Chapter One: Library
Being detained is a bromidic situation for the seventeen-year old Hisashi Mitsui. Yesterday, together with his gang, he was involved in a physical fight in the Cafeteria against second year students.
He and his friends were separated into different detention areas and here is where he's assigned... in the library.
In addition, he was suspended in the Basketball team for two whole weeks.
"Hey, Mr. Mitsui! Are you out of your mind? Why on earth did you place the biology book in the literary section?" The old lady librarian yelled that caught the attentions of other students inside the room.
Everyone's eyes were directed towards the corner where Hisashi was fixing the shelves with the librarian.
"Oh. Guess I didn't realize that." Hisashi said... plain and simple.
"Didn't realize that? I've heard that from you more than a dozen times since morning!"
"All right! I'll fix it." He murmured with irritation as he took the Biology book out of the literary shelf.
The librarian touched her forehead... trying to ease the pain building inside it... caused by her exasperating work and the addition of a spoiled brat detainee.
Suddenly... her eyes unintentionally glanced at the desk where students sign up for the book they wish to borrow.
She saw through her thick round glasses the more-exhausted-looking boy... who is attending to the needs of the borrowers, stamping the due dates in every back of the book... one after another.
The librarian turned to face Hisashi and tried to speak as calm as she could. "Hopeless. Just help Mr. Kogure assisting the borrowers. There on that desk." She pointed him the place.
Hisashi's mouth dropped as he followed the direction the librarian's finger was pointing at... and he was filled with bewilderment. "Kogure? What the hell is he doing here? We have a Basketball practice."
Kiminobu Kogure is the Shohoku Basketball Team's vice-captain and known as one of the most dilligent students in campus.
The librarian put her hands over her hips and knitted her long thin brows. "My goodness Mr. Hisashi MITSUI. I wonder how wealth affects your sensitivity, you belong in the same team and you have no idea about Kogure's situation?"
"Would you please stop insulting me and go straight to the point!" Mitsui shouted back that interrupts the silent milieu.
"Calm down boy. You have no respect for authorities." The librarian watched out for her normal heartbeat... afraid of collapsing right on that moment. "Didn't you know that Mr. Kogure's father passed away last week that destroyed their source of income? So he is working hard for a little salary here?"
Hisashi was caught frozen after hearing Kiminobu's condition. He whispered to himself, "Now I know why Kogure often missed our practices."
"Mr. Mitsui, go and help Mr. Kogure immediately. You're wasting your time here." The librarian said, pointing her finger to where Kiminobu was.
The gangster walked absentmindedly to the borrowers' desk. When he reached his destination, he stood beside the bespectacled Kiminobu... but with such overload work... the latter barely notices his presence.
Hisashi smirked mischievously as he thought of a plan. Slowly... he removed the boy's glasses from his face and hid it inside his pocket.
"What the-" Kogure uttered in annoyance as he touches his eyes. His visions blurred without his eyeglasses.
There's only one student left in line... so Hisashi did the job for his friend.
When that student had left... he knelt down beside the poor little boy... and slowly, with gentle management... he removed the fingers covering the boy's eyes.
Kiminobu opened his eyes step by step.
With guilt visiting his conscience, Hisashi blew an air from his mouth to the capitulating pair of brown eyes.
"Shhh... it's not like it would burn without your glasses."
Kiminobu blinked once... twice... and thrice... until he settled his gleaming brown orbs out of its imprisoning shells.
Hisashi's mouth opened unconsciously and remained in that state. His indigo blue eyes were stunned at the beauty it had captured.
He'd known the vice-captain for three years already. Even though they're not the closest of friends... he was aware of Kiminobu's child face, athletically slim body... and round brown eyes under a pair of round thick glasses.
But he never knew how adorable those brown eyes are... emphasized by long dark and curled lashes... that resemble a French doll.
"Who are you?" Kiminobu blinked once more... and his eyes shone like the pulchritude of falling autumn leaves.
"Guess who?" Hisashi replied with a hoarse chuckle. Kiminobu effortlessly recognized the sound of the voice of the once Basketball MVP, he admires most.
"Ah, Hisashi Mitsui. You're detained again".
Hisashi was astonished that he was easily recognized and glad from the sweet smile the vice-captain showed. It only meant that he's already fine.
"How do you know?" The gangster queried as he slipped the black eyeglasses... back on the slim boy's face with prudence.
"We belong to the same team of course I need to know your voice or I might not know you're already passing me the ball."
"Oh... OK, I almost forgot." Hisashi said with discontentment in the answer. He seemed to expect more but he himself doesn't know what it is.
The librarian locked the libraray's main entrance door and pulled the padlock to assure herself that it was indeed... locked.
"Oi Mr. Mitsui." The librarian showed a warning finger at the three-pointer. "Go home now! No gimmicks this late at night!"
Kiminobu grinned at the scene while Hisashi kept his temper.
"Yeah whatever." The detainee passively rolled his eyes.
Hisashi and Kiminobu walked in a separate way with the librarian... and as they moved their tired feet forward... a conversation was inevitable to surface.
"Are you suppose to pass that way?" Hisashi pointed at the path the librarian took.
"No." The vice-captain answered with his usual docility. "I moved to a new house just last two weeks."
"Where is it then?"
"Just near the Ryonan High School."
Hisashi's eyes almost dropped on the floor from the shock.
"Are you serious? That's almost two hours from here if you take the train!"
"Yeah. I guess so." Kiminobu merely shrugged and tilted his head down on the ground. "By the way Mitsui, I'm going this way. Thanks for the company."
The vice-captain gave him a cheerful smile... but it didn't stop Hisashi from getting worried. He took hold of the slim boy's hand.
"There's no way I would let you take the train this night." There was no trace of joke in the eyes of the three-pointer. "I'll give you a lift wherever your house is."
Trying to take his hand away from the firm hold, Kiminobu spoke softly. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to bother you or anyone. I need to go Mitsui. Grandma is waiting."
Hisashi didn't withdraw.
"I won't forgive myself if anything happens to you."
The three-pointer was surprised in the words that came out of his mouth. He seemed to be getting far out of the line... but he himself wasn't certain of the line he's crossing.
Kiminobu sensed the unyielding offer of the boy. He knew Hisashi is the type of person who wants to get what he wants no matter how far it would take him.
"Ok."
Hisashi walked towards the school parking lot. The gymnasium was already closed and it only meant that it's already past eight o'clock.
There was so much work in the library that Kiminobu didn't want to leave everything for the old lady librarian to fuss about.
He was allowed to leave by five but he chose to stay since he felt guilty if he just leave Kiminobu in a towering file of work.
Hisashi took his black remote control key from his pants' pocket and pressed the button to unlock his car automatically with a chirping sound.
Kiminobu's eyes landed at the red convertible sports car... shining under the crescent moonlight.
"Nice car," he mumbled.
"Thanks." Hisashi smiled and went inside the driver's seat.
As Kiminobu perched himself in the pasenger's seat, he felt like a millionaire kid surrounded with luxurious leather seats... DVD, audio CD and MP3 player in vertical order... and a portable SONY television above those.
The engine started and the car drove on... away from the Shohoku building.
"Is it alright if I open the window?" Hisashi asked and received an amiable nod from his recipient.
He pushed the button for the automatic window... then opened the console box located at Kiminobu's north.
The bespectacled boy watched intently as Hisashi took a flip-top box of West Ice cigarettes and a lighter.
"You're still smoking, huh?" Kiminobu asked with a hint of joke. He knew it would never help to scold such a naughty brat like Hisashi Mitsui.
The three-pointer lit up a stick and puffed it once, then blew a very long thin smoke. He rested his right arm on the door... while moving the wheel with his right hand... which was also holding the cigar.
"I'm trying to quit." He puffed once more. "But it's not as easy as one, two, three."
"At least you're trying to get rid of it."
Kiminobu fanned the smoky air that's reaching him... away with his hand.
"I'm sorry." Hisashi mumbled and shifted to his left hand in holding the wheel... while his right kept the cigar as far as possible from his companion. "Second-hand smoker is worse."
"I know."
"Ryonan... hmm... so we have to turn right in the intersection?" Hisashi confirmed and when the other nodded... he turned to that direction. "So why did you move... and it's very far, huh?"
Kiminobu tilted his head gloomily.
"My... my dad died two weeks ago."
Hisashi cursed himself for forgetting about it. The librarian just told that to him a while ago.
"Our house was sold and my mom works in Osaka so there's no place for me to stay but to my grandma."
A quick glance at the bespectacled boy softened Hisashi's wodden heart. Kiminobu was looking at his own front... and his face was apparently showing grief and mourn.
"Is that why you need to work in the library?"
"Yeah."
Suddenly... the big M-sign of McDonald's made Hisashi's stomach churn. He got totally hungry from the work in the library and a large drink of Coke and jumbo burger would ease his tiredness.
"What do you want, Kogure?" Hisashi asked as he stops at the speaker in the drive thru.
"I'll just eat at home." Kiminobu resisted his salivation at the yummy posters of fried chicken at his front... but Hisashi was certain he's hungry. He did more work than him.
"Two large coke, two large fries and two Big Mac."
After hearing the confirmation of orders from the speaker... Hisashi moved his car forward to the next window.
"Here's your coke..." Hisashi handed his companion the drink from the bag. "Your fries... and your burger."
"Hisashi..."
"Shhh... just eat. I know you're hungry."
Hisashi drove on his car along the traffic then shut his unfinished cigar at the astray. He took a huge bite on his burger one at a time and saw Kiminobu eating like he never had for a century.
The three-poniter sipped the very last drop of his soda.
"Can you live any farther?" Hisashi exclaimed. All that he bought in McDonald's were eaten and yet... they haven't reached Kiminobu's present residence.
"I told you, I don't want to bother anyone."
"Yeah whatever." Hisashi murmured but he wasn't mad for giving his friend a lift at all... he was just impatient about the long road. "So... are you alright? I mean, you have to work in the library and go home to this very remote place... plus, our school works are not a joke especially that we're graduating?"
Kiminobu sullenly thought of his situation. "Well, I don't have a choice."
Hisashi gazed at his side and saw the posts' lights streaking across the loving face of Kiminobu. Again, the priceless brown eyes glimmered under the thick glasses... and caught Hisashi's admiration.
"Turn left here, Mitsui." The bespectacled boy informed and Hisashi followed. "There... at the green gate... that's my grandma's house."
Finally, Hisashi halted his car in front of the said gate.
"Wooh... at last, you're home."
"Thank you SO much, Mitsui. I owe you a lot." Overwhelmed from the kindness he received from the three-pointer, Kiminobu hugged him and the other hugged back.
However, Hisashi experienced an alien feeling as soft warm arms circled him. It's not the very first time he hugged Kiminobu. Everytime the Shohoku team wins, whether a practice game or a real match, Hisashi would hug his co-players from happiness and exhilaration.
It's not a new action from him... but he felt something that comforts his exhausted muscles from that simple bear hug.
When Kiminobu released himself from the embrace, Hisashi felt more and more the despearation to feel the same warmth again.
But Kiminobu needed to hop off and say good bye.
"Good night, Mitsui. And again... thank you SO much." Kiminobu uttered with a sincere angelic smle.
Kiminobu entered his grandmother's house with sleepy eyes. If Hisashi didn't buy him foods in McDonald's, he must've fainted that moment from all the exhaustion of his works.
"Oi Mr. Kogure! Where had you been?" An old woman with orange-dyed hair... appeared from the kitchen. "Do you know what time is it already? It's a quarter before eleven!"
"I know grandma." Kiminobu slowly walked towards his bedroom... as he resisted the loud yells of his grandmother. "Pleae forgive me."
"You still have a class tomorrow. How do you expect to wake up early?"
"I will. I promise."
"I'm not going to wake you up! You do it yourself. If I find you still in bed by five in the morning, I'll spank you!"
"Yes, grandma."
Hisashi parked his car in front of his father's commerical-like house. Their walls and doors are made of bullet proof glasses like the luxurious stores in Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles.
The cemented road crossing the well-maintained green garden was adorned with white post lights... that any ordinary person would feel like being in a small elegant city.
They have no garage... but an enough space at their house' facade for five expensive automobiles.
The bountiful postlights around... and the extravagant household didn't cheer him. It never did.
He halted in front of the door... and dialed its pin code at the door-lock machine at his right.
The door unlocked and he entered the quiet and dark house interior. If not for the lights of the posts and the stars procured by the transparent glasses, there's nothing he could see.
His father's Mitsubishi Pajero car and his stepmother's Carnival was already parked outside... meaning to say... they're already asleep in their bedroom.
Hisashi sighed as he entered his room.
There's nothing to expect in coming home... and nothing to be happy about. The costly furnitures and properties inside and outside are just there to fill the empty space of their lot.
-to-be-continued-