At last. Saturday.
The day has come. Seven dressed in blue, another team dressed in red colors. The blue team went on ahead to unlock the much larger gym they have been using. It will be used for the matches.
In the last second, Ritsu realized there isn't anyone to referee. He called up An –chan to fill the role to avoid stupid arguing from both sides. A match should have at least one referee, right? An gladly accepted, saying she'll be at the address Ritsu gave to her.
He met up with his team, seeing as they were already there, warming up, stretching. Best get to his own warm – up. He approached his team. He liked what he saw. Determination and deep concentration. They will show them how serious they are. Kamijou and Misaki were… doing joga(?), Kisa was with Yoshino, they were playing two out of three. He shouldn't disturb them… The editor spotted Shinobu and Mino –san, running laps. That is a good idea… He jogged towards them, catching up.
"Shinobu, Mino –san, can I tag along?"
They both nodded, picking up the pace. Ritsu ran with them three more laps, then 100 sit –ups. Thanks to Kamijou's training they all endured, Ritsu had no problem doing the 100 sit –ups. In the past, he would barely get to 50. Ha.
Sweating, they all decided it's time to go after hour of intensive warm – up. Clenched fists and jaws, they went to the gym, where the challenge will take place. On the way, Ritsu told them he asked a friend to step in as referee (thankfully no one was against the idea from his team, hopefully the other team won't have complaints, either).
The main door to the gym was slightly left ajar. Glancing from face to face, nervousness they have all hidden from each other surfaced, showing its claws of dubiousness.
Backing out is out of question.
With intrepid bravery, Misaki, Ritsu, Hiroki, Shouta, Shinobu, Chiaki and Kanade entered.
The eyes of their opponents pierced them through, the same determination. The blue team approached the red team warily. They stood in a line, facing off their perspective opponents.
No one spoke up, they semes valiantly accepted the challenging gazes, showing no sign of wavering. That is until the door snapped open again.
"Ritchan! I met this lady outside. She told me she's here to referee…" Ritsu's childhood friend, An entered the scene with … he knew her face, Ritsu could swear he saw at her Marukawa a few times…
"A - Aikawa – san?" Misaki stuttered, staring at her.
She was dressed in blue sports attire, Ritsu's friend was dressed in red sports clothes. "Aikawa, you made it." Akihiko said calmly, earning confused looks from the red team.
The woman snickered, taking An with her to the center of confrontation. "Well, it's rare for Usami – sensei to get invested in something so much. I just had to see for myself. Also, I found this girl outside, she said was asked to referee by her friend. I don't have a problem with it. We can both referee, that was it will be more fair. Your name was An, right?"
An nodded, sharing the spotlight of so many men with a beautiful woman, she didn't expect it. Ritchan sure knows interesting people! "Um, if it's not a problem with anyone, then shall we proceed?" An started, fidgeting. She caught Ritsu's gaze and he smiled at her, encouragingly.
Aikawa clasped her hands. "I hope someone brought at least one whistle."
As if on cue, Ritsu and Akihiko fished out from their pockets two whistles and threw it for them. An and Aikawa caught.
An was still nervous in front of so many unknown men. But damn, they were all pairs (and damn hot). Her scan never failed her. Ritchan's neighbor/boss/first love/lover is here, too. That means they are all playing against each other. An didn't ask for details (she was happy Ritchan turned to her for help because she is a closet BL lover), but she wanted to see it with her own eyes. How Ritchan's relationship progressed from the last time she saw them together.
Aikawa knew some of them. The Emerald editors were all there… A hottie with sparkly aura, kinda grumpy brunette, tall and dark haired men, three bishounen. One on blue team, other two on red. Strange. Aikawa thought it will be ukes vs. semes, so why are they mixed up? She grinned. She was in for a treat. As a hardcore fujoshi, how could she pass this opportunity to see Misaki face off against Usami – sensei, right?
The female editor grabbed her whistle and blew, to test it out. The sound made everyone look at her. She got their attention, all right. "I remember the rules and I revised them with An on the way, so it's going to be a group vs group match?"
"One – on – one, Aikawa –san." Misaki told her.
Aikawa could hardly contain her inner fujoshi to squeal from excitement, but she managed in the end. Her smile was just a bit more…creepy. "Don't just stand there! We need three balls. In dodge ball, It's always played with odd number of balls if the number of players is even. I've done my math." Aikawa smugly said, ordering them around.
Misaki and Shinobu gathered the balls from the open storage room and set them down in between.
An looked at Ritsu, then at Mr. Neighbor/Boss. Are they going to go first? They looked both so… serious. They all looked serious, but Ritchan and his lover were looking too serious.
The young woman cleared her throat before she spoke up. "Who is going first?" She brought up the question, noticing how the mood changed.
Silence.
Ogling, smirks and cracking fists. An gulped down, feeling the tension. Aikawa was still doing her best to hide her inner self, hard to notice the tension that hung in the air.
"I'll go first." They said at the same time.
An knew it they would come up as first! She blew the whistle. "Volunteers! I mean, first contenders will be Ritchan vs um…. Mr. Neighbor/Boss?" She regretted not listening when Ritchan told her the name. Now she looked like a fool.
Takano snickered. "Name is Takano Masamune."
A bit red, she laughed. "Right! The first match will be Ritchan vs Takano. I ask everyone else to retreat to a safe distance, over there." She pointed at the tribunes.
An was halfway expecting the men to disobey, but they went there, they red team deliberately sat far away from the blue team, ignoring them, their eyes were on the court, where Aikawa and An were instructing Takano and Onodera on the rules (lest they have forgotten).
Ritsu checked his knee pads one last time, while Takano observed him.
Realistically, they can each grab one ball at least, but they are two meters apart. But… if he misses his first shot, he might not catch Takano's ball, which leaves him only one option – dodge and pick it up before he does. But Takano's taller, his legs are longer, too…
"Getting cold feet, Ritsu?" Takano asked, assessing his opponent, who glanced at him while An and Aikawa bickered over the boundaries of playground.
"Are you mocking me, Takano?" A vein popped on his forehead.
"No, just asking. But I wonder how do you plan on defeating me while you never have dodged nor caught anything I threw at you over the last two and half years. You have no chance of winning."
A giggle.
Takano glanced at Ritsu, who giggled, then he got into position for the dash. His eyes had a certain sparkle in them that Takano saw several times. "It's better if I can't win. That way, I'll push myself over my limits. I have to, if I am to beat you."
Aikawa and An settled the last matters, they got into the positions, both contenders got ready for the sprint. "The match will begin. You know the rules, good luck!" Aikawa said loudly, so everyone heard her.
The two referees nodded after exchanging a glance, bringing up the whistles to their mouths.
WHISTLE
Ritsu ran, a second later than Takano. He dashed forward, grabbing onto the ball on the left. Takano grabbed the middle ball. Close, so close! Gotta create some distance. Now!
He ran back to his previous position, which was good seven meters, leaving Takano on the spot. He's not getting anywhere close him. Takano was trying to get into his head before the match. Ritsu knew of the fact. But!
WHISTLE
They stopped in their tracks. Now the match will officially start. After the next whistle…
The glint in Ritsu's eyes didn't vanish.
Takano's lips curled in a smile.
WHISTLE
As per their strategy, Takano waited for Ritsu to make the first move, calm calculative observation was their team motto. The younger editor scoffed, he knew Takano would wait and observe, then attack after he saw his best move. Only a fool lets his opponent see the trump card on the beginning.
He knew he can't catch Takano's throws; evading is his last resort. The ball bounces off, he gets it and makes his best attack when Takano is least expecting it. They were allowed three more steps each.
Ritsu inhaled and breathed out, getting ready for the savage throws from the demon of Emerald.
One step.
Second.
Takano's focused on his hands and ball.
Third. His first throw was a rather feeble throw, Takano ducked. He was far from amused.
Ritsu ran, for Takano wasn't moving, so he could move freely. He ran towards the ball that bounced off the gym walls. Keeping a distance, getting the ball, waiting for an opening. That's essential.
Takano still didn't move, he only turned his head to see where Ritsu went off. He grabbed onto the ball, careful to not overstep the white lines accidentally. If he did, Takano would win by default.
Expectantly, he looked over at Takano, knowing he's analyzing his every move, every step. There is got to be a way how to fool him, if only for a couple of seconds! Think Ritsu, think!
"Did you train at all? That throw was pathetic. Care to see a real throw? I'll try to make it painless. Your defeat, that is." Takano mocked him. Mind games again.
Two can play this game. Ritsu held the ball in one hand, knees slightly bend.
"Do your worst, Takano!"
Takano's steps were so much larger than his, still, he was in tolerable distance. Don't blink now!
He was so fast, all he saw was the ball, flying at super speed at him. D- dodge, dodge! Ritsu's body moved on its own, he jumped to the side, a millisecond later, the ball would have hit him.
Takano's un - moving, his eyes wide in bewilderment. Time to cash in! His Fast Attack!
Ritsu mimicked Takano's stepping jumps, crossing the line before the man could move for the ball.
Takano was still in shock that his throw has been avoided.
My chance!
Ritsu switched the ball in his hands. His technique was different from all others. His throw wasn't direct, the spin was curved like a boomerang, but fast.
"Your loss is nigh, Takano!" Ritsu's ball propelled.
As he foresaw, Takano evaded right where he wanted him to, into the trajectory of the curving boomerang. He saw the ball too late. It hit his forearm, and the deafening silence was broken; interrupted with gasps.
WHISTLE WHISTLE
The ball bounced, all eyes were on Takano.
An wasn't expecting such an… anticlimactic end. Aikawa was struck speechless, so she announced the winner. "The winner of first match is Ritchan!"
Takano finally moved towards Ritsu, who was caught in surprise of his win, which was unforeseen by many today.
Ritsu gazed at him, much or less expecting him to be angry, to be rude... he didn't see a handshake coming, along with a heartfelt smile.
The young editor smiled back, the stress from the past week was gone. "You beat me. That was a nasty move, Ritsu. But, you won fair and square."
Ritsu took the hand and shook it (Aikawa recovered from the overload and An was undoubtedly blushing), Takano ruffled his hair.
Their teams were coming down to join them, so they let go (Takano a bit too unwillingly) and Ritsu looked anywhere but at Takano, happy that he won and proud that his lover showed sportsmanship.
Aikawa hummed happily as the blue and red teams joined them. An gathered the balls and put them in the middle.
"Team red leads with 1:0! That was a suspenseful match! Alright, who is up as next?"
….
Seeing as no one wanted to step up, Miyagi sighed. "I'm not the youngest, so let's get it over with while I'm still usable. What do you say, Shinobu?"
"You're no spring chicken, Miyagi. Let's not waste time." Shinobu retorted.
Aikawa was getting it. Usami – sensei's BL books had some age gaps relationships, but to see such a cute… cute couple…?
"Old man, don't throw out your back, okay?"
Slightly irritated, Miyagi laughed. "Ah, I missed your snide remarks, Shinobu – chin. Don't worry. This old man will be very careful."
The two stayed on the field.
Takano and Onodera glanced at each other, but eventually went to sit with their teams. The matches aren't over yet. It's just getting started. They'll talk after the results are known.
TO BE CONTINUED_
Author's Notes - I wish you all Merry Christmas! I won't be writing during the holidays, so don't expect an update soon. I can only say it will be finished next year for sure.
P.S. Fujoshis, fujoshis everywhere... also KNB easter egg, it's in the chapter name.