Eventful Day (2)

The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow across the track field as a light breeze drifted through the open gym area. The air was filled with the sounds of laughter, rhythmic footsteps, and the faint whistle of a coach from another group training in the distance. I stood near the bleachers, adjusting the strap on my bag as I watched the girls stretching and warming up on the track, each of them wearing their gym uniforms.

"Alright, ladies, who's ready to eat my dust today?" Emma called out, her voice loud and confident. She stood with her hands on her hips, an impish grin spreading across her face as she looked at the others, daring them to challenge her.

"Please, Emma," Naomi said, flicking her hair back with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We all know you're all talk. I bet you can't even keep up with my pace." She pointed a well-manicured finger at her, giving a playful wink.

Rebecca finished tying her sneakers, straightening up with a small, knowing smile. "You both might as well save your breath. It's not like either of you can beat me anyway." Her voice was calm but carried a hint of challenge, sparking a chorus of groans and playful protests from the others.

"Big words for someone who usually avoids any kind of running," Emma shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Loser buys drinks after school."

Aisha laughed, bending down to touch her toes in a quick stretch. "I'm game! I'm not letting you all have all the fun," she said, glancing over at me with a bright smile. "What about you, Saki? You joining in, or are you just going to stand there looking all mysterious and brooding?"

I smirked, shrugging slightly. "I'll pass on the race this time. Someone needs to make sure you all don't trip over your own feet."

Otsuki, who had been quietly stretching her legs, stood up and gave a small smile. "I'll race, but don't expect me to go easy on you." Her tone was gentle, but there was a hint of competitiveness that made the others take notice.

"Alright, it's settled then!" Emma said, clapping her hands together. She motioned towards the starting line, and the girls began to take their places, each one of them radiating a mix of excitement and playful determination. "Aisha, you count us off."

The five of them lined up at the starting line, bending down slightly, ready to launch into the race. I watched from a few feet away, feeling a sense of ease wash over me. For a moment, everything felt simple, like we were just a normal group of friends having fun, and there wasn't a shadow hanging over us from a cursed attic or mysterious yokai.

"Alright, on your mark…" Aisha started, her voice carrying across the track as the girls got into position. "Get set… Go!"

They burst off the line, legs pumping, arms swinging, and shouts of excitement filling the air. Emma shot forward like a bullet, her hair flying behind her as she took the lead, but Naomi wasn't far behind, her expression focused and determined. Rebecca, surprisingly quick, matched Naomi's pace stride for stride, glancing over at her with a challenging grin. Otsuki kept a steady rhythm, her movements fluid and controlled, while Aisha followed close, a competitive grin plastered on her face.

From my spot on the sidelines, I could see their different running styles. Emma was all power and speed, pushing herself to go faster, while Naomi was graceful and agile, her movements almost effortless. Rebecca was a blend of the two—quick but strategic, keeping pace while conserving her energy. Otsuki maintained a consistent, smooth stride, clearly planning to make her move later, and Aisha was right in the mix, her focus evident in the way she leaned into every step.

As they rounded the first corner, Emma glanced back over her shoulder at Naomi, teasing her with a playful shout. "What happened to all that talk, Naomi? Can't keep up?"

Naomi smirked, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, don't worry about me, sweetheart. I'm just getting started."

Rebecca took advantage of their banter, pushing forward and nudging ahead of Emma. "Less talking, more running," she said, a playful edge to her voice.

They continued to race around the track, their competitive spirits shining brightly. For a moment, it felt like we were in our own little world, separated from everything else. The tension that had been gnawing at the back of my mind since I read that book last night faded, replaced by the sound of their laughter and the sight of their smiles.

As the race neared its end, Otsuki picked up speed, closing the gap between herself and Rebecca, who had pulled into the lead. The final stretch was a blur of movement, each girl pushing themselves harder, determined not to lose. I could hear them panting, see the beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, but they all had the same look of joy on their faces.

In the end, it was Otsuki who managed to pull ahead, crossing the finish line just a second before Rebecca, who skidded to a stop, breathing heavily but smiling.

"No way!" Emma panted, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "You were holding back, weren't you, Otsuki?"

Otsuki smiled, her expression calm as she wiped a strand of hair from her face. "Just a little."

Rebecca took a deep breath, still catching her breath but with a competitive gleam in her eyes. "Not bad, but next time, I'll be the one crossing the line first."

"Alright, fine, you win this time," Naomi said, a playful pout on her lips. "But next time, I'm leaving you all in the dust."

They gathered around me, still catching their breath, and I handed each of them a bottle of water from my bag.

"Nice race," I said, smiling at them. "Though I have to say, Otsuki, that was a sneaky move at the end."

She shrugged, taking a sip of her water. "Just a little strategy. I like to surprise people."

As we stood there, the bell rang, signaling that classes would be starting soon. The girls groaned collectively, clearly not ready for the fun to end, but they began gathering their things, ready to head back to the gym building.

"Well, that was a good warm-up," Aisha said, nudging me with her elbow. "Maybe next time, Saki, you'll actually join in instead of being our water boy."

I rolled my eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, yeah. I'll think about it."

{Chapter 11: Eventful Day Part 2}

The gym building was large and spacious inside, split down the middle in two sections. One side was used for Mr. Hoshido to coach the basketball team while the other side was used for us, the students in his class to either hang out or play a sport in. The two sides of the gym was divided by a net so no distractions on Mr. Hoshido's section.

Emma let out a grunt as she shot the ball to the hoop, a long bong sounding as the ball bricked against the backboard. I lowered my head, trying my hardest to not laugh due to the sound of Emma bricking her shot.

"Motosaki..! Don't laugh! She's trying her best..!" Aisha softly scolded, gently swatting my arm and looked at me.

"Sorry, sorry...it was just the sound the backboard made when the ball hit it. I wasn't expecting her to brick the shot so hard," I said softly, covering my eyes as I stifled my laughter.

Emma grumbled as she heard me snickering then grabbed the ball off the floor and walked over to me. "Hmph! Since you're laughing, you think you can do better?!"

I looked up at Emma and smirked at her, grabbing the ball out of her hand. I dribbled the ball between my legs as I walked toward the court. "Hmph, if you know Baylee's brother, Eric, you'd know he was a D1 Basketball Player before becoming a coach for my old highschool. He taught me along side his friend Mark."

"Ha! Show me then, Mr. America," Emma scoffed, placing a hand on her hip and rose an eyebrow as she watched me.

I chuckled softly, dribbling the ball left and right behind me while also moving my feet. Mr. Hoshido looked back to check on us on the other side of the gym. He watched as I dribbled the ball with such finesse and kept a close eye on me.

I got ready to shoot the ball, releasing it from my hands toward the hoop. The ball went in, making a swishing sound as it smoothly entered the net. I glanced at Emma and puffed my chest out at her, a smug smile playing on my face.

"How's that?~" I teased, pointing my finger at her.

Emma scoffed, acting unimpressed and crossed her arms. She turned away from me, her hair swinging in the process. "Ha! Beginner's luck, bucko! Any guy would've made that shot!"

Rebecca giggled softly as she watched, sitting next to Otsuki on the bleachers. "C'mon Emma, you've gotta admit that was an impressive shot..."

"He wouldn't have made that shot with someone guarding him!" Emma challenged, grabbing the ball off the ground then bounced it toward me.

I caught the ball and watched as Emma took on a guarding stance in front of me. I glanced over at Aisha and she shrugged her shoulders, a soft giggle escaping her lips. I looked back at Emma, seeing the determination on her face.

"Alright, let's see if you can stop me," I smirked, spinning the ball around my finger.

Satori stopped dribbling his basketball and noticed Mr. Hoshido watching me and the girls as we played around. He let out a soft scoff, tapping one of his friends upon his chest to get his attention then pointed at me. Some of his friends looked over at us, watching as I played with Emma.

"Don't reach, don't reach or I'll drive past you," I taunted, dribbling the ball between my legs with efficiency.

Emma grunted as she tried to keep up. "Shut up! I'm gonna take that ball from you and dunk it on your head!"

As Emma reached for the ball, I crossed her over, causing her to lose her footing and stumble backwards. She found her footing and hurried forward again, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment. The girls cheered for Emma, hyping her up to take the ball.

I faked my shot, causing Emma to jump up and look back to see if I shot the ball. Once she turned back around, I bounced then ball between her legs then drove it forward, leaping up and dunking the ball.

Aisha clapped her hands, laughing lightly at me. "Okay, Saki!~ You've still got it!"

Emma huffed, crossing her arms and rolled her eyes. "Typical boy... show off..."

"Don't worry Emma, you nearly had him but I guess it's good at reading the court as well~" Rebecca said, watching as Emma sat back down beside her.

Emma puffed her cheek, groaning and pouting. "Hmph! He can have his little victory! I'm going back to drawing!"

Mr. Hoshido smiled at my talents then turned back to his team, blowing his whistle. "Alright boys, let's pick it back up for another drill!"

Satori and the others turned away from our side of the court to return back to practice. Satori couldn't help but to be slightly impressed with my skills, but he didn't show it, maintaining his usual stoic expression as he practiced with his team once more.

As the class went on, the bell rang for everyone to get ready for the lunch period. I decided to help Mr. Hoshido by gathering the basketballs to take them outside into the storage house. Otsuki decided to help out while the others waited for us at the main building.

"Thank you for helping, Otsuki," I said, taking the basketballs to the back of th storage house.

"It's no issue, Motosaki. I'm always happy to help a friend in need," Otsuki replied, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she followed behind me. "So were you actually taught by Baylee's brother in America?"

I smiled at Otsuki's question, nodding as I put the balls in the basket. "Yeah, I was. It was honestly an experience because he was kinda hard on me since I was military, but he was like a second father to me in a way."

Otsuki smiled at me, staring at me and getting a good look at my physique, a soft blush settling on her face. "You do look very nice..." She said softly, barely loud enough for me to hear.

"Hm?" I asked, looking back at Otsuki to know what she said.

"N-Nothing! Here's the next rack of basketballs..!" Otsuki stammered, pushing forward the next rack of basketballs.

I chuckled softly at her then took the next rack, Otsuki's embarrassment slightly intensifying. "Whatever you say, Tsuki.."

As we put away the rest of the basketballs, a girl stumbled by, seeing the sliding door of the storage house wide open. "Who left this open? Irresponsible..."

I dropped the last couple of basketballs in the basket, Otsuki and I hearing the door closing. We quickly looked back and Otsuki hurried to the door to try and open it.

"E...eh?" Otsuki gasped softly as she tried to open the door.

"What's the matter?" I asked, tilting my head as I watched Otsuki.

She turned toward me, grunting softly. "It won't open. Someone must've locked it from the outside."

I rose an eyebrow and stepped forward, taking a attempt to open the door then grunted, confirming it was locked. I let out a soft exhale then stepped back from the door. "Great...how are we supposed to get out of here?"

Otsuki held her hand elegantly at her chest, staring at me as I looked for clues to escape the storage house we were in. She grunted softly, growing a bit flustered and shy suddenly.

I looked at Otsuki, raising an eyebrow. "Otsuki? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I just... never have been in such a peculiar situation like this before. I mean...my gym clothes are a little revealing and I'm stuck in here...with you..." Otsuki said, her voice tinged with shyness and vulnerability.

I could see that she was flustered around me, a soft grunt sounding from my throat. My mind immediately went to the book I read last night. 'Is this Level 1 of the Yandere Level? No...it's just that it's only me and Otsuki locked in this storage. This is a rather peculiar situation..'

"Okay, look...let's both calm down here and try to find a way out. I see a window right above you, maybe we can get out through there," I said, pointing at the window behind her.

Otsuki looked back then nodded, turning back toward me. "Y-Yeah... let's try it."

I nodded and looked around for a step ladder then spotted one tucked away in a corner. I made my way to grab it, moving a few objects out of the way in the process. I finally grabbed the step ladder, pulling it from the corner then made my way toward Otsuki.

Otsuki watched as I approached her then noticed where I was stepping. "Motosaki, watch your step!"

I looked down, realizing too late that I had stepped on a tennis ball that fell when I was moving items to get the step ladder. The tennis ball rolled under my foot, causing me to slip and bump into Otsuki, knocking the both of us down on a deflated cushion.

I grunted softly as I opened my eyes, noticing I was on top of Otsuki. Otsuki opened her eyes as well, looking up at me, her face becoming as red as a tomato. I could feel her body heat rapidly increasing due to her flushed state, her breathing deepening by the moment.

"Motosaki..." She said softly, her gaze meeting mine. "You're... touching my..."

I grunted softly, looking down at my position, seeing my hand holding onto Otsuki's breast. 'Oh come on, this trope..?'

I quickly got off Otsuki, clearing my throat and rubbing the back of my head. "Sorry, Otsuki...I uh...didn't mean to land in a provocative manner..."

Otsuki blushed even more, wrapping her arms around her chest and slowly sat up. "It's...it's okay. I know you didn't...mean to..."

I stared at Otsuki, my own cheeks heating up into a blush. 'Crap...now the atmosphere has really changed...'

Otsuki kept her gaze averted, her eyes twinkling with a fluttered expression. She gently rubbed her arms and shifted her legs, her movements elegant yet more reserved than usual. There was a silence between us, the air growing slightly more thicker than what it once was.

'Geez...one of us say something already..!' I thought, a bead of sweat rolling down my cheek.

"U-Uhm..." Otsuki began, stuttering and trying to find something to say.

Suddenly, the door opened and the inside of the storage house illuminated by the sunlight. We turned toward the entrance, seeing Emma and the others and a relief settled over us.

"Here they are! Someone locked them in this shed!" Emma called out to Aisha, Rebecca, and Naomi.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see Emma's face before, but I was glad. Had we been stuck here for a moment longer, I didn't know what would've happened. Without further hesitation, I placed the step ladder back in the corner and cleaned up the mess on the floor then left the storage shed with Otsuki.