00:00This is absolutely a pure love anime that you simply cannot miss.
00:03It features no fantastical settings or time-bending superpowers.
00:06Instead, it tells a story that feels much closer to real life.
00:09It all began a year and a half ago with a chance encounter that caused our male lead
00:13to fall deeply in love with a girl standing right before him, our heroine, a senior student.
00:17At that time, the senior had tears welling in her eyes because her basketball team had
00:20lost a match, a match she could never bring herself to forget.
00:23Left alone to practice after everyone else had departed, she radiated a palpable mix
00:27of frustration and anger.
00:28This raw intensity deeply moved the male lead.
00:31From that day forward, he began rising earlier than anyone else to rush to the gymnasium,
00:35claiming publicly that he was there for rigorous training.
00:37In truth, his primary motivation was to catch a glimpse of the senior who occupied his every
00:41thought, but she was always the very first person to arrive at the gym each day.
00:44On this particular morning, the male lead arrived early as usual.
00:47However, the moment he pulled open the door, a basketball suddenly came flying toward him,
00:51striking him squarely in the face.
00:53It turned out the senior had miscalculated while practicing a behind-the-back pass.
00:57She rushed over immediately to apologize, gently stroking his forehead to comfort him,
01:01and even offering him some chocolate.
01:02Inside the training hall, the male lead was already lost in a daydream early that morning,
01:06going so far as to imagine marrying the senior and picturing their daily life as a married couple,
01:11until his fantasy was abruptly shattered by the words of a close friend.
01:14She is the ace of the basketball club, exceptionally talented,
01:17with a wonderful personality and the charisma of a star.
01:19She is the center of attention both inside and outside the school.
01:23You, on the other hand, are just a completely ordinary sports student.
01:26The two of you are worlds apart, she's up in the heavens while you're down on earth,
01:29and you probably won't even have a chance to cross paths.
01:32The male lead, however, declared that if he didn't at least make an attempt,
01:35he wouldn't stand a chance of winning at all.
01:37Seeing his unwavering determination, his friend decided to lend him a hand.
01:41First, he advised, you need to get her to remember your name,
01:43or at the very least, get her contact information.
01:46Just then, a cute, petite figure suddenly appeared behind them,
01:48playfully nudging the male lead's leg.
01:50This was our secondary heroine, Little Chew,
01:52a classmate and close friend of the male lead,
01:54who happened to be there just as he was asking what type of guy girls typically find attractive.
01:58Little Chew offered her take.
01:59First, you can't be timid or wishy-washy.
02:01You need to be confident and outgoing.
02:03And second, you need to have a strong, athletic physique.
02:05The two of them were left momentarily speechless.
02:08On the way to the gymnasium, the male lead,
02:10Hoshi, suddenly spotted a familiar figure ahead,
02:12his upperclassman, Chinatsu.
02:13Since the gym hadn't opened yet, she was sitting on the steps reading a book.
02:17At that moment, the rising sun cast a golden glow upon her cheek,
02:20a light that seemed to reflect directly into Hoshi's heart.
02:22He stood to the side, racking his brain for a way to strike up a conversation.
02:26His heart pounded nervously against his ribs.
02:28None of the topics he brainstormed seemed quite appropriate.
02:30He considered asking what she was reading,
02:32but seeing that she held a specialized basketball textbook,
02:34a subject he knew absolutely nothing about,
02:36he ultimately abandoned the idea.
02:38Just then, Chinatsu suddenly let out a sneeze.
02:40Hoshi immediately switched into full-on support mode.
02:42He whipped off his own scarf and handed it to her,
02:44then produced a thermos of hot water,
02:46followed swiftly by a heat pack.
02:47The scene suddenly turned awkward.
02:49Hoshi realized he had come on way too strong.
02:51She had merely launched a basic attack,
02:52yet he had unleashed his entire arsenal of special skills.
02:55Chinatsu was amused by his endearing overzealousness.
02:58At that very moment, Hoshi suddenly sneezed himself.
03:01The thoughtful Chinatsu took his scarf and wrapped it around him,
03:03a gesture Hoshi immediately fantasized into a scene of a newlywed wife
03:07tying her husband's necktie.
03:08Just then, the security guard arrived with the keys.
03:11Hoshi was puzzled as to how the guard knew his name,
03:13but Chinatsu explained.
03:14It turned out his mother had sewn his name tag onto his scarf.
03:17That's right, the male lead's name is asterisk Inokotsu Daiki Star.
03:21It's a rather comical name,
03:22one that makes me think of pork bone soup,
03:23asterisk Tonkotsu, asterisk ramen.
03:25Ha ha.
03:26After school, the protagonist stopped by the gymnasium to pick up some things,
03:29only to find a senior still practicing on the court.
03:31At that moment, she challenged him to a one-on-one match.
03:34With her exquisite technique and fluid, effortless dribbling,
03:37she utterly demolished him,
03:38leaving him sprawled on the floor in defeat, practically in tears.
03:40As they chatted afterward, the protagonist mentioned that his mother used to be a member
03:44of the basketball club, and that he would occasionally join her for a game.
03:47The senior replied,
03:48My mom was two.
03:49I started playing with her back when I was in elementary school.
03:52She then asked him why he hadn't chosen to pursue basketball himself.
03:55The protagonist explained that he wasn't particularly good at team sports.
03:58Moreover, he had a deep fondness for badminton.
04:00He loved the feeling of standing alone on the court,
04:02knowing that he alone bore the full weight of the outcome,
04:04win or lose,
04:05and he truly relished that sense of tension.
04:07Just then,
04:07a security guard announced that they needed to pack up as the facility was closing.
04:11The two of them began gathering the basketballs.
04:13Suddenly,
04:13one ball tumbled out of the storage bin.
04:15Both reached for it at the exact same moment, their fingers brushing against one another.
04:19The protagonist lingered over the lingering warmth his senior,
04:22Chinatsu,
04:22had left on his hand,
04:23savoring the sensation for a long while.
04:25The next morning,
04:26he spotted a magazine lying on the table.
04:28Emblazoned on its cover was a familiar figure,
04:30none other than Chinatsu.
04:31His mother explained that she and Chinatsu's mother had once been teammates.
04:35The protagonist was stunned.
04:36His mother added that they still kept in touch occasionally,
04:39but unfortunately,
04:39Chinatsu's family was being transferred abroad for work.
04:42Upon hearing this,
04:43the protagonist's eyes widened in shock.
04:45It felt like a bolt from the blue.
04:46He bolted out the door and raced toward the gymnasium.
04:49Arriving there,
04:49he poured out his heart in a passionate speech.
04:51Chinatsu,
04:52you're going abroad to train.
04:53You taught me that I must strive toward my goals every single day,
04:56that even if I lose,
04:57I must always keep looking forward.
04:59So,
04:59please don't give up.
05:00Don't let things like your parents' retirement funds,
05:02or any other reasons beyond your own true desires,
05:04dictate whether you go abroad for work.
05:06At that moment,
05:07however,
05:07Chinatsu revealed that asterisk she asterisk wasn't actually going abroad.
05:10The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
05:12She explained that while her family would be moving overseas,
05:15she herself would be staying behind to live with some acquaintances.
05:18She added,
05:19Although it pains me to be separated from my family,
05:21this unexpected turn of events reminded me of my original dream,
05:24the one I regretted leaving behind.
05:26I still want to make it to the national tournament.
05:28I still don't want to give up.
05:29It's all thanks to you.
05:31I'll see you later.
05:32Let's go out again sometime.
05:33The next day,
05:34lying in bed,
05:35the protagonist replayed the words he had blurted out the day before.
05:37He felt utterly mortified,
05:38and thought the whole scene had been incredibly melodramatic.
05:41Blushing with embarrassment,
05:42he tossed and turned in his B.E.D.S.
05:44The male lead walked down the stairs.
05:45He thought to himself,
05:46Thank goodness it's the weekend.
05:47At least I won't run into my upperclassmen.
05:49But wouldn't you know it?
05:50The moment he opened the kitchen door,
05:52Do you see this?
05:53This is my home.
05:54Good morning.
05:54Wait why?
05:55It's a new day.
05:56My family is staying abroad for a while.
05:58So,
05:58that acquaintance's house she mentioned staying at before?
06:01It turns out that acquaintance was his own family.
06:04Please take care of me.
06:05This is a playground,
06:06isn't it?
06:06Let's have some fun.
06:07This is a playground,
06:08isn't it?
06:09What?
06:09What?
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