NO CIGAR
The season had just started. The games had been duly scheduled and Shohoku had had its tightest practice that morning which resulted to several complains and arguments.
"Can't we take a minute off?! Really, even professional players do take a break once in awhile during practice," Ron said seeming to address those who were in charge.
"Tomorrow will be our first game! You're just lucky we didn't have to play today but if we did, I'm sure-" Miyagi spat back but,
"Captain, we're only reserves. Do we have to take the same amount of tor-I mean exercise as much as they do?' Kuwata, a sophomore asked pointing at the members of the first line up.
"Yes. Because if I and Yasuda got injured at the same time, you'll have to back us up. Now if you don't mind you should get on with the game,"
"But we're facing the lamest team in the league, remember? Why so stressed?' Kirin piped up.
"Because if we lose to that lamest team you're referring to we're just gonna have to pull up those who messed up. Any more complains?" Mitsui broke in with obvious indignation.
"Yes. What's the fucking deal about tomorrow's game? What, you're scared they're gonna trash us out like what Kainan did to you last season?" Ron said. This shut everybody up. It was the last thing any Shohoku member wanted to hear and Ron just hit the taboo. Sakuragi's face hardened. Koshino, Yasuda, Kakuta and Kuwata pretended they didn't hear anything while Miyagi went red with fury. Mitsui didn't move for a moment but after awhile said,
"I'm not afraid to lose." He said. "But I hate it so much. Probably as much as I hate you now. If you don't want to practice, that's fine, but be sure to beat the hell out of Soichiro Jin once we get to face Kainan this season. Or else you're stripped off from the first line-up. Understand?" He finished with a supercilious glance on his beautiful eyes.
"And now you're leaving some unfinished business to your predecessor. I get it. If you can't finish him off with your jump shots don't force me to 'cos I ain't fillin up your shoes-"
"There's nothing to fill up, Ron. Shohoku reached farther than Kainan did in the Nationals. They beat the best highschool team in Japan," Koshino came in. "Listen, we have to work on this, if we didn't make it to the nationals I wouldn't be able to look Sendoh in the face."
For the first time, Miyagi agreed with Koshino. "If Ryonan makes it to the Nationals, that's another obstacle, I'm sure Sendoh has transformed his team into something more fearsome. But before we dream about getting too high into the Nationals, there is no Nationals if there's no Finals. So you know what it'd be like not making it to the top of this season. This is another chance for us, let's not waste it" Miyagi said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ayako smiled admiringly.
Ron turned away, picked a towel up and said, "Okay, let's get it on." He was embarrassed but he wouldn't apologise, he wouldn't show it.
"Maybe in fifteen-minute time, I'll have to discuss something with coach." Miyagi said and nodded to Mitsui.
"You go ahead and warm yourselves up, after that, the real training begins." Mitsui said seriously.
"Sure." Ron said without looking. He tied his hair, took something out of his bag and went outside the gym. His team mates just looked at him but no one dared to stop him. He left his bag anyway, he wouldn't miss practise.
After five minutes, Mitsui, Miyagi, Ayako and coach Anzai were still discussing. Koshino decided to check out on Ron thinking that he had offended the latter from what he said earlier. He found him outside, his back against a tree, smoking his cigarette.
"What's up?"
Ron just nodded.
"I once tried smoking you know, but I stopped because it might ruin my health." Koshino said, trying hard not to sound like a good-for-everything fellow.
"It's not right, you know." Ron said absentmindedly.
"What? Smoking?"
"No, the way they treated me out there. It's stupid and unreasonable. Just because they didn't beat Kainan last season they've become bitter and stuff."
"My previous team lost to Shohoku and Kainan and, sad to say, we were much more bitter than these guys are. Not making it to the Nationals when you have the best team mates sure was a hard blow," Koshino said gloomily.
"I'm not apologising. It's not my fault they lost, anyway. And besides, Hisashi's the one who messed up his game. If he didn't quit he could've been better than that Maki, he shouldn't have been fainting and all during games. How lame." Ron said bitterly.
"Mitsui's working hard to help the team to make up for what he missed. You should appreciate that. And even if he did miss a lot he's still one of the top shooting guards in the prefecture."
Ron didn't say anything.
"Listen, I abandoned my team not for nothing. I was supposed to be sub captain and thought I was wasting so much to end up in leaving Ryonan but then all turned out well in Shohoku. This is so much better than I expected." Koshino said.
"Well, what about me, huh? I was supposed to be team-captain when I left my old school. My dad transferred me here. I thought it would be great with Hisashi still working for the team but…"
"But what?"
"You're right…it's good to be here." Ron said and let out a deep sigh.
"Shall we practise then?"
"Sure."
They both loved Shohoku.
The season had just started. The games had been duly scheduled and Shohoku had had its tightest practice that morning which resulted to several complains and arguments.
"Can't we take a minute off?! Really, even professional players do take a break once in awhile during practice," Ron said seeming to address those who were in charge.
"Tomorrow will be our first game! You're just lucky we didn't have to play today but if we did, I'm sure-" Miyagi spat back but,
"Captain, we're only reserves. Do we have to take the same amount of tor-I mean exercise as much as they do?' Kuwata, a sophomore asked pointing at the members of the first line up.
"Yes. Because if I and Yasuda got injured at the same time, you'll have to back us up. Now if you don't mind you should get on with the game,"
"But we're facing the lamest team in the league, remember? Why so stressed?' Kirin piped up.
"Because if we lose to that lamest team you're referring to we're just gonna have to pull up those who messed up. Any more complains?" Mitsui broke in with obvious indignation.
"Yes. What's the fucking deal about tomorrow's game? What, you're scared they're gonna trash us out like what Kainan did to you last season?" Ron said. This shut everybody up. It was the last thing any Shohoku member wanted to hear and Ron just hit the taboo. Sakuragi's face hardened. Koshino, Yasuda, Kakuta and Kuwata pretended they didn't hear anything while Miyagi went red with fury. Mitsui didn't move for a moment but after awhile said,
"I'm not afraid to lose." He said. "But I hate it so much. Probably as much as I hate you now. If you don't want to practice, that's fine, but be sure to beat the hell out of Soichiro Jin once we get to face Kainan this season. Or else you're stripped off from the first line-up. Understand?" He finished with a supercilious glance on his beautiful eyes.
"And now you're leaving some unfinished business to your predecessor. I get it. If you can't finish him off with your jump shots don't force me to 'cos I ain't fillin up your shoes-"
"There's nothing to fill up, Ron. Shohoku reached farther than Kainan did in the Nationals. They beat the best highschool team in Japan," Koshino came in. "Listen, we have to work on this, if we didn't make it to the nationals I wouldn't be able to look Sendoh in the face."
For the first time, Miyagi agreed with Koshino. "If Ryonan makes it to the Nationals, that's another obstacle, I'm sure Sendoh has transformed his team into something more fearsome. But before we dream about getting too high into the Nationals, there is no Nationals if there's no Finals. So you know what it'd be like not making it to the top of this season. This is another chance for us, let's not waste it" Miyagi said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ayako smiled admiringly.
Ron turned away, picked a towel up and said, "Okay, let's get it on." He was embarrassed but he wouldn't apologise, he wouldn't show it.
"Maybe in fifteen-minute time, I'll have to discuss something with coach." Miyagi said and nodded to Mitsui.
"You go ahead and warm yourselves up, after that, the real training begins." Mitsui said seriously.
"Sure." Ron said without looking. He tied his hair, took something out of his bag and went outside the gym. His team mates just looked at him but no one dared to stop him. He left his bag anyway, he wouldn't miss practise.
After five minutes, Mitsui, Miyagi, Ayako and coach Anzai were still discussing. Koshino decided to check out on Ron thinking that he had offended the latter from what he said earlier. He found him outside, his back against a tree, smoking his cigarette.
"What's up?"
Ron just nodded.
"I once tried smoking you know, but I stopped because it might ruin my health." Koshino said, trying hard not to sound like a good-for-everything fellow.
"It's not right, you know." Ron said absentmindedly.
"What? Smoking?"
"No, the way they treated me out there. It's stupid and unreasonable. Just because they didn't beat Kainan last season they've become bitter and stuff."
"My previous team lost to Shohoku and Kainan and, sad to say, we were much more bitter than these guys are. Not making it to the Nationals when you have the best team mates sure was a hard blow," Koshino said gloomily.
"I'm not apologising. It's not my fault they lost, anyway. And besides, Hisashi's the one who messed up his game. If he didn't quit he could've been better than that Maki, he shouldn't have been fainting and all during games. How lame." Ron said bitterly.
"Mitsui's working hard to help the team to make up for what he missed. You should appreciate that. And even if he did miss a lot he's still one of the top shooting guards in the prefecture."
Ron didn't say anything.
"Listen, I abandoned my team not for nothing. I was supposed to be sub captain and thought I was wasting so much to end up in leaving Ryonan but then all turned out well in Shohoku. This is so much better than I expected." Koshino said.
"Well, what about me, huh? I was supposed to be team-captain when I left my old school. My dad transferred me here. I thought it would be great with Hisashi still working for the team but…"
"But what?"
"You're right…it's good to be here." Ron said and let out a deep sigh.
"Shall we practise then?"
"Sure."
They both loved Shohoku.