.

"And why are there energy drinks on here?"

Souta shrugged.

"He told us to get those too."

"He probably meant them for you."

"For the team."

"Souta?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop questioning everything."

Nozomi looked at him.

"If questioning things is what it takes to do a job properly, then yes, I'm going to keep questioning."

Souta started laughing.

"Okay, okay."

They found most of what they needed fairly quickly after entering the first store.

Only a few things were left.

Nozomi looked at two different products in her hands.

"Which one should we get?"

Souta pointed at one of them.

"I think this one."

"No."

Souta looked at her in surprise.

"Why?"

"The other one is better quality."

"But this one is cheaper."

"We're only buying it once."

"Still, there's no reason to spend extra money."

Nozomi crossed her arms.

"Sometimes you overthink things."

Souta smiled.

"And you make decisions without thinking enough."

"Because I'm usually right."

"Usually?"

Nozomi gave him an annoyed look.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing."

They both started laughing.

After finishing their shopping, they left the store.

Souta looked at the bags in his hands.

"I think that's everything."

Nozomi checked the list.

"Yep. Finally."

Souta let out a deep breath.

"I'm glad you came. I'd probably have forgotten half of this if I were alone."

Nozomi smiled.

"I know."

They walked around the city center for a while.

Eventually, Nozomi stopped when they passed a small café.

"Do you want to get something to drink?"

Souta looked at the café.

"Sure."

They went inside and sat at a table by the window.

After placing their orders, Souta leaned back in his chair.

"That took longer than I expected."

Nozomi smiled.

"That's because you don't know how to read a list."

"Here we go again."

Their drinks arrived, and they sat quietly for a while.

People were walking outside.

Soft music and the sound of conversations filled the café around them.

Souta took a sip of his drink.

"By the way..."

Nozomi looked at him.

"What?"

"Thanks for yesterday."

"For what?"

"For bringing us drinks after the game."

Nozomi smiled slightly.

"It's nothing."

"Still."

There was a brief silence.

Nozomi played with her glass while looking outside.

"You two looked really exhausted during the game."

Souta smiled.

"It was fun, even though we lost."

"Umut thought so too."

"Umut can turn everything into something fun."

Nozomi laughed.

"Especially teasing us."

Souta shook his head.

"We need to find a way to shut him up."

Nozomi laughed and nodded.

"I guess we'll have to work together on that."

Souta looked at her.

Then he smiled.

"Maybe."

They stayed at the café for a while longer.

They didn't talk about anything particularly important.

They talked about school, basketball, their friends, and the little things that had happened during the day.

But without realizing it, they both lost track of time.

When they left the café, it was still bright outside.

Souta looked at the bags in his hands.

"I think today went better than I expected."

Nozomi looked at him.

"I think so too."

Then they continued walking side by side.

The next morning, as soon as I entered the classroom, I saw Souta.

He was sitting at his desk, looking at his phone.

I walked over to him.

"Hey."

He looked up.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

I sat down in the chair across from him.

I watched him for a few seconds.

There was a faint smile on his face.

"What?"

Souta frowned.

"What what?"

"You two had a good time yesterday, didn't you?"

He went silent for a moment.

"How do you know?"

"It's written all over your face."

"What are you talking about?"

I tried to hide my smile.

"So, what did you talk about at the café?"

"Nothing."

"You didn't talk about anything?"

"Just normal stuff."

"Like what?"

"School, basketball, friends..."

I nodded.

"I see."

Souta looked at me suspiciously.

"Why are you so curious?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

"Maybe a little."

Just then, the classroom door opened.

Nozomi walked in.

When she saw us, she came over.

"What are you two talking about this early in the morning?"

Souta immediately looked at me.

"Nothing."

Nozomi narrowed her eyes.

"Is Umut saying something again?"

"I didn't do anything."

Nozomi looked at me.

"I can tell from the look on your face."

Souta started laughing.

"See? I told you."

"Even Nozomi noticed."

I looked at the two of them.

"Okay, okay. I won't say anything anymore."

Nozomi nodded.

"Good."

Souta smiled and returned to his seat.

I went back to mine as well.

A little while later, class began.

Everything was normal again.

But whenever I glanced at Souta, I could still see that small smile on his face.

Without realizing it, I smiled too.

When I got home from school that evening, I left my bag in my room.

I walked over to the window and looked outside.

The sun was about to set.

I thought about the past few weeks.

The competition...

School...

The basketball game...

The time I'd spent with my friends...

There was a time when I spent my entire day focused on one thing.

The next goal.

The next achievement.

The next step.

But lately, things had been changing.

Maybe life wasn't made up only of big events.

Losing a basketball game...

Talking about stupid things with a friend...

Spending hours sitting in a café...

Or simply coming home and resting in silence...

Maybe those things had meaning too.

I picked up my phone.

There were a few new messages in the class group chat.

Nozomi was complaining about something again.

Souta had replied to her.

I watched the two of them for a few minutes.

Then I put my phone down.

I smiled.

That was how the first week of June had passed.

Nothing particularly important had happened.

But maybe that was exactly what I had needed for a while.