Are You a Fairy?
"Are you a fairy?"
Having discovered the sheer joy of gymnastics, Appleton subscribed to a channel that uploaded gymnastics videos on her phone.
"I'm going to practice hard even when I get home. Got it?"
"Yep!"
Appleton—she was completely hooked on gymnastics. No doubt about it.
Physical education class wasn't as fun as I'd expected. Watching everyone huddle in their own groups to study, I stood up and began to stroll around. As soon as I started walking, Shine, Rain, and Appleton fell into step beside me.
"The weather is so nice, yet everyone's just sitting around studying."
"I think it's because exam period is coming up... Though it's usually not quite this extreme..."
"Exam period?"
"Yeah."
I nodded at Appleton's words. Hearing that the time to pour out everything they had studied was drawing near, the other kids' behavior made sense. Still, boring was boring. I tensed my legs and leaped straight up from where I stood.
My field of vision shot upward in an instant. Simultaneously, I reached out to the side and scaled the towering fence. At the metallic clattering sound, the three below looked up.
"Should we play up here?" I asked, waving down at them.
A high fence ran along the edge of the schoolyard, serving as the boundary between the sports field and the tennis courts. I was currently perched right on top of it.
"Huh...?"
Appleton looked dumbfounded by my sudden ascent. But Shine and Rain were different. The two of them leaped up from the ground just as I had and perched right beside me.
"You come up too, Appleton."
I reached my hand down to her. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and took a step back.
"I-it's dangerous. Climbing up to a place like that..."
"It's not dangerous. Trust me and give me your hand."
There was no way the physically frail Appleton could climb up here on her own. I knew that very well. Appleton pondered my words for a moment, then reached out and grasped my hand. Offering a small smile to her as she stared blankly up at me, I pulled her up with all my might. Bracing my legs firmly against the top of the fence, I hoisted Appleton's petite body up in a single, swift motion.
"W-Waaaaah!"
As Appleton flailed in midair, I caught her and settled her down right next to me. My body, tempered through all kinds of rigorous training, could lift Appleton's featherlight weight without a hint of strain. A cool breeze swept past. I closed my eyes, letting the wind wash over me. Since opportunities to feel the open breeze in a wide space were rare, I cherished moments like this.
"Wow..."
With a slightly flushed face, Appleton began to look around. The scenery viewed from a high vantage point offered an entirely different sensation. Appleton was clearly sharing the same sentiment as me.
The tennis courts were completely empty. Since not a single soul was using them, surely no one would mind if the four of us borrowed the space for a bit.
I jumped down from my perch. The refreshing wind wrapped around my body. After a brief moment of suspension in the air, gravity took over. Landing safely on the ground, I spun around and looked up at the top of the fence. Seeing me, Rain and Shine jumped down on their own and landed right beside me.
"Alright! Jump down this way!" I called out to Appleton, spreading my arms wide.
She stared blankly down at the ground before squeezing her eyes shut with a look of sheer determination. It's dangerous to jump with your eyes closed like that... Just as the thought crossed my mind, Appleton's body tilted forward, and she plummeted. I dashed forward and caught her in my arms.
"You can open your eyes now."
I let go of Appleton, who was cradled in my arms, and looked around. The vast, open space possessed a magical quality that made my heart flutter with excitement. Leaving Appleton behind, I dashed forward.
"Jeff!"
Ignoring Shine's voice calling out from behind, I kept running. I sprinted across the wide court ahead, leaping cleanly over the net that blocked the center.
"Haha!"
I couldn't stop laughing. After running for a while, I spotted some tennis balls scattered on the ground. It was a shame there weren't any rackets in sight, but there were plenty of games you could play with just a ball. I scooped one up from the ground and looked back. Shine, Rain, and Appleton were walking over at a leisurely pace. I bounced the ball against the ground as I waited for them.
"U-Um, if you wanted to come in here, you could have just used the entrance over there..." Appleton said as she approached, pointing toward a specific spot.
Sure enough, there was a gate leading into the courts right where she was pointing.
"Oh, I'll use the gate next time."
Well, I hadn't known, so what could I do? Either way, we were inside now, so I decided not to sweat the details. Keeping that thought to myself, I tossed the ball to Shine.
"A ball?"
"Yep. A little ball."
"Hmm..."
Shine inspected the ball in her hand, then bounced it against the ground a few times.
"Not bad."
"Right? Want to play?"
"Sure."
Shine nodded and slowly backed away to create some distance. My heart pounded at the prospect of playing with a ball for the first time in a while. Copying Shine, I stepped back and began to warm up.
"Are you going to play tennis...?"
"Nope! This is a game just for the two of us!"
I answered Appleton, who was watching us with a puzzled expression, and took my stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging loose and relaxed. My body bounced in short, light hops, ready to unleash a kick at any moment. Keeping a light, rhythmic step, I locked my eyes on Shine. Shine assumed a similar stance and tossed the ball into the air.
"Only feet, right?"
"Yep!"
The moment Shine asked, her leg whipped through the air. Leaping slightly to the side, her body spun as she kicked the tennis ball falling from midair. Unlike the balls we usually used, its small volume made it tricky to find the sweet spot. But I wouldn't miss. Though the ball took a sudden, sharp bounce off the ground, I was already prepared. I dashed over in an instant and kicked it back up.
The tennis ball soared into the air, caught by the tip of my foot. Watching it rise, I leaped into the air once more and spun my body. A pleasant breeze wrapped around me. As my extended leg drove toward its target, the top of my foot struck the tennis ball dead center.
Thwack!
With a crisp, satisfying sound, the tennis ball flew across, bouncing off the ground and sharply changing direction. Shine received the ball without any trouble, just as I had.
As Shine and I kept playing like this for a while, I began to feel a barrage of intense stares. At some point, a crowd of students had gathered, pressing themselves flat against the fence. I extended my leg and smoothly cushioned the incoming ball. The moment it made contact with the top of my foot, I relaxed my leg and spun gently. My fluid rotation absorbed the ball's momentum, slowing it down until it finally came to a complete stop, resting perfectly on the bridge of my foot. I gave it a light flick upward, catching it in my hand.
"Why did you stop?"
Perhaps because we had been right in the middle of a fun game, Shine asked me with a puzzled look. Without a word, I glanced at our surroundings. She followed my gaze, and her face instantly twisted into a scowl.
"Have they never seen people play with a ball before?"
She had a point. Had they really never seen anyone play like this? The moment my or Shine's eyes met theirs, they quickly looked away in surprise, but their eyes remained wide as if they had just witnessed something extraordinary.
My excitement evaporated. I tossed the ball in my hand back to where I'd found it.
"It's not like they want to join in. Why on earth are they staring like that?"
Unable to comprehend the students' reaction, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and walked over to Rain and Appleton. The two of them seemed to have gotten quite close, as they were currently hugging each other—though it would be more accurate to say Appleton was cradling Rain in her arms.
"A-Are you all done?"
"Yeah. The other kids keep staring, and it's getting a bit uncomfortable."
To Shine and me, we were just playing around normally, but it seemed it didn't look that way to everyone else.
"Did we look weird?"
"No!"
When I asked Appleton with a worried expression, she shook her head vehemently. I reached out, took hold of Rain's hand as she snuggled in Appleton's embrace, and pulled her to her feet.
"Rain, give me some water."
"Okay."
Rain nodded at my request and activated her ability. With a gentle poke of her finger in midair, a sphere of blue water materialized in front of me. Rain's cool, delicious water orb! I immediately leaned forward and took the sphere into my mouth. The crisp, cold water slid down my throat. The refreshing taste brought an instant smile to my face. Having quenched my thirst, I hugged Rain with all my might.
"Ughhh..."
Rain groaned as if in agony, but she didn't pull away. Actually, she didn't even look particularly uncomfortable. There was still plenty of time left in PE class. Having nothing else to do and feeling self-conscious under the other students' gazes, I pointed to the adjacent court.
"Should we go over there?"
"That place is..."
Appleton murmured, as if remembering something as she looked toward it.
The court had a slightly different layout from this one, exuding an air of exclusivity. It would be more accurate to say it was receiving special maintenance. There was a box set up in front of the fence, overflowing with tennis balls, along with some mysterious-looking machines.
"What's that place?"
"U-Um, that's the practice area for the tennis club members..."
"Tennis club?"
"Mhm..."
Did this school have something like that? At any rate, it didn't look like anyone was using it right now. Grabbing the hesitating Appleton's hand, I ran toward it. We couldn't hear it from a distance, but as we drew closer, the sound of a bouncing ball echoed. It seemed someone was already using the court. Judging by the footsteps and breathing, it was just one person.
Opening the closed gate of the fence, I stepped onto the court and scanned the area.
Thud— thud— thud—!
I walked slowly toward the source of the sound. A wide wall partially blocked my view, making it hard to see who was there. Connecting the dots between the wall and the tennis ball, I recalled a scene I'd witnessed early this morning: a student practicing tennis with absolute devotion.
"Phew..."
Rounding the wall, I saw a male student sitting on the ground, clutching a tennis racket. He must have been practicing incredibly hard; his gym uniform was completely drenched in sweat.
"Oh..."
Perhaps hearing my footsteps, the boy turned his head to look at me. A breeze swept by. I raised a hand to brush back my gently fluttering hair. It was at that exact moment that an absurd word escaped the boy's lips.
"A... fairy...?"