Star Players

Yesterday was a total trip to something convenient yet alerting and uncomfortable. Now that I think about it, me being there and cooking for her almost looks like we're a newlywed couple.

If I were to take this seriously, it feels like I've become very soft and caring over the past years. I could never see myself doing this for the sake of her recovery even if you force me if I was the same person back then. But I suppose his influence and the consecutive gaslighting comments I received made an impactful effect on who I am today.

But it is not like Fuyumi didn't like it. She literally just ate the food and finished it herself without any leftovers. I was wondering if I could see that kind of vulnerable side of her again but it looks like we're back to normal. I could not get a read of her expression and her tone became sharper than usual.

I am currently sitting at the back of the meeting table while the President is discussing the Arts Festival that's going to be the main event before Spring ends.

"What do you think should be the theme for this year's Festival?" she asked.

"Considering that we've already done Science and cultural theme last year, I think we should focus more on something that is related to music and play..." Joseph, our very reliable and handsome Vice-President suggested.

"I agree on that one. Our budget for this month didn't exceed the recommended quota for the display so we're short of at least 40%. But if we're going to employ such an easy and non-extensive theme, then we might get off the hitch and produce something decent budget-wise." Nigel Villanueva, our trusty Treasurer, concurs.

"President, I think we should run a survey first before with their suggestion in mind before putting it into work. This will increase the likeliness of gathering everyone for one single play. And if they're not satisfied, then we could alter a few regulations to the theme and ask what the students wanted for the Event." Sarah Guevarra, our reliable Secretary, suggested.

The council members were all serious about their suggestions after multiple considerations and assessments. It is only natural since they're the key people in making the Event bloom lavishly.

SASMNHS is not the only school that will do such a tradition. There are other academies out there implementing the same kind of events and there will be a competition to see which school holds the most eminent and distinguished festival during the time. And the winning school would receive recognition from the regional department and grants reputation and credentials to the students and staff.

Being in the spotlight is really important for the school because they pretty much hold on to their pride. And if the students could prove that they're worthy of such recognition then they would be granted popularity and increased description after they leave the school.

"..."

I was listening intently to their discussion when my gaze veered through Fuyumi. However, when she caught my eyes, she instantly averted hers and coughed.

Ugh... d-does she hates me for what happened last night?

I couldn't calm my nerves down for some reason. I'm not sure if I made a mistake last night or that maybe she really hated the fact that I imposed on her quite forcefully.

"What the hell did you do with the president...?" Kylee moved closer beside me and whispered.

"I don't know what you mean..."

"Don't play with me. Fuyumi has been staring at you for quite some time now since the meeting started. I can't help but feel like you've done something to her..."

Kylee's suspicion isn't wrong but it is also not right either. Why does she always think bad things happen when it comes to interacting with me? Also, Fuyumi has been staring at me for a while? That's totally impossible. There's no way she'd do that in the middle of the meeting, right—

She is looking at me! What's happening here?!

There's no doubt about it. That ice-cold glare is piercing my body and I felt chills run down my spine. Maybe she's really angry? I need to apologize again later.

"That's just your imagination..." I replied to Kylee's question but my voice was trembling.

"Hmm..."

After some time, the council meeting finally ended and they reached a conclusion for the theme. The representatives of each grade also left the office and we're now alone with the President.

Kylee showed her the documents that she had prepared and I'm standing right behind her, trembling in fear.

"President, at this point, the old building's foundation might collapse and it will affect the garden on the opposite side. I think we should use half of our budget to re-construct the old rooms. We don't know when the storm would come out..." Kylee recommended while showing her the papers.

"Thank you, Kylee. I'm well aware of that. But unfortunately, if we sacrifice half of our budget for the next month, we won't be able to establish the event. I think the old building is still sturdy and we can just adjust its renovation at the end of Spring." Fuyumi replied.

"I see, I supposed that's true... Thank you, President." Kylee bowed.

"Ah yeah, Nathan—" as soon as Fuyumi called my name, a storming sound of footsteps bombarded the room and someone opened the door.

It was a public moral committee member.

"P-President! Miss Kylee, bad problem!" he shouted in panic.

"What's wrong?" Fuyumi asked.

"R-Reyson and Danny are fighting!"

When he said that, the girl's eyes widened except for me.

"What did you say? They're fighting?"

"Yes! Someone needs to stop them!"

"Kylee..." Fuyumi alerted her.

"Yes, President..." And so the three of us dashed through the gymnasium.

While running, I purposely matched my pace with Fuyumi in order to watch over her. If she trips again, I'll be there to support her. Excessive movement is actually bad for her since she has an injury so I have to at least consider all of the factors affecting her current state.

When we reached the Gym's door, Kylee opened it, and then we saw the big commotion unfolding right before our eyes.

"Rah!"

"Gugh!" Reyson was beating Danny's ass—he's pretty much punching him while Danny resisted with all his might. The other students including their teammates are holding him but Reyson overpowered them all.

"R-Reyson, please stop that already!"

"Man don't make this hard for us!"

I could sense the other girls who idolize Danny getting irritated and hopeless about the situation. That's perfectly normal, I guess? If I put myself in their shoes and saw Autumn getting beat up, I would definitely crush their skulls with these hands—I'm kidding, I'll probably just mediate between them and give them some lecture or something.

When I turned to Fuyumi, I could see her trying to compose herself while assessing the problem. She knows that she didn't have that much power to stop the fighting physically that's why she's reluctant. When I saw her worried expression, I immediately rushed to the scene without any hesitation.

"Stop that!" I shouted, but then... "Gwagh!!!"

An orange ball smashed through my face, plunging me to the corner. When that happened, the fight quickly halted and they were all looking at my pathetic stance on the floor with weird out faces.

"Whoops... sorry about that, Natsu." Kylee tried to whistle her way out of it. I supposed she threw that ball to get Reyson's attention but I was caught on it.

"K-Kylee you stupid mongrel! You'll pay for that...!" I was vexed. If Autumn saw this, I would've jumped out of the building and killed myself.

"L-Let me go...!" apparently, getting hit by the ball saved the day, and Reyson was finally caught by their teammates. The other girls attended to Danny's position and helped him stand up, supporting his body.

Danny's face was full of bruises and they were both clad in dust. Reyson calmed down after a few minutes.

"Ugh..." I stood up and walked beside Fuyumi and Kylee. I shot the latter some cold glare while listing her to the people I would love to torment in my mind.

Heaving a deep sigh, Fuyumi approached the separated star players and asserted her scary and cold dominance over the group. "Kylee, inform Mr. Vargas of what happened here..."

"Right away," said Kylee as she dashed.

"Boys over the Basketball team, take Danny to the infirmary," Fuyumi instructed the teammates to take the victim but Danny didn't seem too optimistic about it.

"P-President, I'm fine. There's no need to go to the infirmary, this is just a light bruise..." he responded.

"Your face is swelling pretty badly, I insist so,"

"She's right, bro. Come on..."

"Let me take care of your things, Sir Danny!"

Noticing the expression of the people who admire him, Danny couldn't refute any further. Everyone was well aware of what happened here. Reyson—with his problematic and pompous attitude—beat up Danny for no reason and he violated the rules and regulations of the school to a certain degree.

I must say that this case was probably caused by their indifference to each other. The aggressive Reyson finally released his wrath on the passive Danny and conjured this fight. I supposed an argument incited this fight but I'm not sure about the details.

"Reyson, come with me to the counselor's office. We'll have to discuss your actions. And for those of you who are watching, go back to your class already!" Fuyumi exuded her dreadful aura that caused the students near the area to shudder in fear.

"I get it..."

I expected Reyson to resist this kind of cliche treatment and say that it is not his fault but he nodded to her instructions, surprisingly enough.

***

The fight between the two Star Players reached the whole campus and we're now in the counselor's office to discuss it.

I went with Fuyumi for some reason. I don't know, I just feel like I couldn't leave her alone now that we have caught Reyson. I have a feeling that if I'm not at her side, Reyson would've beat or coerced her. I cannot let that pass.

Anyway, Fuyumi and Kylee were sitting on the couch while Sir Vargas and his students, Reyson and Danny, sat on the opposite side. Sitting in the center with the desk in front was none other than our guidance counselor.

Danny was also called in after treating his bruises and he seems fine now. Reyson hasn't done anything yet after that. I could see him feeling disdained about what happened but there's no turning back now.

"Mrs. Abueme, and also Danny, on behalf of Reyson, I apologize to both of you. And thank you, Miss Fuente for the quick action." Mr. Vargas bowed deeply as he apologized for the trouble.

"No worries, Mr. Vargas. It's my duty as the President to stop any unduly behavior." Fuyumi responded.

"Now then, Mr. Reyson Tierra. I'm sure you know what you're doing in here. Your aggressive behavior has been circulating around the school for quite some time now. But this is the first time that you've conducted an offensive take. May I know your reason for beating Mr. Danny?" Mrs. Abueme began the questioning.

All of us took our time and looked directly at the man himself. Reyson was probably thinking of a good excuse to save himself. I mean, if he gets in trouble right now because of what happened, then his career in Basketball might plummet.

"There's no apparent reason. I just got heated from the game, that's all..." he answered.

"But there's a reason for everything, Mr. Reyson. You wouldn't normally beat a student just because you got aggravated by the game. Did you two have an argument or something...?" she asked.

"..." there is no answer. But I can sense that Danny wants to say something for his part.

"I'll take that silence as a yes then. Normally, beating a student or bullying them is a major offense, and we have to take measures immediately by calling your parents or guardians. However, since this is just your first offense, I'll leave it with a five to six weeks of club activity suspension."

"—!" Danny's eyes widened but Reyson was calm.

"Mrs. Abueme, I think suspending him that long is unnecessary. Such a fight was just caused by a personal argument and I think I deserve to get hit because of what I said. Can you consider his punishment to be light as a request?" Danny appealed to the counselor with a resolved expression.

"I get what you are saying, Mr. Danny. But unfortunately, I cannot do that. Even if it is within the request of the supposed victim, Mr. Reyson here still violated the school rules and has gotten himself a major offense. What do you think will happen if I let this slide while the whole school knows what happened to you?" she asked him.

It would be total chaos. Since many people idolize the person named Danny, giving Reyson a pardoned treatment would provoke a misplaced and unjust pandemonium in the school's system. The school might get a clear dropdown of ratings because of their unsupported and biased decision and many parents might complain about it.

"It was only natural that there would be punishment for him, even if he did something simple. Besides, I think not being able to play or join the club for a while is a good reflection for him. If he wants to stay in the team for practice or tournament, then he has to change his attitude and reflect." said the counselor.

"..." Reyson didn't say anything on his defense but I can't help but notice something weird going on out here.

"Would that be good enough for you, Mr. Reyson?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Then this discussion is over. I've given him the lightest punishment he could receive and I hope that works. You may now go back to your classrooms."

And so the counseling finally ended. Fuyumi has instructed Kylee to monitor and bring back Danny while Mr. Vargas left with Reyson.

Fuyumi and I left the counselor's office and walked together slowly. There are a lot of things I needed to sort out and they're all mysterious. Because of that, I forgot about Fuyumi's cold attitude and asked her naturally.

"Hey, President..."

"H-Huh? What is it?" Fuyumi responded but she seemed startled.

"I'm not sure about this but, don't you think this situation is kinda... strange?" I left that much space for her to discover it. Considering that Fuyumi is highly intelligent, I'm sure she would've picked up my point.

"Oh, I'm guessing you noticed it as well, huh?" she smiled.

"Yes, I just can't help but wonder... If you're in their position, what would you do, President?"

"Let's see..." Fuyumi thinks for a second. "Logically speaking, if I were in Reyson's position, I would've defended myself to a certain degree in order to save my career in Basketball. I will appeal to the counselor, apologize deeply, and beg for a light punishment because I'm an important player on the team. Meanwhile, if I'm in Danny's position, since I'm the victim, I will definitely push for a harsher punishment."

"That's right, it's like their roles are suddenly reversed in an instance. While I'm sure that Danny wouldn't invoke the latter, it's hard to view him as someone who would beg to save the one who beat him senselessly. Danny tried to save him, but Reyson accepted his punishment so lightly that he seemed satisfied." I replied.

"Perhaps they're not a fan of prolonging the situation? If the problem is easy to fix then there wouldn't be any more trouble," said Fuyumi.

"I guess you're right. If it ends well then that's all that matters..." I replied.

While I claim that it's fine, in reality, I still doubt it.

"H-Hey, Natsu..." suddenly, the President called me by my nickname. Her tone was adjusted back to her vulnerable and cute side as she timidly called out to me.

"U-Um, what is it, F-Fuyumi?"

"I was wondering if you could join me for lunch?" she asked while sneaking glances at me.

"Oh, is that okay...?"

"Y-Yes, I want you to try something..." she replied albeit a bit shyly. I could see her flushed cheeks from here. I don't know what Fuyumi is planning but if she's inviting me then there's no problem.

"Okay then,"

"Really? W-Well then, let's go together..."

***

The next day, everyone on the campus was talking about the issue between Danny and Reyson. Naturally, most of the students came to Danny's side and loathed the aggressive Reyson for his behavior. They said that his actions shouldn't be tolerated and that he destroyed his uprising reputation as a Star Player.

There are even posts on social media about the current issue and the whole Basketball team was experiencing a downfall right now. I supposed that's to be expected. Their main running head got into a collision and now they couldn't play because of the circumstances. While Danny is indulging himself with support from the majority, I'm pretty sure Reyson is reflecting deeply on what he had done.

I strolled around the campus for a while and headed toward the gymnasium. Walking beside me was Kylee and she was holding an inspection board.

"Their morale is down..." I muttered.

"It's not surprising. With both of their leader down, the team must have been thinking about the tournament at the end of Spring," she replied.

"Reyson's punishment was at least two months, do you think he will make it?" I asked.

"Probably not. And even if he did, he won't be able to play normally or coordinate with the team without proper practice and training no matter how good he is."

"So Danny is their only hope, huh...?" I sighed.

"Yes. To be honest, I think they'll be fine. Considering that guy's ability to gather everyone, he will surely rise on top without Reyson..."

I doubt that though...

After waiting for a while, the Basketball Club's practice finally ended.

We were actually assigned to inspect the gym today for any disorder so we have to thoroughly search the whole place.

While we are checking, we bumped into a regular member of the team. He seems to be silently thinking while staring at the jerseys and trophies of their past achievements.

"What's up?" I called out to him.

"Oh, are you here for an inspection?"

"We are. Is there something wrong with this corner?" Kylee asked. The member waved his head left and right.

"Oh there's nothing wrong, it's just that... I'm just reminiscing about our past plays," he answered. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous about what will happen to us..."

"What do you mean?"

"You saw how Danny and Reyson fought yesterday, right? Those two are actually the major foundation of the team. Even with their attitude being the opposite, without them, the team is nothing but a complete amateur."

"How can you say that? Isn't Danny staying here enough to gain motivation?" Kylee asked.

"No. I think most of the students here follow that misconception but they're all wrong..." Kylee tilted her head, confused. "You see, Danny and Reyson are actually childhood best friends who grew up together. Before they moved here, those two hotshots were living in the province. Both of them support each other and if I were to put this in easy words, if those two are not complete, then the team is weak." he continued.

I knew it...

I don't even have to explain what's going on here. As a regular of the team, his words are already absolute and it makes sense because he's a close friend.

The two Star Players are like a mirror of each other. If Reyson is not on the field, then Danny won't be able to bring his full potential and vice versa. These two indomitable spirits are what's keeping the team pushing forward. Even if a car has two wheels on the front, it won't be able to move on a steep path if there's no wheel on the back.

"Now that's something new, I didn't know they had a history..." Kylee replied.

"Only a few of their close friends, including me, knows about it. Danny actually wants to end the misconception that Reyson is a bad guy but Reyson said he doesn't need to worry about it. Well, I'm sure they're reflecting on it now. It just so happens that the team is not working properly because of the pressure." he added.

After that little conversation about their past, Kylee and I moved to the boy's locker room. The room is pretty big and it even has a private shower at the back.

"That was pretty unexpected, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah. Who would've thought..." I actually already had my suspicion from the start of the counseling but I didn't expect this kind of revelation.

"Now that it was revealed, I couldn't quite comprehend the impact that it made on our school's team. What do you think, Natsu? Is it really good for both of them to stay quiet...?"

"Dunno..."

As I was checking the lockers, I noticed that one locker is opened.

"Kylee, I think someone forgot to lock their lockers,"

"Whose locker?" when I opened it, we saw a picture of both Danny and Reyson as a kid attached on the front. Standing behind them is an old man holding a basketball.

"Oh, it's Danny's locker. And that picture..."

"Yeah. There's no doubt about it. I guess the story is actually true... We should probably close it now." when Kylee said that, something slid out of the door and fell to the ground.

"Hmm?" it was a white envelope with a letter inside.

I picked it up and when I turned to check it, my eyes dilated in surprise. "Kylee this is...!"

"No way..." both of us were startled.

We couldn't even say anything after reading the contents of the letter.