After practice, the boys returned to the locker room under the reddish glow of the afternoon sky, watched closely by Sato, Inoue, and Yuzuki, along with the scouts.
Hoshino checked her phone.
"Oh... it's getting late. Even though we didn't see much play, the quality I expected was definitely there."
Just as she put her phone back in her pocket, she noticed Coach Ishii leaving the field.
"He's their coach, right?" she asked the students next to him.
"Yes, it is." Yuzuki replied.
"Good, I'll go ask him a few things about the team."
Before leaving, she bowed politely to the students. "Thanks for all the information! See you!"
The students returned the bow. Hoshino then headed toward Coach Ishii, followed by the other scouts.
Yuzuki sighed. "That scout was literally bombarding us with questions..."
After a moment, he looked at the two boys.
"Anyway, I have to do some shopping. See you tomorrow!"
Yuzuki left, leaving Sato and Inoue alone.
"To watch this practice, I skipped mine..." Inoue said, almost regretfully.
Sato smiled, trying to cheer him up.
"At least you had a different afternoon!"
"Well... yes. Taking a break every now and then doesn't hurt."
"Exactly. You're always focused on the high jump, you never give yourself a moment's rest."
"Says the one who does the same," Inoue replied, though with a fire in his eyes.
"Anyway, I have to get to a national tournament. I won't relax until I get there."
"Me too..."
"Anyway, changing the subject..."
Inoue began looking at Sato with a mischievous smile, unnerving him.
"I noticed you have other interests beyond the 100-meter mark..."
"What are you talking about?" Sato asked, his voice uneasy, trying to distance himself from Inoue, who was approaching.
"Come on, the boy with the number 24... You've been eyeing him the whole time."
"No, I wasn't..."
Sato stopped suddenly, as if giving up in the face of the obvious.
Inoue smiled.
"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Riccardo. He's a first year like us, transferred from Italy with the principal's recommendation... and ended up getting criticized by almost the entire school because of it. Not exactly the best reputation. Are you really interested in that guy?"
"I... I don't know." Sato said, clearly confused by his own feelings.
Just then, Inoue noticed something behind Sato.
"I see... Have you ever talked to him?"
"No..."
"Good," Inoue placed his hands on Sato's shoulders and turned her around.
"This is your chance to find out how you really feel."
He pointed to Riccardo, who was approaching with Nishimura and Shimizu.
Inoue suddenly pulled Sato with him, preventing him from escaping, and soon they found themselves in front of the three boys.
"Sorry to bother you!" Inoue said as the three looked at them in surprise.
"Do you need anything?" Nishimura asked, as Sato tried to hide behind him.
"No, we just watched your practice and wanted to congratulate you. We had a lot of fun, and I think that with you guys, the boys' soccer team can bring honor back to our school."
Nishimura smiled, clearly surprised by the unexpected praise.
"Thank you... we appreciate it."
As he spoke, Riccardo noticed Sato and looked at her. Realizing this, Sato immediately looked away in embarrassment, catching Riccardo a little off guard.
"I'm Eijiro Inoue, a first-year member of the men's high jump club."
Inoue stepped aside, revealing Sato.
"And this is Shiori Sato, also a first-year member of the women's 100-meter sprint club."
"Nice to meet you..." Sato muttered, visibly uncomfortable with the situation.
"I'm Genpaku Nishimura, a first-year, ranked number 10 on the men's soccer team.
This is Hiro Shimizu, a second-year, ranked number 11.
And this is Riccardo Yui Aliberti, also a first-year, ranked number 24."
Inoue looked at Riccardo.
"You're the transfer student, right?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Cool! I know..."
Riccardo approached Sato, trying to get a better look, making her visibly uncomfortable.
"Sorry, I just need to clarify something."
Riccardo stared at her intently.
"What's wrong?" Nishimura asked, confused.
"Wait... you're the girl who started clapping at the end of our practice match!"
Did he notice!? — thought Sato, astonished.
At Riccardo's words, Shimizu moved closer, making Sato feel surrounded.
"Really!?"
Nishimura also moved closer.
"Thanks! That applause gave us a boost of confidence you can't even imagine!"
Sato, now completely embarrassed, blushed bright red.
"No need to thank me..."
Shimizu looked thoughtful. "Shiori Sato... if I remember correctly, you won every tournament possible in middle school and are considered a rising star in the 100 meters. A friend who's in her third year of the 100-meter club told me."
After Shimizu's words, Nishimura turned back to Sato.
"It must be hard carrying all those expectations."
"Yes, a little... but I always give it my all!"
Riccardo smiled at his words.
"I've noticed. I often see you training early in the morning before class."
Did he see that too!? — thought Sato.
"Your dedication has convinced me, and some of my teammates, to put in just as much effort."
Sato's face lit up at Riccardo's words. "You guys inspire my training too... Every day I pass by your field on my way to practice. Seeing how much fun you guys have lifts my spirits and helps ease the burden I carry."
The three boys were speechless at his sincere words.
"I don't know much about you guys yet," Inoue added, placing a hand on Sato's shoulder, "but starting today, you have another supporter."
"Instead, you'll have three from today!" said Nishimura.
"Well, then, we don't want to bother you too long, especially after practice. So, see you!" said Inoue with a slight smile.
"See you!" replied Nishimura, walking past Sato and Inoue, followed by Riccardo and Shimizu.
Sato met Riccardo's gaze.
"Ciao!" said Riccardo, leaving Sato beaming with joy.
He greeted me in Italian... how sweet! — thought Sato.
"So? Do you understand how you feel?"
Sato blushed and lowered her gaze.
"I think I might like Aliberti..."
"Great... come on, I'll buy you a treat on the way back! To celebrate your little discovery!"
Sato laughed and joined Inoue, and the two walked together toward the exit.
The next day.
Sato was running on the treadmill when she suddenly smiled, remembering her conversation with Riccardo the night before.
"Did something happen yesterday? You seem so happy."
A female voice startled her with the sudden question.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... but I was surprised. You're usually super serious when you work out."
"Yeah, some good things have happened lately..."
But Sato's expression darkened as she noticed who was speaking: the girl on crutches.
The girl noticed the change in Sato's expression and smiled. "Don't worry, it's not that bad for me. I'm doing great in school and now I have plenty of free time without training."
"Senpai Ito, I heard you'll be away for about five months..."
"And I'll be back faster than ever. But in the meantime, I hope my young kohai is giving it her all!"
I interrupted her, but Sato smiled.
"Yes, that's exactly what I intend to do!"