~The War of Men and Women Without Honor~ P.E. Basketball Edition

♠♠♠

Three months had passed since I started high school.

With summer vacation approaching, the novelty of being a freshman had already worn thin.

That meant my grand plan from before enrollment—to steal Natsume away and make that perfect superhuman regret it—was teetering on the brink of failure.

One day during P.E.

In the gymnasium, we were split by gender, playing basketball.

There wasn’t any particular goal, and the teacher was just watching from the corner to make sure no one got hurt.

I was sitting outside the court, watching our class’s guys compete against the boys from the next class over.

I casually spoke to Natsume, who was next to me.

“Natsume, what did you do for P.E. back in middle school?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’re always glued to Himari-chan, aren’t you? How did you handle these gender-separated events?”

“Oh, I get it…”

On the other side of the court, separated by a large net, the girls’ team was playing basketball.

The way they clumsily passed the heavy ball around looked utterly unpracticed.

In moments like these, it often turned into a barren domination show where only the girls with basketball experience would confidently dribble and score.

“Well, Himari is popular, so the guys were pretty jealous of her…”

Following Natsume’s gaze, I saw the ball passed to Himari-chan.

That bubbly, over-the-top girl didn’t pull off some dazzling dribble like a seasoned player. Instead, she grabbed the ball with both hands and lobbed it in a rough underhand throw.

…The ball swished through the goal ring.

A modest cheer of “Ooh!” rose, followed by applause.

Himari-chan, with a cool expression, responded to the cheers with, “That’s only natural!” …To think someone could get so cocky over a pure-luck shot—there aren’t many girls like her.

“Well, Himari was good at reading the room, and though things didn’t always go smoothly… we managed somehow.”

“I see. So, you realized the importance of same-sex friends?”

“I knew you’d say that, but yeah, it’s true that it’s important…”

The influence of gender differences, which was already noticeable in middle school, becomes even more pronounced in high school.

P.E. is co-ed for now, but I hear we’ll soon have separate curriculums for boys and girls. That means Natsume can’t keep relying on Himari-chan forever.

“Good news for you, Natsume. There’s a guy right here who wants to get close to you♪”

“Uh… how do I get this guy to be my friend?”

“Join the tennis club. Our school requires everyone to join a club at least once anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to have someone you know there?”

“That’s true, but…”

Man, he’s being awfully cautious.

I thought he’d be an easy mark at first, but his defenses are ironclad.

Do I really seem that shady to him?

No, this feeling…

“Yuu~! Did you see my miraculous pretty shot~?”

There she is, the monster.

Having finished her match, Himari-chan wasted no time latching onto Natsume.

“Whoa! Himari, stop it…”

“Hehe~! You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed, Yuu. Could it be… you’re starting to see me as a girl~?”

“It’s not like that. Anyway, my match is coming up soon…”

…Watching this makes my chest burn.

I let out a sigh.

This is how it’s been lately.

Every time I try to talk to Natsume, she swoops in to interrupt.

“Himari-chan, read the room. He’s saying you stink of sweat after exercising.”

“Huh? The fresh sweat of a beauty like me is obviously floral and fabulous. I could bottle it up and sell it!”

“I’m genuinely appalled. Stop spouting nonsense like some old-school otaku scam and go back to the girls’ side. I’m talking to Natsume right now.”

“Request denied—no application filed! Even if you did apply, Makishima-kun, you’d get a face-pass straight to the exit!”

As we clashed, sparks flying, Natsume quietly muttered, “What would you even use bottled sweat for…?”

As always, he’s such an earnest guy.

“Anyway, if you’re recruiting for the tennis club, why obsess over Yuu? He’s never done any sports clubs, you know?”

“It’s about potential. With that ideal physique, if he trains from now, he’ll be a top-tier player in three years.”

After all, guys’ bodies only fully develop in high school.

There’s no need to fixate on middle school achievements.

He’s a bit lacking in muscle, but we can bulk him up from now on.

(…And there’s something odd about Natsume’s body, isn’t there?)

As I was thinking that, our turn came up.

Let’s see… next is… oh, my team’s up against Natsume’s!

“Alright, Natsume. Let’s see if I can rough you up a bit!”

“Makishima, you get way too hyped during P.E…”

“If I spot any guys with good moves, I’ll scout them for the tennis club. …Oh, that’s right.”

A great idea hit me, and a smirk crept onto my face.

“How about this: if I win this match, you join the tennis club. Deal?”

“No way! What’s in it for me!?”

“What a stingy guy. Fine, if your team wins, I’ll give you something good.”

“…Something good?”

He leaned in, looking mildly intrigued.

I whispered in his ear so no one else could hear.

“Some spicy photos of the college girl I dated in middle school.”

“Pfft!?”

As expected, his face turned beet red as he recoiled.

“I-I don’t want that!”

“Tch. Such a naive little virgin. Normally, guys would jump at this kind of thing. Are you even a man?”

“That’s not the issue!”

“But this is pretty common among guys, you know?”

Natsume froze for a moment.

(Haha! It worked!)

For some reason, Natsume’s weak to phrases like “guy stuff.”

It’s probably because Himari-chan’s possessiveness has kept him on too tight a leash, but that works in my favor.

“W-Well, okay then…”

“It’s settled!”

Natsume and I grabbed the colored bibs—the mesh vests used to divide teams in P.E.—from the guys who’d just finished playing.

And so, the final showdown to recruit Natsume began.

♠♠♠

Or so I thought…

When we faced off on the court… I noticed something off.

“…Hey. Why is Himari-chan here?”

For some reason, Himari-chan was boldly standing on Natsume’s team.

She tilted her head curiously, as if saying, “Who are you talking about?” while glancing around.

“I mean you, you!”

“Oh, me? The teacher said it’s fine if I join~!”

“No, a girl playing in a guys’ game is… wait, what!?”

I noticed something else bizarre.

Somehow, Natsume’s team wasn’t the original lineup anymore.

It wasn’t just our class—there were guys from the next class over too.

And if my memory’s right, they’re all ridiculously athletic.

That buzzcut guy at the far end… isn’t he the one scouted from another prefecture for the baseball team?

“…Himari-chan. You overheard our conversation earlier, didn’t you?”

In a voice low enough not to be noticed, Himari-chan smirked smugly.

“Pfft, haha! Did you think I’d let you have your way, Makishima-kun? This is my chance to make you give up on Yuu~!”

“Tch. You sure managed to pull this together while we were talking…”

“When it comes to my charm, this is child’s play~!”

Charm? More like fraud.

If these guys knew Himari-chan’s true nature, they’d faint from shock.

(Well, fine. Our team isn’t exactly low on athletic ability either. They’ve got Himari-chan as dead weight, so all we need to do is win!)

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the match.

The ball, thrown by the opposing team, somehow landed cleanly in my hands.

What, a pass mistake?

The moment I hesitated over what to do with it—a huge guy charged at me with a full-on tackle!

“Makishima, dieeee!”

Hold up!

You’re clearly trying to kill me, aren’t you!?

“Whoa!? That’s dangerous, man!”

I hurriedly dodged and passed the ball to a teammate.

Himari-chan clicked her tongue from the other side.

“Himari-chan! Don’t start the game with dirty plays!”

“Huh~? What’re you talking about? Makishima-kun, that’s a harsh accusation!”

Playing cute, Himari-chan got the girls in the crowd to chime in with, “Yeah, exactly!” and “Makishima, drop dead!”

Damn, what a pain…

Our team moved the ball up the court, but… it got stolen right under the goal!

(As expected, that baseball team prodigy is a problem…)

I shouted instructions to my four teammates.

“Their target is me! I’ll steal the ball and pass it, so you guys spread out and aim for the goal!”

As predicted, they passed the ball to me first.

I dodged the incoming tackle and passed it to a teammate.

…This time, my teammate’s shot went in!

“Alright! Keep it up!”

With the goal, our team’s morale soared.

If we keep this momentum… oh no!?

The ball I thought was coming to me sailed over my head.

(There shouldn’t be anyone there… ah!)

Natsume, who’d been quietly waiting under our goal, caught the ball with flawless precision.

Using his height, he effortlessly slipped it through the hoop.

“Natsume! That’s cheating!”

“Uh… this is basketball, right?”

Himari-chan, on their side, was smugly waving to the crowd.

That wasn’t even your achievement!

(Their formation… it’s definitely a problem!)

Here’s Himari-chan’s team strategy:

Three defenders under their goal: Himari-chan + two athletic guys.

One athletic guy in the center targeting me.

Natsume alone as the shooter under our goal.

They maintain this formation while switching between two attack patterns.

① Pretend to make a pass mistake, giving me the ball, then kill me with a rough play.

② Fake aiming for a rough play, then make a long pass to Natsume for a shot.

If we counter ① by rushing with numbers, ② exploits our open goal.

If we guard against ② by assigning defenders, they switch to ① and leisurely try to kill me (probably their main goal).

(What a nasty play! Is she really that perfect superhuman’s sister…!?)

Hibari-san may be unlikeable, but he’s fundamentally fair and square.

Honestly, what kind of upbringing produces a sister like this?

“Makishima! What do we do!?”

“Their eyes are terrifying!”

My teammates were rattled.

Indeed, the other team’s coordination was uncanny.

What kind of bait did they dangle to get them this motivated… no, I can guess.

But this isn’t good.

With the skill gap already against us, if our morale breaks, it’s over.

“…No choice. Time to get serious.”

I sent one teammate to defend our goal.

As expected, they shifted to attack pattern ①.

Pretending a pass mistake, they sent the ball my way to kill me.

(Such a straightforward pass lets me set my stance. They’re still high schoolers, huh.)

A big guy came at me with a rough tackle, pretending it was a play.

Knowing his move made predicting it easy.

I spun gracefully, letting him stumble past me.

The overzealous guy crashed into the girls in the crowd and fell.

(One down…)

I dribbled from the right wing, slicing into enemy territory.

Only two athletic guys and Himari-chan remained.

The ones to watch out for were the former.

One of them immediately blocked my path.

(This coverage… he’d make a great player. I’ll talk to him later.)

But his stance was sloppy.

He leaned too far forward, his upper body too exposed.

His body couldn’t keep up with my surprise attack.

I slipped the ball through his open legs with a flashy move.

“What was that!?”

“Makishima’s not even in the basketball club, right!?”

The crowd’s bewildered voices.

And their cheers.

Plus the girls’ jeers.

It all felt so satisfying.

You fools, I’m the guy who’ll surpass that perfect superhuman.

This level of ball control is mandatory, isn’t it?

“Not on my watch!”

The baseball prodigy, huh.

He was on the left wing, but he closed the distance in an instant.

As expected, out-of-prefecture recruits are a cut above.

He stood before me, arms raised high to guard the goal.

His presence, his intensity… like a Nio statue.

“Haha! Getting all worked up over a P.E. basketball game? Is this the pride of the scouted elite?”

“Exactly! I came here to win! Even if it’s just P.E., I can’t afford to lose!!”

“What a hot-blooded guy. …I don’t hate it.”

The final defensive line.

With one more behind him, I couldn’t waste time here.

My standoff with the baseball prodigy lasted a mere moment.

In this situation, tricks wouldn’t cut it.

Despite the size difference, a direct breakthrough was the answer.

Without slowing my dribble, I grabbed the ball with both hands, holding it at my waist.

A layup shot while running toward the goal.

The one we practiced in middle school P.E.

Steady breathing, sticking to the basics.

On my second step, I leaped high toward the goal!

“Makishima! For a guy like you, that’s a surprisingly honest shot!”

“Amateurs using fancy tricks never ends well!”

The baseball prodigy jumped under the goal too.

Using his height, he stretched both arms to cover me.

A perfectly timed defense blocking the goal.

I gently tossed the ball I’d been holding at my waist.

And the ball… vanished in midair.

The baseball prodigy, trying to block my shot, looked around in confusion.

It must’ve seemed like the ball disappeared like a magic trick.

But that’s impossible.

I could clearly see the ball.

Except it was behind the baseball prodigy.

He’d moved to cover the right wing, leaving the left wing wide open.

The ball was in the hands of my teammate who’d run in there.

In other words, it was an assist pass disguised as a shot.

The moment he realized, the baseball prodigy’s face twisted in agony.

“Makishima!? Didn’t you say no fancy tricks…!?”

I flashed him the most wicked grin.

“Let me teach you one thing, elite recruit. —I’m better at doubles.”

The baseball prodigy and I collided in midair.

In that gap, my teammate scored.

With the crowd’s cheers at my back, I stood up with a grunt.

I offered a hand to the baseball prodigy, who’d fallen on his butt alongside me.

“Your athletic sense is impressive. But you need to think more flexibly, or guys like me will take you down.”

“…”

Huh?

The baseball prodigy didn’t get up.

Was he injured… no, for some reason, he was pounding the gym floor.

Was he that frustrated?

Being passionate is fine, but he needs a bit more mental composure…

“If I won this match, Himari-chan said she’d go on a date with me!”

“I knew it was something like that…”

I thought he was oddly fired up, but of course, he was lured by a reward like that.

What happened to all that scouted elite pride?

(Still, I can’t deny it was a close call…)

If they’d had one more player of his caliber, it could’ve gone differently.

When Himari-chan said she’d join, I was taken aback, but in the end, it worked in our favor.

“Well, then. I’ve crushed your strategy.”

“…”

Himari-chan let out a small sigh.

I thought she might throw out some sore-loser excuse, but…

“What’s that?”

Himari-chan grinned slyly.

♠♠♠

I couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of her move.

“Are you serious…?”

“Hehe~! I didn’t want to resort to this, but at this point, I can’t be picky about my methods~!”

For some reason, Himari-chan stood right in front of me.

When the ball went to her team, she stuck to me like glue, obstructing my every move.

Matchup.

A one-on-one tactic to thoroughly mark an opponent.

(I see. It’s surprising, but tactically, it makes sense…)

Himari-chan’s athletic ability is about average for a girl.

She always acts like the center of the universe, but she doesn’t actually have any standout stats.

Her style is to bluff her way through with luck and cunning.

In short, she’s currently dead weight.

Her inability to do anything in the earlier play is proof of that.

Assigning such a liability to mark me.

Their weakest link neutralizing our strongest asset.

(…Or so she thinks.)

It’s not a bad move.

Normally, a matchup only works if you outmatch your opponent, but factoring in Himari-chan being a girl flips the outcome.

The mental pressure of not being able to go all-out against a girl.

She’s cunning to the core.

I’d wondered why Himari-chan bothered stepping onto the court, but this was her aim.

…Sure enough, exploiting our lapse, Natsume scored a goal.

Fine, I’ll let that point slide.

Thanks to it, I’ve seen through their strategy’s core.

Our turn to attack.

Catching a pass from under the goal, I readied myself.

In front of me, Himari-chan blocked my path with a smug, “Hehe~!”

“Himari-chan, it’s not a bad strategy. No, it’s a ridiculous plan most wouldn’t even act on, but since it’s working, I’ll give you that.”

“Hehe~! Makishima-kun, instead of flapping your mouth so happily, why don’t you attack? My team’s about to surround you~!”

“Listen up. …But your strategy has a critical flaw.”

“Huh…?”

A flicker of unease crossed Himari-chan’s face.

To prove it, I darted past her with a sharp dribble!

“For starters, I don’t like you, and I’m not so pathetically virginal as to overthink facing a girl!”

“Wha…!?”

Behind Himari-chan, the baseball prodigies were waiting.

To score before they could set up, I needed minimal movements.

Controlling my body, I unleashed peak performance.

I naturally slipped past Himari-chan’s shoulder, breaking through the thinly guarded center!

“Makishima!”

“Go for it!”

Fueled by my teammates’ cheers, I soared brilliantly—

A shrill whistle blew.

At the peak of my momentum, I sank the shot.

…But there was no applause, only the hollow bounce of the ball falling from the goal.

(A foul?)

Turning around… Himari-chan was slumped on the floor.

The girls in the crowd rushed to her side.

The basketball club referee clenched a fist and slapped the other palm.

Charging.

In simple terms, an offensive foul where the ball possessor makes improper contact.

“Whaaat!?”

I couldn’t help but yell and stormed up to the referee.

“Wait! I didn’t touch her!”

“But Inuzuka-san…”

Looking over, Himari-chan was tearfully whimpering.

“Ugh… he hit my shoulder… it hurts…”

“This girl!?”

“All I said was, ‘Let’s have fun,’ but Makishima-kun said, ‘I hate you!’ and shoved me…”

“Quoting vaguely familiar lines like that is just evil!”

But the moment I passed her… it was so close that it was hard to judge from the sidelines.

In cases like this, the one who sets the narrative first wins.

“…”

The crowd’s glares were entirely against me.

Trembling with rage, I lowered my fist.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. You didn’t mean any harm, right, Makishima-kun?”

At Himari-chan’s blatant acting, I forced a twitching smile.

And then—

“Makishima-kun bumped into me again…”

“Makishima-kun stepped on my foot…”

“Makishima-kun slapped my hand…”

“He threatened to touch my chest…”

…Three minutes later.

I was ejected with five fouls.

By then, falsely branded as the villain, I was dazedly watching the game.

Our team suffered a crushing defeat, and I quietly resolved in my heart.

(…That girl, I’ll make her pay one day!)

♠♠♠

During lunch break after P.E…

For some reason, I was stuck cleaning up the nets and balls.

Pushing a wheeled ball cart, I picked up balls scattered across the gym.

(Damn it. Why am I stuck with the penalty game…)

Somehow, a mystery rule had been added that the losing team had to clean up.

Probably something Himari-chan sweet-talked the P.E. teacher into.

“Still, there’s a ton of them…”

With two classes playing freely, the number was overwhelming.

During the free time after the game, the girls had even dug out volleyballs from the storage to mess around with.

“If I don’t hurry, lunch break will be over…”

Today, the tennis club seniors said they’d hold voluntary practice.

I’d planned to join them, but this was cutting it close.

“Should I skip lunch? No, if that messes up my practice, it’s pointless…”

“Makishima, you’re really diligent, huh.”

Startled by the sudden voice, I jumped.

“…Oh, it’s you, Natsume.”

My hunger must’ve dulled my senses.

Natsume picked up a distant ball, cradling it in both arms as he walked over.

He tossed it into my cart.

“You won, so you don’t have to help.”

“No, I can’t just leave it like that. It’s because of what Himari did.”

“Then Himari-chan should be the one doing this. You’re too soft on her.”

“Haha, well, it goes both ways.”

We continued picking up balls and tossing them into the cart in silence.

I wasn’t in the mood to chat, and I wanted to finish quickly to get to practice.

(Ten more to go…)

Then Natsume spoke up.

“Makishima, wanna make a bet?”

“Huh?”

The uncharacteristic words stunned me.

He seemed to realize it too, looking a bit embarrassed.

“A bet? On what?”

“Uh… free throws?”

He picked up a ball at his feet and tossed it into my cart.

It traced a clean arc and landed inside.

“…I see. The last game got messy, so this is overtime, huh.”

I picked up a ball and shot it from where I stood.

…It went in.

We took turns picking up balls and shooting them into the cart.

Some went in, some didn’t.

When one went in, it sometimes knocked another ball out.

Eventually, we each had one shot left.

I had 6 points.

Natsume had 6 points.

A tie.

For his final shot, Natsume chose the farthest ball.

As he readied his shot, he spoke eloquently.

“I’m happy that you’re inviting me to the tennis club, Makishima. But I can’t.”

“Are you that bad with group activities?”

“…I’m a bit nervous about it, but I think I’d be fine. When I hang out with you, I never feel bad about it, so I think I’d probably enjoy it if I tried.”

While speaking, Natsume kept his eyes locked on the cart.

He stood perfectly still in his shooting stance.

Impressive focus… I was admiring him when he finally tossed the ball.

The moment he threw it, I knew. It sailed cleanly into the cart.

Now, Natsume led by 1 point.

As I picked up my final ball, Natsume continued.

“I have something else I want to do. I know clubs are something you can only do as a student, but… right now, I want to focus on that.”

I dribbled the ball while responding.

“Is it something you can’t talk about?”

“…Himari told me to keep it a secret, but…”

He hesitated but soon nodded with resolve.

With a nervous tone, he confessed.

“I’ve loved flowers since I was a kid. Right now, I’m making accessories by processing flowers. Himari helps with sales and stuff. She’s even talking to teachers about starting a gardening club. …And after graduation, we promised to open our own shop for flower accessories.”

“…”

Listening to him, I raised the ball and took my shooting stance.

My right hand as the launcher.

My left as the sight.

My gaze flicked to Natsume’s face for a moment.

The ball I shot fell neatly beside the cart, bouncing high.

Letting out a relieved breath, I turned to Natsume, who was following the ball with a slightly surprised look.

“So that’s how it is.”

“Huh?”

Natsume, a bit deflated, asked back.

“You should’ve just said so earlier. You kept dodging vaguely, so I got the wrong idea.”

“Oh, uh, that’s…”

…What an awkward guy.

He must’ve been wanting to tell me all along.

But he didn’t have the courage to take the leap.

Seeing him like that, I could tell he wasn’t brushing off my invitation lightly.

“If you have something you want to do, I won’t force you. Just do it until you’re satisfied.”

“Um… don’t you think anything of it, Makishima?”

“Think what?”

“Like… a guy liking flowers is lame, or dreaming of a flower accessory shop is stupid…”

“Huh?”

I picked up the missed ball and tossed it into the cart.

“Liking something isn’t rational. No amount of outside chatter changes it. If you can achieve it, great. Even if you can’t… that experience is yours alone. It’s not anyone else’s, so why follow their words?”

“…”

Natsume’s expression was… complicated.

A mix of relief and astonishment.

…He probably has adults around him who genuinely care about his future.

“I’ve got a dumb goal too. The annoying part is, even if I achieve it, all I’ll get is self-satisfaction. In that sense, we might be alike.”

“Your goal, Makishima?”

“…”

Seeing Natsume’s eager curiosity, I scoffed with a “Heh.”

“I’m not telling. Unlike you, I’m not into embarrassing self-disclosure.”

“Hey…!?”

Natsume’s face flushed red.

I didn’t want to see a guy’s face like that, but… well, it helped clear the frustration of the past three months.

“Alright, let’s finish cleaning up this cart and head to afternoon practice.”

“Makishima, you switch gears fast…”

“Obsessing over trivial stuff just wastes time and energy. By the way, something’s been bugging me…”

I looked Natsume over.

…As I thought, it doesn’t match his delicate, intellectual vibe from earlier.

He nailed every shot in the basketball game, and his free throws just now were abnormally good for an amateur.

“Natsume, have you really never done sports?”

“Oh, I’ve never joined a sports club.”

“…A club?”

A bad feeling crept up, and when I pressed, Natsume answered with a bright smile.

“Himari’s big brother told me, ‘A creator’s body is their capital,’ so he’s been training me hard since middle school. And for the past few weeks, for some reason, he’s been saying, ‘This will definitely come in handy,’ and drilled me in basketball, soccer, and even tennis. I never thought I’d actually end up facing you like this… huh?”

“…”

Natsume’s story trailed off.

My expression must’ve been indescribable, because he took a small step back.

“…Makishima? What’s wrong?”

“Haha, hahaha! I see, I see. So that’s how it was.”

“Uh, wait? Why are you dumping all the balls we cleaned up onto the floor…?”

Emptying the cart, I cracked my shoulders loudly.

Then I shot Natsume a piercing glare.

“Come on! You pawn of the evil emperor! Let’s have another match, with tennis club membership on the line!”

“Why!? You were so understanding just a moment ago…”

“Shut up! I’ve decided to live true to my feelings! Which means! I’m not giving up yet!!”

“That’s absurd!”

In the end, we kept shooting free throws until lunch break was over.

♠♠♠

When the chime rang, I realized I hadn’t eaten lunch and hurriedly ran back.

“This is absolutely your fault, Makishima!”

“Quiet! You got into it too, didn’t you!”

In the midst of it, a thought crossed my mind.

(Himari-chan’s best friend, a guy making flower accessories…)

Come to think of it, my childhood friend Rin-chan got a flower bracelet from Kureha-san about two years ago.

That was apparently sold at Himari-chan’s middle school culture festival.

Rin-chan treasured it a lot… and it’s probably, no doubt, something Natsume made.

(…Her first love, huh.)

No way.

I laughed off my own delusion and ran to the classroom with Natsume.