"We're so screwed."
A flat acknowledgment of reality. Ari and Haruto sat together on the bench as the forty-yard dash concluded around them, watching other first-years finish their runs with varying degrees of success, all of them faster than the two pariahs who'd somehow become the most hated duo in the entire tryout.
The crowd's was so angry. Merciless.
You could feel their rage and annoyance press against each hair on your forearms. Each spore on your neck. Like you could feel the ruthless distaste: The students weren't even hiding their opinions anymore:
"Frauds."
"They definitely practiced CSRP together."
"Choreographed the whole thing."
"Can't jump, can't run, but somehow scored thirty-six points? Yeah, right."
"That twig boy and the blonde one should be fucking disqualified!!"
The accusations multiplied. Shouts from every direction. Bouncing off everywhere. From the walls. From the floor. Into your brain...
And they kept spreading.
Spreading through the Pavilion like am infection. What had just been an impressive performance now as evidence of preparation rather than skill.
And the vertical jumps and forty-yard dashes had provided all the proof we needed: these two weren't athletes. They were pretenders.
ARI HEARD it all. ABSORBED it all. Past skin. Past his muscles. Going through bones and flowing up his nerves into his brain.
Haruto sat beside him, tired and using his forearm to lean on his thighs. He couldn't hide his tired breathing, but the calm never quite left his face.
"Well," he said after a long moment, "at least we're hated together."...."That's something."
Ari's voice was tired. You almost couldn't hear it, Like an old lady's rasp"Is it?"
"Better than being hated alone. Less.... lonely."
You knew all about loneliness AriToru. Didn't you.
They sat in misery, watching the world judge them. Because what else could they do? Fight two hundred first year students and thousands of spectators? Defend themselves against accusations? No. Better to just... endure. Survive. Prove them wrong through action rather than words.
[CHEATERS]
Ari almost let himself chuckle. ...almost.
[THE GEAR APPRECIATES YOUR GRIM ACCEPTANCE]
Coach Sojima waddled back to the center court, holding his canned drink of course.
His round face was finally dry from the AC he kept insisting wasn't working. He clapped his hands together.
the sound surprisingly loud despite his short stature, and then Pavilion gradually quieted.
"Well, well, well!" His voice boomed through the sound system. "That was... something. Some of you broke my expectations entirely." His eyes scanned the crowd, landing briefly on Isami Nagi. "Some of you met them exactly." A glance toward a cluster of strong performers. "And some of you..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the less impressive showings. "...tried your best. Which is admirable."
Polite way of saying: some of you sucked
"Now!" Sojima took a long sip of Pepsi, drawing out the suspense. He smacked his lips feeling the sweet sting of his drink "Before we end Day One, we're going to do one more round of running."
The groan that erupted from two hundred exhausted first-years was almost musical in its unified despair.
"WHAT?!"
"We already did conditioning!"
"I can't feel my legs!"
"This was supposed to be over."
One short point guard shouted, "I want to sleeeep!"
But Haruto.....He made the weak squeal of a dying animal and actually swayed in his seat, his eyes rolling back slightly. For a moment, Ari genuinely thought he might faint.
"Haruto" Ari grabbed his shoulder, shaking him. "Stay with me."
"I'm too tired...I just....I just need a lil rest.."
Ari rolled his eyes at Haruto. "You're not ascending anywhere. Get up."
Haruto wasn't getting up. Ari could see how tired he was.
"One more round of running...that's it Haruto... Can't give up now. Our beds are waiting for us."
Finally Haruto showed movement.
"Heaven... so bright..."
"That's the lights.."
Ari physically hauled him to his feet ( with a lot of effort ), slapping Harutos back with large hands. The impact seemed to knock some life back into him. Haruto coughed, and his eyes became conscious again. Blood was finally giving one last pump.
"I'm alive," Haruto announced.
Ari realised Haruto was faking most of his fatigue.
"Ughh", he let go of the blonde point guard who fell dramatically back down.
Then...
Then They ran.
All of them. Two hundred first-years, most of whom could barely stand, forced into another round of suicide drills and sprinting everywhere like some confused running-obsessed gazelles.
It is the sound of suffering.
Failed gasps for air. There was an abundance of roaned complaints.
Shoe soles dragging on hardwood. The slap of people whose legs failed them completely.
Even the naturally gifted were tired now. The fast kids from earlier moved slower. The explosive jumpers had lost their spring. Control fell apart and everyone was dragging their feet.
People were filming this.
And Isami Nagi: The Prince Cobra himself was visibly exhausted. His movements had lost some of their predatory grace. Inhaling and exhaling in visible circles.
AriToru on the other hand.
He pushed on.
His stamina stat wasn't high. Forty out of one hundred, barely above average—but his willpower was something else entirely.
Sure those horrible two weeks raised up his stamina and the strength of his muscles.
But those weren't the things that kept him running
It was Resilience.
Mental resilience and pain tolerance. The ability to push past discomfort, past pain, past all the physical cues your body was giving to tell you, 'You're fucking yourself up. Stop abusing your body.'
He'd spent those two weeks running up mountains until his legs gave out. Jogging until he vomited. Training until failure was the default state. This... This was exhausting for sure but it's a finite conditioning drill. It was nothing compared to what he'd already endured.
So he ran. One foot in front of the other.
One foot in front of the other.
Pant Pant
One foot in front of the other.
Pant Pant.
Legs moving
Legs moving
Moving
One foot in front of the other.
Pant Pant
It was continuous.
Coach Sojima was watching. He wasn't on the podium. Just leaning against a far away wall. In a proud expression.
Like he was sorting students into categories only he could see.
Finally, he blew the whistle.
And walked back to the microphone.
His voice was gentle, "Those of you who survived Day One will receive a notification tonight. Check your phones. Check the school website. Check the bulletin boards around campus."
"Those not on the list are dismissed from tryouts. Those who made it—" He paused, letting the weight settle. "Come back here tomorrow at ten AM for Day Two. Which I assure you," He looked around the whole 200 students. "Will be harder than today."
"That's it!"
Ari didn't waste a single second. He wanted out of the Pavilion immediately, wanted to escape the stares and whispers and barely concealed contempt. But he'd get lost navigating in school grounds alone. Geography was not his strength, so he grabbed Haruto's arm.
"You're my guide."
Haruto blinked. "I'm your what?"
"I'll get lost without you. Lets get out of here."
They moved toward the exit together.
Their continued partnership seemed to aggravate the crowd even more. Mutters followed them like arrows to the back.
"Still together?"
"Assholes!"
"Hope they both get cut."
"Definetly will!"
In the stands, Tomomi struggled to see through the press of bodies. She'd been trying to keep track of Ari. But the crowd was too thick, the movement was too chaotic. She caught glimpses: black hair, pale skin, that telltale slender body was moving toward the exit with Haruto beside him.
Then they were gone, swallowed by the exodus.
The Pavilion slowly emptied, students were flooded towards the busses.
Day one was over.
Most of the remaining crowd energy focused on Isami Nagi and his crew of friends who were other high level players.
Girls were flocking him, throwing compliments, asking for photos and taking selfies with him from afar, confessing their feelings and interest with energy.
Some desperate energy.
Some entitled energy.
But they were all teenagers who'd just witnessed athletic excellence personified.
But the prince? His blood eyes swept through them without resting on a single face. Every cheer seemed to bounce off him harmlessly. He was so tired also he just wanted to get on the bus.
Away from the epicenter, another current formed.
"AKI-SENPAI!"
"AKIHIKO!"
Akihiko Heishi was in his element. He tossed his head back. You could tell this was a big part of what the point guard lived for.
His blonde hair turned golden to the girls who were looking at him from below. It was caught in the head lights above.
He threw slow wink at the young girls admiring their seniors.
Every muscle in his face knew how to charm, every flick of his fingers and tilt of his grin was honed to perfection. He thrived on attention like some people thrived on oxygen.
Deevay and Runa wee about to leave their friend since he was clearly...busy. Till he dropped down and spoke.
"I say," Akihiko spoke, he leaned against the railing, "tonight…we should go on a double date." His voice was easy, like he was offering a challenge.
Deevay's brow arched, a faint twitch tugging at his lips. He knew Akihiko was up to something.
"A double date?" he repeated. "And who exactly do you think will go with us?"
Akihiko waved a dismissive hand. "Details, details...." He squinted at Deevay suddenly, mock horror in his expression. "Oh right!!.... I almost forgot. Deev…you're terrible with girls."
A flicker of shock and offense passed across Deevay Murray's features. He cleared his throat and his voice low and controlled at first. "…I—", He stressed the words slowly, "I do not suck. I…have game."
Akihiko's gave a sly laugh. "Oh really? You have game?" Akihiko mimicked Deevays signature accented speech style.
"Because last I checked, trying to get a girl to like you is basically…like asking a cat to fetch. They just...don't want to."
Deevay's chest rose, his jaw set. His usual blunt, confident exterior wavered under Akihiko's taunt, but the fire in his eyes flared brighter. "You're…wrong. I… I have…a million times more game than you, Aki. A million. Times." it was pride and indignation that kept him going.
Akihiko knew all too well.
So his smile went ever wider across his attractive face, sharp and opportunistic. He leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiration. "Is that so?" A whisper.
The edge of a smirk beneath it revealed the trap he was laying. "Well then. If that's the case…fine. If you really can get a date, then I guess…..we'll go together."
Deevay's hands twitched. Itching.
But his fire returned, fiercer this time. He was being challenged and the challenge was on. His pride demanded he meet it. "You're going to regret even saying that," a low voice with fire. "I'll…you'll see. I…will crush this. Crush it, Aki."
Runa's melodic voice cut in like a gentle knife. She stepped between them. Leaning lazily on the railing with folded arms.
The Yoshimura basketball team manager hummed innocently, "Hmm.... Wonder how you two plan to manage reading for tomorrow's biology test if you're off chasing dates instead?"
Both boys froze. Akihiko blinked. His smirk disappeared almost instantly. Deevay's jaw clicked shut, though the fire in his eyes didn't dim. Just warped into a blend of fear at Runa's words.
"Oh no, no," Runa added, tilting her head, her smile curled on a devilish tease. "I'm not saying you can't go. Just…if you do, you'll have less time to revise. And I'd hate for you two to fail something important as a ten percent grade test."
Deevay groaned and shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders slumped at reality. "Ah yes yes. Biology test."
At least now that gave the excuse of not taking on Aki's challenge.
Akihiko gave a small, reluctant sigh. He was rubbing the back of his neck. His thin reddish lips expanded back into a smile. "Fine," he said calmly. "Another time Deev?"
Deevays eyes looked elsewhere. " Y...sure".
Runa didn't need to follow; she was already ahead. She'd already covered way past what the subjects that would be involved in the biology test.
Right now she was just entertained beyond measure.
Goro who'd been asleep for most of the afternoon woke when Runa shook him.
"Goroo.....Yori's leaving. Aren't you going to follow him?"
She tried pulling his arm but he was so big and heavy compared to her.
Till he instantly rose and stretched like a tired cat. Then he searched, then found Yori walking down the stairs. Goro followed him toward the exit giving a calm wave to Runa, Deevay and Akihiko.
Outside.
Finallyyy
Ari had reached Outside.
The bus was waiting, and he and Haruto climbed aboard along with other exhausted first-years. The energy was different from the morning. Everybody was tired as hell. The basketballers were fallen in their seats, some with eyes closed, others were staring blankly out windows, most likely asking themselves,*why did I sign up for this*
No one sneered at Ari and Haruto. Everyone was too consumed with their own uncertainty, their own fears about whether their performance had been sufficient.
The silence was heavy with anxiety.
Ari sat by the window, Haruto beside him, and for a while neither of them spoke.
Then Haruto broke the quiet: "How come I've never seen you in class?"
AriToru was caught unexpected by the question. He turned to Haruto in a quick glance before he faced back to the window, "I was in the hospital."
"Ohhh, you were in the bus accident weren't you?."
Ari smiled using his finger to draw circles on the window. "Yes I was,"
He wasn't that focused on the conversation. He was smiling because he'd just remembered how fun and competitive basketball was.
"I heard about that", Haruto lamented looking forward.
"I was glad when they said no student really got hurt....except one.."
Ari turned forward after having drawn a picture of earth on the window. Or something close.
leaning back into his
"Wait, you're the one who was seriously injured aren't you Ari", Haruto's face suddenly looked jarred as it dawned on him.
"Yes." Ari said leaning further back in his chair. "That was me. Sadly."
'But I also got a sentient system that helps me improve so maybe not so sadly'. Ari chuckled inside.
"Wow...I didn't know", Haruto scratched his cheek. "But you're okay now.....right?"
Ari's face turned to his friend, he was bemused by Haruto's presence. "Good as I'll ever be."
Haruto laughed. "Course you are. You're playing basketball." Then he shifted. Meaning to have asked this.
"You're a scholarship student?"
...*I wonder what gave that away* Ari's torso rose up in his seat flexing his stiff shoulders. He just wanted to lay in his bed. "Emhmm....How'd you know?"
"Well... We only have one student who's been absent in Class 1-C. It's a scholarship student. You said we're in the same class....So...", Haruto continued in a smile. "Pretty easy to connect dots"
"Ughhh", Ari reacted when he now knew that everyone would know he's a scholarship student if they saw him.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah...", AriToru rubbed his face with his hands. "Nothing."
"You know Ari.....we've gone really far in some subjects already.....and you've missed all of them." Haruto bent forward to remove a twig stuck in his socks. Then he rose back up and waited.
Ari leaned back out the way. Then Haruto flicked the twig outside the window before he returned back to his sitting position.
"We're way further than I expected for our first-year."
Ari felt a sudden cold in his gut. His eyes were closed. And his long neck was resting side ways facing the window. He huffed tiredly as he rolled up the window. Almost like he had too much to worry about and didn't want to bring his attention to something important like education and reading. Something he knew he hadn't done.
"How far?"
Haruto didn't register Ari's reaction and in fact took the question as an opportunity to answer eagerly.
"Well, in literature, we've already covered one whole novel and started comparative analysis. Math is into calculus basics. Chemistry is—actually, chemistry is insane. I don't understand half of it." Haruto scratched his head. "I thought Yoshimura would start slow, you know? Ease us in? But it's like they assume we're already all geniuses before we came here."
Then Haruto proceeded to describe the material. ...
.....
And what he described would be reserved for second or even third-year students at a regular school. Yoshimura clearly didn't believe in gentle introductions.
This far in and the material in physics would be worth a whole semester in his old school, Seiko. Sure Seiko was a middle school but still... This was too much.
Even for someone as academically capable as Ari—and he WAS CAPABLE, had always excelled in school....but the prospect of catching up while simultaneously focusing on basketball was... daunting.
"Basketball first," Ari muttered to himself. "Basketball first. Academics later."
Haruto heard him and smiled. "You going to evening classes?"
*Evening....classes.* Every one already knew he was a scholarship student. Or they would when he attended class. So...might as well start projecting that image. AriToru opened up his tired eyes watching the wet glass of the bus reflect his pale skin..
*If he's going then I'm going*
"Are you?"
"Nuuh..... I'm going to pass out the moment I reach my dorm."
*Thank god...he's not that serious*
"I'm not attending it then."