Reliability

By: Aviantei

4—Gymnasium

The sun, without any hindrance, shines down even here sometimes.

Megumi arrived at school early, and used the time she had to scribble out a vague attack plan on the back of a page of incomplete notes from her history class, useless due to the fact that Megumi had ignored that particular lesson in favor of trying to remember how to speak to strangers. It didn't matter what club she ended up in. It didn't matter if she wasn't as passionate as the others. All that mattered was that joining a club was a chance to change herself, plus it had the added bonus of not having to talk to Yamada-sensei again.

She hoped that Yamada would give her until the end of the day, and hold off on talking to Megumi until Tuesday. The counselor had said a week after all, though sometimes people meant different things using the same words. Megumi defined a week as the Tuesday following her initial conversation with Yamada, which had also been a Tuesday. Other people could have defined a week as the seventh day from that Tuesday, meaning Monday. If the latter was the case, Megumi would just have to plead her case.

It wasn't like she could do anything until after school, anyway. She had no idea who in her class was in a club other than Akashi.

Still, I feel like I'm drawn to the basketball club. Joining would have been nice…

Megumi lightly hit her palms against her cheeks once, dislodging the thought. Joining up with the Rakuzan High School Basketball Club was an impossible feat for someone like her. That was the end of it. She was a girl, and the team was made of boys. Even if there was a girls' basketball club here—which Megumi supposed was completely possible; she had never checked—she just didn't have the athletic ability for it.

She forced herself to focus on the plan in front of her. She would have to settle for a culture club, and she had compiled a list of the ones least likely to get involved in any competition—which eliminated both the Go and Shogi clubs if Megumi happened to run into the Go girl in the halls. She had been preparing herself since the previous night. Doing this was possible.

Megumi inhaled and exhaled, then opened up her notebook to the material for her first class.

Lunchtime rolled around, and Megumi sat for a few minutes in her seat without moving. She still had leftovers from the weekend, and so had been able to bring a lunch for herself today. On the off chance that Yamada-sensei did call her to the office, Megumi didn't feel like hauling her bento down from the rooftop, especially not half-eaten. It was better to wait, and after a few minutes, Megumi was convinced she was in the clear. She pulled her bento from her bag and stood up, the legs of her chair scraping against the tile.

"Oh, so you guys are heading out to a practice meet this weekend? That's super exciting."

"Haha, I guess. It'd be a lot more fun if our manager wasn't breathing down our backs about getting enough rest and being prepared. I swear, she's worse than our coach!"

It wasn't something Megumi was meant to hear, and she had never been one to eavesdrop, either. It was like some part of her classmates' words had triggered a reaction in her, which had prompted her to listen instead of just tuning them out. A part of Megumi was proud that she had expanded on her world, just a little bit, but the other part of her was too focused on latching onto something else.

A manager.

Megumi tightened her fingers around the bag holding her bento and thermos, then ran out of the classroom. She almost tripped on her desk, and had definitely left some whispers in her wake, but she didn't care. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, but Megumi headed down the stairs and towards the sports complex. She stopped in front of the gymnasium doors, the parallel bench letting her know she was in the right place.

The handle turned, and the door opened without any problems. Without its team inside, the gymnasium was silent. For whatever reason, the lights were still on, and Megumi could see the floor sparkle as if it were freshly cleaned. In this place where even stairwells were kept in peak condition, it only stood to reason that the gyms that were provided for their national-level sports teams would be just as, if not more, immaculate.

Megumi shouldn't have felt like she belonged here. She was the exact opposite of an athlete, and the vibe that the basketball club gave off was something she could barely stand in the presence of. Still, the empty gymnasium almost felt like a home to her. Really, the only thing the roof had that the gym didn't was a view of the sky.

Megumi walked to the center of the painted lines in the middle of the court. She looked straight up at the ceiling, just barely catching the walls in her peripheral vision. As expected, it was huge. Megumi stared for a few minutes before sitting down, retrieving her bento.

I get the feeling that I shouldn't be doing this… Which one's more likely to get me into trouble? Eating lunch on the roof or eating lunch in one of the gyms? If they really didn't want people to do it, the school would just put up signs or make rules or something. Then again, in this case, maybe they just didn't think of it?

Megumi pressed the ends of her chopsticks against her lower lip, thinking. This was something she probably shouldn't make a habit of, but every now and then, it would be okay. Besides, some people maybe even used their lunch period to practice. She didn't need to interfere with that.

"Still, this place is really nice."

"Can I help you with something?" a voice called. Megumi let out a shriek, almost spilling her lunch onto the shining gym floor. While such an incident didn't really occur, her heart rate didn't slow down in the slightest. Scrambling, Megumi rushed to pack up her lunch, the lid not completely secure on her bento before being shoved back into the bag.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized as she stood up. Bowing deeply in the direction of the voice, Megumi wondered just how much trouble she would be in now. What if she ended up having to do extra classroom duty and ended up missing her chance to join a club by the deadline?! Megumi did her best to take even breaths as she straightened her back out, hoping to prevent hyperventilation.

In the time it had taken her to ready herself, the owner of the voice had already crossed the gym floor, Megumi having been too caught up mentally to even notice any footsteps. He was a close to middle-aged man with dark hair slicked back. He didn't seem angry, either, but Megumi didn't let her guard down. It was always the people who seemed the calmest that had more volatile tempers, and she didn't need to set him off while her nerves were like this.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, quieter, "I just…" She just what? Wanted to get away? Wanted to pretend that she belonged somewhere? Megumi was tired of eating lunch alone in the classroom or on the roof, even if trying to join someone else's clique terrified her. She wanted to have friends and be normal and not be so scared to do something as simple as join a club.

She wanted to be confident in herself, enough that she could conduct herself in the same sort of manner that Akashi had in that stairwell.

"I was hoping…to join the basketball club as its manager," she admitted out loud. There was no point in saying it other than Megumi had needed to admit it to herself. The man she was speaking to right now most likely didn't have any influence over such things anyway.

"Is that so?" he asked, his tone completely neutral. Megumi nodded, feeling like she could burst into tears at any second. Her eyes were dry, but there was a weight in her stomach, not enough to stop her from moving, but enough that she couldn't ignore its presence and carry on. After a contemplative silence, the man continued, "I am Shirogane Eiji, the coach of the basketball club. What is your name?"

Megumi flinched a bit, but restricted the movement. If she actually jumped, there was no guarantee she would remain in her skin. "I'm Kaizuto Megumi, from Class 1-A," she managed without stuttering.

"Ah, so you're the girl that Yamada mentioned." Megumi felt a mix of embarrassment and guilt. It would make sense for the guidance counselor to inform those in charge of clubs to the situation, but it was still an unnecessary burden to all but the one in charge of whichever club she was able to join. Still, she nodded, not knowing if words were necessary or what she would even say if she tried. "As it is, the basketball club already has a manager," Shirogane said.

Megumi should have expected as much. Just like everything else here, the Rakuzan Basketball Club was perfect, so they would already have all the members they would need. And, like she had concluded before, since she couldn't join as a player, that was the end of it. At this point, she would have to go back to her original plan of scouting the culture clubs after classes and praying they were accepting new members.

What Megumi hadn't expected was the disappointment she would feel as the result. Somehow, a part of her hadn't given up hope, despite all of her logic telling her to let it go.

And I was so sure I was prepared for this…!

"I understand," she said, her voice shaking. Megumi swallowed, hoping to erase the tremor. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll be heading back…" She stopped. Heading back where? Definitely not to the classroom. "I'll be leaving now."

Megumi turned back to the entrance, clutching her bag of lunch against her chest. "Wait," Shirogane said. It was nothing like the way Akashi had talked, but there was still a definitive sense of command in his words, even if it was cushioned by the small amount of kindness. Instinctively, Megumi obeyed, looking back over her shoulder. "While it is true that the position is filled, we are a large club with more members than it is reasonable to expect one person to handle on their own. Given your circumstances, I would say that you could work as an assistant manager, if that's acceptable to what you were aiming for."

It had to be a joke. It just had to be, because it was too good to be true. A stroke of luck. A way in. A blessing of good fortune. Combining this along with her acceptance into Rakuzan, Megumi had certainly used up most of her good luck for the rest of her life.

So then I just have to put in more genuine effort from now on. That's all it means, right?

Shakily nodding, Megumi said, "I'd really appreciate it."

"In that case, I welcome you to the team," Shirogane said, his syllables clipped short with professionalism. "Practice is on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You will be expected to report on time with the exceptions of classroom duties, illness, and family issues, although you must inform myself, the captain, or your senior manager beforehand. You are also required to attend all games the team participates in. Is that understood?"

As expected, a strict set of circumstances. Still, that was how things were run in a place like this. Clenching her fists around the handle of her bag of lunch, Megumi made sure she didn't hold back.

"Yes, sir!"

"Very well," Shirogane said, and Megumi dared to hope she had heard something like approval in his voice this time. "I'll go and get you a club entry form for you to turn in, and then I'll see you after school tomorrow." Not even giving the girl a chance to respond, the coach turned back around and headed to what Megumi guessed was his office.

That…that just happened. That really happened…!

It took the sound of the door Shirogane had left through closing for Megumi to breathe properly again. With her newfound air, she let out a happy laugh, throwing her arms into the air. "I did it!" she shouted.

Still letting out giggles, Megumi sat back down in the middle of the gym floor before her legs actually did collapse underneath her.

"My name is Kaizuto Megumi from Class 1-A. I will be your assistant manager, so please come to me with anything that you may need. Let's work hard together from now on!"

And, bow. Behind her bangs, Megumi allowed herself a small smile as the voices of the Rakuzan High School Basketball Club members echoed the last of her words in response. She had practiced the introduction—several times out loud at home the night before, almost every second internally throughout the school day—and it had come out well. Finally standing, Megumi met their gaze, only to avert her eyes a second later.

Ah, there's so many of them. Plus they're just as intense as I remember, if not more! Still, I said I would do this, so I can't back down now. I may not know exactly what I'm doing yet, but I'm not going to give up just because I'm scared.

Because she had decided that this was a place that she wanted to belong, no matter what.

"Alright, Akashi, Mibuchi, and Higuchi, stay up here for a few minutes. The rest of you, do your warm-up exercises until ordered otherwise," Shirogane said. No one moved a muscle until he blew a short note on his whistle, and then the room was filled with noise and activity within seconds.

They were nothing less than a well-oiled machine, or even something that surpassed that. Megumi forced herself to look away. If this was going to be a part of her life from now on, she couldn't stare in awe all the time.

"Okay, you three, this goes without saying, but as Kaizuto has joined this team, she is to be treated like every other member," Shirogane continued, and Megumi turned her focus to the trio of boys that had stayed behind. There was a boy a bit taller than her with light brown hair, a taller one that towered over even the coach with his black hair meeting his shoulders, and, somehow managing to look regal in even a sweatshirt and shorts, Akashi. "Higuchi, since she's working under you, you will take the majority of the responsibility for her training. However, as Captain and Vice-Captain, I expect you to play your parts as well, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the three boys chorused as Megumi felt herself reeling from a different feeling of overwhelming than before. Captain and Vice-Captain? All this time she had been thinking that Akashi would be somewhat of her equal, but he was really that much above her? And as a first year at that?

"In that case, I'll give you a few minutes to get acquainted. Just remember that the Inter-High finals are soon. You all may have gained a new responsibility, but anything other than victory should not be a possibility to any of you." Shirogane matched gazes with each of the boys for a second, his eyes coming to a rest once they landed on Megumi. Not sure of what else to do, she nodded. "After you're done here, resume club duties as normal," the coach concluded before walking off to where a group of boys was engaged in sprints across the gym floor.

The brown-haired boy was the first to speak up. "You already introduced yourself, so there's no need to repeat it," he said, "so I'll go first. I am Higuchi Shota, Class 3-A, the club's manager. You'll be working close to me until you get the hang of things, but it will be better if you pick up things quickly so we can be more efficient. I look forward to working with you." He almost sounded like he was reciting things out of a text book, ducking his head in a short bow before straightening.

"Mibuchi Reo," the black haired boy said, sounding bored. He wasn't even looking at her, either. "Class 2-A, Vice-Captain."

Megumi stopped feeling offended and instead settled on shock. There was no sense being upset by it when the world wasn't going to take things easy on her just because she had decided to join a club. If Mibuchi didn't like her, that was it. However, there was something more important for Megumi to focus on at the moment, the pieces sliding together inside her mind.

"Akashi Seijuro, Class 1-A," the redhead said, an unreadable expression on his features as he looked Megumi in the eye. Out of habit, she tried to look away, but realized she couldn't. "I am the club's captain. I am also absolute. Victory is a given, but I will not tolerate any potential interference to that end. If your performance isn't satisfactory, I will have you removed from this club, despite your circumstances. Is that understood, Megumi?"

For the first time, he was properly speaking to her. That had been the sort of thing Megumi had been aiming for, but it hardly even felt like he was acknowledging her, even with the use of her given name. The referral held no intimacy or disrespect to it, just like it as natural for Akashi Seijuro to refer to her in such a way.

Even more so, it was a warning. It felt like a threat. Somehow, he already knew about the reasons for Megumi's admittance into the club as well. That meant he knew what sort of situation she would be in if she were kicked out, and he didn't care since it was a means of assuring his victory.

Higuchi and Mibuchi didn't even seem to blink, meaning that they were used to this sort of behavior.

I think I've gotten way in over my head.

Still, Megumi realized what it was that she wanted to do, and she didn't want to lose it. Willing all of her confidence to come forward, she imbued it into her next words.

"I will try my best, Captain."

[NOTES] Here we are, one more new chapter. I'm trying to alternate between work on my novel and fanfiction, so hopefully things will be going smoothly from here on out!

I would like to give my thanks to ovellyta2, Doujin-Maker, Dotty MacGuffin, MISCharacter, NightmareMelodies, , The-Awesome-person22, SilverSapphire34523, Alexandrite Fate Chan, MikoSasesko, TheJesterCard, Shiranai Atsune, patamon62, zerorin05, Lani0108, bookworn2468, and 69AnimeFreak69 for your favorites, follows, and reviews! Everyone means a whole lot to me, and I hope you enjoyed the update. I hope that I can share more of these with you in the future!

I'm trying to slowly give Megumi a chance at things, but that doesn't mean everything will go smoothly. Still, she's made a bit of progress-where will things go from here for her? Stay tuned to find out.

I'm thinking of hopefully getting up chapter five as my next update, so that should be soon. However, if you want, my [Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit] anthology is updating weekly on Saturdays as I explore KagePro's Kano Shuuya and his lovely relationships. If you're out and about and happen to find the [Twelve Shots of Summer], [Twelve Shots of Summer: Second Raid], or [Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit] tags in the description, I would recommend checking it out. All the authors in the challenge are guaranteed to give good reads. And, hey, if you're up for a challenge yourself, consider joining us over at the forum!

5—Within Proximity II

This breeze, carrying the ends of spring, feels as if it belongs to somewhere distant.

[POST] 061516