Chapter I
Summary: Kiyota Nobunaga catches a strange gesture from Shohoku's most glorified star. Somebody follows him in the dark, haunts his dreams, and listens to every breath he takes. But there are many of them out there...dark plot coming through.
Disclaimer: I don't own SD boys, Inoue does. The events that follow are not included in the original plot but enjoy anyway.
Tuk tuk tuk tuk...something bangs against my windowpane. An irritating, harmless sound goes through the supposedly impenetrable glass straight to my eardrums. It's late and not a soul is awake in the corner of Izanaghi Street where our boring, conjugal home stands. But my eyelids refuse to perform their nightly functions. Darn, how many sheep must I count til I fall asleep?
The sound continues to barge in, resonating in inordinate intervals, sometimes long but most of the time incessant and unrelenting. I slowly slip out of my blanket and traipse quietly toward the room's opening where the sound seems to emanate from. I grab on the ledge and very slowly, peer outside to detect the culprit.
There it is; a slender Oak branch gives in to the wind's strength and hits the window glass every stroke inflicted. So that's just it. The wind won't let me sleep the night because I've been a bad boy. I stand watching the branch as if waiting for it to leave a tiny crack on my window.
Something moves stealthily out of the dark edge of the street. A tall, pitch figure strides soundlessly until it disappears completely, leaving no proof that it has been there. But at the moment it vanishes, the howling of the breeze stops dead. Creepy. Can any mortal creature command the flow of nature? What is it that I saw? A mythical sorcerer or a legendary magical entity?
I drift unconsciously into a bottomless drowsiness. A sudden giddiness sweeps over me; at last I'm falling asleep.
Next morning,
'You're late, Kiyota. Second one in two weeks. Can't get enough of floor polishing, can you?' says our captain, Shinichi Maki, The best high school basketballer in Kanagawa.
'Damn neighbors won't let me sleep. See this luggage around my sockets? I haven't slept a wink,' I say. How can a downright lie escape my throat at this moment? Don't I want help?
The practice ends. Still I can't contain my restlessness. I must tell someone about that figure and the dream I had last night.
'Jin, I need your help,' I ask Soichiro, the second year three pointer genius. He's one I can really talk to.
'On the rocks with coach and captain, aren't you? You should avoid getting late in practice games. It will help,' He says even before I say something.
'That I can manage. But,' I take a deep breath to gain momentum, 'this is something really important, it can change my life and game.'
A sudden stillness goes between us. He fixes a confused look on me and says,
'You're gay?'
'Heck, not that.'
'Then what?'
I start to narrate the unearthly scene I witnessed last night. Jin's eyes widen every time I come to the scary part.
'Then after I got a good sleep, a weird dream came over me. I don't know what it means but I saw the whole Shohoku team surround me in full circle. I felt cold naked lying there and when I tired to get up, the black figure I saw in the streets appeared from behind and chanted something that sounded like a...' I can't go on.
'Now, that's something funny. Where have you been getting into lately? Sure you haven't got into a fight recently?'
'No. Why d'you ask?'
'I don't know. Maybe somebody wants revenge and sets a curse on you,' Jin says teasingly.
'Not exactly funny. I don't believe in those hoaxes, alright.'
'Just joking. hehehe. I think you just fret too much about that figure you saw that's why you had a dream about it. Dreams don't mean anything, so don't worry yourself sick over them.' Jin says, this time, in a more serious tone.
'But who could the figure be?'
'Anyone who's crazy over you. A stalker most likely. No need to be troubled, he or she couldn't get as far as watching you in the showers,' Jin says reassuringly.
It got as far as reaching my dreams, how can it not follow me to the showers?
TBC