“Where are you going, Sendoh?” Ayako asked, seeing Sendoh make for the door.
“I have to rush for my class.”
“What class?”
“You know. That music class I’ve been signed up for. Can’t afford to be late on my first day there, right?” Notice that Sendoh cleverly used the word ‘been’, indicating that it was against his will. In any case, his cleverness did little in avoiding the inevitable storm.
“WHAT?!” exclaimed Sakuragi; “You left basketball for music?!” The notion was ridiculous and liable to outrage.
“Yes,” Sendoh replied rather timorously; “I had no choice, you see. My mom wanted me to and...”
“Sendoh,” Ayako said, amused at his submissiveness, “you have to fight for your rights. What kind of a man are you, huh? You should tell your mom that your heart and soul have made permanent residence with basketball and that no matter what kind of classes she puts you in you will never be the same without basketball.”
Sendoh laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t try protesting.”
“Why not?”
“I never have did argue with anything my mom’s ever told me to do.”
“Sendoh!” Ayako said, shocked. “You’re in your mid-teens, and not a five-year-old anymore! You are mature enough to make decisions for yourself!”
“Of course I am,” Sendoh said, “but that doesn’t mean she thinks so.”
“Of course she can’t think so, because you’ve done nothing to convince her that you’re capable of independent thinking!”
“I have.”
“Cite an instance, please.”
“I remember once my mom’d asked me to go over to the milk store to fetch a carton of milk, and I came back and told her there wasn’t any milk-”
“Sendoh, you don’t get-”
“-when in fact there was.” Sendoh finished.
A murmur of approval rang around the audience, whose blood curdled at unpleasant memories that took birth whenever the horrible combination of moms and milk popped up.
“I’m impressed.” Ayako said.
“Why, thank you, I-”
“NOT!” Ayako said angrily. “Sendoh how could you be so flippant about something as important as building your character? I’m trying to help define your character outside of your childish obedience to your parents!”
“What do you mean? You’re saying I should disobey my parents?”
“Yeah. Well, no, not exactly. I’m saying you shouldn’t give them a chance to decide for you at all. You should be able to show them that you’re capable of deciding for yourself, that you can see right from wrong, that you’re growing up.” Ayako said, ending her rather eloquent and interactive lesson on character building for teenagers.
“I see what you mean,” Sendoh said. He screwed up his face in the determination to do something; something independently. “I will decide for myself from this day forth.” he said.
“Excellent, Sendoh.” Ayako said.
“By attending the music class out of my own will.”
He marched out of the gym. An exasperated Ayako massaged her temples and clenched her teeth. What kind of a monster is he?
Sendoh laughed aloud to himself as he traipsed down the concrete sidewalk. He had already traveled a mile from Shohoku, and was thinking of how he made a fool out of the people there.
“What do they think, that I’m actually gonna go to that accursed institution of unadulterated rot?” he said aloud to himself. “No, I know far better than that! What do they think, that I can’t make decisions for myself, that I’m not mature enough? Ha! Makes me wanna laugh!” And he laughed so loudly that an ambulance from an asylum slowed down in front of him before the driver changed his mind and drove on.
Sendoh was going to Kainan. No, he didn’t want to kill and/or get killed by the basketball players by revealing to them that he quit playing, because the Kainan folks were a lot more patriotic about basketball than Shohoku and the notion that a basketball player should quit playing was tantamount to profanity. No, Sendoh was going there on terms that are more diplomatic—He wanted to be a catalyst in the growing (potential) relationship between Jin and Ayako. (After all, anything was better than a day out with a fat boob who called her musical institution ‘Turbulence’, of all idiotic things and taught people to play music at their own funerals.)
“That’s right, steady, now.”
Jin had commanded the Kainan team to stand in a line and practice their dribbling.
“Now, the key to good defense is good dribbling.” Jin recited.
The Kainan team wasn’t exactly the happiest group of people then. Hell, after qualifying for the National Inter-Highs for seventeen frigging years in a row this is what they get! Damned dribbling practice!
“Uh, Jin-san, can I have a word with you?” Kiyota whispered as Jin passed by.
“Why, sure Kiyota, but be brief.” Jin said in an equally low voice.
“We’ve been dribbling for the past forty-three minutes precisely.”
“Uh...” was all Jin could say.
“As the captain, you’re sure not doing a great job.”
Kiyota didn’t mind if he’d inflicted a killer wound in Jin’s poor little heart, because that would be nothing compared to how his frigging muscles ached, and his frigging back ached, and his frigging neck ached. Hell, Jin’s idea of building up a ‘good defense’ might just cost Kiyota his ability to play basketball altogether, judging by how near he was to being sent to the hospital on account of mutilated limbs.
“Nobu,” Jin said, permitting himself indignation. “Ex-Captain Maki has made me captain of this team for a reason, and that reason is—”
“That you were the only second-year player?”
“—that he though me an able player and a skilled leader.” Jin finished forcibly. This made Kiyota laugh.
“Able player and skilled leader you?! Nice one, Jin-san, you nearly got me there!”
“I’m serious!” Jin protested.
“Cut the crap!”
“Well if you’re only jealous because you weren’t made captain, then that’s a different thing.”
This shut Kiyota up.
“Who says I’m jealous?” he said. “Why should I be jealous when I know I’m gonna be the captain of this team after you retire.”
“Happy waiting, then, Nobunaga, because I’m gonna be sticking to this position for quite a while.”
“A person like me has the patience of a sloth.”
“And reflexes of one, too.” Jin added eagerly. “And what makes you think I’m gonna make you the captain of the team anyway?”
“Hm, let’s see.” Kiyota said, pretending to think. “The fact that I’m the only first-year on this team who’s played in a real game?”
“Well, obviously the three other first-year students will also be playing in a real game shortly.”
“Like when?”
“The summer.”
“Ha! Summer’s months away.”
“So? What if we have a practice match against Shohoku like Ryonan had last year?”
“Oh, I’d love that! And when those other freshmen get their asses whipped and you miss each of your shots out of sheer cowardice, I will reveal my true colors and lead Kainan to victory!” Kiyota said heroically, rolling the last ‘r’ to a degree greater than was necessary.
“You wish.” Jin said. “Because the last time I missed a shot was when I was back in my first-year.”
“You wouldn’t bet on that.”
“You’re the one who shouldn’t be betting on becoming captain.”
“Oh, I will.”
“It’ll only lead to disappointment. That’s something you can’t take. Remember when Rukawa was the only freshman to receive a prize after the regional Inter-Highs in the summer?”
“Don’t remind me.” said Kiyota, making a barfing sound. “And anyway, I will be the captain. Just you wait and see.”
“I won’t just ‘wait and see’, you moron, I’ll be the one choosing!”
“You’ll choose me. Just wait and see.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because,” Kiyota said, a stupid grin breaking out on his face; “Ayako will come to know about how cruel you’d been to your best friend, and she’s not the kind of person to take kindly to people being cruel to their best friends.”
Jin didn’t visibly break into an embarrassing blush, but there were signs to support the cause which Sendoh was working for as an excuse to skip his class at Miss Turbulence’s.
“Gotcha!” Kiyota said. “Man, you suck at hiding things!”
“What do you mean?” Jin asked, struggling to keep his voice straight.
“You’re blushing like an albino in the midday sun!”
“They don’t blush, you moron—their skin gets irritated.”
“Well, since there is neither any midday sun nor any signs of albinism on you, you were definitely blushing.”
“No, you moron, my face is flushed because I’ve overexerted myself during this practice.”
“Doing what? Walking about and talking non-stop?”
“Uh, yeah. I’ve never talked so much before.”
“Nor have you ever played so little.”
“So anyway, Nobu, how was your day today?”
“Fine, Captain, and really, really long, if you want, but you’re prevaricating.”
“Where’d you learn that word?” Jin asked sharply.
“English class, duh?”
“Interesting.” Jin asked. He never really had much regard for whatever Kiyota actually managed to learn in a class.
“So as I was saying, you have the hots for Ayako.”
Just at that moment, Sendoh entered the gym—from the side opposite to where Jin and Kiyota’s confidential conversation was taking place.
“Hey, Jin!” Sendoh yelled, attracting the attention of the whole gym. Those players who didn’t know Sendoh exchanged curious glances with each other. “Who’s he?” each one asked the other, and “I don’t know,” they replied.
“Sendoh?” Jin said disbelievingly as the said boy began walking toward him from the other side (length-wise) of the court.
“You have the hots for Ayako!” he yelled across the court.
The freshmen—the gossipmongers that they were—took the opportunity to engage in a full-fledged debate in order to decide whether their new captain really did have the hots for Ayako, or the unlikely not. And then one of them piped up, “Who’s Ayako?” and the rest of them shook their heads. End of debate.
Meanwhile Sendoh had made it all the way to Jin, who’s hair was bristling with indignation. Or was it embarrassment? Either way, his hair was bristling with something and his cheeks were flushed.
“Sendoh!” hissed Jin—of course, he tried hissing, but whether he succeeded or not is beside the point.
Sendoh clasped Jin’s shoulders in both his hands, stared deeply into his eyes in what was intended to be an understanding manner, and said once more, “You have the hots for Ayako.”
Kiyota rolled on the floor like a barrel down a hill. Not exactly, but he did laugh that hard, and just wouldn’t stop. “See? What did I tell you, Jin-san?”
“What did he tell you, Jin?”
“Oh, nothing,” Jin said, casting Kiyota a brief, condemning glance; “Just that he would rather wear a bikini and date Uozumi than take up the responsibility of the team next year and be captain.”
Kiyota stopped rolling. “Wh-wh-what did you say, Jin-san?” he said in utter incredulity. “That’s a lie! That’s a fucking lie! All I said was that you had the hots for Ayako!”
He yelled the last line out, thus adding fuel to the fire and causing the freshmen to recommence their debate.
“So anyway,” Sendoh said, “I’ve come here because I wanted to help you get closer with her.”
“Exactly,” Kiyota said. “Sendoh and I want to help you get closer with her.”
“Shut up, kissass!” Jin shot at Kiyota, before turning to Sendoh. “Why do you want to do so?”
“Because I’m a really nice guy and I like to see people happy.” he replied passionately.
“No, really.” Jin said.
“Fine, I only want to do it so that I may skip those darned piano classes.” Sendoh conceded.
“All right, so how’re you gonna help me?”
“You sound really desperate.”
“I am!” Jin said; “Because Ayako’s closer with that Miyagi, and... and...” He couldn’t get himself to say it.
So Sendoh finished for him: “So you’re worried he might get her before you and you’d have to watch the two of them together with that biting sense of longing and burning envy, and live the rest of your life with the thought that Ayako was never meant for you—right, I know that.”
Jin gulped.
“So what I’m gonna do is make sure Miyagi ‘drifts away’ from Ayako.” Sendoh said, waving his hands to indicate the drifting away.
“But Sendoh,” Kiyota piped up. “That’s virtually impossible. Miyagi’s effing obsessed with Ayako!”
“True.” Sendoh said. “So we’ll just have to make Ayako drift away from him.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?” Jin asked.
“I’m sorry,” Sendoh said, “I meant ‘you’.”
“I have to rush for my class.”
“What class?”
“You know. That music class I’ve been signed up for. Can’t afford to be late on my first day there, right?” Notice that Sendoh cleverly used the word ‘been’, indicating that it was against his will. In any case, his cleverness did little in avoiding the inevitable storm.
“WHAT?!” exclaimed Sakuragi; “You left basketball for music?!” The notion was ridiculous and liable to outrage.
“Yes,” Sendoh replied rather timorously; “I had no choice, you see. My mom wanted me to and...”
“Sendoh,” Ayako said, amused at his submissiveness, “you have to fight for your rights. What kind of a man are you, huh? You should tell your mom that your heart and soul have made permanent residence with basketball and that no matter what kind of classes she puts you in you will never be the same without basketball.”
Sendoh laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t try protesting.”
“Why not?”
“I never have did argue with anything my mom’s ever told me to do.”
“Sendoh!” Ayako said, shocked. “You’re in your mid-teens, and not a five-year-old anymore! You are mature enough to make decisions for yourself!”
“Of course I am,” Sendoh said, “but that doesn’t mean she thinks so.”
“Of course she can’t think so, because you’ve done nothing to convince her that you’re capable of independent thinking!”
“I have.”
“Cite an instance, please.”
“I remember once my mom’d asked me to go over to the milk store to fetch a carton of milk, and I came back and told her there wasn’t any milk-”
“Sendoh, you don’t get-”
“-when in fact there was.” Sendoh finished.
A murmur of approval rang around the audience, whose blood curdled at unpleasant memories that took birth whenever the horrible combination of moms and milk popped up.
“I’m impressed.” Ayako said.
“Why, thank you, I-”
“NOT!” Ayako said angrily. “Sendoh how could you be so flippant about something as important as building your character? I’m trying to help define your character outside of your childish obedience to your parents!”
“What do you mean? You’re saying I should disobey my parents?”
“Yeah. Well, no, not exactly. I’m saying you shouldn’t give them a chance to decide for you at all. You should be able to show them that you’re capable of deciding for yourself, that you can see right from wrong, that you’re growing up.” Ayako said, ending her rather eloquent and interactive lesson on character building for teenagers.
“I see what you mean,” Sendoh said. He screwed up his face in the determination to do something; something independently. “I will decide for myself from this day forth.” he said.
“Excellent, Sendoh.” Ayako said.
“By attending the music class out of my own will.”
He marched out of the gym. An exasperated Ayako massaged her temples and clenched her teeth. What kind of a monster is he?
Sendoh laughed aloud to himself as he traipsed down the concrete sidewalk. He had already traveled a mile from Shohoku, and was thinking of how he made a fool out of the people there.
“What do they think, that I’m actually gonna go to that accursed institution of unadulterated rot?” he said aloud to himself. “No, I know far better than that! What do they think, that I can’t make decisions for myself, that I’m not mature enough? Ha! Makes me wanna laugh!” And he laughed so loudly that an ambulance from an asylum slowed down in front of him before the driver changed his mind and drove on.
Sendoh was going to Kainan. No, he didn’t want to kill and/or get killed by the basketball players by revealing to them that he quit playing, because the Kainan folks were a lot more patriotic about basketball than Shohoku and the notion that a basketball player should quit playing was tantamount to profanity. No, Sendoh was going there on terms that are more diplomatic—He wanted to be a catalyst in the growing (potential) relationship between Jin and Ayako. (After all, anything was better than a day out with a fat boob who called her musical institution ‘Turbulence’, of all idiotic things and taught people to play music at their own funerals.)
“That’s right, steady, now.”
Jin had commanded the Kainan team to stand in a line and practice their dribbling.
“Now, the key to good defense is good dribbling.” Jin recited.
The Kainan team wasn’t exactly the happiest group of people then. Hell, after qualifying for the National Inter-Highs for seventeen frigging years in a row this is what they get! Damned dribbling practice!
“Uh, Jin-san, can I have a word with you?” Kiyota whispered as Jin passed by.
“Why, sure Kiyota, but be brief.” Jin said in an equally low voice.
“We’ve been dribbling for the past forty-three minutes precisely.”
“Uh...” was all Jin could say.
“As the captain, you’re sure not doing a great job.”
Kiyota didn’t mind if he’d inflicted a killer wound in Jin’s poor little heart, because that would be nothing compared to how his frigging muscles ached, and his frigging back ached, and his frigging neck ached. Hell, Jin’s idea of building up a ‘good defense’ might just cost Kiyota his ability to play basketball altogether, judging by how near he was to being sent to the hospital on account of mutilated limbs.
“Nobu,” Jin said, permitting himself indignation. “Ex-Captain Maki has made me captain of this team for a reason, and that reason is—”
“That you were the only second-year player?”
“—that he though me an able player and a skilled leader.” Jin finished forcibly. This made Kiyota laugh.
“Able player and skilled leader you?! Nice one, Jin-san, you nearly got me there!”
“I’m serious!” Jin protested.
“Cut the crap!”
“Well if you’re only jealous because you weren’t made captain, then that’s a different thing.”
This shut Kiyota up.
“Who says I’m jealous?” he said. “Why should I be jealous when I know I’m gonna be the captain of this team after you retire.”
“Happy waiting, then, Nobunaga, because I’m gonna be sticking to this position for quite a while.”
“A person like me has the patience of a sloth.”
“And reflexes of one, too.” Jin added eagerly. “And what makes you think I’m gonna make you the captain of the team anyway?”
“Hm, let’s see.” Kiyota said, pretending to think. “The fact that I’m the only first-year on this team who’s played in a real game?”
“Well, obviously the three other first-year students will also be playing in a real game shortly.”
“Like when?”
“The summer.”
“Ha! Summer’s months away.”
“So? What if we have a practice match against Shohoku like Ryonan had last year?”
“Oh, I’d love that! And when those other freshmen get their asses whipped and you miss each of your shots out of sheer cowardice, I will reveal my true colors and lead Kainan to victory!” Kiyota said heroically, rolling the last ‘r’ to a degree greater than was necessary.
“You wish.” Jin said. “Because the last time I missed a shot was when I was back in my first-year.”
“You wouldn’t bet on that.”
“You’re the one who shouldn’t be betting on becoming captain.”
“Oh, I will.”
“It’ll only lead to disappointment. That’s something you can’t take. Remember when Rukawa was the only freshman to receive a prize after the regional Inter-Highs in the summer?”
“Don’t remind me.” said Kiyota, making a barfing sound. “And anyway, I will be the captain. Just you wait and see.”
“I won’t just ‘wait and see’, you moron, I’ll be the one choosing!”
“You’ll choose me. Just wait and see.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because,” Kiyota said, a stupid grin breaking out on his face; “Ayako will come to know about how cruel you’d been to your best friend, and she’s not the kind of person to take kindly to people being cruel to their best friends.”
Jin didn’t visibly break into an embarrassing blush, but there were signs to support the cause which Sendoh was working for as an excuse to skip his class at Miss Turbulence’s.
“Gotcha!” Kiyota said. “Man, you suck at hiding things!”
“What do you mean?” Jin asked, struggling to keep his voice straight.
“You’re blushing like an albino in the midday sun!”
“They don’t blush, you moron—their skin gets irritated.”
“Well, since there is neither any midday sun nor any signs of albinism on you, you were definitely blushing.”
“No, you moron, my face is flushed because I’ve overexerted myself during this practice.”
“Doing what? Walking about and talking non-stop?”
“Uh, yeah. I’ve never talked so much before.”
“Nor have you ever played so little.”
“So anyway, Nobu, how was your day today?”
“Fine, Captain, and really, really long, if you want, but you’re prevaricating.”
“Where’d you learn that word?” Jin asked sharply.
“English class, duh?”
“Interesting.” Jin asked. He never really had much regard for whatever Kiyota actually managed to learn in a class.
“So as I was saying, you have the hots for Ayako.”
Just at that moment, Sendoh entered the gym—from the side opposite to where Jin and Kiyota’s confidential conversation was taking place.
“Hey, Jin!” Sendoh yelled, attracting the attention of the whole gym. Those players who didn’t know Sendoh exchanged curious glances with each other. “Who’s he?” each one asked the other, and “I don’t know,” they replied.
“Sendoh?” Jin said disbelievingly as the said boy began walking toward him from the other side (length-wise) of the court.
“You have the hots for Ayako!” he yelled across the court.
The freshmen—the gossipmongers that they were—took the opportunity to engage in a full-fledged debate in order to decide whether their new captain really did have the hots for Ayako, or the unlikely not. And then one of them piped up, “Who’s Ayako?” and the rest of them shook their heads. End of debate.
Meanwhile Sendoh had made it all the way to Jin, who’s hair was bristling with indignation. Or was it embarrassment? Either way, his hair was bristling with something and his cheeks were flushed.
“Sendoh!” hissed Jin—of course, he tried hissing, but whether he succeeded or not is beside the point.
Sendoh clasped Jin’s shoulders in both his hands, stared deeply into his eyes in what was intended to be an understanding manner, and said once more, “You have the hots for Ayako.”
Kiyota rolled on the floor like a barrel down a hill. Not exactly, but he did laugh that hard, and just wouldn’t stop. “See? What did I tell you, Jin-san?”
“What did he tell you, Jin?”
“Oh, nothing,” Jin said, casting Kiyota a brief, condemning glance; “Just that he would rather wear a bikini and date Uozumi than take up the responsibility of the team next year and be captain.”
Kiyota stopped rolling. “Wh-wh-what did you say, Jin-san?” he said in utter incredulity. “That’s a lie! That’s a fucking lie! All I said was that you had the hots for Ayako!”
He yelled the last line out, thus adding fuel to the fire and causing the freshmen to recommence their debate.
“So anyway,” Sendoh said, “I’ve come here because I wanted to help you get closer with her.”
“Exactly,” Kiyota said. “Sendoh and I want to help you get closer with her.”
“Shut up, kissass!” Jin shot at Kiyota, before turning to Sendoh. “Why do you want to do so?”
“Because I’m a really nice guy and I like to see people happy.” he replied passionately.
“No, really.” Jin said.
“Fine, I only want to do it so that I may skip those darned piano classes.” Sendoh conceded.
“All right, so how’re you gonna help me?”
“You sound really desperate.”
“I am!” Jin said; “Because Ayako’s closer with that Miyagi, and... and...” He couldn’t get himself to say it.
So Sendoh finished for him: “So you’re worried he might get her before you and you’d have to watch the two of them together with that biting sense of longing and burning envy, and live the rest of your life with the thought that Ayako was never meant for you—right, I know that.”
Jin gulped.
“So what I’m gonna do is make sure Miyagi ‘drifts away’ from Ayako.” Sendoh said, waving his hands to indicate the drifting away.
“But Sendoh,” Kiyota piped up. “That’s virtually impossible. Miyagi’s effing obsessed with Ayako!”
“True.” Sendoh said. “So we’ll just have to make Ayako drift away from him.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?” Jin asked.
“I’m sorry,” Sendoh said, “I meant ‘you’.”
0 comments :
Post a Comment