Boys Don’t Play Fair のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 161 - チャプター 167

The 200 free was the sixth event of the afternoon. By the time they called it, Westbridge was in third overall. The two schools ahead, St. Michael's and Riverside Academy, had both performed well in the morning sessions. The gap was twelve points. The 200 free was worth fifteen. Noah stood behind the blocks while the heat before his finished. He watched the other swimmers clear the water. He saw the scoreboard update. Rivera appeared beside him. She didn’t say anything at first. She just stood there, looking at the pool with him. Then she asked, "What did you learn in the relay this morning?" "The handoff," he said. "I was adjusting to Tyler instead of swimming my own way." "What else?" He thought. "I slowed down in my last twenty-five without realizing it. Holding something back." "Why?" "I don't know." Rivera looked at him. "I do." He looked at her. "You calculated," she said. "Halfway through. You saw the position and figured out what you needed to do instead of just

Friday afternoon.Noah had no practice. Rivera gave everyone the day off—“your bodies have worked. let them consolidate.”He walked home by himself for once. Joe was in room fourteen; Marcus was doing something with his family.The city felt like Friday. People trickling out of work early. At the pub on the corner, folks were already standing outside, hands curled around pints even though it was cold.October ended tomorrow.He’d felt October wrapping up the way you notice the end of things when they start to matter.He stopped at the corner where usually he and Joe split off. Stood there, not in any rush.Three weeks and four days.He hadn’t tried to count, but it had just stacked up a number that got sharper as soon as you noticed it was there.He kept going.The apartment was empty and warm when he got home. His mom had left the heating on her Friday ritual, a tiny quiet act of care.He dropped his bag.Made himself tea.Sat at the kitchen table.Didn’t open his essay. Ignored his

The winter social landed on a Thursday.Room fourteen had been planning it for weeks, and you could tell but not in a way that felt showy or forced. It just felt like someone had actually spent time thinking about who’d show up, about what the space should feel like for them.The hall looked unlike itself. The chairs were grouped in clusters. Someone had managed to find warm lighting. Music played present, but not shouting for everyone’s attention. There was a table near the entrance stocked with whatever people might need without realizing it: water, a spot for your coat, something to eat while you figured out where to stand.Noah got there early.Not because he was part of planning he wasn’t. But Joe was, and that was enough reason to come early.So he hovered near the door and watched people arrive.He saw how they paused, right at the edge how surprise made them hesitate, then something in the room made them relax a little.Joe was toward the back, talking to a nervous-looking fir

They headed for the river path.No reason, really just the kind of morning that didn’t have a plan but wanted air and movement.November had stripped the trees. The river was black and restless.They walked without a hurry. Sometimes their shoulders brushed. Sometimes not.“How’s your dad?” Noah said.Jay didn’t answer right away.“He’s working on things. Slow.” Jay watched the river. “He came to a session at camp.”Noah looked at him.“I didn’t know he was coming. He just—showed up. Sat in the viewing area.” Jay shrugged. “I only found out afterward. One of the other players mentioned the guy sitting alone in the back.”“What’d he say?”“He texted me that night. Said it was a solid session.” Jay paused. “Said—I looked like I was enjoying myself.”Noah took that in.“Were you?”Jay nodded. “Yeah. I was.”“Did you tell him that?”Jay watched the water. “I thanked him for coming. That’s as far as it went.” He shrugged. “It’s slow. But it’s something.”“Yeah,” Noah said. “It is.”They wa