The Will to Change

Upon arriving at the classroom, I took a seat, pulled out my phone and started glancing through it without a care in the world.

Even though I knew that it had taken a lot of courage on Akemi's part to walk up to me and say such a thing, I had simply decided to ignore it and focus on what I knew and felt back then.

Feelings of the present didn't matter to me anymore. Only the pain that I had felt in the past was the thing that I remembered deep down.

"..."

I lifted my gaze from the phone's screen and stared out the window for a bit "What are you even doing, Tadao?"

Before I knew it, the sound of the final bell ringing interrupted my train of thought and upon glancing back over at the inside of the classroom, I noticed that Akemi was making her way inside the room and taking her seat without a care in the world.

"Well, it's not as if I'm going to have any more interactions with her anytime-"

Before I could finish my train of thought, the teacher came into the classroom and directed his words to everyone "Now then class, you all have P.E in a bit, so please start getting ready" "Akemi, I'd like you to help out the P.E teacher with something"

"Ok"

"And..." He looked around the classroom and his gaze landed on mine and without a single doubt, he directed his words to me "Tadao, I'd like for you to help her out with anything else"

"... Got it"

There was no point in me making a fuss about it since at the end of the day, I would be simply forced to do it "Just my luck, I guess"

I stood up from my seat and started heading out the classroom and from behind, I could hear her steps following right behind me.

"T-Thank you..."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what he asked of me, that's all"

"I know... It's just that, I feel like I have to thank you as well"

"I see..."

I really didn't want to lengthen the conversation anymore then it should've been, but at the same time, I knew where she was coming from with those words.

Anyone would be thankful for something like this, but with her, it just didn't feel like she was thanking me just for this... It also sounded like she was thanking me for what I had done for her as well.

Upon arriving at the field where we were going to take our class, our teacher walked up to us and greeted us with a smile on her face "Morning, thank you for coming by to help out"

"Of course, what do you need from us, Miss Makoto?"

"I'd like for the both of you to help me set up for practice today. Here's the key to the storage shed, I need the both of you to grab some things for me"

"Sure, what is it exactly?"

She gave Akemi the list of things that she needed alongside the key and with that out of the way, the both of us started heading towards the storage shed without speaking a single word to one another.

"..."

"..."

I didn't mind the silence one bit, but there was a point where it was too awkward even for me to handle, but even then, I didn't say a thing.

When we arrived at the shed, she opened the door and I started pulling out all the relatively heavier things that we needed while she pulled out the other miscellaneous items that she had asked from us.

"That should be everything"

"I'll start taking them"

I picked up a few of the items and started making my way back towards where our teacher was, as I did so, I could hear her quickly picking some things up and following right behind me.

"You don't have to follow after me. It's weird"

I swallowed those words and continued walking on in silence. After a minute or so of doing so, I heard her clear her throat and speak up "By the way... H-How's your sister?"

"Still as obnoxious as ever"

"I-I see... The both of you really do have a nice relationship"

"You could say that"

"..."

"..."

"I-I was surprised to see her here in school"

"She said she wanted to take classes here"

"Well, it is a good school, so I'm not surprised"

"Yeah"

Once again, complete silence fell on our conversation and like I had said, I didn't mind it one bit.

We got back, left the things and went back to take the rest of the things that we had left just outside of the shed.

Once we were ready, she locked the storage, and we made our way back towards the area where everything was going to be set up. When we did, I couldn't help but notice that all our other classmates were already there stretching and talking amongst themselves.

And just like I had anticipated, when Akemi's clique noticed the both of us together, they quickly called her over and I could very well hear them asking if she was alright and if I had done something to her that would have made her uncomfortable.

Back then, I would have gotten pissed and probably reacted, but at this point, I could simply click my tongue and walk away from the area.

I used the excuse that I needed to go to the restroom and chilled in there for a bit so that I could get my temper down a bit, but even then, watching what had happened, I couldn't help but wonder if she really did want to change what had happened between us and simply go back to being strangers who had no ill intents towards one another.

When I got back, everyone was already started to do stretches that our teacher had most likely instructed them to do, I followed along and after a bit, it was time to move onto the exercise portion of the day.

"Tadao, it's your turn"

"Yes, ma'am"

I step forward and prepared myself for the timed run. I waited for the signal and as soon as it was given, I jolted forward and ran to my heart's content and before I knew it, I had reached the finish line.

"New high score for the class and even for yourself, I'm surprised that you're not on the track team even though you're so fast"

"I'd rather not"

"It really is a shame..." She knew about the fact that I had quitted my club and even though she didn't know all the details, she could tell whenever things were weird with classmates and what not.

Most of the guys from the class seemed ticked off and I couldn't blame them. I was practically taking the spotlight from them and any chance of them appealing to others, but luckily for them, nobody wanted to be interested with me.

Once that portion was done, we went onto playing basketball. Team games were the worst thing that I could be a part off for multiple reasons.

As the game played out, nobody would pass the ball to me and I didn't mind it, sure, there were those few moments where they would and I would simply play as any other game, but I didn't care about the game or anyone in the room at all.

"I just want to get this done with..."

With the last minute on the timer, they were throwing the ball amongst themselves, and I simply sat back near the hoop to block any attack.

The opponent grabbed the ball and started running towards the hoop in hopes of scoring. I wasn't going to actually try to block the attack, but when that thought crossed my mind, a voice interrupted my train of thought.

"You go, Tadao-senpai~!"

"... Huh?"

I glanced over at where I had heard the voice and noticed that it was Yuki and right behind her were the rest of the first years.

"I believe in you, senpai~!"

"..."

"Go for it, brother!"

Right beside her was my little sister and as I watched them yelling those words to me, the opponent was getting closer and closer to the hoop.

"Do it for me~!"

Hearing Yuki saying those words, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. I stared at her for a bit and sighed "Don't make it sound like we're dating, you idiot!"

"W-W-Why an idiot?!"

"But... Thanks"

I didn't need to dwell on the past, at least not every single time. I needed to move forward in order to progress through the story unfolding before me.

"I guess I have to win this for my little junior, huh?"

As soon as he was about to shoot his shot, I dived forward and jumped up just hihg enough to block the shot, grab the ball and star running towards the opposite hoop.

"Stop him!"

"Yeah!"

Everybody started running towards me and I could tell that the intent to stop me was there, but also the intent to hurt me 'accidentally'.

I weaved through the barrage of people, but even then, it wasn't possible for me to get any closer to the hoop.

"I guess I have to do it from here!" I continued dodging them and once I had found an opening, I started holding the ball with one hand and power threw it up towards the hoop.

It was almost impossible that I would miss, but I believed that it would go in. Yuki and Reiko were there and they believed in me, I couldn't miss this shot or the world.

"Come on!"

The last second ticked down and when it did, the sight of the ball going through the hoop secured me the win that I needed.

"Red team wins!"

"You did it, Tadao-senpai~!"

"Nice shot, brother!"

"Thanks"

When the game finished, I ignored everyone's glares and comments and made my way towards the both of them for a small talk.

When Tadao left the field and walked off towards his sister and the girl, I wanted to congratulate him as well, but I knew that he would simply ignore me, but at the same time, i wanted to apologize and make up with him.

I knew what I had done, and I knew that it wasn't something easy for him to deal with, but at the same time, it was because of me that everything had happened.

"I really want him to accept my apology...."