Harumi stood alone on the second floor of the gymnasium, her gaze fixed on the basketball court below. Her arms were crossed, and a small frown tugged at her lips. The buzz of sneakers squeaking against the court, the echo of the ball bouncing, and the occasional shout from one player to another surrounded her. But none of that could distract her from the one person who wasn't there.
"It looks like Tetsuo didn't come to training at all today," she muttered to herself with disappointment. "That's too bad. I really wanted to see him play. I wonder what happened…"
Down on the court, the practice game was in full swing. Makoto dribbled past half court, eyes sharp as he scanned for an opening. Hayato kept close on him, arms wide and feet light. With a sharp pivot, Makoto zipped a pass to Yukio, who caught the ball in the post, now face-to-face with Liam's tight defense.
Yukio faked a move, then passed it back out to Takahiro on the wing. Shino immediately stepped up, challenging him. Takahiro swung the ball back inside to Yukio, who took a strong step forward and drove the ball into the hoop with a layup past Liam's reach.
"Nice! That's game," Yukio called out, breathless as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"Nice one, Captain," Liam said, smiling as he reached for the ball. "But I almost had you."
"Nice game, Makoto," Hayato added, jogging over.
Makoto let out a quiet yawn. "Yeah…" he murmured and made his way to the bench, grabbing his water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and took a long sip. Just then, his eyes caught something—Noboru, standing at the edge of the court, dribbling a basketball slowly. His eyes shimmered with frustration, and a single tear clung to the corner of his lashes.
Makoto choked on his water, coughing and spitting it out. He paused for a minute then turned his back to Noboru, clearly startled by the guilt in the boy's expression.
"We all told her that Tetsuo was going to be late," Noboru muttered under his breath, loud enough for those nearby to hear. "And he's the one who doesn't show up at all. How am I the one who gets punished for it?"
Nanaho crossed her arms, fuming. "I can't believe Tetsuo of all people would choose to skip training at such a crucial time. He'll pay for that…"
"No, Nanaho," Tomoe interrupted gently, her voice calm. "I'm sure Tetsuo has his reasons. He isn't the type to miss training."
Nanaho sighed, her anger giving way to concern. "I hate to say it, but you're right. He's not that type of person… I just hope everything's alright with him."
Meanwhile, at Hachioji Academy in the basketball gym, the girls' team was also wrapping up practice. Maeda blew her whistle, her tone sharp.
"Come on girls, move faster down the court! Our second game is in two days. We want to be in peak physical condition!"
"Yes, coach!" they chorused.
Kazue caught the ball and swiftly scored a layup. Suzume followed up with a clean pass to Sayaka, who drove to the basket and scored. Then Yuna passed to Haruko, who made another layup. Finally, the ball went to Kotone, who finished with an elegant step and shot.
Maeda blew the whistle again. "Alright, that's enough for today. I don't want you guys worn out before the next game. Go home, rest up. Tomorrow we'll go over plays—nothing too rigorous."
"Yes, Coach!" they said, heading toward the locker room.
"I'm exhausted," Kotone groaned, dragging her feet.
"You can say that again," Sayaka muttered. "Coach is really pushing us hard."
"That's just practical," Suzume said flatly, pulling off her sweat-drenched jersey. "If you want to win, you train. You hone your skills."
"Oh really?" Kotone teased, throwing her arm around Suzume. "Under all that calm and cold, I bet you're more tired than any of us."
"Hey—get your sweaty self off of me!" Suzume grimaced, squirming away. Their commotion accidentally knocked into Kazue, who was trying to change.
"Will you guys please quit it!?" Kazue snapped. "I'm trying to change here!"
In the corner of the room, Yuna sat quietly, watching her seniors laugh and bicker. Her cheeks flushed red. She admired how close they all were, how effortlessly they interacted.
"Well, look who it is!" Kotone turned dramatically toward Yuna, pretending to hold a microphone. "The Rookie of the Year, Yuna! You scored six points today—how do you feel about your performance?"
"Um… I-I…" Yuna stammered, red-faced.
"Alright, quit teasing her," Haruko said, tugging on Kotone's arm.
"Fine, fine…" Kotone relented. "Then maybe I'll tease you instead."
Haruko rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag, and left the changing room. She walked home quietly, her thoughts jumbled from the practice.
That evening, Haruko sat around the dinner table with her family. Her older sister, Sachiko, sat beside her, and across the table were their parents. Her father cleared his throat.
"Haruko," he said, voice stern but soft. "Sachiko told me you had your first game the other day."
Haruko hesitated but nodded.
"She said your team won, 77 to 9. That's impressive." He looked at her directly. "I'm proud of you. Keep it up."
Haruko blinked, unsure if she'd heard correctly.
"And… I apologize," he continued. "For the way I acted the other day. I shouldn't have said what I did. If you love basketball that much, then I'll support your dreams."
Haruko looked up at her father, her expression softening. "Thanks," she said quietly but sincerely.
Her mother smiled. "Well, isn't that great? It was about time you apologized."
"Oh, come on," he replied with a mock groan. "I've been giving it some thought."
"Sure you have," her mother teased, prompting laughter around the table.
As they finished dinner, Sachiko brushed past Haruko in the hallway. "Hey, big sis."
"What is it?" Sachiko asked, turning.
"Thank you for talking to Dad about everything."
Sachiko was taken aback. "Don't thank me… it was something I should've done a long time ago, I mean it's your dream afterall."
Sachiko smiled, and they hugged, a sense of warmth washing over Haruko that hadn't been there in weeks.
Later that night, Haruko lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, still smiling. "I'm so happy right now," she whispered to herself. "This day can't get any better…"
Bing!
Her phone buzzed. She sat up and snatched it off her nightstand. Her heart skipped.
It was Tetsuo.
Her heart fluttered, and she nearly dropped the phone.
Tetsuo: hey
She fumbled to type, fingers clumsy on the touchscreen.
Haruko: hi....
A few seconds passed before he responded again.
Tetsuo: I'll be playing basketball at the court tonight because I missed out on training today. You usually ask to play together, so... would you like to come along?
She blushed hard, nearly smothering her pillow. "Calm down, Haruko, it's just a text!" she hissed at herself, flailing.
Haruko: of course, I'll be right there!
Tetsuo: i'll be there by 8
Haruko leapt off the bed, tossing her phone on her pillow as she scrambled for her sneakers and gym bag. Her heart was pounding in her chest, a mix of excitement, nerves, and something deeper—something she hadn't quite admitted to herself yet.