Chapter 24: Open Space

I'm too scared to break down the walls so please melt me

Turn this wait into a heart fluttering feeling – frozen (yyxy)

Graduation for the seniors was coming up in a few weeks, and Wakamatsu still didn't feel the responsibilities he was placed with as the captain.

"Are you guys even serious about this all or not?" Imoyashi said walking into the gym. "The hall used to be a lot louder when we were around. What happened?"

"New Captain?" Susa added keeping the door wide open.

"Huh? Imoyashi..Susa-senpai," Wakamatsu stuttered turning his back to the team before him.

The fact that Imoyashi and Susa were still around the basketball training practices didn't maintain his sense of duty and already troubled mind. Just the idea of them being there, felt so natural as if they were never going to graduate anytime soon and Wakamatsu could only frown at the thought.

The seniors were leaving and he'd have to move on, just like Anzai-san did the other day at the seniors class. Really, he couldn't help the faint feeling of pride swelling in his heart whenever he remembered her courage. The way she became so strong and forward when confronting her feelings to others was admirable.

Bouncing the basketball in his hand back down and feeling the harsh force of the ball he adjusted his position and prepared his three-point shot.

"Come on you lot, let's show the seniors that we're ready to conquer the upcoming tournaments!"

He wasn't going to lose to her strong will and had to match her pace if he ever wanted to exchange the same sincere emotions to her. Mustering up his energy to a single core, he threw the ball over, where it then slightly rebounded off the post and smacked down to the floorboard. The other basketball members consisting of the old regulars perked up at the loud sound of the ball.

He swiped his palm from the sweat acknowledging that the nerves were getting to him with the seniors watching him.

"You went too hard there, Wakamatsu-senpai," Sakurai advised sending him another ball from the ground.

"I know!" he huffed out, grabbing onto the ball a little irritated at his inability to let his mind free from his bottled up thoughts.

"Sorry, I -

"What's up with him, today?" the boys' coach asked from his seat glancing at a nearby Momoi, too preoccupied reading over a booklet.

"Who knows," she answered half-heartedly.

Whatever Wakamatsu was going through with was his own problem to fix, though maybe he was worried about his new responsibility as the new captain. Basketball players were all so easy to read, especially the silly ones. She heard from Imoyashi how the other day, Wakamatsu had visited the third year classroom with his girlfriend and caused a scene. Though she was sure that Imoyashi was on about Miyuki Anzai, a fellow classmate of Wakamatsu. Even she knew that the two were not on that stage as of yet.

"Make sure you lead them all," Imoyashi requested to her on that day. "You know with Wakamatsu and Aomine, those two will surely take this team to the nationals, but sometimes they're going to need someone to remind them and ease them of their burden. We don't want them breaking down from the pressure do we now?"

Smiling to herself, Momoi decided that if Wakamatsu was starting to crumble because of the stress, Imoyashi had warned her about, then it was time to think of some ways to lift it him from his mind. And there was only one person she could think of right now.

"You go open it, Arata," Miyuki persisted nudging her arm, "The Coach won't find it weird if you go in first, I'll follow after you."

"Huh? I can't. I've missed countless practice session for days now," Arata shook her head in denial and stepped back, "It'll be awkward and who knows if she'll be glad to see me."

"She will, you're the ace player remember, come on Arata!" Miyuki insisted on raising her voice a little louder than usual. "Arata..."

Standing with the door being the only barrier against their wavering decisions, both girls took a deep sigh and closed their eyes. One in doubt if things would go well from here on and the other regretting how things came to be.

"Please," Miyuki urged clinging onto Arata's arm in hopes of increasing her confidence.

Arata frowned cautiously observing her dear friend, who was looking up at her with a pleading eye. Miyuki was right, she was the teams ace, and it wasn't like the coach would want to get rid of her, the team still needed her. She was valuable, the core member and achiever of her team, there was no stopping her, now that Miyuki wanted to return to the team. Even if she regretted the outcomes of her high-school sports team, she still had time to fix her rather bad decisions.

Arata glanced down at Miyuki who fervently nodded awaiting her next move, and to both girls surprise the office's door flung open with the Coach looking way out of her mind.

"Arata...and Miyuki?"

Miyuki quickly cowered behind Arata, still holding on to her arm.

"Oh, Coach...hey," Arata stuttered forcing a burst of nervous laughter right after the coach stepped forward.

"Come on in, both of you," the coach advised stepping out of the way, to welcome both girls into her fairly small office.

"And here I was thinking of you, Arata and what would you know, both of you arrived right at the door, magically," she began, "It's almost as if fate lead to this very moment. Your return, both of you. Though I'm genuinely surprised with you, Miyuki Anzai."

"I...I spoke with her, Keiko-san and she along with Hanai told me to come to your office -

"Miyuki wants to join the team, and I'm here to apologise for missing practice since that match," Arata interrupted as they walked straight into the office.

"I see, well seeing as you don't know what has happened since you missed a lot of the practice sessions, Arata. I'll get this straight with both of you now. The netball club will be on its final year in this academy before I leave for good, and while there is a possibility of it continuing..."

"Coach, you're leaving?" Miyuki questioned, trying to process what was informed to her.

"Not yet, but with the netball funds going down in recent years, the club's inability with winning a championship title and the fact that the principal wants to put the current funds to better performing clubs, then I have no choice but to move out."

Arata who was listening with a heavy heart just stared back at the Coach, baffled. The coach was leaving? The netball team disbanding? What was going on with the team while she was on hiatus? She shook her head in denial and waited for the coach to finish her sentence.

"Then what about us?" Miyuki asked not sure if she could consider herself to be part of the team that was going through a lot.

"Well, since the two of you are back. For this semester up until the third years' graduate, we're going to practice, as usual, participate in some games and if I do find a replacement then we can try out for next years tournaments."

Miyuki knew that the Coach was in a loss, with the way she tried to sound sure of how things were going to be, it didn't sound too sure. Especially, finding a new coach for the new year and trying out for next years tournaments. The club has always had the problem of finding enough members for them to qualify for the tournaments.

Arata who was still in shock did not know how to respond back to whatever the coach had just said with doubt.

"You're dismissed for now Miyuki, and as for Arata I'd like to have a word with you," the Coach glanced at a perplexed Miyuki to the door, where she then complied and waited at the corridor.

"It's about the recent game. What came to happened is not your fault, Arata."

"But-"

"Things just came to be like this, and it's truly my mistake for lacking as the coach and my inability for not aiding you properly with the recent game. I'm sorry for not supporting your wish in taking this team to the national."

"Coach..." Arata bit her lip to stop herself from completely bursting out in frustration.

At first, Miyuki decided to wait for Arata, seeing as the Coach definitely wanted to tell something important to her. The team was doomed now, and just when things were seeming right in her head - this had to happen.

Every time she was about to feel part of something, in this case, part of the netball team it seemed as though fate wasn't going to let her fulfil her dreams with them. It was almost as if she was never going to be part of them, and with every step, she took towards the netball it'd collapse right in front of her.

"Maybe it's just not meant to be,"

She regretted cursing the team inwardly back then when she was kicked out. She knew taking her anger at them wasn't the answer to her frustration and insecurity. She could feel the throbbing sensation of her emotions wanting to scatter around her and make her agitated. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, waiting for her heart to settle down to its usual pace. It's not over yet, everything is going to be okay.

"Come back here!"

Her sense of self-absorption was broken when she heard a familiar burst of yell outside the corridor followed with a loud plea. Miyuki slowly walked to the scene taking place outside at the courts and squinted at the bright light shining before her. Adjusting to the bright view, Miyuki's attention lands on to a familiar spikey blonde haired shouting at a smaller guy, probably a first-year member seeing as how startled he appeared.

"Leave him alone, Wakamatsu. Let's just go back and find the others," Momoi reasoned picking up a lone water bottle. "They're probably finished their runs already and are getting ready to leave."

Tutting Wakamatsu huffed aloud, placing his hand on his hips in defeat. "If you say so. I swear all these first years are getting too haughty. Back then the seniors properly sorted us out. We've become too soft on them and they're all copying after him! "

"Aomine has always been like that though," Momoi defended back.

Even if Aomine was slightly more rude to his seniors, he would know the limit. But, ever since they came to Touou, Aomine never kept within his boundary when it came to Wakamatsu. They would always argue and fight in the most aggressive ways, halting practice sessions. Momoi could only shake her head in disappointment for the two just weren't compatible.

Noticing a familiar face staring down at them from afar, Momoi's attention span instantly went to the somewhat open window. There stood Miyuki Anzai, with the same wide eyes focusing on him, her dark hair flowing with the soft blows of the wind.

Momoi couldn't help herself from thinking of many tactics in getting the idiots attention and smiled at the sudden idea of her plan.

"Hey, Wakamatsu~" She smirked walking up to an irritated Wakamatsu.

"What now?"

Momoi shook her head and then studied his expression.

"What?" He was starting to feel as if everyone was testing his patience today. First with Aomine as per usual, the seniors, and then Sakurai who was just bothersome - now it was Momoi's turn to pester him. Though it was odd since she would usually get to the point and not grin widely at him like that.

"Well, let's just say there's someone watching you attentively," she said stepping up close to him, gesturing to him with her brows to look above them.

"Watching me?" He turned his head in a slow manner averting his gaze to where Momoi had peculiarly denoted at. Squinting he could just about see Miyuki, a few feet away from them on the second floor of the Academy's building. She was still in school? At this time of the day when everyone has pretty much left. Realising that she probably had some club problems to sort out, he could sense his pulse pacing down.

She waved at him and all he could respond with was a shy smile and pinched frown. He quickly attempted to hide the rapid rise of red showcasing all over his face with no avail.

"You're so obvious and easy to read," Momoi giggled waving at Miyuki.

"S-Shut up," he grumbled diverting his attention to the ground and then back at the window in a split second. Knowing that he couldn't take his eyes away from her even with Momoi inspecting him.

"Why don't you confess already? Everyone thinks you're a pair."

"Huh? What? Why?" he spluttered out feeling the stiffness of his word choices. Was it that obvious to her?

"Nothing." She skipped along chuckling at a blushing Wakamatsu, "Wait. Now that I think about it, you've probably never asked out anyone have you?"

"I have!"

"Really? When?"

He kept quiet and lowered his angry brows. What was her problem anyway? But, she had a point, if he ever got the chance he would have already confessed to Miyuki. The only thing that was stopping him was his reluctant and stubborn mind. He didn't even know the first step in asking her out, and if she was ready to go to the next stage with him.

Was he even ready for the next step himself?

"Who are you looking at?"

A small yelp escaped Miyuki's mouth as she then fell back on to Arata's swift embrace.

"Calm down it's just me," Arata confirmed, peering out the window to spot whatever had Miyuki's attention.

"Oh Arata, are you done with the meeting?" Miyuki diverted her awareness back to what they've been worried about for the past day. "What did the Coach say in the end?"

"Uh...Well, for now, she wants us to come back tomorrow, and we'll see what we have to do then?" Arata drawled on, still looking out the window behind them. Was that Wakamatsu just now?

Miyuki hummed in response, even if things weren't going as planned at least she had Arata by her side. If returning to the netball team wasn't going to happen then the least she wanted was to live the rest of her highschool life normally just as they have been doing the past month. Arata and her could continue to hang out after classes, revise for the upcoming test and do the things they've missed out on. Then, if there was some time left before her final year she could admit it aloud to him, at least well before winter break starts up again.

A/N: Got slightly off track with the update schedule. A couple of chapters to go before Altering Stalemate is completed.