It wasn't until gym class that Kaho realised what she might need to do in order to make Naseru take her seriously. She watched him play on Eiji's team. It was the first time, Yuta and Eiji were on the same time as Naseru during class. The two second-years had a good rhythm of play, Kaho had watched Eiji and Yuta practice their passes before. They had learned subtle symbols and tells to explain what they wanted from the other during their middle school days, but they'd honed it, made it far less obvious during basketball practice during their first-year. Eiji's middle finger tapped the back of the ball twice and Yuta strode back a step and watched Eiji throw the ball over his shoulder like it was a bottle into the trash, or a pair of socks in the laundry basket. It was such a clean toss, straight into Yuta's waiting arms. He caught the ball in a scooping motioned, pivoted on his left leg and attempted a three-pointer. It missed. They swore. But Naseru, Naseru had made his way under the net, snagged the rebound and dunked.
Kaho had watched, completely enthralled. Her gaze flickered to her brother on his side of the gym. He was writing on a clipboard. Probably feedback for the boys on the team. Or his own scheme for securing Naseru on the team.
It was easy to focus on Naseru on the court, and incredibly hard to peel her eyes away from him. He moved with precision and fluidity, like his muscles contorted to exactly where they needed to be, like he was practiced in the art of winning, no matter what. Kaho was at his mercy as he played, and as much as she wanted to watch the rest of the team in that moment, and work out all the tricks to the language of Yuta and Eiji's passes to each other, she couldn't peel her eyes from him as his chest heaved from exertion, as he wiped the sweat off his brown skin, as his braided hair bounced with each movement. She was completely in his orbit.
Kaho was forced back to earth when the volleyball she was supposed to receive hit her squarely in the chest. It knocked the air out of her. The ball landed on the court and the point went to the opposition.
Taiga blew the whistle and Naseru, left the court, the next team going on to play. With Kaho no longer distracted, she could play. Maki served the ball, and it was quickly returned over the net, and Mariah gained possession.
She set it to Yui, who smacked the volleyball in her open palm, over the net. Kaho watched her opponents serve the ball into Maki's waiting arms. She received the ball, redness blooming on her forearms as the ball soared upward and back over the net. Their opponents spiked it, sending the ball toward the back of the court, where she and Maki were. Kaho leapt for the ball, skidding across the waxy gym floor on her chest, arms outstretched. The ball hit her head, bouncing off the top of her skull.
"You okay!" Maki shouted. Kaho gave her a thumbs up.
Yui had had her eyes trained on the ball. She slammed it on the opponent's side of the court, while the rest of the team rushed to check Kaho for injury. She rubbed her head.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kaho said, trying to get to her feet. She stumbled forward into Mariah's open arms.
When Kaho staggered back to her place on the court, she glanced over at the boys' side of the gym, where Naseru stood, watching her, his dark eyes transfixed on her, as Kaho strode forward to attempt to spike the volleyball. The spike landed in bounds. Just. And Kaho stumbled backward on landing, landing on her butt. She hissed. Mariah offered her a hand, and pulled her back up. Naseru was still watching.
If he was impressed by her attempts of volleyball, he should see her play a sport she's actually good at. Kaho paused. The thought hit her like lightning. Was that what her Future Self had been implying in her letter? Mentioning persistence and reminding her of that beach clean? Kaho gritted her teeth and wiped the sweat from her brow. If begging him to play wasn't enough then maybe she had to show him why he should play. Maybe she had to impress him with that same persistence that was driving him up the walls, and put her money where her mouth was.
She had to challenge him to a basketball match. All or nothing. If he won, she couldn't bother him anymore. And if she won, he had to join the team.
Kaho bided her time. She didn't want him to catch wind of her scheme. She went with him to the art club building after school, and did a few sketches while Naseru listened to music a few seats away from her. She forced herself to keep her gaze on something else. She sketched the rest of the art club, drawing shapeless forms in dots, dashes and swirls to shade them. The art of the artists creating their art. She figured the sketches would look good with chalk pastels.
There was still no indication of when Sayuri would be back at school. But, Hikaru, Kaori and Makoto were all engrossed in their work, happily content to leave her easel empty. Kaori was painting the mango again. Another medium study from the looks of her portfolio. There were notes written beside a photograph that it seemed Kaori had taken of the mango, annotations, and smaller copies of the image followed by smaller drawings. Kaori was fixated on the colours and shapes within the mango.
Kaho wasn't too committed to the sketch. It could look good if she was invested in conjuring the shapes and colours and light, but she didn't want to. Not when there was something more pressing in her head. Naseru. Beating Naseru. Twisting his arm and convincing him to join the Hanagawa High School Basketball team.
She'd considered waiting another day or two, and continuing to observe his play and his behaviour, but every day Taiga and the Hanagawa Basketball Team were pining after Naseru was a day they were failing to commit to making Ryota, Yuta, Eiji and the other second-year players the best they could be. And that, if nothing else, had her hackles up. She wanted Ryota on the court, and not just as a player the team used to tip the balance or change the tempo of a game.
Makoto stepped back from his easel and raised his thumb to the canvas, squinting at the image he'd stricken across the canvas. It was a portrait, a harrowing, angry piece of art, depicting Kibata Mae. It was a disturbing piece, capturing Mae, wistful and staring over her shoulder, her long brown hair cascading past her shoulders, and big doe-like eyes heavily lined with kohl. She looked distant and yet filled with longing in his portrait, painted in the shades of red, black, blue and purple his skin had been after his confrontation with Katsuo.
It sent gooseflesh puckering up across her arms. Kaho shuddered.
"Who is that?" Naseru asked, "You've painted in angry colours."
Hikaru let out a sharp bark of laughter, "Sato's friend, Kibata Mae. The girl that's still missing."
Naseru hissed through his teeth, "It's a good painting."
Hikaru and Kaori stood back, appraising each stroke of Makoto's paintbrush. Kaho could say with her chest that it was a good painting. It really, really was. The way Makoto had captured light and shadows in the varying shades of red and purple, while devoting darker textures to the shades of black and blue. It was clever, and harrowing, especially since she seemed to understand why Makoto had painted it.
Hikaru gave Makoto a squeeze, "It isn't your fault."
"I know. But if I'd gone the day before, maybe Kibata would have still been there."
"You can't know that for sure," Hikaru said quietly.
Makoto rubbed his eyes, "And yet, it keeps me up at night."
Naseru rose from his chair and left the club room. Kaho whirled round in her chair, abandoning her sketch and following him. He'd taken his bag, and by the time Kaho had left the poky room, Naseru was already a few steps ahead of her.
"Wait!" she commanded.
Naseru turned his head and arched a brow, "Yes?"
"Tomorrow!" Kaho declared, "Tomorrow, after school. I want to play basketball with you. And if I win, you join the team."
Naseru rolled his eyes, "If that's what it gets you to give up, then fine."