Author's notes: To be honest, I am having a serious writer's block at the moment. (Well, let's be real. I'm a bad writer but I'm doing my best lol.) These past few days, I was never satisfied with any of my drafts. However, I wanted to introduce some of the key characters in the upcoming chapters beforehand. This chapter can actually be treated as a side story, since it doesn't really impact the plot that much. So yeah.~
Thanks for reading!
CHAPTER 1.5 - In which managers tread lightly and captains impose heavily
Act 1. The Captain of Rakuzan.
Eiji Shirogane was never one to beat around the bush, and so, despite the shocked expressions of the boys surrounding him, made no qualms into repeating what he just said.
He lightly turns his head to face the student standing calmly next to him. "From this day forth, your team captain will be Akashi Seijurou."
There are no words. Akashi only had to look at each of the members' faces to deduce their feelings on the sudden promotion. Disbelief. Anger. Envy. Amazement. Not that it matters, because the captain's title rightly fell to him. Because Akashi Seijurou is absolute.
"Now," the coach continues. "Resume the drills!"
Sometime later, a brown-haired girl with a pixie haircut was just finishing cleaning up the gym's equipment room, when she overhears the two 1st stringers complaining. She scans the gym, making sure the subject of their complaints wasn't in the vicinity.
"It's only been 3 weeks and he already gets the title. What about the former captain?"
"Strangely enough, he didn't complain."
"Seriously? Come on, being from the Generation of Miracles doesn't mean shit."
"Haha, get real man, it does mean something. To be honest, I am intrigued. I wonder how Akashi is going to handle everythin-Kane-chan!"
Oh, now did they notice her. Before giving them the chance to panic, she says, "It's fine. I didn't hear anything." And promptly leaves the scene to take her usual spot next to the gym entrance. Kaneshino Ai glances over to the ongoing practice game, eyeballing the red-headed freshman-turned-captain in particular.
She confirms her earlier observations - the guy is undeniably scary, even scarier than the 2nd years they call the Uncrowned Kings. Scary enough to have the others accept him as captain too quickly. She's heard of the Generation of Miracles, but because of her volleyball background has limited knowledge of the actual legends.
Out of nowhere, a loud knock on the gym entrance catches the attention of the female manager as well as the players of the practice game. Kaneshino promptly goes to entertain the guest, and from the corner of her eye, sees the captain staring at her direction. She opens the door and finds herself staring at a...chest.
Ai takes a frantic step back, realizing that the visitor was just freaking tall (or that she's just freaking short). It was a female student, with straight dark brown hair that falls flatly on her shoulders and narrow, upturned brown eyes that made her look more intimidating than she probably is. Kaneshino took to the latter assumption the moment the visitor opened her mouth.
"Hello," greets the brunette, with a voice so mellow Kaneshino imagined her to have the patience of a saint. But the more she looks, the more she realizes the visitor is a beauty - probably making some onlookers behind her blush. "I'm sorry to disturb you. Do you happen to see someone called Miwa around?"
"Uh," she almost stutters, pretty stunned herself. "Can't say I have. I don't know anyone by that name."
"No one new applying for manager?"
"I apologize, but no."
"Oh, I see." the brunette says, disappointment apparent in her tone. "That's strange, I was sure she'd come here first. So sorry for the disturbance."
"I-it's perfectly fine. I'm also sorry I couldn't help you."
They exchange polite bows before the visitor leaves quietly.
A few seconds later, Kaneshino was approached by 2 boys she recognized as the complainers from earlier – blushes on their cheeks and their eyes wide with excitement. "Kane-chan," one of them says, "are you friends with Sasaki-senpai?"
"Ah no…she was just looking for someone. I don't know her actually."
"Stop it man, Kane-chan's new remember?"
"But…uhm, guys. Is senpai famous?" She was genuinely interested. An innocent girl crush if you will.
"Well! Sasaki Haru-senpai is from the female basketball team! A regular ever since her freshman year."
Kaneshino blinks. That IS impressive. However…
"I never knew we had a female team?"
"You're a freshman, so it's natural you don't know. See, the 3rd years right now revived it during their freshman year."
"And," the other boy cuts in. "You forgot to say that they played in every national level tournament since the revival, though no championships yet."
The statement made Kaneshino's eyes go wide. "Amazing! We had a team like that? I never knew…"
"To top it all off, Sasaki senpai and the captain are top grade beauties!"
Kaneshino sighs. "Is that all you care about?"
"You there."
The three students almost jumped in shock. Standing in front of them was their newly appointed captain and they didn't even notice him. Despite the redhead sporting a calm expression, they felt a sinister aura encroaching up their backs.
"Why are you idling around in the middle of practice?" Akashi continues, with a subtly venomous tone that makes the trio flinch yet again.
"We'll go back to practice Akashi-san!" The boys scurry away, leaving the tiny bodied manager to explain herself. "I'm sorry Akashi-kun. We'll make sure this doesn't happe-"
"That girl earlier," the redhead interrupts. "Who was she and what did she want?"
"A-ah. That was Sasaki Haru-senpai from the female basketball team. She was just looking for someone."
"Who?"
"?"
"Who was she looking for? Reo?"
As far as the captain knew, Mibuchi Reo (first introduced to him as 'Yaksha'*) was friends with most of the current female basketball regulars. But the female manager lightly shakes her head.
"She was looking for someone called 'Miwa'. I told her there was no one with that name in the club."
"..."
"Akashi-kun?"
"Noted. Ai, go back to what you were doing before." With that Akashi Seijurou proceeds towards the locker rooms, his lips pressed into a barely noticeable line.
"Useless."
Even after only 3 weeks of working with Kaneshino, the girl is quickly becoming obsolete. It was quite naïve of him to be expectant – nobody will be as useful as Momoi Satsuki. He might want to relieve her of her duties soon, but that might be detrimental to the 1st stringer's...'morale'.
With Rakuzan's training regime a level higher than that of Teiko, you'd find the effects of one cute face heavenly. He never actually understood it, but the effect is almost a scientific fact as far as he's observed.
"Not that it matters," he mutters to no one in particular. The only thing he needs is this team, under his leadership, to win. Rakuzan will be the absolute, because he himself is absolute.
His thoughts wander back to the manager, more specifically, the name she mentioned.
Miwa.
He laughs silently.
The Peregrine who can no longer fly.
Now that's an amusing thought.
Act 2. Spatial Comprehension and Unwelcome Monikers.
-Late afternoon, that same day-
The designated room for Rakuzan's art club has never been the greatest of places, but for 3rd year Ueda Tamako it was a place similar to heaven. Twirling a lock of her straight raven black hair, she quietly reads Edgar Allan Poe next to the window. Tuesday afternoons are best spent alone in an empty room full of the scents of paint, wood, and clay.
But today, she was not alone.
"Hello there," she sweetly says to the newcomer, who, from the looks of it is a freshman. She wasn't the most judgmental person in the world, but who's non-judgmental enough to overlook a pretty girl with long gray-colored hair and golden irises?
"Hello!" The girl's cheerful greeting snapped Ueda out of her trance. The brightness of her demeanor seemed out of place, especially for a girl that pale and fragile looking. "I am here to apply for the art club. Are you the club president by any chance?"
Ueda denies with a slight wave of her hand. "I'm just a visitor. The club members are in the Art House right now."
The stranger blinks. "The art house? I'm sorry, actually, this is my first day in school. I do not know where that is."
"Wait, what? Your first day?"
"Yes. Due to some inevitable circumstances, I've only started going to school today. But there are no problems."
"Are you a first year?"
"Huh? Uhm, that's correct."
"Then I am your senior."
"Yes senpai!"
Ueda was enjoying the polite language*. That alone made her want to help the poor girl out. Well, it may be better if the enthusiasm is toned down just the littlest bit. Smiling to herself, Ueda closes her book. Now that she's standing, Ueda suddenly notices the girl's rather impressive height – easily at least 5'9". If only she wasn't so skinny, she'd be perfect for basketball.
"Well then, I might as well help you find the art house. It's actually quite far, but the dorms are on the same direction so it's fine for me. Sound good fresh face?"
The girl visibly grows enthusiastic, seemingly unperturbed by the sudden nickname. "Yes, that would be great! I don't think I can bear to get lost again haha."
"Lost?"
"Yes."
"It's not like the high school is structured weird, so usually students find their rooms easily." She meant to joke, but the thought process faltered when she saw the discouraged look on the girl's golden eyes.
"Actually, I'm a little bad with directions ma'am."
"Come to think of it, you were sweating in the art room. Don't tell me-"
"Yes, it took me an hour to find it."
"Oh my god. You didn't bother to ask?"
"I did ask for directions. But…for some reason, I still couldn't find it."
Ueda is speechless, unsure if she considers this cute or ironically amazing.
"Anyways," Ueda diverts the subject, pointing to a blue plastic folder in her companion's arms, "Is that your portfolio, fresh face?"
"Yes!" she confirms. Catching on the curious look on Ueda's face, she sheepishly hands it over. "I think these are my more exotic pieces but I would not expect greatness if I were you."
"What? Bad with directions, an unabashed latecomer, what more can yo-ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!"
Looking through the pages is killing the senior softly. Forget not expecting greatness, there's nothing to expect at all! She's never seen drawings this bad! Is it some sort of abstraction? There simply was no thought nor structure on them – almost like bad art in bad doujinshi.
"Is it that bad?"
"Don't give me those puppy eyes!"
"It's that bad…"
"Come on, sweetie. Surely you can do something else better than this shit."
"Huu, but I promised my dad I'd enter the art club this year."
"What kind of promise is that?"
"For my own good, he says."
"Is that right. In any case, it's not like you'll be rejected for these sorry skills."
The freshman seems unfazed by the criticism. "Well, how about you senpai? What club are you in?"
"Me? Since you asked, yours truly is actually the captain of the female basketball team."
*Croooo~*
"….EHHHHHH?"
"Oho, do I hear amazement from my junior?"
"Senpai, if you're the captain, then that means-"
"My, I'm so flattered you know me fresh face."
"Wow! To meet the famous Barbie Ueda Tamako April 1 in my first day, I must be the luckiest person in the world right now."
Ueda had always hated that nickname, but doesn't correct the freshman. "Oy oy…how do you know my birthday?!"
"I've read it from your team's article in Basketball Monthly."
"Was there really a need to mention it?"
"Oh, it's easier for me to remember names that way."
Fresh Face just keeps getting weirder by the minute. "But you know…"
"Huh?"
"You're weird, but I like you."
The two continued to chatter randomly as they walked through the school corridors. After a few minutes, the duo reached the east end of the building. Ueda halts their walk just before they go out to a small herbal garden.
"Here we are Fresh Face, the art house."
Ueda gestures towards a huge carved wooden door leading to a specific room rather than a house. It turns out the so-called 'Art House' is located on the building opposite of the club room.
"So," she turns to her companion, who's quite conflicted. "We part ways here."
"Thank you very much senpai! I'd like you to know that I support the girls' basketball team."
"Oooooh, thank you! Please do that, we need all the support we can get. Well then, see ya around!" After receiving a polite bow, she watches the smiling freshman open and disappear behind the large door. It didn't take Ueda to walk a few steps before regretting not to ask for the girl's name.
Eh, for now, she's Fresh Face.
*Polite language - as in Keigo.