The Perks of Being a Phantom Player

"Where there is much light, the shadows are deepest."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Chapter 25

The Perks of the Peeping Masters

November 21

Dear Friend,

The club went to the onsen today. AND the whole thing de-virginized me.

Well. Ok. My EYES only.

I can now say that I am not that innocent anymore. Hahaha!

It's actually Toru and Mika's fault. The two of them went with us and you know how those two do things when there are a lot of, uhm, boys. It was chaos!

Ok. Fine.

You know how WE are when we get into those stuffs… we do things which really are perverted. I am actually ashamed to be writing this. I don't even know why I have to write this! Uhg!

Anyway.

Last Tuesday, I asked Mika and Toru to come with me to the second floor to submit my club report to Aida-sempai. The report was actually due Monday, but I totally forgot about it. And then out of nowhere, Aida-sempai suddenly asked me if I wanted to go to the hot springs with the entire club this coming weekend and I was like:

"Aida-sempai, are you sick?!" I reached out to her with trembling hands while my face was in total shock.

"How rude! It wouldn't hurt the team if we relax once in a while. And besides, I thought you never went to an onsen before." Aida-sempai said, a little bit insulted.

"But Aida-sempai, are you sure? What about practice?"

I can't believe I was hearing about this from her when she's so strict about practicing. She never missed a day telling us about how important this Winter Cup is. I mean, the guys have been practicing non-stop! There were even days when Aida-sempai's father was the one training the boys. It was tedious! I am thankful that I am just the manager.

"Relaxing is also a form of training." She said sagely.

My suspicions started to arise.

"Maybe, it's really you who wanted to go to the hot springs…" I said.

Aida-sempai laughed comically.

"Hahaha! What are you saying? Actually, my classmate said that she'll give us a really big discount to their onsen inn. It's an opportunity that we cannot miss." She confessed.

"Are we that poor?!" I asked her, but she disregarded my question.

"Hai, hai! Senpai!" Mika called, raising her right hand.

"What is it, Mika-chan?"

Ok, just to point it out. She calls Mika and Toru with a suffix of –chan, while she calls me ONLY by my name. I don't think it's unfair or anything but, well, it's a difference that I just happen to notice.

"Can Toru and I come with you to the hot springs?" Mika asked innocently.

"What!" I reacted violently.

"Ii, janai! There's no class on Monday since it's a holiday, anyway." Mika pouted at me.

"No way!" I said.

"Why not, it's in a package anyway." Was Aida-sempai's answer.

"Yay!" Toru and Mika clapped in glee.

So, you see. If they are coming, I have to make extensive preparations. Like, I have to really prepare. Mostly, MENTAL. And I'll tell you that it was VERY difficult, especially with what happened yesterday. I was so busy thinking about Tatsuya-kun and his lips and my lips and how those two body parts will fit perfectly together that I practically ended up awake all night. I barely slept! Gah! I can't believe my hormones!

We met at the school and borrowed the school bus (and the bus driver - varsity privilege) that will take us at the onsen inn. Taiga and Tetsu were so shocked when they saw Toru and Mika with me.

"What are you doing here?!" Taiga scowled at them.

I can't believe Aida-sempai didn't tell them. Mika and Toru jabbed me to supply him the information. Violence is a form of love in our friendship, just so you know.

"They are going to the hot springs with us." I said.

"What?!" Taiga yelled.

I sighed tiredly.

"Does Aida-sempai know?" Tetsu asked.

"They wouldn't be here if she doesn't know, Tetsu." I said.

"I'm just saying." Tetsu said.

"It seems that you don't like us to be here." Toru said.

"Yes." Was Taiga's answer.

"It's just that when the three of you get together…." Tetsu started.

I gaped at Tetsu. "Three?! You are including me?!"

"There's always trouble." Taiga finished.

"I can't believe you included me!" I complained to Tetsu but he just creepily stared at me.

"That's so rude!" Mika gasped.

"It's the truth." Taiga said bluntly.

The three of us looked at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Sometimes, I wonder if Taiga would ever have a girlfriend. He is such a crass! My god!

The senpais came and asked what's going on. After we told them what's happened, Teppei-nii laughed and patted the two boys' shoulders.

"Isn't it alright?! The more the merrier." Teppei-nii said.

"And besides, the Coach already paid their fees." Izuki-sempai said.

"Why don't we just enjoy this onsen since it's a precious break for all of us." Hyuuga-sempai said.

And when the three of them said so, Taiga and Tetsu don't have a say in the matter.

When we arrived at the onsen inn, it's just like any inn you see in anime and I got excited again. The room we got was too big for four girls and it's actually nice. Sani-sempai (the classmate) was really being a good hostess to us. We just started unpacking when Aida-sempai said she's already going to the hot springs. I knew she was that excited! I was about to join her too, but Mika and Toru grabbed/broke my shoulders to pull me back.

"We will go later Aida-senpai." Toru said.

"What's the deal?!" I demanded when Aida-sempai was gone.

"We have to talk." Mika said.

"About what?!"

"You are aware this is an onsen, right!?" Toru said.

"Uhh… so?" I asked. At this point, I was too pure to be getting what they were talking about.

"Just beyond this wall are boys, Maya." Mika said, pointing the wall. "A lot of boys."

I scrunched my face.

Mika and Toru sighed as if they had enough of my stupidity.

"Naked boys!" The two said and I almost lost my breath.

Ok, it wasn't that difficult for me to imagine the guys naked so I turned red and my head eventually exploded.

"Yuuu….you are nnoo…not suggesting to peep at them, a..are you?!" I stammered like a pervert.

"No. I'm saying we will peep at them." Mika said seriously.

"What she said." Toru said.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" I freaking yelled EVEN though I got excited about the peeping thing. I am so shameful! I am so sorry.

"Maya, this is a part of my research." Mika explained.

"What are you talking about?"

"This is for my manga!" Mika said.

"She's desperate." Toru said.

"Why do we have to peep at them?" I asked.

"I know you want to." Mika pointed out.

I put my hands in my temple. "That's not the issue here!"

By now, as you noticed, I already accepted that the three of us were perverts.

"Anyway… they're probably bathing already." Toru said.

"Get ready!" Mika instructed.

"No way!" I refused. Peeping is peeping, and that's a crime. I think.

"Sorry, you can't back away on this one!" Toru said. And the two of them grabbed me and stripped me naked and then put me in this onsen-kimono. And the next thing I knew, we were walking to the female bath.

"You do realize that I am willing to do this for your manga, right?!" I said to Mika.

"Uhh, yeah." Mika said.

"Everyone already read your manga, except for me – your friend." I stated.

"Well, if you can pull this through, maybe I can let you read it." Mika considered.

"What exactly are you drawing?!" I asked her even though I already have an idea.

"Ma! You'll find it out eventually. There is a time for everything." Toru said, tapping my shoulder.

"So basically I needed to be a Peeping Tom so I could read it?!" I said sarcastically.

"Fufufu! You'll be shock to what else you will become after you read her manga." Toru laughed.

"Ha…" I sighed heavily.

"Well girls, I think it's time to join Aida-sempai." Mika announced.

And that's totally a mistake. I wish I never was the one who opened the door.

That's because Aida-sempai and Momoi-san were BOOB-FIGHTING. Yes, I'm still shocked right now while writing this. They were facing and glaring at each other while the Cup B was against Cup F or something. It was so scary! There's a hate aura coming from Aida-sempai.

I mean, I can't believe Aida-sempai would even fight Momoi-san considering her obvious (total, no doubt) loss. The three of us were so shock that all the water from our faces dried up.

"Whhaa…what the hell!" I cried.

Toru and Mika exaggeratedly fell on their knees. Both of them held their breast.

"She's a first year like us, right?!" Mika said.

"THIS IS CLEARLY AN INJUSTICE!" Toru proclaimed and then punched the ground.

"Senpai, what is going on here?!" I asked Aida-sempai and then turned my head to Momoi-san. "And why are you here?!"

"Hello to you, too." Momoi-san said calmly. And then she faced me. I know hers were already bigger, but reality does hurt. I was completely degraded.

"I was just telling Riko-san that we will be your first opponent for the Winter Cup Finals." Momoi-san said gleefully.

"Just for that?… All the way here?… Really?..." I said expressionlessly.

These basketball freaks!

Aida-sempai came out of the bath.

"Huh?! Already done senpai?" Mika asked.

"Yeah, the heat is already making me dizzy."

"Ok then, see you later, senpai." Toru said.

And when she was gone, the three of us dipped into the hot water - staying in a considerable distance from Momoi-san. But since it's my first time, I couldn't help but take pleasure in it. I made relieving sounds, like: Ahh! and Wahh!

"You sound like an old woman." Momoi-san said to me.

"It's her first time." Toru and Mika explained to her.

"What exactly did you say to Aida-sempai?" I asked her.

"Nothing. I just told her to have a good match." Momoi-san feigned innocence.

"You definitely hit a nerve." I said.

She smiled cutely at us. "Well, I kind of said that Touou will be the one to win."

Where exactly are they getting their confidence from? How sure are they that they're going to win?! But at that moment, I don't care because I thought we were having a break from basketball.

I bent my neck upward and stared at the now darkening sky.

"Ugh, whatever." I said without an ounce of interest.

Momoi-san stood up. The three of us saw her body again and froze. She smirked. We flinched. Damn that body!

"Since my business here was already finished, I guess I'll see you at the finals, Maya-san." She paused. "And friends."

We watched her (sexy) back as she went away.

"I can't believe we were categorized as 'friends'." Toru said incredulously.

"She probably forgot your names." I offered.

"Anyway… the pressing matter is, the Seirin guys weren't the only one on the other side, right?!" Mika said, her eyes sparkling that I thought she's on drugs.

The three of us went out from the water again and walked towards the tall bamboo wall that separates us from the boys. I can't believe myself for feeling nervous. I am fully aware that girls shouldn't be the one doing this, but there we are, feeling up the wall. This was shameful!

"Are we really going to do this?!" I asked, sweating.

I was looking at the wall. And just beyond were naked boys. I gulped.

"There's no turning back!" Mika said.

DADUM DADUM DADUM! Says my heart. Oh my gosh.

Toru and Mika pressed their ears on the wall. I followed their lead.

"I can't hear anything." Toru said.

"Maybe they're already finished." I said.

"No, they're not." Mika said.

"I don't know why you are so sure about that."

"Tch, tch. It all came from experience, Maya. Yosh! Look for holes!" Mika said.

"Hehehe. I wonder what Kagami-kun's will look like." Toru said, salivating.

"Ugh, Toru!" I reprimanded.

"What?! Wouldn't be this the time to see Kuroko-kun's?! Freud, hello?!" Toru said wiping the saliva off her face.

"I kind of want to see Izuki-senpai's too." Mika said.

"Izuki-sempai?!" I almost yelled. "Since when did you have an interest with Izuki-sempai?!"

"Didn't you know?! He is the most popular in the Basketball Club." Toru informed me.

"Well, yeah, he was kind of cool too… except for his puns." I said.

"Puns?" Mika and Toru asked.

"Never mind." I brushed off. I wouldn't be the one to bad-mouth Izuki-sempai, but to be honest, he's also a weirdo. He has this thing with puns that he thinks are funny. I don't even have the words to describe it. I mean, I have been ignoring all of his puns ever since I met him.

"And I am pretty sure this is also what they are doing at the other side." Mika said, grinning widely. "Doesn't it… doesn't it get you a bit excited?!"

"Hentai!" I said to Mika. But then, who am I to talk?

We looked for peeping holes for a few minutes and when we were about to give up, I saw a very small hole.

"Ah! There it is." I said excitedly. (KILL ME!) The hole was located just behind the bush planted on the bottom left of the bamboo wall.

Mika pushed me away before I could even take a look at it and SHOOSH! I flew away. She's that strong. She was blushing and all when she placed her eye on the hole and then seconds later, she withdrew.

"Ahre?! No one's there!" She turned pale with shock and disappointment. She almost looks like suicidal. I am not kidding.

"Huh!? What do you mean, no one's there?!" Toru said, and she edged to the hole to see the view.

"You are right, no one is there!" Toru said like it's the end of the world.

"Maybe you're looking at the wrong angle." I said, and then tried peeping too, for the first time in my life, and I saw nothing! Bummer! The male onsen was deserted like a ghost town.

Mika, who by now has gone mad due to frustration, pushed the wall with all her strength. The wall trembled.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY?!" She demanded crazily. She pushed the wall again.

"Mika, calm down!" I said, getting freaked out. If you saw Mika, you'll freak out too. Her eyes were swirling and her pupils were getting large. Her hair was even levitating insanely!

"It's useless Maya. Like I said earlier, she is that desperate…" Toru said. Mika pushed the wall again. I felt the ground shake.

"To see naked men?!" I continued her sentence. "And wait, is she this strong?!"

"Don't underestimate a mangaka." Toru said. She's not being helpful.

Mika pushed again. I kind of got scared. I mean, jeez. She pushed and pushed and I saw the bamboo wall cracked.

"Toru!" I cried.

"Hold her!" Toru instructed. I did. Toru pulled her. But it was useless. Mika turned crazy. She was babbling words that were out of this world. I can even see the words coming out from her mouth. She kept pushing and pushing and the next thing I knew the bamboo wall cracked and fell. It created a loud BOOM! Toru and I screamed. The three of us fell flat on the bamboo wall, on our faces and butt-naked.

And then from the sauna room just meters away from the onsen, the boys came out. You can hear the pressure of something hot coming out. I lifted my face and TADAAAA! There they were! Standing in all their glory and I kind of saw all of them.

The Seirin's and the Touou's.

Like ALL of them. Because my eyes focused on theirs down there –- instinctively.

Even though it was foggy.

They saw us and all of them blushed. Blood came out from one of my nose holes. And then, I don't know what possessed me but I laughed/giggled/snickered/chuckled at them while looking down there.

"Aha…PFTGYAHAA!"

From their perspective, that laugh was insulting. The boys screamed (like girls) and scrammed away.

Mika was then crying happily, back to normal.

"Arigato, Kami-sama!" She praised.

Love Always, Maya.

PS. The boys told us to Aida-sempai. Such sissies! I mean, technically it was all an accident. I mean, they saw our butts too! And I can't remember what THEY looked like anymore (the fog totally blocked my sight, I swear). I mean, I might have seen something, but I really can't remember what it looks like. Aida-sempai got angry with us and made us wear these sign boards saying: "We are sorry for being perverts."

And then she made us kneel for two hours. Seriously. It was a total humiliation for me!

Taiga and Tetsu (in his own way) laughed at us. And I'm guessing that those two will tease me for the rest of my life.

What's worse was that Aomine texted me and told me I was a hentai. I totally wanted to kill him. Touou will lose! I'll make sure of it.

PPS. On the topic of Basketball Freaks: Taiga will spend the remaining days in Los Angeles so that he could practice and learn basketball techniques from his teacher. Gosh! Really, man! He's way too dedicated. Just think about the expenses! (He's actually not thinking at all.)