Coach S informed us that we would focus on team play throughout the morning. After highlighting a few strategies she wanted to see us practice, she passed around a roster she'd devised that delineated teams and their opponents. She'd matched her tournament lineup of Class A third-years (the weird glasses guy Taichi faced in the tournament was here today) against a team of second-years, including Taichi and me, Yama-chan and the smart girl I'd played yesterday, and a wiry boy I hadn't noticed before.
"Now," Coach S said crisply. "You decide the order for yourselves."
Yamai was shooting daggers with his eyes, clearly aiming to take down Taichi in the match.
Taichi's mellow voice came from nearby. "Let's huddle up," he said, placing one hand on Rion's shoulder blade and reaching his other arm back toward me. I nodded, stepping up to his side as the other two completed our circle.
Yama-chan made quiet introductions. "You'll remember Honoka-chan from yesterday," she said, indicating the smart girl. "And this is Machimura-kun."
Taichi inclined his head close to Rion. "What's his angle? Why did Coach Sakurazawa want him with us?"
She shrugged. "He's one of the better second-years."
"Any particular tricks?" Taichi asked.
The three Fujisaki players looked from one to another blankly. Yama-chan answered for them. "I don't think so."
"All right." Taichi rubbed his bushy hair as he thought. "Who would you like to play, then?" he asked the boy.
"Uh…" Machimura-kun looked nervously at the other five who seemed relaxed, stretching and cutting up with the ease of years. "Well, I'll probably lose, but I guess you should put me against Emuro-kun."
I followed his eyes. Oh, the glasses guy. A tough player, for sure. Balanced and thoughtful. I gritted my teeth. Under normal circumstances I'd love to play him; I wondered if I could defeat him. Taichi did, I recalled. But with my left hand…
Besides, I already knew who I had to face this time. "I get Yamai-kun." My expression was firm in resolve. He'd challenged me yesterday, and after the scene this morning, there was no way I'd let Taichi get pulled into another conflict with him so soon.
Taichi met my gaze. He looked uncertain about my choice, but after a moment he deferred. "Okay. Then that puts Machimura-kun on the end, with you next to him. Yama-chan, you're the team captain for Fujisaki. Do you want to be in the middle or on the other end?"
His eyes bore into hers. "I think… I'd like to be next to Ch-Chihaya-chan." A faint blush tinged her cheeks.
Taichi nodded. "All right, then. Just remember to keep an eye on the rest of us, okay?" She nodded. "Okay." He shot a glance at the other team. "Looks like you'll have Suzuki Kanata-kun."
"Oh!" Rion started. "I've never beaten him with a live reader."
Taichi shot her a winning grin. "There's a first time for everything." Turning back to the smart girl, he said, "I've already played Manata-kun, so would it be alright if I take Ich-Ich…"
"Ichimura-kun," Rion supplied.
He acknowledged the help with a quick smile. "Right, him." I think Yama-chan blushed, but she bent her head quickly and curtains of hair hid her face. Everyone agreed, and we moved to take our places.
As I knelt across from Yamai-kun, he flicked a glance at Taichi and then gave me his feral smile. "Hello, Beautiful. I've been dreaming about…" he paused suggestively, "…this moment."
His flirtatious manner set me off-balance. I was already anxious about the tension between him and Taichi, and now he was purposely trying to get under my skin. And succeeding.
Focus! I commanded myself.
As we mixed the cards, his hands seemed to brush mine more often than necessary. I looked up sharply, and his knowing grin confirmed it. He cast a sly look at the boy next to me. Taichi's movements were stiff. Aware of Yamai-kun's actions, then.
I couldn't let him throw us off before we even started. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, straightening my posture and letting the air out slowly. With my eyes shut, I remembered something…a low voice with a Fukui accent, tinny over the phone. "You know, whether it's an official match or a practice match, I always go back to that room when I'm playing."
Coach S called for memorization time to begin. And I let myself remember….
The air was close and smelled of tea and clean laundry. I felt young and brimming with energy. I was hungry to win cards from him. His blue eyes smiled behind his glasses. He loved that I would challenge him again and again. I would try my hardest, and I'd make him try his hardest. I wouldn't back down. And when we finished, his cheeky grin was borne not of victory but from the thrill of honest competition.
Slowly I opened my eyes. Yamai-kun's blond hair and smirk were overlaid by a messy mop of short, dark hair and an honest smile that asked for my best.
Yes! I'll give you my best!
I felt a relaxed smile creep over my face. The shadow that was Yamai-kun shrank back, confused and worried.
I looked down at where I'd placed my cards, found what were likely his favorites, located mine. I thought of the seasons and located the cards that way as well.
It was in autumn that I met Arata. One winter that we played. In spring that I lost him and in spring that I found him again. In summer that we stepped on the tatami together as high school students. In summer that he played Shinobu-chan instead of me.
I want to play you! Let's play!
The reader's voice breathed out and my hand moved. I caught the card's edge with my middle finger and it left its friends behind.
So light. So easy.
I smiled. Let's play…
-0-0-0-0-
TAICHI
The team match was interesting, to say the least. Yamai was goading me from the very beginning, sliding his eyes over Chihaya the way his hands slid over hers as he mixed the cards. When I caught myself calculating the odds of winning a fistfight with him, I knew I had to rein in my emotions and focus on the game in front of me.
Ichimura was almost as weird as Tsukuba had described, but I recognized his arm-waving as an intimidation tactic and was able to tune him out. More easily than I could Yamai.
And then, too, it was…strange, playing in a support position. I'd been the emotional anchor for our team for a long time. I had to bite my lip and not yell out encouragement or instruction. To my surprise, Yama-chan seemed to rise to the occasion.
"Well done, Chihaya," she offered calmly, after Chihaya made a particularly smooth steal from Yamai's side.
"Don't worry about it. Just play your game," she said when Machimura lost several in a row.
When the three of us in the middle simultaneously won two rounds back to back, she barked out, "One more!"
The side of my mouth quirked up. She packed a lot of spirit, a lot of courage in that little body. It was…cute, hearing her gentle voice trying to sound aggressive.
Lost in these pleasantly distracting thoughts, I swept through the match-winning some, losing some—but not losing my cool. As the game wound down I found the new guy had lost early to Emuro-kun, followed by Honoka-chan, and then all of a sudden I was down to one card. I focused on the sound I was waiting for, reviewed the cards in play…and won.
I announced it loudly. "One win for Misu… uh," my voice died away. I thought quickly. My eyes traveled over Chihaya's back to where Rion was staring at me with wide amber eyes. "One win for Team Yamashiro!"
She started and a blush lit her cheeks. I couldn't help it; I grinned. She turned quickly back to her cards. "T- two to go!"
I watched her and Chihaya. Chihaya was in the zone. She barely moved on dead cards, angled her body before moving on multi-syllable cards. Yamai was solid, though; he'd been trained well. He didn't make many faults, but as the match wore on Chihaya had more cards she could use speed on. Rion still moved too quickly at times, and drove Manata to do the same. But she seemed to gain some equilibrium from Chihaya, as if Chihaya's hesitation allowed her to wait when she needed to.
"Another win for Team Yamashiro!" Chihaya announced, sitting up tall, victory glittering in her eyes.
I glanced at her opponent. Yamai looked thoughtful. The posturing was gone and he was observing Chihaya with a look more like yesterday's. I knew that feeling. She was beautiful and passionate; sometimes it felt like a treat just to have been defeated by her.
Slapping footsteps ran past me. Rion returned holding a card. Her eyes met mine as she passed; I gave her a nod of encouragement.
Both Rion and her opponent had committed a lot of faults. Now there were only four cards in play—two on each side. I noticed Coach Sakurazawa pacing our direction. In fact, almost all the other matches were over, and most of the room was watching their game.
Come on, Yama-chan. You can do it.
She smoothed her hair behind her ear and leaned forward. As the reader spoke, her hand slapped down on one of her own cards. In another beat I knew it was correct. Manata wiped sweat from his brow. Only one card left on Yama-chan's side.
The next card read began with "The" and both players reached for the card on their opponent's side. Luck was against Rion this time, and Manata snatched the correct card from her side before she could retract her hand. Too bad. He passed her the one she'd been targeting.
Down to luck of the draw.
A dead card was read. The tension mounted.
A breath. Rion's hand slapped down to hover over her card, then flattened as the winning syllable was sung.
No one breathed for a moment, and then Chihaya and I exhaled as one, breaking into matching grins. Manata sagged and Rion slowly brought the card to her chest. The chanting finished as the pair exchanged obligatory thank-yous.
As Rion sat up again, Chihaya grabbed her hands, saying, "You did it!" I scrambled over, smiling as I threw an arm over each of their shoulders. Rion's face turned to mine, her small mouth dropping open slightly in surprise. My eyes followed the motion. Her face was so close to mine, her peach lips…
Um. What?
Alarmed by my reaction, I released the girls, carefully returning my eyes to Rion's and forcing a steady smile. "Congratulations, Captain."
What was she thinking? Her face was nearly expressionless, but her eyes pulled at me. "There's a first time for everything," she murmured hypnotically. It felt like she was talking about more than just the game.
Slowly those distracting lips curved into a smile. With more volume, she asserted,"We did it." She looked from me to Chihaya, then swept past us to include Honoka, and finally Machimura.
"All right," Coach's voice rang out from behind us. "That's lunch. Be back here at," she paused to check her wristwatch. "Twelve-thirty."
We gathered up the cards, ignored by the senpais who were already heading for the cafeteria. As I placed the box back on its assigned shelf, I felt a hand come to rest lightly upon my shoulder.
It was Coach Sakurazawa. Quietly, she said, "Well done. Rion learned more about leading a team in that one match than she has in the past year." With a wry smile, she turned on her heel and strode off.
