Disclaimer: Happy New Year to you all!
I Still Don't Understand Why You're All Obsessed With Balls
8. Yukio and the Clammy Shower Curtain
I don't know why I was so worried about the Basketball Sausage-Fest Galore Extravaganza On The Beach(!), because I've literally been given free reign of the touristy spots, the town, and the beach, and also a bathroom to myself as the only member of the female persuasion linked to the team.
I'm kind of glad for that last one, because I'd like to take cold, soothing showers all the time if possible. It's so hot here right now; I've been sleeping with as little cover as possible over me- except for my PJ's, and drinking maybe double the recommended intake of water each day before we left for the trip. The one thing you don't think would be a problem at all, seeing I'm from a country that doesn't have them, is the mosquitoes. I'm vaccinated, and I've got several tubes of repellent from various brands, yet here I am sporting even more bites. It seems like I'm the only one suffering from them too. If it wasn't so warm I'd wrap myself up more, or invest in a bee keeper's suit or something. It's annoying to find random red spots on you, or have someone point it out- and they bloody well itch too!
13:38 PM, 30.7.2012 – robin robin . blogspace . com
By the time the team had actually bungled their way through checking into the hostel and squabbled over room assignments, I was beginning to feel a little perkier. The cramping and the flushed pallor of my skin had subsided somewhat. It was at that point that the ten boys who'd been comfortable with me sat amongst them on the bus and washing their sweaty gym clothes after practices realised that I didn't have a separate room to myself. Because I'd been on a budget, and I thought they'd be more mature than comprehending at the last moment that my chest jiggled more than theirs did, and that I didn't smell quite as repulsive.
Thank the powers that be for fruity flavoured body spritz, is all I can say.
"Look, the beds have privacy curtains on them. I don't snore, I don't sleepwalk, the worst I'll do is wake up in the night for a tinkle or with cramp or something," I explained to a red faced Kasamatsu (big surprise), and to an equally flustered Kise (not so big of a surprise?). Kasamatsu had drawn the short straw and would room with Kise while the other eight players split up into the other four-person-capacity dorms. What they had failed to acknowledge was that I would be joining them, despite of the room assignments.
"But it's indecent-" Kasamatsu sputtered.
"Are you suggesting I'll grope the pair of you, or that you can't control your teenage hormones? I never thought you saw me that way, Captain," I returned, watching Captain Ice King's face circulate through several deeper hues of red and purple, before settling on deathly white as his masculine sensibilities took offense to my last jab. "If you don't feel comfortable rooming with Kise and I, then feel free to switch with another member of the team. I'm sure Moriyama-Senpai will bite your hand off at the chance."
That was a low blow from me, and we both knew it. My shoulders sagged as I sighed. "I'm sorry Captain. These were the only rooms I could get on short notice, so you'll all just have to cope with the situation. Seriously though, I can ask them to try and get me another room, but I don't think the school will reimburse me at such short notice."
It wasn't a total lie. I was going off of a budget; it was far cheaper to rent three dorm rooms than three dorm rooms and a single suite, considering that Kaijo High School would be paying for it. Any new rooms added to the bill would either have to be paid for by myself from my own pocket, and left at that – lest I have to grovel for compensation when this whole shebang finally ended. Kasamatsu and his team growing a pair was just a less effort-intensive solution for me than torturing my haemorrhaging bank account further.
In seeing the logic behind this, and in really not wanting to bother the obliviously happy hostel receptionist any more than the team had already, Kasamatsu finally relented. We were directed up the stairs by the receptionist to where we'd be staying, and one person from each dorm was designated as the one to look after the key to their room. I allowed Kasamatsu to keep hold of ours, because he looked as lost as a man tossed overboard into surging waves with nothing but a rubber ring to keep him afloat. Plus, why would I want to add another responsibility to my already growing list if looking after a dorm key gave the Captain a bit of control back?
We weren't staying long enough to unpack our bags to the point of placing items in drawers and whatnot, but a few select pieces, such as crisply ironed shirts, important basketball jerseys and a few summer dresses of mine – which really shouldn't be folded, because they're a nightmare when creased – were hung on the few coat hangers we could find in a communal wardrobe. Washbags were kept at the foot of our beds, and items we would need on hand at all times (such as phone chargers, purses, wallets, my disaster of a water bottle, and the room keys) we dumped into a dinner plate sized woven basket on a wooden sideboard directly beneath the room's one and only window. I gingerly placed the first aid kit the assistant Coach had given me alongside it, though this would be later transferred to either Kise or Kasamatsu's gym bags on the off chance that I didn't go and train with them at the beach that day.
The rest of our bags were shoved on the top bunk of the bunk bed I would be sleeping in; mainly because there was little other space to use, and partly because it was easier and quieter to drag a suitcase down from the top bunk than it was to noisily slide it out from under said beds.
"It's nice here," I commented, taking a seat on my bunk.
Kise, sprawled for the time being on his own bed, grinned down at me. "Not bad on such short notice, Ria-Chi! I'm so excited."
"I do have my moments," I scoffed good-naturedly, my attention drawing to the outside world beyond the window. Enoshima was a bustling town, and our hostel was close to the beach. Good for training, or so Captain Ice King had stated before. I had no idea how or when the illustrious Captain was going to organise training, but one thing I was determined to do if I was somewhat obligated to help them out at this camp, was to see as much as I could. So that meant shrines, museums, shopping and local cuisine galore.
I had it on good authority (meaning half an hour of frantic Googling for a hostel within Kanagawa) that Enoshima was famous for its fish and sea sports. Looks like I'd be trying premium sushi for my first raw-fish experience. I'd turned my nose up at the semi-squashed example Takumi had brought home from the convenience store before. Oh no, I was going to be eating prepared by a legit craftsman if I was going to taste-test something completely out of my comfort zone.
All thoughts of sushi drifted from my mind as a sudden torrent of stomach cramps wracked me.
"So," I breathed, trying not to sound too pained and slapping on a practiced, thin smile. "When does your training camp officially begin?"
Kasamatsu, finished fiddling with his sports kit and zipping up his duffle bag from where it lay on his bed, was the one to answer me. "I was going to ask you about that, Ria-San."
"You're still so formal, Senpai," Kise pouted. "I'm sure Ria-Chi wouldn't mind if you talked to her more familiarly- right, Ria-Chi?"
'Don't drag me into this', I wanted to say, along with 'Only if I can return the favour', but Kasamatsu – ever the red-faced trooper – persisted. "Ria-San, if you could possibly set off for a convenience store nearby some time soon and buy some drinks, I'm sure the team would appreciate it. So long as you turn up in about forty minutes after doing so, I'm sure the team and myself will thank you for your efforts."
My eyebrows rose, and I crossed my arms tightly across my stomach. To them, maybe it appeared I was being stubborn, but I was glad Kasamatsu had mentioned a convenience store. I think Paranoid-Leah had a right to be paranoid after all. These cramps weren't going away soon, and I was lacking sufficient supplies thanks to no one waking me up at the rest spots on our journey here. "And why would I need to do this?"
"Because the team and I are going for an extended run to and along the beach," Kasamatsu answered, and I was intrigued to find a glimmer of sadism lingering in his eyes. Something told me this wasn't going to be your average jog anywhere, and that same something told me it was better I didn't ask. Because that was how you ended up being roped into things you really didn't want to do.
Curiosity killed the cat, and all that jazz.
A quick word with the hostel receptionist later, and I had the directions to the closest convenience store. I made sure to punch them into my phone too, considering that Captain Kasamatsu had elaborated that the team would be leaving shortly after myself and would be running for maybe forty minutes or so. Which gave me half an hour to walk around some of Enoshima and another twenty-five minutes or so to make my way to the beach and meet them if I left now and gave myself a head start.
Sometimes Military Precision-Leah was worse than Paranoid-Leah. Either way, I was usually scarily punctual and overly prepared most of the time.
I didn't spend a lot of time wandering the streets; I'd near drained my water bottle from the heat and my own discomfort, and the abdominal pain wasn't lessening any time soon. In fact, I'd wager it was becoming more intense the more I moved. So I cut my exploring short and doubled back to the convenience store. Matsuko-San had been instrumental in advising me on what brands of sanitary product was the best, as embarrassing as that conversation had been. I was efficient in plucking a few packages off the shelves and depositing them in a small basket I'd picked up by the entrance. Going off of how I felt alone, I picked the heavy-duty brand and some of the lighter alternatives. If this monthly was going to be worse than usual, then I could always double up the layers of protection. Then I made my way to the drinks cabinet and went gung-ho.
It was a good thing I'd got used to carrying that box of water bottles, because all of these plastic bags were going to be heavy. When the drinks had been rung through the till, I timidly procured the sanitary towels from my basket. "Could I have those in a separate bag, please?"
The middle-aged man behind he counter tried not to flinch, and did as I asked. (1)
With that done, I evened out the bags between my hands, and made a mental note to isolate the one carrying my supplies in them before nosy basketball players took a peak inside. In fact, it would be better of me to drop that bag off at the hostel before I went to the beach.
That was a smart plan of action, which I also executed.
Now only carrying a plethora of drinks, I made my way to the beach.
Like stranded starfish on the sand, the Kaijo's first string and their trainee players lay lifeless on Koshigoe Beach.
"What did you do to them, Captain?" I murmured, stepping over one set of lanky limbs I believed belonged to Kobori-Senpai. Or, at least, I think they did? The owner of said body parts was face down on the sand and dead to the world.
A hand snaked out to grab my ankle-
"Kise! Don't do that, I could have kicked you," I chided, shaking him off.
"W-wa," Kise rasped. "W-wha…waht…"
"Water?" Kise groaned in response to my guessed answer. I rustled through my plastic carrier bags and selected a drink at random. "There you go."
The bottle was snatched from my hand with a croaky 'Thank you', and soon the rest of the team came back into the land of the living sluggishly with similar demands to Kise's.
"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come to the beach then, in the height of summer," I noted, watching their exhausted and stiff movements.
Captain Ice King called off the rest of that day's training on accounts of his players not being able to even crawl an inch further off the sand. Yet, when he relented and ordered everyone to return to the hostel for a rest, they moved like lightspeed.
They'd hogged and crowded the communal bathrooms at each end of the hallways by having long relaxing showers to the point where I'd given them permission to use the one they'd assigned for my private use just to get them all out from underfoot. Not that I minded this, because I sure as hell would like a shower if I'd been running in that kind of heat, but I really, really needed to get to a toilet and fast.
Because I was going to throw up.
Earlier, when dropping my supplies off at the hotel, I'd nipped into the bathroom to check on my… 'monthly situation'.
All I'll say is that I'm glad I braved the male cashier and will spare you the gruesome details.
Pounding on the door to the bathroom like a woman possessed, I shot a glare to Kise. He hovered behind me with a waste paper basket outstretched before him. Was he prepared to catch a volley of the contents of my stomach? Unlikely. Would he shove the basket before my mouth and hold back the limp tangle of my hair? Yes.
The doors to the bathrooms didn't have locks on them – possibly due to safety if children stayed in the hostel, and if the staff personal may need swift entry should a guest be in danger – but they did have a nifty little plaque in the middle of the door, with sliding piece of plastic which one could move from side to side. Beneath this, the inside of the plaque would change from red to green to show whether the room was occupied or not depending on which way you moved the slider.
This bathroom had been on red for the past ten minutes, because Kasamatsu was in their splashing about like a whale.
I knocked again, feeling the tell-tale creep of bile beginning to rise. I'd never had cramps this bad before, to the extent where they'd made me feel and be physically sick, and it was beginning to more than frighten me. "Please, I'm begging you- hurry up Senpai!"
Muffled grumbling sounded from the other side of the door, but the tone didn't come across as harried at all. I jiggled the door handle experimentally just in case he'd wedged something underneath it in lieu of a working lock. It gave though, and the door swung open.
My cheeks puffed as I tried to stop from heaving.
Kise flailed with the waste paper basket, following me as I dashed into the steam-filled bathroom.
Kasamatsu shrieked. Stood there barefoot and clad only in his pyjama bottoms with his toothbrush hanging out of the corner of his mouth and dripping toothpaste everywhere from shock, he dashed behind the clammy shower curtain. He shrieked again when the cold, damp material stuck to his bared upper torso.
If I hadn't been too bothered about vomiting at that point, I would have questioned why he felt the need to hide at all. It's not as if I'm naïve to the male anatomy, and he certainly wasn't naked. Maybe it was another Japanese modesty thing I wasn't quite picking up on? I wasn't going to go asking questions about this with Takumi or Noboru though; I'm not that much of a masochist, after all.
With being sick done and dusted, I rinsed my mouth thoroughly with water direct from the bathroom taps. Kise hugged the redundant waste paper basket closely to his form. "Do you feel a bit better now, Ria-Chi."
I hummed tiredly, wiping my mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushing it away before proceeding to wash my mouth out yet again. There was no point in brushing my teeth to try and banish the acrid taste; it would only damage them in the long run. Best to just swill as much of the stomach acid away as I could. (2) "Yeah, I think I've wanted to do that all day."
"Have you still got a fever?" The blond asked.
I wasn't exactly sweating as much anymore, and I'd stopped consuming water like a champ, so I'd presumed my high temperature was just a biproduct of menstruating. It happened occasionally, and the body's temperature did rise during this time to something a little more uncomfortable; especially during the summer months when you had to battle the environment's sweltering climate too.
I shook my head. "I don't think so. I'm more worried about my stomach cramping, to be honest."
Behind the shower curtain, Kasamatsu dared to ask why I'd thrown up in the first place. I think what he was expecting me to say was that I had the flu or a twenty-four-hour bug, and that I wasn't going to be a liability to him or the team by being ill. He definitely wasn't expecting the answer he received:
With all the waning patience I had at that very moment, and as though I was communicating to two insatiably curious children, I said; "I'm menstruating."
There was silence in the crowded bathroom. Then-
"Oh." Kise backed his way out of the door, completely done with this conversation. He flashed me an understanding smile though, which completely contradicted his fleeing.
Captain Ice King made a small noise similar to that of a tiny wounded woodland creature from behind his soggy shower curtain partition. I bet he wished he hadn't dived into the shower cubicle again. There was no way for him to make a dignified escape, unlike Kise had.
"I'm sure I'll be fine after a good night's sleep," I babbled on, assuring him more than myself. "I've had worse, I'm certain."
I hadn't. But I'd cope with it. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen were to be my closest allies during this time.
Another timid squeak resounded off of the steam-slicked tiled walls.
Not unlike I had felt on the bus, a wave of lethargy consumed my body. I swayed on my feet, feeling the stress on my mind and limbs starting to take its toll. I was usually pretty crabby and out of it during my monthlies, but this was taking it to the extreme. Maybe I had come down with something in the meantime? Stabbing cramps hit me from within, and I sucked in a stuttering breath.
The shower curtain slid back; concern obviously painted across Kasamatsu's face as I clutched at my stomach. "Ria-Sa-Chan, are you alright?"
"I really need to get some rest, I think. Try and sleep it off, y'know?" I shrugged weakly. "It's nice hearing you use less formal honorifics, but you needn't take what Kise says to heart all time, Senpai."
"As if I care what that idiot says about me," Kasamatsu scoffed.
Feeling a little bit cheeky (and I swear it was only because I felt sick as a dog and nothing to do with pushing buttons), I decided to blast politeness and honorifics out of the water altogether. "Good for you, Yukio."
"'Yukio'?!" Kasamatsu sputtered.
My vision swam- checkered with dark and light spots – before it cleared to a bleary haze. I shook my head. "Wow, I think I need to sit down."
I passed out shortly after that.
When Kise heard his Senpai calling for him desperately from the bathroom, he bolted back down the hall to that very room.
He had expected that Ria needed some assistance, and was more than happy to oblige. He had older sisters after all, and they sometimes had him running errands for 'feminine supplies' as they liked to call them, as well as profuse quantities of chocolate.
What Kise hadn't anticipated was Kasamatsu emerging from the bathroom with his arms full of a limp-limbed and increasingly pasty-looking Ria, and being barked at to call an ambulance and alert the hostel staff to keep an eye out for when it arrived.
(1) I really don't understand why buying sanitary products is such an embarrassing thing and the cause of so much social anxiety, especially when menstruation is one of the most natural processes on the planet. But yet, there I am, each time I buy them, stressing about whether I have a male cashier looking at me weirdly because my vagina has turned itself into a bloody faucet that I need to staunch with something. I also don't understand why these products are taxed, because it's not as if I can magically stop my womb from destroying itself in the absence of pregnancy. Birth control is not an option for me until it becomes absolutely necessary; I really don't want to mess with my body's natural rhythms any more than I have to, because it's already ruddy confused. Tampons and pads are a RIGHT, not a luxury. To quote comedian Russel Howard, 'They're tampons, they're not Ferrero Rocher!'.
(2) Yep, don't brush your teeth right away after vomiting. It meddles with the enamel. The same goes for brushing right away after eating or drinking something. It may feel weird and gross, but remember, quite a bit of acidic substance has just clung to your teeth. Your mouth is pretty much equipped to neutralise this, like with how it keeps breaking down bits of food stuck to teeth even after you've swallowed it for up to thirty minutes (after which point, or longer, it's stated to be safe to then clean your teeth). But by immediately scrubbing at the acid, you're just causing your teeth to weaken, which can be bad in the long run because the enamel doesn't naturally regenerate. TL;DR: Don't brush your teeth directly after vomiting, eating or drinking sugary things (like soda). Swill with water or mouthwash, and then brush your teeth after an appropriate amount of time has passed.
