Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl That Time Loved ❯ Belonging ( Chapter 13 )

Days passed and he remained true to his resolve: Mitsui poured all his effort into spending time with Reiko. Each minute he spent talking to her, listening to her when she explained their lessons, the smiles she gave him, all of them were treasures only he could appreciate.

Nearly everyone on Coach Sato's team and the basketball team noticed how attached Mitsui was to her, and before each practice they could be seen together stretching in one corner of the gym, a routine silently encouraged by Coach Miwa and Coach Sato. They saw it as a ritual for good luck.

Mitsui didn't forget Fuji and Miller's little wager, and he made sure that every ball passed to him would be a sure three-point shot. He lived up to his consistency, and the shooting guard made the local newspapers as the only basketball player in the district to score 36 points in a game. Reiko's younger guards had a much greater respect for him as a player, and now they were betting on which professional team would offer him a contract first.

Mitsui's beautiful stretch partner made waves as well. Reiko led Coach Sato's team into 8 straight victories, and the collegiate volleyball world was astounded by her abilities. Coach Sato and his team appeared on the cover of Nihon Volleyball, and requests for interviews and photo shoots flooded the overwhelmed coach's office. At one point he had to cover the little windows of the gym doors and lock them with the help of Reiko's bodyguards to keep the eager paparazzi outside, waiting for a photo-op. They were getting too distracting. Then again, his team was composed of attractive girls, and that was one of the main reasons why the seats were so packed on game days, even when they're in the opponents' home turf. He would inwardly sigh at that thought. He felt like a father, proud that his little angels were getting so much better at their game, protective when guys got too friendly with them. This would always make his wife laugh whenever she went to see their games.

Weeks passed and the month of November was ending. Akagi and Mitsui couldn't believe how well they did on their midterms, and all the credit went to Reiko who humbly refused to be recognized as the only person on this earth who could possibly make physics and math fun. They all went to the old man's bakery across the main street and toasted their Sunday Mornings to Reiko. Even the bodyguards joined in the humble merriment. A look at Reiko's cheerful blue eyes uncovered a stronger hope within them for happier memories to come. Being closer to their age, Fuji and Miller have become a lot more easygoing around Mitsui and his basketball team, not to mention Reiko's teammates. And since Mitsui followed Reiko like her very shadow, Akagi, Miyagi and the rest have gotten used to the guards being around them during games and practices.

It was no secret to Akagi and Miyagi that the shooting guard was in love. They knew it from the very beginning. Even Ayako heard from the girls on the team that Mitsui was always staring at Reiko like a sunflower to the sun. And yet, there was something that held him back, like he was restraining himself. Whenever they heard Mitsui speak to her his voice was always tender, and hers calm and gentle. There were even times when Akagi would catch his friend reach out for Reiko whenever her back was facing him, wanting to embrace her, but resignedly withdrawing his hand and returning Reiko's gaze with a pained but happy look, if one could mix the two. The two players spoke of it once and decided that if there was something that troubled the shooting guard, it would affect his level of play. So far, so good. Until then, no questions.

Jackson opened the newspaper at the breakfast table and frowned at the sports section. In big conspicuous bold letters, "Nakamichi Reiko: Watching Volleyball is Fun Again". A picture showed Reiko in mid-air about to hit a volleyball, the small smile on her lips caught in the freeze frame. He tossed the paper to Sakai who drank his coffee as he listened to the morning news.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Sakai," he mumbled, tapping the side of his coffee mug.

"I guess we just have to be ready for anything," Sakai said, suddenly grabbing the remote control and turning up the volume for the younger guards in the kitchen to hear.

"College basketball season is headed to a surprisingly exciting climax, with Miwa and his team against the number one ranked Sendai Tigers. It's been four years since Miwa led his team to a championship game, and perhaps this year it's not so surprising since he has three outstanding players trained in Coach Anzai's basketball breeding ground, Shohoku High School. What's surprising is that the volleyball team from the same college is the exact mirrored replica of success as Miwa and his boys. Practically out of nowhere, Nakamichi Reiko appeared into the collegiate scene and stole the hearts of the spectators with gravity-defying vertical jumps and a near-perfect kill record." A picture of Reiko showed on the screen, and in it her eyes shone a cool sparkling blue.

All four bodyguards fixed their eyes at the television, a small smile creeping across their lips. She had come a long way, even though she had it all along.

"I guess letting Mitsui hang around her was a good idea after all," Jackson said, munching on an apple.

The rest of the guards chuckled. "You seem to have a nose for these kinds of guys, Jackson," Sakai said, turning the television off.

"It's good to see Nakamichi-dono happy again," muttered Miller, taking a seat next to Fuji.

"Amen to that," piped Fuji, his mouth full of scrambled eggs.

"Men, I know everything's been stable and quiet, but we can't let our guard down. I don't know, something in my gut tells me we need to be on our toes come two weeks from now."

Miller shoved a piece of toast in his mouth. "Then I'd better do a quick inventory on our equipment. Your gut's pretty good at these things."

"Does the house have an immersion chamber?"

"I was told that each of their houses had one. Check the basement."

"Restock the first aid kit with new bandages and gauze. Even if she does run like a well-oiled machine, make sure there's a fresh vial of epinephrine in the kit that her uncle sent for emergency. I'll go see her right now and check on her medicine cabinet."

The four guards dispersed, Fuji going to the basement, Sakai going to the vehicle, Miller to the den of the servants' house and Jackson to the Nakamichi house.

Akagi and Mitsui made room for Reiko so she could get into the seat they saved for her. Unlike before, they looked forward coming to classes now, and no matter how difficult the lecture seemed, Reiko could untangle things in less than thirty minutes. Mitsui found it funny that even now as the semester was ending, she still did not take any notes and yet was on top of everything. Even on the shooting guard's list of priorities. Word got out that Reiko was helping the two basketball players with their studies, and soon every weekday morning their classmates begged if they could sit in with them to try to sort through the mathematical mess their professor left in their minds. Having no objections, she and the rest of the class thronged the bakery across the street, listening intently to Reiko's lucid explanations and leaving with a smile and a sense of enlightenment. The old proprietor of the bakery could only be happy; Reiko unknowingly brought business by the numbers. She made the bakery a popular study hangout.

The geeky professor came into the lecture hall with a stack of papers, the students suspecting them to be homework. Whispers were exchanged in the room. Standing behind the wooden podium, the professor spoke.

"All right, people. As you all know, finals are fast approaching, and I have a little proposition for you all. Each packet I'm handing out today has several pages of equations. I'm giving you three options. You can either take the final exam in three weeks, or fill out this packet with correct answers as your final exam." He turned around and began writing across the blackboard.

"Sir, you mentioned three options," a student said.

"Patience, please," he squawked as he finished drawing the string of equations on the board. He turned around once more.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," he said as he pointed to the board, "is your third option. I am surprised at the grades I've been seeing in this class, and I know one person in this crowd is the mastermind helping you all."

Mitsui narrowed his eyes at the professor. His tone was accusing, almost angry that no one was doing badly in his class.

"And since you guys appear to be smart according to my grade book, I am offering this challenge to the brightest mind in this class, whoever you are," he sneered, the corner of his eye catching Reiko sitting between the two tall athletes. Mitsui saw this and he reflexively gripped his pencil.

"I will leave these equations up here for you to ponder on. If someone in this class can come forward and solve this, not only will that person receive an A for this course, but so will the rest of the class. All parts of the equations or nothing."

The lecture hall was abuzz with murmurs.

"I know that most of you are engineering majors in here and that doing well in my class makes you a candidate for the most sought-after internships in this school's engineering department. This may very well be your ticket to the big leagues of the engineering world. Having said that, you have two weeks to decide whether one of you will be smart enough to come forward and write the answer on the board. I suggest covering your bases by either doing the packet or studying for the final, in case none of you is brave enough to be the hero of this class. Or should I say heroine, to be more on the politically correct side," the reedy professor uttered with a sardonic tone.

As the man with coke bottle glasses left, the students gathered around the stack of papers on the side table by the podium. Akagi volunteered to get three for all of them. Eyeing the equations once more on the board, Reiko bit her lip as she looked at the scribbled numbers in sequence. There was something vaguely familiar with the numbers written on the board, like a problem she had seen long ago...

"Reiko-san, if you stare at it any harder, you'll crack the board," teased the shooting guard beside him.

She withdrew from her thoughts and smiled back at Mitsui. They met up with the guards and went outside the lecture hall. When they stepped out, the rest of the class was waiting for them.

"Reiko-san, we all know you can solve those equations no problem," said one student, his tone hopeful.

"Yeah, put that pencil neck in his place!" cheered another. Laughter filled the hallway.

Reiko looked demurely on the tiled floor. "I'm afraid I'm being a bad student. I didn't even copy the equations down."

Arms from the crowd extended out to her, pieces of paper with the equations written down in their hands. The bodyguards stifled a laugh at her surprised face.

"I'll give it a try," she quietly said, taking one of the sheets from a delighted classmate.

Sighs of relief escaped the throats of her classmates. "God, Reiko-san, you're an angel sent from above!"

"You're a saint!"

"You're too gorgeous to be in our class!"

"Marry me!"

Before she could figure out who said the last two sentences, the whole class had already walked away, their cheery voices resonating in the hallway as they exited the building. She felt Mitsui inch closer to her.

When asked if she would like to see the children at the day care center again, Reiko gladly accompanied the shooting guard. As predicted the children were ecstatic to see them, and they flocked to Reiko like lost sheep to Little Bo Peep. Mitsui's puppet show was a hit, and this time Reiko joined the ranks of day care stardom by manning another puppet that held the children's attention to the very end. They recounted the story of the swan princess, and even the teachers were entranced with the storytelling. Jackson became the resident couch for the day; a handful of children crowded around and leaned against him as they watched on. They quietly left and said their goodbyes when all the children were sound asleep for their naps, the teachers gratefully waving at them for passing the time and calming the children down.

They piled into the black Suburban and Fuji couldn't help but glance at Jackson from the rear view mirror. As the car halted at the intersection, Fuji no longer held back and turned around from the driver's seat.

"Jackson, what's that?" he asked, pointing to the older guard's shoulder.

"What's what?"

Reiko looked at Jackson and smiled. The guard's button-up shirt had patches of wetness around both shoulders that were drying around the edges. She recalled that Jackson held two of the children who fell asleep on him after the puppet show, and they left their sleepy wet mark on his shoulders.

"I think the kids drooled on me," mumbled Jackson, trying to hide the embarrassment in his voice.

"They must really like you to fall asleep on you," said Mitsui with an amused grin.

"I don't know why the same kids come to me all the time. Why don't they go bother you, Sakai?" he irritatingly asked.

"There's no use trying to deny you like the little ones, Jackson. I saw you in there today," cajoled Miller as he flipped the visor above his seat. "Since when did you become a gentle giant?"

Everyone laughed at the crimson-faced guard, his lips half pouting and yet smiling. Jackson glanced at Reiko who sat next to her and caught the childish grin on her pretty face. It softened him more, forcing him to sigh before lamely telling Sakai to stop laughing at him.

Practice that afternoon was grueling for the basketball team. With the competition getting harder and tougher, Coach Miwa drilled his team on offense and defense to near exhaustion. When they were dismissed for the day, the players had to drag themselves to the locker room.

Mitsui plopped himself on the bench in front of his locker, his hair and practice clothes drenched in sweat. He looked around him and found his teammates in the same condition. Miyagi sat on the bench facing away from his locker, just staring into space, and Akagi rested his elbows on his thick thighs as he sat next to a worn-out Keiichi. The rest of their teammates groaned as they sluggishly dragged themselves to the showers.

Akagi took his practice jersey off. "Today's practice had to be the most tiring yet."

"No shit," mumbled Keiichi, untying his shoes. "Hey, you okay there, Miyagi?"

It took a second before the point guard could blink and reply. "Yeah, man. I'm just a little tired."

"I think everyone is," muttered Mitsui, wiping the sweat below his chin with the back of his hand.

"And what sucks is that I'm going to be even more tired after I try to solve some of those math problems for the final," Akagi groused as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Mitsui, do you think Reiko-san can really save our whole class from having to take the final exam?"

Keiichi and Miyagi looked at Mitsui with wide eyes.

"What's this about?"

Mitsui smiled and closed his eyes as he slouched against his locker. "Our clumsy professor issued us a little challenge today. If anybody in class can solve the five problems he wrote on the board correctly, the whole class gets an `A'."

"Are you serious?" piped Keiichi.

"Is Reiko-san really that smart?" Miyagi asked, leaning forward.

The shooting guard glanced at Akagi and a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, I'd say so."

"Oh, I get it. You like her `cause of her brains," taunted Keiichi as he tapped on his temple twice.

"She's pretty good-looking, too, don't forget that," Akagi said gruffly, reaching for the bath towel in his locker.

"Man, quit talking like parlor ladies," Mitsui said in exasperation as he rolled his eyes. // There's so much more to her than that. // He hastily took his jersey off, slipped out of his shoes and socks and slung his towel over his shoulder.

He trudged to one of the shower stalls, turned on the shower and let the hot water wash away his exhaustion. The soothing hot water pelting against his skin, he watched the steam rise as he scrubbed himself down with soap and a washcloth. He closed his eyes and instantly Reiko's face appeared in his mind's eye, those same innocent azure eyes looking back at him. There were plenty of occasions when he so badly wanted to reach for her, to scoop her up and lock her into his embrace, but he held back. What Jackson told him on the balcony of the annex gym sparked a struggle within him. As much as he wanted to tell her how he felt, how he longed to press his lips against her warm rosy ones, he knew it would be much too soon to do so. She needed to learn what it was he felt, to feel it and understand. He knew Reiko was a quick learner, but this was something she couldn't glean from a book. The love he had for her was similar yet so different from what she has experienced. He didn't know how else to tell her how he felt short of just flat out saying it. He was full of trepidation. Never before did the inclination to convey his feelings been so urgent; he never felt this way before with any woman. He took some comfort in her trust, the times when the blue in her eyes surfaced whenever he made her laugh, and the way she smiled differently at him from all the rest. And the fact that her four muscled men allowed him to hang around her made him all the more grateful to the good Lord upstairs. But tied to that trust was the pressure.... and it wasn't so much from Jackson and the others, but from himself. He needed to watch his every more, he didn't want to make a mistake because he knew this was new to her and all too important to him. He could withstand this pressure; he would cultivate patience like a redwood. What he feared most, what he pushed away from his thoughts was the very possibility of Reiko not realizing his love for her beyond the boundaries of friendship. He admitted that he loved every aspect of her, including the innocence that surfaced with the cerulean hue she possessed in her eyes. And yet, he was afraid that this same innocence might someday break him. He always tried to take matters into in his own hands if he knew he could do something about it. But with this, he felt helpless and afraid. He let the water pelt against his face as he looked up with his eyes still closed, willing the query in his head to wash off and down the drain.

// Will she learn to love me? //

Reiko had now taken residence in the deepest depths of his heart.

She ruled him and she didn't even know.

Fuji and Miller jumped in unison as Reiko jumped and hit the volleyball into their blocking arms. The ball broke through the block, the impact was softened and Coach Sato dug the ball to Sakai who set the ball to Jackson. The whole afternoon had been like this; the team did nothing but scrimmage against Coach Sato and the guards, and it went well into the evening. They made sure no snooping photographers could see them through the double door windows of the annex gym, but the sage coach knew to give a key for the side door to the one person who always stopped by to see his most prized player.

Mitsui opened the side door silently and found the ladies in the middle of a game. Nanami jumped up to set the ball, with Yuki and Sayuri jumping as they both approached her. She gave a quick set behind her and Sayuri hit the ball past Jackson's thick arms. The ladies cheered at the point scored, and they met in the middle of the court for high fives. The shooting guard smiled at the cohesiveness of the team, and from their beaming faces he knew that they really enjoyed playing with each other. His eyes drifted over to Reiko who slowly walked away from the brief huddle, smiling as she wiped her chin with her sleeve. As if she could feel him watching her, she looked to his direction and she smiled from ear to ear.

He sighed. // God, I love that smile... //

"All right, two-minute water break!" yelled Coach Sato, briefly nodding at Mitsui as he walked off the court.

Both teams on the court dispersed to the benches by the sidelines, and the ladies thirstily gulped down the cool water from their water bottles. Coach Sato hung around the bodyguards who were getting a good workout from scrimmaging. They acknowledged Mitsui who stood in the corner with a nod and returned to chatting with the happy coach. Everyone was abuzz with excitement in the newspapers and television about the upcoming games that Coach Sato and his team would play. The guards laughed when the comical coach described his team as `the Cinderella team of all Japan'.

Reiko was about to walk over to the waiting shooting guard when Nanami pulled her gently aside, curiosity written all over her face.

"Reiko-chan," she whispered as she eyed the shooting guard, "I really envy you."

She blinked at the statement. "Why?"

"Because you've got a really sweet boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah. You know, Mitsui-san."

"Oh." Reiko looked down on the wooden floor for a second. "You're referring to Mitsui-san that way because he's a boy and a friend of mine, right?"

The setter widened her eyes at the interpretation. "I was thinking more along the lines of you and him seeing each other on a regular basis. You know, like dating."

Reiko angled her head at her teammate. "Dating?"

"Yeah, dating..." Reiko stared at Nanami with a look of confusion on her face. "Wait a minute, are you telling me you don't know what dating is?"

"I know the concept, though I've never experienced it before."

Nanami was absolutely bowled over. Here before her stood the prettiest girl on the team, with so many male fans in the audience at every home and away game, and she had never once dated?! The idea was nothing short of ludicrous. Every person on the team, even their goofy coach, knew that Mitsui was head over heels for Reiko, and they all assumed that they were dating since they were together so much. That was their understanding, at least. And with such a pretty face and pleasing disposition, she thought that Reiko had a mile long line of guys waiting to date her. So what was the deal between her and the shooting guard?

"All right, it's been more than two minutes already, ladies. Game on!" shouted their eager coach, almost skipping back onto the court.

Nanami quickly took Reiko's hand and patted it twice before letting go. "You and I need to talk girl business after practice. All right?"

She didn't understand what business she had to talk about girls, but she agreed to her setter's request, thinking that she referred to the rest of the girls on the team. Reiko glanced at her stretch partner once more who never failed to throw her a grin. Upon stepping onto the court, she ran the sleeve of her shirt over her cheeks. She felt somewhat warmer.

They played for a half an hour more before Coach Sato realized how late it was. Ten past eight. He called the team to a huddle and dismissed the ladies, a chorus of gratitude for the guards' participation escaping their throats as they walked to the locker room. Reiko trailed behind and stole another glance at her stretch partner who now spoke to the bodyguards sitting on the bench.

In the locker room, Miki and Sayuri led the chatter as the girls undressed and grabbed their towels and toiletries.

"Oh my gosh, Fuji-san is soooo cute!" Sayuri sighed as she shampooed her hair. "I nearly fainted when he complimented me on my sets!"

The girls in the adjacent stalls giggled at her admission.

"I get weak just looking at Miller-san all worked up and sweaty," grumbled Miki, scrubbing herself down.

Nanami just rolled her eyes and laughed.

Reiko was the last to finish showering, and most of the girls had filtered out of the locker room by the time she got to her locker. After getting dressed, she wrung her hair of excess water and toweled it before blow drying it. Nanami was already dressed, also drying her hair.

"Reiko-chan, could you look behind us if anyone else is here?" she asked with a loud voice, trying to hear herself speak above the deafening whir of the hairdryer.

She did as requested. Seeing no one else, she returned to her locker and sat next to the setter who brushed her hair.

"What is it you wish to discuss, Nanami-san?" she asked after shutting the blow dryer off.

The setter laughed. "You're so polite, Reiko-chan, you make me want to curtsy." Nanami handed her the brush. "Would you brush my hair for me?"

Reiko smiled. "Sure."

Nanami found a spot in front of the full length mirror by the showers and dusted it before sitting down. Reiko sat behind her and began to brush her hair lock by lock.

"You know, I was wondering why you took forever to join our team. For the longest time, Sato-sensei griped about this `phenom' that would bring us to the highest bracket in our division," she said with an exaggerated sigh. Her teammate smiled faintly at her words. "I thought you would be the snobby type, you know."

Reiko widened her eyes in subtle shock.

"But when the girls and I met you for the first time, you were so nice, you blew us all away. And I was right, you are too good for us, but I admire the way you keep humble and play it low-key, even though everyone thinks the world of you. You seem so perfect and innocent... but I've got a feeling you think you don't belong."

Reiko stopped midway through a brush stroke. Nanami took notice and leaned to her left to see Reiko's face looking down in the mirror. "I'm sorry, I guess I struck a nerve."

She shook her head slowly. "Please, don't be. It's just... you're quite observant."

Nanami shrugged. "So I guess I'm right then. But I don't want to push issues around. I just want you to understand something."

Reiko didn't know what to expect and she steeled herself as Nanami spoke.

"I notice that you sometimes stare out into space on the court, like you're all alone in this world, physically there but mentally far away. Now, I don't have to know your situation for my gut to tell me to care, but I just want you to know that the rest of the team and I are more than just your teammates. You can count on us for anything on and off the court because we're also your friends, if you'd let us be just that. You don't have to spill your guts or anything like that. I speak for the team when I say we're kind of goofy, with Miki and Sayuri drooling over your bodyguards. But we're more than that. Ever since all of us played for this school, we clung together like grapes on a vine. I've had some pretty rough times before and all the girls gave me a shoulder to lean on and cheered me up. You know, girls in general can be pretty evil to each other, but our teammates are surprisingly nice, and I can really attest to that. I'm not saying we're total angels. We've played some pretty funny tricks on Sato-sensei before that angered him to run us to exhaustion, but we're an all-around good bunch. I want you to know that we're here for you if you ever need somebody to lean on, through the good and the bad," she ended, her soothing voice echoing sweetly in Reiko's ears. Her soft voice permeated through her, her words flooding her with the gravity of their meaning and kindling warmth inside her like that of a sister's comforting embrace.

Nanami turned about to face Reiko, still holding the hairbrush in her clutch. She put a smile on her face. "I can always put what I said on writing," her eyes twinkled as she spoke. "But just remember what I've said whenever you feel like no one else is there. You've helped all of us unlock our true potential as a team. I hope we can do the same for you as your friends."

Reiko could say nothing. She felt like laughing and crying. It was the first time in a long time that anyone other than Mitsui told her she was welcomed and that she belonged, with no strings attached. Her heart was filled to overflowing; this was the very friendship that her stretch partner had offered her, only it came from Nanami and her teammates this time. Relief and happiness, so much she felt that she lost control of speaking. She silently watched with wide eyes as the setter squeezed both her hands reassuringly and grinned before taking the hairbrush back.

"I don't think you like brushing my hair, Reiko-chan," Nanami said as she playfully pouted, waving the brush in the air like a magic wand.

Reiko unexpectedly found her voice and let a laugh loose. "Please pardon me, Nanami-san. I'm quite slow to take these matters in."

"I'm just joshing with you. But here, you can redeem yourself," the setter handed the brush back to Reiko. Taking the brush with a shy giggle, she ran the brush through Nanami's hair once more.

"So, now that that's cleared, let's talk about something else," Nanami said, the playful tone in her voice resurfacing. "Why hasn't my pretty pretty teammate dated when there's plenty of perfectly good guys out there, especially one who particularly stands out and is almost always with you?"

After a pause, Reiko replied, "Are you referring to Mitsui-san?"

"Bingo. So what do you think of Mi-chan?

"He's been a very good friend to me, my very first friend here in Kanagawa," she said, brushing the ends of Nanami's hair.

"Have you thought of what he thinks about you?"

Reiko looked up as she thought. "I suppose he thinks I'm polite as well."

Nanami laughed. "But everybody thinks that of you." She took a small lock of hair and began braiding. "The reason I'm asking is because I don't think you see what I see."

Reiko gave her a puzzled look as Nanami turned around once more. She thanked her for brushing her hair as she stood up. The setter smirked at her teammate's quizzical face.

"You're so cute, Reiko-chan. How did you get to be so innocent?"

Reiko shrugged reluctantly. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with these kinds of situations."

"Didn't you have anybody to chat with about these things?"

Reiko thought back to all the times she spent with her mentors and old professors. She couldn't recall a single moment with them talking about anything other than academic matters. Perhaps a comment here and there about her keen perception, but she obviously thought of herself naïve to what Nanami spoke of. She couldn't remember discussing social situations with them at the moment. When she was quite young, she would seldom hear her sister say that she would one day draw a lot of attention and `break a lot of hearts'. At the time, she thought her sister meant that in the future she might hurt people's hearts physically, and because of this she spent a great deal of time with her Uncle Tak reviewing the cardiovascular system. She sadly smiled at the recollection. It was one of the few times she could remember her sister telling her of such things.

"I'm afraid not, Nanami-san."

"Hmm.... I thought you and Michan were a couple."

"How is that?" Reiko asked, sitting back on the bench in front of her locker.

"Because you're the only one Michan acts tenderly towards everytime he sees you."

Reiko blinked. "Do you mean he's not nice to anyone else?"

The setter laughed once more. To someone who had never dated before, she had a lot of explaining to do. How does one explain feelings? She sighed. It was going to be a long night. "No, no, it's not that at all." Nanami glanced at her watch. "Listen, do you have some time to spare?"

"I believe Mitsui-san wanted to say something to me earlier."

"I'm sure he's still outside waiting for you. Are you going to study together tonight?

"Perhaps. I'm not sure if he and Akagi-san want to start on math homework this evening."

Nanami quickly turned her head at Reiko. "Akagi-kun?"

"Yes. He asked if he could sit in with us," she replied,

The setter averted her gaze to the fresh pair of socks in her hand, running her thumb over the cottony surface. "I hear you've been a big help to them."

Reiko coyly looked down the floor. "Mitsui-san mentioned before that you and Akagi-san have the same organic chemistry class. Do you study with him as well?"

"N-no, not really..." she stammered. "I mean, he's really smart, I don't think he needs my help. I'm kind of lost in that class myself."

Reiko smiled. "Do you need help?"

"Yeah," Nanami sighed. "But it's hard to find patient tutors these days. I'm like concrete to the info in that class, it just doesn't seep in."

"I think I'm patient enough," her teammate answered as she packed her belongings into her gym bag.

Nanami's eyes widened. "Are you telling me you can help me with organic chemistry?"

"I should remember enough of it to help you."

The setter got ecstatic. "Really? I mean, you're really serious?"

Reiko nodded as she placed two shiny clips in her hair. She grinned at her setter's excited face.

"This is too awesome! I've been struggling in that awful class since the beginning of the semester!" Nanami exclaimed as she grabbed Reiko's hands, jumping up and down. "Akagi-kun told me you're really smart, now I really have a chance to salvage my grade!" The setter gathered her things and slung the strap of her gym bag over her shoulder. "When can we start?"

"It only takes Akagi-san and Mitsui-san an hour to finish ten long equations, and they usually do not want to solve any more than that in one sitting. If you would like, I can help you after I finish helping them."

Nanami quickly agreed. "Come on, then. I bet Michan's waiting for you," she chimed with a wink.

As Reiko shut her locker, she hesitated. "Nanami-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering.... if I could learn a few things from you as well."

"Like what?"

"Like the `things' you see which you say I do not."

The setter was tickled. "If that's the case, honey, Nanami-chan will tell you ALL."

They walked out of the locker room giggling, making the men waiting by the benches turn their heads at their laughter. They all courteously acknowledged Nanami, and she noticed the sparkle in Mitsui's eye upon seeing her teammate. She inwardly chuckled. It was quite obvious and yet Reiko couldn't see. She drew small talk with the guards to let Reiko discuss plans with her stretch partner.

"Hello, Mitsui-san. I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh no, don't be. I just wanted to tell you that I don't think I can study with you tonight. I promised my Dad I'd help clean the garage out. Akagi's going to be helping me out with some heavy junk, and I'm afraid it's going to take a while."

"That's quite all right. I offered to help Nanami-san with her schoolwork in organic chemistry."

"Really? Then I guess I should tell Akagi-san to join you two instead. He's not too happy in that class right now. I'm sure he'd appreciate the help."

"That would be fine, I'm sure Nanami-san would like his company."

The shooting guard arched a brow as he grinned in mischief. "Oh?"

His stretch partner tilted her head slightly to the side as she smiled questioningly, wondering why he suddenly had an impish look about him.

"I heard my name. So what's the gossip now?" the setter's voice cut in, making the two turn their heads at her.

"I just told Mitsui-san about our plans tonight, and Akagi-san might be joining us as well. Mitsui-san will be helping his father at home this evening."

"Oh... With what?"

"Just clearing out a bunch of old boxes and other junk. No big deal."

A mischievous grin crept across the setter's face as she teasingly wrapped her arm around in mock possessiveness for the shooting guard to see. "I hope you don't mind me stealing Reiko-chan away from you tonight," she said, enjoying the envious glare that Mitsui shot her.

"Would you like to meet tomorrow morning instead?" Reiko offered.

Much to his consolation, Mitsui was quietly delighted and eagerly agreed. "At the bakery like always?"

His stretch partner nodded. Nanami impishly grinned at the shooting guard, noting the look of triumph in his face as he looked back at her. Mitsui was hopelessly magnetized to Reiko and she didn't know it. It must be frustrating. Nanami sighed in resignation.

"We'll be at my house. Would that be all right, Reiko-chan?"

"Indeed."

And so they each took their leave, Mitsui leaving through the side door and the two teammates flanked at each side by the guards as they walked through the double doors of the annex gym.

"Son, be careful, I don't want you hurting your back," Mr. Mitsui said as he watched his son lift a box from an overhead shelf.

"Pops, this wouldn't so hard if you and Mom hadn't been pack rats," his son said as he lowered the heavy box onto his father's workbench. "What's in here, anyway?"

"Your mother's old magazines and newspapers. She doesn't even know why she kept them, but she made me keep them anyway. Ah, why am I such a pushover at times?"

The shooting guard laughed at his father. His mother was right: men may look and act hard as rocks, but they've got soft spots all over them. He took two more down from the shelf, and Mr. Mitsui carted the rest off in a little wagon that his son used to play with. He looked up to see a box remaining at the end of the shelf, and he slid it over before bringing it down. As he did, a newspaper fell out. Putting the box on the ground, he picked it up and blew the dust from the front page.

He froze in place as his eyes widened, gazing at a ghastly picture of a plane in flames in a large body of water, with words underneath it in big bold print.

"Plane Crash Off Coast of New York: 24 Survive"

Below the headline was a picture of a family whose faces were so frighteningly familiar to the shooting guard. He gripped the sides of the old newspaper as he read below the photograph, his heart stopping at the words.

"Petroleum Magnate Nakamichi and Family Die In Tragic Plane Crash."