Chapter 15:

Chapter 15

Queen of Dodge!


Gaoma stood on the roof of the school beside Pocha who sat on the floor reading a book on dodgeball strategies. Gaoma leaned over the fence on the school roof as he spotted a black car, “Hm?” He said to himself before noticing the door open, and Minami stepped out of it. His eyes widened as he saw Yakuza get out of the car and walk over to her before they started talking. The two hugged each other as Gaoma said, “HEY!!! YOU SEE THIS SHIT PACHINKO?!?!?!!”

“See what?” Pocha asked as he turned to Gaoma before he stood up and looked over the fence, “Hey, is that the Captain? And is she with Yakuza?!”

“COME ON; WE BETTER GO CHECK IT OUT!!!”

Meanwhile, Minami approached the school as Yakuza stood leaning against the car. It didn’t take long before her teammates ran out the doors of the school led by Gaoma. Minami smiled as they all rushed over to her, “You guys! I missed you so much-“

“CAN IT CHOJI!!! WHAT’RE YOU DOING WITH YAKUMA?!?!?!?!!!”

“Oh, yeah, I wanted to tell you guys about that.” Minami said, “The truth is, I found out that we have been playing dodgeball the wrong way.”

“What?! The wrong way?!” Daisuke asked, “This is how it’s been played at our school for years!”

“Yes, but it’s wrong.” Minami responded, “As such, Yakuza has asked me if I would like to join his team for Regionals.”

“Huh?! You’ll be playing with that guy?!” Pocha asked,

“Yes,” Minami said with a nod, “It’s only so I can better learn the game; that way I can teach it to all of you, and we might actually have a chance to compete and be better at the sport. I honestly thought we were doing it right, but he then told me the way we’ve been playing has been wrong.”

“What’re we supposed to do without you?” Yaguchi asked,

“Well, the best you can do is look up other matches for dodgeball online; if not then keep doing some personal training to get your skills up, so when I come back, we can get straight to work.”

“That seems doable,” Daisuke responded,

“Thanks. Plus, Regionals will be broadcast on T.V., so if you miss me, you can turn on the T.V. and watch me at any time.” Minami said with a smile before turning to Ryusuke, “Can you do that for me?” Ryusuke then nodded before Minami smiled and said, “Anyways, I should get going; we have a long train ride ahead of us. I want you all to take care, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Ryusuke said, a bit saddened as everyone began to walk off.

“Ryusuke, can I talk to you for a second?” Minami said as Ryusuke stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and said,

“Yeah, sure! What’s up?!”

“Well, I guess…I wanted to ask,” she then rubbed her arm before saying, “Do you like me?” Ryusuke froze as his face turned bright red. He looked past Minami to see Yakuza before he looked back at her.

“I…” he sighed before saying, “No, I don’t.”

“Oh…I see…” Minami said before she cleared her throat and reached in her pocket to pull out a paper. “Here.” She handed it to him before saying, “I’ll see you in a few months, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” He said as he took the paper and began reading it as Minami then got back into the car.

Ryusuke,

I know that you have feelings for me…I’ve known for a while, and honestly, I wish you had just told me and asked me out…I would’ve said yes because I had feelings for you too. However, I’m now in a relationship with Yakuza….but, if you had told me how you felt just now, I would’ve left him for you…I just wanted you to be honest with me about your feelings for me. I’ll always be grateful to you for buying me my first swimming suit and accepting me when nobody else would. I still care about you, and I hope we can still be best friends…

Ryusuke clenched his teeth before running off the school grounds and turned to the car as it drove away, “MINAMI!!!!” He screamed shortly before the window rolled down, and Minami poked her head out to look at him, “I’M HAPPY FOR YOU!!! AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I’LL ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!!”

Minami blushed before she then sat back in her seat and rolled up the window to the car. She placed her hand over her face as tears started to fall and a smile spread across her face. “You big dumb idiot…”

Ryusuke panted heavily before he turned and walked towards the school. The team turned and looked at him as he hung his head, casting a shadow over his eyes as tears fell down his face, “Come on, let’s go train our asses off.” He said to them as he pushed through them.

Ueno Station, Tokyo

Yakuza and Minami got out of the car before Didymus handed Yakuza his bags, “Alright, here’s your things.” He then reached into his coat and handed Yakuza a pamphlet, “And here’s information about the hotel the rest of the team is staying at as well as your room, not to mention some things to see and a little extra spending money, along with the train tickets.”

“I see, thanks.”

Didymus smiled as he handed Minami her bag, “And here’s your things Miss Choki.”

“Thank you, Didymus,” Minami said with a smile,

“It’s really no problem,” he said with a smile, “Just take care, and make sure to have fun.”

“Of course,” she responded, “Thanks for letting me stay at your place for the weekend; it really meant a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, “And do take care of Yakuza; he’s a bit of a trouble maker.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will be.”

“I should get going,” she then stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, “I’ll see you in a few months.” She said as she turned and waved before catching up with Yakuza. “So, why are we not taking the bus with the other teammates?” She asked him,

“The buses are cramped, not to mention most of the team is loud and obnoxious. Even so, the train is much nicer.”

“Which train is it?”

“The Train Suite Shiki-Shima.” He said as they made their way through the train station,

“I’ve never heard of that before. Is it like one of the Bullet Trains?”

“No,” he said, “It’s a luxury train.”

“Oh,” she responded before they came to the loading dock, “Why take a luxury train? What’s wrong with a bullet train?”

“Because of one reason, and one reason only.”

“And that is?”

He looked at her and smiled as he said, “I’m rich.” He winked at her as the train then pulled into the station. She blushed at his wink before she turned and looked at the train. The two got on the train before Yakuza handed the woman at the door their tickets. She scanned them before punching a hole in them,

“Enjoy your trip!”

“Thanks,” Yakuza said as he turned to Minami, who was in total awe at the interior of the train. “Come on; our room is this way.” He then took her through the train as they passed through several cars. Car 5 was the lounge with a fireplace and a piano for music, large windows to look at the scenery, and even a bar. Car 6 was the dining car with a beautiful chandelier and a just as beautiful interior. They then came to Car 7, where they walked past the first room before coming to the second. Yakuza scanned the ticket on a panel near the door before opening it and walking inside with Minami behind her.

“Woah…” Minami said as she looked around at everything. She then saw two beds and the entire interior looked immensely luxurious. She placed her bag on a bed. “Wow!” She said in awe before she turned and saw a set of stairs, “There’s an upstairs?!” She ran over to the stairs with a giggle before going up them. There were chairs set up by a couple of windows, with a table. She turned to see the doors to the bathroom! She opened the door and looked inside, only for her eyes to sparkle, “This is so cool!!!” She then ran back downstairs before she jumped onto her bed and said, “Ah! It’s so cool!! I never wanna leave!”

“It’s alright,” Yakuza said as he sat down on the opposite bed,

“These beds are really comfy….”

“They’re alright,” he said as he looked over at her,

She smiled before she turned and looked at him, “So tell me something about you.”

“Like what?”

“Well, is this your first time here?”

“No, I usually use this train for Regionals, and then for Nationals, I use The Twilight Express Mizukaze, which is another luxury train.”

“Wow, you’re really super lucky. I couldn’t even dream of a place like this.” She said as she looked back to the ceiling, “My family was never really poor, we always had money, and every now and then we’d take a trip to the Izu Peninsula; however, once my dad left, our financial situation changed. Then my mom got cancer, and it got worse.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,”

“It’s fine; not everyone gets to be rich. However, I do wish I was rich from time to time, as does everyone else.” She then smiled as she sat up and looked him in the eyes, “So, they had a piano out there. Do you think they have an acoustic guitar?”

“I don’t think they do; why?”

“Oh, I was just curious.” She said as she pulled her legs onto the bed and crossed them, “The guitar was the first instrument I learned how to play.”

“You play guitar?”

“I do,” she said with a smile, “I can also play piano, and I can sing. However, I mostly sing when I’m alone in the shower or when I’m just by myself. My mom wants me to do singing professionally.”

“Would you consider it?”

“No, that’s not really what I want to do.” She said, “Even so, I’m not focused on that right now. I want to play sports so I can eventually help my family out.”

“Well, what do you want to do for a profession then?”

“Hm,” she paused to think as she placed her finger on her chin, “If I’m being honest, I think being a chocolatier suits me. I know I also want to be an athlete; I don’t care what sport I do; I just want to be a professional.” She then smiled as she started to trail off, “Though, at the end of the day, I just want to be someone’s wife and eventually a good mother.” She then looked at Yakuza and said, “What about you?”

“I’m not sure,” he said as he laid back on the bed and he looked up at the ceiling, “I just know I want to be strong so I can protect people. I could master every martial art Japan has to offer.”

“There’s 71 martial arts that Japan has,” Minami said with a soft laugh, “Do you really think you can master all 71 and their various styles?!”

“I probably could; I can do anything if I set my mind to it.”

“Oh, I see,” Minami said before a voice came over the speaker,

“Attention, passengers! The Shiki-Shima is now departing! Please sit back and relax as we take you on a beautiful and luxurious journey through Japan and its culture!”

A few moments passed before the train started to move, “Eeee!” Minami squealed before she ran over to the window and watched as they pulled out of the station, “This is really so cool!”

“You said you play piano and can sing?” Yakuza responded,

“Hm? Yeah, why?” Minami responded as she turned and looked at him,

“We could go to the lounge, and you could play something.”

“Oh, I don’t know, are you sure?”

“Yes,” Yakuza said as he stood up, “I’m quite interested in it.”

“Oh, well, alright.” She said with a smile before the two left their bedroom and went to the lounge in Car 5. Minami walked over to a man coming to the Piano, “Oh, excuse me,” he turned to her with a smile,

“Ah, yes, can I help you with something?”

“Um, do you mind if I play a song on the piano? Just really quick?”

“Of course,” he said as he backed up and gestured for her to have a seat, “Please, have a seat.”

“Thanks,” Minami said with a smile before she sat down at the piano and looked over the keys. She took a few breaths before she turned and looked at Yakuza. She blushed and swallowed heavily before she turned back to the piano and placed her hands on the piano. She then started to play the first song she learned on the piano and the first song she ever learned to sing. Through the Ages by the infamous singer Ayaka, however, Minami had learned it in English and Japanese, so as such she sang it in English.

Yakuza stood there astounded. He had never once heard a voice so beautiful and clear in his entire life. Part of him wanted to sit beside her and play the song for her to focus purely on singing. He was also astounded by the fact that she knew English. As soon as she finished, everyone in the lounge clapped as she turned and walked over to Yakuza, “Well? What did you think?”

“It was very good,” he said, still shocked, “I didn’t know you spoke English.”

“Yeah! I do!” She said to him in English, “My mother taught it to me, and I learned back when I went to school in Okinawa. Pretty cool, right?”

He gave a soft chuckle before responding, “Yes, very cool,” in English. She smiled at him before he went back to speaking Japanese, “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat,” Minami responded in Japanese as the two went to the dining car. They sat down at a table and looked over the menus as they talked back and forth before ordering food. After eating, they went back to the lounge to hang out before returning to their room. As evening came, they came to their stop and got off the train, much to Minami’s detest. They got into a cab before they came to the hotel where they and the rest of the team would be staying.

They walked into the hotel room, and Minami looked around at everything in awe, “Wow! It’s not as cool as the train, but it’s still very nice!”

Yakuza’s eye twitched as he noticed there was only one bed, “Didymus….” He growled under his breath,

“So, do you want to hit the pool or something? I don’t think you’ve seen me in my swimming suit! It’s very cute!”

“No, it’s fine.” He said as he walked over and sat on the right side of the bed,

“Oh, okay,” she said before she walked over to him and sat in front of him between his legs. He froze and gave a dull growl as she leaned back into him, “Want to watch T.V.?”

“Uh…” He went to say before he realized how nice her hair smelled. He also really liked the feeling of having her close to him. He scoffed before he sighed and said, “No, thank you, I don’t want to be distracted.”

“Distracted?” She asked as she tilted her head a bit, “By what?” She then blushed heavily as he wrapped his arms around her from behind,

“By the one thing I’ve been focusing on since the school year began, and I showed up at Kiryu Academy.” Minami swallowed before she turned and looked at him. He then looked at her before he closed his eyes and planted a kiss on her lips. She blushed before she closed her eyes and kissed him back. 

A//N

I tried drawing Minami’s signature grin upside down, to see what she would look like when she’s frowning. However...it only gave her a Tom Sellek Mustache...