Coach Taoka’s cell phone began ringing.
“Hello? Ah, yes. Coach Takato. Yes, tell me. Er, yes, Coach Anzai and I are already here. Where are we right now? Er, right outside the school gates. Yes, yes, we’re coming in. The boys? Yes, I can see them out on the lawn. You want me to bring them in as well? Tea’s ready? Sounds good. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
He put his phone back in his pocket, and turned to the group.
“Coach Takato wants us to be at the gym. Said he’s laid out tea and snacks or something.”
“He doesn’t know about Sendoh,” said Jin.
“Exactly,” said Coach Taoka. “And he doesn’t ever need to find out if we find Sendoh.”
Maki raised an eyebrow.
“As the host I think he has the right to know if something bad happens to visitors.”
Coach Taoka laughed.
“You don’t know Coach Takato as well as I do.”
He did not elaborate.
And so they left the building, half glad, half sad. The “half sad” part of them was the result of abandoning Sendoh to his fate, whereas the “half glad” part was the result of the fact that Sendoh had bravely volunteered to have bad things befall him so that none of the others would have to.
“There are snacks in the gym,” said Coach Takato as the group approached the gym.
“Coach,” said Koshino, turning to Coach Taoka as they partook of the snacks and tea. “I think it’s time.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I’m talking about him,” he said cryptically.
“Oh, him.”
“What’s this all about?” said Coach Takato.
“Oh, nothing at all,” said Coach Taoka airily.
Coach Takato wouldn’t give up so easily.
“Oh really?” he said suspiciously. “Because I think you’re hiding something from me.”
Coach Taoka sighed.
“All right, fine. We can’t find Sendoh.”
Coach Takato rose.
“What?”
“I’m sure he’s just off on his own somewhere. He’ll turn up eventually.”
“You can’t do this to me. Can I have a word with you in private?”
Coach Takato pulled Coach Taoka aside, and began talking animatedly to him.
The group caught words like “the administration”, “my responsibility”, and “the police”.
Coach Taoka then jabbed a finger in Coach Takato’s direction.
Neither coach would back off.
“Oh dear,” said Coach Anzai. “Ho… ho… ho…”
“Hello, guys.”
It was Sendoh. The Ryonan ace strode in through the open gym doors.
“Sendoh!”
Coach Taoka was in front of him in a flash, before the others had time to express their relief at the fact that Sendoh had not been devoured by ghosts.
“You irresponsible idiot,” he yelled. “How could you run off like that without telling anybody? We were worried sick.”
“You should have told us you were going to be late,” said Maki with a shake of the head.
Sendoh held up his hands peaceably.
“Sorry and all that,” he said. “But I was here all along.”
“Hello? Ah, yes. Coach Takato. Yes, tell me. Er, yes, Coach Anzai and I are already here. Where are we right now? Er, right outside the school gates. Yes, yes, we’re coming in. The boys? Yes, I can see them out on the lawn. You want me to bring them in as well? Tea’s ready? Sounds good. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
He put his phone back in his pocket, and turned to the group.
“Coach Takato wants us to be at the gym. Said he’s laid out tea and snacks or something.”
“He doesn’t know about Sendoh,” said Jin.
“Exactly,” said Coach Taoka. “And he doesn’t ever need to find out if we find Sendoh.”
Maki raised an eyebrow.
“As the host I think he has the right to know if something bad happens to visitors.”
Coach Taoka laughed.
“You don’t know Coach Takato as well as I do.”
He did not elaborate.
And so they left the building, half glad, half sad. The “half sad” part of them was the result of abandoning Sendoh to his fate, whereas the “half glad” part was the result of the fact that Sendoh had bravely volunteered to have bad things befall him so that none of the others would have to.
“There are snacks in the gym,” said Coach Takato as the group approached the gym.
“Coach,” said Koshino, turning to Coach Taoka as they partook of the snacks and tea. “I think it’s time.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I’m talking about him,” he said cryptically.
“Oh, him.”
“What’s this all about?” said Coach Takato.
“Oh, nothing at all,” said Coach Taoka airily.
Coach Takato wouldn’t give up so easily.
“Oh really?” he said suspiciously. “Because I think you’re hiding something from me.”
Coach Taoka sighed.
“All right, fine. We can’t find Sendoh.”
Coach Takato rose.
“What?”
“I’m sure he’s just off on his own somewhere. He’ll turn up eventually.”
“You can’t do this to me. Can I have a word with you in private?”
Coach Takato pulled Coach Taoka aside, and began talking animatedly to him.
The group caught words like “the administration”, “my responsibility”, and “the police”.
Coach Taoka then jabbed a finger in Coach Takato’s direction.
Neither coach would back off.
“Oh dear,” said Coach Anzai. “Ho… ho… ho…”
“Hello, guys.”
It was Sendoh. The Ryonan ace strode in through the open gym doors.
“Sendoh!”
Coach Taoka was in front of him in a flash, before the others had time to express their relief at the fact that Sendoh had not been devoured by ghosts.
“You irresponsible idiot,” he yelled. “How could you run off like that without telling anybody? We were worried sick.”
“You should have told us you were going to be late,” said Maki with a shake of the head.
Sendoh held up his hands peaceably.
“Sorry and all that,” he said. “But I was here all along.”
◄ Chapter 15 ● Nights at Kainan ● Chapter 17 ►
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