My Secret Superpower

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Hara Kaede.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” the ever-so-shy Fuyumi replied.

“I’m also a friend of Kazuyuki-kun. Can we be friends too?” Her eyes sparkled like America’s Fourth of July.

Fuyumi looked at Kazuyuki, who simply smiled at her.

“Sure.”

“Yay! Then, can I call you Fuyumi-chan?”

“Um… I don’t mind.”

“Awesome!”

It was clear to Kazuyuki that Fuyumi was feeling uncomfortable with Kaede’s closeness, but Kaede had made him agree to let her take the lead. Nevertheless, he felt bad knowing how energetic Kaede was in comparison to the introverted Fuyumi. However, after a few minutes, they were acting like they had known each other since childbirth.

“Girls always manage to become friends with each other so easily.” Daisuke said

“Or maybe Kaede’s just a natural at making conversation with people.”

During the winter season, sports lessons in school would often undergo certain adaptations to accommodate the colder weather conditions. Traditional outdoor sports would be shifted to indoor facilities or modified to suit the winter environment. Kazuyuki’s high school would do mixed sports lessons in the gym.

On a cold winter morning, Kazuyuki’s class was registered to do a mixed sports lesson. Today’s sport would be basketball, which he believed was his best sport. Despite his short height, he could outmanoeuvre the enemy team and shoot hoops effectively. When he learned that they would be playing basketball for today’s lesson, he was ecstatic to show his skills to Fuyumi.

It was lesson time. The class entered with their winter sports attire. The sports teacher explained to them the rules and regulations for today’s lesson, and then playoff started. From the sidelines, Kazuyuki watched as Ichiro and Kaede worked together to get some points. As a duo, they were practically unstoppable. Their tall height, their fast movements, their incredible coordination; they were an intimidating force on the pitch. Also on the court was Fuyumi, who stood there like a lost puppy. She had barely made a move, nor did anyone pass the ball to her. She was still wearing her face mask.

It was time to switch teams. Kazuyuki was up next, alongside Daisuke. On the opposing team was their friend Nori, who, on the pitch, was Kazuyuki’s rival. They always made friendly bets, like who would score the most points. The crowd cheered as the match began. The shooting star passed the viewers and dribbled around his team, managing to score the first point of the game. To Kazuyuki, the first point of the game was important since it determined how the match could go. Now he was intent on beating his friendly adversary. Point after point after point, the match grew more intense. Leaving a trail of flames behind him, Kazuyuki managed to get another point for his team. But they were still losing by three points. Daisuke ran up to his friend.

“What’s the plan?”

“You go low, I’ll go high.”

“Got it.”

This was a secret code between the two: one of them would dribble the ball all the way to the half-way line and pass it to his partner, who would then push through the barricades and get it to the end of the court, where his partner would be waiting to do a layup. It was their signature move, and it was usually successful. 

They initiated their countermanoeuvre, and managed to get another point. But there was still a one-point difference, and with time running out and fatigue catching up to his team, Kazuyuki had to come up with another plan. Daisuke passed the ball to him. He paused. He closed his eyes, allowing him to hear the symphony of intensity and excitement. His ears picked up the collective cheers and roars from the crowd blended with the scuffling of quick feet, which was accompanied by the squeaks of the sneakers on the polished surface floor. The sounds of the game began to decrease and were exchanged with his own sound; a form of music played in his head, deafening the rest of the sounds. Fuyumi looked at the statue in the middle of the court.

“What is he doing?” She asked Kaede

“I’m not sure.”

As he opened his eyes, the world around him came into focus. And like a jet taking off, Kazuyuki zoomed across the court, dodging the titans in front of him. The unstoppable force ended his attack with a quick burst of speed, their feet pounding the court in determined strides. With a smooth transition, defying the laws of gravity, they approached the rim and leaped effortlessly. Time seemed to momentarily freeze as they glided through the air, their body extending towards the basket. Unable to stop him, the other team watched as he released the ball into the hoop and landed gracefully on the ground. The timer hit zero, cueing the crowd’s overwhelming roar.

Everyone ran up to Kazuyuki and praised him for that amazing final shot. Nori walked up to him and shook his hand, telling him even she was in awe at his angelic movements. A wave of happiness overcame him as he celebrated with his friends. Through a gap in the crowd, he saw Fuyumi’s bright face and smiled at her, to which she made a cute face that made his heart skip a beat.

Later that day, Kazuyuki was approached by his friends.

“Kazuyuki-kun! We’re going to Daisuke’s family’s restaurant. Do you wanna come?”

“Sure.”

As the group left the building, Kazuyuki noticed a familiar small girl in a black winter coat sitting alone on the steps of the school entrance.

“Everyone, I have to do something real quick. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Alright.”

“See you in a bit, Sano-kun.”

Kazuyuki walked up to the girl.

“Satō-san?”

Fuyumi looked up at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for my mum to come pick me up.”

“I thought you usually walked home.”

“I do, but we’re going somewhere, so she said she’d pick me up after school.”

“I see.”

“What are you doing here, Sano-san?”

“Oh. I was walking with my friends when I saw you sitting here, so I thought I’d quickly come talk to you.” He sat down next to her.

“You were really good during basketball today.”

“Thanks. Do you want to know my secret?”

“What secret?”

“On how I do things efficiently and quickly.”

“What is it?”

“Music.”

“Music?”

“Yep. Whenever I listen to music, I’m able to do things quicker and more effectively. It’s like my secret superpower.” He flexed his arms, which made Fuyumi chuckle.

“That’s pretty cool. Is music an important piece in your life?”

“It is. Since I was a baby, music has always been a part of my life. I don’t think I could live without it.”

“That’s a bit exaggerated.”

“I’m serious! I wouldn’t be able to live without it. Next time, we’ll do an experiment, and I’ll prove to you that I can do things better when listening to music.”

“Okay. Deal.”

A black car arrived in front of the school. She stood up and patted the back of her pants.

“This is me. See you.”

“Bye.”

He watched as she walked up to the black car with its tinted windows. It looked like she was hesitant to open the door, but she eventually did and entered the car.

As he walked along the snowy pathway, he found bitter sweetness in the nostalgic whispers of winter’s embrace. He couldn’t help but feel bad for lying to his friend. What he had told her was true, but there was a deeper meaning behind it. He retraced his memories of when he was an innocent child, a child who was restrained by his strict father, who had once ruled his life with an iron hand. The cold air bit his rosy cheeks, mirroring his father’s cold demeanour towards him. All he wanted to do was impress him, but that was an impossible challenge. Yet amidst the discipline and rigid expectations, there was always a beacon of light that illuminated his darkest days. Like a guardian angel whispering in his ears, the sound of music allowed him to do things better than he had before. It was his saviour, a saviour that would help him through the overwhelming, relentless worry and physical distress. With the lyrics and notes, he could spend countless hours writing meaningful words; if he listened to the sounds of love, he could write a love story, and if he listened to the sounds of sorrow, he could write a tragedy. Music gave him the power to transform his emotions and ideas into words, transcending the barriers set by his father’s sternness. It lifted his spirit and gave him confidence in himself. This power could be applied to any activity he did. With music, he could do anything he wanted to.

But when he arrived at the restaurant, he realised there was something else that kept him going through those depressing times. The way his friends waved at him through the window reminded him that he was not alone. Maybe that’s why he wanted to help Fuyumi. With his friends by his side, he could have fun and be happy, and he wanted that for her. He did not want her to fall into the pit of despair like he did. He wanted her to feel the warmth he felt whenever he was with his friends.

This is the life he wanted, and this was the life he wanted her to have. A life worth living for.