A/N: Here we go with Chapter Four! I'm ready and willing to go kill thisssss! I don't even know what I just said. But Yeah. I'm also terrible at writing basketball stuff.
What am I even doing writing this fanfic?
I can dream, can't I?
Let me do me. LOL. Read and enjoy please, my snowflakes!
"750 dollars exactly," Rina trailed, running her fingers through the money from the bake-sale. It was so fortunate.. Just what they needed, but also so even and precise. "Even if we spend the 700 that Kana insisted we would need, we would have 50 left over..." So clean-cut, so clean-cut..
"Actually," Kana began, peering down at her clipboard, "...We made 751.37 tota-"
Suzuki slipped her hand around Kana's mouth, firmly clenching the latter's mouth shut, "Just let it be, Kana..."
Rina's eyes had seem to peer up and falter at the actual total, her brow furrowing and even twitching once or twice, "So many… prime numbers..." She murmured softly, a shiver running up her spine, "So many odd numbers..."
"Rina!" Sasayaki spoke up, endearingly clasping her own hands together beneath her chin, "Do tell me again… What are our expertly coordinated places of duty?"
Her jade eyes lowered to her columns and graphs, which she had completed configuration of during the time of the bake-sale, "I will handle organization and scheduling, Kameyo will assume the role as our coach, Sasayaki will supply the team with refreshments, Ume will mend broken equipment, Akira will locate previous footage of our opponents, Chinami..." Following that name, Rina turned her attention to the peach haired girl that was laxingly sitting back popping little bundles of cookie dough, "..Chinami will be our treasurer."
Suzuki raised her hand, slowly pointing down to herself, "Um. S'cuse me. What do you want me to do?"
"…" Rina placed her hands together, rawly speaking without a shred of regret or softness, "You're best suited for morale."
…
…
"Sweet."
It should have been well-known that Suzuki wouldn't object to something so… relaxed, or perhaps better said as "right down her alley".
"So then… what are the duties of Alison, Elle, and Toyin?" Sasayaki spoke up, curiously shifting around the room to see where any of the three were currently.
After a moment of hesitance on Rina's part, she spoke simply: "...They're serving a purpose."
Out, in front of the gym, there was a small line of people that seemed to take interest in the basketball team's revitalization and recruitment. To the side of this line, however, near the sides of the door, the three girls in question were standing, each one laced over with an….admittedly well-crafted poster.
"This is insulting..." Alison grumbled, folding her arms whilst casually holding the poster between her fingers.
'I don't like this…' Toyin trailed mentally, turning her head away in a sense of distaste.
"Join the basketball team!" Elle chirped loudly, shaking the poster violently around, "Ozuki High's basketball club is back in business! Come give it a trial! It's always in style!"
The blonde at the left frowned, her fingers running through her hair as she peered up to the ceiling, "You do know they're doing this because we're foreigners, right?"
"Hm?" Elle peered up to Alison, tipping her head to the side, "What do you mean by that..?"
Clearly someone hadn't been updated on the current state of affairs -or at least not at Ozuki High.
Alison's lips turned up into what one could call a crooked smile. Her finger tapped the edge of her lips, which had curled up at the sides, her eyebrow quirking challengingly, "New and different. Like a brand new toy. Rina is a dark mastermind. She set us out here to superficially drawl in men with our looks and bodies."
'They're going to be disappointed.' Toyin looked down at herself for a moment, looking over her taller stature. She never really had much of a reservoir of confidence, one could say, and standing next to the other two here wasn't exactly helping her here. She could only imagine the type of reaction that would come bursting from the shorter brunette when she realized that she was being used as a human guy-magnet.
"...I'm sorry my Japanese is kind of bad. Could you repeat that?"
Toyin's could feel her glasses catch the light. She should have been ashamed of herself for expecting anything more, really. "She said..." She switched her preferred language to English, looking down to Elle whilst leaning on the wall with her arms folded, "They're using us as foreign guy magnets to bring in more people for the team."
"That's right!"
Elle and Toyin, floored by this point, nearly broke their necks after whipping their attention to Alison that quickly. She could speak...wait…
"Where.. did you say you were from again…?" Toyin's voice had notably grown quieter, and her eyes were still quite wide. She was hoping there was a mistake made somewhere in this conversation. She could get at least that lucky, right? Right?
Running her fingers through her mid-back length hair once more, the blue-eyed girl tipped her head off to the left with a more proud expression coming into play, "London."
"Elle. Elle." Toyin's hand reached out and grabbed onto the shoulder of the brunette. Once clasping on there, she began to shake her, softer, then faster, then just plain violently, "Elle, she knows English. Elle. We can't use English anymore. Elle. What language are we safe in?"
"Uh.. UH.. UH." Panicking now, the brown eyed girl endured the spazztastic pulls and pushes that sent her rocking off balance, "UM."
"None. You're never safe." Alison piped up. The freak out was rather amusing to her, regardless of whether or not she was just playing with them by this point.
Toyin's eyes narrowed sharply as she stared into her companion's eyes, "In Spanish." She spoke up quickly in the given language.
Absent-mindedly, Elle shifted her head behind her, raising her hand to Alison. Like her friend had done before her, she spoke in Spanish, attempting to lure out a response, "Do you speak Spanish?"
Fortunately, the blonde merely tipped her head. The look of absolute confusion was so blatant on her face, one could have almost clearly seen the question mark that spouted above her head. "H..Hah?" She uttered softly, keeping an awkward smile in the process.
"Good! We will speak in this Spanish!" Elle looked to Toyin, nodding her head in approval.
"I know Spanish."
The two of them froze, their blood running cold. They looked up, seeing Chinami walk past casually, still popping cookie dough. She seemed to be going to catch a drink of water, but regardless, the two were now clutching one another hopelessly in lieu of the loss of their language barrier-based secrecy.
In the midst of their grief, Alison seemed to be taking her own approach to their dutiful attraction.
"If we can't get out of it..." She trailed, cutting off the extra of the poster, and fastening it across her upper mid-section and lower chest, "We may as well make the most of it." After doing such, she stepped forward, reaching her fingers back within her hair and slowly lifting them up above so that her golden locks would run over them in what one would call an attractive sense. Her hand slid down to settle on her outward crooked hip, and she made a beckoning motion with her hands, "Come join the basketball club~."
A multitude of the nearby males seemed to stop. While some continued, some annexed themselves to the line. Some, even bolder than the rest, let their field of vision trail down towards the remainder of her body, which of course led them to look at the poster strapped to her form… and as such, soon also added themselves to the line of prospects.
"Ahhh..."
Now shaking in horror, Elle and Toyin shook their heads.
"She's insane..." A single tear trailed down Elle's wide, white eyes.
"Now it's your turn, girls." She spoke up, now turning to peer over her shoulder at them. Her eyes almost seemed to ring out a certain sinister nature that sent further chills down the girls' spines.
"No, no..." Toyin had basically dropped Elle, taking a step back, "I… Don't..."
"Don't what?" Alison settled her hands against her own hips, tipping her head to peer down at Toyin approvingly. For a girl, Alison took pride in her height. She stood an impressive 5'9, which explained why she had seemed to take such an interest in the tall men that would appear on a basketball team. As far as she could tell, she and Toyin were around-about the same height. "You've got the height mm? But how will they flock to your body if you don't show it?"
"Um." Toyin's brow furrowed deeply, her finger raising up then. Who says she wanted to show it anyway? This girl was making a lot of assumptions… The dark haired girl's eyes trailed down to one deciding factor. Ahh, as she figu- Wait… Okay, Alison was admittedly not the girl she expected her to be in the area of… assets, one could say. "Yes, but..." She trailed, motioning her hand dismissively, "You're… pretty..."
"And you're not?" Alison scoffed, immediately grabbing the poster that Toyin had hanging around her neck.
"ELLE, HELP!"
Elle merely watched with large eyes, as though witnessing something scarring, whilst Toyin basically screamed for mercy.
"There!" Alison chirpily replied, stepping back to appraise the work she had done. "It's wound around… So to read it..." She twirled her finger through the air, smirking knowingly as she did so, "They'll have to get a full view."
Toyin was oozing discomfort, keeping her arms bent and hands curled in slightly towards her chest. "Ugh..." In fact, she kept a more bashfully disdainful expression, until it was completely overshadowed by disdain. Elle… Elle was laughing. Elle was laughing at her? Her look grew vengeful, her head tipping in brisk nods, "What about her? She's curvy."
Elle's laughter abruptly stopped, her face falling straight, "What?"
"She is," Alison began, rubbing at her chin in thought.
"I'm not!" Elle quickly attempted to cover her tracks while easing away.
Without a moment's notice, the sound of screaming echoed through the hallways, parting the line of males to even ring through the gymnasium.
"It sounds like they're getting along," Suzuki quipped. She had leaned back against the stands of simple bleachers with her hands intertwined against the back of her head. The orange haired girl raised her head up in her clearly laid-back positioning, peering down to take a gander at the type of boys they had managed to attract.
In addition to their usual three -Eiji, Kyo, and Ryuu-, Kameyo seemed to be taking in the physical structure and capability of each male before her. She had seen them perform for the most part, and it was becoming easier to see which of them were better suited to the basketball club's needs. The pink haired girl had her attention on a select few, to be frank.
Minori. A second year student, it seemed, who carried already-decent ability in the field of speed and agility. His footwork was wondrous, but despite this great potential for offensively breaking up the court, he seemed to prefer defensive play.
Yuri. Another second year student that claimed he had been waiting for the basketball club to get serious. He favored up-close and personal assaults at the hoop, making majority of his close-ranged shots.
Yemon. His presence was probably just as terrifying as his ability to play. He stood at a staggering 6'4, and his physical structure greatly contributed to his strong defensive capabilities.
Goro. Though his strength wasn't clear, he seemed to be highly dedicated to the game. He had decent speed, but his height of 5'7 makes it a bit difficult to play his preferred area of defense.
Nori. He seemed to prefer to show off, which he makes possible with his outstanding accuracy. The problem? Well, he seemed to be so absorbed in garnering attention, that he would sink into his habitual use of trick-shots, which were notorious for their horrid accuracy.
Finally, Keiji. He would probably be their most useful player. He was a 3rd year, standing as their tallest player at 6'7. Not only that, but his physical structure was daunting. While he wasn't the fastest player, he typically made up for it with his crushing offensive and defensive style.
That would give them a total of nine players. To start, that was quite decent, and would give them the required five players, while offering a healthy string of substitutes just in case.
Kameyo nodded, thinking over the information she stored in her brain regarding physical ability of the body. It would take a lot of deduction, maybe even some trial and error, but she was sure she could more-than make do with the team that she was offered. A lot of them were capable, and luckily, in a lot of different areas of the game. Factoring in their preexisting players, she found that Ryuu found his strength in driving and shooting -though his foul count left a lot to be desired-, Eiji could be commended for his ability to hold onto the ball whence it was in his possession, and Kyo's long range accuracy was above average -though his ability to retain the ball could use some work.
The young girl nodded her head firmly, a smile on her face. There was no way they would be the best this season. For a team of developmental players going up against organized teams… It would take a miracle to make it particularly far.
Tap Tap Tap Tap
"Ahh. Whoever has a basketball," Kameyo began, having mentally sworn she'd previously asked the try-outs to line up, "Please put it..."
A male was present, tapping the ball to the floor in a haphazard dribble, "I'm a little late." He pushed his fingers through his black hair, clearing the remaining patches of bangs from out in front of his ice-blue eyes, "But could I give this a shot?"
His presence held an intimidating feel about it. His right hand was lined with rings, and his ears were boldly accentuated with dagger-like earrings. He tipped his head to the side, lightly cracking his neck, then reached his hand up to peel the large, dark blue jacket from his form. It dropped to the floor, and even beneath that, he was well-dressed for the occasion in a dark sweatshirt.
Kameyo grew quiet, and in the same way, the rest of the room seemed to direct their attention to the newcomer. Even from the outside of the door, the three members of the advertisement crew were peering in around the doorframe.
"He's hot," Suzuki boldly proclaimed, earning a well-placed paper fan from Akira as the prize for her confidence.
Kameyo opened her mouth to speak, but had to take a moment to briskly nod, "Y-Yes. Go for it." Something about this gave her chills. But were they well-placed, or was she just being ridiculous?
"I don't wanna show off on my own," The male began, stowing his rings into his pockets, "Can you gimme somebody to play against?"
"Leave it to me," Ryuu spoke up. As always, he jumped at the opportunity to showcase his talent in front of a watching group. He stood affront the newcoming male, a stiff grin across his face, "Don't feel bad if you can't match up."
His dark haired opponent merely kept an even expression, continuing to casually dribble the ball at his right, "I don't think that'll be a problem."
Tension sparked between the two, growing heavier with each passing second which seemed to lag on even longer than usual. At that moment, however, the whistle was toted in a brief chirp, signaling the start of the demonstration.
Ryuu prided himself in his quick and aggressive play-style. Driving and stealing… That was all part of what he found to be a strength. However, as he reached out to swipe the ball with a downward striking palm, he found his target abruptly moved.
The black haired male, as even tempered as before play, had shifted the ball from his dominant right hand, to his left. It was taunting. Inviting even. Daring Ryuu to try reaching once more, and when he did, just as fast as before, he flicked it to his right. In fact, by now he flicked it between them quickly with the tips of his fingers. His ball control was excellent, and most importantly, efficient.
"Tsk," Stepping forward in an outstretched reach, Ryuu burst forward, growling distastefully. This time on the reach, his finger brushed against the ball. Even a small tap could change the course of the object. That should have been enough, right?
The blue eyed male shifted his feet. His intention had been to raise the ball, but being the tap drove it downwards, he shot his arm towards the floor. His hand then reclaimed its place, slamming the ball down at an angle.
It was an easy pick! Or at least it should have been, but as Ryuu reached down to claim the ball, he found it to be precariously directed to bounce between his legs, coming out behind him. By the time he had turned, the dark haired male was already driving his way to the hoop.
Though Ryuu pursued, he just couldn't keep up. But there was a hope for the slit-eyed male.
His opponent had slid to a stop upon coming toward the hoop. He must not have had a very fast release, either that, or didn't trust his accuracy enough to try a fast release. It gave Ryuu the chance he was looking for to come in for a close reach, and perhaps even block the ball.
The ball had been released already. Even under Ryuu's approaching pressure, he had managed to release the ball…
It arched up, tottling down and catching only the net in its descent.
It was…
terribly embarrassing to say the least.
Ryuu wiped at his mouth, scowling as he quickly reeled around to storm away. He hated it.. being shamed like that. His overwhelming ego was better left unchecked by some stranger that had made their way into the gym, and late at that. He couldn't help but peer over his shoulder… His glare was clear, narrowed and sharp, and so it was only a question of…
"Am I in?"
Was this a developing hatred, or a blooming rivalry?
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! The poll is up, by the way! Take some time to leave a vote -since it's up on my profile :3!
Cya later, Snowflakes!
