Ball Games Tournament ④
“Well then, we will begin the final match between Class 2 and Class 6!”
2nd day of the Ball Games Tournament. Us Class 2 advanced through the finals tournament and finally reached the final. My classmates, including Renya, sure are amazing to be able to come all the way here even though there is the burden known as me.
“Hey, Kazunari, don’t blank out, we’re forming a circle!”
“Ah, yes!”
Whoops. I ended up getting a little sentimental. I was called by Renya, so I entered my teammates’ circle.
“Alright, win or lose, this will be the last. Let’s might as well end it with a win……we’re gonna win this for sure!!!”
“”””Ooh!!!””””
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Now then, it has been a while since the match started, but neither side has scored any points yet. Because our skills are almost on par, the situation where we attack and get attacked continues.
If I had to say a problem, then I suppose it would be that my opponent is from the soccer club. When the opponent comes attacking, they basically come attacking from the direction where I am. I do not really have the free time to rest, and I barely have any stamina remaining even though the first half is not yet over thanks to that.
“Here they are again huh……”
The ball was passed to the soccer club’s member without a break. Thanks to one of the things I was taught by Shizue-san,「take your distance and mark your opponent」, although I could not intercept them, it somehow wrapped up without them getting through thus far.
It is just that the duration that I run is prolonged thanks to that, and it is rough. But I cannot be grumbling. For the time being, let’s make it through the first half somehow.
In the end, after this, I somehow thwarted the soccer club’s member who came at me trying to get through, but he ended up passing it in front of the goal in one go. However, my teammates blocked it somehow, and the first half ended at that timing and halftime began.
“Are you okay?”
“Yae, thank you for the water bottle. I am alive one way or another”
I moisten my parched throat with the water bottle Yae brought over. Aah……chilled tea is delicious……
“Well, I will bluff it until the match is over, so it will be alright”
“Nn, do your best”
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I left Yae with those words, but my stamina had already reached the bottom. Renya and the others are attacking for us, so I will place my hands on my knees and try to catch my breath somehow.
As I was doing that, there were some cheers from the audience seats. Renya and the other are returning when I hurriedly raise my face. I was not looking at all, but Renya apparently scored a point.
It is 1-0 with this. There is likely not that much time left either. In other words, that means the next time might be the opponents’ final attack. Even an amateur like me knows, where the opponents who want a point no matter what will come attacking from.
“As I thought, here they are huh……”
I squeeze every last bit stamina, no, every last bit of strength I have and follow the opponent that runs up the corner of the court. If I am not wrong, Shizue told me a method to deal with a time like this.
『When the opponent dribbles and comes attacking from the side, they will probably come to a stop somewhere if Kazunari-kun follows them firmly. They should then pass to the inside after removing their mark』
It is undoubtedly that situation now. In other words, I will make sure that I can stop at anytime, but make sure that I do not get left behind.
Before I know it, there is only a little bit more until we are at the corner of the court. Instantly after I thought that, the opponent suddenly braked, so I stopped as well……but the opponent sped up again right away.
(Over there!?)
I had a late start because of the unforeseen circumstances, and the opponent was already preparing to kick it into the middle. I dragged the team down again huh……
“Kazu-kun!”
That’s right. There is no way I can give up when there is somebody who is cheering me on. I throw my leg out in front of the ball somehow as my very last struggle.
I wonder if the Goddess of Victory was watching over such a futile struggle. The ball that the soccer club’s member kicked hits the tip of my leg, changes its direction and carries on to go outside the court. And then there is the sound of the whistle.
At this very moment, us Class 2 clinched the victory for the Ball Games Tournament’s third-year male soccer division.
