Chapter 60 – A Showdown at the Beach (3)
The battle intensified, and we were forced into a tough spot.
Fusegawa Raito had awakened as the protagonist, showcasing unbelievable reflexes that repeatedly thwarted our attacks.
With plays like those spectacular saves near the edge of the court and precision spikes that threaded the needle, his movements were nothing short of what you'd expect from a protagonist. Seeing this, the heroines’ morale only grew stronger.
Before we knew it, we were being overwhelmed by the coordinated efforts of the protagonist and his heroines, and the points kept piling against us.
No matter how many times Mashiro blocked their attacks, it became harder and harder to keep up. And my attacks, repeatedly blocked by Raito's heightened awareness, failed to score points. Mai was doing her best as a setter, but our team was steadily being pushed back.
Even though we kept fighting and tried to shift the momentum, the score gap widened. Ideally, I wanted a back-and-forth battle, but before we realized it, the score was 8-12.
Across the court, Fusegawa Raito gave me a smug look, confident in his victory, even laughing through his nose.
In contrast, my expression was dark. It was hard not to feel like defeat was inevitable.
(Impressive... A protagonist really is strong.)
Once again, I realized the overwhelming power of the “protagonist’s advantage.”
I had managed to win the final exams thanks to knowledge from my previous life, but when it came to beach volleyball, an on-the-spot contest with no prior preparation, things were much more difficult.
Just as I was about to call out to Mashiro to discuss a strategy for a comeback, she spoke up first.
“Your classmates are really strong, Ryusuke! It’s been a while since I’ve had such a serious match, but I’m starting to enjoy it!”
“I’m fired up, just like during track meets!”
“Hehe, Mai-chan too? I’m really pumped as well! Sports really are the best!”
Mashiro chimed in, the two of them smiling and talking joyfully under the summer sun, their bodies glistening with refreshing sweat.
Mashiro then returned Raito’s serve with nimble footwork, sending the ball flying back with ease. Even the sand kicked up by her movements seemed like a mere accent, as she chased the ball with vibrant energy.
She looked like an angel dancing on the beach, her smile radiant as she played beach volleyball, and her sheer joy made her seem to glow.
Mashiro must want to win just as much as I do. But even more than that, she was simply enjoying the moment. Watching her, I felt the knot of anxiety inside me begin to unravel.
”Let’s have as much fun as we can.”
That was the promise we made at the beach. I recalled the time we had vowed to make today the best day ever.
Yes, I can’t forget.
What matters most is making Mashiro smile.
I’m here today to have the best time with her.
I had been too focused on defeating the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, and had forgotten the most important thing.
“Mashiro, nice receive!”
I called out with a smile, and she returned it with a dazzling grin.
“Ryusuke, leave it to me!”
“Got it, I’m on it!”
I answered firmly and began my approach.
Mashiro set the ball, and Mai gently floated it up for me to spike.
I jumped and hit the ball with all my might, channeling every ounce of strength I had.
The sound echoed through the air as the ball flew straight into the opposing court.
But there, already in position, was Fusegawa Raito.
He read my move and returned the ball. His reflexes, now that he had awakened as the protagonist, were far beyond normal.
The ball soared toward the far corner of our court.
Yet Mashiro didn’t give up. She raced across the sand and reached out for the ball—but just missed it by a fraction.
Mashiro collapsed into the sand, her body covered in grains, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of frustration on her face. Instead, she was smiling, clearly enjoying herself.
“Almost got it! Just a bit more and I would’ve reached it!”
“That was some amazing effort, Mashiro.”
“Haha, look, Ryusuke! I got all sandy from that slide!”
“Yeah, you really did. But it just shows how hard you’ve been trying. You did great.”
As I offered her my hand to help her up from the sand, her cheeks flushed slightly as she took it and stood.
“Thanks, Ryusuke. I’ll work even harder next time!”
“Yeah, I’m counting on you. But first, let’s get all that sand off.”
“Okay! Can you help clean it off for me?”
“Got it. Just stay still.”
I gently brushed the sand from her hair and back, and she twisted slightly as though the sensation tickled her, but she stood still and let me do it.
Mashiro squinted her eyes and smiled softly. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of happiness wash over me.
As I took care of her, I noticed a sharp gaze directed at me from across the court.
Fusegawa Raito, gritting his teeth, was glaring at me with a furious expression.
“It’s 13-8! We’re one point away from match point, so why are you guys still smiling!?”
“Sure, we’re losing right now, but the match isn’t over yet. Besides, there’s something more important than winning, don’t you think?”
“What are you talking about...?”
Raito asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. I paused for a moment before answering.
“Whether we’re having fun. Today, I promised myself I’d make lots of memories with Mashiro. Even if we lose, I want to be able to say I had a great time. Winning would be nice, but more than that, I want to enjoy today to the fullest. And right now, I’m having a lot of fun.”
“...!”
I shared my true feelings, and Raito seemed like he wanted to say something, his lips quivering, but he ultimately stayed silent.
He took the ball and moved to the back of the court, readying for his serve.
His sharp expression seemed to say, “Winning is more important than having fun, right?”
But I wanted to keep having fun. So I exchanged a gentle smile with Mashiro, who was standing by my side.
We shared a quick glance, and she gave me a small nod.
“Here we go! This’ll be match point!”
Raito shouted as he sent a powerful serve flying toward me, faster and stronger than any before. It headed straight for me.
But I wasn’t flustered. I controlled the ball, carefully sending it to Mashiro and Mai.
“I’ll leave it to you two!”
“Nice one, Onii-chan! I’ll set it up for Mashiro!”
“Thanks, Ryusuke, Mai-chan! Here I go!”
With Mai’s support, Mashiro leapt into the air and delivered a perfect spike toward the opponent’s court.
Raito, who had been stopping my spikes all match, stumbled this time. Even Himeno Karen, his team’s cornerstone, couldn’t react, and Mashiro’s spike tore through the sandy court.
The scoreboard now read 9-13.
We exchanged joyful high-fives, celebrating our hard-earned point.
“You did it, Mashiro! That was awesome!”
“Hehe, it’s all thanks to your defense, Ryusuke!”
“Great job, Mashiro-san!”
“Wah! Mai-chan, don’t just hug me out of nowhere...!”
Mai, overjoyed, threw herself at Mashiro, and even though Mashiro wobbled, she hugged her back, and the two of them laughed, playing around.
Watching this heartwarming scene, I couldn’t help but smile. Mashiro’s laughter filled the air, and just seeing that made me feel like the happiest person alive.
At that moment, I noticed something had changed around us.
After Mashiro scored the point, the people watching our match started cheering and applauding.
“Are they... cheering for us?”
“Yeah, Ryusuke. It seems like it. Everyone’s saying, ‘Go for it!’”
“Maybe they started rooting for us because we’re enjoying the game so much? They were all cheering for the other team just a while ago.”
“That’s... really surprising.”
Their support was something I hadn’t expected.
Until now, the spectators had always cheered for Fusegawa Raito’s team.
It was the natural order of the story, as people were unconsciously led to root for the protagonist. Since my team was opposing him, we were essentially the underdogs, and no matter how well we performed, we weren’t supposed to receive any applause or cheers.
But now, that dynamic had shifted.
The spectators were hoping for our comeback, cheering for us to win.
Confused, I glanced over at Fusegawa Raito.
He clenched his fists in frustration, shouting angrily at Himeno Karen.
“What were you doing, Karen!? If you had blocked that, we’d be at match point by now!”
“I-I’m sorry, Raito. That spike was stronger than I expected...”
“I don’t want to hear excuses! Just do better next time!”
“O-Okay... I’ll try...”
Raito’s anger was palpable, and his harsh words caused Karen’s expression to darken further. Even if they won, it wouldn’t be a fun victory.
His obsession with winning was ruining the atmosphere of his team.
That wasn’t the behavior expected of a protagonist.
His actions were selfish and domineering—more like a villain than a hero.
This wasn’t something the original Fusegawa Raito would ever do... What on earth was going on?
(Wait... Is that why this is happening?)
I had spent so much time trying to be a protagonist, embodying the ideal hero I had always imagined.
That’s why, when Mashiro or Mai made mistakes, I encouraged them with a smile and urged them to enjoy the game. I thought that was what a protagonist should do, but more than that, I wanted Mashiro and Mai to keep smiling.
And the spectators watching our match, as well as the readers enjoying this story, were surely noticing it too. Seeing both Raito and me, the choice of who to root for was obvious.
In other words, just for this moment—the spectators and the readers of this story were supporting me as the protagonist.
And my guess was right.
The next serve was from Mashiro, who had just scored the last point.
With the match point looming, she opted for accuracy over power, sending a soft, precise serve across the net. The ball gracefully arced through the air, heading toward Fusegawa Raito.
Though he had been handling serves with ease up until now, this time he fumbled and missed the simple, floating ball. It flew out of bounds, landing in the sand.
The score was now 10-13.
“Damn it, I messed up.”
“Stay calm, Raito-kun. We still have a solid lead.”
“I know...”
Raito’s frustration was evident, but Hanasaki Yuna tried to soothe him gently.
Still, Raito didn’t seem to listen, glaring at the ball that had rolled out of the court.
(Even though he was awakened, the protagonist’s advantage is suddenly weakening...)
The more he fixated on winning, the weaker his power as a protagonist seemed to become. Neglecting the most important heroine was something a protagonist simply couldn’t do.
Yet, Raito remained unaware of this. And that fact gave us the perfect opportunity.
“Mashiro, Mai, let’s keep having fun. No matter the outcome, I want us to finish this match with smiles.”
“Yeah! I feel the same, Ryusuke. Let’s make lots of happy memories together!”
“Me too! If we win, we get a prize, and if we lose, we get kakigori! Whether we win or lose, we’re getting a treat afterward! I’m so excited!”
The three of us nodded at each other with smiles.
No matter what the final result would be, we were going to enjoy this match to the fullest and create the best memories possible.