CHAPTER 49 — When He Raised His Hand
The Morning After
The school day began like any other.
Sunlight slipped through the tall classroom windows in pale golden lines, falling across rows of desks and half-asleep students. The air carried that familiar mixture of chalk dust, polished floors, and faint perfume from the girls who had already gathered in small groups. It was the kind of ordinary morning that made everything feel safe and predictable.
Haruya sat at his desk, quietly placing his bag beneath the table and smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform. His posture was neat, his movements careful, as if he didn't want to disturb the calm of the room. Around him, girls talked in soft waves of sound, laughing about homework, teachers, and the small dramas that filled their daily lives.
It felt strange.
Just… different.
The day before had been intense. Between the game, the strange tension with Saeko and Reina, and the weird awkwardness that still lingered in his chest, Haruya had expected to wake up feeling exhausted. But instead, there was a lightness in him. A small sense of excitement he couldn't quite explain.
He stared at the blackboard, then at the window beyond it.
The sky was clear.
It made him think of open fields. Of running. Of breath in his lungs.
Without realizing it, a faint smile touched his lips.
Across the classroom, Saeko was already seated, pretending to read a book. In truth, she hadn't turned a single page in minutes. Her eyes kept drifting toward Haruya, checking his expression, wondering if he was still thinking about yesterday, wondering if he remembered her gift, wondering if he felt even a fraction of what she did.
Every time he shifted in his seat, her heart jumped.
Reina, sitting a little farther back, watched them both with her arms crossed. Her expression looked calm to anyone else, but inside, she was alert. She noticed everything: how Saeko leaned slightly forward when Haruya moved, how Haruya's gaze unconsciously drifted toward Saeko, how the air between them still felt charged with something unsaid.
Too much happened in just one lunch break, Reina thought.
And it wasn't over.
The door to the classroom slid open.
The homeroom teacher stepped inside, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Conversations faded instantly. Chairs straightened. The familiar atmosphere of a school morning returned.
"Good morning, everyone," the teacher said.
"Good morning," the class replied.
Haruya sat up a little straighter.
Whatever today held, it was about to begin.
---
The Football Event Announcement
The homeroom teacher walked into the classroom with a thick file tucked under her arm. Her expression was more serious than usual. The moment she stepped behind the podium, the casual chatter in the room slowly died down.
"Everyone, listen carefully," she said.
The room fell silent.
"This season, our school will be participating in a very important inter-school sports event."
She turned to the board and wrote one word in large letters.
FOOTBALL
A few girls murmured in surprise. Some leaned forward in interest. Others exchanged curious glances.
"This is not a simple sports day," the teacher continued. "This is a competitive football event where schools from all across Tokyo will participate."
She faced the class again.
"But before we go to the state level, we must decide who will represent our school."
She explained slowly, making sure every student understood.
"In five days, an internal match will be held. Two teams will be formed from this class. All participants must train seriously during this period."
The atmosphere grew tense.
"The team that wins this match will represent our class and our school in the Tokyo State School Football Tournament."
Now the murmuring grew louder.
"This tournament is attended by elite schools. It is watched by university scouts. It directly affects future recommendations, merits, and even admissions."
Some students stiffened when they heard that.
"If your team reaches the semi-finals or the finals, our school will gain recognition across the city. And the players involved will receive certificates, merit points, and special consideration when applying to top universities."
She adjusted her glasses.
"This is a huge opportunity. Not just for the school… but for your personal future."
She paused, letting the weight of that sink in.
"But first, everything starts here."
She gestured to the classroom.
"From this class, two teams will be formed. Those who participate will train for five days. After that, the match will decide who advances."
Then she gave the instruction that made everyone hold their breath.
"If you want to participate, raise your hand."
The room went completely still.
No one moved.
The air felt heavy, as if something big was about to happen… but hadn't yet.
---
Haruya's Inner Decision
Haruya sat quietly at his desk, staring at the chalkboard where the word FOOTBALL was still written in big, bold letters.
The classroom around him felt far away.
Five days of training.
A school match.
State-level tournament.
Merit points. University advantage.
All of it echoed inside his mind.
But what really hit him… wasn't the future.
It was the past.
A memory surfaced without warning.
Dusty ground.
Cracked shoes.
A ragged football rolling across an empty lot behind an orphanage.
Back in his old world, football was one of the few things that made him feel alive. No rules. No hierarchy. No one looking down on him. Just running, laughing, kicking a ball until his legs burned and his chest ached.
He had been poor. He had been invisible. But on that field, he had been free.
Now he was in a new world.
A world where boys were rare.
A world where girls were strong.
A world where everyone quietly believed that boys were fragile, weak, and protected.
Haruya clenched his fist lightly under the desk.
This event wasn't just a school game.
It was a door.
Merit points meant security.
University advantage meant independence.
Winning meant no one could dismiss him.
And football…
Football was something he knew.
"I don't want to just be protected," he thought.
"I don't want to just be admired."
He wanted to stand on his own.
He wanted to prove something. Not to them. To himself.
This wasn't about Saeko.
This wasn't about Reina.
This wasn't about attention.
This was about survival.
This was about pride.
His heart started beating faster, not with fear, but with excitement.
"I can do this," he thought.
"I will do this."
The decision settled inside him like a quiet flame.
He hadn't moved yet.
But in his heart, he already had.
---
Saeko's Inner Thoughts
Saeko's heart was already racing before she even realized it.
Football.
A tournament.
A stage.
And Haru would be there.
The moment the teacher finished explaining, Saeko's mind stopped hearing words and started painting pictures.
Haru standing on the sidelines.
Haru watching her run.
Haru calling her name.
"What if… I play really well?" she thought.
What if she scored?
What if she blocked a goal?
What if everyone saw her effort?
And Haru saw it too.
She imagined him smiling that soft smile of his.
That gentle look he gave when he was impressed.
"Saeko… you were amazing."
Just thinking about it made her face heat up.
"O-Oh no…" she whispered inside her mind, cheeks burning.
"My heart… it won't calm down…"
This wasn't just about sports.
This was about being someone Haru could be proud of.
If she won at the school level…
Then she could go to the state level…
Then she could be even more impressive…
And Haru would cheer for her.
She imagined him clapping, calling her name, eyes shining.
"Haru-kun cheering for me… ooooh…"
Her hands trembled slightly under her desk.
"I can get closer to him through this," she realized.
"Not by stealing. Not by pushing."
By standing beside him.
By being someone worthy of him.
Her heart swelled with determination.
"Okay," she thought firmly.
"I'll join. I'll practice hard. I'll give everything."
"For Haru-kun."
"I will make him proud."
---
Reina's Inner Thoughts
Reina was outwardly calm.
But inside her, something dangerous was forming.
Haru playing football meant one thing.
Risk.
Crowds.
Eyes.
Touch.
Too many girls too close.
Her jaw tightened.
But then she realized something else.
This was also a chance.
A chance to stand beside him.
To be there when things got dangerous.
To block anyone who came too close.
"If Haru is on the field," she thought,
"then I will be on that field too."
Not behind him.
In front of him.
Shielding him.
Protecting him.
But there was more than just protection.
She imagined Haru looking at her after a good play.
"You were amazing, Reina."
That alone was enough to make her chest tighten.
She wasn't just guarding him.
She wanted to be noticed by him.
She wanted to be someone he trusted.
Someone he relied on.
"By joining this…" she realized,
"I can stay close to him."
"I can protect him."
"And I can show him my strength."
Her eyes hardened with resolve.
"No one touches Haru without going through me."
"I will be there."
---
Haruya Raises His Hand
For a few seconds after the teacher finished speaking, the classroom stayed quiet.
No one moved.
In this world, that silence meant hesitation.
Football was not a game for boys here.
It was rough. Competitive. Physical.
And boys were not supposed to be any of those things.
They were protected.
Guarded.
Kept away from danger.
So when the teacher said,
"Raise your hand if you want to participate,"
everyone assumed only girls would move.
Then—
A soft sound.
The faint rustle of a sleeve.
Haruya Takahara slowly raised his hand.
Not confidently.
Not dramatically.
Just… naturally.
The entire classroom froze.
Desks creaked as people turned.
Chairs shifted.
Even breathing felt too loud.
A boy.
A boy had volunteered.
Some girls stared with wide eyes.
Some leaned forward.
Some thought they were seeing things.
The homeroom teacher's expression changed instantly.
"Ta-Takahara…?" she said slowly.
"Are you sure?"
Haruya looked up, calm but serious.
"Yes."
That single word hit harder than any shout.
In this world, boys avoided sports.
They avoided injury.
They avoided competition.
And yet here he was.
Volunteering.
From the staff room hallway far away, Akari paused mid-step.
Her heart skipped.
"…Haru…?" she whispered.
In that moment, something invisible shifted.
---
Saeko & Reina's Shock
For a single second, the classroom stopped breathing.
Haruya's hand was still in the air.
Not shaking.
Not hesitant.
Just raised, calm and steady.
Saeko felt her heart skip so violently it almost hurt.
Her eyes locked onto him.
"H-Haru…?"
Her mind couldn't catch up.
A boy.
In this world.
Volunteering for football.
Her thoughts scattered like paper in the wind.
He'll run.
He'll get tired.
He'll be surrounded by girls.
They'll touch him.
They'll see him sweat.
They'll see him fall.
Her chest tightened.
But then another image pushed its way in.
Haru standing on the field.
Haru kicking the ball.
Haru smiling in victory.
Haru being cheered.
Her cheeks slowly turned pink.
"He's… brave," she thought.
"He's really stepping forward."
Her fingers curled slightly against her desk.
"That's so like Haru…"
Reina felt it too, but in a very different way.
Her first reaction wasn't softness.
It was alarm.
Her sharp eyes flicked to Haruya's body.
Too slim.
Too delicate.
Too precious.
"Football?" she thought.
"With that body?"
Her jaw clenched.
"He'll get tackled. He'll fall. He'll be surrounded."
Her protective instinct flared violently.
"Damn it… this is dangerous."
But then her eyes softened, just for a moment.
"He didn't hesitate."
He didn't hide.
He didn't stay quiet.
"He chose to stand."
A strange, tight feeling filled her chest.
"…You're stronger than you look."
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"I won't let anyone hurt you."
Both girls felt the same thing in different ways.
Shock.
Pride.
And a deep, burning pull toward the boy who had just stepped into the storm.
---
Akari's Reaction
Down the hallway, far from the classroom, Akari Hoshizuki was standing near the staff room door.
She wasn't part of the class.
But she heard it.
A voice in the hall.
A teacher whispering.
A ripple of excitement.
"…Takahara raised his hand…"
Her breath stopped.
"Haru…?"
Her pupils widened slowly.
"Football…?"
Her fingers tightened around the papers she was holding.
"My love… stepping into a place where women will run around him… where they'll touch him… where they'll stare at him…"
Her lips trembled, but not from fear.
From jealousy.
From possession.
"That's dangerous," she whispered.
"For you."
A smile slowly formed.
Soft.
Gentle.
And deeply wrong.
"I won't let anyone take you away."
---
They Raise Their Hands
Back in the classroom, Haruya's hand was still up.
No one had reacted yet.
Then—
Saeko moved.
Her hand went up so fast she barely realized she had done it.
"I—I'll join too…"
Reina didn't even hesitate.
Her arm shot up, straight and strong.
"I'm in."
Three hands now.
Haruya.
Saeko.
Reina.
The energy in the room changed.
---
Chain Reaction in class
Girls all around the classroom stared at Haruya.
His calm face.
His gentle eyes.
His raised hand.
"If he's playing…"
"Then I want to be near him."
"If I'm on his team, I can talk to him."
"If I win with him, he'll remember me."
A hand went up.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon the entire classroom was filled with raised arms.
Not for football.
For Haruya.
The homeroom teacher's mouth slowly opened.
"…What is this?"
This wasn't a sports event anymore.
It was a war for a boy.
Three forces had already taken their first steps.
Saeko.
Reina.
Akari.
And none of them were going to step back.
—To be continued…