Chapter 11

Minami screamed before she punched in the door of a locker in the locker room. She then turned and sat down on the bench as she began to cry, and her knuckles began to bleed. It didn’t take long before Ryusuke walked into the locker room. “Minami?” He followed the sound of her crying before he eventually found her, “Ah, there you are.” He walked over to her before he noticed the destroyed locker, “Damn, I’d hate to see the other guy.” He gave a soft chuckle before he then looked at her and sat beside her.

“I knew this would be difficult for him,” she sobbed, “I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it, yet I asked him here anyway!!! And it’s all because I just wanted to win!”

“Minami, you-“

“No! Shut up!” She said as she turned and stood up, “I’m the one who is at fault here! I knew I couldn’t beat Yakuza on my own, and so I reached out to him, and I knew with it being his first time away from Okinawa that it would-“

“How would you know?” Ryusuke asked as he stood up, “How would you know that the balls would pop? I mean, hell, not even I knew that! I figured dodgeballs were built to last! It was something none of us could’ve imagined happening!”

“You don’t get it! You don’t understand what I mean to my brother and what he means to me; I probably scared him half to death, and he doesn’t want to ever see me again!”

“Accidents happen,” Ryusuke said, “This is all this was Minami; it was an accident!”

Minami then rested her head against the locker behind her before sliding down to a sitting position. Ryusuke looked down and noticed Minami’s bleeding hand. He sighed before turning and getting into his own bag and grabbing some first aid equipment. He sat beside her and started to clean off her hand. She winced before Ryusuke said, “Hold still; it’s going to sting a bit.” She nodded before she looked over at Ryusuke. She blushed heavily before she looked down. She went to speak before she finally said,

“….Ryusuke….I…”

“What?” He asked as he began to wrap her hand,

“If….” She then sighed before saying, “If you had to choose between someone you like but don’t know much about and someone you like who you’ve known for a while….who would you choose?”

“Well…if I barely know the person, then I don’t really like them. Even so, I don’t really like anyone right now. I mean…technically, I don’t like her; I love her. She’s so smart, funny, pretty, and very strong. She cares about a ton of people. I mean, that can be anyone, but without a doubt, there’s something about her that no other girl can even compare to.”

“And…what’s that…?” She asked as her feelings for Ryusuke only began to grow,

“She’s the most beautiful girl on the planet.” He smiled before he finished wrapping her hand, “She’s also an incredible sister.” He then stood up and headed to the door.

“Ryusuke,” Minami said, “Wait!”

“What’s-“ he began as he turned around. He then blushed as Minami embraced him in a hug, “…up?”

“Thanks…”

“Of course,” Ryusuke said with a smile, “Now let’s go take down Yakuza!”

“Yeah,” Minami said as she looked him in the eyes and smiled. She really wanted to kiss him, but instead she resisted and left the locker room with him…with her pinky gently wrapped around his. The two eventually came back to the gym. The balls were set back up on the line in the middle of the gym. Minami and Ryusuke got in their ready positions as Kazuya got in his.

“Ready?!” The referee said before he blew the whistle, “Go!”

“Let’s go Ryusuke!” Minami said,

“Yeah!” Ryusuke said, “For Mr. Rentaro!” He said to himself before the two of them took off. Kazuya then charged them in return. Minami and Ryusuke each bent down to pick up a dodgeball. However Yakuza had picked one up and threw it at Ryusuke. Ryusuke rolled to the side as Minami spun and threw a ball at Yakuza, which he quickly deflected with another ball he had in his hand. Ryusuke drew close to Yakuza before he threw a ball of his own. Yakuza ducked beneath it before picking up two balls on his side of the gym and throwing them at Minami and Ryusuke. The two teammates lunged backward before Ryusuke said, “Minami, I think I have an idea.”

“What is it?” She asked as the two quickly split apart to avoid being hit by an oncoming ball.

“We could try taking him out,” he said, “If one of us approaches at full speed, he’ll be too focused to even consider one of us going around to get him out.”

“It’s worth a shot!” Minami said as she picked up a ball and tossed it to Ryusuke before picking up another one and running straight for Yakuza. Ryusuke then ran in a wide circle to get a better shot at Yakuza. His face then turned to pure shock and fear when he saw Yakuza’s eyes turn towards him. Yakuza rotated away from Minami’s ball before throwing the ball in his hand at Ryusuke. Ryusuke slipped onto his side as he went to stop before turning and running off, barely avoiding the ball thrown at him in the process.

Ryusuke turned and threw the ball in his hand at Yakuza, only for him to move his head and avoid the ball with ease. Ryusuke clenched his teeth as he prepared for Yakuza’s worst. “Damn! He’s just too good!” Ryusuke said to himself as he ran towards a ball laying on the ground, “I have to go all out! Even if it means I get taken out in the process!” He reeled his arm back as he prepared to throw the ball at Yakuza, “I have to let Minami know that I’m not a loser! I have to show her that I can be strong!” He then screamed as he threw the ball in his hand as hard as possible.

Yakuza avoided the ball, and it let it bounce off the back wall before he reached back and caught it in his hand. Yakuza threw the ball at Ryusuke before Ryusuke rolled out of the way, picked up another ball, and threw it at Yakuza. Yakuza kicked a ball up to his hand before he reached out and blocked the oncoming ball with his own. Yakuza shot a glare at Ryusuke as Ryusuke bent down and picked up another ball. Minami attempted to distract Yakuza by throwing a ball at full strength in his direction. He turned to her and defected the ball before looking back at Ryusuke and attacking. Ryusuke’s eyes widened before he quickly ducked and rolled out of the way at the last second. “Damn! His throws are getting faster! If he keeps this up, then there’s no way I can beat him!”

Ryusuke got to his feet only to notice a ball roll over to his feet. He bent down and picked it up before he noticed Yakuza looking him dead in the eyes. “I have no idea why you’re still in the game,” Yakuza said to him, “However, I’m willing to give you one free shot at me.” Chills ran up Ryusuke’s spines as Yakuza’s fixated glare intensified, “You’re absolutely pathetic, and the only reason you’ve survived for long in this game is thanks to Choki as well as your ability to run like a coward.”

“He’s not a coward!” Minami said, “He’s one of the bravest people I know! He’s kind and cares for others and-“

“Minami,” Ryusuke said, causing Minami to turn to him, “It’s fine; I can handle this.” He then turned to her and said, “After this game, let’s go out, just the two of us.” Minami’s heart skipped a beat as she began to blush, “There’s something I want to tell you.”

Minami swallowed heavily before she nodded and said, “Y-Yeah, sure.”

Ryusuke then looked back to Yakuza, “If I’m able to get you out, do you promise to leave this school alone? Our dodgeball team has been suffering for years, and it’s all because of you!”

“The only thing your dodgeball team is suffering from is its own school.”

“What do you mean?”

“You really don’t know?”

“I don’t,”

“Well then, if you’re able to take me out, I’ll tell you the reason, and I’ll even leave your school alone; how about that?”

“And if I fail?”

“Then it just goes to show how miserable and pathetic you are.”

“I see,” he clenched his teeth before saying, “Then I guess I have no choice!” He reeled back his arm before throwing the ball through the air, “Be gone!!!” The ball soared through the air before it then began to lose speed and momentum and began to fall towards the ground. “What?! No! Don’t bounce off the ground! Hit his legs!!!”

“Damn it…! Ryusuke is a goner!” Daisuke said from the sidelines,

The hall bounced off the ground before it flew right into Yakuza’s hand. “Interesting,” Yakuza said, “You really are weak and pathetic.” Yakuza then threw the ball in his hand at full force before it crashed into Ryusuke’s stomach and sent him flying. Ryusuke rolled along the ground before he coughed and slowly got to his feet,

“Damn…guess I’m out….” He then turned to Minami, who had her back to him and looked down slightly, “Minami, will you be okay?”

“Yeah…I’ll be fine…” she responded.

“Oh, okay,” Ryusuke held his stomach as he then hobbled over to the sidelines and started with his team. “Minami doesn’t look too good. Is she going to be alright?”

“Yes,” Pocha said firmly, “During this last stretch, I helped her work on something, and now I think she’s finally going to use it. All we have to do is believe in her.”

A//N

Things are really starting to heat up! I want to thank everyone who has been with me this far as well as any new comers! The story isn’t ending just yet, but I hope that I can continue to write that I will be able to wrap things up nicely!