"Hey, Jim! You must be thrilled~!"
Before classes started, Sora came to my seat as usual. While I appreciated him always initiating conversation, I usually found myself at a loss since his topics rarely interested me. Still, today's opening line was particularly puzzling. What exactly was I supposed to be happy about?
"Thrilled about what?"
"Huh? The Japan Series, man! Didn't you watch yesterday's game? Weren't you a Leopons fan?"
"Oh right, they beat the Chianz to become champions yesterday, didn't they?"
"Yeah, yeah. As a Chianz fan, it's disappointing for me, but I wanted to congratulate you. Your reaction's pretty weak though."
"Sorry, I haven't been following much lately. Forgot about yesterday's game."
"Seriously? I thought you'd be happy since it's been ages since the Leopons won~"
"Well, even though I'm technically a Leopons fan, my dad's the hardcore one. I'm more just tagging along, you know?"
In the middle of our idle chatter, the student council president unusually chimed in.
"Kido-kun, do you like baseball?"
"Not particularly, but my dad's a Leopons fan, so we sometimes go to games."
"Come to think of it, the Leopons won yesterday, right?"
"Exactly, prez! I was trying to celebrate with him, but this guy says he didn't even watch!"
"I said I'm sorry. By the way, prez, which team do you support?"
"I don't watch baseball, but my little brother is an Osaka Ligers fan. He's training hard to become a player someday."
"Oh~, so the prez's brother plays baseball?"
"In Little League. But he's always frustrated about not making the regular lineup."
"If he's not that good, maybe he could join the perpetually last-place Ligers, huh? Right, Jim?"
"Come on, that's not true. The Ligers have plenty of good players."
"But their fans are so vulgar~. Prez, you should tell your brother to become a Chianz fan instead. Supporting the Ligers will make him stupid, you know~"
"That's harsh. If your brother likes them, that's fine, isn't it?"
"Y-yeah. The Ligers are a good team too."
"Exactly. I'm sure they'll win next year."
"Uh, let's not get carried away, Jim."
I go to about five Leopons games every year, but this year, with my dad hospitalized, I haven't been to any. That's probably why I was surprisingly indifferent. Maybe I don't actually like the Leopons—I just like going to games with my dad. Next year, when he's discharged, we'll go together again.
"Something wrong, Chifumi-kun? You're spacing out staring at the sky."
"Nothing really. Just thinking about how happy my dad must be since the Leopons won yesterday."
"Oh, Chiki-san's a Leopons fan? But you're not happy about it?"
"Well, I am, sort of... but I didn't go to any games this year. Hearing they won on the news made me a little happy, but I'm a pretty casual fan."
"Hmm. I guess that's how it is for people who aren't that into it."
"By the way, Ohno-san, which team do you support?"
"Huh? I don't really have one~. But I've 'completed' all the players in the Central League."
"I won't ask what you mean by 'completed'..."
Today was the last seed distribution day of October. I was heading to the location specified by the recipient with Ohno-san.
"What is this place? A monjayaki shop?"
We'd been led to an eatery in Tsukishima. The signboard had the name "Raikichi" written in cursive hiragana.
"Nope. It's an okonomiyaki place. We're eating here today."
"Wait, before the distribution?! Why?"
"Just come in, you'll see."
"Uh, okay..."
"Come on, hurry up."
When Ohno-san slid open the rattling door, a lively woman's voice greeted us.
"Welcome!!"
"Heya. Thanks for having us."
"Oh, Ohno-san! We've been waiting for you~. Right this way."
The place had a really casual vibe. The tables with built-in griddles and the tatami seating were normal, but what caught my eye were the countless Ligers merchandise displayed everywhere—posters, happi coats, towels with players' names, megaphones, all crammed into the space.
"So, is this the kid you mentioned?"
"Yep, this is Chifumi-kun. Go on, introduce yourself."
"Ah, I'm Kido Chifumi. Nice to meet you."
"Hey there. I'm Kishihara Nozomi. Pleasure~"
"Nice to... wait, Ohno-san, is this person...?"
"Yup. Today's recipient."
"O-oh, I see. But why are we here?"
"Sorry about the place. This is my uncle's shop, and it's also my workplace."
"N-no, I didn't mean it like that! It's just unusual to meet a recipient somewhere else first, so..."
"Nah, it's fine. I'm not mad~. So, what'll you two have?"
"I'll take the mix and a draft beer! What about you, Chifumi-kun?"
"Is drinking beer during work okay?"
"Of course it is. Cut me some slack."
"...Haha. I'll have pork okonomiyaki and a cola."
"Got it~"
Soon, a mountain of cabbage-filled okonomiyaki arrived, along with ice-cold beer and cola.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers."
We clinked glasses and took a sip. The cold carbonation felt refreshing going down. Ohno-san was really going at it—was beer really that good? I'd never tried it.
"By the way, is this okay? Eating before the distribution... won't the shop get busy soon...?"
"Nah, we're closed today, so it's fine. We'll do the distribution at my apartment after this."
"Wait, so you opened the shop just for us?"
"Yep. I wanted Ohno-san to try our okonomiyaki, and there's something I wanted to ask you before the distribution."
"What did you want to ask?"
"So, Chifumi-kun, right? Which team do you like?"
"Huh? Team? You mean baseball... right...?"
Whoa, was this something she needed to know before the distribution? What did it matter? ...Well, given the shop's vibe, it'd be awkward to name any team other than the Ligers. But I didn't know much about them... No choice. Even if my lie was obvious, it'd come out eventually.
"Um... I guess I'm a Tokorozawa Leopons fan."
"Seriously...?"
Nozomi-san crossed her arms and looked down. Was it that big of a deal?
"Hmm... hmm... well, whatever, they're both feline teams... and they beat the Chianz for us yesterday."
"Uh... is that relevant?"
"Of course it is. Huge. If you'd said you were a Chianz fan, I'd have kicked you out by now."
"Ohno-saaan. What's up with this person?"
"Come on, it's fine. It's nice to have something you love."
"...Sigh."
After finishing our meal, we said goodbye to Ohno-san and headed to Nozomi-san's apartment.
"My place is the corner room on the second floor. It's kinda run-down, but the inside is cozy, so relax~"
The apartment looked at least 30 years old. Nozomi-san's casual outfit—a sweatshirt and jeans—fit the vibe perfectly. We clanged up the rusty outdoor stairs to the second floor. I'd only seen places like this in dramas. It had this nostalgic Showa-era feel... not that I'd know, being a Heisei kid.
Nozomi-san jangled her keys—adorned with a Liger-kun keychain—and unlocked the door.
"Alright, come on in~"
"Whoa, wow..."
As expected, the room was even more packed with Ligers merchandise than the shop. Some "cozy space" this was.
"Sorry, no sofa or anything. Mind sitting on the futon?"
"Ah, sure."
The layout was a 1K—a narrow, elongated kitchen, a bathroom, and a six-tatami main room. The walls looked thin too. Were we really going to do it here?
"Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Kishihara Nozomi, 20. From Osaka, working part-time at my uncle's shop."
"I'm Kido Chifumi. 18."
"Oh, two years younger. But you're the experienced one, right? I haven't done much, so you'll have to lead."
"Haha, I'll do my best."
Sitting cross-legged, Nozomi-san was actually really cute up close. Big, slightly droopy eyes, a straight nose, and a wide mouth. Her features were large—one misstep and she might look crude—but her face struck a perfect balance. Not a classic beautiful girl, but incredibly captivating. Her no-nonsense, tomboyish style might hide it, but with proper makeup, she'd probably be insanely popular.