Chapter 22

It was the night of the Final Leaf festival. Nothing was in my mind besides sports novels and media tonight. No matter how many times I've read a bunch of them, it just didn't help. I just kept falling over and over on this thing!

I've been trying to learn how to bike for the last couple of days and I still haven't gotten the hang of it. My knees and elbows have touched the ground too many times these past days that I was starting to lose it.

Mako: This is hopeless!

Voice from a far: Of course it's hopeless if you keep learning it that way!

Mako: What the fuck!?

I shot back into the darkness. All I could do was swiftly turn left and right to check if the voice I just heard wasn't a ghost. I'm already on extra edge, a ghost would only make me pass out from shock! Or even worse, die!

There was a rustling from a distance. The sound of wheels squeaking from a distance helped my triangulate where that voice could've originated from. I reached over to my bag, ready to swing!

Jake: It's me.

I swung it anyway! Don't fucking try to scare me like that! He just narrowly dodged my leather bag. Damn those quick reflexes. Jake fell to the ground as a result though. His ass was firmly planted on the ground and face clearly pissed off.

Jake: What the hell!?

Mako: Whoops? It was an accident? Tehee~

Jake: Then at least act like it's an accident, damn it! What the hell are you even doing so late in the evening. Why are there so many books lying around?

First of all, I didn't want to admit to him that I was in the park so late to practice. There was no way that I was going to let people see me fall over and over again. Just hella embarrassing! Though looking around, it reminded me of how small this park was.

The park we're in was the community park near my apartment building. We were here before but this was the dirted path for kids to play in. Nothing but small stone benches, tables, and trees around this part of the park. Sadly, I came here to make sure no one would see me. Yet, here I am. Fully red in the ears, good thing my hair was covering it too.

Jake: Don't tell me… The great Mako doesn't know how to ride a bike.

Mako: Shut the fuck up already. I'm already on my wits end thinking that you could've been a ghost that was laughing at me from afar.

Jake: A bit vivid but I understand. It's embarrassing that you're already this old and you don't know how to pedal.

Mako: You have about five minutes to run before I kick your ass. I have a pepper spray too but that would be light. I might as well use this bike instead!

Jake: Calm down! I'm done. That was the last one. I get it, I really do. But why all the novels around you? Are you editing something?

Mako: I guess you could say that. I'm reading sports novels so I could have an idea on how to bike. Some were helpful but in the end it was a bit of a waste.

Jake: Then why did you get a book for football?

Mako: I heard that one was really good, so I thought why not. The bookstore was on sale anyway.

Jake: So how was it?

Mako: Well essentially sports anime have a set amount of rules and objectives to live by. Most of them follow a tournament arc because that's the only way to show a clear sense of progression for the audience. Anything else is a bit hard to be invested about. Think of it like when you're just doing a task over and over, you'd want to have an end result or goal right? Same principle. However, what I think makes sports novels so great is the grit of the main act. How can you make a character's journey interesting without making the climax fall through. A bit vague because you can say that about other genres but it's much more prominent in these kinds of stories. Training, understanding, living, you have to experience this with the character in sports novels or you won't ever understand it. Their rise to the top or their climactic fall. Unlike other stories out there, sports novels have to hold your hand every step of the way. That's why reading or watching sports media feels like a reward.

Jake: You sure talk a lot if it's about writing.

Mako: Why wouldn't I? It's what I love the most.

Jake: I wish I was like you. Someone with a clear goal in mind. It reminds me of my brother sometimes. He clearly knows what he wants, chasing after those literature awards.

Mako: Everyone grows at a different pace, that's one thing that sports stories also excel in. Deep character dives. Knowing and understanding each individual the team. Their quirks, weaknesses and how they overcome them, their inner strife. In that sense, there's no actual climax in sports stories because every portion of it digs deep. The ending of a tournament or a battle only shows the final resolve.

Jake: You're certainly interesting that's for sure.

Mako: Of course I am! I'm the fucking protagonist!

Jake: Yep, yep. A protagonist that doesn't even know how to ride a bike.

Mako: Even a protagonist has flaws.

Jake: I guess so. Did you actually just come here to learn how to bike? I mean it would be a shame that a fancy looking bike like that would be stored. Where did you even get that? Did you use your money?

Mako: A gift from my employer. He said that there were some people who would ride their bikes to mt. Polaris every year. And in that conversation, he asked if I commuted. One thing led to another, he gave Akira.

Jake: Akira? Like the movie?

Mako: Yeah, like the movie. It's paintjob was inspired from it after all. So I guess it's fitting.So, what about you? Don't you have work tomorrow? Old man Zeke said that he would be there in the early morning too.

Jake: Nice of you to be concerned but I have a ride tomorrow. I'd bike there if I could but riding across four stations then towards the picnic area of mt. Polaris doesn't sound good.

Mako: Alright then.

Jake: Actually I came here to think about a few things. Mostly about what happened here, days ago.

Mako: Oh, that exchange.

Jake: You're really messed up y'know. And I hate the fact that you're always right in the grand scheme of things. Even just sitting next to you feels like I don't belong here. Yet, I feel more like myself when I'm with you than I am with them. It's honestly messing me up more than anything. Going to school has been hard. You made me question it.

Mako: Question what?

Jake: If what I have is even genuine…

All Jake could do was stare down at his fists. He's grown a bit but that's not something I care about. Whatever problem he has is his own conflict that he has to overcome. I stepped back into my back then started to pedal. However, I think my legs finally gave way because I was already on the ground. Ouch…

Jake: Hey! Were you even listening?

Mako: Of course I was, I just didn't care.

Jake: Geez, you're the worst.

Mako: I'm not the person you should be talking about this in the first place. Even I don't know what the fuck is genuine. So talking about what's genuine and what's not doesn't actually matter. It's something that you should figure out for yourself. Talking about it is pointless. Rather, I'd say. "I want to find my own version of genuine". Something like that?

Jake just let out a small sigh then smiled. Guess he understood it after all. It's true though, I don't know what the hell is genuine but I'm not the type to give up in finding it. I want to write someday. That's something that I think is genuine, at least for me. As I reached out for the sky, Jake's hand pulled mine. Now back up on my feet, he got my bike up too.

Jake: You're a real handful, you know that. And so is that she devil that disguises herself as a-

Mako: Cinnamon roll?

Jake: How did you-

Mako: I just do.

As he let go of my bike, his expression shifted. His eyes were a lot more sharp as he matched mine. He sighed quite loudly, clearly from the exhaustion from remembering.

Jake: So you know about?

Mako: Of course I do. I'd be a complete dumbass if I didn't. Mera isn't completely stable and I know that. But I have my own reasons for staying with her. Reasons that I can't say or even want to think about. Reasons that would make me the antagonist.