Chapter 15:

Team Introductions

Sharply Cold at Zone


PART ONE

I, Sakai Rumi, took a seat at the table. My chair is different from the other six chairs; mine is the Captain's chair, the only chair on the side of the table. I have been selected as our Team's Captain, a direct order from the Director himself.

From my perspective, starting on the left, I saw Nage Gazo as the closest to me. Next to him was Kojima Naoko, followed by Matsuda Iwao. On my right side, Sashi Mai was the closest to me, next to Yoshi Min and followed by Obara Shou.

We started with introductions.

“My name is Sakai Rumi; as you all know, I’m chosen as our team captain. Let's all do our best to bring back the trophy our sublime school lost last year!”

I pointed to the girl to my right to start her introduction.

“Hello, my name is Sashi Mai from Class C. I hope that we can win the grand prize and enjoy ourselves!”

This is the same girl that sits at the same table as Nage-kun in the cafeteria. Her intro was plain and straightforward; it looked like she didn't want to mess up in front of him.

Now it was the boy's turn, the boy with glasses.

“Hi everyone,”-- he stopped for a moment to put his glasses right with his ring finger and continued, “My name is Yoshi Min; I can certainly help this team with my intelligence. So I look forward to working with you!”

He said intelligence, but let's see how much he can help this team.

As I wanted to point to the next person, he had already made eye contact with me and slightly shook his head as to let me know he didn't want to participate in the introductions.

I’m not mad or anything at such behavior. If he doesn't like to talk, that's up to him. I only care about results.

In front of him sat Matsuda Iwao, the next person to talk.

“My name is Matsuda Iwao. I will crush anyone on my path, so don't worry about anyone trying to beat us at the competition!”

I already know him; he is in the same class as me. He has tremendous athletic ability but is the type that doesn't talk too much.

The following person is a girl I had heard much about; she is a delinquent. She likes to speak down on people and has this imitating little dog with her wherever she goes, Obara Shou. The fridge-shaped guy that doesn't even care to introduce himself.

“I’m Kojima Naoko; I’m here to win it, so don't screw it up. Also, don't believe anything this guy says as he likes to play with human hearts.” Kojima-san said as she pointed to Nage-kun, who sat next to her.

“Even in your introduction, you have to talk about me. Am I that important to you?” Nage-kun said before he stood up and looked down on Kojima-san.

Almost at the exact moment that Nage-kun stood up from his chair Obara-kun also stood up.

“Sit down, Obara, let him be,” Kojima-san said while she looked straight at Nage-kun.

“Can’t you just forget me?” Nage-kun said.

Forget him?

How far do these two go?

What happened between them?

All sorts of questions popped inside my head.

“I have to warn the ladies about you,” she replied.

He looked her in the eyes, but something changed in the way he was looking at her.

After he sat down, he started his intro.

“My name is Nage Gazo. I hope that I can help you all to accomplish great heights.”

About his introduction, it was short but honest. This guy wants to help us to maximize our chances at the competition.

He looked so cool while he spoke genuinely.

“Okey, that’s all for today. I want to see you all every day after school here in this room starting tomorrow,” I said.

The weakest link in the team would be Sashi Mai; the only reason I could think why she would want to join this team in the first place besides the profits and the chance to enter the best university is to be with Nage-kun.

Everybody left the classroom to go home.

PART TWO

I can’t get my head clear today on what happened around Nage-kun. First, he joined the First Year’s Team, and when I asked him his motive, he simply said he wanted a chance to join the best university in the country.

That didn’t feel real, there is a reason, and I think I know who is behind it.

Then these two girls, who clearly are familiar with Nage-kun, couldn’t stop looking at him the whole time we were at the table.

Sashi Mai is in love with Nage-kun.

How did I get that Idea? The sparkling eyes of her whenever she looks at him.

The other girl in question, Kojima Naoko, has a history with Nage-kun. They have known each other since middle school, but their connection doesn’t feel like a normal friendly one, but rather an intimate one. I wonder what that could be.

I followed her inside the school, and when she said goodbye to her loyal pet, I closed the distance between us to chat with her.

“Kojima-san, do you have a minute?”

She looked at me as if I was some annoying teacher that would give her some homework.

Pff-- even after school time, you have to annoy me.”

How do I annoy her if I never even talk to her?

“I just have a question about Nage-kun,” I said. When I named Nage-kun, she immediately seemed more interested.

“Ahh, about the puppeteer. Yeah, ask me anything,” she replied.

“He said earlier that you went to the same school, but you two don’t seem like ordinary old classmates to me. Is it possible that you two dated in the past?”

I could try to ask her in a different manner, but it felt like I should get straight to the point with her because of her short fuse.

She looked at me and showed me a little smile, “Do you have a little crush on Gazo, Rumi-chan?”

WHAT! ME A CRUSH ON THAT GUY?

I hid my irritation and asked her formally and elegantly, “Why would you think that?”

“If girls are interested in anything about that guy, it’s either because of love or hate. So what about you?” She replied.

I didn’t think she was this clever. She doesn’t seem like that at all.

“I hate the guy just like you. So could you tell me more about him?”

It felt like I started to get on her nerves, so she told me the truth to get it over with.

“Gazo and I have gone to the same Martial Arts club for our whole childhood. We were great friends at first, but in middle school, our relationship slowly faded because of personal reasons.— THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW!!” She yelled and left through the school’s door, leaving me behind.

Martial arts…

That explains his great posture and fighting skills.

But what she said at the end…

Their relationship ended due to personal problems. I wonder what had happened between the two. She does call him ‘Undercover-Lover,’ which should mean that he cheated on her if they dated.

I have to know what happened; maybe I will get some clues to make him fall in love with me. Only to crush his little heart.

PART THREE

I, Nage Gazo, had just left school and was walking back to my Aunty’s apartment, where I was staying with my mother’s sister and her daughter Azumi.

It was calm. So I started thinking back on what happened today.

I made the team together with six other students. And Sakai-san was made our captain; it wasn’t a team decision. It was the choice of our director, Omura-sensei.

What led him to this decision, only He and Sakai Rumi know. I’m sure of it.

I get that she excels in intelligence and athletic abilities. But she doesn’t seem like a leader to me.

Why did he not choose me? There must be a reason that I can’t think of.

Kojima-san seemed off today; she made me angry because she was saying bad things about me that weren’t true. So I tried to intimidate her by looking her dead in the eyes. That didn’t help because of her dominant nature. And for a short moment, I saw a lot of pain and hatred in those eyes, which made me sad, so I sat back down.

I still care about her.

I will try my best to make her be her joyful self again, the real Kojima Naoko that I knew back in the days.

*Ding, Dong, Ding.

I pressed the doorbell.

Azumi-san opened the door and let me inside.

“Gazo, did you make the team?” Aunty asked.

Both she and Azumi waited patiently on my response.

“Of course, you know who I am, right?” I said with a big smile.