Shoko Komi's Ultimate Challenge

by Ulquiorra9000

Communication 29: tricks

Shoko Komi had fun watching cooking shows and nature documentaries on TV, but Shosuke hardly ever paid attention. Every time his mother made him watch something educational on TV, he would just slouch on the couch next to his sister and toy around with whatever had caught his attention this week. In tonight's case, a yo-yo.

Shoko pointed at the TV. Look at the wolf cubs, Shosuke! Aren't they cute? They were born in a zoo, see?

Shosuke nodded vaguely, his eyes fixed on his yo-yo. He kept twirling it around, trying to do some trick or whatever. But it kept getting tangled.

That was when a commercial break came on, so Shoko indulged her whims and declared a fun little challenge: learn some yo-yo tricks! Some of her recent challenges had been exhausting, like staying up all night, hosting a sleepover, or pampering her mom. Why not try something easier?

Correction: something harder!

That's not how it works, big sis, Shosuke's expression said a minute later, after Shoko had gotten herself all tangled up in the yo-yo's surprisingly long string. She was stuck!

Then Shuko came along, carrying a basket of dirty laundry in her arms. "Hey! Don't prank your sister, Shosuke," she chided him.

Shosuke rolled his eyes. She did that to herself, mom, his expression said.

Shuko smiled. "Oh! In that case, carry on, kids. Don't mind me!" She hummed to herself and continued with her laundry chore.

Shoko squirmed and wiggled her way free of the yo-yo trap. And here I thought yo-yos were just toys for kids, she lamented silently.

Check this out. Shosuke got out his phone, found a video on YourTube, and held it up for them both to watch. On the screen, an assortment of trendy young men and women did some truly amazing yo-yo tricks, and Shoko gasped in astonishment every time they pulled off a stunt. Some tricks involved two yo-yos at once, or having the yo-yo actually get detached from the string and land on it again while spinning rapidly. Such talent!

My classmate was doin' yo-yo stuff last week, Shosuke explained after he pocketed his phone. So I gave it a try. It's not easy, though.

Shoko pumped her fists, her imaginary cat ears perking up. "Hmph!"

Shosuke gave her a look. You wanna get serious about this?

"Hmph!"

It's a real commitment.

"Hmph!" Happy sparkles glittered all around Shoko.

Shosuke shrugged and motioned at the yo-yo. It's yours now. Have fun with it.

"Hmph!"

Then the documentary came back on, and it was time for more wolf cubs.

*o*o*o*o*

"Whoa! Cool! You've got a yo-yo, Komi! Not bad."

Najimi Osana swiped the yo-yo right out of Shoko's hands the next day during homeroom, holding up to their face to gaze lovingly at it.

Shoko held up a note: Have you played with a yo-yo before, Najimi? You seem really curious.

Najimi laughed. "You kidding? I'm a toy master! I can play with anything and make it look cool. See?" They grinned widely and did some dazzling tricks with Shoko's yo-yo, just like that video on Shosuke's phone.

"Hey, looks like you've learned some new tricks since last time," Hitohito commented, clapping politely.

"If you think that was impressive..." Najimi handed Shoko her yo-yo back. "You should see what I can do with my fingerboards! I've got magic fingers." They wiggled their fingers suggestively in the air.

Shoko cocked her head in confusion.

"A fingerboard is a little toy skateboard," Hitohito explained. "They make a ton of 'em in the United States. I had one in middle school, but..."

"But he sprained his finger doing a trick and ran home crying!" Bwahahahaha!" Najimi pointed and laughed at him.

Hitohito went red and turned away. "I can still do a better kickflip than you."

"What was that?!"

Shoko, meanwhile, rested her chin on her hand and gazed at the chalkboard, marveling at how seemingly simple toys can be so much fun... and so challenging! If you're creative and have the right attitude, you can find hours of joy in just about anything.

She'd better not end up spraining a finger, though.

*o*o*o*o*

During lunch at the back of her homeroom classroom, Shoko quickly ate her meal, then got out her yo-yo to begin training. She decided that three successful tricks would satisfy the challenge, and first, she would learn how to perform the "sleeper," or tossing the yo-yo down and have it spin at the string's end. She wouldn't count that as a trick, just a basic tool for other tricks. Here goes!

Her heart racing, her knees knocking, her cat ears perked up, Shoko fixed the string's loop on her right middle finger, held the toy in position, and gave it a firm toss.

The string slipped right off Shoko's slender finger, and the yo-yo flew halfway across the classroom. It just barely grazed Ren Yamai's ear and then clattered to the floor.

"Darn it, Najimi! Quit playing with your dumb toys!" Ren snarled. She bolted to her feet and whirled around, only to realize Najimi wasn't here. "Hey, who threw that stupid yo-yo? I'll cram it down your throat!"

Shoko trembled from head to foot, looking down at her shoes in shame. She couldn't say a word, so she just pointed at her own chest.

"P... princess Komi...!" Ren collected the yo-yo and hurried over to Shoko. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you! I had no idea it was you! Here, your yo-yo. I hope it's not broken." She offered it in both her cupped hands.

Shoko bashfully accepted it, nodding her thanks.

"So, you're trying something new? That's my princess!" Ren said, clapping her hands together. "Gosh, I didn't know you loved yo-yos! Color me surprised. Normally, it's annoying little boys who played with those things. Oh, but that's not an insult to you, princess! I swear!"

I'm challenging myself to master three tricks, Shoko explained on her paper.

"Oooooh! Well, don't let me get in your way, princess. Have fun!" Ren made a happy giggle, turned on her heel, and skipped back to her group of friends.

Shoko, meanwhile, avoided a few students' curious looks and tried another sleeper. This time, she got it right, and marveled at the yo-yo spinning at the string's end. She recalled the yo-yo to her hand, then gave it another toss. Ah, that felt right! Now for a trick, a nice and simple one.

How about rock the baby? That one was super easy! Shoko narrowed her eyes in concentration, visualizing the trick in her head, then tossed out another sleeper. Shoko quickly grabbed the string to make a triangle for the trick, only to get it tangled up! Oh no!

Shoko gasped in alarm and frantically got the string untangled, holding a hand to her heart. Maybe this was too hard after all! No, she had to keep at it, tangled or not! So she tried a few more times, but the trick wasn't really coming together. Then the bell rang, and Shoko packed up her yo-yo and prepared for her first afternoon class.

On the way home, Shoko didn't run into any of her friends, so she got out her yo-yo and, with her school bag tucked under one arm, practiced the rock the baby trick again. She got the yo-yo tangled up a few more times (darn it), but then, just a few houses away from her home, she did it! Shoko formed a perfect triangle with the string and swung the yo-yo back and forth inside it a few times, eight to be exact. Then she undid the triangle and recalled the yo-yo to her hand like a champ.

"Hmph!" Shoko pumped her fists in joy as she approached the front door. This was so easy!

*o*o*o*o*

This was so not easy.

I don't think that's how it works, Shosuke's face commented unhelpfully that evening when his sister failed another trick in the living room that evening.

Shoko frowned and threw out another breakaway (a type of sleeper), but failed to complete her attempted trick. I can do rock the baby, but the others are tougher. I just need time.

That was when Masayoshi came downstairs and spotted his struggling daughter. He wandered over and motioned, so Shoko handed over the yo-yo. Then Masayoshi amazed everyone when he threw out a breakaway and whipped his hands through the air, folding and twirling the string in ways Shoko could never have imagined. Then Masayoshi perfectly recalled the yo-yo to his hand and took a bow.

"Woo-hoo! You're so talented, dear," Shuko said happily once she popped out of the kitchen to applaud. "I didn't know you could still do those tricks!"

Shoko gasped and gave her father a surprised look.

Masayoshi adjusted his glasses, and a few happy twinkles appeared around him. I played with yo-yos in high school and put on a show for your mother on our third date, he silently explained.

Shuko cozied up next to her husband and traced a finger down his chest. "That's right," she said seductively. "And everyone knows what happens after a successful third date..."

Masayoshi went bright red as Shosuke clapped a hand over his face. Oh my freakin' God, mom! Shosuke thought. Shoko couldn't argue with that.

Shuko swiped the yo-yo and threw out a sleeper of her own. "I tried playing with one of these years ago," she mentioned. "I can do this much, but I forgot all the tricks. Oops!" She knocked on her head with her free hand.

Then Shoko accepted her yo-yo back and demonstrated her rock the baby trick. Shuko clapped again.

"Hooray! You're so talented, Shoko," Shuko cheered. "Shosuke, you try one now!"

Shosuke shrugged. Nah, forget it. Too difficult. I'm gonna play CS:SB. He slouched his way up the stairs and vanished from sight. Seriously, that Counter-Strike: Super Battles game was all the rage these days! The boys in Shoko's class discussed it every chance they had, it seemed.

Shoko tried her new trick again but alas, she got the string tangled up. I'll keep trying, she promised her yo-yo-loving parents. I'll master three tricks!

Masayoshi offered a thumbs-up.

*o*o*o*o*

The next day at school, Shoko was wandering down the hallway when she threw out her yo-yo to master her trick when she nearly hit poor Shinobino on the head! Her ninja classmate deftly leaped out of the way, toy kunai knives held at the ready.

"Oh. It's you, Komi," Shinobino greeted his former ninja student. He put away his weapons (so scary!). "What was that just now?"

Shoko showed him her yo-yo.

"Hey, I used to play with those in middle school," Shinobino said. "What trick are you tryin' to do?"

Shoko got out her notebook and wrote The trapeze. But I can't get my yo-yo to land right on the string.

"I know that one. Let me show you." Shinobino accepted the yo-yo and did a perfect trapeze. "Remember what I taught you about inner balance," he reminded her. "Only then can you achieve external balance as well." He handed the yo-yo back, and Shoko tried it. And...

She did it!

"Ha! A perfect trapeze," Shinobino declared. "There is nothing more I can teach you. Be well." He did the ninja-run all the way to his next class, and a few girls giggled at the bizarre sight.

Shoko did the trapeze again to prove it wasn't a fluke. For this trick, she had to throw a breakaway, then position her opposite finger on the string and let the yo-yo loop back around and land right on the thread. Then Shoko must withdraw her finger and recall the yo-yo as normal.

Two down!

*o*o*o*o*

Shoko chose another trick, around the world, to complete her set. It wasn't easy! She needed open space for this trick, so she wandered across the school's grounds to practice after school, watching Netsuno and her track team friends sprinting across the track in the near distance. If they can push themselves, so can Shoko Komi! Come on...

Shoko yelped in alarm when she spun her yo-yo around, only to fumble with it and have the yo-yo smack her on the forehead. Ouch, that hurt! She shook her head to clear it, then tried again, only to get the string tied around her neck. Gack!

"Haha! That's not how it works, Komi," a familiar voice said. Najimi skipped right over, their arms held out wide. "Was that around the world?"

Shoko nodded and handed over the yo-yo. Getting the message, Najimi threw out a forward pass and executed a perfect around the world... several of them, actually! Najimi let the yo-yo whirl around them over and over in a huge arc, with the yo-yo going even faster in an aggressive blur. "See? The yo-yo will obey any master who has an iron will!"

Amazing! Shoko waited until Najimi was done, then accepted her yo-yo back and tried it herself. She threw out a forward pass, whirling the yo-yo behind her...

Then she got caught in the yo-yo's momentum and got thrown flat onto her back!

"Whoa! I think the yo-yo did a trick with you, Komi!" Najimi burst out laughing and offered a hand to help Shoko up. Shoko couldn't argue with that.

Then Shoko held up a note: Can you do some more fancy tricks, Najimi? Perhaps I could learn something.

"Heck yeah, girl. Hand it over!" Najimi beamed and held out a hand, waiting until Shoko passed them the yo-yo. Najimi closed their eyes, exhaled, then snapped their eyes open and busted out some of the most astonishing yo-yo moves Shoko had ever seen! That little toy whirled and danced all through the air, and Najimi even struck a few fancy poses to stay out of its way. Then Najimi recalled the yo-yo and took a bow.

Shoko enthusiastically clapped. I could never do that! she said on her next note.

"Come on, Komi. Have some faith in yourself!" Najimi returned the yo-yo. "Here, surprise me. No... surprise both of us."

Shoko got her yo-yo ready, closed her eyes, and exhaled. In a rush, she recalled Shinobino's wise ninja lessons, remembered her father's technique, then reviewed the motions Najimi had just performed. Wait a minute...

"Hmph!" Shoko felt like she was entering a trance, letting her sheer willpower guide her body as she threw that yo-yo through the air, striking poses to show off and demonstrate the true potential of her new favorite toy. She kept at it until she did one final twirl and recalled the yo-yo right into her hand. She took a bow, then gasped in shock at what she had just done. No way!

"Whoooooo! See? You can do it!" Najimi jumped up and threw their fists into the air. "I recognize those moves... those were mine! Plus more!"

Shoko, trembling with adrenaline and shock, mentally marked this challenge as complete and decided to quit while she was ahead. That was a one-in-a-million performance, and she wasn't about to ruin it with another botched around the world!

"Anyway... see ya, Komi. I have about 60 friends waiting for me at the bus stop. We're gonna have some fun tonight!" Najimi waved goodbye and ran off. Seriously, how did Najimi find the time for all these lengthy outings? Well, whatever.

Shoko felt very proud of herself as she walked home that afternoon.