Author's Nook: Hey! I got a few reads on chapter one, which made me quite happy! Let's keep it up okay? I hope the way that the names are don't confuse anyone. If you like the story please comment, I'd love to hear what everyone (anyone at all) has to say! <3
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Sato-San worked out the details of going to get a practice uniform with Naoki that very afternoon, Naoki bought a practice leotard, it was a simple black leotard with long sleeves. She then gave Naoki the evening to think about what type of event she would like to focus her energy on and went back to the gym to tend to the team. Naoki walked home with a smile on her face despite having to go back to the house, she had something to look forward to tomorrow, and that was all that counted.
Just outside her window, on the roof, Naoki sat watching the sky as she thought about what she would be doing in gymnastics. It excited her knowing she would be doing an after school activity like a normal kid for the first time in a very long time. Next to her were her English flashcards and the long sleeved leotard Sato-San bought for her, she fingered the material gingerly as she thought back on the events she had seen on TV.
There was the beam, where your balance and flexibility had to be precise like a cat to be able to walk a less-than one foot wide beam, as well as perform tricks on it. Then there were the floor exercises where you would perform tumbling to music, and the bars where you would use your body against physics just like a monkey. Also, there was vaulting, where you would jump up and perform a trick before you landed on the ground.
When it came down too it, Naoki thought hard and long about it and decided on the main event she would train for: beam. It had taken her a while to decide between beam and floor exercises, but she knew that some of the tricks on floor would not be as suited for her and her current situation. Smiling at her decision, Naoki sipped on her lemonade and saw the familiar sunset where the sun slipped beyond the horizon in a display of beautiful reds, oranges, and purples.
Climbing off her roof and back into her room, she ran downstairs and grabbed some food to heat up in her microwave, and two bottles of water before she entered her room, locked the door tightly and opened the window a crack. Turning on her television, she watched her show and ate quietly before she drifted off into sleep in hopes of not being disrupted.
The morning came and Naoki woke pleasantly. She quickly slipped into her long school uniform, packed her bags, and slipped out the back door quietly, over the unconscious figure of her father. Having made it out of the house successfully, Naoki entered the little store she bought her lunch from every morning and was greeted by the manager by name.
“Good morning Kimori-san! I see you are doing quite well this morning!” Sikamuri Goro greeted humbly, his burly figure was oddly gigantic in comparison to his wife. Sikamuri Amaya was small with a sweet complexion and, unlike her husband, very shy and soft spoken. She was quite fond of Naoki, perhaps it was because she was not able to have children. Due to an accident, she was rendered unable to have children, and although Goro loves her unconditionally despite that, she was still very depressed about it.
“Good morning Sikamuri-san. I am, how is Lady Sikamuri today?” She asked Goro as she picked out a water, a small bento, and a smaller snack.
“Oh, call me Goro!” He cheerfully bellowed as he rung Naoki’s purchases up. “Mrs. Sikamuri is doing well, she’s out in the garden. She’s taken a fond liking of that garden, perhaps we’ll have fresh produce in here.”
“Why that would be very good. I can’t wait. Send my greeting to Mrs. Sikamuri?”
“Sure! Have a good day!” Goro bellowed before Naoki waved and left the shop, making her way to Kumora High School.
The day seemed to drag on where as, previously, it had gone by too quickly. Naoki paid little attention to class and got caught off guard in class, day dreaming about the events to come after school. But there was little way she could pay complete attention with the infinite butterflies flittering in her small stomach.
When the bell finally rung, Naoki bolted out of the classroom ever faster than she did just yesterday where she waited until she was the very last one leaving and even then she lingered and often helped with cleaning. A small smile was plastered to her face despite her anxiety towards telling the team her decision. Would they be approving or disapproving of her choice of beam?
She wouldn’t know until she finally arrived at the gymnastics gym. Entering, Naoki’s smile grew wider as she was greeted by her new coach and Suzuki-sempai as well as some other of her new team mates. She had a little gym bag with her which contained a bottle of water, a snack, and her leotard; Sato-san told her that any equipment she might need would be based on her decision and could also be found, for the time being, at the gym.
“So, what have you choosen?!” Suzuki-sempai questioned, pressuring Naoki to speak on the matter, and Sato-san did not shoo her away as she might have done before.
“I believe I would like to do beam.” Naoki announced shyly, looking around to see approval stamped on many faces, even Suzuki’s though she was disappointed she didn’t have another on the mat team.
“Aww, oh well, you will have Kiwisawa-sempai to help train you.” Suzuki motioned to the girl I had seen the other day with the long, dark hair and the dark eyes to match. Kiwisawa was beautiful in a very unique way, she was very catlike in appearance, but somewhat tall, it seemed like she was unfit for the beam because of her center of balance.
“Oh, nice to meet you Kiwisawa-sempai.” Naoki smiled shyly at her new sempai in which the girl returned a brighter smile and responded with:
“I am glad to have you on my side, Kimori-san. You’ll make a great addition.”
“Alright girls, back to work!” Sato-san demanded warmly of them before leaving to get some equipment for Naoki on the beam.
Naoki went into the locker room and put all her things in the lockers, she had left her shoes at the front per usual for high schools, and she put away her gym bag and took her leotard into a bathroom stall where she changed in utter privacy. After finishing getting dressed, she put her uniform in the locker and stared at herself in the mirror, looking at the way the leotard was fit to her body much akin to a bathing suit, however, made out of material that would suck to get wet.
Sato-San was waiting outside the door when Naoki exited the locker room and gave her a pair of things for her feet that would support her ankles. She could only lend them for a little while, however, and she gave her a thing for her hands that would support her wrists that fit much like gloves.
Walking over to where the entire team was circled up, Naoki did not realize how many people were on the team at first, and began to get self-conscious with every step forward.
Kiwisawa-sempai saw Naoki and patted on a spot on the floor next to her with a small wink and returned to listening to what the team leader was saying. Suzuki was, apparently, the team leader and was pep talking everyone for a good day of practice and to welcome Naoki with any questions she might have. She then lead the group in group exercises and stretching which took a very long time and then the different groups broke off.
Meeting at the balance beams, Kiwisawa began to explain that balance exercises and tumbling would be the main focus, so they would be doing a lot on the long trampoline. Naoki watched as a girl and a guy went through some tumbling on the trampoline for warm up, and another did something with her balance on a beam next to everyone.
There were about forty people on the team, it was a massive team, and there were fifteen on floor, five on vault, twelve on beam and eight on bars. For the twelve people on beam, about three were men and the rest were populated by females and Kiwisawa being the head representative for beam.
Kiwisawa continued on for a moment before she said she would be working with Naoki on balance exercises and they hopped up onto the lowest beam which was one foot off the ground and started practicing.
Walking out of practice, she said goodbye to everybody and began her walk home which Suzuki-san went the same direction for a while, so they walked together.
“You did wonderful at practice today Kimori-san! Kiwisawa-san was very impressed with your abilities with your balance so far.” Suzuki praised, leaving Naoki’s face a little heated with blush.
“Oh, thank you. You were very… cool leading the team. How long have you been team leader?”
“For some time now, actually. I love all of my team mates and Sato-san I respect very much. I am very glad to be surrounded by the wonderful people I am, ya know?”
“I think I get it…” And then, Suzuki and Kimori parted ways and Kimori was standing outside of her house.
To be surrounded by the people,
Who love me very much…
I think that is a nice thought.
Isn’t that right, mom?