Chapter 12 - First Practice
Coach Kuro was a very different person than Uncle Kuro, Dad Kuro. Coach Kuro demanded hard work dedication and attention to detail. Especially during practice. People say practice makes perfect. Kuro disagrees with this statement completely. Perfect practice makes perfect. Regular practice simply makes your body memorize mistakes. This is why he never let Saito practice on his own. And why he even had to assess the genius Sayori every week.
Sayori and Saito knew his total shift from dad Kuro to coach Kuro. But the new freshman that came to try out for the team could not keep up.
Kuro's plan until the season officially starts was simply to grind all these rocks until they shined like diamonds. For those that could not keep up. Well, this is why try out accepted everyone. If you have desire and no talent you would not be able to keep up. If you have talent without desire you would not be able to keep up.
After yesterdays amazing game between Sayori and Saito, more than half of the freshmen came to join the basketball team. The practice was with boys and girls together. So even if Sayori joined the girls she would have practiced with Saito but this is not what she wanted. She wanted to be on the same team as him. This is also what Saito craved. Seeing how both of the kids wanted this Kuro couldn't help himself but participate in their schemes.
Like all sports, the first thing to improve on is endurance and speed. Even before practice started the athletes needed to perform a 2-mile temple run. Essentially this is a run of nearly 80% of your top speed for a given distance.
Saito - "haa haa haaa, you feeling ok?"
Sayori - "haa haa haa of course I did this practice with dad too. I just didn't let you see because I wanted to beat you."
Saito started laughing and then started drinking water. After he was done drinking, he passed the bottle to Sayori.
She stopped to see no one else was close by. She took the bottle and checked where did he drink it from. She bold showed him she was going to from the same spot.
Saito was happy she was hydrating herself, but he was used to sharing utensils and cups with her so he did understand the significance of this action.
Sayori realized that she used to take baths with him when she was younger so this really does mean much. She then ordered him. "You have to drink from that spot of the bottle from now on.
Saito - "OK but does it really matter? Also at home do you want to eat using the same utensils and plates as when we were kids?"
Sayori happily nods her head with a smile.
Saito smiles and says "ok whatever makes you happy"
Sayori realizes at that moment the only thing holding back her and Saito's happiness was herself. While her head was down she felt a large hand on her shoulder. She looked up.
Saito says with a smile, "Wanna take a break after all ?"
She puts on a bitter smile and says, "I am sorry for making you wait this long"
Saito is usually clueless. Even common sense eludes him. But he is always watching Sayori. She rarely leaves his sight. So even when she says something this ambiguous. He can respond appropriately.
Saito - "No problem, I would have waited until I died for you. Actually, I wanted to say thank you for accepting someone like me"
Sayori makes a frown and affirms. "I accepted because it's you, I would take no one else"
Saito smiles very warmly.
While the new couple were in their own world a girl was watching the two 'boys' have a very intimate conversation. Her breath became ragged. And she needed to find a secluded spot. And thus the ace of the girl's basketball team was nowhere to be found. Until the end of practice.
Kuro believed regards how good one becomes fundamentals should be focused on and continuously improved upon. The foundation of basketball is dribbling, passing, and shooting.
Of the 2 hours of basketball practice. For the whole first hour, the team dribbled the ball while doing an obstacle course. A very long obstacle course that is. 3 miles long in fact. Filled cones narrowing the course, and cars that needed to be circumnavigated. And if that was not enough if they lose control of the ball they would have to start from the beginning. This challenge was difficult, to say the least, and nearly everyone had to restart multiple times. When practice was about to start more than 100 people were there. After the temple runs 45 people remained And they were here either already part of the team from last year or the new comes trying out with talent But all the participants 2 individuals stood out like sore thumbs not only for their skill but because of how much fun they looked like they were having.
Saito and Sayori were laughing and playing the whole time. The practice that left the rest of the team with a headache was completed multiple times. They even started racing each other. These two very quickly became eye sore for everyone.
At first, Kuro was watching them with the eyes of a benevolent father until he heard one statement.
Sayori - Hey Saito if you can finish the course with 1 leg and 1 arm faster than me. I will do whatever you say for a whole day.
Saito - "But that's not fair. I already do whatever you say there is no point in you winning?"
Kuro thought to himself that these bastards were actually flirting using my obstacle course. Normally a father would feel upset that his daughter was offering her lover such an ambiguous deal. But in all honesty, Kuro felt more danger for Saito's chastity than Sayori's. And was feeling more offended for his beloved obstacle course being used in such a way.
Just when Sayori was going to say she doesn't mind. Kuro's loud voice interrupted them.
"STOP"
Saito - "Are we moving on to the practice coach." Asked in full seriousness with a bit of anticipation.
Kuro looked at Saito and then looked at Sayori. She had her cheeks puffed up as if someone stuffed many rice balls in her mouth. Kuro thought she going to ruin my boy. He almost forgot that Sayori is his daughter.
But no can blame Sayori. She had bottled up so many emotions. She was so used to bottling up her emotions that she became blunted. She even started to show fewer and fewer expressions on her face. She use to be such a happy child always smiling. But it changed some time ago. Now she only felt safe showing her real face to Mayumi, not even to her father. After 10 years her emotions are now finally free. She loved Saito longer than he loved her. After all, girls mature faster than boys. Even now she wanted to do things with him that he didn't even know about.
Somehow the fear Kuro had for Saito's chastity was a very real fear to have.
What made Kuro smile and Sayori not scream at her father was that Saito positioned himself behind Sayori. He did so because he never wants her out of his sight even when he had to do something else. What made Sayori lose her anger even further was that he did this completely unconsciously.
Kuro, who has been explaining the next phase of training, saw the lioness has come down. Took in a deep breath as if thinking the catastrophic event has been avoided. After the explanation ended and Saito was a bit further away waiting for Sayori she came up to her father to remind him that he was dead wrong.
"I am going to tell Aunt. Exactly. What.You.Did."
And now Godzilla will attack.
After another round of practice shots, and passing the ball. The practice came to its final act of the day.
This phase of training was team building. Each player would partner up with a group of 5 and pass the ball while moving in a circle around the court and every person had to shoot the ball. They have to shoot when they receive the ball. If they make it they get closer to the basket if they miss they get further away but each person can only shoot once in a rotation once everyone shoots the next rotation starts. They will do this until they touch the court then they go home.
It seemed like a fun game for the tired players to go through and it made a perfect cool down for the team. While making the team rely on one another. Kuro made this exercise, especially for Sayori. He knew that this girl never misses and Saito does not shoot if he thinks he will miss. However, it is impossible for the ball to always be with the point guard and power forward at all times. Sayori will make an amazing point guard along with Saito being an incredible power forward. They will be nearly unstable but they need to rely on the other 3 members on the court otherwise they won't win.
The training started but very soon problems started between team members. In group activities, it is common to be in a group of friends. But the game was much harder than it looked. The activity itself had simple rules and was not straining either physically. But psychologically it was getting harder and harder. After the third rotation, Kuro started to hear players verbally abuse their teammates.
Knowing this would do more harm than good to their relationship he asked the yelling individuals to step out of the circle.
Kuro kept a close eye on his daughter who surprisingly was still laughing. It would be an understatement to say he was shocked. Her favorite person was Mayumi. She loved the easygoing and goofy Saito. But the person she nearly worshiped was his mother. Who did everything perfectly and wanted everyone to do everything perfectly as well. So an avid follower of Mayumi acting so forgiving towards other mistakes was so surprising to him. Kuro then followed her eyes. He couldn't help but shack his head. His daughter was too love-struck. Just being with Saito was enough to make her happy. At this point, he was sure that besides her everyone could become upset.
But just when he was about to turn away from his daughter's group, she heard someone scream. "Ugh what are you doing can't you land a single shot for god's sake"
A girl next to Saito was yelling at another girl who apparently kept missing. He was about to throw the girl out but stopped to watch. The people in this group were Sayori, Saito, and three girls. He thought they wanted to get close to the good-looking Jessie and the ace Saito while putting on an act. This would piss off Sayori to no end so he wanted to see her reaction. But then he saw the screaming girl hold on to Saito's hand and press it against her chest.
Scream girl "Saito look feel my heart beat see how tired I am, how can this girl keep missing, what if I faint? Saito, you would catch me right?"
Cold sweat started to pour out of Kuro. This would piss off Blunted Sayori. If fully release Sayori sees this murder is not impossible for her. If Sayori kills this woman we will be in big trouble. However, his worry was not needed.
Saito looked at her and forcibly pulls his hand off her.
"I am sorry, but you really stink. After practice, I want to go see my fiance. I am afraid that if she smalls your stink on me she might not hold my hand. So yeah please don't touch me. Coach I need to wash my hand, is it ok if I am excused for today ?"
Kuro was speechless. All he can think was: what a move. To be honest he was more impressed with Saito now, than when he made the last shot against Sayori yesterday. He wanted to scream great job kid. But he held it in.
The murderous light in Sayori was replaced with another maybe equally terrifying light. But no one but Kuro was able to tell what did Sayori's new look mean. Kuro was scared that, maybe his daughter turned into a yandere after being held back for so many years. But he shakes his head, she would never harm Saito… right? Kuro believed that he need to consult the expert at home again.
Kuro - "Yeah I think everyone is exhausted today. So let's end the practice. But make sure you write your name on this board before you leave. Everyone who left practice today is off the team. Everyone that screamed at their teammates is on probation. And everyone that managed to touch the court is on the team. Well done Ace your group did great."
At some point in the practice, the female team's ace came back while sweating more than anyone else on the court.
Ace, "Thank you coach we will make you proud"
Her eyes never left Sayori who walking away while talking to Saito.