Chapter XVIII

* POV: Asari Sae -

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as we huddled up during a timeouThe game against Inazuma Institute was a real nail-biter - they were one of the toughest opponents we'd faced all regular season.

With summer break coming up after this game and just one more left, we couldn't afford to let up now.

"Alright guys, listen up!" Coach Miyamura barked.

"Sugahara, you're doing a great job breaking down their defense, keep attacking the lane.

Yamato, I need you crashing the boards harder on both ends. And Asari..."

He turned his intense gaze towards me. I braced myself for the criticism.

"You're boxing out well, but I need you to be more vocal out there. Get those young guys fired up and keep everyone's energy high.

This is gonna be a dogfight until the final buzzer."

I nodded firmly. "You got it, Coach. I'm on it."

As we retook the court, I caught Kojima's eye and gave him a reassuring slap on the back.

The dude been pretty quiet this game.

""We got this, just stick to the game plan." I said.

Kojima flashed me a wry smile. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you Asari. Let's just get this W."

The whistle blew and the game resumed at a blistering pace.

I battled down low, securing rebound after rebound while Sugahara and the guards flew up and down the court.

We traded buckets with Inazuma, neither team able to pull away.

The final minutes were pure chaos. Bodies flying everywhere, the squeak of sneakers never stopping.

I boxed out hard under the hoop, refusing to give an inch.

A missed Inazuma shot caromed high off the rim.

I went up with everything I had, slamming the rebound back towards our guards.

"Sugahara! Push it!"

He snatched the ball out of the air and took off like a bolt down the court.

Their big man tried cutting him off, but Sugahara used a slick crossover to blow past him.

I could see the defense overloading, so I crashed the lane, waving for the dish. Sugahara read it perfectly, firing a bounce pass that split the double team.

I gathered and went straight up, trying to draw contact.

The whistle blew as the ball fell through. Foul on their center - his fifth.

"And one!" I roared, slamming the ball down.

Our bench erupted as I knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play.

We were up three with under two minutes left. Time to lock it down.

Inazuma pushed hard, but our rotations were crisp.

I sealed my man on the low block as Nakamura dug down to help.

He timed it perfectly, swiping down for a huge swat that had the crowd going wild.

Koji scooped up the loose ball and started our break.

He drew the defense before whipping it to Reo spotting up on the wing. Buckets! The lead was back up to five.

We were rolling now, our chemistry and intensity at its peak.

Nakamura came up with another monstrous block on Inazuma's next possession. I was already filling the lane in transition, bellowing for the ball.

Kojima hit me in stride with a perfect pass. I gathered, took two power dribbles, and elevated, throwing it down with both hands.

The rim was still shaking as I turned to our bench, eyes bulging as I roared.

That seemed to finally break their spirit.

We kept making our free throws down the stretch to seal the big win.

As the buzzer sounded, I swept Kojima and Sugahara into massive bear hugs, the three of us laughing and cheering wildly.

We'd battled all game and came out on top. That resilience and grit was gonna serve us well come tournament time.

* * *

* POV: Nakamura Haruki -

From the opening tip-off, I was locked in. My movements were sharp, my handles tight, and my shots were falling with deadly precision.

I blew past defenders with my explosive first step, attacking the basket with reckless abandon.

"Nakamura's on fire tonight!" Sugahara shouted from the bench.

This was my time to shine, to show everyone what I was truly capable of. No more being overshadowed, no more living in the shadows of players like Sugahara or Yamato.

Tonight, the spotlight was mine.

I drained jumper after jumper, my release as smooth as silk.

When the defense collapsed, I found the open man with pinpoint passes.

On the defensive end, I was a menace, using my quick hands and anticipation to rack up steals.

The opposing team had no answer for my offensive onslaught. I was operating on a different level, and they couldn't stop me.

"How you like me now?" I taunted their star player after blowing by him for an emphatic dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.

As the final buzzer sounded, I stood in the middle of the court, chest heaving, sweat dripping from my brow.

The scoreboard told the tale - a dominant performance from start to finish, my finger prints were all over this game.

* * *

* POV: Haruno -

It was July 17th, the day everyone had been dreading - exam results were being posted before summer break.

I strolled down the crowded hallway with Aiya, dodging clusters of students huddled around the bulletin boards.

"I really hope I did well on the English exam," Aiya fretted. "Those listening comprehension questions were brutal."

I shrugged. "I'm sure you were fine. You always do great in that class."

As we approached the results board for our class, I was prepared to see how well I did.

"What's going on?" Aiya asked, trying to peek over the taller students.

I craned my neck, scanning the list of names and scores. My eyes widened when I spotted a familiar name near the very top - Nakamura Haruki.

The same cocky basketball guy who seemed to care more about showboating on the court than academics.

"No way..." I muttered in disbelief.

Aiya gasped. "Nakamura? Who would have that he was that smart."

Sure enough, Nakamura had placed in the top 5 students academically. The arrogant athlete somehow managed to be one of the highest performers in the classroom too.

Whispers rippled through the crowd, equal parts admiration and skepticism. How could the stereotypical dumb jock also be a brilliant student?

I narrowed my eyes, feeling a flicker of begrudging respect for Nakamura's unexpected academic prowess.

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Nakamura sauntered down the hall, head held high like he owned the place. A gaggle of giggling girls trailed behind him. He caught my withering gaze and flashed me a smug grin.

"What's wrong Haruno? Jealous?" he taunted, loud enough for me to hear.

I opened my mouth to snap back a scathing retort, but a meek voice cut me off.

"N-Nakamura?"

A girl with large glasses and short hair stepped forward hesitantly. Ikehara Kei, if I remembered correctly - one of the shyer girls in our class. Her cheeks flushed bright red as Nakamura turned to face her.

"I was wondering..." Ikehara's voice trembled. "If you might be able to tutor me in math? I'm really struggling and you clearly have such a brilliant mind..."

She trailed off, unable to meet Nakamura's intense stare.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Ikehara Kei, one of the shyest, most soft-spoken girls in our class, was working up the nerve to ask Nakamura Haruki for tutoring help.

Nakamura regarded her with an arrogant smirk, clearly relishing the attention and admiration. He puffed out his chest, letting the moment drag on torturously.

"Well?" Ikehara squeaked, her voice barely audible. "Could you please tutor me in math?"

Nakamura scoffed loudly, shattering the fragile hope in Ikehara's eyes. "Are you kidding me? Why would I waste my time tutoring you?"

The words sliced through the air like daggers. Ikehara flinched, her shoulders slumping in defeat. The hallway fell into an uncomfortable hush.

"Solve the problem by yourself or simply acknowledge that you lack the aptitude," he sneered dismissively.

Tears welled up in Ikehara's eyes as she stared at the floor, her face burning crimson with humiliation. The gaggle of girls surrounding Nakamura tittered cruelly.

My fists clenched at my sides as I watched the heartbreaking scene unfold. How could he be so needlessly cruel? What kind of person got joy out of belittling others like that?

I couldn't stand idly by and let this injustice go unchecked. Before I could stop myself, I was pushing through the throng of gawking students.

"Hey Nakamura!" I shouted, my voice dripping with contempt. "What's your problem?"

Nakamura rolled his eyes dismissively. "It's not my fault she can't handle the truth. She should know better than to waste the time of others."

"You're just jealous that I'm smarter than you Haruno" he snarled.

I barked out a harsh laugh.

I scoffed dismissively at Nakamura's attempt to get under my skin. "Jealous? Of your ego? I don't think so."

Aiya tugged on my sleeve, a concerned look on her face. I took a deep breath, reining in my temper. As satisfying as it would be to knock Nakamura down a peg, making a scene wouldn't help Ikehara.

"Come on, let's go," I muttered to Aiya.

Shooting one last withering glare at the preening Nakamura, I turned on my heel and strode away, Aiya falling into step beside me. Ikehara trailed a few paces behind, still fighting back tears of humiliation.

As we rounded the corner, Aiya placed a comforting hand on Ikehara's arm. "Don't listen to that jerk. You're way too good for him."

Ikehara managed a watery smile. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Of course," I said gruffly, but with a warm smile. "Nakamura's an arrogant prick. Don't let his douchebaggery get you down."

"If you need help with math, Kaori and I would be happy to tutor you," Aiya offered kindly. "She ranked in the top ten too."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, just let us know. Unlike that blowhard, we'd actually be helpful."

Ikehara's eyes widened with relief and gratitude. "Really? You two are lifesavers! Thank you so much."

We waved off her profuse thanks as we parted ways. Aiya and I strolled down the now-empty hallway in comfortable silence.

* * *

* POV: Sugahara -

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch period.

I spotted Kojima and Asari at the vending machine.

"Yo, what's good?" I greet them.

I went and got some soda for myself as well.

Back in the classroom we sat down to eat together per usual.

"He was so rude to poor Ikehara earlier when she just wanted some tutoring help." I heard Kinoshita say something.

I raise an eyebrow, taking a bite of my lunch. "Oh yeah? What happened?"

"Nakamura flat out rejected her in front of everyone," Haruno scoffs, shaking her head. "Just because he's some hotshot doesn't give him the right to act all high and mighty." Haruno explained.

"He's always been like that," Kojima mentioned.

"Hey, Ikehara. Grab a seat, no need to be shy around us."

She nods meekly and sits down beside Kinoshita.

"Don't let Nakamura get you down, Ikehara." Kinoshita said.

"You're too kind, Kinoshita. I really appreciate you and Haruno offering to tutor me instead." Ikehara said.

Kinoshita waves her hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it! We're happy to help. In fact, you should just start sitting with us every lunch period from now on."

Man I feel like our lunch group has been getting bigger and bigger. First it was just the four, then Asari joined, and also Kaede and Aisawa occasionally stop in.

Ikehara seemed to relax a bit more at all our welcoming words. "You're all so nice,"

"Of course! The more the merrier," Kinoshita declares happily.

As lunch progressed, the topic shifted over to summer and how the cooking competition was near.

"So Sugahara, were you able to recruit Kaede for our cooking team?" Haruno asks me.

Before I could respond, Kaede barged into the classroom.

"Speak of the devil," I said under my breath.

"Hey everyone!" Kaede announces as she barges into the classroom. All eyes turn towards her.

"Sugahara and I have a new bet going on," she declares with a mischievous grin directed at me.

I roll my eyes but can't help but smirk a little. "Alright, let's hear it."

"You know the summer festival is coming up soon, right? Well, there's this ring toss stall that has the most adorable charm as the grand prize," Kaede explains. "Whoever wins that charm first, wins the bet."

"Okay, and what does the winner get?" I ask, playing along with her scheme.

Kaede taps her chin thoughtfully. "Well, if I win, you have to buy me that fancy new camera remember?" she explained to me.

I snort. "Kay fine, but if I win..." I pause, realizing she can't enter the cooking competition through the bet because the festival is after the cooking contest. "If I win, you just owe me a favor," I replied.

Kaede raises an eyebrow but nods. "Deal. A favor it is."

I glance at the others. "Hey Sato do you wanna win some big bucks this summer?" Haruno asked.

"Of course what is it?" Kaede asked curiously.

Haruno then proceeded to explain the cooking contest.

Kaede looks surprised. "You want me on your team?"

"Well, duh," Kinoshita pipes up. "You're like, the best cook we know!"

The others nod in agreement, turning their pleading eyes towards Kaede.

She stammers, "I don't know, guys. Cooking competitively is a lot of pressure..."

"Oh, come on," Haruno says. "We all know you'd be a huge asset. Plus, it'll be fun!"

Kaede worries her lip, but I can see her resolve cracking. "Well...if you all really want me there..."

We cheer and she finally breaks into a smile. "Alright, alright! I'm in. Just don't expect me to go easy, i'll be aiming for first place!"

"Well, just remember we're in pairs," Haruno said points towards Asari, who would be Kaede's partner.

"Fair enough, well I'll see you guys next week for it then," Kaede said waving as she left the room.

With Kaede officially on board, I can feel our chances at that cooking competition skyrocketing.

* * *

* POV: Kinoshita -

The sun poured through my curtains as I got up from bed, stretching my arms above my head. I yawned deeply, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Today was the big day - the cooking contest. A flutter of nerves danced in my stomach as I thought about it.

I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, the smell of mom's cooking wafting from the kitchen. "Morning, mom!

"You're up early today. You do realize it's summer right?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I just got some fun activities to do today," I replied.

I sat down at the kitchen table, eagerly digging into the delicious spread of food mom had prepared. The fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and golden hash browns made my mouth water.

"This looks amazing as always, mom!" I exclaimed between bites. "What's your secret to making everything taste so good?"

Mom smiled warmly as she joined me at the table with her own plate. "Well, the secret ingredient is love, of course."

I nearly choked on my orange juice, face flushing with embarrassment.

She laughed heartily. "What? It's true! When you cook with love and care for the people you're making it for, it always turns out better." she explained.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile at her sappy sentimentality. Typical mom.

"Why do you want to know?" my mom questioned.

I explained to her about the details of the cooking contest, and how i'm doing it with Kaori and some of my friends.

Mom raised an eyebrow curiously. "Cooking contest? This is the first I'm hearing about it."

Oops, I hadn't mentioned it to her yet, even though i've been practicing cooking a lot more this past month.

"I see," she nodded. "And who is your partner?"

I remained a little silent for a moment.

"Just this guy, I mean we're paired up based on our skills, so since we're both average cooks I got paired with him," I explained.

"Oh really, what's his name?" she asked me.

I hesitated a little.

"Sugahara," I replied.

My mom’s smile paused ever so slightly before returning to normal. "Sugahara, huh?" she repeated, her tone casual.

"Well don't cause him too much trouble," my mom said jokingly.

"What, me, cause trouble?" I defended in a joking manner.

"Oh, by the way, a package came for you in the mail earlier," Mom mentioned casually as she cleared our empty plates.

My heart skipped a beat. "A package? For me?"

Mom nodded and disappeared into the living room, returning a moment later holding a small box. She placed it on the kitchen table in front of me.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Mom prompted with an amused smile.

I wonder if it was that thing I ordered online a while ago.

I gingerly tore through the tape sealing the box.

As I pulled out the contents I saw the item - a simple wooden picture frame.

"So, what is it?" my mom asked.

"It's...a picture frame," I mumbled, averting my eyes.

Mom raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "A picture frame? What picture is it for?"

"Oh you know, just...framing some random pictures," I replied lamely, fidgeting with the frame in my hands.

After breakfast I headed back into my bedroom.

I picked up a photo that I had been keeping around lately, then I went ahead and slipped it into the new picture frame.

I placed the photo down on my bedside and sat down, admiring it for a while as the suns rays flowed into my room.

Illustration below

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image [https://i.imgur.com/Ftfibud.jpg]

image [https://imgur.com/qTLbEuG.jpg]

Suddenly I heard a vibration.

My phone got a new notification.

After opening my phone, I was greeted with a new text from Sugahara.

Sugahara: You ready for today? Got my chef's hat packed and everything!

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as I typed out a reply.

Me: You bet!