Simula
"Defense! Defense!"
It's only a practice game yet the gymnasium was packed with these loud people. Bakit nga ba hindi? It's Kanagawa's District All-Star Team. Nandito ang pinakamagagaling na manlalaro mula sa iba-iba't high school sa Kanagawa upang paghandaan ang Japan's District All-Star Tournament. At dito nila napiling magpractice sa aming paaralan, ang Kainan University Affiliated High School.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!"
"Dahan-dahan naman oh."
"Sorry."
The girl glared at me. Sorry na nga kase ang sikip kaya. Ang ingay pa. Kung di lang dahil sa kahilingan ni kuya, hinding-hindi ako mag-aaksaya ng panahong manood ng basketball game na ito.
Nakipagsiksikan ako hanggang makarating ako sa bench kung san nakaupo at nagpapahinga ang kuya ko.
"Oh." Napapitlag siya nung dinikit ko sa pisngi niya ang hawak kong malamig na gatorade.
"Kishi. Buti na lang nakarating ka." I rolled my eyes na siyang nagpatawa sa kanya.
"I need to go. Yan lang ipinunta ko. Alam mo namang ayaw na ayaw ko pumunta sa ganitong kaingay na lugar tas pinapunta mo pa rin ako."
"Asus. Ang cute cute mo. Dito ka lang."
"Aray ha." Agad kong tinampal ang mga kamay niya bago pa niya mapadugo itong mga pisngi ko. Sakit sakit pa naman nitong mangurot.
"Manuod ka na lang, please." Inakbayan niya ako at aba't nagpacute pa.
"Mr. Jin Soichiro. Hinding-hindi na ako manunuod ng laro mo pag pinilit mo pa akong manuod ng kahit anong practice game mo. Nagkasundo na tayo di ba?" Banta ko sa kanya. Gustong-gusto niya talagang manuod ako ng lahat ng game niya , mapa practices o try-outs. At dahil nga ayaw ko sa mga maiingay na lugar, tuwing real game lang talaga ako nanunuod dahil yun ang napagkasunduan namin. Pero di ko alam kung bakit niya ako napapayag ngayon. Siguro dahil alam ko na last game na niya ito as high school student. Katatapos lang ng Interhigh. Luckily, nagsecond ang kupunan ng aming paaralan sa buong Japan. Kuya's one of the top scorer in Interhigh Tournament, averaging 15.6 points per game. He also got into Japan's Mythical 5. While Kuya Maki, kuya's bestfriend, is Kanagawa's no. 1 player and like Kuya, he also belongs into Japan Interhigh Mythical Five.
Kuya really loves basketball. Namana niya kay Papa. Since nursery, papa trained him and up until now they love playing one on one. He was trained for a center position because of his height, but his coach though that he's hopeless when it comes to basketball. He's not a fast runner. Lalong strength is not his forte. Kaya naman hindi siya natanggap para sa center. But Kuya doesn't know the word up. He practiced 500 shots everday. And within 3 years of playing, Kuya is an incredible sharp-shooter. Mind you, 3-point shooter with only 2% chance of missing.
"C'mon. It's my last Highschool game. I want you to watched every crucial play am going to make. You're my lucky charm, you know that, right?" Taas-babang kilay niyang sabi sa akin. And yeah, he always say that I am his lucky charm which I totally disagreed with. I always believed that they always win because of his and Kuya Maki's extraordinary combination play. They can win in every game when they are together. That's why they really are bestfriends. At nalulungkot akong isipin na maghihiwalay na sila ng landas pagtungtong sa kolehiyo. They decided to take basketball in a different paths. Kuya gonna play with Ryonan University while Kuya Maki decided to study abroad and responded to an invitation for NBA Draft. They wanna prove to me that they can win without each other. Boys and their ego.
"Fine. Last na practice game na rin naman to."
Wala akong nagawa kung di manuod na lamang. Lumaro ulit si kuya sa 2nd half kaya naiwan ako sa upuan kasama itong may pulang buhok na pinalitan ni kuya sa court. Kanina pa niya ginugulo ang coach nila na mukha namang walang pakialam. Laging niyang sinasabing isa siyang henyo which I doubt kasi puro kapalpakan naman ang ipinapakita sa court. Nakakapagtaka nga kung paano siya nasali sa All-Star eh. But his good in rebounding.
