Coaches Anzai and Taoka were very pleased indeed. Coach Takato had arranged for a scrumptious lunch for the three of them.
Coach Taoka dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
“Shohoku certainly has improved a great deal since we last faced you, Coach Anzai, but I must say my time is better still.”
“Ryonan certainly is an excellent team,” said Coach Anzai peaceably.
Coach Taoka was annoyed that he wasn’t able to move the “White-Haired Buddha” to irritation.
“Kainan is as good as ever, don’t you think,” he said finally, changing the subject.
“Kainan certainly is.”
Coach Anzai was the last choice of opponent for any person looking for a debate or argument. He was so damn agreeable!
Meanwhile the four basketball teams, softened by lunch and in some cases victory, were pleasantly reflecting on each other’s merits.
“Uozumi was so scary under the basket that I actually felt goosebumps on my arms when I made that shot back,” Jin recalled.
Uozumi was pleased at the compliment.
“But Takenori’s still the better center,” said Hanagata matter-of-factly. He did not mince words.
Not it was Takenori’s turn to look smug.
Uozumi only scowled at his rival.
Sendoh then introduced a topic on which everyone seemed to have an opinion:
“Who do you guys think is the better point guard: Maki or Fujima?”
Both Maki and Fujima looked embarrassed, though they each secretly thought himself the best point guard in Kanagawa.
Ryota was initially irked that no one should consider him to be in the same league as Maki and Fujima, but a sharp glare from Ayako stopped him calling Sendoh an opprobrious name at that moment.
Hikoichi’s wrote rapidly in his notebook.
“I’d definitely say Fujima,” said Hanagata. “There’s just no contest.”
Fujima nodded at him in gratitude like a benevolent monarch.
“Thank you, Toru, but I wish you hadn’t taken that long to say it.”
Predictably, most Kainan players named Maki and most Shoyo players named Fujima as the better point guard.
Sendoh should have thought to exclude them from giving their opinions. What really interested him was what impartial teams like Ryonan and Shohoku had to say.
Most of Ryonan named Maki and most of Shohoku named Fujima. Sendoh thought it made sense, since Shoyo was Shohoku’s first big opponent in the Inter Highs, and Ryonan had come so close to beating Kainan. Adversity breeds affection?
Coaches Anzai and Taoka departed after lunch.
The four teams sat outside on the lawn, enjoying the breeze, which had a sweet smell, and the unoppressive warmth of the afternoon sun above the treetops.
Sendoh’s leg was a lot better now, and he was able to walk around without the crutches, albeit a bit unsteadily.
“It was just a little sprain!” said Sendoh when others suspected him of malingering.
Mitsui cradled his lifeless cell phone in his hand, recalling the events that had led to its tragic demise.
“Jin,” he said. “Could you tell us more about the dormitory? And Mrs. Marilyn?”
Jin thought awhile.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “There was something else.”
Everyone leant in to listen.
“Another one of those legends surrounding Mrs. Marilyn. Her most prized possession was a gold pocket watch. An heirloom that had been in her family for a century or something. I know it’s true, because I’ve seen the watch myself. It was the kind you had to wind regularly, or it wouldn’t work. But the story connected with it is what I find a little eerie. Apparently the watch stopped ticking the moment Mrs. Marilyn drew her last breath, and it never worked after that, no matter how much people tried winding it.”
A sharp intake of breath.
“If that’s what really happened, that has to be one of the most remarkable coincidences I’ve ever heard of,” Jin concluded.
Mitsui coughed nervously.
“You say… You say you’ve seen this – this – uh – pocket watch, right?”
“Yup. The principal keeps it in his office. It’s in a glass case, under lock and key.”
Coach Takato walked up to the group.
“There are snacks in the gym, if you guys want any. Nothing too fancy. Just some seaweed crackers, and some milk and cookies.”
“Chocolate-chip cookies are the best,” said Sendoh with great emotion.
“Nyahahaha! Sendoh, you’re so childish!” said Hanamichi while licking two cookies at once.
Kiyota grimaced at the way Hanamichi was eating, oblivious of the fact that he was chewing with his mouth wide open himself.
“So Jin.” Fujima turned to Jin. “Could you tell us anything more about this pocket watch?”
Jin laughed.
“I really don’t know if there is any more. But I have heard that the ticks of the watch were pretty loud, if that interests you. Like, they could be heard from the next room.”
They returned to the lawn after snacks to enjoy the pleasant weather and fresh air.
“I think I’ve had enough fresh air,” Sendoh complained. “You know what? I think I’ll go on a tour of the school. Does anyone want to come along?”
No one did.
Sendoh shrugged, and walked away toward Kainan’s main building.
Fujima closed his eyes, and enjoyed the breeze hitting his face and gently tousling his brown hair.
“This is heavenly.”
For minutes, nobody spoke. Everyone was absorbed in his own thoughts, or enjoying the weather, like Fujima, if they had nothing to think about.
“So Koshino.” Maki turned to Koshino in an effort to start a conversation with him. “How did you like our game against Shoyo?”
Koshino was a little taken aback at being asked this question out of the blue.
“I… I really don’t know what to say. The game was exciting, of course,” Koshino stammered. In reality Koshino was trying not to start a fight between Maki and Fujima.
Silence returned soon after.
Ryota, lying on his back, was lazily gazing at the clouds, trying to discern what they resembled.
“Bear… ice cream cone… a banana… uh, a puppy… a mountain… a rocket ship… Ayako,” he recited to himself.
Ayako bristled in irritation at Ryota’s attempts at drawing her attention.
“How can you see anything through the trees?”
Ryota was struck dumb. He resumed gazing at the clouds through the trees with a hurt expression on his face.
The sun had begun setting, and the thick canopy above only made it darker than it was in reality.
“I think I’m going to head back to the gym to shoot some hoops or whatever,” said Maki.
Everyone else rose, too.
And so everyone went to the gym. Some of them were diligently practicing their shooting, and others just decided to watch and talk amongst themselves. Players like Kaede, Maki, and Jin, who had no real need to practice their shooting, were out on court, and players like Uozumi and Hanamichi, who did, sat and watched.
Sendoh arrived at the gym half an hour later. He had a contented look on his face that suggested that his tour of Kainan High School had been satisfactory.
“I had a nice time touring… alone,” he said with unexpected sarcasm. “What did you guys do the whole time?”
“Nothing,” Maki replied, evading Kaede and taking a shot. “Just lazing around.”
“I wish some of you guys had come with me. It would have been nice to have some company.”
Sendoh tried in vain to make everyone else feel as though they had missed out on something big. This did not have the desired effect, since he had underestimated how lazy everyone could be off court.
Coach Takato had arranged for an Italian dinner later that evening.
“I always like treating guests to the finest things in life,” he said lavishly. “Now eat, and you’d better like the food.”
The cafeteria was filled with the aroma of pasta, spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza.
Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed, but the captains of all four teams had taken it upon themselves to draw the line somewhere.
“You’ll grow fat and useless,” said Takenori.
He was ignored.
Kiyota gazed open-mouthed at Maki, who was thrusting voluminous amounts of spaghetti down his throat, not heeding his own injunction.
“So Sendoh.” Fujima tore his eyes away from Maki’s face, which was stuffed from cheek to cheek with food. “What exactly did you see on your, uh, tour?”
Sendoh leant back, and crossed his arms behind his head.
“Lots of things. I went to the library, the classrooms, the office, the other sports facilities, the roof garden, and the biology lab.”
Ayako looked up suddenly at the mention of the “biology lab”.
This did not escape Sendoh’s notice.
“I see you like biology.”
Ayako turned away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought you said… something else.”
Sendoh shrugged, and resumed staring at Maki.
Hikoichi was writing a self-imposed assignment on that night’s dinner, and Takenori was exerting enormous self-control to restrain himself from attacking the dessert table.
Hanamichi and Kiyota were bickering over whether pasta was better than spaghetti.
Uozumi gingerly felt his belly, afraid that he had grown fatter after dinner.
Fujima and Maki were having a mature, grownup conversation about why bubble gum should not be permitted in schools.
Sendoh continued staring pensively at Maki, even though he had stopped eating some time ago. He turned to Jin with a start.
“When was it that the dormitory was sealed and locked up?” he shot.
Jin thought for a moment.
“Not long after the ’87 massacre, I suppose.”
Sendoh smiled and leant back in his chair, apparently satisfied with Jin’s answer.
“Eep!” Mitsui suddenly exclaimed, covering his mouth with both hands.”
“What’s the matter, Mitsui?” said Fujima.
“I just realized something,” Mitsui stammered. “Something grave and terrible.”
“What?” said Miyamasu urgently. “What is it?”
“I just realized that tomorrow is the eve of Friday the Thirteenth. We’re all going to die!”
Coach Taoka dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
“Shohoku certainly has improved a great deal since we last faced you, Coach Anzai, but I must say my time is better still.”
“Ryonan certainly is an excellent team,” said Coach Anzai peaceably.
Coach Taoka was annoyed that he wasn’t able to move the “White-Haired Buddha” to irritation.
“Kainan is as good as ever, don’t you think,” he said finally, changing the subject.
“Kainan certainly is.”
Coach Anzai was the last choice of opponent for any person looking for a debate or argument. He was so damn agreeable!
Meanwhile the four basketball teams, softened by lunch and in some cases victory, were pleasantly reflecting on each other’s merits.
“Uozumi was so scary under the basket that I actually felt goosebumps on my arms when I made that shot back,” Jin recalled.
Uozumi was pleased at the compliment.
“But Takenori’s still the better center,” said Hanagata matter-of-factly. He did not mince words.
Not it was Takenori’s turn to look smug.
Uozumi only scowled at his rival.
Sendoh then introduced a topic on which everyone seemed to have an opinion:
“Who do you guys think is the better point guard: Maki or Fujima?”
Both Maki and Fujima looked embarrassed, though they each secretly thought himself the best point guard in Kanagawa.
Ryota was initially irked that no one should consider him to be in the same league as Maki and Fujima, but a sharp glare from Ayako stopped him calling Sendoh an opprobrious name at that moment.
Hikoichi’s wrote rapidly in his notebook.
“I’d definitely say Fujima,” said Hanagata. “There’s just no contest.”
Fujima nodded at him in gratitude like a benevolent monarch.
“Thank you, Toru, but I wish you hadn’t taken that long to say it.”
Predictably, most Kainan players named Maki and most Shoyo players named Fujima as the better point guard.
Sendoh should have thought to exclude them from giving their opinions. What really interested him was what impartial teams like Ryonan and Shohoku had to say.
Most of Ryonan named Maki and most of Shohoku named Fujima. Sendoh thought it made sense, since Shoyo was Shohoku’s first big opponent in the Inter Highs, and Ryonan had come so close to beating Kainan. Adversity breeds affection?
Coaches Anzai and Taoka departed after lunch.
The four teams sat outside on the lawn, enjoying the breeze, which had a sweet smell, and the unoppressive warmth of the afternoon sun above the treetops.
Sendoh’s leg was a lot better now, and he was able to walk around without the crutches, albeit a bit unsteadily.
“It was just a little sprain!” said Sendoh when others suspected him of malingering.
Mitsui cradled his lifeless cell phone in his hand, recalling the events that had led to its tragic demise.
“Jin,” he said. “Could you tell us more about the dormitory? And Mrs. Marilyn?”
Jin thought awhile.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “There was something else.”
Everyone leant in to listen.
“Another one of those legends surrounding Mrs. Marilyn. Her most prized possession was a gold pocket watch. An heirloom that had been in her family for a century or something. I know it’s true, because I’ve seen the watch myself. It was the kind you had to wind regularly, or it wouldn’t work. But the story connected with it is what I find a little eerie. Apparently the watch stopped ticking the moment Mrs. Marilyn drew her last breath, and it never worked after that, no matter how much people tried winding it.”
A sharp intake of breath.
“If that’s what really happened, that has to be one of the most remarkable coincidences I’ve ever heard of,” Jin concluded.
Mitsui coughed nervously.
“You say… You say you’ve seen this – this – uh – pocket watch, right?”
“Yup. The principal keeps it in his office. It’s in a glass case, under lock and key.”
Coach Takato walked up to the group.
“There are snacks in the gym, if you guys want any. Nothing too fancy. Just some seaweed crackers, and some milk and cookies.”
“Chocolate-chip cookies are the best,” said Sendoh with great emotion.
“Nyahahaha! Sendoh, you’re so childish!” said Hanamichi while licking two cookies at once.
Kiyota grimaced at the way Hanamichi was eating, oblivious of the fact that he was chewing with his mouth wide open himself.
“So Jin.” Fujima turned to Jin. “Could you tell us anything more about this pocket watch?”
Jin laughed.
“I really don’t know if there is any more. But I have heard that the ticks of the watch were pretty loud, if that interests you. Like, they could be heard from the next room.”
They returned to the lawn after snacks to enjoy the pleasant weather and fresh air.
“I think I’ve had enough fresh air,” Sendoh complained. “You know what? I think I’ll go on a tour of the school. Does anyone want to come along?”
No one did.
Sendoh shrugged, and walked away toward Kainan’s main building.
Fujima closed his eyes, and enjoyed the breeze hitting his face and gently tousling his brown hair.
“This is heavenly.”
For minutes, nobody spoke. Everyone was absorbed in his own thoughts, or enjoying the weather, like Fujima, if they had nothing to think about.
“So Koshino.” Maki turned to Koshino in an effort to start a conversation with him. “How did you like our game against Shoyo?”
Koshino was a little taken aback at being asked this question out of the blue.
“I… I really don’t know what to say. The game was exciting, of course,” Koshino stammered. In reality Koshino was trying not to start a fight between Maki and Fujima.
Silence returned soon after.
Ryota, lying on his back, was lazily gazing at the clouds, trying to discern what they resembled.
“Bear… ice cream cone… a banana… uh, a puppy… a mountain… a rocket ship… Ayako,” he recited to himself.
Ayako bristled in irritation at Ryota’s attempts at drawing her attention.
“How can you see anything through the trees?”
Ryota was struck dumb. He resumed gazing at the clouds through the trees with a hurt expression on his face.
The sun had begun setting, and the thick canopy above only made it darker than it was in reality.
“I think I’m going to head back to the gym to shoot some hoops or whatever,” said Maki.
Everyone else rose, too.
And so everyone went to the gym. Some of them were diligently practicing their shooting, and others just decided to watch and talk amongst themselves. Players like Kaede, Maki, and Jin, who had no real need to practice their shooting, were out on court, and players like Uozumi and Hanamichi, who did, sat and watched.
Sendoh arrived at the gym half an hour later. He had a contented look on his face that suggested that his tour of Kainan High School had been satisfactory.
“I had a nice time touring… alone,” he said with unexpected sarcasm. “What did you guys do the whole time?”
“Nothing,” Maki replied, evading Kaede and taking a shot. “Just lazing around.”
“I wish some of you guys had come with me. It would have been nice to have some company.”
Sendoh tried in vain to make everyone else feel as though they had missed out on something big. This did not have the desired effect, since he had underestimated how lazy everyone could be off court.
Coach Takato had arranged for an Italian dinner later that evening.
“I always like treating guests to the finest things in life,” he said lavishly. “Now eat, and you’d better like the food.”
The cafeteria was filled with the aroma of pasta, spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza.
Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed, but the captains of all four teams had taken it upon themselves to draw the line somewhere.
“You’ll grow fat and useless,” said Takenori.
He was ignored.
Kiyota gazed open-mouthed at Maki, who was thrusting voluminous amounts of spaghetti down his throat, not heeding his own injunction.
“So Sendoh.” Fujima tore his eyes away from Maki’s face, which was stuffed from cheek to cheek with food. “What exactly did you see on your, uh, tour?”
Sendoh leant back, and crossed his arms behind his head.
“Lots of things. I went to the library, the classrooms, the office, the other sports facilities, the roof garden, and the biology lab.”
Ayako looked up suddenly at the mention of the “biology lab”.
This did not escape Sendoh’s notice.
“I see you like biology.”
Ayako turned away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought you said… something else.”
Sendoh shrugged, and resumed staring at Maki.
Hikoichi was writing a self-imposed assignment on that night’s dinner, and Takenori was exerting enormous self-control to restrain himself from attacking the dessert table.
Hanamichi and Kiyota were bickering over whether pasta was better than spaghetti.
Uozumi gingerly felt his belly, afraid that he had grown fatter after dinner.
Fujima and Maki were having a mature, grownup conversation about why bubble gum should not be permitted in schools.
Sendoh continued staring pensively at Maki, even though he had stopped eating some time ago. He turned to Jin with a start.
“When was it that the dormitory was sealed and locked up?” he shot.
Jin thought for a moment.
“Not long after the ’87 massacre, I suppose.”
Sendoh smiled and leant back in his chair, apparently satisfied with Jin’s answer.
“Eep!” Mitsui suddenly exclaimed, covering his mouth with both hands.”
“What’s the matter, Mitsui?” said Fujima.
“I just realized something,” Mitsui stammered. “Something grave and terrible.”
“What?” said Miyamasu urgently. “What is it?”
“I just realized that tomorrow is the eve of Friday the Thirteenth. We’re all going to die!”
◄ Chapter 6 ● Nights at Kainan ● Chapter 8 ►
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