Running Behind
Youta left the office not thinking at all about the offer. After all, he had already made up his mind on the matter. As for now, being a member of the go home club wasn't too bad. Even if that did mean most of his time was spent doing homework, then watching TV.
He walked outside, where before officially leaving the school grounds, Youta turned the corner to take a peek at the athletes doing their daily training. There were tennis players hitting a ball back and forth, track runners making their sprints, and even the basketball team was enjoying the warm weather with drills outdoors today.
He attempted to get a look at Mitora, but only managed a poor glimpse of her doing some stretches before jumping some hurdles. As he tried to look, the girl's swim team made their appearance, which caught his eye. After all, his boyhood was still growing and the temptation of enjoying the view of young girls in those tight school swimsuits grabbed his attention.
After his eyes lingers on them for far too long, Youta shook his head and scolded himself for looking like a creep as he walked away. It would be too difficult to see her now, so he had no other option but to go home for the day.
Which is exactly what he did with no variation compared to any other day. Even the bit where he tried to see her when practicing was no different, other than being slightly later as a result of the teacher pulling him aside.
When he arrived home, Youta looked at the paper his teacher handed him. Despite telling himself he'd just chuck it in the trash, the boy couldn't help but hang onto it still as he instead placed it on the coffee table. The rest of his things would find their way onto the ground besides the couch as he sat himself down to relax after a long day with some TV.
Fortunately thanks to innovations in technology, he didn't even have to watch random cable TV. Youta put on a video from the popular online streaming service OurTube with a content creator he liked and laid back.
His fun wouldn't last long as his mother entered the room.
"Oh, Youta you're home." She greeted him as she usually did. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Well, it's just the same old, same old." He replied without looking at her. His eyes were glued on the screen as hers wandered down to notice the paper.
"What's this?" She asked, picking it up. "You're going to join a club?" When she read the title of the page, her eyes lit up.
"I wouldn't say join one." He explained to her about how this would lead to the formation of one. Where he'd be the only member and that his teacher had encouraged him to go along with it. "But I'm not gonna go with it."
"You absolutely should." His mom took the expected response. "All you've done since entering high school is waste your youth right here on this couch here. It's got a permanent indent thanks to you."
"But mom I do great in school though." He defended himself. "I'm at the top of my class in both grades and test scores. Honestly would've thought my own mother would be a little more proud of that."
"But that's not all what school's about. I did plenty of extra things too. That's how I met your father, you know."
"Yeah yeah, I know." He had heard this story a dozen times. She usually went into great detail on how the pair met. Much of it included facts he didn't believe were real, such as the part where there were other girls who also liked dad. Knowing that man, Youta had a hard time believing there would be many girls just falling head over heels for him.
"You also said this was to become a sports manager." She continued to argue her case. "Mitora's in sports. I'm surprised you haven't jumped on this since you two hang out all the time."
"We… Don't hang out that much anymore." He sighed on how far behind she had gotten in his life.
"But her mom says you two walk together to school everyday." If only that women knew the truth about that. "Anyway, don't you still want to see her? You're still friends at least."
"And I can do that without making some dumb club." He swiped the paper from her hands and stood up. "I'm going to do homework now." Youta hastily gathered his things to drag it along upstairs to his room for some much needed privacy. Still tightly gripped in his hands was the paper his teacher had handed him.
Somehow, as he dropped all his school work once more onto the ground, he couldn't get himself to crumble up the lone page and toss it into the trash. If he had done so earlier, then he'd been able to avoid that conversation and not have to continue thinking about that nagging constantly picking his brain.
Yet as he was about to do just that, he hesitated. Again he couldn't make the final decision to say no as he placed it on his desk. Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't Youta do what was already going on in his head?
As he wrestled with the thoughts, he found himself looking outside his window. As luck would have it, his eyes spotted Mitora, running as always, heading home as he rushed up to her front door. At her pace, she'd already be up in her room, which happened to be visible through her window from his own room.
Quickly, he moved off to the side to hideaway, hearing her entering her room with a quick slam as she carelessly closed the only entry point. Youta didn't make a sound as he continued to hide, knowing she'd do the same thing she always did after a hard practice.
That was to change out of her sweaty clothes to put on something much more casual. He recalled the first time he had accidentally spotted her doing this back during their first year in high school. It was the first time he had ever seen a girl in nothing but her underwear, and it just happened to be the girl he had grown up with.
Apparently Mitora liked wearing blue.
Now he had gotten to a point where he knew how long it'd take her to regain her decency. So he didn't move a muscle until the time elapsed, where he'd be confident in being able to get her attention.
And today would be a little different as he turned the corner to see her now lying on bed to catch her first proper breather since school ended. Youta opened up his window and used a hand mirror he kept for the purpose of reflecting light through her window to get the girl's attention.
She sprung out of bed upon noticing the telltale ray of light and rushed to her window in an instant.
"Hello!" Mitora gave out a hearty greeting as she opened up her window and leaned out. "Haven't seen you doing that in a while."
"Mitora, don't hang out like that." Every time she'd take her standard pose on the window sill, he'd get anxious. She seemed precarious the way she sat. Where a strong gust of wind could send her plummeting down to the ground. "It's not safe."
"Anyway, what do you need?" She ignored his concerns, relaxing by leaning her arm onto the frame.
"What makes you think I need something? Maybe I just wanted to talk." He tried playing coy, but it wouldn't work on her.
"Because you almost never use that thing anymore." She answered, referring to his mirror. "In fact, you're never the one asking to talk like this either." She chuckled, taking a glance over at her desk where there was a pile of pebbles. This was her tool of choice to summon him.
"Gee, I wonder why." He began to remember why he didn't use this method anymore as they got older. However, her carelessness about safety aside, there was something he wished to talk to her about. "But I did want to ask… How's track been?" He proceeded to get cold feet and ask her something different than his original intent.
"Great, you know you can always just hang around and watch." Her still sweaty face was proof of the effort she put into it everyday. "It's not like we'd force you to run, you know." Mitora laughed, even if her position was no laughing matter for him. "But it'd be totally funner if you did."
"Everything going well, huh?" He thought about what his role would be if he accepted the club offer. "Is there anyone having any trouble? Or causing trouble?"
"Not that I can think of in the track team." She answered, putting a finger under her chin as she considered the question. "Some of the girls have been complaining in the other teams, I hear. But whatever, it's not like it matters to us." Mitora didn't think of the troubles around her, but his teacher wouldn't ask for help if the situation wasn't somewhat dire. "But, I guess I'm a little troubled."
"You are!?" He quickly got a bit excited, forgetting his own safety concerns as he leaned over the window sill to hear her better. "What's wrong? Is someone causing you trouble?"
"I don't have my best friend cheering me on in the stands." She laughed at him getting too uppity from her suggested issue. "I swear, you should be some kind of manager. You're always wanting to help someone." He didn't think of himself as compassionate, but she would always tell him this. "You'd be totally awesome as a manager. I'd love to see you hanging around the field, even if you're not going to be with the track team all the time."
"You… Really think so?" Somehow, coming from her, Youta began to find his heart softening up to the idea.
"Yeah. And to tell you the truth… I really miss seeing you whenever I'm running track." Those words stuck to his brain as it fused with the page simply laying on his desk.
"Then, I have a surprise for you." He couldn't believe it, but Youta knew he was about to make a choice he wouldn't be able to easily take back. "Just wait until tomorrow. I know you'll really like it."