Shadows and Lights

Chapter 29

Interhigh is starting today. The smell of sweat and rubber and wax taints the air around me as I warm up with the rest of Touou's team, but I'm not feeling especially happy today. Our opponents are tall and intimidating and they keep jeering at me with eyes that make me especially uncomfortable. I can't decide whether to shrink into myself or punch them in the face, and neither of those options are particularly helpful in any way.

Wakamatsu's complaining yet again about Daiki's frequent absence. Although distracted, I do my best to pay him proper attention, all the attention I can afford, as I stretch my arms out more thoroughly. "Just be happy he's showing up at all." I say with a sigh as the blond groans with frustration. "There's nothing any of us can do to make him appear more."

I warm up in less time than the others do even though I take longer to stretch out. The opposing team, some no-name from who knows where, looks like a bunch of convicts. It's rude of me to say so, to even phrase such a sentence in such a way, but I have no other method for describing them. If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by now. Who knows? Hopefully I won't be by the end of the game. I just want to win this, nice and easy, no emotions involved and no difficulty.

From the looks of things, Daiki won't get here until the second half. I don't know what he's doing, but he's probably waiting for them to warm up properly so he'll have something to play with. If that's the case, I'll get the first half and he'll get the second. If, on the off chance he shows up within the next ten minutes, he'll get the first half and I'll get the second. I feel pity for the other team, but not enough to make me ignore their stares.

"Alex, why are they staring at you like that?" Daiki's voice surprises me as I spin to face him.

"Daiki!" I say in surprise, my mouth splitting into a grin. "You actually showed up!" The bluenette scratches the back of his head awkwardly as he dribbles a basketball carelessly.

"You didn't answer my question." He states flatly, watching Touou warm up with disinterested eyes. I shrug.

"I don't know. They've been doing it for a while now. I just want to win." Daiki sends the taller players rather evil-looking glares, ones I've never really seen before. They're enough to send chills racing down my spine.

I think there's some unspoken rule that Daiki and I can never be on the court at the same time. I don't really blame them for that, although it annoys me. Their logic makes sense. There's no game if we both are on the court, just the two of us competing with each other. It kind of makes my chest ache.

As expected, Daiki is the first to play the court. He doesn't look all that excited. If anything, it looks like Daiki just wants to get this quarter over with. I'm guessing he won't stay in for much longer than that.

It's always captivating to watch Daiki play. Whether he knows it or not, his movements on the court take my breath away. All I see are fluid steps. Everything flows gracefully into the next. Predatory. Daiki is predatory. Daiki is overwhelming and powerful and seemingly all consuming. I can't look away. 

I could probably watch him play all day and never once look away. Unfortunately, when the bluenette glances at me before continuing down his path of destruction, I know this is when I'll have to. I'm not up for watching spirits crumble or determination fade into hopelessness. This is why I'm always second on the court. My job isn't necessarily to help us win, especially since it's usually a given, but rather to build the team up just for the sake of breaking them down again. I hate my job the most out of all the things I've done. 

The two-minute break between the first and second quarters starts when I look back up. "So, the plan is for Hai-chan to come in after halftime. Any objections?" Yeah, me, but I can't say anything. I don't have that right.