Chapter 1
(April 3rd Monday)
A cool breeze passes by, softly ruffling my hair. I bask in the mild weather of April, the feel of sun against my skin. I can faintly hear the sound of the wind against the trees below and the chirping of birds above.
I'm content to just laze around and watch the clouds in the sky. It has always been a good way to kill time when I had nothing to do.
Lately, though, it has developed into a habit.
As I lay on the ground watching the cloud. I feel myself drifting way to sleep; just keeping my eyelids open seems impossible to fight at this point.
I'm tempted to just reach into my bag and grab my gaming console, but the thought of playing while fighting my urge to sleep is too troublesome.
I am snapped out of my sleep, induced daze by the sound of the school bell.
Is it that late?
Slowly I hear voices. At first there are only a few, but they keep increasing little by little.
Students are probably leaving the auditorium now and are heading towards their classrooms.
Others are likely carrying around pamphlets and trying to recruit new students for their clubs.
I don't even have to look to know what's happening. It's the same scene every year, after all.
Just the thought of being pushed around by these people who keep trying to go to a million different places gives me a headache.
I suppose I should head into class myself.
Then I remember that that teacher is going to be in charge of our homeroom this year.
I think I'll stay here and catch some sleep.
Seems like the more comfortable approach. As I began to feel the sweet calling of dreamland.
A sudden noise snaps my mind back to reality.
Did some student decide to wander onto the roof?
Students aren't allowed up on the roof so on is supposed to come here...As for me...I just come here for the peace and quiet. It's a great napping spot after all.
The sound of approaching steps echoes, I move my ears a bit to be able to hear it better.
Is it... Is it coming towards me!?
Shit, have I been caught!?
"I had a feeling you would be here..."
I twitched to the sound of a familiar voice.
My body relaxes almost instantly. Thanked god...It's not trouble.
I slowly open my eyes, holding a hand up to block the sunlight from assaulting my vision.
Standing atop me is a tall guy my own age with a kind, wry smile across his face.
Hayate..
His bright emerald gaze looks directly at my eyes, nearly as bright as the morning sky above it. He looked like he didn't know whether he wanted to commend or chastise me.
So in the end, he merely stood at the same spot, looking down at me with indecision.
Finally, he sighed, scratching his chin and continuing to watch me with that smile.
"You do know morning assembly is already over right?"
He sits down next to me with a sigh, turning around to look at my face with smile.
"I don't know how you manage to keep avoiding the teachers every single year, but they were really pissed this time. I think your luck just might run out."
I'm somewhat taken aback by this nonchalant attitude. Shouldn't you be a little more pissed? I really thought he had come over to drag me to the office.
He puts both his arms behind his head and lies down on the ground next to me. I can feel the heat radiating from his body; out arms slightly graze one another.
Ah, I'm still feeling a little drowsy. Guess I might sleep for a few more minutes.
"By the way, my sister was looking for you this morning. Did she talk with you?"
His voice breaks the pleasant silence from before. I don't really feel like speaking so I just nod along. He rubs his arm against mine to grab my attention.
I turn my head slightly so that he's in my sight.
He looks somewhat annoyed by my lack of words.
Eh... what a pain.
"She asked me to show around school. I said that she should probably ask you instead. She wasn't amused."
holds back a laugh.
"She also asked me if she looked cute in her new uniform. I told her 'it looks good'. She was not happy about that."
This time, He's unable to hold back and laugh softly, his shoulders moving up and down at a pleasant rhythm.
"She tried to hit me with her bag. Lucky for me, I'm a fast runner."
Hayate doubles over, clutching his stomach as he continues on his fit of laughter. I looked at him with a serious face.
"It's not funny; your sister is the devil."
"Sorry, sorry. I know I shouldn't laugh."
He takes a few deep breaths, trying to stabilize himself. Little by little, his shoulders stop moving.
"Okay...I think I'm okay now."
Really? Because you still look like you're about to burst into fits of laughter at any minute now.
"Sorry, she was such a pain, she actually spent most of the summer sending me photos of her in different clothes, asking me what would look good for her first day of class."
"At first I thought she was joking, but when the semester was close to starting and she hadn't stopped. I send her a message reminding her of the uniform"
"And?"
"She got mad at me because I didn't tell her sooner."
Really? A high school student had to be reminded of the existence of the school uniform? Talk about a blunder.
"Oh, and it looks like she still has a major crush on you."
"Ugh...Don't remind me."
When we were kids, Ella had a serious older brother complex. Always following us around and saying that she wanted to marry her 'big brother' when she grew up. In fact, I remember teasing Hayate about it all the time...
But...Why did she have to fall for me?!
...if I let him know how much it annoys me, he'll tease me mercilessly for the rest of the day.
Time for tactical retreat. Change the subject!
"...Is your dad still out of town?"
...that's was the first thing that came to mind. Oh god I suck at this.
His eyes say 'Really? That's the best you can do?", but he still let it slide.
"Yeah, Business trip to Tokyo. He'll stay there for most of the semester."
"Why don't you stay with your mom in the meantime? I'm sure she'd be thrilled about it..." Hayate was slightly annoyed.
At that moment, the looks on his face is enough to tell me that I said something I shouldn't have.
"That's...an idea...but I don't really feel comfortable. I feel like an outsider. Their house has stopped being my home a long time ago. Plus, someone has to watch over our house, so it's better if I stay there"... Hayate smiled.
"It's not all bad, though. At least I can enjoy not having some breathing down my back about the chores that need to be done."
And yet, I'm sure you will do them regardless. Come to think of it... I don't remember much of his current house. I didn't really visit much since his parents got divorced. Maybe I should go there sometime to keep him company?
I know he still has a hard time dealing with the divorce, even if he likes to pretend that everything is fine.
"Maybe I should come over? I'll even bring one of my gaming consoles."
"Oh, that actually sounds like a great idea. Bring the Street Fighter, then. It has the best fighting games!"
"Fighting games? Again? Are those the only ones you can play?"
"No, but they're the only ones I can actually beat you in."
How can he say something so sad with such a smile on his face?
"Fair enough, I'll see if I can get some free time this week. I can go over and spend the night. We could pull a gaming all-night."
"Deal! Well, except the part about the all-nighter. I don't think it'd be a good idea to lose sleep."
Booo, Such a goody two shoes you are Hayate!
It feels so natural to see him smiling all the time...It's weird to think that he isn't always like this.
Whenever he's dealing with the few people that aren't part of hid group of friends, he always has such a serious look on his face. Honestly, it feels like two completely different people.
He starts leaning back to lie on the floor as well, but just as his back his about to touch the floor, he shoots up.
"Shit, I almost forgot! Saya asked me to bring you over after she's done instructing the new club members."
Ugh... N-no way, I took a damn day off since there isn't anything important we need today."
Hayate gives a big sigh
I was hoping she wouldn't have gone that far.
"Is that so? Shouldn't the vice-captain be there to introduce to the members?"
Hayate shoots me such a suspicious look that I'm afraid he won't buy it.
"Eh, I guess I'll just give you the benefit of doubt on this one"
...Luckily, he merely shrugs it off. I just managed to make up a convincing lie on the spot. Good going, me!
"The tennis club has things so easy. We had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get permission to use the courts during the break." Hayate gives an annoyed look...
"Meanwhile, you guys had free access to them every day. It's so unfair!"
I gave a smirk and said.
"If you want better treatment, maybe you guys should start winning more."
I had planned on getting up and bolting long before I finished my sentence, but I seem to have overlooked one fatal flaw in my plan...
My body is still feeling the laziness from sleep, taking too long to move. In that time, Hayate -
Unable to get up on time, I'm grabbed in a choke hold by Hayate, who immediately starts grinding his fist at my hand.
Hayate gave an evil face.
"Hoho~, was it my imagination? I could have sworn I heard a little brat trash talking my precious volleyball club. It couldn't have been you, right?"
While this might seem like a bad situation for an average person, I'm already so used to this kind of treatment that it doesn't even scare me.
In fact, even if Logan is a little annoyed at my comment, this is nothing more than rough play for him.
If he really wants to hurt me, I'd have no chance of winning. This guy is freakishly strong!
While he definitely has his arm wrapped around my neck, the "noose" is loose enough that I can get out whenever I want.
Still, I decided to humor him and play the part.
I smiled and said.
"Ahhh, Hayate, I'm sorry I'm sorry! Please forgive me, let me go!"
"Uugh..."
Hayate's body rumbles as he makes a chocking noise.
He burst out of laughter.
"Pfft- Buhahaha!"
Unable to hold it in, Hayate begins to laugh with me still in his grip; Feeling his body vibrating like that is strange, a familiar sensation?
But even though he can barely restrain his laughter, he continues to play his part.
"If you think forgiveness is going to come that easily, then you're surely mistaken. It would take at least one hundred years to achieve penance."
"Hahaha, wait, Hayate, you're tickling me. And what's with that number? Be more realistic!"
Playing around like this is so nostalgic, it makes me miss the days of our childhood together.
...Well, not that those days ever really left. After all, we are rolling around on the rooftop in plain daylight.
Hayate gently pushes me away from him, giving me a tap on the shoulder.
"Away with you, now, Heathen. I am done with your punishment!"
"Heathen? When this did became an inquisition?"
"I don't know; I just always wanted to say a line like that."
He is acting so silly right now that I can't help but laugh. Whenever we get together, we end up like little kids.
It's why we stopped studying together. We could never get things done.
"This is our last year, you know. You should try enjoying high school life a little more."
Whoa. The change of subject came so fast that I can feel some whiplash.
"I am enjoying it. And also, what's with the sudden change of subject?"
"No you're not. You barely speak to anyone in school other than Saya, Kenji and me. And that came from me being worried about you. You should be happy."
"Alright...Mom. And for your information, I have plenty of friends."
"Casual acquaintance aren't the same thing as friends, and I know that all of your classmates fall into that category."
"That's not true. You're just overstating the requirements to friendship."
Hayate gave a big sigh.
"Is that so?"
I shrug. Nothing I can say to change his mind, so I won't really bother to.
"By the way, what time is it now? I can't hear the students downstairs anymore."
...Huh, that's true. It's gotten pretty quiet.
"I can't either...Wait, why are you asking me that? Just check your phone."
"I left it in my bag."
"Pfft, you're so unprepared."
I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the time. Woah! It's already past 10am!
"11:36!?"
Hayate almost shoots up.
"Shit, I'm late! I'm supposed to be helping with the new team members."
"Sorry I held you up here for so long."
Hayate gets up quickly, dusting his clothes off.
"Is there any dirt on my back?"
"No and its fine, they clean the rooftop every day."
"Doesn't change the fact we were lying around on the floor."
"If this was going to be such a problem then why did you do it in the first place?"
"It didn't feel like a problem at the time."
"Now come on, I'm sure you have better things to do other fall asleep on the school rooftop, Even if you end up skipping practice."
"Here, let me help you."
Hayate leans down towards me, offering me a hand.
Seeing the blue sky shining brightly behind him and the gentle breeze ruffling his ink blue long hair... for some reason I can feel myself blushing.
Without really knowing why, I decide to look away and attempt to hide, like a kid that got caught doing something bad.
"I-I don't need help, I'm not a child!"
"I'm not saying you are. But what's wrong with me trying to do something nice for a friend? I just want help you."
Da-damn you smooth talker...
Despite my protests, I still grad hold of his hand, being pulled up to my feet as if I weighted nothing.
Actually, hayate overdoes it, yanking me off the ground like some kind of ragdoll and sending me crashing into him.
My face lands square on his shoulder. It never ceases to amaze me how deceptively strong he is.
I mean...he already looks strong. But he's still much stronger than he looks, if that makes any sense.
"Ow! Jeez, you're way too strong. Try to be more gentle, you're gonna end up throwing me off the building!"
"Haha, sorry. You're lighter than you look."
"Wha- What's that supposed to mean?"
Hayate laughs it out and just as I'm pulling away from him, a strong gust of wind against us violently.
"Woah, it's so windy up here. How did you manage to stay here for so long?"
"It's not usually this windy up here you know."
Plus, you're making for a pretty good wind shield right now with how big you are.
My pocket starts vibrating with force. I already know who it might be, so I choose to ignore it.
Hayate, though, has completely stopped. His eyes are glued to my pants pocket.
"Aren't you going to get that?"
I gave a big smirk.
"Nope!"
"It's in bad taste to ignore a call you know."
"Spare me the lecture. I know who it is and this will be a conversation I want to avoid."
Hayate gives a loud hmm, and, in one fast movement, hayate shoves a hand down my pocket and took my phone and answered.
"Wha- Hey, give that back!"
"Hello~ could this be Yamato'ssecret girlfri-...Saya?"
Well fuck me, here's the development I didn't want to see occurring.
The changes to his expression are already enough to tell me that I screwed. I attempt to stealthily walk away from the situation.
"You have a match? You told me you were taking the day off!"
Shit...
"I am! Without consent..."
Hayate starts rubbing his forehead
.
"Yeah, Saya, sure; I'll bring him."
Nooooo...I don't wanna goo.
Hayate hangs up the phone and looks at me with a grumpy expression.
"I don't appreciate being lied to."
"I don't have to narrate my every waking moment to you, do I? "
"Well, no...but you have to go practice."
"Why?"
"It's your responsibility."
"Again; why?"
"Because you're the vice-captain for crying out loud, and this is not up for debate."
Hayate grabs me by my shirt collar and starts dragging me.
"Woah, I'll go, I'll go! You don't have to drag me. H-hayate, Hayate!??"
We arrived to the tennis club as Logan let go of my collar.
"Saya, we're here!"
Saya stomps her way over us, nearly knocking down some students that were unlucky enough to be in her path.
If this was some kind of manga, I'm one hundred percent sure she'd have smoke coming out of her ears.
"YOU ASSHOLE!"
"Oh lord-" I trembled in fear.
I am grabbed by the collar of my shirt and dragged to the courts. What's with people always grabbing me by my shirt, I have arms, grab those! They don't cost money and there is no risk of ripping them!
"There's no way you're running away again!"
"W-wait, Sa-Saya. I promise I'm not gonna try to escape. Please stop pulling my shirt!"
Saya, one of my dear childhood friends, is the current captain of school's tennis club. Unfortunately for me, she is incredibly brash and hot-headed.
Even though she looks so innocent and tries to act cute, she's a monster whenever she gets angry.
And considering how easy she is to anger, one could say that she lives in a state of constant rage. Light-brown, short hair, standing at 176cm, she's also one of the tallest girls in school, which I fin slightly unsettling.
A white headed guy comes in and pats Saya's shoulder.
"Saya, I'd like to remind you that our new members are watching this little display here."
Saya turns around to look at the source of that voice, her nostrils flared and her eyebrows furrowed.
Not to mention that huge vein that's pulsing on her forehead.
The one addressing her is kenji, one of our juniors. Despite his age, he's by the most responsible member of the team and is constantly counseling Saya and me.
Sometimes it feels like he's the one pulling the strings here instead of us seniors.
Not thirty seconds after pooping up to speak his mind, kenji has already left to busy himself with something else.
Somehow, it seems that his interference, however it was enough to bring her back to her senses.
"Right. Anyway, thanks for the help Hayate!"
"Pfft, don't mention it. Call me anytime this unruly child gives you any more problems!"
He seems to be enjoying himself far more than he should.
Bastard, I'll get him back for this.
Gym No.3, the one that houses the tennis courts, is actually separated in half by a giant locker room. On one side, we have the tennis courts. One the other, we have the volleyball courts.
So in the end, it was incredibly convenient for him as he was already bound to come by his way anyway.
Saya clears her throat and straightens her clothes, turning around to look at Logan. She still maintains a death girl on my shirt collar though.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some captaincy duties to fulfill!"
He waves us goodbye, heading towards the locker rooms, supposedly for his own practice.
...Meanwhile, I can feel Saya leering at my back. A creeping sense of dread begins to settle.
"W-well, Saya. I guess I'll just..."
"Don't move!"
Her voice is so filled of authority that I'm cut down before I even have a chance to speak. Before long, I completely toss away the foolish notion that I ever had a chance to escape.
Saya took a big sigh.
"Why are you being so troublesome? You know about out club's tradition. We had to delay practice because of you!"
I look away from her, trying to ignore the slight drop of guilt I feel in my chest.
She's of course, talking about out club's special yearly match featuring a junior and a senior player elected by members of those years to represent them in a special one-set match.
No one really knows why they initially made it, but nowadays it's accepted as a way to show off our best players to those that are just joining the club.
This is why this match takes place at this first day of class.
"Do I really have to? I already took part in last year. Isn't there some kind of attendance limit to allow more people to participate?"
Even as I'm trying to find a way out of it, I already know the best I can do is buy some time.
It's true though that I was chosen to represent the juniors last year, defeating the senior's representative by 6-3, the first time in over ten years that the juniors had won.
Heh, I was pretty happy about it last year too.
"Look, normally I'd give you a pass, but all of the seniors voted for you this year. It'd be unfair to them if I picked someone else."
Usually we host one match per gender category, so we'd have the girls and the boys playing in separate categories.
But still, the guys are still allowed to vote on who they want to see representing the girls and vice versa. It's a pretty neat system.
"Come on, it can't have been literally everyone. I know for a fact that I didn't vote for myself."
"Don't try to be cute, you didn't even vote at all. You were absent that day."
Shit-
"And yes, you got every single vote. One hundred present! Is it even that big of a surprise?"
"You're one of the most well-known players; of course our guys would want to watch you play!"
"Doesn't help that you have been slacking off practice for the past year"
I attempted to act frustrated by sighing as loudly as I can.
The hope was that she'd see it and decide to take pity on me. It isn't very effective.
Saya glares at me.
"Should I take that sigh as a sign that you've resigned yourself to your fate? Yes? Great, then it's show time!"
Saya grabs me by my wrist and starts dragging me to one of the courts. Just as I'm about to truly surrender to my inescapable fate...
I felt a hand touching my shoulder. As I turn around, I'm greeted to the sight of Kenji's face.
"Hey, how about we take a little breather here, okay? Saya, Yamato hasn't even changed out of his uniform yet, how she supposed to play like this? Can't we at last give him some time to get changed?"
Ke-kenji! You're the best!
Saya stares at him; the bulging vein on her forehead makes another appearance as her eye-brows twitch with frustration.
Just when it seems like she might not budge...
"Uugh, fine. But be quick about it, I don't want to have to delay this any longer than I have to."
"Th-thank you. I'll be right back!"
I flash kenji a thumbs up as a thank you. Now I just have a plot my escape-
"And don't think about of trying to run away, otherwise ill hunt you down and I'll chop your legs off!"
...On second thought.
I dash towards the male locker room, trying to get this done as fast as I can. Every second I take makes Saya even madder and I can't risk that. Just then...
I see Hayate standing right next to his locker, his eyes just as glued on me as mine is on him.
For a second, what is happening doesn't really click for any of us. After all, it's not every day that someone runs into a locker room and nearly crashes into the locker.
Hayate's hands are still frozen on the waistband of his jockstraps.
His hands are still clutching it as if he had just pulled it up a mere fraction of seconds before I walked in.
And the entire backside of it is completely bare, especially with him standing like that, giving me a perfect view of his-..
He turn away to face me and I took a glimpse of his dick...I gasp to his size and blushed so hard.
"Yamato-"
"AH! So-sorry!"
I turn around as fast as possible, trying to ease the image of my half-naked childhood friend from my mind.
But I paced my hand on my mouth and thought for a second the size he had.
"Is this really necessary? I'm not packing anything you haven't seen tons of times before."
"Sh-shut up!"
It's true though but Th-that size...Ugh! , I'm not usually this much of a nervous wreck around naked people but having no time to prepare myself mentally has made me completely shocked to this sudden exposure.
And it had to be hayate of all people?!
I can hear him softly chucking from behind me.
Probably having a lot of fun at my breakdown.
I mean...Seeing someone in their underwear inside of a locker room is no big deal...and again it's true that I've seen him wearing less before...But...ugh...I was a kid back then. I didn't really understand how embarrassing nudity is.
In the end, I can't decide if I should make a conversation, move towards my locker or start undressing myself.
I just stand here with my back turned away from him.
"Your eyes aren't going to fall off if you look at me you know?"
"Have you gotten dressed yet?"
"Nope; and I'm not going to until you turn around and look at me."
"Wha- Why would you do that?!"
"Cause you're freaking out and its hilarious!"
Ugh... I'm gonna kill him.
I turned around to face him as I could feel myself blushing.
"Th-there, I'm looking...I can see more of you than I'd like to...and did you have to be wearing a jockstrap...oh god I can see your ass."
"Oh this? It looks pretty snazzy doesn't it?"
"It looks like something you'd buy at a sex shop. Snice when have you worn this kind of skimpy underwear?"
"I'll have you know that I brought this at an athletic gear store. And it's actually pretty damn comfortable."
"It's great to practice in. one of my teammates recommended it to me a few weeks back and I gave it a try."
"Don't I look great in it?"
"Whatever you want to believe..."
"You know, for someone that's complaining so much about me being half-naked, you sure seems to be interested in my Dick~ your eyes haven't left that area since you turned around"
"Sh-shut up, I'm looking at the only area of your body that's still clothed!"
"Mhm, sure you are. Keep telling yourself that."
Before hayate turns back to his locker room, I took one more glance of his dick and saw it got hard and bulging out.
I could feel myself starting to drool and I want to touch the tip...Sh-shit, I shouldn't think about this!
"There, I'm dressed. You can stop freaking out now."
Ah-..What? Since when he dressed that quick?
"Ye-yea, thank you."
God, I can feel my cheeks are so hot right now.
"Good thing your house has a bath, I think you'd have a meltdown if you had to shower at school."
"I don't doubt that."
I place my tennis bag on a bench and pull out my practice clothes. For second, I move to undress myself...I see Hayate with the corner of my eye and freeze.
He looks at me in confusion for a few seconds. Then, realization dawns on him and sighs heavily.
"You want me to turn back, don't you?"
I gave a small nod.
Hayate sighs again and turns away from me.
"How do you even deal with this when you're staying at a hotel for a tournament?"
"I don't use the hotel's bath. I look for a bath house with private rooms."
"That's kinda sad."
"All right, you can turn around now."
Hayate turns over again as I'm adjusting my shirt.
"Good thing Kenji swooped in to help me. If I had left it up to Saya, she'd have forced me to play in plain clothes."
His expression turns sour when I mentioned kenji.
"Hooray for that."
"Still mad over what happened last time?"
"It was my ball and he knew it!"
For some reason that completely eludes me, these two are always finding some stupid reason to fight over.
I swear, it's like placing a burning candle next to gasoline. The slightest thing makes it catch fire.
"And for the last time; Let it go. It's been almost three weeks already!"
Hayate pouts. God, he's too childish when it comes to kenji.
"I'll let it go when he apologizes."
"We both know that's never going to happen. Just drop it."
"Why do I have to be the one to accept defeat?"
"Because when neither of you is winning, you're both just making me miserable!"
Hayate sighs heavily.
"Fine, fine. I'll talk to him; you don't have to be rude, well anyways. I have to get to practice. Talk to you later?"
I gave a soft smile.
"Okay, see ya."
Hayate waves me bye as I wave him back, I check my bag to make sure I have everything in order.
Once I'm sure that's nothing's missing, I grab my racket and head outside.
As I start looking for Saya, I catch kenji stretching alone at a court.
"Oh, you got to be kidding me!"
"What took you so long? Did you get lost inside the locker room?"
"I ran into Logan while I was changing..."
At least she's no longer breathing fire from her mouth. She seems to have mostly calmed down. She's only just annoyed.
"By the way, I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before, but kenji is the one you'll be playing against."
"You were kind of flight risk at the time..."
"Just like you, he got all the votes in his year. This is the first time our club has gotten two players with 100% of the votes. I'm really excited for this!"
She looks like she might start jumping place from excess glee.
"I've only played against him once and that was a while ago... but I still can't see myself losing to him."
"To be honest, I also think you'll win. But then again, this is tennis. Never put your past in your opponent to win by an upset."
"You should be happy; this will be a great chance for you to practice. You'll probably play against him during the prefectural anyway."
"Yeah, great. Practice I didn't even want to get. Such an amazing opportunity indeed."
I grumble unhappily in place. She shakes her head sideways, making an exaggerated shrug.
"I find your lack of enthusiasm disturbing."
"Seriously? Isn't that quote from a movie?"
I know she's a film nerd but Jesus, there's a limit to everything you know.
"Hey, its fits the conversation."
With a big smile on her face, Saya shrugs one las time before walking away towards the umpire chair, leaving me to watch in dismay as Sebastian finishes his preparations.
Wait, the umpire chair? She's the one that'll be overseeing the match today?
Oh, this is just great. Is our couch absent today again? I swear to god, that man takes every opportunity he has to slack off.
And on the first day of school? Like seriously?
Deciding to think nothing more of it, I proceed to do the most basic warm-up, making sure to finish it in less than five minutes or less...
It's not my usual warm up, but then again, I don't even care about this match in the first place...
I wish I was home.
As I make my way to court, I can hear some of my club mates whispering here and there, most of them sounding really excited for some reason.
I guess Saya wasn't kidding when she said that people had been looking forward to this match...
Damn it all.
I see that kenji is waiting for me, having already finished his warm up. Even though he was running around and doing stretches up until now.
As he sees me coming over, he flashes a bright smile.
"How are you feeling right now? You seemed a little out of it earlier. Did Saya give you too much trouble?"
"Sorry, I was half asleep earlier today. All that shouting is still ringing in my ears."
Kenji gives a small smirk...
"As long as you're not liming it should be fine. I'd be wary of angering her again."
"I'll say. It feels like I've had a few years knocked off of my life expectancy."
Saya is one scary girl when she's angry.
Kenji laughs at my remark, his normally deep voice carrying softly through the air.
He's pretty subdued most of the time, but I guess there's a certain air of refinement to him. Like...almost as if he wasn't just some average high school student.
"Well, since we'll be playing only one set, stamina won't be much of a problem. How about we go at each other guns blazing from the start?"
I give a soft smile.
"Sounds good to me. How do we decide who gets the first serve? Should we flip a coin?"
"If it's okay with you, I'd like you to take the first serve. I know it's usually your preference and I'd like to give it a try."
"Huh... sure, I guess. I mean, if you're really okay with it."
"Mhm, shall we get started then?"
I nod, wishing him good luck and heading over to my side of the court.
What's up with him willingly giving me the first serve?
Sigh...he's totally underestimating me isn't he?
I walk over to my starting position and one of the freshmen hands me two balls, I guess Saya roped them into being our ball-boys for this match, huh?
I take a few deep breathes to steady myself. Once I walk onto the court, I shouldn't focus on anything but my opponent.
It doesn't matter if it's a tournament match or an exhibition match; it's all still tennis in the end.
I throw the ball into the air, moving my body as quickly as I can with a whip-like motion to hit the ball at the peak of the toss.
It goes past the net and his close to the line, a powerful flat serve that goes wide. The ball bounces quickly and swiftly, sliding past Kenji's reaches.
Or at least it should have. With a swift motion, he dashes to the ball and returns it, though not perfectly.
The ball doesn't go very deep and doesn't have much power behind it. If it's like this, I can handle it easily.
I reach the ball and counter it. Putting as much force as I possibly can without sending it flying out of the court.
The ball goes to the opposite side of the court as kenji is standing in right now, hitting the ground and bouncing away before he even starts running away.
"15-0!"
Kenji looks down at the skid mark left on the floor by the ball, whistling me admiration.
Heh, seeing his surprise definitely made me smile a little.
The freshmen all start talking loudly as excitedly after seeing the last rally.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!"
Saya easily solves the problem by using her usual sunny disposition.
The only problem is she almost gave me a damn heart attack!
Looking over at kenji, I notice him standing completely frozen, eyes wide as he stares at Saya.
She quickly notices his gaze and laughs nervously.
"Please continue!"
Kenji sighed; well at least she regains her composure quite fast.
We both walk back to our positions, kenji taking just a bit longer to compose himself again.
After knowing us for a full year. I'm surprised he's not used to Saya's personality yet.
I take a normal to bask in this atmosphere.
Even if I hesitated to be here right now, I have to admit that being on the court is the best feeling...
Once more, I shoot a flat short aiming for the lines.
Kenji dashes to the ball and, although he reaches it, returns the ball into the net.
"30-0!"
Kenji stares at me with a troubled look on his face. I guess he just isn't used to a truly fast serve.
There aren't many players with a lot of raw power around for him to practice against so it's no surprise he's still not used to playing against me.
Guess that's one benefit to me not playing against him often.
I repeat the same strategy once more.
A flat ball with lots of power is what I excel at, although he gets to the ball with relative ease, he misjudges the timing.
He returns ends up going too long and flies out of the court by quite a bit.
"40-0!"
Ah, how I love to win... I just might be a little bit of a sadist because crushing an opponent always feels so satisfying.
And I will never get sick of it.
Kenji probably though he could come up with some strategy to break my serve and asked me to serve first so he could attack and mess with my head.
Instead, it seems the spell has been turned against its user.
Time has passed...
Game Yamato, game count: 3-0! Yamato leads!
The small crowd that's gathered around our court starts to cheer loudly once more. I just wish these guys would shut up. This is way to distracting.
As for kenji, he's seemed largely out of it since the end of the first game.
I guess the shock of seeing his strategy failing so catastrophically has broken is concentration. He's completely abandoned his tactics and fine skills in favor of a brute force approach.
Ah, I sweated a lot.
I slide into my seat to rest for a bit, uncapping my bottle of water and taking a quick sip.
When I glance over at kenji on the side... he has a really intense look on.
He looks so submissive, silent type, but he really gets fired up when it comes to tennis, huh?
He mutters something to himself that I can't really make out, sweat rolling down his face and dripping on his skin.
He's wiping his face using the hem of his shirt.
...why he isn't going for a towel inside his bag?
One thing I will say is that for someone who looks so thin and somewhat fragile, kenji is surprisingly well-built underneath his clothes.
You can quickly tell just how much effort he puts into nurturing and caring for his body.
Even for someone who doesn't seem to be naturally very athletic, he managed to build himself to a point where doesn't have even a little bit excess muscle anywhere.
"Time!!"
We both got up from our chairs at the same time. We took our position and I take the first serve.
After playing, my mind went blank and I thought of nothing but the game...
Some minutes have passed.
"Game, set and match won by Yamato Count 6-4!!"
Saya has barely finished announcing the score and kenji has already walked out of the court, stuffing his racket back into his bag and slipping away with it.
Saya doesn't miss a beat, getting down from her seat and walking after him in a rush.
Tennis players really have glass hearts sometimes.
A little crowd of freshmen gathers around me, showering me with praise and admiration. And using this as an opportunity to ask for tips, I make no effort to listen, walking towards the locker room.
I just want to rest...and right there standing in front of the door, is hayate...
"Man, you're heartless. Don't you know how to go easy on people? It's good to do it every now and then."
"Oh sure. Then I'd have him getting mad for underestimating him."
He shrugs.
"The cheering over here was so loud that we could hear it from our side of the building. Coach asked me to come over and see what the fuss was about."
"Although I ended up sticking around to watch you play."
"You sure are carefree with your duties huh?"
"I enjoyed watching you play. Why you are so surprised?"
"By the way, I have to say you smell kinda ripe."
"Hum, really? Do I smell that bad?"
"Yea, you should take shower."
I sighed and gave him nod, heading into the locker room; I notice that's its mostly empty save for two members of volleyball club.
The only reason I can even tell who they are is because they have team shirts on them.
"Akio, Owen, the locker room isn't a break room. Stop slacking off and get back to practice."
The two look at Logan with a scared look before dashing away and back into the volleyball courts.
I looked at hayate.
"...Aren't you slacking off too?"
Logan gave a bright smile and said.
"They don't need to know that!"
Wow what a devil.
Hayate flickers me in the forehead, sending a small jolt over my entire body.
I pouted and said.
"What was that for?!"
"You think too loud. I can tell that you're thinking bad things of me just by the look on your face."
"I-..." I gave a soft smile and said.
"Am I that transparent?"
"To me, you are."
I don't think this is something to be happy about.
"You don't have to wait around for me to leave."
"But it's more fun this way."
As always, I can't understand what goes on in his head.
"You're just staying around because you want to get a private show, aren't you?"
Hayate chuckles, leaning his back against a nearby locker.
"Pfft- I wish. But I know the mere thought of getting changed in a public locker already makes you squeamish."
I gave a small blush.
"Wh-what? No it doesn't. I do it all the time you know!"
...it does, it makes me so squeamish, but I'd die before admitting to that!
"Jeez, you're sighing and pouting so much. Shouldn't you be happier that you just go a victory?"
"You're making too much fuss out of something minor. It was just a practice match after all."
"Oh. Please, both are just as important to you. You always say that, remember?"
"...I guess."
"You're being too negative here. Look on the bright side. Now you know that you can beat easily kenji in an official match. Isn't it great?"
...I wouldn't go that far, I was lucky that I managed to do so well today.
Kenji might not be as skilled but his tricky style and strategies can corner you if you're not careful.
Suddenly, the sound of metal banging on metal echoes through the locker catching us both by surprise.
We both turn around to see kenji staring at us with a face that spells out impending doom.
I don't think I've ever seen him this mad before.
Hayate gave a smile at him and said
"Oh kenji, it's just you. I was afraid someone fell onto a locker or something. You can't do this you know. You've got to respect school property."
I'm asking myself the same question. When the hell did he get here?
Did he pass by us while we were talking?
I know for a fact that he wasn't here when we walked into the room. Although from the look on Hayate's eyes, I can already guess that he knew kwnji was here and said those things on purpose.
Sigh... I should have seen this coming.
Hayate isn't the type to make light of a person's skills so I should have imagined he was plotting something.
"I'm sorry if I made such a poor opponent. I'll try to do better next time, your highness..."
Jeez, the fed-up on his face.
"Don't be silly. We both know such a thing would be impossible."
I don't know how these two manage to be friends when they behave so poorly around each other.
"Oh really? And what exactly do you mean by that?"
...I feel like I shouldn't be so calm in a situation like this...but then again. I've already seen this happen so many times that I feel like I've become jaded.
I want to go home and be done with this.
"I mean, come on. This is Yamato we're talking about. You might be good, but you can't possibly think you could compare, right? Now that would just be crazy!"
Why do I get the feeling that I've turned into a babysitter over the past year?
That's it...I had enough of this.
"ENOUGH!"
My sudden shouting makes them both jump back in surprise, a look of complete shock on their faces.
...Wait, isn't this a little much? All I did was shout a little, what are you two looking so surprised for?
No, don't let yourself calm down. Keep up the strict persona. They need to be taught a lesson!
"That is it; I have had it with you two of you!"
"You guys have any idea how much of a nightmare it was during this entire break?
"Saya and I had to run around and keep you two from killing each other! We didn't get relax whatsoever for that whole time. That's it! I'm done. I'm not gonna deal with you two anymore."
"Either you two apologize to each other right now and stop behaving like little children or I'm done dealing with either of you!"
...
...
Uhmm... I know I was just shouting but someone please say something...
Hayate is the first to recompose him. He clears his throat, looking at me with an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, Yamato. I guess we crossed the line. I'm sorry we troubled you so much. And, Uhmm..." hayate's cheeks turned red.
"I'm sorry to you too, kenji. I shouldn't have provoked you like that. It was childish of me."
It seems that seeing hayate apologizing has somehow snapped kenji back to reality.
...But what's with that look on his face?
Don't you use this as another chance to pick a fight or I swear I'm going to slap you!
"..."
"I..." Kenji's cheeks turned red as well
"I'm sorry, hayate. I let my emotions get the better of me. Please forgive me...erm...for all of the spring break. You too, Yamato."
Waaah, this went beyond my wildest dreams. I never expected these two to apologize so sincerely to each other!
...I mean... forgetting the fact that they're not even looking at each other in the eye.
I gave a small sigh and said.
"Its fine if you avoid doing this kind of thing again. Honestly, what is it with you two anyway? Why do you keep pulling stuff like this?"
"Well...teasing kenji is kinda fun...though I guess I've been going a little overboard."
Kenji sighed..."and I guess I have fun antagonizing hayate too...it's a bit refreshing when he act that way."
...I can't tell if you two are supposed to be fighting or playing around anymore.
I mean, what are you two, nine years old??
"Like I said, avoid pulling this kind of crap in the future and it'll be fine. You two are friends for god's sake, act like one."
"Will do..." said hayate with a soft voice.
"Yeah. Got the message loud and clear."
"Well...uhm...anyway... I have some things I need to do and I should really get them. Hahaha... ha... err... see you two later!"
That was weird, seeing kenji walking away so nervously is weirder.
Hayate finishes, drops his towel on top of his bag and runs back to the courts in a hurry.
"Hah... poor bastard."
"Huh? What?"
"It's beyond me to be worrying about kenji, but...this is the first time you've ever yelled at him. You probably traumatized the poor guy."
Now he's a "poor guy"?
"I was yelling at you too. How come he's the only one getting traumatized?"
Hayate rolled his eyes and said. "Oh please. How long do you think I've known you for? I'm used to getting yelled at."
... That's not a good thing to get used to.
Hayate looks at me with wry eyes.
"Well, I should probably get back to my own practice, I guess. Sorry again for today. I'll see you later."
I gave a soft smile and said. "See ya"
...
I'm not really in a mood to continue practice today.
I think I'm just gonna tell Saya that I'm leaving early for the day.
I finished toweling myself off and head back to the courts.
I'm starting to think I should have done a better job of wiping myself dry...
Eh, not that it matters since I'll be heading home soon.
And I don't really smell bad. My deodorant was pretty strong so I doubt anyone could smell anything over it.
I'll just grin and bear this damp feeling.
I sighed and said to myself "Where is Saya?"
Ah there she is! Oh? Kenji's there too.
He seems a bit...tense. What are they talking about?
Kenji is the first to notice my approach, his eyes widen when he sees me.
Is he avoiding looking at me?
He waves Saya good and then promptly leaves.
Saya stares at his fleeing figure completely slack-jawed.
"What was that about??!
Just then she seems to finally take notice of me and her eyes light up.
"Ah, Yamato. That's was a great match you two had. It really had my heart racing; I wish I could watch you play more often!"
"Why don't you start watching my tournament matches more often, then?"
"Eh? I'd like to, but we always end up scheduled for matches at the same time."
"And yours are always over before me..."
Saya bites her lip, looking over at the door to the locker room again.
"Say... do you know if anything happened to kenji? He was looking a bit uncomfortable."
"Nothing much. I just defused another situation."
"Ahh, another one? They're almost adults already; they really should behave more like it..."
Hah, look who's talking.
"That's not what I came over to talk to you about though."
"Oh? What's up then?"
"I'm headed out for the day."
"Eh-"
Just then her smile froze in place. Almost as if she were expecting me to add a 'just kidding!' to the sentence.
"Whhhhhaaaaatt!!?"
Could you please not react so dramatically to everyday news?
"You're kidding me right? Can't you stick around for a bit longer? Practice is only gonna run for two more hours!"
"Hey. I did my part. I played in that stupid match even though I didn't want to. You can't possibly need me for anything else."
Saya looked up at me with pleading eyes.
"...There is something else you want isn't it."
So transparent.
"I was hoping you could stick around to instruct the new players."
"Pretty please? I haven't managed to do my own practice because I have to help the others..."
"I don't want to be a poor sport but you knew this would happen when you took the position of captain. Come on, you know what our coach is like."
"W-well, that's true. But I just thought, since you're the vice-captain and all."
So she wants to force me to do the work she initially agreed to do under the excuse that I'm the vice-captain...even though she's the one that forced me to take in this position in the first place.
"What's the one thing I made you promise when I accepted this position?"
She continues to stare at me, but the smile on her face is disappearing ever so slowly.
"Wasn't it you who said all I had to do were make sure the other club members followed the rules and, other than that, I was free to do whatever I wanted?"
"Yea, but-"
"Wasn't it also you who said that my own training would take precedence over whatever it was I had to do for the club?"
"Sure, but I-"
"Isn't resting after a particularly tough training session also a very important part of practice?"
"Guh..."
She's biting her lip in frustration.
I feel a bit bad for her not letting her speak, but knowing her, she'd just use this as a chance to guilt-trip me into helping and I'm not dealing with that right now.
Saya sighs, her whole body slumping forward as she pouts.
"Fine, I understand. You can go."
"And you're not going to use this against me in the future?"
She looks away, biting her lips again.
Aha! Caught you.
"N-no, I won't. I did promise to let you do as you please..."
Heh~ a total victory.
"I guess I better get back to it then. I already see someone beckoning me over...see you tomorrow."
"See ya."
Knowing her, I better leave before she has a change of heart.
Once I step out of the training building, the warm, orange colored sun rays touch upon my skin.
Ah, it feels really good.
The orange tinted sky looks so gentle and mild.
Today is a beautiful day...
"Ah, there you are!"
"Hum?"
I hear a nearby voice and reflexively turn around.
Standing before me are three of my classmates.
Class rep...And the twins?
"What a coincidence, Yamato, I was just looking for you."
"For me? What could possibly need from me? Wait, it's not bad news, is it?"
She giggles a bit and said.
"I'm sure, but I just might be the bearer of bad news. I've been sent here an official business."
"I should have guessed. You never come to me when it's good news."
"Well, now that's a bit unfair, isn't it?"
Despite dreading whatever news she might be about to give, her laugh certainly makes me feel less anxious.
But...I don't know why the twins are here.
"So class rep, what exactly did you come here to tell me?"
"Ah, that's right, sorry. The teacher asked me to come fetch you. She didn't tell me exactly what's going on but it was something about today's morning assembly."
Ah, this is going to be a pain in the ass...
"Well then, I'll see you later class rep." I waved her goodbye.
I walk into the main building.
Then I've walked all the way to the third floor where the faculty office is located.
...
I don't want to go in!!
But I know that if I don't show up soon, she'll only get angrier.
Better to get this over with. Kinda like ripping of a Band-Aid!
...Even though ripping off Band-Aids is incredibly painful for me because they always wind up ripping a ton of hair off too...
All right, I won't get anything done if I just stand around. Take a deep breath and...
The sound of my knock echoes through the empty hallway.
Waah, my heart is beating really fast right now. Even though I've been skipping these things since my first day of class, this is the first time I've been called in because of it.
"Come in."
I enter "Pardon the intrusion."
It doesn't take much looking around to find Mrs. Skyler. She is sitting on her chair, legs crossed and turned all the way to look at the door.
She has her head leaning against her closed fist...and she looks incredibly intimidating for a regular blond old woman.
"Will, I was wondering how long it would take you to show up."
... Just from her tone of voice, I can already tell that the situation is mostly hopeless...
No. I'll still try to act dumb. Maybe that'll save me! I wish...
"Will, you must know why it is that I've called you over, right?"
"Well...to be honest it's not as if I don't particularly know what kind of reason would lead you to decide against not calling m-"
"You're talking in circles to try and confuse me now? That's cute but it certainly isn't going to work. Sit."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
...Thoroughly defeated.
"We certainly appreciate the amount of exposure your name gives this school. And it's not as If you're doing badly with your studies either given that you're always placing quite high in the school ranks-"
"Y-yes, see, I'm doing pretty well, so-"
"Let me finish!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
Mrs. Skyler sighs, picking up a folder that was on top of her desk and opening it.
Is that...a file for me?
"I can see here that your academic records continue to worsen with each passing year. All your teachers keeping mentioning a continuing lack of interest on your part."
"Not only that, if I pull up your records from grade school and middle school, the drops is almost immediately apparent."
"Anyway let's cut to the chase and say the real reason why you're here."
"If only you were trying hard then I could forgive you for this. It's not as if a person can continue to excel for their entire life, drops in productively are to be expected."
"But you completely stopped trying, haven't you? I've also spoken to your coach and he told me that you've completely stagnated when it comes to tennis as well."
"Wh-what would he know about it? It's not like he even bothers coming to pra-"
"I wasn't done talking!"
"Y-yes ma'am!"
"Coach Walter theorized that you've been going through a rough period caused by extreme stress due to all the expectations placed on you for the past six years."
"If that's the case, I'd very much like for you to see our school's psychiatrist and-"
"With all due respect, but would that be obligatory?"
"Well, no. we cannot force a student to see a psychiatrist unless he's deemed to be in direct need of psychological assistance."
"Then I'll pass. I'm fine with my own, thank you very much. I don't have any complicated problems like that. I'm just not interested in paying attention to class, that is all."
Mrs. Skyler sighs again, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"So you prefer taking full responsibility for your failures over letting someone help you deal with your situation? Given your talents, I imagined you would want to become a professional."
"That's..."
I can't bring myself to confidently say that that's my plan.
"... I'll let you off the hook this time."
"Huh? Why? I did just say that I've been doing all this on purpose, haven't I?"
"Call it intuition if you will, but I don't believe punishing you for your lack of motivation will somehow help you become more motivated."
I gave a big smile and shook her hand.
"Thank you, Mrs. Skyler, you really are much nicer that I thought-"
"Of course, we have yet to discuss your punishment for skipping on this morning' assembly."
"Ack-"
The old woman smiles, looking at me with a devious look.
I'm doomed...
I end up being forced to be on cleaning duty for the next week as punishment for my actions.
Considering everything I've done, I suppose I had it coming, but...
I really wish I had managed to go home free!
...
Hum?
What's this? Now that I think about it, I can hear...something.
It sounds like music...come to think of it, there's a music room nearby. Isn't there?
But I thought the only music club still operating in our school was the Light music club. This sounds more like classical piano.
...is someone using it at this hour? It's almost 6PM.
Hmm, whoever it is, this person plays really well.
Maybe I should take a look; it wouldn't hurt to take a peek...
Before I can even consciously make a choice, I feel as if my legs are working on their own, dragging me towards the origin of this music.
It's as if...The Piano is calling out to me.
I want to listen form up close...No; I need to listen from up close!
I open the door as gently as I can.
I peek curiously into the room, looking around for the source of the music.
And that's...When I saw him.
A boy sitting in front of the piano, his fingers bathed by the orange rays of the sun that are coming in from the nearby window.
His fingers dance above the keys in a flurry of strokes that are too quick even for me to completely follow as he rocks back and forth to the beat of the song.
He maintains this perpetually satisfied smile, never wavering for even a split second.
I find it unbelievable that someone is playing the piano while closing their eyes.
How is it even possible to play the piano without looking? How is that even conceivable?
Although he is perspiring, his expression remains unaffected by it for the entire time.
With each and every movement of his body, his skin, which is an intense fiery orange when colored by the evening sun's rays, gently sways from the side.
It almost feels like the music is beckoning to me as I can feel it slowly encircling me. My heart is racing more quickly and is urging me to get closer to him.
Even though I can feel my chest constricting, making me feel as though I might suffocate, it isn't at all uncomfortable.
The only thing that is clear and distinct is him. I can clearly see him.
The only thing in focus is this boy and his piano. They are the only thing that now feels real.
I find it harder to organize my thoughts as I approach him closer.
Then, as if the spell was broken, I'm jolted back to reality by the pain shooting up my leg.
"Son of a-"
Ah, wait. The piano...stopped?
I look back at him and-
The boy is holding onto the piano, trying to...keep him from falling from is chair?
...
Wait, he fell backwards from his chair!?
He gets back up on his knees, bringing a hand to this head and rubbing it painfully.
"O-ow..."
Oh God, I really hope he didn't hit his head.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
Before I can run over to him, the boy manages to get himself back on the chair. Proceeding to get up and tune to me.
The boy looks away from me, his whole face turning red.
Like a scared cat, his body trembles a little bit at a time.
God, I really scared him, huh?
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you."
"I just... uhm"
Even just a little, the boy starts to unwind. He sits upright on the chair with his pudgy arms crossed.
"Sorry. I didn't know there were still other students around."
"Humm..."
The boy gives a small blush. "U-Uhm... ca-can I help you with something?"
"O-oh, no no. Sorry for staring."
I don't think I've ever seen him before.
And I know for a fact that most freshmen wouldn't be in this building today unless they had some business in the faculty office.
Did he just wander in here and got into this club room?
No, but it would be kept locked in the first place. There's no way he'd have been able to get in.
He also doesn't really strike me as a freshman...he doesn't have that innocent, hopeful spark that you see in the eyes of most freshmen.
"I'm sorry to ask but...are you a freshman here?"
Because that is obvious from the way you appear.
The boy blinks a few times, cocking his head to the side.
Then, as he looks down at his own uniform, he seems to understand my question.
"Ah, n-no! I-I mean, I'm new here but... I just transferred to this school today. I'm actually a senior."
"I had a few problems at home this morning and ended up not being able to show up to for the welcoming assembly this morning. And because I got here too late, classes had already started and the gates were closed, so I was locked outside. Had I to stick around until they were open again this afternoon so I could get inside and talk to the teacher. But she refused to show me around the school. I ended up trying to find my class on my own and got lost. And then-"
"Ah, I get it I get it, slow down!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. W-was I talking too fast again?"
Again? Is this a common occurrence for him?
Still, he talks so fast that I can't even keep up with what he's saying.
He definitely looks like the high energy type...
No, that's not even the weirdest thing. How can you say so much about yourself to someone you've only just met?
Wait, is he still talking? Crap...I've been so caught up in my own thoughts that I wasn't paying attention.
"...Not really good with crowds, and this school has so many students. I got into this room to avoid the giant crowd swarming the faculty office. That's when I noticed the piano. It was really out-of-tune though, so it took me quite some time to get it up and running again."
The boy carefully strokes the piano keys while smiling at them.
The piano seems to calm him down a bit...and I have to admit, he has a beautiful smile when he let his guard down.
...Wait...isn't he relaxing a bit too much!? He completely forgot that I'm here, he just fawning over the piano right now!
"Ahem!"
"Awaaahh!!" the boy almost jumped out of his chair.
"Did you say you got here just after today's classes ended?
"Yeah, I did. Why?"
I pointed towards the clock right above the white board.
"It's already fifteen past six."
"Eh?"
He looks towards the direction I am pointing, slowly, almost like clockwork.
He sees the clock, he freezes.
"EEEHHHH!!?"
Ah, this guy is too much. How did he not notice time passing?
The sky is completely orange for god sake!
"No way! I didn't even get to find my classroom yet. What am I going to do?!"
At this point, it's clear as day that he is panicking.
And I am probably a horrible person because watching him acting like this made me feel hopeless.
Hmm... I could do something nice and show him around...
I gently smiled and said "Well, I suppose I'm free right now. I can show you around some of the more important areas of the school if you'd like."
The boy blushed lightly.
"Re-really?"
His eyes go so wide that I can barely even make out the color of his iris now...
The chubby boy's eyes sparkle.
"Sure, we'd have to b quick though. They'll close things up in about a hour. Could you tell me what classroom you were assigned to?"
"Uhm... It was classroom 3-B."
3-B? Then that's means...
"Oh, that means your in my class."
He smiles brightly, his eyes nearly twinkling with excitement.
"Really?, That makes everything a lot easier! ...Oh by the way, my dad told me something about this school having "special classes" for seniors. Can you tell me what that is about?"
"Special classes? You mean college prep? If so, then its just a specific classes where they give students some extra classes to prepare them for the entrance exam."
"So the best students get special treatment? Isn't that kind of unfair?"
"Not really. You're allowed to move up to that class up until the last month of class so, really, anyone can join it as long they work hard enough."
"That's not true. I mean, even if I studied twenty four hours a day. I'd still never place in the top fifty."
"Wha-? How much did you usually score in your tests?"
"I've never had more than fifty in any test I've ever taken."
What!? Is this for real?
"... You do know that, you need an 80 points to graduate."
"Eh?"
Ah, He freezes yet again.
"EHHHH?!"
Aaand. There he goes again.
"No way, no way, no way!! What am I going to do?! No one told mw this when I applied to his school!"
"How did you even pass the transfer exam, anyway? I heard it's harder than our midterms."
The chubby boy gave a nervous blush and avert his eyes.
"I... I didn't have to take one. They took me in for the music program."
In other words... Kind of like a scholarship?
"Well I suppose if they've allowed you in without testing you, they might just lower the passing score for you."
At least I hope they do. This guy is seriously hopeless if they don't...
"Ah... ah, is that so. Phew, you really had me worried just now."
COMPLETELY BACK TO NORMALLY ALREADY!?
"Anyway, I'm Jun, Jun Kobayashi. Pleased to meet you."
I hesitate for a second when he extended his han towards me... This guy is completely throwing me off my place. As soon as I grab his hand, he starts shaking my hand excitedly.
Actually, maybe too much excitement.
..
...
WAY TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT!!
"All right, all right, that's enough for now, okay?"
He looks completely clueless as I pull my hand away from his death grip.
Geez, this guy isn't normal by any definition of the word...
"I'm Yamato, it's nice to meet you too."
"Yamato, huh? ...its a wonderful name! I really like it."
"Oh, hm.. well... Thank you."
"Y-yeah. Thank you. Anyway, if you don't mind, we should probably get going already. It's starting to get late."
"Oh, right I forgot."
He dives behind the piano an picks up his bag (there are books and papers falling of it. This guy really looks like the messy type.)
Nothing of the ordinary with the bag itself, though. The owner apparently make up for the bag's plainness.
Jun looks at me and his gaze was soft.
"Shall we?"
We leave the music room and I start showing him around the school.
I showed him the hallway, where his class he is in, then outside of our school, then tennis club and then the locker room.
Exactly 18 minutes have passed. Most of the time Jun was amazed how big the school is...
We stopped at the locker room and Jun, his eyes widely open and said. "W-wow. This school's really big. We haven't even seen everything and my legs are already trembling from all the walking."
I think that's more to do with you being out of shape an less to do with the school size... Through I should probably hold off on saying something that tactless.
"Hey, Yamato, what about the other side of the locker room?"
The other side? Ah, he's looking at the door to the volleyball courts.. wait, should I even let him in go there in the first place?
When I took him to the Tennis Court, he just kept walking around like amid in an amusement part, shouting things like: "So this is what a tennis court looks like!" And "It so amazing!"
He even took a few pictures. God knows what those are about.
"That's for the volleyball courts. I don't think I'm allowed to take you there though. I'm not a member of that club."
"What about the tennis courts? Did you have permission to take me there?"
I think the big tennis bag I'm carrying with me should have been enough to tell him I'm a member but this guy is apparently very dense.
"Huh? W-well... I'm a member."
Shouldn't the clothes and the big tennis bag i carry around have tipped you off to that?
"Wow really? I've never really watched a match live but it totally looks like an awesome sport."
Ugh, too much...This guy is too much!
He has way too much gass in his tank. I don't know how to deal with people like that.
"Yamato?"
Just as I hear a voice calling out to me, Hayate's head peeks out from behind a couple lockers. As soon as he notice me, he smiles and walks up to us.
H-he's completely covered in sweat. his clothes looks like they've been submerged in water.
"What are you doing here? I thought you had left already."
he finally notice Jun, who... seems to have tried to hide behind me.
"who's this? a new club member?"
Jun steps out from behind me and his entire body tenses up, All of this motions have suddenly turned mechanic.
"I-I'm Jun kobayashi. it's a pleasure to meet you!"
for some reason, he seems even more nervous around Hayate than he was with me. Hayate studies him for a few seconds, looking incredibly interested in him.
"Kobayashi, huh? if I'm not mistaken, you're the student I was asked to accompany today."
"M-me?"
Jun looks to be in shock, talking a step back and nearly choking on this own words, to be honest, even I'm a little bit surprised. hayate was asked to meet a new student? what for?
"You know about me?"
"Yeah. One of the teachers was supposed to show you around school today, but she was called in sick. Since I'm the student council president, I was asked to do it in her stead, but...You never showed up."
Almost as if he were stabbed by an invisible arrow. Jun's entire body shivers at Hayate's merciless words.
"And here I waited for almost an hour, losing my first class for the day because you didn't show up."
"Guh.." there goes another invisible arrow.
"You know, I really wish people would call before head if they happen to be late for something. its not like everyone has infinite free time like some people, right?"
"Guuuuhhhh"
Jun slumps his shoulder in defeat, mumbling a few incoherent apologies. The fact that Hayate could say all that with that smile on his face though...
Scary. Hayate, you're scary!
"W-well, he says he got here a bit late and the gates were already closed. so its not entirely his fault, right, Jun?"
Jun nods.
"Ah, y-yes, I'm sorry I was so late. I had been living in a different town until recently and ended up getting late. I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you."
In what is certainly an uncharacteristic moment for him, Hayate examines Jun as if he didn't know what to make of the situation. I guess I'm not the only one who gets thrown off his pace by this guy.
"Well, it's all right, I suppose. I was mostly joking anyway."
IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE YOU WERE!
"I've already been informed of you circumstances. if you want, I can give you a quick tour."
"Oh no, its alright. Yamato already did."
Hayate eyes opened widely as he looks at me, dumbstruck.
"Wait... Yamato... helped? A stranger? Of his own free will? Seriously?"
Don't look so surprised about it!
I gave a small pout "Yeah, I did. Got a problem with that?"
"No, not at all. it was just really unexpected. Have you already taken him to the faculty office?"
"The faculty office? Why would I have to him there?"
Hayate stares at me in surprise and then gave a sigh.
"New students have to be assigned a teacher as their counselor when they join. You should know this, we did it two years ago."
Oh... Now that he mentioned it. I do remember something like that. Wait, is this why I'm always having to deal with Mrs. Skyler? I honestly didn't remember.
"Oh, I completely forgot."
Y-you don't have to look at me with such disappointed eyes! Its not my fault, you know. You cant expect me to remember that. it was a whole two years ago.
"I-it's no problem. I mean, even if we don't get finish everything today, he still helped a lot."
Judging from Hayate's expression, I guess even he must be having serious problems coming up with thigs to say in this situation.
"Well, I guess that it should be fine. I'll explain to the teacher in charge of the admissions that you couldn't show up today. I'm sure he'll understand. There's not much we can do since all the teachers have already gone home so just hang tight until tomorrow, okay?"
"Actually, Jun, would you mind if I borrow Yamato? I need him to help me with something."
"O-oh. its fine. Though I was looking forward to seeing the volleyball courts."
"It's fine if you want to. can take you to the courts. I was going to ask Yamato to help with my training."
Hayate looks at me expectantly.
I think of backing out but, when I turn around, I see Jun beaming with excitement.
I gave a small sigh "All right, fine. but let's not take too long, okay? I was intending to go home soon...."
hayate smiles at me and said "Yeah, no problem."
Jun starts strolling around, pointing and gasping at everything in sight (even the ball cart... Who gets excited over a ball cart?)
hayate makes his way to the setter position. I see a pretty big pool of sweat beneath his feet. how long has he been practicing?
"Okay. Yamato, get into position and throw me the ball."
This is a drill I've already done ton of times.. Since Hayate makes me help with his practice constantly. I've learned quite a lot about volleyball.
Also, I seem to be pretty decent at it. Well, I tend to be pretty decent at most thing anyway.
I throw the ball right over Hayate's head. When it's a little above the net, he jumps, tossing the ball into the air.
I start running as soon as he jumps.
I make sure of the ball's position and I too jump towards it. I aim my spike just over the line.
The ball hits the floor with a resounding 'WHAM', right on top of the line.
"Nice spike!"
"WOAH!"
A deafening voice assaults my ears.
"How can you jump so high? And the sound of the ball made when it hit your hand was so loud! Doesn't your hand hurt after hitting like that? And how did you aim it so close to the line? And..."
"Now, now. How about we time-out for a bit?"
Even Hayate is taken aback by this sudden outburst of excitement. I've only met him and I'm already having a hard time dealing with it.
And he studies in the same class as me.
"This is a pretty simple thing g you train your legs. Yamato might not have to jump as often as a volleyball player, but he still has very strong legs from playing tennis."
"As for if it hurts his hand... I guess you could say that it stings a bit, but... I'm not sure if I can call it 'painful'."
"Aiming is just a matter of practicing a lot, too."
"Now... Mind if we continue?"
"Please do!"
Hayate hands me another ball.
Guh, I can feel Jun's eyes on me right now. He really is watching intently...
I toss the ball to Hayate again and we repeat the drill. It goes over his head and, right when its at the top of the net, he jumps and tosses the ball whilst in midair.
Hayate's tosses are incredibly accurate and easy to spike, He's the sort of setter that prioritizes easy to spike tosses. As such, he's very well liked by his team.
He's already considered the best setter in our prefecture, maybe even in the whole country, though it'd be hard to tell for sure.
Despite how good he is, the rest of his team is only average so they've only managed to qualify for the National Tournament once.
He'd be really mad at me If I said it out loud, though.
We keep doing this drill for a while. Everything now and then, Jun stops us to ask questions, At first he was only asking us things about volleyball but...
"So, how long have you guys known each other?"
He's starting to get way too personal!
Hayate's doesn't seem to fazed by it in the slightest. Well, it probably doesn't take too long for a guy as sociable as Hayate to adopt to this sort of thing.
In fact, he's in a really good mood, constantly smiling and going with whatever Jun ask.
"Let me see, I guess it's been... about 12 years, right, Yamato?"
"I guess it would be something like that, yeah."
"Wow, that's a long time to get to know each other."
"We met during our sports club's training camp."