Break Them Ankles
One and a half weeks later
After quickly getting dressed and eating breakfast, I left the house with shuffling feet. It was just another day in the life of me in Japan. Just another day. I hope.
I started walking down the road until Ono-chan bounded up from behind me. She looked like she was in a hurry to catch up to me because she pretty much ran up to me. Kind of like how we met on the first day.
"Oh, you couldn't wait for me?" asked Ono-chan, out of breath from running down the street, "What, were you trying to avoid me?"
"Maybe," I bluntly said as a joke, shrugging my shoulders. I grinned a cheeky grin to Ono-chan, who pouted.
"Hmph!" she exclaimed as she crossed her arms and looked away, her cheeks puffed up from her big pout. Kind of like a Tsundere.
"Why are you trying to act like Nakano-san?" I asked, confused as we stopped at the street corner. The birds in the sky were rather talkative today, for they were chirping their little song on and on for a while. Meanwhile, the waning summer breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves like the shuffling of school assignments.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Ono-chan stammered though I knew she was acting. Odd. That's really what I have to say about this situation.
"Ono-chan, quit lying. You're not good at acting," I said, "I can see what you're doing."
"Ah, you got me," Ono-chan looked down and gave up her act, disappointed her acting skills weren't on par. Not gonna lie, I chuckled a little as she feebly tried to put up this act. "I saw this on TV last night. One of the girls in this one anime I watched was a Tsundere. I thought boys liked them."
"Well, not all boys are masochistic as you think they are," I laughed, "I make fun of you and Nakano-san, remember?"
"What about Yuri and Monika?" asked Ono-chan, cocking her head to the side while grinning.
"Saito-san," I said, "She's quiet. She doesn't deserve it. And Takeuchi-san, well… She's the exception. Honestly, I try to make fun of her, but she's smart enough to reverse those jokes.
"Well, what makes them different from me and Natsuki?" she asked, a quizzical look on her face.
"Well, Nakano-san's temper makes it easy to tease her. There's that. And you," I grinned, "You're more like a friend that I can make fun of."
"You're very mean, Lee-kun," said Ono-chan, pouting for real this time. And this time, I laughed. Honestly, she is just that type of friend that you can tease easily without fearing her wrath when you anger her (unlike the pink-haired Tsundere we all know and love).
We got to school pretty early this time. Ono-chan had to go talk to her teachers at the teacher's lounge because she keeps failing the recent tests and they're thinking of putting her in remedial courses. You know, I really should help her with that.
I entered my classroom to see that there was a crowd of people around Takeuchi-san's desk. The guys were cheering "Go CJ!" while the girls were crying out "Takeuchi-san! You better win!". Of course, I had to see what all of the fuss was about.
I approached the crowd and squeezed my way into the circle. That's when I understood what's going on. CJ and Takeuchi-san were holding hands, their elbows bent at an angle so familiar that I knew what they were playing: they were having an arm-wrestle.
The match has already started and it seemed like CJ was having a little trouble against Takeuchi-san, who had a pained look on her face as she tried to beat CJ. Both of them were deadlocked in this competition. I watched on to see who would win.
I wanted CJ to win because, well, he's my homie. That's the reason why. But, I kinda wanted to see Takeuchi-san to win, so I can rub it in CJ's face that he lost to a girl. Besides, if he, the strongest one out of the both of us, loses against Takeuchi-san, that'll be a good thing to hold over his head.
"Nngh!" groaned Takeuchi-san as she tried one final push to beat CJ, but she ended up using all of her strength and lost grip. CJ slammed Takeuchi-san's hand down onto the desk in one fell swoop that got him to win.
The guys cheered and the girls groaned. Meanwhile, CJ turned to me with a look on his face that pretty much said "I'ma beat you." Rolling my eyes, I silently agreed. Takeuchi-san knew what was going to happen and stood up from her seat, in which I sat down.
"You ready?" I asked as my hand was clasped around his, my elbow on the table.
"Ready as I'll ever be," said CJ with a determined grin. The students began watching again, so we had a crowd watching us.
And just like that, I made CJ lose. It feels like those arms of his aren't that strong as I thought they were. Either that or that he just sucked at this. Really, it felt like moving a tiny paperweight.
"Damnit!" cried CJ, who stood up while the guys standing around us just started laughing. Hell, even the girls started laughing. With that said, CJ left and the crowd followed him to just rub it in his face that he lost to me. I grinned a little and shook my head.
Takeuchi-san sat down where CJ was sitting a minute ago. I just realized that I was sitting in her seat, but I didn't budge because Takeuchi-san had put her elbow on the desk and her arm up in the air, challenging me to another round.
"You wanna go against me?" I asked.
"Well, might as well, you know? I wanna see who's stronger," said Takeuchi-san, still offering her hand. I rolled my eyes and took her hand in mine and propped my elbow on her desk, which was not cluttered with school supplies for once. "I'm probably gonna win," she taunted.
"Yeah, right," I said, "If you can't beat CJ but I can, I'm probably stronger."
And so, our hands were clasped together as I faced down my opponent, staring at Takeuchi-san's emerald green eyes, her cocky yet peaceful smile, her pale face that was full of color. Her overall… beaut-
"You know, I kinda like playing this game with you," she said, her voice as sweet as a Skittle, "I get to hold your hand while getting lost in your eyes."
Wh-what? What did she say? I thought as the blood rushed to my cheeks once more. My eyes widened and I became speechless. "Wh-" I tried to say before she slammed my hand down onto her desk, my knuckles being crushed like my heart. Oh crap, I forgot we were having an arm wrestle.
"I win," she simply said as she held up her arms as if she was showing off whatever muscles she had in her arm while smiling her usual sweet smile. Damnit! I forgot!
As I watched her flaunt and dance around in her seat, the teacher walked in through the sliding doors, a pile of papers in her hands. I stood up and sat down in my seat across the aisle while Takeuchi-san sat down in the chair I was sitting in a moment ago, ready to start the day.
Gym
Basketball. That's what we were going to be doing for gym class. Really, it was a free court day, so we could do what we want. CJ decided to challenge me to a one-v.-one. The coach actually wanted to see how we Americans played compared to our Japanese counterparts, so he had actually reserved one-half of the two courts in the gym just for our little match-up.
"Oh yeah? You think you can stop this?" taunted CJ as he bent over while dribbling the ball between his legs, with me in front of him trying to prevent him from shooting the ball. I had my hands up and I was ready to either jump to block his shot or steal the ball.
"If you lose this time, I should try out for the basketball team and replace you," I taunted back. CJ, on the other hand, somehow managed to cross me and made his way to the basket where he jumped up high and dunked the ball.
"That's how you do it, baby!" exclaimed CJ as he landed. I took the ball from him, checked the ball, and played our next play, the coach was watching us as we played.
I'm so fucking hungry. And tired. Honestly, I just feel like shit. I didn't eat anything since yesterday's lunch, and even that was barely anything. I haven't gotten any sleep at all. Well, maybe like five minutes or so. I'm just too… scared of sleeping, of closing my eyes.
I noticed that Lee-san and his friend were playing basketball, jumping around while making baskets. The coach watched them intently, not paying attention to the rest of his class, half of which were lazing around by the bleachers.
I was simply just shooting baskets by myself on the other half of the court. My classmates played on the other court, leaving me alone. Takeuchi-san wasn't here, for she had other things to do and was excused from class. But I still wanted to play, to disprove the rumor that has been going around that I'm weak, unathletic. And so, I played.
Reaching in to grab another ball from the bin, I suddenly felt so dizzy, as if someone had given me some sort of drug. I felt so numb, I couldn't feel my legs nor my arms. I couldn't move. I felt my vision getting darker and darker, the light… fading away. Maybe I can just… close my eyes… for just... a...minute…
"Let's go!" I said as I jumped high enough to dunk the ball into the hoop, which was lower than usual. I guess it's to accommodate the shorter Japanese people, so it was even easier to dunk it.
"Get the hell down there!" cried out CJ as I held onto the rim, hanging from the hoop like a little maniac. I laughed as I held on. I snapped out of my little hallucination as I heard a thump and a scream on the gym floor, as if someone had suddenly collapsed.
"Nakano-san!" I cried out as I saw Nakano-san face down on the floor, unresponsive to my calls. There was a bin with wheels that held the basketballs and it was tipped over, spilling the balls across the gym. Some of them came over to our side of the court. Meanwhile, some if the girls noticed Nakano-san's plight and tried to approach her.
I let go of the hoop without checking where I was gonna land. That wasn't a good idea. I really should've checked.
"Argh!" I cried out in pain as I landed on one of the balls that rolled to our side. My luck was running dry and that was the final straw, for my ankle flared up with pain.
I hit the ground pretty hard, knocking the wind outta me. My head didn't hit the ground, so at least that's fine. "Fuck! My fucking foot!" I cried out, rolling onto my stomach. I looked up to see Nakano-san still laying down on the gym floor. I had to go check out Nakano-san to see if she's okay first. My leg can wait. Do I have to give her CPR again?
I tried to stand. Pain flared up even more and I crumpled to the floor after my attempt. "You okay, Sawyer?" asked CJ as he bent over to pick me up.
"Yeah, I'm good," I said as he helped me up to my feet. From there, I limped towards Nakano-san, who still lay unconscious. Holy crap, my ankle hurts! I thought to myself as I gritted my teeth to get to Nakano-san.
I knelt beside Nakano-san and turned her over. I could hear her breathing still, though it was a little quiet. I felt for a pulse and it was there, beating to a steady pace like usual, though a little slower than normal. Her face was pretty pale, as if the blood was drained from her face.She's just unconscious.
I don't understand it though. Why would she be unconscious? Last I saw her, she was just fine, shooting basket after basket by herself. I quickly checked her mouth to see if there was something lodged in her throat, tilting her head in a way so that I could see down her throat. Nothing as far as I can see. Her breathing is normal and her pulse is a little bit on the slow side, but other than that, nothing.
I don't get it. Is she sick? Tired? Hungry? You don't just faint like that as if it was nothing. Is it a medical condition? Something I have to be worried about?
I put her head down onto the ground, not on my lap. If I did put it on my lap, she may not be able to breathe. I didn't pour water on her, nor slap her awake because I did not know what would happen if I did. I just waited there to see if anything changes.
"Get the nurse! Now!" I cried out as the students and the coach just stared from a distance, frozen in shock and awe, not knowing what to do. Fuckin' hell, they don't know what to do.
"CJ! Help me out, will ya?" I called out to my friend, who bounded towards me. He picked me up and helped me carry Nakano-san in my arms. With her in my arms, I limped to the nurse's office with CJ beside me.
When I got to the nurse's office, the bell rang. I told CJ to go ahead without me while I got Nakano-san sorted out. After a little bit of bickering (with me lying that I was gonna get my leg checked out too), he conceded and left me alone with CJ and the nurse.
"Is she okay?" I asked as the nurse checked her out. The office was just like any typical Japanese nurse's office, with about four cots with curtains for privacy, as well as cabinets and her desk. Nothing special, really.
"Well, this isn't as serious as you may think it is," said the nurse, "She does have some sort of problem with her blood sugar levels. For some reason, she always has low blood sugar, but that can easily be solved."
"I'm done with my rounds," said a familiar voice behind me as a sliding door opened. I turned to look and saw Takeuchi-san standing in the doorway with a clipboard in her hands. It seems like she was helping the nurse out with some things today.
The look of satisfaction turned to horror when her eyes landed on Nakano-san, who lay in a cot beside the nurse who was tending to her. "Oh no! Is she okay?"
"It happened again," said the nurse, who was typing up a report at her computer. Again? What do you mean, again?
"Oh! I have just the thing!" she said as she reached into her little handbag to pull out a protein bar, "I started carrying it around with me since the last few incidents." Last few incidents? What the hell?
"Well, I'm surprised that she's doing better now. She hadn't passed out in a while. When was the last time? February?" asked the nurse, ignoring me entirely.
"Yeah, I think it was February. I remember it was before this school year started," replied Monika, handing the nurse the bar while, again, ignoring me entirely.
"Geez," said the nurse, who took the protein bar and placed it on her desk, "It was scary last year when she kept doing it every month or so. You would've thought the doctors would've found out what has been happening to poor Nakano-san."
"Okay, I'm sorry, but can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" I cried out, confused about the situation. The two stopped and turned to me.
"Oh, you're here, Lee-san," said Takeuchi-san. I felt daggers going through my heart when she said that.
"Thanks, you too," I said back, shaking off that little comment. "So what's going on?"
"Honestly," said Takeuchi-san, "Neither do us. For some reason, she kept passing out all of last year. The longest she's been without passing out was this school year. Ever since… you came." Ever since I came? Why?
"The doctors, at least as far as I know, don't know what's going on," the nurse explained, "I don't have the necessary equipment to examine her other than that she always has low blood sugar. Maybe she's not eating or something. I dunno." Well, there has to be something wrong, ain't there? Her father takes her to the doctors after each little syncope episode, right?
"C'mon Lee-san," said Takeuchi-san, walking back to the door, "We're late for class."
"Alright!" I called back, gritting my teeth and standing up. The nurse didn't see my face of pain because she went back to work. I tried to bite through the pain and hide my hurt ankle as I walked back to class with Takeuchi-san.
Later, the club room
The bell rang pretty quickly after today's events. Lunch went by because I was left alone and I pretty much slept through it all. Now, I'm just reading a book I got from the school library last week.
Takeuchi-san was working on another poem while I sat there reading a book as we waited for the rest of the club to arrive.
Saito-san and Ono-chan entered the room a minute after the bell rang. Takeuchi-san and Ono-chan ended up sitting in the back to work together on something. Saito-san, on the other hand, sat down at the desk behind me.
"Hey, Saito-san," I said when she sat down. I looked back and saw her long violet hair rest on her shoulders. She had a bit of a worried look on her face. "What's going on?" I asked when I noticed her expression.
"U-um," she stammered, "I found out from Monika that Natsuki was at the nurse's office. Is she alright?"
"To be honest," I explained, "I don't even know what happened. Takeuchi-san said this happened often last year, but I have no idea. I was there when she passed out, though."
"Y-you were?" said Saito-san, her worried face alleviated from a little stress when she learned I was there.
"Yeah," I said, "I was playing basketball with a friend of mine and out of the blue, she passed out. I was the one who brought her to the nurse's office."
"Oh thank goodness!" she said, relieved that her friend was alright, "If you weren't there, I don't know what would've happened."
"You look like you're troubled about it," I said, "You want me to fetch you some tea?"
"Y-yes," said Saito-san, smiling softly, "If you want, I would like to help you."
"Sure. Lemme get the stuff," I said as I stood up, then I remembered that my ankle was screwed up. Pain flared up from my foot, shooting up my leg and setting my nerves on fire. For some reason, it felt even worse now.
"Argh! Fuck!" I exclaimed as I crumpled to the ground, shoving aside the desk and chair. I fell to the ground face-first, with my arms stopping my fall before my nose was flattened against the floor.
"Argh! My foot!" I cried out in pain as I bent my knee so that I could examine my ankle, which was a little more swollen than before.
"Lee-san!" exclaimed Saito-san, bending down to help me.
"Are you okay, Lee-kun?" called out Ono-chan, who, with Takeuchi-san, came over to help me up as well.
"I-it's fine," I said. I propped myself up on my elbows and flipped over, trying to stand up. The pain flared up once more and I fell to the ground.
"Maybe not," I said as I tried to get up once more. Takeuchi-san and Ono-chan tried to help me up this time, with me draping my arms over their shoulders.
"C'mon, I'll take you to the nurse's," said Ono-chan, who helped me stay up. I let go of Takeuchi-san, letting my hand drop. Saito-san and Takeuchi-san walked with me and Ono-chan to the door. Saito-san opened the door for me.
Standing in the doorway, about to open the door, was Nakano-san, who looked a little better than earlier. The color returned to her face and she looked okay.
"N-Nakano-san," I stammered as I saw her, "You're okay."
"I wouldn't talk. What happened to you?" she asked, still clueless about my injury. That's right, she was knocked out when I hurt myself.
"I, uh, tripped on one of those balls that fell when you passed out. I think I hurt my ankle," explained I.
"But the nurse told me you brought me to the nurse's office yourself. Why didn't you get it checked out earlier?" she asked. She had a worried face on her, like a genuinely worried face, as if she was guilty that she had hurt me because of her passing out.
"Well," I chuckled, smiling, "Class was starting. Haha!"
"You didn't look hurt when you walked with me," said Takeuchi-san from behind me.
"Oh," I said, turning my head to try and face her, "I thought I could hide it. I didn't want to worry you guys."
"You idiot!" exclaimed Takeuchi-san, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.
"Hey!" Nakano-san cried out, pouting, "That's my line!"
"U-um," Saito-san cut in, "L-Lee-san is still hurt. Is someone going to bring him to the nurse?"
"Oh right!" exclaimed Ono-chan, suddenly remembering that I was using her as a crutch with my arm draped across her shoulders, "I'll take him to the nurse! You guys just do whatever you guys want to do! I got him!"
After that, Ono-chan helped me limp to the infirmary. For the second time today, I was on my way to the nurse's office. This time, for my own injury. The nurse thought it was a sprain, but told me to stay off of my injured foot and called the Kobayashi's to give me a ride to the hospital. Meanwhile, Ono-chan left to return to the clubroom, leaving me alone once again.
You know, I really want to hang out with her even more. I dunno why. It can't be love, can it? I don't think so. I just think it's because she has that aura of a puppy that makes me want to be friends with her. But for some reason, as I waited for the Kobayashi's to pick me up, I just kept thinking about Ono-chan.
The Kobayashi's picked me up in their car. Ono-chan hitched a ride with us because the club had ended at the same time that they arrived. She went with us going home. From there, she went to her own house while I (with the help of Ms. Kobayashi) got my insurance papers and other paperwork I needed since I was just a student. From there, they brought me to the hospital.
That's where I learned of the severity of my injury. I had apparently had a very tiny hairline fracture in my ankle. From there, I had gotten my ankle casted up. Apparently, because I was walking on it, it made matters worse, hurting the ankle more. Apparently, it's a miracle I was able to walk at all through the pain. The docs told me it was gonna heal in about three to four weeks, but I gotta stay off of my ankle for as much as possible. I could still walk to school, but with the help of crutches.
Thank God I'm here in Japan as a student because my bills are pretty much covered. If I was back in the US, I would've racked up a giant bill.
Honorifics: (Underlined honorifics are the ones used in current chapter)
-san: Most common, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Basically the titles Mr. Ms. etc.
-sama: This suffix is one level higher than "-san" and is used to confer great respect.
-kun: This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys' names to express endearment.
-chan: Feminine version of -kun.
Senpai: Superior/Upperclassmen.
Sensei: Master.
Translation notes:
1. There is universal healthcare in Japan. Foreign students studying in Japan have their hospital bills paid for already. Many free services such as routine checkups are also available to these students.
A/N: I like how I didn't have an idea to progress the story further so I decided to get my characters hurt.
I was going to make this chapter an important one, but stuff happened and I didn't have much time, so I decided to just postpone that idea for a bit. School's a cunt, that's why. That's really all I have to say. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next one. Stay safe guys!
