A/N: Decided to get rid of the RuSen. (If you glance up at the summary, you will see that it's no longer there.) It was too much work, and I will admit, I only put it there to attract readers to what I was sure was going to be a mediocre story. (Cheap advertising.) Since I'm admitting things, let me also admit that I am aware that this is a mediocre story, and I hope no one is reading it with the expectation that it's going to be like Conquer the Nation, because it isn't. I don't have that kind of skill. To repeat: NO RuSen; not in the last chapter, not henceforward.
And after being advised that SenAya is a weird pairing (though I don't really look upon it as a pairing - more as comic relief), I am actively debating what to do with it. I've kept it around for now.
Most of this chapter was written in 2013.
Updates, if any, will be as infrequent as they have been so far, because, to repeat, I am a writer of little skill.
Chapter 2
"Our biggest loss," Sendoh reflected, "is Uozumi-san."
Though outperformed by Akagi last season, there was no denying that Uozumi was an exceptionally talented center. In his place they had Sugadaira, who, except for a brief cameo in the game against Shohoku, when Uozumi had been benched after committing his fourth foul, hadn't seen much action in a real game.
In a prefecture with so many fine centers on other teams, Sugadaira tended not to inspire much confidence in his teammates. He stood just under 188 cm, and his jumping skills were quite average. Not having had much exposure to game conditions even during practice, he often had a hard time predicting his opponents' moves. In that way he was rather like Sakuragi when he had just started playing, but without the promise and aggressiveness and other mysterious qualities that Sakuragi possessed. The best thing anyone could say of Sugadaira was that he was a nice guy.
"Earth to Sendoh, Earth to Sendoh!" said Koshino with an arch grin, waving his hand energetically in Sendoh's face.
"What?" Sendoh leant back in surprise.
"Nothing." Koshino laughed. "You spaced out there for a second. Were you perhaps thinking about a certain somebody you're in love with? Just trying to make this as cheesy as possible for you."
"Why would you do that? Besides we have more important things to think about. Do you think it's humanly possible to make Sugadaira half a foot taller and a better athlete in ten days? I've heard that Sakuragi learnt how to make free throws in just three."
"I don't know about that, but Shohoku doesn't have Akagi, either, remember? I think we'll manage fine with Sugadaira."
"Tell me, Koshino. When the mountain refused to come to Mahomet, what did he do?"
Koshino shrugged.
"Search me."
"He went to the mountain, which as a general rule in life is as good as any."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Sendoh rose, cafeteria chair sliding noisily on the floor.
"I'm going to go pay Maki-san a visit. Without his help, our only hope will be finding a really talented freshman who for some reason has lain in the shadows for so long."
"Maki? He hasn't retired like the others, has he? Are you going to ask him if we can borrow Takasago for the game?"
"No. I'm going to ask him for moral support, which you as vice-captain are supposed to be giving me instead of making silly jokes about Ayako."
About a dozen heads turned at this, as if something unfortunate that they had suspected for long had at last been confirmed.
"Nothing to see here." Koshino waved airily as he followed Sendoh out of the cafeteria, before the girls could burst into tears. He added in an undertone to Sendoh, "They're not silly, they're funny. Because they're true."
Maki was standing in front of Kainan's gates when Sendoh arrived.
"You've come awfully far to see me, Sendoh."
"I'm cutting class." He seemed thrilled by the thought. "There is something I wanted to ask you."
"What is it?" Maki wondered if he was slowly turning into the go-to person for captainly wisdom. Just the previous afternoon he had met with Miyagi, who had come to him on his hands and knees, seeking to be trained in the fine art of captaining after Akagi had shut the door in his face, having vowed not to have anything to do with the team for the rest of the year. "If you're here because you want to know the secret to being a captain, I'm afraid I've already given it to Miyagi. He looked like he needed some sunshine in his life."
"Oh. I actually need something a little different." He leant in and whispered into Maki's ear, "Words."
Maki raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I need to know what to say to my team."
Maki was still confused.
"When we're in a game, I can get by with saying things like, 'Don't mind. We'll get one in.' But a captain needs to have a definite vision. Some central goal that he needs to communicate to his team every day."
Maki shook his head, unable to believe that the ace of Ryonan, so suave and self-assured, should come all the way to Kainan looking for a speechwriter.
"Just say whatever comes to your mind. That's what I do, and most of the time it works. As for goals, I suppose the Winter Tournament comes to mind."
Sendoh spent a minute in quiet reflection.
"Also, am I supposed to hit people like you, Akagi-san, and Captain Uozumi always did?"
"What?" Maki sounded affronted. "I'm not violent. Except maybe with Kiyota."
"Because I don't think I could do that. Maybe I should just give up the captaincy and let Uozumi-san come back. He's been hanging around the gym a lot these days. It's like he never left."
"Why don't you ask him for advice instead of me? I'm still an opponent, remember?"
Sendoh cast an uncertain glance at the clouds overhead, as if expecting divine inspiration to aid him with his next words.
"There's actually another reason."
"Oh really?"
"A situation."
"I'm listening."
"A situation of the sort that only you can help me with."
"I'm still listening."
Sendoh took a deep breath.
"I think Rukawa's in love with Ayako."
Maki chewed on this idea for a couple of moments, and decided that he didn't like the taste.
"I find that hard to believe. She's a year older than him, and he's… Rukawa."
"I find it hard to believe myself." Sendoh looked uncertain. "If you'd asked me yesterday, I would have told you it was nonsense. But last night when I said her name in front of him, he withdrew into a shell like an injured animal."
"I find it hard to believe that he could withdraw any further."
"If you'd asked me yesterday, I would have said I didn't believe it either."
"And why is this so important anyway?"
"I'm getting to that. As you must have heard already, word tending to get around as fast as it does around here, I am involved romantically with Ayako."
"I did not know that." Maki did not know that, and for some reason found it just as hard to believe as Rukawa's being in love with Ayako. "If you asked me tomorrow, I would still not believe you."
"Oh?" Momentarily taken aback but far from discouraged, Sendoh went on talking while it still seemed not a bad idea to do so. "If this poisons our relationship—that is to say, mine with Rukawa—then he might not play one-on-ones with me anymore."
"And you're worried that he's going to spend all that time wooing someone who's like an older sister to him?" Maki glanced impatiently at his watch, not the most pleased at the prospect of missing his next class, unlike Sendoh.
"Possibly. But more than that, I won't be able to keep tabs on how he's doing. He's gotten a lot better in a really short time, and unless I keep up with him…"
"You're worried that he might become a better basketball player than you one of these days. Well, let me tell you something you probably haven't heard before: I think your skills are on the same level as mine."
This failed to elicit the response Maki had expected.
In fact, Sendoh had heard it before. Multiple times. Coach Taoka never lost an opportunity to slip it casually into conversations with his fellow members of staff, if he thought Sendoh might be within earshot. To Sendoh it seemed commonplace to the point of being irrelevant.
"Yeah, but I have to keep an eye on Rukawa. If he ever gets better than me, there is no hope for our team."
Maki placed a sympathetic hand on Sendoh's shoulder, which was the most he could do as someone who had never experienced the uncertainties of not having a replacement for outgoing players.
"Then there really is just one option for you."
"And what's that?"
"I think you should get over your feelings for Ayako."
"What?"
"It's better for her to be with a freshman—or really, anyone who goes to Shohoku—than you."
"You know, it's not that easy."
Maki inhaled deeply.
"Even now I think about Fujima's sister at times, but I know she's in a better place."
Sendoh's eyebrows rose.
"I didn't know Fujima-san had a sister who died."
"She's with Hanagata is what I meant. And now I really have to get to class; and I won't tell anybody about this meeting, if you don't."
They waved their goodbyes in a distant, formal way, as was only proper at the end of any meeting between adversaries in front of Kainan's hallowed gates, while the cherry blossoms still retained memories of last spring in their drying leaves.
Whatever that means, thought Sendoh.
"Think, think, think…!"
Sendoh lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness, unable to sleep. There was no doubt that Sugadaira would have to be their center—there was simply no one else, and it was too late for fresh tryouts. But they still needed to strengthen their defense under the basket. Even if Shohoku didn't have a talented center either, they still had Sakuragi, who could compete with the best centers in terms of rebounds and defense under the basket.
Did they have someone like Sakuragi? Would it be possible to train Fukuda to be their main defense under the basket? He certainly was a fast learner. But if Coach Taoka had any big plans for him this season, he hadn't spoken of them.
Sendoh jumped out of bed. He decided that a jog might help to clear his head.
As he jogged he ruminated lugubriously on the things Maki had said earlier.
"I think you should get over your feelings for Ayako."
What were his feelings for Ayako? They had only ever exchanged perfunctory remarks, had never made eye contact that was not accidental, and didn't go to the same school. Yet there was something in her manner when she donned her baseball cap and cheered Shohoku on energetically from the bench that greatly interested him. He was sure that, with her easygoing manner and passion for basketball, they would have a lot to talk about. She might even be the one for him, if you believed in such things. Just thinking about her—about her sharp brown eyes, her somewhat arch smile, her sweet voice—caused a surge of adrenaline to course through his veins and put an extra bounce in his step. He felt that he just had to get to know her better—that he somehow had to get her to cheer for him instead of his opponent. But circumstances had conspired to render the contingency of such a thing remote. And he realized that there was no easy way for him to insinuate himself into Ayako's consciousness without causing everyone around to become suspicious of his motives.
As he was passing the basketball court, he noticed a lone figure practicing by itself, black against the inhospitable electric light.
"Rukawa?"
Rukawa heard him, and his dribbling stopped abruptly.
Sendoh dashed onto the court.
"Rukawa, I… about yesterday…"
Rukawa continued staring at him like an owl, not saying a word.
"I don't know what I was thinking."
Still not saying a word, Rukawa tossed him the ball.
Taking his cue enthusiastically, Sendoh shot a three-pointer from where he stood. It was a beautiful shot—one that would have made Jin or Mitsui jealous—and Sendoh's face lit up.
"There, see! I haven't lost my touch yet."
Rukawa gave him a satisfied nod, before picking up the ball and dashing off toward the other end of the court. He got past Sendoh like a cat in the darkness, and stopped suddenly in the middle of the game.
"What's the matter?" said Sendoh.
"About last night…" began Rukawa.
"I'm sorry," said Sendoh hastily. "I got a little carried away, and didn't know what I was saying."
"About Ayako-senpai…"
"Yeah, listen, man, it was totally uncool of me to have said those things to you. I should have realized. She goes to Shohoku, you go to Shohoku. You get priority over me."
Sendoh laughed sheepishly.
Rukawa raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you have feelings for Ayako?"
Rukawa looked as if he had been pricked with a needle.
"I don't." He bounced the ball awkwardly. "That would be gross, because she's older than me. Not to mention I wouldn't want to get on my captain's bad side."
"Meaning I'm back in the game?" Sendoh's face lit up.
"As you probably know," Rukawa went on, "Captain Miyagi is in love with her." He inhaled deeply. "About Ayako-senpai," he said again. "I was worried that…" Bounce. "If you got involved with her…" Bounce. "We wouldn't play one-on-ones as often."
Rukawa felt dizzy from having so many words leave him, especially ones so ponderous and laden with concern.
"Oh, Rukawa." Sendoh laid a hand on the other's shoulder. "You don't ever have to worry about that. Our one-on-ones are something special. No woman could ever come between us."
"Then I suppose it's all right for me to tell you that Ayako-senpai's already going out with the Captain. They started sometime after the Inter Highs, and told us a couple of weeks ago."
Sendoh's jaw dropped. It was his turn to be the speechless one.
tbc.