I chuckled at Michelle’s probing question.

“It’s not like that. I just asked because Victor and Adrian are famous guys at school. It’s better to actively use two people rather than one if it helps newspaper sales.”

“Hmm, I think so too, but I got caught secretly taking pictures last time.”

“What did Adrian say then?”

Michelle shook her head.

“It wasn’t like that. But he smiled and gave me a look, so I was too scared to try taking pictures. There are also rumors that Adrian’s parents are lawyers. I need to be cautious when I should be.”

Ah, so it was that kind of practical issue.

I’d be scared too if I had to go to court for violating portrait rights.

‘But to say Adrian is scary.’

It was strange how I could both relate and not relate to that sentiment.

Especially because of how serious he gets whenever I come back injured.

‘He’s always smiling brightly, but there’s something chilling about him somewhere.’

Come to think of it, Adrian seemed to have noticed me even before we became teammates.

I wonder since when?

Michelle and I bought carbonated drinks in advance and entered the stadium before the game started. The stadium’s headlights were shining intensely, perhaps because it got dark early.

The conversation continued even after we sat down in the seats cheering for the Roingham team.

“But McQueen doesn’t really care if we boost sales with his photos. He even agrees to interviews sometimes. That helps the newspaper club.”

“Really? That’s unexpected. I thought he wouldn’t like static things. You know, sitting still for hours doing interviews.”

“We may cover scandals, but we have our limits. McQueen’s not the type to care about gossip behind his back either. Instead, we write praising articles about the American football team every year, helping increase recruitment. It’s kind of a friendly relationship.”

So they’re mutually beneficial, like crocodiles and plover birds?

Then Michelle glanced at me once and spoke carefully, fidgeting.

“Actually, I’d like to write an article about our school’s high school dungeon team someday…”

“Hm?”

I raised one eyebrow at those words. Michelle nervously glanced at me.

I finished my thought and stared at her blankly.

“Ah, so that’s why you came to watch the competition with me today…”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand my good intentions too much, Juno. I’ve always wanted to get closer to you! Today was just a coincidence!”

Michelle waved her hands frantically.

“Well, you say that, but I don’t quite believe it. Aren’t you like that friend who writes ‘Let’s be close someday’ on the rolling paper circulated in class at the end of the year? Someone you never see unless it’s urgent.”

“This girl.”

“Actually, isn’t the dungeon team interview just bait to try and capture Victor and Adrian in one frame? Because it helps sales.”

When I spoke teasingly and gave her a sidelong glance, Michelle blushed and flustered for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“This is why sharp girls are… If I had known you were this picky, I would have bought the drinks with my own money as a bribe!”

“Look at this kid learning corruption from the newspaper club…”

As I grumbled, Michelle and I looked at each other for a moment and smiled simultaneously. Michelle quickly clung to me.

“Oh come on. I’ll take prettier pictures of you than Hollywood actresses, Juno! So please put in a good word with those two. You’re the only one I can count on!”

“No thanks. The spotlight will end up on the two handsome guys anyway.”

Though I said that, I liked that Michelle was moderately unpretentious and talked just the right amount.

As we were bickering and clinging to each other, we heard voices behind our seats.

“This looks like the Roingham team section? We need to go the opposite way for the Spring team seats.”

“I thought you said this was Spring earlier.”

“Stop grumbling. This is my first time at this stadium too.”

It was the sound of boys squabbling among themselves.

But I couldn’t just let it pass.

‘…But why does one of those voices sound so familiar?’

I narrowed my brows and stubbornly looked straight ahead, thinking ‘It can’t be.’ I was trying not to turn around.

That’s when Michelle glanced back and nudged me.

“Juno, look behind us. I think they’re New York boys, and they’re quite handsome. Especially that black-haired one…”

“Sorry Michelle, but could you not talk to me for a moment…”

“Juno?”

I flinched.

It seemed my voice had reached his ears.

I had no choice but to slowly turn around. Very, very slowly. As if denying reality.

Then, among the unfamiliar New York boys, I saw Allen with his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise.

It was exactly as I had expected.

* * *

‘How did it end up like this.’

By now, the Roingham team in black uniforms and the Spring team in yellow uniforms were out on the edge of the field, stretching.

Victor was seen warming up in the middle, perhaps during preparation time, but I couldn’t quite focus on that sight.

It was because of the guy sitting next to me.

“I didn’t know you’d come all the way here to watch American football. I thought you hated both playing and watching sports.”

Allen said, drinking coffee he bought from the stand.

I glared at him distastefully, arms crossed.

“I’m here to watch my friend’s game. By the way, aren’t you going to the other side? All your friends went to the Spring team’s cheering section.”

“It’s not like Spring will win just because I go there, and besides, Spring isn’t even our school. I just came because I got a free ticket.”

Then he smiled brightly like sunshine.

Who knew the stadium would be right between New York and Connecticut.

“Didn’t you say you happened to meet your childhood friend, and your friends all told you to cheer here? They’re good kids, right?”

“Yeah, they’re really good kids…”

Michelle poked me from the side.

“By the way, is he really your childhood friend, Juno? I didn’t know you had such a handsome friend!”

“I’m Allen. Juno’s oldest childhood friend.”

I smirked at those brazen words. And I blurted out without realizing:

“Yeah, we may have lost contact for a few years after he moved, but he’s still my childhood friend. At first, I thought England might be a place without internet.”

“…”

I felt Allen’s gaze on my cheek, but I deliberately ignored it.

‘What, why. What are you going to do if you look at me like that.’

After Allen moved to England, the two promised to keep in touch via email.

They exchanged sporadic emails for a few years, but at some point, contact from Allen suddenly stopped.

There was no reply even when I sent emails, and eventually, I forgot about even needing to send emails.

It’s actually an obvious and uninteresting story.

Even childhood friends naturally grow apart when physically separated.

‘Allen must have been busy adjusting to his new place. It’s not like Juno didn’t expect this kind of ending either.’

I thought we’d never meet again since our homes and schools were different.

I thought I had come to terms with it, but it was quite annoying how this guy, who hadn’t contacted me once all this time, kept trying to cling to me affectionately.

Anyway, this kind of speech seemed to have an effect, as Allen, who had been smiling the whole time, seemed taken aback and chose his words carefully for a moment.

“Juno, I’m sorry for not sending emails. But that was due to unavoidable circumstances…”

“Woohoo!”

Just as Allen was about to open his mouth with difficulty, the audience in the stadium stood up and cheered.

The starting players among those on the sidelines had lined up and entered the center of the field.

I pretended not to hear Allen’s words due to the cheering and stood up for a moment to applaud along with the audience.

Allen remained quietly seated.

“Roingham! Roingham!”

The cheerleaders below the stands cheered for the American football team in formation.

Although about half of the seats were empty since it was a high school competition, the atmosphere was quite heated, perhaps because many college team coaches came to watch.

I had heard that they scout students in advance at these kinds of games.

After we all sat down, Michelle leaned towards me and said:

“I heard McQueen has been a talent that college coaches have been eyeing since his freshman year. They say he’s a talent coveted by the Ivy League?”

“Really?”

Well, of course. Victor is the protagonist of a teen drama, so he’ll probably be able to enter an Ivy League school without much trouble.

I looked towards our team’s side of the field without much interest.

Victor was wearing a black helmet and mask pressed down.

Due to the nature of American football, everyone was quite tall and bulky, but somehow Victor stood out even from afar.

Victor, who was turning his ankles with his hands on his hips, looked around as if searching for something. Our eyes met as Victor scanned the stands carefully.

When he spotted me, a bright energy spread across Victor’s face, which had been expressionless until then.

And just as he was about to wave at me with a mischievous smile, he seemed to flinch as he looked beside me, then stared at me with an unbelieving expression.

“…?”

And he was urgently moving his lips… but I couldn’t see well what he was saying because of the mask attached to his helmet.

“What’s he saying now?”

“I don’t know. He seems to be saying something urgently, but I can’t see his lip movements well either.”

Michelle, who was capturing Victor’s image with her camera, just shrugged.

Victor seemed to be shouting something for a while, but when his words were drowned out by the cheers, he turned away with a betrayed look.

“…Why is he acting like that?”

After Victor’s incomprehensible behavior, the game began.