Thirteen

Kaho got a ride to school the next morning. Her limbs felt like lead. Each step made her body ache and she was exhausted before homeroom even began. She went to Naseru's desk and tapped him on the shoulders, handing him some money Taiga gave her that morning to pay him back for the meal. He thanked her and returned to gazing out the window. Kaho sighed and slumped into her chair. She'd been hoping to get some time to commit the images she'd had in her head to paper. There was a small sketchbook in her schoolbag, and while she sat behind Naseru, gazing at where his braids started and fell, she began to sketch the shape of his hair, and how it had been splayed out on the grass verge. 

"What are you drawing there, Kaho?" Ryota asked, leaning over her shoulder, "I didn't see you this morning. Did something happen?" 

Kaho shook her head, "No. Nothing happened. I'm just tired. Taiga brought me in. Did you go to practice this morning?"

He nodded, "I've been relegated to drill passes 'til I apologise." 

"Have you apologised?" Kaho asked, raising a brow. 

Ryota laughed, running a hand through his rosy pink hair, "Absolutely not. Oi, Matsuoka, you joining us today?" 

Naseru stiffened, turning his head. He was grinding his teeth, Kaho could tell by how the tension in his mouth was focused by his jaw muscles. His dark brown eyes flickered from Kaho to Ryota. He shook his head and returned to the window. Kaho gently kicked Naseru's chair. He whirled around and glared at her. 

"Yes, Ryota, Matsuoka will be joining us at Basketball practice today."

 Eiji and Yuta whooped from the other side of the classroom. 

"Happy to have ya!" Eiji exclaimed. 

"Ditto," Yuta strode across the room, down the empty aisles and held his fist out to Naseru for him to bump. Naseru shook his head and got out of his chair, excusing himself. 

"Maybe the wholesome team spirit we've got going on here makes him sick?" Ryota suggested, perching on Mariah's desk. She swatted his thigh with her ruler. He hissed and leapt to his feet. Yuta and Eiji laughed and headed back to their corner of the classroom. 

"Is he really joining the basketball team?" Mariah asked, leaning over her table. Kaho nodded. 

"I bet your brother is thrilled." 

"More than thrilled. That's for sure."

As the warning bell trilled, many of the students flocked into the class. Naseru was the last. He wiped his mouth and sat down. Hiro Sensei followed Naseru inside. He cleared his throat, wiping the sweat from his brow and putting a thermos of tea on the desk. 

He cleared his throat again, "Morning class, before we begin, an announcement from the student council: the students of Hanagawa High School have successfully fundraised enough money to reimburse Nakamura Sensei for his transport to work while he was getting a replacement vehicle from the insurance company. Congratulations, Students, you did a great job."

The class shared a round of applause and the school day began, and Kaho spent her day, her stomach in knots, desperate for practice, so she could flaunt the newest member of the team to the other students. 

But he didn't show. 

Nor did he show on the second day. 

Or the third. 

It was adding insult to injury. Had her efforts been in vain? It seemed like the corridors were whispering that Naseru had lost his bet, and yet he didn't cave. He still hadn't added his name to the roster, and while Kaho washed the team bibs, and inflated balls with Fumiko, Naseru went along with his days as if nothing had happened. It was insulting! 

She walked home that night with Ryota, or, at least, with him until he reached whichever court he was playing at that night. He'd said he was going to help some guy from one of the other schools in the prefecture with rebounds, so he was going to the court to shoot hoops and try and catch missed ones. For Ryota it was a pretty tame use of his evening. Considering he'd been working so hard to learn tricks. 

Kaho looked up at him, he was dribbling his neon pink basketball, like he always was. The ball seemed to be magnetised, going to the correct spot on his hand with every bounce. He had a lot of control.

"Hey, Ryota, what would you say if Matsuoka did join the team?" 

Ryota rolled his eyes, "I've already been thrown in the dog house for this, Kaho. I'm not going to do anything. I just think it's very selfish of the third years to be so dedicated to the idea of Matsuoka. What could have been so good about him in their letters. What does Matsuoka have that me and Yuta and Eiji don't have. They're throwing their eggs in a basket that's miles away." 

Kaho sighed, "I'm sorry…"

"Why are you sorry? Oh don't tell me you've managed to get him to play with us." 

Kaho lowered her head, "He said he would?" 

Ryota swore.

"I've got to go, see you tomorrow." 

"Ryota!" Kaho called, but he took off, breaking into a jog, still dribbling the ball as he rushed toward the nearest court. Kaho watched him go. She hung her head and stomped her foot. This was ridiculous. 

After three days, Naseru still hadn't joined the basketball team. Kaho waited for him, holding the sign-up sheet outside the gym for ten minutes after the training session had started. But even as the sunlight caressed the grass verge by the gym, and the freshly waxed floor squeaked with friction from trainers, she longed to see the boy she'd bested. She prayed for him to finally bite the bullet and come. He didn't. 

The weekend was hard. Knowing that a new week was upon them, and Hanagawa High School were still no closer to acquiring the prodigal son of Kathen Matsuoka. Kaho sighed. No number of encouraging texts from Tatsuya and cuddles from Rana and Tama were helping. She'd spent her days on her hands and knees cleaning the rooms where Kikiyo and her siblings would live. 

She called Ryota after her evening shower on Sunday. The soft glow from her phone illuminated her face as she spoke over FaceTime.

 "He hasn't come, Ryota. Three days, and Matsuoka still hasn't shown up at the gym."

Ryota laughed, "Oh, come on! After that video? I would be embarrassed too for falling to the ground with a girl. If he didn't wipe the floor with you, he's just no good."

"You're saying he went easy on me?" she retorted, slightly peeved.

"Oh, come on, Kaho, you haven't played a real game on a team literally ever. And you quit playing on street courts when you started to take drawing seriously. There's no shame in it, you know, you just haven't put the same amount of time into it as Taiga and I have and you still beat him." 

"I guess so," Kaho muttered.

"He's just not cut out for it, Kaho. And honestly? There's something about that guy..."

"Ryota!" she exclaimed.

"I've got to go, Kaho, I'm meeting up with Omura to practice some ambidextrous dunking."

"Ambidextrous dunking?" Kaho said, "Another weapon for your arsenal?"

"Yep. I've gotta go. See you at school."

He hung up before Kaho could say goodbye. 

On Monday, after a quick Facetimes with Tatsuya, Kaho was ready to drag Naseru to basketball practice by his braids if she had to. He was waiting for her at his desk, gazing out the window, wearing headphones. She perched on Emi's desk and stared at him. 

"Matsuoka," she said. 

"Aigawa," he looked her up and down, "Nice hair." 

Kaho blushed, she'd put some more effort into plaiting her hair that morning. She puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms. 

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Matsuoka!" she declared, "You said if I beat you, you would join the basketball team," Kaho said, "Is there a reason why you haven't shown up yet?" 

Naseru shrugged, "Is that any of your business?" 

"Yes," Kaho said, "Since I was the one you made that promise to, I'd say it was my business."

Naseru sighed, "I did promise you I'd join. But you never said when I had join."