XIII. you're bad at sports

I remembered, way too late, that a Kenjiless day meant becoming a third wheel. Izumi and Hoshino sat at the usual spot, but I couldn't bear to join them. "No thanks," I said, standing before them. "No. Don't want to be a third wheel. You guys have fun. Bye."

"Stop whining and sit down," was Izumi's response. 

I didn't, though I placed the bento box in front of them. Given the weather, few were adventurous or stupid (mostly the latter) enough to come to the rooftop. We tended to hoard the benches, so that was why. They'd be able to do not couple stuff with more privacy than usual. "Take care of it or I'll kill you," I said, wherein I turned on my heels.

"Where are you going?" Asked Hoshino.

"A date," I replied, remembering, way too late, who I spoke to.

I didn't look at her when she said, "I told you to be careful with Hanamura."

"I never said—"

"I saw you in the morning."

But of course she did. "—that the date's with her. It's none of your business anyway."

"I'm not sure what's going on between you two," said Izumi, "but if Hoshino of all people is telling you to be careful with someone, you really should listen."

I glanced at them for a moment. Izumi had already opened the box and begun to eat. Hoshino looked back at me, shaking her head. It's not that I didn't believe her; I just didn't want to. She knew, I knew. 

I left.

As if on cue, Hanamura texted me. She had been doing so nonstop, save for when a teacher almost caught her back during the premature sports festival rollcall (or so she said). For a moment, I almost admitted to finding the activity physically painful, but I didn't want to seem like more of an old man than usual, so I'd opted to respond with one-liners again. And again. And again and again and again. 

Well, I supposed it made sense if she used to talk to dozens at the same time. 

As for me...

stalker-chan: cat_getting_inside_a_vase.gif

Me: Enthralling.

I supposed it'd be wise to choose an audition piece for that stupid play. As I headed for the theater, however, some asshole came to bother me. "Heyy, Watanabe!" Nase, that's who: he ran all the way from the other side of the hallway. I resisted the urge to slap his hand away when he clapped my shoulder. "Sup. You busy?"

"Yes."

"Really? Anyway, when do you think we could start practicing? I'm not expecting you to become an expert or anything, obviously, but it'd still be cool to make as much progress as possible until then."

If only you knew. "I mean, sure. We can talk about that later. I have something to do right now."

"And what's that?"

"...uh." 

"See? Nothing. Now come on."

I could always ask for help during club practice, maybe. Besides, he didn't seem like the sort of audience that'd appreciate spiteful crossdressing. Best not to elaborate on that. I followed, thusly; he talked and talked and talked about how cool it'd be to win the festival the year he became captain, and how if things worked out we could maybe probably hopefully succeed at the cultural festival as well. I'd also skipped that one last year. 

While we didn't go to the soccer field for obvious reasons, the spot he took me to could've raised eyebrows. Trees and a fence to one side, abandoned building to the other, trees in front, increasingly appealing escape route behind. Was Hanamura stalking me? I should ask. I did just that while Nase browsed through some bushes adjacent to the fence. 

Me: Please tell me I'm being stalked.

No response. 

Me: I followed this guy without thinking and he took me to the middle of nowhere. If these are my last words, I just want to say that

"You done?"

I regret not kicking you back.

"Done," I said, then put my phone away. Nase now held a soccer ball. He too had a mole under his right eye, but it actually looked good on him, the little shit. Could be the manbun. 

"Good, good. Now, before we start: have you ever played before?"

"Not much," I lied. 

"But you know the rules, at least, right?"

"Some," I lied. 

"When was the last time you played?"

"Third year middle school." That wasn't a lie. 

"Good, good. That's recent, so you should be fine. Let's start with something easy then. Passes? I just wanna see how well you can do them."

Something weird happened then. While I stopped the ball when he punted it towards me, I couldn't pass it back. Two years was nothing—of course I remembered how to play. Of course I did. How could I not? Which was exactly why I couldn't seem to move again.

"Come on," urged Nase. "You can do it!"

I couldn't, though.

I couldn't.

Not anymore. 

I couldn't.

"It doesn't have to perfect. Go, Watanabe! Go go go!"

It'd been gray the day I slipped, but it hadn't rained. That came later. It'd stay, too, for weeks, months, and apparently years. 

I passed it back, though the ball spun and took a wrong direction. Nabe caught it easily, sent it back. I couldn't. I tried, but I couldn't. I couldn't. After the third time we embarrassed me, he admitted, "This could be harder than I thought. But! Not impossible. There's some potential in there."

"Maybe."

"No, really. I mean it. Now that I remember, you're in one of the artsy clubs, right? Which one was it again?"

"Drama."

"Cool, cool. Yeah. It makes sense that you wouldn't have time for soccer. It's two different worlds, basically."

"Yeah."

"I think I'll go back to the fundamentals then. There's still some time left. Do you mind? Good, good. Let's do it."

We did.

The more we did, I remembered.

The more we did, the more I wished awakening sleeping abilities was a thing in real life. As in, a retired basketball player reliving his glory days in order to save the world from aliens. A samurai that'd long since picked up the sword, cleaving a foe like butter. A master hacker cracking a code with a program he'd long since stopped using. I used to watch, play, read about those all the time to keep my fragile middle school mind from collapsing. 

Storms did not heighten your dormant abilities; they just made you rust. Whether you waited for the sun to come out or not didn't matter. 

When the bell rang, Nase said, "Well, I had a lot of fun!"

It showed, really. I tended to avoid talking to him because he'd always seemed kind of obnoxious, but he talked to Kenji normally, which was more than I could say for most of the class. "Agreed," I lied. "I feel like a learned a lot."

"That's great! Woo!" He clapped my shoulder again. 

Sooner than later, it began to rain. We were in class already. Having no one to kill silence with tortured me until it didn't.

stalker-chan: I'm not surprised you're bad at sports >:3

My fingers hurt. Because it was rainy.

Me: Should've said hi.

stalker-chan: well, I was just passing by :3

Me: Stop lying.

Me: Would you believe me if I told you that I used to

I deleted this.

Me: Why don't you try to talk to people again instead of just me? I don't think that

Gone.

Me: You should help me choose an audition piece in return for me entertaining you.

stalker-chan: REALLY!? YAY!! :3 :3 :3 

"Watanabe-kun."

A wild teacher stood beside me. I should've been more conspicuous. Maybe if I ignored him he'd go a—no he wouldn't. "Sorry," I mumbled. 

"Mind sharing what's making you so happy with the rest of the class? We want to laugh, too."

He did this to a girl at the back of the class last week. Since she didn't read the message out loud, the teacher took the phone. Whatever. Upon clearing my throat, I said, with the best Kaguya voice I could muster, "Really!? Yay!! :3 :3 :3"

Nase stood up so quickly his desk tumbled to the side. He didn't even seem to notice. "How did you do that, what the fuck!? Do it again! Sensei, he's in the drama club! He could be in a movie! Senseeei!" He tried, and failed, to do a Kaguya impression at the end. If nothing else, that stole Senseeei's attention.

"Calm down," I begged, but the class had exploded already. 

...so he was that kind of person.

It was Izumi's turn to spam me near the end of the day. Hanamura hadn't stopped, but he took priority.

Izumi: Hey, Hoshi told me some things about the girl you're hanging out with.

Not again...

Izumi: You're kind of stupid, so I know you won't listen, but it's worth a try anyway. 

Izumi: I think she's just using you because you're the one guy that's still paying attention to her. Once someone else does, she'll go away. 

Me: you're just jealous because I'm amassing a harem :3

Izumi: I'm serious...

Me: hi serious, im saku :3

Izumi: I don't know why I bother sometimes

Me: you shouldn't :3 it's none of your business :3

Izumi: It is.

Izumi: I know you, that's why.

Izumi: Even if you try so hard for the opposite to happen.

I blocked him this time. He'd get mad, but he'd been the one to start it. Relationships were as transient as things got, anyway.