DISCLAIMER : Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: Inoue Takehiko, the publisher, the broadcasting company of the anime and etc.
The clicking sound of the door knob interrupted the conversation going on inside the Sannoh locker room. As the door opened, it revealed Mikio who previously just came from the toilet some minutes ago.
"Senpai..." He proceeded to Sawakita who was sitting on the benches, drinking some bottled water.
"Hm?"
"Someone's looking for you outside..." Mikio, pointing his thumb behind.
"SEE!? I told you! That's Rukawa for sure!" Sawakita turned to everyone, jabbering before he stood up to check it out. "I'm so tired of his shit already!"
"It's actually some girls..." Mikio then headed back to the bench.
Sawakita without hearing Mikio's clarification, headed outside, slamming the door shut.
"He's always popular wherever he goes..." Nobe who stood by the locker fixing his stuff said. "Girls hunting him everywhere we go..."
"It could be his childhood friend he was talking about yo..." Fukatsu interposed.
"If he doesn't hurry up, we would definitely leave him..." Masashi grunted, finally wearing his Varsity Jacket slung his bag on his shoulder ready to go.
"Guys give him a break, it's not like it was a bad thing or something..." Minoru suggested.
"Sad to say, Masashi is kinda right and we need to leave pretty soon though..." Doumoto-sensei interrupted.
"We still had to give Shoyo a few words of appreciation too..."
"Good grief..." Sawakita sighed in relief. "I thought it was Rukawa again... What's up though?" He asked hastily. "We're about to go in a few..."
"I'm here to FINALLY intro my friend to you..." With a grin Mika, reached her hand out to the corner where her friend Naomi was hiding. Fiddling, feeling nervous and tensed, she hesitated, shaking Mika's hands off. "Don't pull me!"
"C'mon just get your ass outta there and face him! He's not gonna eat you!" Mika now this time with both hands finally dragged her friend out of the dark corner at the dead end. "OWWW! HEEEEEY" Naomi protested fixing her dress.
"There she is!" Mika to Sawakita told, her hands pointing to her friend who was trying her best to avert her face from him and avoid any possible eye contact remembering what she told him yesterday. "Say hi! Naomi...!"
"That... bitch?!" Sawakita thought to himself seeing that familiar sight of the arrogant outlander who insulted him yesterday.
"H-hi..." Still with her face on the ground raised her hand up to say Hi in English. Nervous, she was thinking to herself, how would it be like talking to that guy? Did he hear those bad stuff she told about him yesterday? Is he another arrogant douchebag?
"He's cute... and an incredibly good player too... but why am I feeling like this all of a sudden in front of him?..."
"Hi!" Sawakita greeted her back in English too, with a slight scornful tone. "Does she speak Japanese?" Sawakita turning to Mika, asked.
"She does..." Mika assured. "OI! Why are you acting like this! Youre usually cocky and arrogant!" She nudged her friend who felt disconcerted. "Tell him your name!"
"Shut up! Im not in the mood..." Flinching away Naomi glared at her friend.
"It's okay..." Sawakita interrupted both. "I know her..."
Naomi, feeling more and more disturbed and embarrassed, did not even budge a bit.
Sawakita, with a spark of confidence and arrogance in his eyes, approached her, reaching a hand. "Sawakita, Eiji. Sannoh's current ace player, National MVP and Last Year's Super Rookie Awardee..." He smirked scornfully. "And you?"
Mika surprised at her childhood friend's sudden strange, unusual, arrogant remarks at a stranger, specially at a girl raised a brow in confusion.
Disliking the slight tone of belittlement and sarcasm he gave her, Naomi gave him back a glare before grabbing his hand to shake it. "Naomi Sterling here... Nice to meet you."
Mika on the background gestured her friend to continue telling more about herself... Confused, Naomi rolled her eyes before turning back to Sawakita who had been eyeing her in an unfriendly, intimidating manner.
"Umm, I guess my friend told you about..."
"Yeah, huge deals about you... National MVP and Super Rookie?" He said further. "Point Guard, right?"
"Yeah..." She responded reluctantly.
"I'm a forward though... haha. Like, how would a goof ball like me who can't even catch the ball with my bare hands become a Point Guard?" Sawakita continued contemptuously, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Huh?" Mika confused noticing something behind the two's strange indifferent reactions towards each other. Naomi though, can't do nothing but glare back at him, twitching her fists.
"I knew it!" Naomi thought to herself in guilt. "He heard it!"
"Just kidding! I'm too tall for a Point Guard and Fukatsu-senpai does it better haha..." Sawakita chuckled, changing the mood of the situation. "You're from America right? Speaking of America, I'll be studying there next year or so..."
"There he is!" Nobe pointed out, upon making their way out of the locker room, ready to leave.
"Told ya... he's with his friend and that..." They were surprised to see someone else familiar. That girl yesterday.
They approached him, with Doumoto-sensei heading first.
"Naomi Sterling right? National MVP Women's" Doumoto-sensei called her out. "Surprised to see you here!" He offered to shake her hands.
Diverting her from the balling up tension between her and the arrogant ace Sawakita, she shook hands with him too, smiling back. "Nice to meet you too sir! Japan's #1 HighSchool Basketball Team's Coach..."
"It's good to see both Division's National MVP getting to know each other aye? Most of all both of the same year level being a Super Rookie... haha what a coincidence!"
"Ahh haha yeah..." Naomi, with mixed feelings of agitation and the urge to act casual being in front of unfamiliar people smiled sheepishly. "It was pure coincidence"
"And you're Sawakita's childhood friend right?" Doumoto-sensei turning to Mika.
"Nice to meet you everyone!" Mika bowing her head down.
The rest of the team, despite wordless, bowed their heads too as a sign of courtesy.
"I TOLD YOU! She's a childhood friend! Pffft." Sawakita butted in. "And you wont even believe me!"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we are about to leave soon..." Doumoto-sensei then proceeded to move forward.
"EEEEEEEEEEHHH!" Sawakita blurted out. "B-B-BUT MY STUFF! W-why so soon! Why you guys didn't wait for..."
"Here it is, dumbass!" Masashi throwing Sawakita's bag at him, hitting him straight in the face.
KABLAMMMM!
"OWWWWW! You stupid cow (snivels)...!"
"If you wanted to continue your meet up, you guys can always visit him at the hotel we are staying in..." Doumoto-sensei added with a smile, walking past them along with the rest of the team, leaving Sawakita behind who was still whining, stroking his face.
"He didn't have to throw it into my face.. (snivels)" Sawakita then slung his bag on his shoulder before moving forward.
"Gotta go though... See ya!" He waved before turning back, then lastly giving the blonde chick a gloating smile.
"SAWAKITA!" Doumoto-sensei called him out.
"We'll definitely leave you yo!" Fukatsu too.
"HEEEEY! WAIT UP!" Sawakita then finally ran, catching up to the rest, heading out of the hallway.
At Shoyo Highschool's Exit.
It's almost 12 noon.
"That was a good game..." Fujima, as the acting coach of the team, at the same time the team manager as well politely remarked, bowing to Doumoto-sensei. "We are really thankful for having invited by such a prestigious team like you. It was a wonderful opportunity and experience..."
"Our pleasure..." Doumoto-sensei bowed as well. "My salute goes to you for shouldering all of the responsibilities not only of a captain, but a coach and a manager as well. I am expecting a lot on your potentials..."
"Thank you sir!"
On the background though, the rest of the teams thanked each other and bade farewell as they made their way out of the campus.
"Oi Fukatsu, can you do what Fujima can, being the captain, coach and manager at the same time?" Masashi asked as they continued walking.
"Hell no yo... too troublesome yo... specially having teammates like this... yo"
"Ahhh, I'm hungry..."
"Me too..."
"Just endure it guys, we just had to ride back to the inn..."
"Shut up! If you can endure it, WE CAN'T!"
"Yeah, you should be more careful about your appendicitis, Ichinokura!"
"It's already fine. It was like last year..."
Their noisy chattering echoed around the quiet sidewalk as they marched their way to the train station after the exhausting match they had previously with Shoyo...
And Kainan would be next Sunday...
END OF CHAPTER 14