When the dismissal bell rang, I walked up to Sudou and asked.
"Heading to your club?"
"Oh, Ayanokouji. Yeah, I am. We'll have practice matches with a few senpais today, so I'm really excited," replied Sudou.
"I see. Do you mind if I watch you for a bit?" I asked.
"Huh? I mean, I don't mind, but don't you have anything more important to do?" Sudou was curious about my sudden suggestion, which is reasonable.
"Not really."
I need not say more. To be honest, I just really want to watch Sudou do his club right now. Even I have an agenda in mind, it shouldn't be boring at all.
"Well, let's go then. I'll tell the senpais that I have a friend who wants to watch," he grinned.
A few of our classmates greeted us goodbye. Of course, we responded in kind.
After we got to the second gymnasium, Sudou asked permission for me. Of course, the seniors were lenient and said yes. After all, I'm also a potential member of the club. I sat in the bleachers' area and had a clear view of everyone.
"Yo, Ayanokouji! Tell me if you decide to leave, alright?!" Sudou yelled from the court.
I raised my hand as if to say "I got it" and Sudou continued with his practice. As I thought, it wasn't boring at all. I didn't know anything about basketball, but even I can say that Sudou was amazing. There were even times where he'd do those so-called "dunks". The senpais were visibly impressed by him.
A couple of hours passed and it was finally time to wrap things up. The first years were usually the ones to clean things up, but the seniors decided to cut them some slack for today.
"Good work today!" Everyone exchanged courtesy.
Sudou and I walked out of the gymnasium and headed for Keyaki Mall.
"Man, that sure was tough! The senpais in this school are pretty strong!" Sudou said, clad in his uniform. His jersey sure looked wet. If he's practicing this much every day, his athleticism was only natural.
"Those two other first years were giving you weird looks though," I commented.
"Ah, Komiya and Kondou, huh? They're from Class C if I remember correctly. I always felt that they were kinda hostile, but they haven't really done anything yet. I'll beat their asses up if they pull anything funny though." Sudou laughed while clenching his fists.
"Sigh... It would be better if you didn't. The trouble it would cause will be humungous," I sighed.
"W-Well... I guess that's only natural," he said. So he wasn't joking, after all?
"You know, Sudou, I won't tell you what you should do, but as a friend, I'd like to give you some advice. I don't know where you're from or what you've been through, but your actions affect the class now," I said.
"Hey, I know that much. I'm not actively looking for trouble, you know?" Sudou replied in a displeased tone. He must despise the act of getting lectured.
"I really appreciate that, and I'm sure everyone in the class does, too. But, what if the other party provokes you themselves? I'm sure you're already aware of this, but your patience is extremely thin, you know?" I shrugged my shoulders.
"Well... I've always been seen as a violent outcast from a young age, and it's not really far from the truth. You can even say that it's actually just the truth. I guess it just became natural to me... Y'know, beatin' other people up when they get to my face," narrated Sudou. "Basketball courts were the only places where I can have a cool head..."
Sudou looked up to the sky, seemingly trying to recall stuff from his old days.
"You're amazing, Sudou. I can't really tell how much since my knowledge in basketball is close to nonexistent, but I've been comparing your performance with everyone on the court. You're levels above them, in my honest opinion." I commented.
"Thanks..." Sudou scratched his cheek in response to my genuine compliment.
"That's why it would be great if I can see you play until graduation, or even beyond that." I turned to him with a serious tone. "This school is harsh with its punishments. If you get into disputes where violence is involved, you'd probably get suspended, or at worst; expelled. As your friend, I don't wanna see that happen."
Sudou looked at me with a gentle yet somewhat guilty expression.
"I can see that you've been working hard in keeping the class together in your own way, Ayanokouji. In basketball, I can only rely on myself and blame myself for everything. But, with you, it should be pretty frustrating if the class harmony gets disrupted by a few troublemakers," he said. "As your friend, I don't want to be one of those people... I know I can't change myself easily, but I'll try my best to stay out of trouble."
Saying that, Sudou held out his fist towards me. I did the same and we fist-bumped.
"Thanks. Take your time. We all gotta start somewhere," I replied. "I'll be relying on your athletic abilities when the time comes."
I'm there'll be a time where Sudou would become a vital part of the class... This preparation would be well worth the time.
Before we reach Keyaki Mall, Sudou suddenly turned around and asked me.
"Ayanokouji, I've been thinking about this for a while now, but you're extremely athletic-- no, you're extremely strong, aren't you?" Sudou looked at me with a serious pair of eyes.
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"When I lost it during the first day, I was fully ready to charge at those three upperclassmen. I didn't hold back on my strides at that time. But, you stopped me, didn't you? And with a single hand, too. It felt like I just bumped into a really hard wall... That shit calmed me down completely."
I see. Well, I didn't really think much about that time. I just wanted to prevent Sudou from getting into an all-out brawl. I must've instinctively used all of my strength.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm wimpy." I don't think playing dumb is the answer here. Sudou would just feel insulted at that point. "But I haven't really compared my strength against anyone. If that's your take on the matter, then I'll believe it."
"Heh, you're not only smart, but you're also pretty strong... You're incredible, Ayanokouji." Sudou laughed.
"Well, even if that's the case, I can't climb up to Class A without you guys helping me. I'll be counting on you in the future," I replied.
"You got it," Sudou responded with a thumbs-up.
After we grabbed a drink from Keyaki Mall, Sudou and I went straight back to the dorms. My evening was well spent on text conversations with a bunch of girls. Karuizawa's friends, in particular, were quite forward in asking me about the types of girls I'm attracted to. Well, not that forward since they were disguising their questions with the classic "asking for a friend" schtick.
"Kushida, huh? Well, I guess buying what I need will cost some points. I'd need Sotomura's help if I want the best price-for-quality options," I muttered. "But if I wanted to be sure, I'd probably need those, too. I wonder if I can find some inside the campus."
If Horikita was telling the truth, then Kushida's matter should be of utmost importance. If I don't handle it perfectly, it might spell disaster for Class D...
Author's Notes:
This might be a bit late, but feel free to correct any wrong stuff that I write. English is, like, my third language so I might make some mistakes. Thanks for reading!