Chapter X. All About Sendoh

"Neh, so how is it to be like…Sendoh's girlfriend?" asked Hikoichi.

"Girlfriend? I told you guys before he's like a brother to me." Lae said as she blushed secretly.

"Sendoh's room…have you been in it? I mean that guy has the weirdest things he brings to school, even his basketball shoes…what kind of color is that?" asked Koshino.

"Sendoh's room…" Lae imagined Sendoh's room in her mind…"The dreadful smell…" she acted like she was about to puke. "Don't want to talk about it. It's horrible."

"Lemons. Lemons. I've always seen him lick and suck lemons. What's that all about?" said Uekesa.

"Lemons are like my hands when my asthma attacks. My throat is so itchy so when I suck the juice out of the lemons, feels great in my throat. Sorry. Is it too bad then? I influenced him."

Embarrassed and taken aback Uekesa apologized, "Iie, I just find it weird."

"Sendoh is always like that, late, one time in kindergarten, I had my award for being the best poetry writer in school…he got late for over sleeping. I had forgiven him as long as he tells me the truth. He likes fishing as much as I do. I have a rest house near the beach, when we were young; we go there during weekends to smell fresh air. It's good for my asthma. He was too engrossed about basketball that he always appears to be flying. It seems like he's caught up in his own world. Don't you know that his father died when he was about 5 and I was 4? I still remember it… (Flashback)"

Sendoh was crying like hell. "Sendoh-kun, it's okay. He's here by your side forever. He'll never leave you in your heart. Like, me…I'm here….I'll never leave you…I promise." But he wouldn't stop crying.

"Iie, you're lying…" cried Sendoh.

"No. I promise you that." Then he just stopped crying and hugged Lae.

Back to reality…

"But it became worse…I left him 6 years ago…My family moved to Tokyo for dad's job…and for my asthma recovery…He cried and cried. I would receive letters from his mom telling me to come back because Sendoh would cry at night calling out my name. He said that it was like when his father died…he lost his best friend once again."

"Coach said he recruited Sendoh from a school in Tokyo," asked Koshino.

"Yes, I knew that he was in my school, but when he got there, mom and I had to go to Nagasaki to take care of my grandmother. He sent me letters, he said that he was going to find me. When I came back to Tokyo for my last year in middle school he went back to Kanagawa. I was too late. My classmates would tell me then that the guy I've always been talking about went in our school and became a basketball superstar."

Lae paused.

"I was so embarrassed and I felt sorry for him…that I never answered his letters. After a few months of not answering back…he never sent me a single letter again. It's for the best, he must be independent. He was a growing boy. But he became sovereign. His mom sends me a letters telling me that Sendoh was quieter these days and it feels like he has a lot on his mind. Good thing, I begged my mom to back here. I was almost fully recovered. I know I can recover here with Sendoh by my side. There is no use in staying in the hospital for months. It felt like torment. I thought he was gonna be angry at me for not answering his letters…but he had the heart to forgive me. We made a pact that we would be there for each other no matter what happens…He'll be the best in basketball…and I will be the best in my field too. That's about it. I know I'm not much help to him in basketball. I know he's the best already."

Everyone in the team was sobbing and felt sorry for Sendoh. Even the stoned-face Tagokeshi burst into tears.

"I feel sorry for him," said Koshino.

"That is so sad," added Hikoichi.

"I never knew Sendoh experienced so much tragedy in his life," alleged Tagokeshi.

"Oh guys. Don't you think he's a lot better now?" asked Lae.

"Yep. Ever since you came. He's so much alive but still has a tendency to over sleep," commented Uekesa.

"Really? That guy…" Lae pauses momentarily, and resumes, "Well, his tendency to over sleep, heck! I've got nothing to do with that, but, I always try my best to wake him up early morning. Lazy. That's what he is."

"Coach, always has a trouble with that." said Hikoichi.

"Hey, do you guys want to see his picture…I mean he was sooo faat! He is wearing undies."

"Hah! Beat that! We want to see it," said Koshino as he asked for the pictures.

Before Lae could show the guys the picture girls were drooling all over her imagining that they could be in Lae's place. But Lae saw Yuki waved at her and saw Yuki take a glance at Koshino.

"What are these people looking at?" aked Lae.

"Well, um, since you're seating here with us, it means that you're highly treated. No one ever seats with us unless we say so."

"Is that really like this here? Hey there Yuki!" exclaimed Lae.

"Hi! See you later in class!" answered back Yuki while checking Koshino if he's looking at her too.

"Why is this girl sitting on the basketball team's seats? It can't be…" asked one of the students.

"It can be that she is one of the girlfriends of one of the members?" asked a school reporter.

"No, I heard she is related to Sendoh."

"But she is a first year! No way… My Sendoh! No!" said a Sendoh fan.

"Yuki, you know all the happenings around here in school."

"Who is that girl?"

"Right."

"Well. Uhum. She's my classmate; she'll be joining our journalist group."

"And then? What's with her and Sendoh my love?"

"Well, she told me, she and Sendoh are just child hood friends," replied Yuki.

Everyone sighed for joy. When Sendoh heard that the team's table was full of laughter, even though his hands were full of trays, he hurriedly dashed back to check out what it was all about. The laughter cut when they saw Sendoh. The team tried to control their laughter. Sendoh's eyes were furious. He looked at Lae. Lae looked at him back, took a carton of milk and spit it out to Sendoh. Then, Sendoh looked like the little boy in the picture who still has milk over his upper lip. Everyone saw what happened to Sendoh and the guy students laughed hard. But the girl students looked at Lae at what appeared to be as "you humiliated Sendoh, you're going down!" look.

"Hahahaha. I'm going to get you for this Lae!" yelled Sendoh. He tickled Lae and the table just hoard with laughter.

"Hahaha! Sendoh-san you look like the little boy in the picture." laughed Hikoichi.

"Heehee. You're so fat Sendoh-san. Heeheehee." giggled Koshino.

"Hohohoho. I can't believe this is you. Hohohoho." said Uekesa.

"Stop laughing everyone. We must empathize with him." called out Tagokeshi. He was greatly affected by what happened to Sendoh when he was young. His tears fell.

"Lae-kun! What did you just do?" asked Sendoh.

"I just let them saw…how…f-a-t you are and still you were wearing undies."

The whole cafeteria echoed Lae's voice and everyone stared at her as if they want to see the picture. "Uh oh, what did I just do?" Girls screaming all over her want to take the picture away from her and even pay a big amount for it. She had a plan. "Tomorrow you shall see many many pictures of young Sendoh. For reservations, please contact me." Everyone in the team was shocked! Even Sendoh, fell down from his seat.

What are you doing Lae? I thought you treasured those pictures of mine. Why are you even selling it? Does this mean I am nothing to you anymore? This is gonna be harder than I thought.

Don't worry Sendoh-kun. I have copies of all your pictures. Plus, I don't care if they take 'em all 'cause, now, that were' together, what do I need pictures for? If you're here by my side. Plus. You look better in personal anyway.