"It's finally spring…"
I looked up to the April sky, with sakura flower petals falling as a burst of scenery. From today onwards, I will officially be a first-year student at Touou Academy. After quitting the position as an assistant manager of Teiko Academy's basketball team, I don't really play basketball anymore. I was just angry to myself to the thought that I started playing basketball again because of the Generation of Miracles.
While I was walking to my new school, I began having thoughts of clubs I should join. Should I be a librarian? Or join the Japanese Literature Club instead? Hmm, Japanese Literature is a must-join, but I like being in a library... I guess I'll think about that later. What about sports then? Oh, what about the Basketball club?
Basketball club, huh? I wonder why I still intend to join the club when I really don't want to have any connections with basketball anymore. I walked into the school and found lots of seniors outside handing out flyers of their clubs. I tried to ignore the seniors who are trying to introduce their clubs to me, and then I bumped onto someone really tall.
"Hey, watch where you're going." I looked up and saw a tanned skinned, dark blue-haired man who I find very familiar. "Oh," was the only sound my tongue can make when I saw him. It was Aomine Daiki, one of the members of the Generation of Miracles.
At that exact moment I realized how foolish I was for choosing a wrong school for myself. Who would have thought, one of the members of the Generation of Miracles is standing right in front of me as a first-year student who belonged to the same school I am currently in.
But as for all the other members, Aomine is probably the last person I wanted to meet among all of them. I am currently one of the most unlucky human beings on planet Earth. Aomine just continued looking at me and then gave me that signature smirk of his.
"Look who's in this school too! It's the Teiko Basketball Club's ex-assistant manager, Minamoto Chie!" I frowned listening to his words. "I didn't think you'd be in this school as well, Aomine-san. Since I heard that Touou Academy's basketball team is pretty weak." Aomine gave me a dissatisfying look and clicked his tongue.
"Can you stop being a spoilsport? I just gave my name to the club, you know. By the way, Satsuki joined this school too. She said that she wanted to be the manager of the club to take of me. Hah." So that AV actress is here too, huh? Oh God, why. That Momoi Satsuki always thinks that she's Aomine's caretaker just because they're childhood friends all the time and it makes me rather annoyed.
"Of course she has to be your manager. She's your caretaker anyway." Damn, I accidentally blurt out what I was thinking. Aomine looked at me as if he wanted to laugh. "Well, you're one of my caretakers too, right? Why don't you take care of me again this year?" What's with that smug smile on his face, anyway? I sighed looking at his facial expression and request.
"I'm sorry but I do not intend to join the basketball club this year." I honestly answered. I really do not want to associate with the basketball team anymore. I don't want to manage a club who has players not playing as a team. Although I am nothing but a training manager, I am really sick of such foolish and selfish act. Isn't basketball a game where you need to have mutual understanding of each other and play as a team?
My lips were closed shut and my eyebrows furrowed. My hand slowly parted my bangs to the right, showing a small part of my forehead. Aomine burst out laughing to my answer earlier. He went straight to my face and looked me in the eye. "Or are you just scared because I'm really strong in basketball and you think you can't handle me?"
Okay, so I got really angry here. He is obviously looking down upon me in handling the team. Tsk, he always thinks that he's so great. The one who can defeat him is only him, huh? I'll prove you wrong, Aomine Daiki! I quickly pulled his arm and make him follow me to the basketball team registration booth.
This middle-aged man has a handsome face with black curly hair falling down to almost his shoulders. I guess he's the coach. With him there are two other students, they should be the seniors then. Aomine pulled my grip away and backed off, then clicked his tongue. "Why did you take me here for?!" he shouted at me, his face flushing red in anger. But I don't think that people could see it because of his dark skin. I didn't answer and spoke to the older man instead. "Excuse me Sir; I would like to join this basketball club to take the role as a manager."
"Manager?" the coach asked. The he looked at the two students who are with him. "Didn't we just appoint a female student as our manager earlier?" He looks quizzically puzzled wondering about my request. Also, that female student is undoubtedly no other than Momoi Satsuki herself. One of the students placed his hand on the coach's shoulder and smiled. He has black hair as well; he has short, thin messy hair with fringe quite long and reaches to over his eyes. He also wears glasses over his tiny eyes.
"Let's just let this young girl be our manager too. Look at her, she's so determined. Also, she must be a player too, since she's pretty tall. If I were you, I won't say no to her request." It seems that this man speaks in Kansai dialect. If he has the advantage to give out opinions so casually to him, then he should be the captain. I bowed to the coach and begged him for the position. Because, who would want to lose to a man who provoked you?
I finally learnt that the coach's name is Harasawa. After considering my request for a while, he finally accepted me as one of the managers of Touou Academy's basketball team. I got the role as the training manager, but that's enough for me. We meet up at the basketball court alongside the regulars. The captain introduced himself as Imayoshi Shoichi.
"So this year we have two managers with us today. Both are first years, so make sure to take care of them, okay?" Imayoshi turned to both me and Momoi and smiled to everyone. "Why don't both of you introduce yourselves?" Momoi turned to me and gave me a smile. I didn't return her smile and turned away. She pouted and then introduced herself.
"My name is Momoi Satsuki. Please take care of me!" she said as she bowed to the team players. The players bowed in return, and waited for me to introduce myself. "My name is Kafuka Chie, your training manager. Please take care of me too." I spoke and bowed later.
I stood back into my normal position and spotted Aomine yawning. I sighed. Even if he thinks he's so good in basketball, he should at least respect someone when they're talking. Then he saw me staring at him and gave me a smug smile. Seeing him giving me that facial expression, I clicked my tongue. Then everyone introduced themselves and the coach was the last. While he is speaking, I realized that the chosen players are pretty strong, different from what I thought since I knew that Touou is really weak. It seems that they have a chance to be one of the best teams this time.
After the first club meeting was over, I quickly packed my bag and fled off the scene. I have leave quickly so that I could take over my mother in taking care of the kimono store. Then I heard footsteps behind me. The thumping's loud and fast, like someone running to catch up to me. What is it this time? I slowed down my pace to find out who it was.
"Chie-chan!"
I turned behind. It's that girl with long pink hair. I swiped my bangs to the right and sighed. I regretted slowing down. I should have just ignored her and left for the kimono shop. I feel like an idiot. Momoi stopped in front of me and began panting. Then she looked up to me with a bubbly smile on her face.
"You know what? I feel so happy that you're one of the managers of the basketball club!" I just looked at her solemnly. I knew she'd say that. "Oh," I answered as I'm not surprised. Her bubbly smile is still plastered on her face and began twirling her hair. "Don't be so cold! Since you and I used to be managers in junior high, that makes us friends, right?"
My mouth opened wide as she spouted those words to me. Friends? Since when were we friends? My lips slowly went down to its original shape and then gave her a soft smile. "I'm sorry. Although we may not be rivals or enemies, we're not friends as well. Besides, you're never my friend."
Momoi was stunned by my words. I know that all this while she's been trying to strengthen the bond between us. But I don't think it ever worked. I worked hard for the team, while she only works hard for the sake of Aomine. I saw her clenching her fist while she bit her lip. "If so, what about Haya-chin? Is she not your friend, too?"
Haya-chin? Oh, does she mean Hayase Mimorin? She used to be one of the training managers, just like me in junior high. "Hayase-san is the only exception, though because she shares the same thought as me." I bowed and took two steps back and turned away. Again, I always run away from problems. But that wasn't a problem, it was a mere nonsense.
Seriously, I am nothing but a selfish woman.