Chapter 8: Rising Tensions
My stomach rumbles for the second time in the past half hour or so, as I stare intently at the metal locker before my eyes. "Mmmh..." I groan softly. The feeling of glory and such has passed, since the stronger feelings such as intense hunger and fatigue have taken over. The whistle for the game will go off at any second now.
"You pumped to go, dude?" A sudden swift slap to my back snaps me out of my hunger daze.
"Oof-!" I cough, squeezing an eye shut and pouting. "Dell-kun, I was busy dreaming about food..."
"Oh geez, why am I not surprised," he sighs. My silver-haired demon friend plops himself onto the bench beside me. "Keep the visualising until after volleyball, alright?"
I scrunch my nose up at the thought of exercise. Especially volleyball. I have many horror stories involving me and sports. "Yeah, yeah." I dismissively wave my hand in his face, pretty much telling him to 'shoo'. I glance over my shoulder, seeing that Oliver and Fukase are standing over at the other end of the locker room, leaning against the wall like the typical delinquents they are.
"Do you two have a game plan or what?" Dell calls out to the two boys. Oh come on, did he really have to do that? The only response is, well, no response at all. "Great."
All I can do is give him a shrug. Not sure what else he expected from them. Just as I clamp my palms together and stretch my arms out, the sound of a whistle from the sports hall hits my ears. Being cocky and confident about math is one thing. This, on the other hand, is sports we're talking about. I'm dreading the inevitable failure on my part. Let's hope we're not all totally useless in this event.
Pulling myself to my feet, I follow Dell through to the sports hall. The whistle echoes out for a second time, this one much more deafening and annoying than the last now that we're closer to the source – that source being none other than Principal Yuzuki and her fake wide smiles. Our sports hall here at Oak Valley isn't really that much of a decent sight. It's… fairly medium-sized, I'd say. Makes sense that there are only two nets set up in the centre of the hall, with some benches off to the side.
Glancing across the hall, I see that the Mahogany Creek students are already on their side of the nets – which kind of makes me wonder if they've been assigned to that side, or if they took the liberty themselves like they always do.
Tutting lightly to myself, I head over to the opposite side, catching sight of Miku awkwardly standing there, softly bouncing a ball up and down. Those aren't the only things bouncing up and down… God damn Kaito, you pervert…! Why must these gym clothes be so tight and suggestive?! Stop staring at Miku's cheeeest!
Mentally slapping myself as I approach her, I give her an innocent grin, pulling my eyes from such places. On the way over, I also notice that Neru is standing all by herself a few paces away from us. Seems like she's copying Miku or something, but the way she bounces the ball is slightly more aggressive and it smacks hard off the floor on impact.
"Tch," Dell lightly scoffs. He must've seen her, too. "Alright, guys. Let's do our best." He turns to address me along with my girlfriend. There's that determined blaze reflecting in his eyes.
"From the looks of the set up, and this ball here..." She gestures to the round white thing that her fingers are wrapped around. "We just might be playing volleyball."
"Volleyball, you say…?" A nervous sweat trickles down my forehead. I've taken one too many volleyballs to a different kind of sacred ball. I'm pretty sure my voice just cracked there, as well. "W-Well..."
"What's the matter, Kaito-kun? Bad memories?" Dell teases me. The fear must be written all over my face. I frantically shake my head in denial.
"Ah, glad to see everyone is finally here!" Ms. Yuzuki beams, although her tone is a bit strained. Maybe she's still annoyed with her loss earlier, and now she's being all passive aggressive. She must definitely be referring to Lily and SeeU when she says that, as the two are rushing out of the changing rooms with flustered expressions. She adjusts the light purple visor atop her head, ball tucked under one arm and whistle on her neck flopping around with each exaggerated movement she makes.
Mr. Hiyama is by her side, although he's not appropriately dressed compared to her. Still wearing that same old boring suit and tie. "Welcome all, to the second event of the day. Ms. Yuzuki and I have discussed which game would be the most fun and competitive for everyone, and we've come to the conclusion that this year's game will be… Volleyball!" A dramatic pause is hardly necessary when there are a bunch of those white balls hanging around the nets. He's not met with enthusiasm like he probably expected; instead there is crushing silence. He makes a grab for his tie and adjusts it before coughing lightly. "Yes, well, let's just get on with it, shall we?"
"There'll be four rounds in total! Whoever wins the first round goes onto the second, and so on. That's easy enough to follow, right?" I don't like the way she's directing those twitching orbs over at both Oak Valley teams. Is she slowly losing her mind? I'd hate to be responsible for getting a teacher institutionalised…
Mr. Hiyama shuffles through a small stack of papers, clears his throat and continues in her place. "The first round will have four matches. Of course, this hall can only accommodate two matches at a time, so the teams who aren't playing can rest on those benches over there," he says, briefly pointing toward the area close to us. "Alright, let's not waste any more time. For the first two matches – Kaito, Miku, on the left side of the first net, please. Gakupo, Gumi, on the right side. Lily, Oliver, left side of the second net. Una, Xingchen, on the right. Thank you."
Oh, boy. Just end my suffering already. What is it with me having to constantly face the purple-haired demon in these events? This is torture! Lightly gritting my teeth together, I shuffle over a few steps since I'm close enough to the correct side of the net.
"Good luck, Kaito-kun. Miku-chan." Dell throws up a peace sign before turning on his heels and making his way over to the benches.
Well, I appreciate that and all, but the anxiety and burning rage I feel right now is too much to try and control. Why does Mr. Hiyama think it's a such a brilliant idea to send me of all people up first? He must have the twisted idea that I'm a determined, excellent student who can face any challenge thrown at me…!
"You okay, Kaito-kun?" Miku softly asks, tilting her head to the side slightly with a pout. Ahh, this girl can pick up on just about any negative change within me. "You'll be pleased to know I have a bit of experience with volleyball. Let me take the forefront, okay?"
The what now…? Chuckling in an awkward manner, I take a few steps back. I'm not really sure where to position myself. I've made it my goal to avoid this god forsaken sport for the rest of my life, but now I'm being forced to get over it. "About here, right?"
Miku nods merrily in response. "Mmhm, you got it. Do you remember how to play?"
Before I open my mouth to speak, the shrill voice of Gumi butts into our conversation. "What a joke you two are. You don't even know how to play volleyball, huh, bluey?" Her features twist into a sick, patronising frown as she puts on the most awful baby-talk tone she can manage. "We're gonna pound you into the ground for real, this time. You got lucky last time, but there's no way you'll be allowed any more points."
"How rude," Miku huffs.
I simply roll my eyes. "Big talk from someone who doesn't have the balls to play upfront," I remark, side-eyeing Gakupo in the process.
"Wow, what ever could you mean by that, Kaito-san?" As predicted, the purple-haired male steps up to defend himself. That tone of his… Don't tell me they already specifically planned which positions to take… "I could easily take the honour of facing you myself at the back there, but… Well, it'll be far more humiliating for you when you get your butt handed to you by a girl, won't it?" He casually points his thumb over his shoulder at his stupid puke-green-headed girlfriend.
Grr…! "L-Like hell I'll let that happen, Kamui!" I resort to lashing out, tripping over my words as my cheeks flare up. The whistle cuts the verbal fistfight short.
"D-Don't let them get to you, Kaito-kun..." Miku makes an attempt to calm my rage down, in an apprehensive tone. She's right. Deep breaths. "Pay them back in other ways, remember?"
I give a nod, bracing myself. I connect my hands together, positioning myself the best I can, rearing to go. I'm sure I'll be able to hit the ball if it ever comes back here.
"Is everybody ready?" Mr. Hiyama calls out. Everyone else is seated, and the other teams are prepared. Well, Lily certainly doesn't look too cheery about the fact that she's not getting special treatment. Poor thing, she's probably terrified that she could break her disgustingly overdone pink nails. Idiot hasn't even tied her hair back. "On the first net, the first hit goes to Mahogany Creek. On the second net, the first hit goes to Oak Valley."
Hey, that's hardly fair. I understand giving the first serve to Lily and her dumbass friend Oliver is essential to even making an attempt at winning, but on the other hand, giving Gakupo the advantage is going to end terribly…! Miku and I should be the ones that Mr. Hiyama gives extra help to.
"Be on the defense, Kaito-kun. I'll hit 'em where it hurts!" Miku's determined little grin is adorable. A final screeching of the whistle sounds out, signalling the beginning of the match.
Gulping, I fix my eyes onto Gumi, who's been given the duty of serving. Pssh, get my butt beaten by a girl? That girl in particular? Not a chance. The girl stretches her hand forward, the ball resting on top of her palm, and her other hand in the air ready to strike at any given moment. Ugh, I don't care if I don't know the rules to this ridiculous game, I'll hit back with everything I've got.
"This one's for you, Kaito-san," Gumi winks over at me, and within the blink of an eye, the ball shoots up into the air in one swift, precise motion.
"Uh oh." I barely have enough time to react. It's hurtling straight toward me, being hit over the net near perfectly. Where is it going to land when it comes down? Will I be able to dash forward in time? Right now I'm stood here gawking at the ball, like a deer in headlights.
"I got it!" Miku dives over to my rescue, sliding over to my side of the play area, only just whacking it back over the net.
"Ahhh… S-Sorry…!" I foolishly apologise, which distracts me once more.
Miku has to run back over to her side of the play area, which doesn't give her enough time to once again return the ball, as Gakupo hit it within the space of about a god damn millisecond right up at the front. She misses the ball narrowly, and it plops onto the floor with a sad squeak as it rolls toward my feet.
"Aw yeah, point to Mahogany Creek!" Gumi bursts out, her arrogance coming out in a rough tone. She ought to be careful, if she swings that big head around for too long, I just might be tempted to pop it with a pin.
Miku lets out a small sigh. "Try to focus, okay?" Although she's not particularly telling me off or anything, it still stings a bit to hear her disappointed in me.
"Better listen to your girlfriend, Kaito-san, otherwise this match will be over in five minutes flat," Gakupo smirks. If we weren't in the presence of teachers, I'd be giving this dickhead the middle finger so hard right now.
"Ow!" A sudden shriek comes from the second net, and though it's hard to make out at first, I realise that it comes from Lily. "You silly little girl, you dented my brand new manicure!" She screeches like a banshee fresh from hell at the blue-haired girl on the opposite side of the net. Una, was it?
"Time out, time out!" Mr. Hiyama blows a whistle in frustration, quickly coming to assess the extent of the damage. Has it really only taken one minute for Lily to cause this much of a fuss? Una is quivering on the spot as the blonde-haired girl continues to wail and cry, shoving her supposed 'dented nail' in the principal's face.
Shaking my head, I drag my attention away from the comical scene and bend down to retrieve the ball at my feet. I assume it's my turn to serve now. It's been a while since I've done this. I can't do the fancy twirls and stuff like Gumi, but maybe I can try my hand at some sneaky tricks.
"You sure you got this, Kaito-kun? I could serve, if you want," Miku offers. Besides all that, I want to show my girlfriend that I'm serious about this and that I won't get kicked around by those idiots.
"Mhm," I nod, with a bit of confidence. This mightn't work at all, but… Here goes. I pick the ball up, deciding in that moment to use a high throw like the girl opposite did. When playing volleyball, one is supposed to fix their eyes on the point they aim the ball at, right? With that in mind, I look straight ahead to Gumi, making her guess that I'll send it her way. Extending my arm, and admittedly wobbling a little bit as I position my legs because balancing is difficult like this, I get ready to serve. I throw it into the air and sort of hop up to reach out to it. And that's when, in a split second, I change the line of trajectory…! Gakupo doesn't even see it coming his way – I officially outsmarted them!
"H-Huh-?!" A confused gasp escapes the both of them as the ball thrusts towards the purple-haired male, rather than coming straight over at Gumi. Gakupo trips over his feet as he rushes forward in an attempt to contact the ball, but just as his clenched hands makes the connection, his body smacks against the net and he almost falls to his feet.
"Ahah!" I cackle in delight at the sight of their downfall. Even if it's only one point in our favour… That'll show 'em.
"Woah, Kaito-kun…! That's a point to us already, good job!" Miku's eyes light up in excitement at the prospect of making a comeback.
"Tch..." Gakupo coldly grumbles under his breath, sending a rather harsh glare my way. "So you got lucky. Who cares? That won't work twice."
Y'know, this whole rivalry thing is actually kind of… fun? Caught up in the moment, I flash him a friendly yet intensely competitive grin. His eye catches mine, and for a second he appears to be taken back by it… Though slowly but surely, he lightly returns the feeling. My heart pounds a little harder in my chest at the overall insignificant moment we just shared. What is this…? Ugh, just focus, Kaito.
"Don't let him pull that crap again, Gakupo-kun. You're better than that." Gumi is acting all sour and lecturing him again. In that instance, he pulls his eyes from mine and what I thought had been a genuine smile fades and is replaced with another serious scowl. I must've been seeing things. There's no way Mahogany Creek kids are nice.
"That's right," he answers bluntly. He directs his bitterness at Miku. "Go ahead and serve already, pigtails."
…
The timer that the principal set goes off sooner than I anticipated. The soft beeping alerts us that it's game over just as the ball is coming toward me. "Oof-!" I exhale sharply, managing to catch it in my hands but it still smacks off my chest.
"Score, please." Ms. Yuzuki clutches her clipboard, looking over to our area expectantly. Yeah, that match could've went a lot better.
Gakupo takes responsibility of reporting the 'good news' to the teacher – the score which clearly states our loss. Ms. Yuzuki finally brightens up upon hearing of their victory. She proudly trots over to the second net, and I'm gobsmacked to learn that Lily and Oliver somehow won.
"Wh-What…?" Miku whispers, narrowing her eyes.
"Maybe breaking her nail caused her to go into psycho revenge mode," I quietly ponder, mostly thinking out loud.
"Hah! How does that dirt taste, Shion?" Gumi suddenly starts to brag once the teachers are out of sight and focused on the other team. Is she seriously rubbing it in now? "Pretty embarrassing to get destroyed by a girl, isn't it?"
I just shake my head slowly, deciding to block her gloating out. "C'mon, Mi-chan. Let's go sit down." Now that the adrenaline of the match is wearing off, and I'm heading over to the benches, my hunger comes back with a vengeance. There's still a while to go until the whole event is over, too. Even though each match is just fifteen minutes, it'll take forever to get through all of them.
On our way over, I pass by Dell and Neru as they're called up next. Of course, they're not exactly not walking together. My sweat marks of shame and exhaustion is easy for them to see as we cross paths. "Well, good luck, dude."
Dell offers me a half-smile, patting me on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much. I'm gonna kick their butts to make up for the loss." Who exactly will they be facing, anyway?
Right on cue, Mr. Hiyama announces the other pair to face Dell and Neru. "Let's see here… Ah, perfect. Rin, Len. On the left side of the net, please."
Dell's mischievous smirk grows a bit wider as he hears that. "Oh, definitely. See you on the other side."
"Good luck, Dell-kun!" Miku softly smiles, and with that, he heads off.
"I get the feeling he's going to enjoy beating those two," I say to her, setting myself down on the bench. I let a yawn pass my lips, stretching my now aching arms out in front of me. My hands are pretty red and burning, too.
"I'll be a few minutes, Kaito-kun. Gonna see if the teachers will be generous enough to let me use the bathroom." She lets me know with a giggle.
"Sure, I'll be right here," I answer, and watch her prepare to face the two terrifying dragons. A heavy sigh escapes me a moment later. The matches have just begun. I'll probably watch them soon… SeeU and Fukase will likely be a lot less lucky compared to their other two friends. I can already guess the outcome, anyway. Propping my arms behind my head, I lean back against the hard wall and let my eyes lightly slip shut.
"Hey..."
"Hm?" I open one eye at the unfamiliar voice and look over at whoever it is. "Gakupo? What the hell are you doing sitting next to me?" I jump up and lash out at him. He's got some nerve, hasn't he? I narrow my eyes at him, trying to make sense of his motive. I'm also trying to read that expression on his face despite the fact that it tells me literally nothing about what he may really be feeling.
"Just wanted to say, it was one hell of a match, huh?" Gakupo nonchalantly attempts to make conversation. I don't understand this. Is he really trying to be all buddy-buddy with me, coming up to me and acting like we're old friends or something? Sure, the competitive aspect to all this is fun, but that absolutely does not mean I want to be his friend.
I scoff right in his face. "I don't get why you're acting like we could ever be friends, so you better quit while you're ahead. Let's make this clear right now. I don't like you, Gakupo. I will never like you."
Ah, there's that twitch of a smirk I've been waiting for. He casually presses his palms against his cheeks, leaning in a bit closer to me. He drops his voice to a whisper that causes a shudder to run down my spine. "Are you really sure about that?"
In that moment, I'm not sure about anything any more. He doesn't even need to ask anything else, or even imply what he means. That one question alone is enough to run my blood cold. Suddenly it feels like he and I are the only ones in this room. The distant pounding of volleyballs off the floor starts to sort of tune out as I try my hardest to come up with an answer to avoid this particular conversation. I don't know why I'm hesitating in the first place. There's no way I could like this guy, not at all. But… That weird feeling is back…
"Oh my god, you're not even denying it." Gakupo rears back, snorting with laughter. There's something about that cocky tone of his and that god damn punchable face… Something that feels oddly… familiar? Fuck, it's making my head throb just to think about. "Well, as flattered as I am, I gotta say you sure are pathetic, Kaito-san. Or shall I just call you Kai-kun? You like it when I use that nickname for you?~" His soft teasing purrs causes me to shudder lightly.
"D-Don't be ridiculous," I hiss. Yet I still stammered just then. "You really are big headed, aren't you? Why on earth could you possibly think I'm interested in someone like you? I don't know if you haven't noticed, but I have a girlfriend. A-And I'm not even into guys…!" I keep my voice low as possible. Also, that's kind of a lie. I've had crushes on guys in the past, but I've always kept that little secret to myself. He doesn't need to know, anyway. It'd just give him more fuel to taunt me.
"Oh, yeah? You sure about that?" He keeps repeating that stupid line. Making me question myself. He's trying to throw me off for the last two events, I know it. His suggestive tone is poking away at me, doing its best to find the cracks in my self-esteem and sneak its way inside to slowly break me. "You're telling me, if we were alone right now, and I backed you up into a corner… No, if I backed you up against this wall here… You'd look me in the eyes and tell me you weren't interested?"
H-Holy fuck, he's so conceited and gross…! He really has no shame! Think, Kaito. How can I possibly get back at him and make him stop this nonsense? Deep breath. Don't stammer or trip over your words. "Why are you so obsessed?" My confident gaze pierces and counters his cockiness effectively. "The way you're going on right now, it sounds like you're the one who's interested in me. Not the other way around."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Damn it, just when I thought it started to work. "I'm just here to let you know… Your friends wouldn't be too happy if they knew the truth, would they?"
"What are you…?"
"H-Hey, leave Kaito-kun alone, you big jerk…!" Blinking in surprise at the sudden voice, I whip my head around to see a pissed off Miku storming up to the purple-haired boy. She's kind of shy in her approach, as though hesitant to face the consequences of telling off someone from Mahogany Creek, but she does it for me anyway.
"Oh, my. I've upset the girlfriend." His tone flips to that of an innocent one in an instant, although his eyes are still reflecting a speck of malicious intent. He pulls himself to his feet, throwing his arms up to rest behind his head, sauntering off without another word all while whistling softly to himself.
I grumble under my breath, directing a deadly stare to his back as he tucks his tail between his legs and leaves after that bullshit show. I'm brought back into reality by a gentle hand resting on my shoulder. "Ah… Mi-chan…" Are my cheeks warm from her touch, or because his words had a lasting effect on me?
"Was he picking on you again?" Miku pouts, setting herself down beside me. "He's such a meanie…! You were right all along, we can't try and be friends with those horrible people."
Maybe he's just trying to mess with my head before tonight's music show. I doubt he meant half of that crap he spouted. Still, I didn't deny any of it. I can't… can't have a crush, not when I'm… "He was just rubbing his victory in my face. Nothing new there," I huff, deciding it's best not to mention it.
"Mmh," she mumbles in a saddened tone. She picks her lowered eyes up to check on the matches. "Looks like Dell-kun is doing well. Neru-chan, too…"
Pushing that cripplingly awkward conversation aside for now, I focus my attention over at the nets. I recoil back instinctively when I see Dell 'accidentally' hits the volleyball with a bit too much force in the direction of the male Kagamine twin. Len falls into his trap, stumbling forward to return the hit, but he connects with the net in the process. Dirty tricks, Dell. At least that's one point. "Neru-chan doesn't look particularly enthusiastic about facing her, uh… new boyfriend…"
"I never knew she was the type to get silly crushes," Miku softly admits. That sure is something. Those two girls have been friends for the longest time. I figured she would know a lot about her, but it seems like that's not always the case. "Ah… Match over. I wonder if they won?"
Giving a light shrug, I listen for Mr. Hiyama's announcement. If both our pairs lose, then it's probably going to be an early game over. After all, we can't count on just Lily and Oliver to take on whoever the principals see fit. "Alright, a quick tally will show that the winning pairs on both nets are… Ah, wonderful! Dell and Neru, as well as Aoki and Merli. Well done to both teams."
"I knew they'd pull it off. Dell-kun would never forgive himself if he let Len-san and Rin-san take the win." I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, but I suppose that doesn't matter now. We're onto the second round with a good chance. Time to see how the rest of this plays out.
…
A few more intense matches take place before my eyes. Admittedly, it's a little bit boring just sitting on the sidelines and watching it all go down; part of me wishes I didn't mess up so much, so I could be up front in the action myself. The more I watch, the more exciting it all looks. Wow, I might actually be motivated to take up exercising more often after the Talent Trials. Eh, maybe that's too much hard work, actually…
The first two matches of the second round had Lily and Oliver facing Aoki and Merli on separate play areas. One versus one matches turn the heat and competition up to a whole new level, and it's pretty funny to watch Lily fail miserably. Poor blonde, her single braincell has been pushed to its limit after just one match, so naturally it's impossible for her to win against Merli. She throws a mini-fit in the middle of the hall when she fails serve after serve, making a total fool of herself in the end when Merli is announced the winner. Although Oliver just keeps bringing in the surprises when he beats Aoki clean with a high score to him, and zero points to her.
The final two matches are ones I've been looking forward to witnessing the most. Dell is facing off against none other than Gakupo – luckily his intimidation tactics haven't worked on my silver-haired friend just yet. Neru is taking on the ego-filled Gumi.
"This is actually kinda exciting," Miku says, with a small laugh. "You think Dell-kun still has enough energy to beat that scary jerk Gakupo-san?"
"Dell-kun practically never runs out of steam when he's got his sights set on victory," I respond. "But… If he's facing Gakupo… It's a tough one. Although, Gumi-san's attitude and boastful ways will be her downfall against Neru-chan."
"Mm, you think so?" Miku sounds intrigued by my commentary, which I can't help but laugh lightly at. She's so into this, it's cute. Feels like we're professional judges at this point, anyway.
Just as I thought, Dell gives the match his best shot but ends up being a couple points short of winning. It seemed like it was incredibly close. Neru, on the other hand, finally bursts Gumi's bubble and hands her a painful reality check that she can't always be the best. I'm just glad Neru hadn't given up on winning despite things being shaky between us right now.
Dell trails over to Miku and I at the benches, a heavy huff squeezing its way out of him as he plops himself down. "Yeesh, I'm exhausted… I need sleep…" comes his barely audible voice. He's struggling to keep his eyes open, and not only can I see the sweat patches on his gym clothes, but I can smell it. Dude needs a shower more than rest.
"Aww, poor sweaty Dell-kun…" Miku's soothing tone stings, as it's more patronising than helpful, especially considering he lost his match. "Neru-chan still has a chance at winning. Oliver-san, as well."
"I can't put my faith in either of those," Dell groans. He must think that he should be the one up there. "Besides. They have to face that earth-walking freaky demon. No one can take that guy on. He's a stuck up jerk, but he actually has the skills to back it up, unlike a certain green-haired girl…" He tilts his head in a terribly not so subtle manner toward Gumi, who's only sitting a short distance away.
I frantically shake my head at the tired idiot, signalling for him to not get her all riled up again. I'm met with an exaggerated, fatigued shrug.
Mr. Hiyama once again makes the announcements for the third round. Almost there. My stomach can hold on for half an hour more, can't it? I feel like I'll die if I have to wait any longer to feed my poor soul. "Okay, everyone. Doing great so far. We're in the final stretch now, so that means we'll be cutting down the time of each match a little more."
"Interesting…" I mumble.
"That's right! It's speed round time, kids!" Ms. Yuzuki grins. Someone needs to get this lady some pills before she loses her marbles, and fast. I swear she's become more and more unhinged since we first met her. "Each match will be ten minutes! That includes the final round, where the ultimate winners will go face to face for the last time, and determine who earns a point for the trials!"
Mr. Hiyama pauses to stare down at his clipboard for a moment, as if to double check who will be facing who. "Hmm, yes. This seems about right. Gakupo, Neru. On the first net, please. Oliver, Merli. On the second."
My eye twitches ever so slightly at the awful assignment. Well… Neru probably would have to face Gakupo no matter what… But I can't handle the stress of such a huge match so soon…! We're doomed. Oliver may be able to beat Merli, but he'll never beat Gakupo. All my confidence is gone. Shattered into tiny pieces. And shattered again into dust, just for extra measure.
"L-Let's try to stay hopeful…" Miku gulps, taking hold of my hand and gently squeezing it. Some school spirit from these people would be a nice change. I'd be more hopeful if Lily and her devil spawn were actually supporting Neru and Oliver, or at least just Oliver. But no.
Ten minutes can drag by at a snail's pace when something hugely important is going on. All those other matches had flown by, but I can hear the seconds ticking away agonisingly slowly in my head, and I find myself glued to every last movement of Neru and Gakupo. I'm not bothered in the slightest by Oliver's pivotal match; this one is the only one that's piqued my interest.
There are little to no slip ups in their movements. No out of bounds serves, no contact with the nets, no triple touching or whatever else that weird rule is. Nothing. Each of their techniques is near flawless. I didn't know Neru had so much passion and determination when it comes to sports. I just hope it's enough for her to pull it off.
…
Neru's breathing is heavy and her entire body seems to be soaked in sweat when the last whistle of the day blows. She presses her palms firmly against her thighs, heaving to catch her breath while slumped over. "T-Tell me… wh-who won already… I wasn't keeping score, damn it," she huffs out between gasps for air.
Neither was I, actually. I'm still stunned at the fact that a sour-faced Gakupo is sitting a small distance away from us on the benches. I've been numb this entire time.
"I don't… don't believe it…!" Merli's tone is filled with shame and disgust at herself, as she takes a moment to apparently calculate the score in her head. She's just as wiped out as her final match partner, although obviously a lot more composed in terms of posture and extreme breathing. "Ms. Yuzuki, I'm… so sorry for failing you…"
Wait, does that mean…?
The woman looks as though she's about to snap the pencil in her hands. It's trembling from the tight claws wrapped around it. That's probably just how Merli feels at the horrible silence the teacher gives as a reply.
Neru's eyes grow wide. She can't believe what she's accomplished. Holy hell, I can't either! "W-Wow, so I… I…" She's at a loss for words. "I need to sit down."
"I-I feel so happy that Oak Valley won again, but…" Miku starts, but her words trail off. It's just not the same. We can't share in Neru's glory this time. If things were still normal between us, we'd undoubtedly be crushing her with hugs and showering her with compliments to boost that ego of hers.
"I can't take this any longer," Dell sighs. "I'm gonna go talk to her somewhere private. Don't wait for me to eat lunch, alright?"
"But…" Before I can stop him from doing something foolish, he's already up and gone. I exchange worried glances with Miku. "We need to follow them, don't we?"
Miku quickly nods as an answer. "He's either gonna lose his temper with her, or he's going to confess his feelings…" Both sound like terrible things – things he'd most definitely do. He's such a hothead, damn it.
Food can wait a little longer. Glancing up, I notice that Dell and Neru are walking out of the hall together, along with the other students that are now dispersing after a strenuous event. Those idiots didn't even change back into their normal clothes. Looks like we'll have to come back later to retrieve them. Great.
And thus begins our sneak mission. Miku is light-footed when on the pair's trail, yet I, on the other hand, could learn a thing or two about how to do it properly. Dell seems to be leading her to a secluded spot, somewhere out in the cool breeze, where no one will think to look for them or stumble across them.
Miku and I stay a good enough distance away from them, and we also don't follow directly behind them. We hang back at certain spots, so we don't get caught in case one of them decides to look back in regret or something like that. All we have to communicate with is our over the top facial expressions. That's brilliant.
Finally, they come to a stop. It's more out in the open than I had hoped. It's a part of the campus where a small lot of water trickles through, with a few benches spread out next to a path and some lovely green grass. Conveniently enough, leading up to the area, there are a mass of trees and bushes off to the left and right – perfect for hiding behind undetected.
Grunting quietly to myself as I crouch down behind a tree, I poke my head out to the side in order to get a clear view. I feel so sly right now. Miku and I didn't really need to follow these two, did we? Seems we're just nosey at the end of the day, so much so, that we'll ignore our hunger for the sake of drama.
Miku sticks her tongue out a bit in concentration as she kneels beside me, trying to align her head well enough to get a good view through the crowd of trees. "Mmm…" She hums in mild frustration.
"Shh," I hiss to her. Dell and Neru are only a little while away from us. No doubt they'll hear us if we're too loud, since it's so quiet around here.
"Alright, so why did you drag me all the way over here?" Neru sounds pretty impatient. I think she has her arms folded over her chest. "I promised Len-kun I'd get lunch with him, so make whatever this is fast." Ouch.
"Geez, even when it's just the two of us, all you ever do is go on and on about your precious Len-kun," Dell scowls. He's directly facing the tomboy. This is gonna be painful and cringe inducing to witness, isn't it. "I wanted to tell you how much I miss you… H-How much we all miss you, I mean. And still, you can't stop thinking about your new best buddy?"
Yeah, nice save. Neru is oblivious, at least, so she won't figure out that small slip up of his.
Neru gasps lightly at that. "You guys are the ones who just tossed me aside and gave up on me so easily…!" She's clearly offended, and is insistent that she's not at fault.
"Oh come on, she ditched us, not the other way around…!" I quietly complain.
This time, it's Miku's turn to shush me, with a slight whack to my arm.
"That's bullshit," Dell argues. "We gave you a chance to knock off the friendly with the enemy crap, and you chose them. You chose him."
There's silence for a moment or so… I really can't see their faces through these damn trees. Finally, Neru speaks up. "Did you just bring me here to lecture me? You know, you didn't even give Len-kun a chance. He's such an awesome, caring guy…" There's that slightly bashful voice. "But you're more concerned about proving they're somehow cheating."
"I told you, I came here to try and give you a chance to hang out with us again, and not those… those smug idiots…!" Dell grows visibly more frustrated. From what I can see, his fists are clenched up. "Damn it, why are you so blind and stupid?"
"Hey…!" Neru snaps, with a light stomp of her foot off the ground beneath her. "I'm not gonna stand here and listen to you insult me and my new friends. If this is literally all you wanted to say, then I'm done."
"...wait!" Narrowing my eyes, I see that he's now gripping her wrist, pulling her back to stop her from leaving. Ooh. He's gonna mess this up so bad. He can't convince her on his own.
"Let go of me," Neru quietly demands. She yanks her arm free, with a tut. "You're such an asshole, Dell-kun. You showed you didn't give a shit about me yesterday when you and the others gave up on me like that, so… So why the hell are you pretending to care now? I don't get you. What is your deal? Are you jealous or somethin', huh?!" She yells right in his face, growing more accusing with each question, pushing his buttons until she's finally right on the mark.
"Kaito-kun…" Miku whispers with a frown. I can tell that seeing these two fight is breaking her heart. I gently rest my hand on top of hers, despite the awkward position we're in.
"You know what? Yeah, I am jealous. Happy?" He bursts out the unexpected, which stuns Neru into silence once more. Hell, if I was part of this argument and talking, I'd fall silent right about now, too. "I've been trying to win your affection for so long now, but the minute some snobby asshole walks in, you give him all of your attention, as if I don't even exist!" It's a confession of his feelings, but his tone is far from soft and loving. More like, bitter and annoyed, blaming her for the whole thing.
"Wh-What… what the fuck are you talking about…?" She's obviously shaken by the sudden admittance of feelings. Congratulations, clueless girl. It's gonna take a while to sink in. She shakes her head in denial. "What are you saying, Honne? You seriously have a crush on me?"
I know Neru is pissed and all right now, but this level of harshness is tipping into thin ice territory. I chew my lower lip, nervous.
"This isn't the way I planned on telling you but you gave me no choice." He sticks his hands into his pockets, sighing deeply while kicking some small rocks under his shoe. "Yeah, I like you, Neru-chan. I can't keep it in any longer. Seeing you choose Len-san over me… No, over Miku-chan and Kaito-kun, too… It hurts. I can't bear it. Just, come back to us, will you?"
Damn, even my heart is pounding in anticipation now. To express himself sincerely, he lowered his voice to a hush just then. It's pretty damn romantic. Neru would be totally stupid to not realise her own feelings and come to her senses after that.
"You're kidding… Right?"
Well, shit.
"What?" Dell narrows his eyes, confused. "Why would I joke about something like this? I… I've liked you for a while, Neru-chan. You're just so-"
"Ugh, god, stop it already…!" She waves her hands in front of her, as though to hear any more would make her physically sick. I have a serious urge to jump in and slap this idiot! Why the hell is she suddenly being so cruel?
"This… this really isn't like you." Dell sounds crushed. His heart has broken into pieces, but he's forcing himself to remain strong. "They're changing you, Neru-chan. They're master manipulators, you know that."
"Pfft!" Neru snorts. "You have no idea what's 'like me' and what's not. But what you should know is that I don't like you. The thought of having a crush on you makes me wanna gag. The only one I like is Len-kun. You're just calling him manipulative and all that other bullshit 'cause you're jealous. And you're damn pathetic."
"N-Neru-chan…" That soft whimper comes from Miku. When I turn to look at her, tears begin to spill from her eyes. I'm quick to wrap my arm around her waist, at a loss for words and have no idea how I can possibly comfort my girlfriend.
"You've turned into a complete bitch," Dell growls, in a low tone. "What the hell have those Mahogany weirdos done to you?"
"There's that jealousy again," Neru retorts. A cruel grin widens on her features. "Are you scared that Len-kun and Rin-chan are better friends than you and those other two losers? Well, spoiler alert, they are. I never wanted to be part of your stupid fucking friendship group. You humiliated me in front of Lily all those years ago, took away my chance to really get ahead in life, and held me back to make me the laughing stock and target of her friends…!"
If I bite down any harder on my lip it'll start to bleed. Needless to say, I'm beyond pissed upon hearing this revelation. That's how she felt about us, the entire time…?!
Miku holds back her sobs, though I can feel her shaking against me. I pull her closer to me the best I can, all the words I want to say just getting caught up in my throat.
"Well, now I have Len-kun and his friends. I don't need Lily any more. And I don't need the rest of you. So shove your pitiable crush up your ass, 'cause there's no way you'll ever be in my league, Dell Honne." Without any warning, Neru comes stomping past the trees to leave the boy behind, leaving the scene altogether.
I can't even process why she'd say all those things now of all times… And I don't have time to focus on that. My girlfriend needs me right now, as does Dell. I gently grab Miku's hands and pull her up to her feet. "Come on… We'll get through this together, somehow." I don't have time for my own feelings. Gotta keep the three of us together…
Holding Miku's hand tightly in my own, I lead her away from the trees and toward the opening that leads up to the benches. Getting a clearer view now, I see that Dell is just standing there, staring off into the distance with a blank expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry, Dell-kun…" I approach him, my heart sinking in my chest when I get a closer look at his face. There are no tears in his eyes… The strength he has is incredibly commendable, indeed.
"I-I don't understand… Sh-She's my best friend, I thought she'd come back t-to me…!" Miku lets out another cry, pressing her forehead against my chest. I pull her into a tight hug, and she starts to lightly beat against my torso with her weakened fists. I softly pat the top of her head as she lets out her anger. "It's not fair… Not fair… Not fair…! Wh-Why do Mahogany Creek always manage to win in the end, no matter how hard we try?"
"I don't know, Miku-chan…" Dell mumbles, reaching a hand out to rest on her shoulder. With his free hand, he covers his eyes with his palm. "I wish I knew."
Standing there, still stunned and numb, I'm the only one who can think of a way to get us through this. They won't break us. It's time we start to fight back – enough is enough.
…