Eighteen

Naseru didn't say much during practice. Nor did he do much. He was somehow even more of an inactive participant than he was in the art club, and he never picked up a paintbrush or a pencil during art club. He would probably be the first person to leave that club without a single drawing in his sketchbook, and not just because of basketball. 

It had been three days since Ryota and Naseru's scrap and the rain had been relentless all day. Although Kaho and Ryota had secured themselves a ride to school in Taiga's car, the same couldn't be said for the way home. Taiga put it in the morning announcements that their practice would be cancelled due to the gym being at the foot of a hill and the mud being a hazard. Anyone who wasn't expecting a ride home after practice from a parent was welcome to go home. Otherwise, they'd just have to lurk. 

Kaho's phone had been buzzing all afternoon. The rain had put a spanner in the works for Tatsuya's after-school photo shoot, meaning he had a free evening for the first time in forever, and he knew exactly where he wanted to spend it. How could she refuse? 

Half the basketball team found themselves lounging around in Class 3-B waiting for their rides home. Kaho refused to be one of them. Not when time with Tatsuya was so precious. She sighed and changed her shoes. As she did, she caught sight of Naoru in a battered raincoat and Fumiko wearing a brand-new patent raincoat. They were arm in arm, umbrellas at the ready. Kaho watched the gentleness between Fumiko and her boyfriend and sighed wistfully. It was easy to wish for that easy kind of love. Naoru held his arm out for Fumiko to lean on while she changed her shoes so her socks wouldn't get wet if she stumbled. It was a small, sweet gesture, one Kaho couldn't have with Tatsuya. Even though she wanted it. She let out another sigh, and Fumiko turned her head, puffing out her cheeks when she saw Kaho. 

While Naoru turned away from her, Fumiko crossed the hallway and crossed her arms. 

"You can't go home in just a blazer. It's hammering down. Do you even have an umbrella?" 

Kaho pressed her lips into a fine line. She'd gotten a ride into school and left her umbrella in the porch. She missed being an insignificant little first year who could and would get soaked to the bone without issue, and be completely ignored. But people knew her now. She had friends looking out for her, and although she wished she could just shove past Fumiko and make a valiant dash for the house, she couldn't be rude. She knew that much. 

"I got a ride in with Taiga this morning." 

"Ah," Fumiko said, producing her phone for a second, "You stay there." 

Kaho sighed, leaning against her shoe locker, watching Naoru and Fumiko make their swift exit, umbrellas knocking together as they left the school gates. Kaho wondered if they had a date arranged, and that's why she didn't go to the club hangout upstairs.

She looked over at Kikiyo, deeply engrossed in conversation, "Hey Tsumugi, what's that?"

She didn't care about the specifics, not really, it was something, though, to get her anxious mind, counting down the moments until the Muraniko bus would arrive at the end of Kaho's street. She should make it in time. But she didn't know anymore. 

"Oh! It's that anonymous compliment person. They said they hope I have a good day today because I deserve it." 

"How sweet," Kaho said. 

Maki, or The Anonymous Compliment Person, as Tsumugi had called her, was changing her shoes. Emi had their umbrellas in her arms. Now that wasn't a friendship Kaho had expected to stick. But then again, she hadn't expected Maki to start putting nice comments in Tsumugi's locker and stop bullying her all together. Hell, just last week, Maki had shut down Shizuka, conveniently shutting her school bag in the door to the cafeteria and preventing her from reaching Tsumugi and causing her any grief. 

"Yeah, they've been writing to me for a while. I wonder who they are and what spurred this on?" 

Kaho shrugged, unsure if Tsumugi had her own letters and missions to complete. She watched Tsumugi hide the new note in a little envelope in her school planner and ram it back in her bag. She wrenched a beaten up red umbrella from her bag and saluted to Kaho, taking Kikiyo by the arm. 

"Come on Kikiyo, we have a science project to finish." 

Kaho was about to argue, ask them to wait, when she felt a shadow lingering over her head. 

"Aigawa," Naseru said quietly, "As part of my… obligatory service to the team, I've been told I must take you home because I have er…"

He produced a large umbrella from his backpack. Big enough for two. Easily. Kaho's cheeks burned crimson as Naseru easily changed his shoes and shrugged his hoodie under his blazer. He led the way to the door, sighing, "What does escorting you home have to do with the basketball team?" 

"Oh Fumiko is an angel!" Kaho said, "Now quit dragging your feet, Matsuoka, I can't be late." 

Naseru let out a small huff, "Why? Hot date?" 

Kaho puffed her cheeks out and pursed her lips. 

"Ha! You do have a date!" 

Kaho sighed, stomping her foot and grasping for the umbrella. Naseru raised his arm, holding it ought of her reach. Kaho glared at him and stomped outside, into the rain, daring him to follow her. She was barely out of the door when she felt the umbrella over her head. 

"You're complaining now," Kaho said, "About all of this but Taiga has already roped the basketball team into helping Kikiyo move in." 

Naseru furrowed his brows, "Kikiyo as in your friend Kikiyo, with the siblings?" 

Kaho nodded, "Yeah, doesn't she work at Mr Narita's place, too? She said she worked at a restaurant down at the station." 

Naseru nodded, "I actually already agreed to help her move. I just um, didn't realise she was moving into your house."

Kaho shrugged, "It's not my story to tell but I'm excited about it, it'll be like getting new siblings or something, Kikiyo and Ichigo will be great company when Taiga starts dating again. The last girl did a number on him." 

Naseru furrowed his brows. The crowds were thinning out, many flocking toward bus stops, and convenience stores to get out of the wet weather. Kaho couldn't see Fumiko in her bright yellow coat anywhere. Maybe they'd gotten on a bus to go on their date? 

"Speaking of dates," Naseru said, a small smirk on his face. 

Kaho laughed, "He was supposed to work tonight and it was cancelled. So I get to see him for a change!" 

"For a change?" Naseru asked, brows furrowed. Surely her boyfriend would be hanging off her every word and existing in her orbit? It was a surprise that the boyfriend wasn't Mamoru or Ryota, who she often hung out with, and, through some tactical eavesdropping he'd learned the guy went to Muraniko, the same school as one of those thugs he beat up for their involvement with Katsuo. Wasn't Muraniko forever away? Those kids had to take a bus all the way to school in their ugly purple blazers, and yet, one of those kids was dating Aigawa? 

Kaho shrugged, deftly changing the subject from Tatsuya to the basketball team. They'd been warned about their evening practice potentially being cancelled because of the rain, so they focused on skills and drills all morning. A lot of honing. A lot of repetition. Yuta and Eiji were at the forefront of the work that morning. While they played three-on-three with Ryota against Matsushita, Nitta and Sunada, everyone else watched them. There were eyes everywhere, reporters pads filled with observations. Hirano had drawn fingers on a basketball every time while Omura wrote hasty notes and descriptions. They were being watched from all angles, and practised their passes for almost forty minutes. They spent what was almost a whole game passing the ball from Point A to Point B, and making their tells as subtle as possible, while still communicating what they wanted.

On top of their notes, the onlookers were given little whiteboards to guess what Eiji and Yuta would do. The guesses would be recorded on a flipchart, thanks to Fumiko and by the end of practice, they had a lot of data to discuss. Naseru hadn't played the game. Not out loud, at least. And even he'd made a good few mistakes when guessing. But there was no way he would move and show Coach Aigawa, or Ryota or Captain Hirano that he cared to guess in his head. Even if he had only guessed like three incorrectly. But observing from just a bench wasn't a good vantage point. Not that he wanted to be on the court. Obviously. 

"I am so bad at guessing! I only got four passes right all game! They're so coordinated!" Kaho exclaimed as they turned the first corner toward her house. 

She slowed down, glancing up at Naseru behind her. Suddenly she didn't seem so eager. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then took a long, slow breath out, steadied herself and continued on her way. Naseru furrowed his brows, trying to discern what that could possibly mean. 

"I'm not convinced they're not just messing with you," Naseru declared, picking up the pace so Kaho was out in the rain. She let out a startled laugh and caught up to him, promptly elbowing him in the ribs. 

"They are not messing with us! They really have to have this whole silent communication thing down." 

Naseru shrugged as the pair turned onto Kaho's street. Her breathing hitched. They both stopped walking at the corner. 

Kaho's breathing was faster, shallower. Naseru's grip tightened around the handle of the umbrella. He was already outside her house. This had to be him. 

Tatsuya was outside, wearing a neatly tailored blazer in the bruise-like purple Muraniko was known for, garish gold thread clung to the seams like the rain that trickled from the balcony above. He was leaning on the wall outside her house, the overhang from the upstairs balcony shielding him from the rain. 

He stood at maybe 5'8" and his uniform was tailored with sharp, clean lines, like he was the poster boy for Muraniko. Maybe he was. Naseru could imagine middle school girls ogling pictures of him in that ugly blazer with some reading glasses slipping down his face, gazing wistfully at the camera. The school would make a killing. 

And yet, the more he looked at Tatsuya, Naseru was sure he looked familiar, He was convinced he'd seen him around. Ryota had called his name across the street. Outside the convenience store? He had features that were hard to forget, meanwhile, Naseru's were hard to ignore. And as Naseru's eyes met Tatsuya's, he realised how different they were.

Tatsuya's uniform fit him like a costume, the trouser legs were probably too thin for the standard school uniform, Naseru thought back to the guy he saw in that secret room. The Muraniko student, and his clothes. He didn't notice a streamline cut of his trousers or a cinched blazer. He'd been too busy fighting. But this boy, Tatsuya, was wearing a fitted blazer that fit him like a girls' blazer ought to, darted by the hips. Was this some kind of idol costume, cross school uniform? Naseru fought the urge to scowl. 

Kaho, however, broke free from whatever trance she'd been in, and let out an excited squeal and darted out from under Naseru's umbrella and dashed into the rain, closing the distance from the street corner to her house. She called his name and his head snapped up. His face lit up like Kaho was the sun. 

"Oi! Aigawa!" Naseru said, "Next time, remember an umbrella." 

Kaho smiled. It hit Naseru like a ton of bricks. 

"Thank you for lending me yours, Matsuoka!" Kaho said. 

She turned to Tatsuya and leaned in to whisper something to him. He laughed. She reached into her blazer, fished out her keys and let them in. Naseru watched them close the door and vanish from view, the rainfall pounding on the fabric of his umbrella like a gong. He lowered his head and walked away, beginning the walk to his house. 

Kaho and Tatsuya grinned as they removed their shoes and stepped over the porch threshold and into the living room. Kaho put her slippers on and beckoned Tatsuya to the sofa. She hollered a greeting upstairs, just to be polite, but the only response she got was from the cats. Rana and Tama raced down the steps, walking around Kaho's ankles and brushing up against Tatsuya's trousers. He smiled at Kaho and shrugged his Muraniko blazer off and slung it on the back of the sofa. They exchanged a sheepish glance, both grinning from ear to ear. 

"I've missed you," Tatsuya said, taking two steps toward Kaho, closing the gap between them. He kissed her chastely on the lips and this time, she didn't chase his lips. No butterflies burst to life in the pit of her stomach. All she could think of was the boy she wished was standing in Tatsuya's place…