Author's Note: Hello! Here's the next chapter a little earlier for you guys (to make up for my absence). Thanks to Army-X-7 and NyaPowa for leaving reviews last time!

Chapter 13: Susumu

I arrive at the match late. I'd gotten lost again, and by the time I finally found the gym, I was panicking, thinking that the game must've already ended. But I'd managed to make it in time for the start of the second quarter, which I suppose I should be grateful for, even though I didn't want to miss any of it.

The game seems to fly by so quickly. I don't even know if I understand half of it, but I do know one thing: Kaijou is amazing. And they all try their best, but in the end, it's not enough. Touou secures the win.

I cry. I don't know how or when this team became so close to me, but I feel the tears slipping down my cheeks as Kise tries — and fails — to stand up. Near me, a girl stands up abruptly, like she doesn't want to watch some weak player. He's not weak, I want to tell her. None of them are weak. But she races out of the stands before I can say anything.

Kasamatsu approaches Kise and offers him a hand. I can't tell what they're saying, but then Kasamatsu lifts Kise up, and guides him to the line-up. There's the ring of their voices as they give thanks for the game, and I'm fairly certain everyone can see the shine of tears on Kise's face, but all I'm thinking about is how Kasamatsu barks at his team to keep their heads up. It's not the end. They are still a great team.

Tears sting my eyes again, and I stand up with the rest of the people around me. They talk about how it was a great match, full of suspense. But they don't know the half of it. They don't know why Kise played so hard or why Kasamatsu wanted to win so badly. They don't know anything.

I wait out in the halls for Kaijou, but when I hear the team approaching, Kasamatsu isn't with them.

Kise looks exhausted, but at the sight of me, he brightens a little. "Nakahara-san?"

"You guys all did great," I say, smiling at them. They nod at me in return, still dejected from their loss. "Where's your captain?"

"Oh, Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kise glances back. "He's still in the lockers. Told us to go on ahead. Are you —?"

I don't wait for him to answer, but charge past him and in the direction of the lockers. I'm not entirely sure where they are, but after a little searching, I find the room that's marked for Kaijou.

For a moment, I hesitate. It's entirely possible Kasamatsu has already left in the time I spent searching for this place. But as I near the door, I hear a noise from within . . . crying.

I lean against the wall next to the door, and for a few moments, I just listen to him sob. I almost feel like I'm invading his privacy — I probably am, actually. But on the other hand, I don't want him to be alone at a time like this.

Eventually, the noise recedes, and there is quiet. I shift, then gently nudge the door open. It's dark in the room, and Kasamatsu is slumped on the bench, facing away from me, his head in his hands.

"Kise?" he says, turning slightly.

"No," I say softly. "It's me."

He jumps, knocking over a water bottle, and whirls around to face me. "Nakahara-san. What are you doing here?"

I flip on the light switch. "I ran into the team. Kise told me you were still back here. I wanted to . . ."

To what?

"We lost," he says, and his voice is bitter. "There is nothing you can say about that."

Anger suddenly rushes through me and I rush toward him. He takes a step back, surprised, and his back slams into the locker. I am close to him in seconds, just a few inches away. We've never been this close, not even when we're practicing and he's showing me how to handle the ball properly.

I point my finger at him, like I'm accusing him of something, and I say, "You may have lost this game, but there's actually a lot more that you've gained. Isn't there? You have a wonderful team that you can be proud of. Just think about that. Think about the team that you've crafted and built up and created to be strong. It's all yours."

"That's just the thing, though, isn't it?" His voice is barely above a whisper. "Because of that . . . because they are my responsibility . . . it's all my fault."

I slam my hand onto the locker, right near his head, and he jumps. "Are you deaf?" I'm almost yelling, and my words are harsher than I mean, but I want him to see this. I need him to see this. "This is your team! They are your players as much as you are their captain! They own you as much as you own them. No one's at fault — if anything, you all are. Because you're a team, you share everything. No one person can say they have all the responsibility, that they carry everything on their shoulders, because that's what a team is. It's when a group of people get together and become one unit. It's when you don't have to just rely on yourself, but can look to another and trust them. Isn't that right? Isn't that right, Kasamatsu-senpai?"

His eyes are wide and shocked at my voice, which leaks emotion, more than I'd intended. I drop my hand to my side and step away. No doubt I've scared him. But as I turn to leave, having said what I needed, he says, "You're right."

I turn, and give him a smile, but my eyes are watery. "Of course I am."

"H-hey — Nakahara-san? Are you — are you crying?" He's by my side in an instant, and it takes me a moment to realize he's concerned about me.

"I . . . I really don't know why. It was you guys who played so hard. It shouldn't be me who's upset. I don't have anything to do with it." I swipe at my eyes. "But I just . . . wanted you to know. To rely on your team as much as they rely on you. And now that that's out, I guess I'm happy."

He frowns. "Are you saying you're crying from happiness?"

I let out a small laugh. "Maybe. I don't know." I turn to face him, and in the dull light, I can clearly see his steel gray eyes staring back into mine. For a moment, nothing happens. And we just look at each other.

Then his face reddens as he realizes what he's doing, and he jumps away. I laugh again, and then I reach forward and grab his hand. "Nakahara-san — w-what are you doing?"

I have never touched him — or anyone, for that matter — like this, but there's a first time for anything. And I don't think I'll ever mind sharing a first with Kasamatsu.

I pull his hand toward me, and then the rest of his body. I think he might resist, but he's oddly pliant, and when I throw my arms around him, grinning as I hug him tight, he doesn't pull away. He smells of sweat, but underneath I can sense the cologne that I've smelled the past few times when we've practiced. I breathe it in and duck my head onto his shoulder. He gasps, but after a few moments, he tentatively holds me as well.

A/N: I don't know if you guys listen to the soundtrack, but the song that plays during this scene (that is, when Kasamatsu is crying alone, in the dark, in the locker room . . .) is called Haiboku, which means defeat, and it's such a sad song. The two most depressing matches for me would be Touou versus Kaijou and Shuutoku versus Rakuzan, probably because Seirin isn't in them (because you know that, ultimately, the main team will win). So, just some random thoughts. Thanks for reading!

~ J. Dominique