Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.
Thank you so much for the love for the last chapter!
This is the story about a girl who doesn't know what love really is and a boy who isn't really sure what normal girls are really like. This girl is drowning in her own past. Can he pull her out of the water before he too sinks below the waves?
I apologize for the wait! This should have been updated weeks ago and I should update Swimming with the Big Fish soon!
Kondo frowned, unsure what to do with the new girl. Her platinum curls bounced as she shook her head back at the captain, Tanabata. "We should give her the final invite for the regular's tryout."
"She tried out late," Tanabata shot back immediately, eyebrows raised. "Do you want to tolerate a lack of discipline?"
Kondo shook her head again, unsure how to explain it to the stoic captain, "She's fast. And she wasn't even trying her best."
"So?"
"Let her do the regular's tryout."
"No."
Kondo throws her hands up, frustrated. "Will you stop closing yourself up like this? That new girl is practically a reflection of you, but with black hair and totally silent."
At this, Tanabata's face rises slightly to meet Kondo's green irises. Kondo knows instantly she's overstepped her bounds as a vice-captain and into friend territory, which the two had abandoned long before. Tanabata's hardened grey eyes clash with her ashy, dark brown hair.
"Sorry," Kondo turns away, appearing to have abandoned the thought of the new girl. Walking away, she barely catches a word.
"Fine."
The edges of Kondo's mouth slightly turn up as she struts away, fingering the extra invitation that she knew she would end up giving the new girl, regardless of Tanabata's approval.
"You have been invited to participate in the regulars' tryouts..."
Hisoka groans at the alarm and slaps the clock, running fingers through her hair and blinking back at the time.
Three in the morning? When did she set her alarm for that early? She rolls over and covers her ears with pillow, letting sleep enter her brain again.
The door slides open with a bang and the cheerful voice of Ren interrupts the peaceful daze, "Come on! We have to start training!"
Hisoka audibly groans again. At three in the morning? Witchcraft. Suddenly her legs feel bare and the cold air runs up her legs, leaving her kicking and curling up to maximize heat.
"Nope," Ren sings, holding the blankets in his hand. "We start training today. Put on some shorts and meet me in the lower level gym in ten minutes."
She rubs at her eyes, sitting up after he leaves the room, knowing better than to fall back asleep. She slowly stretches before switching pajamas for athletic shorts and dragging her feet out of the room and down the steps to the hidden part of the house beneath the trap door disguised as a few floorboards in Ren's bedroom.
Yawning, her dilated pupils adjust to the huge room they call 'the gym,' which was really a more humble way to reference to the large fitness training facility equipped with fitness machines, weights, a small track, and gun target practice. The floor had been covered by several dozen mats meaning one thing.
Fighting practice.
It was way too early for this. It was bad enough that she had to be at school four hours to participate in that stupid extra tryout thing that had been on the leaflet that the platinum-head had given her. "Here!" she had exclaimed brightly, shoving the flyer-come-invitation into her hand. "Don't miss it! Be here at seven!"
Hisoka was left blinking as she clutched at the small piece of paper, slightly dazed.
Ren's yell interrupted Hisoka's thoughts of yesterday after practice. "Oi! Hurry up!" he waves, grinning. "We are starting with two basic moves today!" He was too cheerful at three in the morning to be healthy. Was he not playing video games last night?
He plops himself on to his back on the mats, presses his hands backwards next to his chest, pulls his knees to his chest, and then vaults upright into the air, squatting on his feet. He could make everything look easy.
"Now, you try."
Hisoka blinks. Be on your back, draw your legs back, hands for balance, and use your momentum while kicking your legs into the air to jump to your feet.
Lowering herself on the ground, she presses her hands next to her head awkwardly and draws her knees to her chest. Kicking upwards, she manages to move through the air.
And land on her back again.
Ren doesn't hesitate to laugh at her disgruntled look.
Sitting up, she rubs at her backside and sighs.
"Okay, let's see if you're better at anything else," he muses, smile curling across his face. He drags over a life-sized dummy. "Watch me."
Stepping forward quickly, he twists on one foot, moving his body in a circle before extending a leg and kicking at the back of the thigh, causing the dummy to fall backwards with the momentum.
"You should probably aim for the knee though. It will be easier."
Hisoka watches Ren pull the dummy upright before stepping forward quickly. Pivoting on her foot, she seems to be doing well, until she could feel her core of gravity off balance and she windmills her arms wildly before kicking herself in her own foot.
Ren covers his face with a sigh and Hisoka spits a lock of her bangs out of her mouth while pulling herself to a sitting position on the mat.
She clearly had a long way to go.
Three hours later, Hisoka was groaning and rubbing her arms, massaging the sore muscles from practicing the same two moves over and over. Not once had she truly gotten either right. She wrinkled her nose, realizing that she couldn't count the number of times she had fallen during the training session. Ren had a great abdomen exercise from the amount he had laughed.
"Honestly," a cocky grin had been plastered on his face. "If you can't master this stuff, how am I going to teach you how to shoot a gun?"
At that, Hisoka had froze. She realized she was being trained, but she had forgotten that defensive training was only half of that. She was going to be trained offensively as well. She was going to be trained to kill.
Hisoka pushed the thoughts aside and tucks a lock of her hair behind her ears, lip curling in distaste at the lack of her normal earrings on her ears. It was school policy to not have piercings, even though she normally didn't care and her hair covered her ears. She could have sworn she saw a second year the day before with several lobe piercings.
She fastened the double lobe stud piercings on both ears and hooked the cuff on to her cartilage piercing. She shook her hair back into place, easily covering the pieces of metal in the small act of defiance. Sparing a glance in the mirror before turning around, Hisoka's eyes caught the glints of metal behind her ebony hair.
Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she yawns, craving a cup of coffee.
"Hisoka?" Ren calls out from the kitchen. "Can you come here for a minute?"
She yawns again, padding out of her room and bobbing her head to the music streaming from her headphones. She raises her eyebrows, as if to question "Did you need me?"
Ren sets down a steaming cup of milky-brown liquid in front of her and she pauses, her hand poised in mid-rub on her eye. He smiles, "Sorry I made you get up so early. I know you're a night owl."
Hisoka gratefully curls her hands around the warm mug and brings it to her lips, savoring the heated trail tracing from the cup to her stomach. The haze in her brain slowly dissipates as the caffeine takes over. Ren slides a plate with some dried seaweed and a rolled omelet in front of her and she quickly tears it apart with chopsticks. The breakfast made her mind flash of memories of her attempting to cook when they had first moved to the house they were currently in. She had woken up at six in the morning, a great feat in itself, before attempting to steam some rice and make miso soup for breakfast. Ren had smelled burning miso soup and he had run into the kitchen with a fire extinguisher and sprayed everything in sight. After sighing at the burnt mess, Ren had made a simple omelet and served it with dried seaweed for breakfast. She had never been allowed to cook again.
Hisoka's lips curl up slightly at the memory.
"You're thinking of the first time you tried to cook, aren't you?" Ren deadpans, finger stuck out accusingly. "Don't even think about trying to redeem yourself."
The smile slides off her face as fast as it had come.
Laughing at her disgruntled expression, Ren yanks her arm and pulls her out the door while throwing her lunch, two water bottles, and running shoes towards her. "We can't be late!" he exclaims. "You have regulars' tryouts today!"
He shoves her on to the bus as she wonders how in the world he knew.
"Some girls were gossiping about it after soccer practice," he grins, twisting around slightly to look at Hisoka's face as they stood back to back.
Hisoka snorts in reply, as if to say "Of course." Glancing around, she notes the same man who doubled as a guard behind the newspaper like he was yesterday. Honestly, who would attack so early in the morning? Even terrorists and gangsters were more sane than that. Hisoka stretches her mouth into a yawn and hastily covers herself with her hand.
"I suppose that is my fault," Ren whispers and Hisoka nods in agreement.
She absentmindedly hums the tune to a random song as stops whiz by, leaving her content while keeping her eyes half-lidded. Ren could cover for her today. An ebony curtain of hair blocked enough light to soothe her eyes. The bus ride seemed all too fast to Hisoka as she sleepily clung to a pole, waiting for the caffeine from the coffee to kick in. Ren gently tugs her away and out of the bus as she stumbles over her own feet. Somehow, he leads her through the school gates and to the school track without a mishap. Hisoka cannot help but marvel at the lack of credit Ren gets from her father just for putting up with her.
"Wake up," he chuckles. "And put on your running shoes."
Her eyes flutter open and she winces at the morning sun sending arrows of light straight into her eyes. She lazily slips into her shoes and laces them up before jumping up and down to warm up her legs clad in her favorite running shorts. The large t-shirt masked the usual vest that hid underneath while she stretches her arm and Ren places her bag on to the ground.
"You want me to stay and watch? I am technically not needed at practice because there's just a meeting with the seniors."
Hisoka shrugs and Ren grins, knowing that's her way of saying "If you want" while having undertones of "yes."
Several females clad in shorts and synthetic running shirts turn towards the pair, murmuring at the male who was leaning against the fence that surrounded the school track. His easygoing smile was the direct opposite of the girl whose face could not be seen. There were hints of metal through the curtain of ebony hair that was only broken up by a crimson streak. Hisoka watches from underneath her hair; she knew that they thought that she was insignificant.
"She got invited to the regulars' tryouts?" One whispers.
"How? I didn't see her until yesterday," another murmurs.
A girl with platinum curly hair claps her hands together, "Welcome to regulars' tryouts! Congratulations for making the team and being good enough to be considered to be part of one of the best teams in the nation." She nods, surveying the fifteen people in front of her. Hisoka hid behind a particularly taller girl with coffee colored skin and hazel hair tightly bound in cornrows. "I must begin by saying that if you are not picked, do not be disappointed. There are only three available spots as returning regulars have already established their positions." A dimple forms in girl's cheek as she flashes a beam to the girls in front of her. "We will do a quick, collective warm-up of a kilometer before beginning."
Hisoka quietly follows the mass as they begin warm-up. The steady pants in the morning air joins with cool air. Hisoka gently stretches her hips and hamstrings with each stride, being careful not to bump into the girl that she decided to call "Corny," for her cornrows that were bundled into a ponytail.
Her breath nearly catches in her throat as the horde of runners round the curve of the track and she catches the glimpse of Shiraishi and Oshitari leaning against the opening of the fence to the track. Apparently, she was not the only one. Several girls gasped at the figures of the tennis players and a good amount began to wipe sweat off of their respective foreheads and fix their hair. The group slows to a stop, finishing the warm-up and Hisoka peeks over the top of Corny's shoulder to see the curly platinum-head smile at the two with slightly pink cheeks.
"Thank you for coming," she bobs her head. "I was afraid that between Tanabata and I, there would not be enough timers."
Shiraishi's hand holds back a few locks of the ashy blonde hair as a slightly breeze blows over the track. "No problem, Tanabata."
"We are happy to help," Oshitari adds.
The platinum-head turns back to the girls. "Alright, we are first going to have 200 and 400 meter trials. You will each run both twice and will have a five-minute break between each event. We will take your best time."
A girl steps up behind her with a clipboard and clears her throat. "First we will have Nodoka, Mikazuki, Morizuna..." Hisoka blocks the words out of her head after the mention of her own name. She glances around and finds the rest transfixed on the tennis pair, which half did not realize that he was in the girls' eyes. The other half-with his coffee-colored hair and sharp features-sent an easy grin and a small wave towards the girls.
Only when half the mass starts to move does Hisoka withdraw from the depths of her mind with a start and she quickly hurries after Corny. Oshitari and Tanabata walked ahead of the eight girls, both clutching a clipboard and Oshitari attempts to make small talk. Tanabata just nods and Hisoka twitches her nose, recognizing her own reactions reflected in the captain.
"We will start with Nodoka, Mikazuki, Morzuna, and Hunisuke in the first 200 meter run. The other girls are doing a 400 meter run and we will switch when both heats have finished running the 200 meter twice," Tanabata explains in a monotone voice. Her facial features did not change at all as she points to the other side of the track where the rest of the girls are clumped together around the platinum-head and Shiraishi. Hisoka gulps slightly, being slightly unnerved by the lack of expression. Is that what people thought when they saw her?
"Please step up to the line and do not start early."
Hisoka steps forward with Corny on her left and some blonde girl on the right.
"Hmph, like you could win," the blonde scoffs, running her fingers through her voluminous ponytail. "You haven't even tied up your hair. And you seem like just a first year."
Hisoka swivels her head back towards the track, not blinking or even acknowledging the blonde. She knew better than to start a fight and it wasn't like she could respond anyway. Not too fast, she repeated in her head. Not too fast. Actually, last place would not be a bad option.
"Take your mark," Tanabata commands.
The girls lower their hips into a track start and Hisoka blinks. Was a track start required?
"Go!"
The girls take off, pumping their arms and Hisoka makes sure to quickly fall behind and pretend to exhale heavily, mimicking the other sprinters. Oshitari was a blur ahead of the girls, running ahead to take their times at the finish. Hisoka's hair flies behind her with every stride due to the lack of sweat plastering strands in front of her eyes.
The other three finish a second or two before Hisoka, panting, hands on their knees.
"27.2," Oshitari declares. "Good job everyone. Jog back on the outside of the track so we do not interfere with the 400 meter trials."
The sprinters turn and lightly trot back with Oshitari at the rear. Hisoka notes this and stands out of his field of vision, realizing that he was jogging back to start the second heat.
Her eyes turn down, watching the feet of the blonde in front of her. She had fancy track shoes with spikes on. Glancing around, Hisoka's eyes caught the feet of all of the girls in the trial. They all proudly wore their track shoes with spikes. Hisoka glanced down at her own beat-up running shoes that had a small hole at the toe and sighed. It was not like it mattered; she had made sure that she would not make the regulars with that last trial.
"Told you that you couldn't win," the blonde smirks, coming to a halt as the second heat of sprinters began. "You're not good enough. I heard that you didn't even show up for tryouts until yesterday." She tosses her ponytail to the side. "I bet that the vice-captain just felt sorry for you. Is that your boyfriend?" She nods towards Ren, who leans against the fence. His sharp eyes turn towards Hisoka. He did not look pleased. "He's cute. Wonder how he ended up with you?" Her leer widens. "Maybe I should just steal him from you."
Hisoka's nose twitched at that statement. Her calm demeanor took a 180 degree turn with that last statement. Her jaw clenched at the blonde's insinuation. Nothing ever split the Mikazuki siblings apart. Not girls in skimpy shorts, not terrorists or yakuza with guns, and not the head of the Mikazuki family. If anyone dared, Hisoka and Ren could and would tear them limb to limb. As clingy as Hisoka felt, she knew that they had to depend on each other to survive. Even if the blonde simply wanted to take Ren to get on her nerves, Hisoka would never let Ren date someone with such an ugly personality.
Ren's eyes flash, recognizing the Hisoka's abrupt change. Hisoka strides towards him and he picks a box off the ground. "I wanted to wait until you made the regulars, and seeing that last run, I thought you were going to fake being slow, but it seems like you want to pulverize someone right now." Straightening up, he hands her the box. "It's your size and I already keyed in the spikes for you, although you probably have no idea what that means."
Hisoka lifts the cover off and a mint and black pair of track shoes with spikes gleam back at her. The side of her mouth lifts up as she sits down to put on the shoes and throws her hair into a ponytail. With her bangs out of her face, she slides the shoes on and discards the old ones into the box.
"Better?" Ren's lips curl up. "I guess you don't need a pep talk."
Hisoka gets up and brushes off the black bits of track. In a rare display of emotion, she hugs Ren quickly.
"Yeah, yeah. You are thankful and all. Now, will you actually race?"
She nods, bouncing on her toes and marveling at the sleek shoes that propelled her with every step. Hisoka brushes her fingers against her ears to check the state or her piercings before turning towards the returning sprinters. Corny was already standing at the start line, hopping slightly to keep her calves warm. Hisoka made sure to stand in between Corny and Blondie again, just to piss Blondie off.
"Alright, first four. Your five minutes of break is over," Tanabata commands as a girl with electric blue hair joins the three. "Take your mark."
The other three hunch over again, placing their fingers just behind the thick white start line. Hisoka smirks slightly, not bothering to get into the track start position but leaning forward slightly. No, she repeats to herself. There would be no way Blondie would win.
"Go!"
The spikes in Hisoka's new shoes threw her forward as she pumps her legs, stretching forward with every stride. Nothing else matters but beating Blondie. Corny and Blondie flank her sides as she heaves for air, furiously pushing herself forward. The wind on her face whistles as she slowly pulls forward of Corny. Hisoka instantly cuts towards the inner part of the curved track. The farther she was from the radius of the semicircle curved track, the farther she would have to sprint. Blondie probably had more experience in track, and therefore knew that. Blondie's last words ran through her head and red-hot fury flashes in her eyes.
Suddenly, it feels like her legs turned into a blur as she threw herself forward. The trees whip by as she forgets everything but her anger.
In an instance, it was over.
Hisoka bends in half, panting.
"24.78." Oshitari glances at the stopwatch. "Though you might have been faster if you started with the same speed you ended at."
Hisoka nods, barely registering his words.
"26.65, 26.93, and 28.2," he calls out the rest of the times. "Go ahead and stay on the outside of the track again, but this time go over to Kondo and Shiraishi. They will test your 400 meter times. Good job everyone."
Hisoka exhales a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding and shuffles her feet towards the 400 meter trials.
Oshitari Kenya takes a fleeting glimpse at the back of the girl in a baggy t-shirt. The last few meters, she looked similar to a video that Shiraishi had taken last fall. As a joke, the team decided to see if his legs looked blurred on video.
Kenya had been surprised to see himself running. Osamu had paused the video to point out the pronation in his foot as a key to why he was so off-balance. Instead of tuning into Osamu's words, he had glanced at the figure on screen who was panting for air and pumping his legs.
Mikazuki Hisoka had looked like him during the last 50 meters of his race. Similar to when he was going at full speed. Was she at his speed?
Maybe. Probably not.
Could she possibly get faster?
Only time could tell.
Kenya's mouth turns up into a small smile. Mikazuki Hisoka was an interesting one.
Shiraishi sends the last heat of the 400 meter trial participants off for their second time for a sigh. He didn't exactly know why he was here on a Friday morning instead of at the tennis courts, running practice. Kondo has invited both him and Kenya, but Shiraishi knew better. He didn't want the attention from the girls nor did he want to be around Kondo. However, for the most part, they concentrated on the tryouts but did not hesitate to send a smile his way.
If anything, Kenya should have been the one to turn down the invitation to help out again. Ever since Kondo confessed to Shiraishi last winter, he had kept his distance out of respect for her feelings. He did not forget the flash of pain across Kenya's face when he had found out back then. Kenya had liked Kondo for ages, and the fact that she was one of the two Shitenhouji female track stars and he was Naniwa's Speed Star just made the two seem even better for each other. As soon as Kenya found out, he had only a second of reaction before shrugging and making a joke.
Koharu had noted that he tripped 48.1% more that week in comparison to that of others.
"Shiraishi-kun," Kondo says breathily. "We should start the first heat of the second group."
Shiraishi simply nods at her statement, prompting her to actually organize the eight sprinters as he watched the pink and blue of the sky mix together. Glancing back at the girls lined up at the starting position, his eyes caught an ebony-haired girl.
"Shiraishi-kun!" Kondo calls out, waving her hand slightly. "We are about to start!"
Shiraishi positions himself closest to the ebony-haired girl who was on the very outside of the three other runners. She would have to have a fast start to not get cut off at the curve of the track.
"Mikazuki-san," he murmurs, almost inaudibly. For a second, he's afraid she did not hear him until she turns her face slightly and he can see himself reflected in her big brownish-green eyes. Her eyebrows turn up, almost as if asking a silent question. "Good luck," he smiles slightly.
She nods back, the edge of her mouth slightly lifted up as Kondo yells, "Take your mark!" Shiraishi thumbs the button for the stopwatch and presses down as soon as Kondo cries out, "Go!"
Shiraishi blinks slowly, processing Mikazuki's unusual track start. Or lack thereof.
Interesting.
I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review!
The next chapter will feature the 400 meter trials and Hisoka will meet Zaizen. Stay tuned! I should update within two to three weeks this time!
Again, please favorite and review! It helps me keep going :)