Chapter 10: After the Crashing Match

I get a sense of foreboding from peering at the cloudy sky - The Reason for Kindness Lyrics: Kodama Saori

Preview of the earlier chapter: They won. Again, but this time unlike the other, they didn't win by a large win. If anything it was a close evenly match.

"98-110" Touou was much stronger than them only because of him. The rude guy from way back, he was strong - if anything the most talented basketball player she's ever seen. After the game, the duo went to the cafeteria, Arata finding a new inspiration to do better in the next match, whilst Miyuki was glad that Touou managed to become the victor of this intense game.

"It's packed." Arata put her side bag over her head and took Miyuki's hand. "We're going in, hold tight."

Miyuki grabbed on as they pushed through the crowd, with each step they shoved themselves into the small paths provided and stopped at the food area.

Miyuki chose a sandwich and a can, something she could finish off quickly whilst Arata chose an actual proper meal.

"The real trouble is finding a seat," Arata said looking around the cafeteria for some spare seats.

Basketball matches were always more popular compared to the netball ones, no one really came to their matches like this.

"Over there."

Miyuki walked quickly to a spare seat knowing someone else was sure to take the spot if she didn't hear. Holding on to that single sandwich package and can she hurried her pace, not seeing someone else walking into her.

"Watch out, Miyu-chan." Arata ran over to her.

The piece of sandwich package flew off her hand, whilst she managed to hold on to the pop juice quite sturdy.

"Sorry, I..."

"Miyuki?"

The familiar stern velvet voice froze her with only one thought crossing her mind if Hanai was here then where was she?

"Arata too?"

"I told you to watch out. Oh, Captain..." Arata mused picking up the package of the sandwich. Where was Keiko though? She had a gut feeling they'd bump into each other today somehow.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked. "I mean...it's surprising."

The two shared a second glance before Arata spoke up.

"We were invited to watch the game, well it was Miyuki who was and I tagged along. I know I'm meant to be resting after the game and all so sorry, Captain."

Hanai was startled.

"Oh no, don't apologise. I was just surprised seeing you two here." Hana replied breaking into an awkward smile to ease Arata. "I too was invited, by a fellow classmate and just like you Arata I was tagging along." She giggled sharing a glance with Miyuki who averted her gaze the second she saw Hanai smiling at her.

With that Arata breathed out in relief knowing that the captain wasn't going to lecture her.

"Let's take a seat then, Keiko should be coming soon."

Miyuki halted at the mention of Keiko coming.

Arata sensing that Miyuki was going to go into her overthinking mode, laughed breaking the awkward silence.

"It's alright, Captain. I mean we were going to go sit on the other side, some people are waiting for us, over there somewhere."

Miyuki nodded. "That's right, they're waiting for us."

Hanai looked back over her shoulder wondering where the two girls were staring intently at. Speculating they didn't want to be with her she let them go.

"I'll see you tomorrow at practice then, Arata. And some other time again, Anzai-san."

Miyuki bowed back, "Eh...C-Hanai-san..." She paused to look at Arata who was just as startled as Hanai.

"Forget it, I'll be going off now." She muttered locking arms with Arata and dragging her away with her to find some other seats.

"What was that about, Hanai?" Keiko asked watching the two girls scuttling off to the other side of the room.

"Oh, you're here, Keiko," Hanai said shaking her head.

"Well?" Keiko asked not sure why Hanai was acting depressive out of nowhere.

"Mmm..nothing, nothing happened." She walked over to the other side of the cafeteria finding a spare seat.

"Hanai is something wrong?"

Hanai gave her a hard look before sighing aloud.

"I don't know, but I feel like she was going to tell me something important." Hanai took a sip of the water before gradually digging into her meal.

"You mean Anzai?"

She nodded, munching on the packet of fried chips.

"It doesn't matter, it's not like she's a team member now. Learn to move on, Hanai." Keiko said a bit relieved Hanai wasn't going to say any more on that matter.

She knew she was being hard on the girl, Hanai was too good to everyone, far too nice. But, the girl had to stiffen up somehow, she was the captain now.

"I'm really sorry, Keiko." She said out of the blue. "And thank you for putting up with a pathetic Captain like me. I don't why the senpais chose me as the captain when you're so much-

"Stop. If you're going to breakdown over here, I'm going back home."

Hanai grimaced, "Sorry... I'll stop."

She looked at Keiko biting her lips before digging into the baguette. Eating food was really a way to get your mind blank from unnecessary stress. And besides, she didn't want to ruin the only free day Keiko managed to get.

Miyuki didn't have the appetite to finish her sandwich. Gulping the rest of the pop juice she watched Arata finish off her meal.

"You know you didn't tell me how exactly you two got close?" Arata asked wiping her mouth with the back of her left hand.

She had to start a new conversation somehow, or else Miyuki would continue to space out.

Miyuki switched back to reality from her daydream and raised her brow in confusion.

"When did you and Wakamatsu get close? I mean why else did you get invited to today's game."

"Oh. I don't know." She said flipping the empty bottle over only for it to drop on the table.

"One minute he was saw me crying, the next he bought me a snack and the next thing you know I tell him my life story...sort of. I don't know if we're close through."

"Slow down. He what?"

She didn't know why Arata was curious of that again. She didn't know how to explain it to herself yet somehow spilled how the confusion happened.

Yeah, it was all a confusion.

All because of that day.

"So you're saying there's nothing going on between you? Really?"

Arata shook her head. No. She couldn't believe what Miyuki was telling her. It literally didn't make sense. Why would he be nice to her? It was like Miyuki said herself this entire thing was so damn confusing. Like there was no way he'd go out his way to even invite someone to a game, just for kindness. There had to be something, something else about him.

What if Miyuki was unaware of a hidden agenda he had to her?

Arata continued frowning at Miyuki.

In return, Miyuki just shrugged her shoulders not knowing what else to say to convince her only friend.

She glanced up at the clock right ahead of her, exactly 3.30pm. She pondered if the team was heading back to the school, that was what they usually always did after games in the netball club. Head back to the school so they could discuss the match result and other training schedules.

"Hey, Arata let's go. I don't think they left yet?"

Arata perked up.

"Already?"

"Oh, oh well the...trains going to be packed around this time. So we better hurry up and go back home." She replied back hastily. It was too late to find him and thank him for inviting her today. Maybe it'd be best if I texted him instead.

Arata frowned, "Yeah, let's go before it gets too late. Besides we have to wake up early tomorrow for school, and I have an early meeting with them."

A/N: After a long writer's block I'm back in action. You know when you have everything planned out and then you want to start writing it up but only write up parts of it well- yeah, also thanks to the reviews.