Chapter 109

I took my shot straight from outside the three-point line. I drew a high arc. Like the midday moon, like the midsummer sun. For the both of them, it was still unrequited love. May I reach your heart. I love you, basket. I love you, darling. The ball traced an arc like a rainbow in the sky, then fell through the basket. Sshwooop. Right through, nothing but net. “OH YEAH!!!” I raised my fist in the air, yelling. I’d been secretly practicing my two-handed three-point shot ever since the game against Ashi High. My fire hadn’t gone out, after all. Like that pass from earlier. When faced with a forward who’s only a threat on the inside and a forward who can shoot from the outside, there’s no need to think about which one is more of a threat to the opponent. I’m not a sharpshooter like Nana, sure, and I can’t get the distance when I shoot one-handed. But fooling the others into thinking I was way out of range kept them out of my hair while I took the shot. I’ve always known this technique existed, but I’ve always turned from it. It’s like I’d be admitting that I can’t compete head-on, with my height. Like I was running from the true field of battle, the inside. But I think, if you were me…you’d reach for it, if there was still the inner potential to get stronger. Mai was staring at me with a stunned expression. “Wow, that’s your secret weapon?” “I wanted to keep it a secret until we beat Ashi High in an official game.” “Well, you’ll have another one by then, won’t you, Haru?” “Love is a heavy thing.” Suzu, watching our exchange, started laughing hard. “Yes! This is what the Fighting Girls of Fuji High basketball are all about. But Umi, don’t go thinking you’ve won.” “Of course. I won’t stop until you’re crying and ready to take back what you said.” “Fine with me. Let’s go.” ““Let’s burn up the court!”” Then we all started running again. Beyond generations, teams, and positions. The gym filled with the squealing sounds of basketball shoe rubber. Ah, yes… I wish… I wish that my blazing heart for basketball will endure forever on the court. In the end, we lost the match 42 to 37. We fought hard, but in the end, they got us with their superior experience and ability. There must be a lot of players like them on the front lines of college teams. As we bowed to one another across the center line, Aki’s expression suddenly warmed, and a smile returned to her eyes. She took my hand and held it, looking somewhat apologetic. “Umi, Mai, I’m really sorry. We were real jerks, weren’t we?” “Uh… Ah-ha-ha…” “You’re not even going to say no?! This is all Miss Misaki’s fault! Now our cute little juniors totally hate our guts!” Miss Misaki just laughed, while I was getting whiplash from Aki’s sudden change of character. “I asked them to do something dramatic to shake you up, since you seemed to be in some sort of mental block. But I don’t remember asking them to act like they were in some bad teen movie.” “Hey!” Little by little, I began to understand the situation. Miss Misaki must have noticed I was having trouble and asked the senior girls to help. Aki puffed out her cheeks and continued. “We’re athletes, not counselors. We’ve never even met you; there’s no way we’d be able to subtly suss out your issues and offer advice.” “Right,” said Suzu, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “We figured the best thing to do would be to find her sore spot and hammer on it, get her mad enough to release all that pent-up tension.” “Wow…” What a sloppy method. Like we were at a sports day or something. Geez. I mean, I get it… But wow, they played me. Aki smiled, pointing at her partner. “Suzu was forcing herself to play the bad guy, so she had to act like a mysterious cool character at first.” Suzu scratched her head. “I mean, saying the wrong thing would blow the whole thing. So I decided to speak as little as possible.” “Once the match started, though, you completely forgot about acting and went back to normal.” Ah, so this was her real personality… Miss Misaki interrupted the conversation. “Aki’s coldhearted routine was oddly alluring.” “Hey, Miss Misaki! Don’t make fun of me! I went to all the trouble of helping you out!” Suddenly, I asked something that had been on my mind. “So, were you also acting while you were playing?” Suzu answered for Aki. “Nope. She always has that game face on during a match. But usually, she’s as easygoing as anything.” “If I don’t stay cool, other people start to lose their heads.” It’s kinda nice, I thought. If Nana and I went to the same university, would we be able to stay together forever? I still have no idea what my future looks like. “That aside…” Aki let out an exaggerated sigh and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m super tired.” Suzu flopped down on the floor, too. “Seriously. And you were all, ‘Oh, it’s just gonna be a little warm-up and playtime.’” “No, you said that.” Aki smiled sarcastically. “Miss Misaki played us, too. You could have warned us you were going to bring two superstar high schoolers. We almost freaking lost, you know?!” Miss Misaki grinned. “I was worried you were getting big heads at that university and neglecting your practice. I thought a loss might be a good lesson for you.” “Miss Misaki, you really suck sometimes.” “Hmm, if you’re complaining this much, I guess you two still haven’t fixed those flaws I pointed out.” “We wanted to show our best, playing against juniors! We usually follow directions, though.” “All right, then.” “By the way,” Aki said, putting her arm around Mai’s shoulders. “You’re pretty amazing, huh, Mai? It’s true, today’s Ashi High isn’t the Ashi High we knew. You’re way ahead of the ace from our generation. But—and maybe I don’t have a right to say this after being scolded by Miss Misaki—it seems you like to mess around a little.” “Right, right,” Suzu interjected, grinning. “She even tried to attack me one-on-one! This kind of player’s dangerous. She won’t stop until she wins.” Mai tossed her head, her eyes sparkling. “And you two were amazing, Aki and Suzu. I’d like to play against you both a little more.” “No more,” Aki wailed, running away from Mai, toward me. After composing herself, her eyes went wide and warm. “Umi…” Aki placed her fist above my heart. “I was a little worried about you before, but after you got all fired up, you were as impressive as Mai was. I know you’re gonna carry the torch. From now on, you’ll keep getting better and better. Keep your head up and keep running, and don’t let the fire in your heart die.” Suzu also stood up and put her arm around my shoulders. “Your last three-pointer surprised me. And your passing and your off-hand. But don’t limit yourself. Forget about your height handicap. Just toss those thoughts in the trash. Keep focusing on your drive. Eat the defense up. If you defeat everyone who stands in your way, you’ll reach the top.” I swallowed the joy that bubbled up within me and blinked back hot tears. “Right!” I was full of gratitude. Aki and Suzu looked at each other and burst out laughing. They’re so talented, so passionate, and so kind. They truly were the seniors I admired. Then Suzu seemed to think of something. “By the way, have you two decided on your career path yet?” I scratched my cheek. “Well, I’d like to be able to continue playing basketball in college, but I don’t have any solid plans in mind yet…” Mai nodded. “My coach, Tommy, has given me some recommendations, but I haven’t really thought about them properly.” Suzu beamed. “Then you two should come to our university. Then we can play together.” “Huh…?” Aki clapped her hands. “Yeah! I wanna pass to Umi and Mai.” I’d never really thought about it. But university lasts for four years. If we went to the same school, I could play on the same team as them. And so could Mai. Suzu continued, gauging my reaction. “Many players from our team go on to play for corporate teams. That way, even after they graduate from university, they can continue playing basketball. Aiming for the Olympics isn’t just a pipe dream, either.” There’s no pro women’s basketball in Japan. So, of course, I knew that if I wanted to play serious basketball even after I finished my education, I would have to join a corporate team. …The Olympics, huh? I imagined it for just a moment. A forward under five feet tall standing on the court, wearing a Japan national team uniform. Driving through crazy-tall opponents from other countries. It’s an insane yet thrilling idea. Looking around me, I see Nana, Mai, Aki, and Suzu. I doubt the reality would work out just like that, but it’s still a dazzling enough goal to fight for. I stood there, heart pounding, as Mai spoke. “You look thoughtful.” “Eh, maybe.” It was a lukewarm response for the fire burning within me. I was thinking of his face. I want to challenge myself, I want to see how far I can go, and I want to still have dreams even after I graduate. But if I do that… If I get too preoccupied for romance… “By the way…” As I was churning over it all again, Suzu spoke, like she’d just thought of something. “You didn’t beat me, but I’ll still take back what I said earlier.” “Huh…?” “You know. I made fun of your man and your partner, didn’t I?” Halfway through, I was so absorbed in the competition that I completely forgot about it. But that was why things got so heated in the first place. I responded with a little smile. “It’s okay. You were just trying to provoke me.” Suzu looked away. Hmm…? After a short silence, Suzu continued, looking apologetic and embarrassed. “Well, I was actually pretty steamed…” Her voice trailed off, almost inaudible by the end. “Seriously?!” Suzu scratched her head and then smiled. “But, well, when I watched you play after that, I realized that any guy you chose, you must have chosen with genuine passion. I’m sorry for calling him bland.” “Uh, then…” I mustered up the courage to ask while clutching the hem of my T-shirt. “…Did you seniors really not have boyfriends for the entire three years of high school?” Suddenly, the place became quiet. For some reason, Miss Misaki was desperately holding back her laughter, gazing at the ground. When I looked over, Suzu’s tightly clenched fist was trembling. “Hey, Aki, did you just hear something?” Aki put on a faint smile, but her voice was icy. “Hmm? I think something was in my ear. Maybe she should try saying it again.” I coughed, confused, and tried to speak again… “What I asked was, did you seniors, for three years of high school…” “Don’t say it again!!!” They all yelped at me angrily. “Hey, Aki, we were being naive. Let’s crush this cheeky junior right here.” “I agree. We don’t want Umi’s boyfriend coming to watch the game and messing up her passes.” They closed in on me. “Ah, I didn’t mean…” I gulped. But they clearly knew I didn’t mean it as a joke or dig. Both of them looked at me with puzzled faces. “I mean, Aki said she only thought about basketball for three years and didn’t have time for romance… And Mai said that boyfriends were forbidden at Ashi High… So…” I fell silent, realizing I was stumbling over my words. ““Pssshhh!!!”” For some reason, Aki and Suzu both burst out laughing at the same time. Finally, even Miss Misaki couldn’t hold back anymore, until all three of them were holding their stomachs. “H-hey… It was a serious question…” I was so confused! Suzu gasped for air between guffaws. “What now, Aki? I think Umi misunderstood all your big talk.” “It wasn’t big talk! Anyway, it’s all a matter of interpretation!” Aki dramatically wiped her eyes, then looked at me. “Sorry, Umi. I got carried away with what I said, but it’s not like we were forbidden to date like they are at Ashi High. And I’m really sorry for how I said it, but the truth is, I just never had a boyfriend.” “Um, you mean, you cut out all unnecessary things in order to play basketball seriously…?” “Ha-ha-ha.” Suzu snorted. “We’re not samurai, you know. We always talked about crushes in the clubroom, but we weren’t very feminine, so we never even dipped a toe in that world. Right, Kei?” Kei hadn’t been saying much, acting more as a support for the seniors, but she narrowed her eyes. “You know, Umi. The reason I was so sensitive to boy talk was because of them. I thought if I let my guard down, I would end up retracing the same path and end up getting super annoyed with any junior who had a boyfriend, right up until graduation.” Miss Misaki, who was watching the exchange with a grin, came over and wrapped her arm tightly around my shoulders. “I’m not going to criticize Ashi High’s policy. In fact, some people go completely off the rails because of love affairs. I can understand the rationale behind banning them so the team can focus on basketball. However, I believe in the potential of you girls and your passion for basketball.” “Huh…?” Miss Misaki looked at Aki, Suzu, then Kei. After taking a short breath, she spoke again. “Aki, if you want a man?” “Hold him close!” “Suzu, if he doesn’t care?” “Knock ’im down!” “We are…” “““Fighting girls!!!””” Miss Misaki grinned as the voices of the seniors rang out. “Listen, Umi, this is my answer. Love and friendship, success and failure, conflict and struggle, regret and frustration—and the man you love. Embrace them all and become stronger. Put everything you have into it and shoot for your goal.”