Best O Kanagawa Team
Chapter 3: Shohoku Best Three
Of course the whole Shohoku team were practicing in their gym, so it was easy for Sendoh to meet up with them. He had told Coach Anzai before about the announcement he was to make, and so the moment that Koshino and him entered, everyone had shushed up until there was only pindrop silence. The players themselves, including Miyagi Ryota, Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede gathered into a group to hear what he had to see.
"As you've all heard, they are starting to new Inter-District League in conjunction with the rising demand of games after the recent surge in participation during the Inter High and the Winter Games," Sendoh spoke loudly, making sure that everyone was paying full attention to him. "The main sponsors come from overseas, as most of the foreign talent scouts have shown more interest in a larger and more 'exclusive' scale of players."
"Exclusive! That must include the tensai!" Sakuragi interrupted with his usual laughter, which caused Ryota to whack him upside the hide.
Standing near the back of the group, Rukawa's eyes widened ever so slightly at the phrase "foreign talent scouts".
"Each district is to be represented by 12 players, no more and no less," Sendoh said. "And since I am the current MVP from the most recent Inter High--" At this Sakuragi and Rukawa scowled simultaneously. Sendoh just clear his throat and went on, "-I have been asked by the management to recruit the other 11."
Ryota's eyes lit up and he stole a glance at Ayako, who was smiling at him encouragingly.
"So from Shohoku," Sendoh said, "I ask Miyagi Ryota, Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi to join the Kanagawa District team."
"I knew it! Hahahahahahaha!" Sakuragi laughed, planting his hands on his hips.
"Shut up, do'aho," Rukawa mumbled.
"What did you say?!" Sakuragi demanded.
"Quiet, both of you!" Ryota snapped. "Don't you understand what this means? We're to represent the best in Kanagawa!"
"No problem for the tensai!" Sakuragi announced.
As the three continued their usual argument, Coach Anzai walked up to Sendoh. "Ho ho ho, this is very interesting news, Sendoh-kun. Who chose the 12 players for the team?"
"Actually only 7 are confirmed," Sendoh told him. "Myself, Fukuda, these Shohoku three and two more from Kainan. The remaining 5 are still under discussion. The management have asked me to recommend whoever I think might do well. Koshino's helping out with the recruitment."
"I don't think I'll make the final cut, but it's great to be part of this all the same," Koshino told Coach Anzai.
"Ho ho ho, well they made an excellent choice with these three," Coach Anzai said. And they turned their heads just in time to see the said three Shohoku stars break out into a fight.
"Yeah," Koshino said, frowning. "Great choice."
Sendoh suddenly looked at his watch. "Hey Koshino, can you give them the details on the training camp, I'll be right back."
"The phone girl?" Koshino asked.
"Yeah," answered Sendoh, just before breaking out into a run out of the gym.
By the time he reached the gate, he was already looking around and craning his neck in search of the girl. He didn't see her, so he took out her little blue handphone from his jacket just in case she would call or something.
"Err, excuse me?"
Sendoh turned and looked down to see another girl, not the same one, but a different one. The first thing that caught Sendoh's eye was this new girl's blonde-purple hair, which would have been noticed by anyone. The second thing he noticed were the way her eyes were sparkling.
"Yes?" Sendoh replied.
"You're Sendoh, right?" the girl said. "I'm Melina. My friend asked me to come by and pick up her phone from you."
"Your friend?" Sendoh asked. "You mean... She's not here?"
"No," Melina answered, shaking her head. Suddenly her face broke into a grin. "You must have made a good impression on her."
Sendoh smiled. "Perhaps. Oh, here's her phone. I didn't use it or anything."
Melina nodded, taking the phone and putting it in her bag. "Well, she'd probably call you a thief and won't thank you, but thank you anyway."
"Do you mind me asking what her name is?" Sendoh asked.
"You mean she didn't tell it to you?" said Melina.
"No, I don't think she got the chance," Sendoh said, smiling at the memory.
"It's Ayumi. Shimazaki Ayumi." Melina smiled.
Sendoh racked his brain. "Sounds familiar."
Melina's eyes danced briefly before dropping down in guilt. "Actually I wouldn't be surprised if you knew her name. But she'd kill me if she knew I'd told it to you. And I err. I better go."
"Wait, what school does she go to?" Sendoh asked.
"Kawagoe High," Melina answered quickly, taking nervous steps away from him. "Same as mine. I got to go now. Ja ne, Sendoh-san!"
"Ja ne." Sendoh said softly, waving for no apparent reason even after Melina had disappeared round the corner. *Shimazaki Ayumi* It did sound very familiar, although Sendoh couldn't quite place it. But at least he had a lead, and that was Kawagoe High, and he knew exactly where it was.
As Sendoh started to walk back to the Shohoku gym, he wondered why he was so interested in this strange girl. He told himself he was just curious. He only wanted to know why she 'hated' basketball so much.
Arriving at the gym, he was first accosted by Sakuragi Hanamichi.
"Sendoh! Who else is on the team? You?!" Sakuragi demanded.
"Obviously he's on the team," Koshino sighed, looking as though he had explained in two dozen times already. "He's the MVP of Kanagawa!"
"But that means I'm going to have play in the same team as him!" Sakuragi shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Sendoh, who just smiled. And the deadly look in Rukawa's eyes showed that he felt the exact same way.
Ryota gave Sakuragi another kick in the shins. "Why are you holding on to petty grudges, Hanamichi? We're the best of Kanagawa! Of course we have to work together!"
Sakuragi cursed under his breath. "I guess playing with Sendoh wouldn't be so bad." Rukawa looked at Sakuragi sharply.
"Who else has been chosen?" Ryota asked.
"Kiyota and Jin from Kainan, and my own teammate Fukuda," Sendoh answered.
Sakuragi's eyes bulged. "Fukuda?! And the wild monkey?! No no no no no no I will not play with them! Nooooooo!"
Koshino tugged at Sendoh's sleeve, pulling him aside. "Are you sure about this? This Sakuragi is not exactly a stable character. Even Rukawa, though he can be quite competitive he doesn't make much trouble and is quite professional."
"Sakuragi's the best under the net," Sendoh said, shrugging. "He's on the team." He was quiet for a moment. "Hey, have you ever heard of a Shimazaki Ayumi?"
"Shimazaki Ayumi? No, who's that?" Koshino asked.
"The phone girl," Sendoh answered. "I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before." Suddenly he noticed that Ryota and Ayako and the other Shohoku team members were having a calm-down Sakuragi sessions. "Hey, Sakuragi!"
Sakuragi looked at him. "What?"
"If you don't want to play on the Kanagawa Team, it's all right," Sendoh said. "I'll just have to find someone to replace you, no problem."
"Replace the tensai?!" Sakuragi demanded. "No one can replace the tensai! Either I play or your team is going to lose all their games, so of course I will play, HAH!" Ryota rolled his eyes. Rukawa shrugged and carelessly walked away.
Sendoh grinned. "That's settled then."
To be continued.
Was this chapter okay then? Let me know what you thought!
Chapter 3: Shohoku Best Three
Of course the whole Shohoku team were practicing in their gym, so it was easy for Sendoh to meet up with them. He had told Coach Anzai before about the announcement he was to make, and so the moment that Koshino and him entered, everyone had shushed up until there was only pindrop silence. The players themselves, including Miyagi Ryota, Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede gathered into a group to hear what he had to see.
"As you've all heard, they are starting to new Inter-District League in conjunction with the rising demand of games after the recent surge in participation during the Inter High and the Winter Games," Sendoh spoke loudly, making sure that everyone was paying full attention to him. "The main sponsors come from overseas, as most of the foreign talent scouts have shown more interest in a larger and more 'exclusive' scale of players."
"Exclusive! That must include the tensai!" Sakuragi interrupted with his usual laughter, which caused Ryota to whack him upside the hide.
Standing near the back of the group, Rukawa's eyes widened ever so slightly at the phrase "foreign talent scouts".
"Each district is to be represented by 12 players, no more and no less," Sendoh said. "And since I am the current MVP from the most recent Inter High--" At this Sakuragi and Rukawa scowled simultaneously. Sendoh just clear his throat and went on, "-I have been asked by the management to recruit the other 11."
Ryota's eyes lit up and he stole a glance at Ayako, who was smiling at him encouragingly.
"So from Shohoku," Sendoh said, "I ask Miyagi Ryota, Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi to join the Kanagawa District team."
"I knew it! Hahahahahahaha!" Sakuragi laughed, planting his hands on his hips.
"Shut up, do'aho," Rukawa mumbled.
"What did you say?!" Sakuragi demanded.
"Quiet, both of you!" Ryota snapped. "Don't you understand what this means? We're to represent the best in Kanagawa!"
"No problem for the tensai!" Sakuragi announced.
As the three continued their usual argument, Coach Anzai walked up to Sendoh. "Ho ho ho, this is very interesting news, Sendoh-kun. Who chose the 12 players for the team?"
"Actually only 7 are confirmed," Sendoh told him. "Myself, Fukuda, these Shohoku three and two more from Kainan. The remaining 5 are still under discussion. The management have asked me to recommend whoever I think might do well. Koshino's helping out with the recruitment."
"I don't think I'll make the final cut, but it's great to be part of this all the same," Koshino told Coach Anzai.
"Ho ho ho, well they made an excellent choice with these three," Coach Anzai said. And they turned their heads just in time to see the said three Shohoku stars break out into a fight.
"Yeah," Koshino said, frowning. "Great choice."
Sendoh suddenly looked at his watch. "Hey Koshino, can you give them the details on the training camp, I'll be right back."
"The phone girl?" Koshino asked.
"Yeah," answered Sendoh, just before breaking out into a run out of the gym.
By the time he reached the gate, he was already looking around and craning his neck in search of the girl. He didn't see her, so he took out her little blue handphone from his jacket just in case she would call or something.
"Err, excuse me?"
Sendoh turned and looked down to see another girl, not the same one, but a different one. The first thing that caught Sendoh's eye was this new girl's blonde-purple hair, which would have been noticed by anyone. The second thing he noticed were the way her eyes were sparkling.
"Yes?" Sendoh replied.
"You're Sendoh, right?" the girl said. "I'm Melina. My friend asked me to come by and pick up her phone from you."
"Your friend?" Sendoh asked. "You mean... She's not here?"
"No," Melina answered, shaking her head. Suddenly her face broke into a grin. "You must have made a good impression on her."
Sendoh smiled. "Perhaps. Oh, here's her phone. I didn't use it or anything."
Melina nodded, taking the phone and putting it in her bag. "Well, she'd probably call you a thief and won't thank you, but thank you anyway."
"Do you mind me asking what her name is?" Sendoh asked.
"You mean she didn't tell it to you?" said Melina.
"No, I don't think she got the chance," Sendoh said, smiling at the memory.
"It's Ayumi. Shimazaki Ayumi." Melina smiled.
Sendoh racked his brain. "Sounds familiar."
Melina's eyes danced briefly before dropping down in guilt. "Actually I wouldn't be surprised if you knew her name. But she'd kill me if she knew I'd told it to you. And I err. I better go."
"Wait, what school does she go to?" Sendoh asked.
"Kawagoe High," Melina answered quickly, taking nervous steps away from him. "Same as mine. I got to go now. Ja ne, Sendoh-san!"
"Ja ne." Sendoh said softly, waving for no apparent reason even after Melina had disappeared round the corner. *Shimazaki Ayumi* It did sound very familiar, although Sendoh couldn't quite place it. But at least he had a lead, and that was Kawagoe High, and he knew exactly where it was.
As Sendoh started to walk back to the Shohoku gym, he wondered why he was so interested in this strange girl. He told himself he was just curious. He only wanted to know why she 'hated' basketball so much.
Arriving at the gym, he was first accosted by Sakuragi Hanamichi.
"Sendoh! Who else is on the team? You?!" Sakuragi demanded.
"Obviously he's on the team," Koshino sighed, looking as though he had explained in two dozen times already. "He's the MVP of Kanagawa!"
"But that means I'm going to have play in the same team as him!" Sakuragi shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Sendoh, who just smiled. And the deadly look in Rukawa's eyes showed that he felt the exact same way.
Ryota gave Sakuragi another kick in the shins. "Why are you holding on to petty grudges, Hanamichi? We're the best of Kanagawa! Of course we have to work together!"
Sakuragi cursed under his breath. "I guess playing with Sendoh wouldn't be so bad." Rukawa looked at Sakuragi sharply.
"Who else has been chosen?" Ryota asked.
"Kiyota and Jin from Kainan, and my own teammate Fukuda," Sendoh answered.
Sakuragi's eyes bulged. "Fukuda?! And the wild monkey?! No no no no no no I will not play with them! Nooooooo!"
Koshino tugged at Sendoh's sleeve, pulling him aside. "Are you sure about this? This Sakuragi is not exactly a stable character. Even Rukawa, though he can be quite competitive he doesn't make much trouble and is quite professional."
"Sakuragi's the best under the net," Sendoh said, shrugging. "He's on the team." He was quiet for a moment. "Hey, have you ever heard of a Shimazaki Ayumi?"
"Shimazaki Ayumi? No, who's that?" Koshino asked.
"The phone girl," Sendoh answered. "I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before." Suddenly he noticed that Ryota and Ayako and the other Shohoku team members were having a calm-down Sakuragi sessions. "Hey, Sakuragi!"
Sakuragi looked at him. "What?"
"If you don't want to play on the Kanagawa Team, it's all right," Sendoh said. "I'll just have to find someone to replace you, no problem."
"Replace the tensai?!" Sakuragi demanded. "No one can replace the tensai! Either I play or your team is going to lose all their games, so of course I will play, HAH!" Ryota rolled his eyes. Rukawa shrugged and carelessly walked away.
Sendoh grinned. "That's settled then."
To be continued.
Was this chapter okay then? Let me know what you thought!
