Two sides of the same coin

"Danny, we're going on ahead, are you coming with us?" a member of the Basketball club asked him.

"Ah... yes, I'll just rest for a bit. I'll see you guys at the gate."

"A'ight, see you..." as the members of the club left the locker room, Danny found himself holed up alone.

The club activities had just finished and everyone is going home. At this point, no one will find out what he's going to do even if he stayed in here for a little while, contemplating whether his decision was constructive or not.

It wasn't a simple task for him. It was like all of his hard work has been pushed to the edge and he was left with nothing but regret. The responsibilities that he has to carry in order to save his best friend's line of path placed a strict burden on him but he couldn't deny it. He didn't have any confidence that it'll go on smoothly but he still carried it nonetheless.

"Don't play with me! Why are you quitting?! We've talked about this, right? Danny, you and I are unstoppable. If you're not here, I won't be able to shine and the team is going to fall apart!"

That was what Reyson said to him before the fight. It was a plea to make Danny stay. He couldn't tell the reason for his sudden decision to quit the team. That's because both of them are going down if he did. He didn't want to shatter Reyson's rising career that both of them dreamed of.

Is this really what you want, Reyson? But even if I do, what about him?

Danny wiped his sweat and after that, he slammed his fist into the door of his locker, producing a loud bang. He gritted his teeth, thinking about the predicament that both of them have right now. Ever since Reyson has been suspended, Danny couldn't bring out his strength in his practice sessions. He couldn't outplay his juniors and he wasn't feeling great about it.

His focus was somewhere else important. If this issue still persists, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to win the next tournament. And if that happens, there will be no other chance next year.

That's because this year is going to be their final game with everyone else, and they'll have to pass the torch to the next generation.

As he rest his head on the locker, Danny heard a footstep coming in.

"You seem to be in trouble, Danny..." his name was called out, coming from a silver-bell-like voice behind him.

Danny slowly turned his head to that person. She was radiating with brilliant light as the rays of the sun flickered through the window. Her beauty entered his frame of mind, calming down his stirred senses.

The dashing figure of the Ice Princess chilled him and managed to sort out his thoughts before greeting her.

"President Ayumi, good afternoon..." Danny bowed.

"Good afternoon, I thought I heard some noise when I inspected the gym so I came in here..."

"Oh, I apologize. That was out of my character..."

"It's fine, It's only natural for a person to vent their frustration on different things. But I hope you don't break it." Ayumi smiled.

"Yes, Ma'am. So um, is there anything I can help you with?" sensing Ayumi's intention to show up quite unnaturally, Danny asked the question outright. He knew that the President wouldn't just show up here without any reason.

"I want to talk to you..." she paused. "No, I want to hear something from you."

"Is it about Reyson?" Danny asked.

Ayumi nodded as she leaned toward the lockers with crossed arms. There was no need for her to do this in a roundabout way. Every strange thing that Nathan connected will be cleared after this as long as Danny cooperates.

"Even if I tell you anything... Isn't there any way to revoke Reyson's punishment?" he asked, averting his gaze from her.

"It was the decision of the guidance counselor to suspend him. Even if I'm the Student Council President, I don't have that much power to recede his punishment and beg the counselor for some mercy. Besides, it is not a case that could be solved with just a talk considering that there are many witnesses." she answered.

"I see, so it's hopeless, huh...?" Danny turned his back as he clenched his fist. "I couldn't do anything. I'm not sure if the decision was right in the first place..."

"I know what you want to say, but that is not a reason for you to give up. There's still a way to restore the reputation you wanted to protect."

"What? Are you saying I can still save it?" he asked, his eyes reflecting embers of hope.

"Indeed, but before that, I need to hear everything from you. I will be the one to cast a definitive verdict as to whether it is necessary or not." she narrowed her ice-cold eyes, distributing a glaze of cold breeze to the room.

"...I understand. If it is for the sake of restoring our future, then I'll tell you." Danny nodded.

***

I didn't attend the council meeting today and headed toward Autumn's practice. Just like yesterday, they were doing sessions wherein they were testing the junior's abilities. Things are looking good on their side unlike the ones in the gym.

I sat down on a nearby bench and leaned my back. I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Autumn today even though she's looking good right now. There were things that I needed to sort out before I execute this so-called 'being reliable for Ayumi plan'.

First of all, the issue between Danny and Reyson hasn't been solved. And the reason for that is because they're stuck within the quagmire of secrecy and responsibility. Kylee had already confirmed the problem and I told her to not inform Ayumi and solve it ourselves. I was planning on using this opportunity to let her know that I can be trusted.

Autumn looks happy today, I wonder if she experienced something like this...

I've run many simulations in my head while searching for a decent outcome to fix all of this. Quite a few of them led to something that even I couldn't tolerate. But I had a plan laid out to prevent it. I just couldn't find a method to accomplish this properly without harming both of their feelings.

There are two sides to one coin. Their external views may get stained throughout the process of life but they still have the same value. One head continues to move forward while the tail looks behind them. So what's the proper way to restore them? How could I confront them with the broken shards of truth without destroying them sentimentally?

I heaved another sigh, I can't even count how many times I have done this already. Taking the initiative for this one compelled me to move in a strange way. But contemplating isn't going to make things better. I have to do it.

It's for her sake as well...

"Hmm? Natsu...?" without even noticing her, Autumn called out to me.

"H-Huh?! Ah! Autumn, umm... what's up?" that nearly drove me to a frenzied state but I managed to calm down.

"We're done with our training, so we're taking a rest..." Autumn sat down beside me.

Her elegant figure brought me back to reality as I stared at her. She pulled out a towel and wiped her sweat. I don't know why but seeing her do that while she exerts hotness and an alluring aura drowned me in a blissful state. Am I still even normal for looking at her like that? I couldn't help but blush as I averted my eyes.

I don't have a sweat fetish! I just think that she still looks beautiful and pure even if she's sweaty and tired.

"W-Wait here for a second...!" not able to contain my excitement, I stood up and went to a nearby vending machine to buy some sports drinks.

After buying, I returned to our little spot and hand her the drinks. "Here you go, it's a treat from me. Good work for today!" I smiled.

"Wah! Thank you so much, you even got my favorite one!" she cheerfully accepted it.

Of course, there's no way I would miss what you like.

I sat down again closely beside her while attempting to calm my fast-beating heart. I could feel my face getting hotter as I stare at her drinking.

The bench wasn't that long to fit three people so we have this for ourselves. This is my chance to appeal to her and spend some time. Ever since I joined the committee, Autumn and I haven't been able to talk. We occasionally do so when we're in class but not personally. This is also probably a chance for me to ask her about something.

"Ahhh~ That's so refreshing...! Thanks again, Natsu."

"No problem,"

"So? Aren't you gonna tell me something? You look a bit down, is there something bothering you?" she asked.

"Eh?" I was surprised. I am confident that I didn't give that kind of vibe but she still saw right through me.

"Hee hee, are you surprised? I don't know if you noticed but I was observing you a lot a while ago. I thought something was bugging you since I couldn't hear you cheer." she chuckled.

"Oh crap, did you hear all of that? I'm so sorry!" I bowed, flustered about everything I'd done.

"Haha! It's no big deal. I was totally fine with you cheering with everything you've got. It makes me happy, but now that you're not, I wonder what's the problem...?" so she's concerned for me?

Ah! Autumn, I love you!

I confessed to her internally. Hearing all of that makes me so happy! And what's more, she said she has been observing me a lot! Did you guys hear that? She's observing and paying attention to me! I couldn't be any happier!

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" she asked again, this time her face was leaning towards me as if I'm being interrogated.

I bit my lip to focus, I don't know what will happen if she keeps this up.

"I want to ask you about something..." I began. Autumn slowly relaxed and waited for me to follow. "Autumn, if you receive a bad news, would you keep it a secret to maintain a status quo with someone or disclose it?"

It might be a simple question on the outside but it was a question that needs to be analyzed deeply and consider a variety of factors.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if my answer here will be a great help but I'll let you know what I think..." Autumn said.

"Trust me, this will be a great help..." I replied.

"Okay, my answer is that it depends on the bad news. There are many instances where bad news could be really serious that it could be devastating to a person's heart. You have to consider ways to deliver it conscientiously while trying to hold on to the glass that might break." she started.

She's right about it. Thinking about your approach could play a massive role to lessen the impact.

"There are some people who choose to conceal it in order to avoid painting a negative image that might cause worry to others. If that's the case, then the person who received the bad news really cares about their state. However, not disclosing the news often leads to a conflict between the two if the person is not open about it. They may even make a sudden decision without telling the reason. What do you think will happen if that's the choice?" she asked.

"Then the other person will open another reason to worry..." I answered, understanding where she is getting.

"Exactly. The sudden decision of someone caused by an internal secret taunts the other person's curiosity and worries. On the outside, it may look like the one who has the bad news is not causing any trouble but he or she is actually just prolonging the problem, waiting until it blows up and both of them get hurt..." she followed.

Autumn was right. No matter how much you keep it, there will be a time when the inevitable will stir your status quo. And that issue will continue until they confront each other and think about it together.

"It is far better if the person opens up and delivers it slowly to another and then thinks about the problem together instead of keeping it. I guess that would be my answer..." she smiled.

"You're so pure and kind, Autumn... You really know how to calm a person's heart." I responded with a bittersweet smile.

"—!"

"Hmm, what's up?" I noticed that she suddenly got flustered after my reply. She averted her eyes from mine and started coiling her chestnut hair with her finger.

"O-Oh, it's nothing... I'm just a bit surprised... I'm glad my answer helped you though, hahaha..." she giggled but with a hint of being bashful and conscious.

"Thank you for the help, Autumn."

***

After that sweet moment—not actually sweet because I turned our conversation into something bitter—I exited the main gate and strolled through the old building.

I was waiting for someone who would be important in the plan. Thanks to Autumn's answer, I was able to sort my mind. I will forever treasure that moment in my heart until I die.

While looking at the sky, someone approached me. "Here's the address..."

I took the paper from her and read it. Fortunately, his house wasn't all that far from the school so walking is recommended. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, are you really sure about this?" Kylee asked.

"It's going to be fine. This is the only way for them to escape from the quagmire they set up..." I responded.

"I see..." she looked a bit doubtful but I ignored it

"Well, let's go then..."

It's time to confront the reality.