第22話 氷の令嬢はオムライスがお好き
昼休みが終わった後は球技大会の午後の部が待っている。
基本的に男子は男子の応援、女子は女子の応援をすることになっているが、千昭の活躍を見に来た日菜美を始めとして、異性の試合を観戦する生徒は少なくない。
つい数時間前を思い出せば、サッカーで優勝した山田の周りにクラス、学年の垣根を越えて女子の群れが出来ていたように、その多くは恋愛的な意味を持っているのだろう。
そして、朝陽もまた例に漏れず、女子のバスケットボールの試合を見るため体育館へと来ていた。
ただ、これっぽっちも色恋沙汰を胸に秘めて、意中の人を応援しに来たわけではない。
朝陽はセオリー通り、クラスの男子を応援するためにグラウンドに向かってソフトボールを観戦するつもりだった。
そこに昼休みが終わる直前、一緒にお弁当を食べていたバカップルから待ったの声が掛かったのだ。
――二人とも、応援よろしくね!
――任せとけ。朝陽と全力で応援する。
とてもじゃないが、俺は遠慮しておくと言える空気ではなかった。
おまけに、日菜美は「朝陽にブローチをあげるんだから」と、MVPを取る気満々な様子でかなり息巻いていた。
その気合の源泉にあるのは昨日の交わした、家に招待するという約束のお礼にあるはずだが、半分以上は恋愛的な興味に由来していそうな気がしてならない。
仮にブローチを貰っても、その後誰かに渡す気は全くないのだが、それでも暫くはバカップルから弄られそうなので、申し訳ないが素直に応援できないというのが正直なところだ。
「ヒナ―! 頑張れ、そこだ! いけー! ほら、朝陽も応援しろって!」
「......頑張れ」
「声ちっさ! あっ、いいぞヒナ! そのままレイアップだ!」
随分と温度差が違う、白熱した応援も決勝戦までいくともう慣れてきた。
それに、最初はかなり浮いていた千昭の熱量と愛の深さがさして目立たない程に体育館全体が熱気に包まれている。
体育館の二階にあたるギャラリーから顔を出してコートを見渡せば、この異常な盛り上がりの中心には誰が居るのか一目瞭然だ。
ハーフタイムまで残り五秒というところで、ボールが冬華の手に渡り、マークに日菜美がつく。
前半の十分でこの二人の対決を何度見たか分からない。記憶に残るのは、二人がマッチアップする度に大きくなる声援と、見応えのあるワンオンワンだ。
今回も僅か五秒の間に高度な駆け引きが行われ、前半終了のブザーが鳴る直前に日菜美のブロックをすり抜けて放たれたボールが綺麗な放物線を描いてゴールに吸い込まれた。
「うわっ、そこでスリーかよ......。今日、何本目だ?」
「多分、五か六」
「バスケ部でも中々入らないだろそれ......噂には聞いてたけど氷の令嬢って運動神経半端ないな」
実際にシュートを決められた日菜美以上に悔しがっている千昭の意見に朝陽も首肯する。
決勝に勝ちあがるまでの二試合も冬華の活躍は印象的だった。
それこそ、女子バスケ部のエースや元全国区の選手である日菜美が霞んでしまうほど。
正確無比なスリーポイントはフリーの状態だとほぼ確実に決まるし、キレのあるドリブルとフェイントはディフェンスを無効化する。
そのバスケ部顔負けの圧倒的な実力に、対戦相手はもちろん、ギャラリーに集まる観客も驚きの色を隠せなかった。
「ちょっと下行ってヒナと話してくる」
「ん、俺もついてくわ」
「いいけど、朝陽もヒナに活を入れるつもりなのか?」
「ちげーよ、俺は自販機に用があんの」
「そういうことね。じゃあまたここ集合な」
ハーフタイムは十分あるので、彼女を直接応援する時間も、飲み物を買い求める時間も余裕であるだろう。
会話の最後に、ついでにコーラ買ってきて、と都合のいい声が聞こえて来たが、朝陽はあえて無視して体育館の入り口で千昭と別れた。
「あっ......」
体育館裏の自販機は混んでいたので、少し離れた食堂の中にある自販機に出向いて何を買うか迷っていると、背後から鈴を転がすような声が聞こえた。
混んでいるから空いている場所に行こうという思考が被ったらしく、ゆっくりと後ろを振り返れば体操着に身を包んだ冬華の姿が目に入る。
その宝石を思わせる綺麗なブラウンの瞳は相変わらず冷淡で感情が読めない。
しかし、朝陽はどうしても今朝の微笑みを思い出してしまい、会釈もそこそこに顔を背けて自販機に向き直った。
「......お弁当、ありがとうございました」
「お、おう......手抜きで悪かったな。もう少し手間暇かければ良かったんだけど」
「いえ、十分に美味しかったです。特に卵焼きは私好みの味でした」
当たり前の事だが、変に意識しているのは朝陽だけのようで、冬華は至って普通に口を開いて賛辞の言葉を口にした。
それでも、思い出しては意識が乱され、本人を目の前にすると尚更意識してしまうくらいに今朝の微笑みは破壊力があった。
今も、たかが手作りの卵焼きを褒められた程度で少しだけ胸が高鳴る。
(何だこれ、調子狂うな......)
無難にお茶を選び、後ろに並ぶ冬華に道を譲ってから朝陽は軽く首を捻った。
今まで、相手が氷の令嬢だろうが何だろうが、冬華とは普通に接してきた。
色々あって、冬華も言葉は冷たく、態度は素っ気ないながらも、こうして会話くらいはしてくれる。
その事を踏まえて、この早まる心臓の鼓動の正体は何なのか。
交友関係が狭い故に参考が少ないが、今まで誰かと話すだけで同じような経験をした事は全くない。
結局、朝陽は答えを見つけることができず、買ったばかりのお茶を口に流し込んで心を無理やり落ち着かせた。
そして、そのまま体育館に戻れば良いところを、スポーツドリンクを買った冬華にわざわざ話を振る。
平静な心で、気軽な感じで。
このまま変に意識したまま会話を終えるのは、上手く言えないが、何となくモヤモヤして嫌だった。
「バスケ、凄い活躍だな。スリーポイント決めまくってさ。もしかして、中学の時にでもやってたのか?」
「見ていたのですか......」
「そりゃバッチリ。応援するって言ったろ」
言葉のニュアンス的に、冬華を応援するために体育館へと足を運んだように思われそうだが、わざわざ否定することでもないだろう。
冬華もそこに追及することはせず、怪訝な視線を向けたついでに会話に応じてくれた。
「運動は得意といいますか......バスケはよく遊んでいましたから。まあ、点差が点差なのであまり誇れることではありません」
「そうか? 今からでも全然勝てるだろ。ほら、氷室がスリーを打ちまくれば......」
「そう簡単な話ではないですよ。相手はバスケ部の方が多いですし、何より私のマークマンが凄く上手です。前半は何とかなりましたが、恐らく後半は仕事をさせてもらえません」
冬華のマークマンは前半を通して同じだったので、日菜美のことで確定だろう。
元全国区の実力は伊達ではないようで、冬華曰く相当な強敵らしい。
それにしても、一試合二十分の試合を二試合と半分こなしたアドレナリンがそうさせるのか、普段は無口な冬華がここまで饒舌なのは驚きだった。
さらっと言われたものの、幼少期云々の話も新鮮で興味がある。
ただ、口調はあくまで物静かなもので、語る言葉は冷静そのものだ。
残り十分で二十一対二十八。
ハイペースな試合展開で行われた前半は素人目には僅差に思えたが、玄人目にははっきり実力差が映っているのだろう。
伏し目がちに発される諦めに近い声は、負けを察しながらも悔しさが滲んでいるように思えた。
「......氷室、何か好きな食べ物言ってみろ」
「食べ物、ですか......? いきなり何故......」
「いいから早く」
理由も言わず、唐突な質問の答えを急かす朝陽に冬華は目に見えて困惑の表情を浮かべた。
ただ、どうやら答える気はあるらしい。
口元に手を当てて、少しの間思考を重ねた後、やがてポツリと短い言葉を口にした。
「......オムライス」
「分かった、オムライスだな」
「一体、何の質問なのですか......」
「今日の試合、勝ったら俺が出来るだけ高い材料を使って、腕によりをかけた高級オムライスを作ってやる」
「......えっ?」
「だから何とか頑張って優勝してくれ」
自分でも何を言ってるんだと馬鹿らしくなるが、一度言葉にしてしまったものは仕方ない。
冬華が先程に増して頭上にハテナマークを浮かべているので、朝陽は更に話を続けた。
「個人的に氷室に勝ってもらわなきゃ困るんだ。......あー、正確に言うと、相手チームに勝たれると大分困る」
これは断じてお節介などではなく、突如思いついた提案だった。
もし、日菜美が率いるクラスが勝って優勝すれば、間違いなくMVPの座は日菜美が選ばれる。
その場合、渡すと恋が叶うという伝説があるブローチを譲り受けるのは朝陽だ。
球技大会が終わった後、日菜美だけではなく千昭からも誰に渡すのか、もう渡したのかと面倒臭い追及をされるのは目に見えている。
だから、冬華が勝てば全てが平和に収まる。
たった、それだけのこと。
他には全く意図が無いと言えば嘘になるが、細かい事情と同じくして冬華には伏せることにした。
そもそも、言えるはずがなかった。
「......優勝したら、火神さんが私にオムライスを作ると?」
「ああ、そういうこと......って、オムライス程度じゃやる気に――」
「分かりました」
「......え、マジで? 乗ってくんの?」
「何を呆けた顔を。言い出したのはあなたでしょう」
「それはそうだけど......」
驚きを隠せない曖昧な相槌に言葉が続く前に、冬華が背を向けて体育館へと歩き出す。
「......その話、忘れないでくださいね」
動きやすいようにか、うなじ当たりでポニーテールに結ばれたグレージュの髪を、朝陽は呆然と立ち尽くして見送った。
思い付きで持ち掛けた馬鹿らしい提案は、本当に気まぐれによるもので、気づけば口にしていた軽い冗談のようなものだった。
それがまさか、承諾されるとは夢にも思っていなかった。
(オムライス、そんなに好きなのか......?)
思えば、卵入りの雑炊を食べた時は涙を流し、お弁当の卵焼きも美味しいと口にしていた。
もしかすると、無類の卵料理好きなのかもしれない。
それくらいしか冬華が頷いた理由に見当が付かず、朝陽は自分で提案しておきながら困惑気味に食堂を出て体育館へと向かった。
Ch 22
After the lunch break, the afternoon session of the ball game was waiting for us.
Fundamentally, the boys would cheer for the boys and the girls for the girls, but many students, including Hinami who came to see Chiaki in action, watched the games of the opposite.
If I remember just a few hours ago, there was a crowd of girls around Yamada who had won the soccer championship, transcending the boundaries of class and grade, and among them some probably approached him in a romantic meaning.
And Asahi, had also come to the gym to watch the girls' basketball game.
However, he didn't come there to support the person of his dreams.
Asahi was supposedly going to head to the field to cheer on the boys in his class and watch the softball game, in theory.
Just before the end of the lunch break, a couple who had been eating lunch together called him to wait.
--I'll count on you two for support!
--Leave it us. Me and Asahi will do our utmost best.
It wasn't the mood to say no.
On top of that, Hinami was quite enthusiastic, saying that she was going to give the brooch to Asahi and that she was ready to take the position of the MVP.
The source of her enthusiasm must be the promise she made yesterday, but I couldn't help but feel that more than half of it was due to the legend.
Even if she were to give me the brooch, I had no intention of giving it to anyone after that, but even so, I was afraid that this couple would be teasing me for a while, so I'm sorry but I couldn't honestly feel the need to support them.
"Hina! Goodluck! There! Go! Come on, Asahi, cheer for her too!"
"...Goodluck.."
"You're too quiet! Oh, that's great, Hina! Just do a layup there!"
The temperature was very different, and I was already getting used to the heated cheering as we got to the finals.
In addition, the entire gymnasium was filled with so much heat that Chiaki's enthusiasm and love, which had been quite noticeable at first, was not so noticeable.
From the gallery on the second floor of the gymnasium, it was easy to see who was at the center of this crazy excitement on the court.
With five seconds left until halftime, the ball was in Fuyuka's hands and Hinami was marking her.
I can't tell you how many times I saw these two go at it in the first half of the year. What lingered in my memory was the cheering that got louder every time they went toe to toe.
Once again, in the span of five seconds, a high level of gamble took place, and just before the buzzer sounded to end the first half, the ball was released through Hinami's block and was sucked into the goal making a beautiful curve.
"Wow, a three there? How many times was that today?"
"Maybe the 5th or 6th."
"It's not easy to get on the basketball team. I've heard the rumors, but the Ice Lady's skills are no laughing matter."
Asahi nodded his head in agreement with Chiaki, who was even more disappointed than Hinami.
Fuyuka's performance was also very impressive in the two games before the finals.
That was what made Hinami, the ace of the women's basketball team and a former national player, seem overshadowed.
Her accurate three-pointers were a near certainty when she was free, and her crisp dribbles and feints nullified defenders.
The overwhelming ability of this team, which rivaled that of a basketball team, was a surprise not only to their opponents but also to the spectators gathered in the gallery.
"I'm gonna go downstairs and talk to Hina for second."
"Mhm, I'll also go with you."
"I don't mind, but are you also going to give her a boost?"
"Not really. I'm there for the vending machine."
"So that's how it is. Then, let's meet up here."
Since it was half-time, there would be plenty of time to cheer her up, and plenty of time to buy a drink.
At the end of the conversation, he heard a convenient voice asking him to buy a cola while he was there, but Asahi chose to ignore it and parted ways with Chiaki at the entrance of the gym.
"Ah."
The vending machine behind the gym was crowded, so I went a little farther away to the vending machine in the cafeteria, and as I was wondering what to buy, I heard a voice behind me that sounded like a bell being rolled.
The thought of going to an empty place because it was crowded seemed to overlap, and when I slowly turned around, I saw Fuyuka in her gym clothes.
Her beautiful brown eyes, reminiscent of jewels, were as cold and emotionless as ever.
However, Asahi couldn't help but remember the smile on her face this morning, so he turned away and turned to the vending machine after relatively greeting her.
"Thank you very much for the bento."
"Ye-yeah, Sorry for cutting corners... I should have put more effort into making it."
"No, it was delicious. I really like the tamagoyaki in particular."
It was obvious, but it seemed that only Asahi was strangely conscious, and Fuyuka opened her mouth to speak words of praise quite normally.
Still, this morning's smile was so destructive that It disrupted me when I remembered it, and even more so when I'm in front of her.
Even now, my heart flutters a little when she compliments me on my homemade tamagoyaki.
'What is this? This is driving me crazy.'
After safely choosing a tea and giving way to Fuyuka in line behind him, Asahi slightly tilted his head.
Up until now, I've treated Fuyuka as a normal person, regardless of whether she was the "Ice Lady" or not.
Due to various reasons, Fuyuka's words and attitude were cold, yet she at least conversed with me like this.
With that in mind, what was the nature of this quickening heartbeat?
I don't have many references due to my limited relationships, but I've never had a similar experience just talking to someone else like this before.
In the end, Asahi couldn't find the answer and forced his mind to calm down by pouring the tea he had just bought into his mouth.
He should have gone straight back to the gym, but instead he went to the trouble of talking to Fuyuka, who had bought a sports drink.
Keep a calm mind and be casual.
I didn't want to end the conversation with this strange feeling, I couldn't say it well, but I didn't want to feel bewildered somehow.
"You're doing great. You're making a lot of three-pointers. Did you play in middle school?"
"Were you watching...?"
"Of course. I told you I'd come to cheer on you, right?"
From the nuance of the words, it seemed as if he had come to the gym to support Fuyuka, but he didn't bother to deny it.
Fuyuka didn't pursue the matter there either, but instead responded to the conversation with a suspicious glance.
"I'm good at sports because I used to play a lot. Well, it's not something I'm proud of because of the point difference."
"You think so? I think you can definitely win this. Look, if you just shot a lot of threes..."
"It's not that easy. The opponents are mostly from the basketball team, and above all, the one who is marking me is very good. I could manage the first half, but they probably won't let me do my job in the second half."
Fuyuka's marksman was the same throughout the first half of the game, so it must be confirmed that it was Hinami.
It seems that the ability of a former national champion was not just for show, and according to Fuyuka, she was a very strong opponent.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline from playing two quarters that made her so talkative, but it was surprising to see the normally quiet Fuyuka so talkative.
Although it was said nonchalantly, the story of her childhood was also new and interesting to me.
However, her tone of voice was quiet and her words were calm.
Twenty-one to twenty-eight with ten minutes remaining.
The first half of the game, which was played at a high pace, seemed to be a close match in an amateur's eyes, but to the expert eye, the difference in ability was clearly visible.
The almost resigned voice with downcast eyes seemed to be filled with regret, even though she knew she had lost.
"...Himuro, do you have any food that you like?"
"Food? What is it all of the sudden?"
"Just tell me."
Fuyuka looked visibly confused at Asahi, who rushed her answer to an abrupt question without giving a reason.
But apparently, she was willing to answer.
She put her hand over her mouth and thought for a few moments, and then spoke a few short words.
"...Omurice."
"Alright, omurice it is."
"What kind of question is that?"
"If you win today's game, I'll make you a fancy omurice using the most expensive ingredients I can find."
"...Eh?"
"So, you've got to try and win."
I felt like an idiot for what I was saying, but once I put it into words. I couldn't take it back.
As Fuyuka was confused even more before, Asahi continued to talk.
"I personally need you to win. To be precise, I'd be in trouble if your opponent wins."
This was not meddling at all, but a sudden suggestion that came to mind.
If the class led by Hinami wins the championship, Hinami would definitely be chosen as the MVP.
In that case, Asahi would be the one to receive the brooch, which legend said would make your love come true if you give it to someone.
After the ball game was over, it was obvious that not only Hinami but also Chiaki would be asking him who he was going to give it to and whether he had already given it to them.
So, if Fuyuka wins, everything would be settled in peace.
That was all there was to it.
I'd be lying if I said I had no other intentions at all, but as with all details, I decided to keep it from Fuyuka.
There was no way I could tell her in the first place.
"If I win, you will make me an omurice, Kagami-san?"
"Yeah, that's how it is-- Wait, did you get fired up from just an omurice?"
"I understand."
"...Eh? Really..? You're going along with it?"
"What's with that face? You're the one who said it."
"That's true, but..."
Before he could continue with his words in a vague gesture of surprise, Fuyuka turned away and walked to the gym.
"...Please don't forget your words."
Asahi stood dumbfounded as he looked at her glazed hair, which was tied into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, perhaps to make it easier to move.
The ridiculous suggestion I had made on the spur of the moment was really just a whim, a light-hearted joke that I had found myself saying.
I had never dreamed that it would be accepted.
'Do you like omurice that much?'
Thinking about it, she shed tears when she ate porridge with eggs, and she also mentioned that the tamagoyaki in her lunch box were also delicious.
Maybe she really likes egg dishes that much.
That was the only reason why Fuyuka nodded, and Asahi left the cafeteria and headed for the gymnasium, feeling confused even though he had suggested it himself.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔