Chapter Four

After all the wit, all are just wordplay.

This is due to the impeccable (as if all were designed) circumstances that have conditioned the very idiosyncrasy of Kogure of martyrdom, his eyes sore from a failed attempt to fathom the implications of yesterday, to comprehend the 'atypical' happenstances that brought his mind into near insanity; and now his body is Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombed by atomic bombs, with all the special effects that flicker in his mind, due again to a near-insane but highly imaginative mind. Muscles are twitching, in rhythm with his heartbeat, and some more seconds after is another dose of psychological torment at the sight of Rukawa striding the floors of gymnasium. He's late, which adds more to the idea of becoming atypical and all that clichéd reasons.

And while on one hand a certain brunette is suffering from aphasia (or even neurosis, Kogure cannot specify why though), Mitsui – the self-proclaimed god of sarcasm – is savoring the dreadful air Kogure breathes; apparently he's suffering from schizophrenia, as he thinks of nothing but the milieu that surrounds his existence, that milieu of maniacal mirth that makes him miss shooting three-points as his grip on the ball loosens more, in which Kogure would glare and Mitsui would sarcastically smile, and the rest would be cyclic events. Rukawa strides and the sounds of his sneakers are penetrating Kogure's eardrums; it was that unoriginal scene in movies that attempts to add more suspense but fails miserably, but of course in this case Kogure thrived in agitation, and Rukawa is almost aware of this, and so to avoid 'displeasing' (Rukawa happens to think of the binary opposition between pain and pleasure) he turned around, walking like a psychotic man.

"What the hell are you doing Rukawa?" the redhead has commented, stopping just in time for another nonsensical bickering. "You've lost it, I'm telling you."

But Rukawa is just as deadpan as the whole gymnasium is, walking forward and avoiding Kogure while his body faced the other side; question marks have etched on the heads of others, and because the captain still isn't around, petty and ridiculous actions are morally permissible. He reached the lockers, and closed the door with a loud thump. And it all seemed predetermined as another thump reverberated and the gorilla enters, quite exhausted from schoolwork; but because his life is confined in the four walls of the basketball gymnasium such exhaustion faded like evaporating sweat on everybody else's foreheads, and at quick moments he changed his attire right after Rukawa, and that frightful we-should-practice-rigorously-hence-fifty-laps reminder, and one can always tell what the members feel by looking into their distorted faces. So they ran. It's such a wonder though because no one complains.

"Hey, Kogure,"

"Don't even talk Mitsui; I already know."

"The thing with you and Rukawa is not the only phenomenon in the world y'know,"

"Yeah yeah, spare me from that chestnut,"

"Anyway; you free tonight?"

"I have an exam tomorrow."

"There's no class tomorrow."

"Yes there is."

"In la-la-nerd-land yes,"

"What torment are you planning eh?"

"Shh!"

"Kogure's too noisy Akagi, tell him that,"

"I'm sorry Akagi-san..."

Kogure glared. Mitsui smirked. Sneakers pierced the floors.

"You're nemesis."

"I know; so, are you free or not?"

And Kaede Rukawa is deadpan, they say; aloof and always not giving anything away – but in times like this, in situations where his radar sets up red alert from an intuitive reason ala Descartes, his pace furthered, inching closer, smacking the blue-haired's shoulder as he passes by, shrugging as if nothing actually happened. Mitsui stopped running, so did everybody else, except Sakuragi who still happens to be running like The Flash. Kogure gulped. Rukawa shrugged, again. Akagi is starting to get infuriated. Ayako started to walk towards them, sensing another gangster brawl, which is an everyday thing for the rest.

"What the hell was that for Rukawa?"

"Sorry."

"As if you meant it shithead."

Trying to identify the very primordial reason why suddenly pandemonium visited the basketball gymnasium, Akagi stepped forward in an attempt to spank chaos out of the place and continue on savoring his obsession over National Championship; as he did so people of weaker hearts and minds stepped back, and like any captain would do (Akagi thinks so), he banged the heads of Rukawa and Mitsui.

"Now I get to be thumped by you! This is conspiracy!" Mitsui shouts as he caresses the corner of his head, looking at everybody else as his childish self suddenly waved hello as comic tears started to well in his eyes.

"Petty instances like this are not allowed. Warm up!"

Amazingly, or fortunately for Kogure and for peace's sake, no one complained and the began dissipating to warm themselves up; youngsters such as Yasuda started to practice shooting while the redhead teases and mocks them at their futile efforts, with Mitsui the god of childishness sitting at the corner. The same old mundane backdrop where people are automatons, with the usual Haruko sighing in desire, Ayako shouting endlessly for encouragement, some more shooting and seemingly refined improvements. And Kogure just kept silent and became an automaton just like everybody else; it's that mechanism against distraction, and he argues he'd rather be an android than be the ego succumbed over the idea of entertaining and welcoming insanity. He misses one three-point, and bit his lip.

"Sempai,"

Kogure began to swivel in a very slow pace, almost having another inkling of pandemonium; he tried to smile at the sight of Rukawa as aloof as ever, which only made it worse as those ice blue eyes stabbed his consciousness, disturbing at that. "Uhm, what is it Rukawa?"

"You missed."

Was it an insult? "Yeah, I know; I'm not as good as Mitsui or you,"

"I'll teach you then."

Yes, it was an insult.

"Eh?" Rukawa, dribbling the ball that seemed to be sparkling from unknown metaphysical reasons, set his body on a stance that is very familiar to the russet-eyed, and after some more refined dribbling tried to shoot. He missed.

Rukawa glared at the ball. Question marks carved Kogure's head.

The raven-haired grabbed another ball, and he misses.

He tried again, and he misses.

"It's all right Rukawa," Kogure said, patting the other's shoulders, "you don't look like well today, yes?"

"I am well."

"You can teach me some other time."

"I'll teach you now."

"Some other time; and I already know that stance anyway. I'll be better next time." And with that failed attempt to flirt, Kogure guessed, Rukawa bows his head and sat on another corner; Mitsui was already laughing his ass off in such antic and everybody else was looking at the ex-gangster with intent. "What? Laughing is prohibited too?"

And the ball flew straight at him.

After all the wit, all are just passé drama.

This is due to exhaustion that all felt, where side-splitting stunts cannot enter the consciousness, well perhaps beside Sakuragi who still kept on yelling at the top of his lungs, full of promises to realize and full of nonsense, too. Kogure couldn't help but to dramatize within him all the happenstances that brought him in such exhaustion, and it's not because of practicing (as his efforts aren't comparable with Miyagi's) but because of the psychosomatic ordeals he suffered; Mitsui is still bugging him, and Rukawa is still bugging him, and suicide – for all its worth – is a choice in this odd situation but Kogure still wants to be a nurse so he just let his ears get burned with wordplays the other two have been making. And this becomes more comfortable; for one thing, Kogure has already lost his ears so isn't really listening after all. His intentional mind has directed itself towards more significant things, academics most especially, those assignments which he found to be too easy for youngsters like him; he also has directed his intentional mind towards relaxation. Husserl must be right in saying how the consciousness is vastly inventive as to mold a feeling suitable for consciousness itself. Ah, he can already feel the shower!

Several quick moments after, Mitsui left because of the realization of uselessness in talking with his friend; actually it was a plot to tease yet again the russet-eyed, and because he cannot undermine, in any way, the mental prowess Kogure possesses, he left a feeling of defeat, and decided to plot a better hoax. Meanwhile, Rukawa – the god of stubbornness – is still stalking Kogure; Haruko the lovely girl has invited him to study their common subject together, but because the raven-haired despised anyone who has H as first letter of name (Sakuragi included) he replied with a soft-spoken no. That was it. He argues he'd rather be an idiot than be succumbed to self-deception, that bad faith which only leads into rotten and despicable existence; ergo, he'd rather be a dog trailing behind Kogure than to be in an overrated scene of mush with the lass.

Kogure swiveled. Rukawa shuddered.

"Is there anything you want Rukawa?"

"I... tutor me."

"I'm sorry Rukawa, that won't work anymore. Where d'ya go home? I thought you're north?"

"Change of route."

"Really? Won't you get tired?"

"Kogure-san!"

Kogure swiveled, again. Rukawa raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm, Ryonan?"

"Yes, I'm from Ryonan. I'm Sendoh."

"Oh," and Rukawa could only sardonically smile, because the sigh meant the brunette doesn't know him much amidst that fame. He'd like to think so anyway. "Ah, that Sendoh."

"Yes. We're neighbors?"

"No, I... I just stopped because Rukawa's here,"

"Oh,"

That dreadful oh which meant go-away-raven-haired.

"Anyway, nice meeting you, Sendoh-san,"

"Oh, yeah, me too," he said, scratching his head and he raised a hand, holding Kogure's, and this made Rukawa wince from oh-so-known reason. One of these days, he's going to plot a better insinuation.

i haven't written for ages, so i think this one is too corny. disclaimer apply. this is unedited so sorry for the mistakes; reviews are always welcome.