"Left!" Bodhi yelled, calling for a hit from his side.
Oikawa who had been slowly, but surely, adjusting to the Maverick's uniqueness tossed towards the first year. Due to Bodhi being taller than most people, Kindaichi being the tallest on the team at 6'2 ½", Bodhi's 6'4" height coupled with his explosive leaping power, made it a bit of a shock the first time Oikawa set to him, the height of the ball needing to go 2.5 ball widths higher.
That also doesn't mention Bodhi's innate talent for being ambidextrous. He has the talent of being able to use both of his hands and arms equally well. His left being the stronger one of the two. His other innate talent, if you could call it that, involved his complete unpredictability, Oikawa still had no clue what was going through Bodhi's head whenever he set to him. It was as if everything just left his head and he moved on pure instinct alone, with an edge to it, almost feral.
Oikawa with his uncanny ability to mesh well with others and have them figured out within a few tosses, was left at a loss for words when it had been nearly three weeks since they started to practice together, and he still hadn't a clue what Bodhi would do. Turns out the Great King had to learn how to reign in this unruly peasant who had dreams of grandeur.
"Shit…" Oikawa cursed, as he saw Bodhi use the opposite hand to which he set for.
Despite it being not the optimal set for his right hand, Oikawa chose to send it to his left, seeing the positions of the blockers and figuring it would give Bodhi the best chance to score, Bodhi smashed it in front of the wall, bypassing them with a wicked cut shot.
*BWAM*
The ball sounded as it compressed into the floor in bounds and bounced out of play. Bringing the long rally to an end and the game as well, with a score of 25-20. Team Oikawa is the victor over Team Hanamaki.
*FWWEEE*
"Alright! Bring it in," Coach Irihata said, after blowing his whistle, getting all the players' attention. "Okay, this will be the last practice this week and as per usual, the next week being the week before your finals, all club activities will be suspended until all the exams are done. Remember to study hard for your finals, those who fail their exams will be forced to do make-ups on the weekend, meaning you will miss the first training camp happening on July 7th and 8th."
A chorus of groans escaped a few mouths when their coach finished. Most people on the team were academically sufficient. Seeing as how Aoba Johsai was a prestigious private school in the Miyagi prefecture, and despite being smaller than Shiratorizawa in size, Aoba Johsai boasted impressive scholastic pursuits and other sports teams normally did well, having the boys' baseball team go to Koshien a few years ago.
"You'd better all pass or I swear to the lord above!" Mizoguchi yelled, threatening those who he knew would struggle. "If you need help in any subjects, please use the peer tutoring that happens in the library every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. They are in the library and normally leave at around 5:00 pm."
"Alright, balls away and nets down and then head home!" Coach Irihata announced, turning around to begin speaking to Mizoguchi about this and that.
As the nets came down and balls were put into the bins, players made their way to the clubroom to get changed. All but four left, they all looked like they passed and gone onto heaven, ghosts coming out of their mouths. the silence brought on by the group was interrupted by the tallest among them.
"…Any of you blokes halfway decent in Japanese lit?" Bodhi asked. The other three just looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Nope" "Nada" "The hell would I help you for?"
Kindaichi, Kunimi, and Mad Dog all said.
"I'm just above average in that class. I'll need to study for science. It's my weakest subject," Kindaichi stated, noting what he would struggle with. He and Bodhi had become fairly good friends, often hanging out after school wherever. The two had some similar hobbies and tastes, bonding over a similar love for barbecuing. Kindaichi swore one day he would serve the best-grilled corn to Bodhi someday. And Bodhi in true Aussie fashion countered with "Shri-" (HA YOU THOUGHT!) "Prawns on the Barbie." (Contrary to modern media, most Australians use the term Prawns instead of shrimp. And I've known some Aussies to get heated when they get jeers for 'shrimps on the barbie').
Kunimi on the other hand had been trying to avoid Bodhi like the plague, not because he didn't like him at all. It's just that the energy wasted on trying to socialize with Bodhi would not be worth it in the end and found that should he regularly socialize with the Maverick, his life expectancy would shorten by roughly a year. He would just be unable to recuperate the lost energy in interactions with him. So, he kept them to a minimum, often ignoring him in class and opting to use that energy during practice.
"I'll be fine," was all Kunimi said walking away.
"He sleeps or just plain zones out during class. Yutaro, will he be fine?" Bodhi asked.
"Yeah, you'd be surprised, he normally ranks in the top 20 if not 10 in academics. And yeah, he damn well sleeps most of the time. I swear he's part bear or something," Kindaichi responded. "I'll be heading out too, see ya Bode."
Kindaichi followed Kunimi out, leaving only Mad Dog and Bodhi standing in the gym.
"I just don't like you," Kyotani stated gruffly, not caring about the junior's feelings.
"Wouldn't want help from ya anyways whacker," Bodhi clapped back.
"…Tch!" Kyotani scoffed and walked away,
This left Bodhi alone in the gym, he also noted the time, it being 5:28 pm now. Too late for him to go to peer tutoring. With a sigh Bodhi made his way to the clubroom and started to change, noticing that by the time he got there, the others had already finished.
"I wasn't that slow right?" Bodhi mumbled to no one in particular, putting his uniform on, minus the jacket, seeing as how it would just blow around too much on the road. Gathering his backpack and helmet, he made his way out to the front of the school to the bike racks and noticed once again, that the mysterious rider was gone.
"One day…"
Unlocking his steering wheel, Bodhi swung his leg over and started the bike up, allowing it to run a bit before he drove away. A short minute later and a brain bucket secure, Bodhi made his way out of the bike shelter and began his journey home.
~Break~
"Mum I'm home!" Bodhi yelled out, placing his shoes at the door and walking in, smelling something delicious as he did. "Smells great Mum! I'm just going to change and have a quick shower then I'll be down!"
"Okay, Bodhi-bear!" Sayaka yelled back.
Not 15 minutes later, Bodhi found himself sitting across from his mother at the dining room table, noticing the spread that she had prepared. Grilled fish, bowls of rice, namely for Bodhi, vegetables a plenty, both in a pickled variety and sauteed.
"What's the special occasion? The food is delish Mum!" Bodhi told his mother, before stuffing his mouth with more of everything.
"Oh, nothing really that special honey, just that I finally decided on what I'm going to do to support us! Besides the alimony I mean," his mother replied.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do? I know you were a photographer before you became a stay-at-home mum, thanks for that by the way!" Bodhi said, genuinely thankful for all that she had done for him, and all that she would continue to do.
A tear came to Sayaka's eyes when Bodhi told her that. The last year had been very rough on her, finding out your husband you thought you would grow old with was fooling around in the sheets with an assistant of all things and her divorce from said person made it a very chaotic one. She also had a budding athlete to take care of, she always knew that her Bodhi-bear would do something special in life, from the very first time she held him, she knew. Call it a mother's intuition.
Becoming a single parent was also proving challenging, being a single mother in Japan of all places where tradition is highly valued. A single working mother is often discriminated against and seen as a blight on society.
Bodhi who had not seen any of this yet, didn't know just what his mother was facing on a daily basis. Sure, Haruna Shimizu was kind to them, due to their shared history but to those who didn't know the Hamada's and just saw them at face value.
A poor value at that.
Sayaka if she could have it her way, would never let Bodhi see that shameful side of her. The one that had been brought up on traditional values and was currently breaking inside of her. She had to be strong for her Bodhi!
"Yep! I've been able to get a position at Bonsai Photography! An old colleague of mine started her own Wedding Photography business and she had heard that I was back in town and asked if I would come and take pictures for her! It was the perfect opportunity." Sayaka finished, proudly puffing out her chest in triumph.
"Atta way mum!" Bodhi all but yelled, truly happy for his mother. She deserved all and more in his opinion.
"Oh! I almost forgot I made our favourite dessert too!" she happily remembered, getting up from the dining room table and heading to the fridge.
"Hell yes!" Bodhi shouted.
"Inside voice Bodhi Rhys!" Sayaka shouted back, even louder.
"Yes, mother!" Bodhi said, sitting at attention. Whenever the middle name comes out you know you done fucked up something. (At least that was what it was like in my house. God, forbid you get a full name, then you know you're fucked.)
Sayaka came back into the room, glaring at her son as his back was ramrod straight. "Good…Anyhow, pavlova time!" she said happily, a line of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth. Bodhi was the spitting image of his mother, an identical line of drool coming out of his mouth.
Like Mother like Son.
Because after all, when your pavlova looked good enough to be served to the gods, you would drool too.
""Let's dig in!"" they both said in sync. Completely devouring it in a matter of minutes.
It truly was a good night in the Hamada household.