Twoset Senpai

17. November: The school Karuta comp

Eddy's class karuta team of 2D lead by Brettany had been training every recess and lunchtime leading up to the class competition.  Eddy even participated in the karuta club practice with Brettany on days he didn't have American Football practice.  The gruelling karuta practice certainly paid off.  It was particularly evident when Eddy participated in the karuta club practice as he was practising with stronger players.  Eddy's gameplay was improving so much that even though Brettany was initially covering more than half of Eddy's territory in addition to her own, she was now able to pull back and leave Eddy to hold his own ground.  It was, after all, very impractical to have Brettany cover so much area as Eddy took up too much physical space sitting next to her and Brettany couldn't get her arm across to slap away his side of the cards.

And so the school karuta comp began.

The first few rounds were easy for them.  Their opposing teams were just put together for the sake of participating in a school event and they had no intention of winning.  Some had hardly learnt any of the poems nor had any knowledge about decider syllables so it was child's play for the pairs in 2D.

Their opposing teams would freak out, not knowing what hit them.

*WHAM*

Eddy was now able to execute a slap as strong and as effective as Brettany's, sending 10s of cards flying.  He would then spring up onto his feet to go collect the cards and swiftly sit back down and calmly line up the cards back to their original position.

OMG how does he do that !?

Their opposing team would not dare do such a thing as they wouldn't know how to put their cards back to their original positions.

*WHAM*

This time is was Brettany who slapped the cards, sending them flying.

OMG I know that girl... isn't she the captain of the school karuta club?

OMG I remember that girl, she was the class team captain of last year's runner up

What ?? A first year class was runner up last year ???

2D made it into the finals. 

"O, oh..Brettany...."

"Eddy?"

"It's Yang senpai... I didn't even know it was his class...OMG we're against his pair in the finals..."

"...Eddy."

"Yes?"

"I know you are his protégé. I know he is your mentor.  But that has nothing to do with this, right?"

Without missing a beat, Eddy replied;

"Absolutely, Brettany, I know.  I really do.  Don't worry."

"Okay."

Eddy and Brettany sat facing their 3rd year opposing couple and bowed.

When Eddy raised his face, Yang was grinning at him.

"Chen."

Eddy bit his lower lip nervously as he replied.

"Yang senpai."

Yang gave a glance to Brettany.

"I've heard all about your class captain, Chen."

Brettany blushed for 2 seconds, then looked at Yang sternly.

"Thank you Yang senpai.  May the best team win."

Yang smiled.

"Absolutely."

Brettany and Eddy were the last pair and they were up against Yang and his partner, who was last year's karuta club vice-captain.  Brettany had lost against her last year when her 1E team was runner-up.  Truth be told, Brettany barely had any room in her head to take notice of Yang senpai, her mind was focused on beating her own senpai this year.  Their class score was 2 against 2, 2 wins and 2 losses each.   Eddy and Brettany's game was the decider for the championship.

Eddy didn't want to be the weakest link. He was not going to be the part where his team frayed. He faced his opponents with such intensity that matched that of Brettany's towards her own senpai.

Brettany and Eddy bowed their heads to their senpai team.  As soon as they raised their heads, Brettany covered her face and burst into tears as her cheering classmates gathered around her and Eddy.

Eddy couldn't believe it.

"OMG Brettany, we won!?!?!?!?  We beat the 3rd year finalist team and won!!!!!"

The class of 2D bundled up into a massive group hug.  Eddy and Brettany were pulled apart and swallowed into the sea of their classmates.  Eddy had never felt such a feeling of belonging with his classmates ever before.  It was a similar feeling of belonging that he felt when he joined the AFC.  He knew such occasions were precious and he savoured it.  He glanced across the sea of his peers and when his eyes met those of Brettany's, he quickly found his way back towards her.

"Thank you, captain, you did great."

Brettany was still crying.

"You did great too Eddy.  Thank you...!!!"

"Hey, are you okay?"

Brettany smiled.

"Yeah, I cried last year when we lost at the finals, those were awful tears.  But this year.. these tears are great."

"OMG Chen, you and that little girlfriend of yours... you two were vicious."

Eddy blushed.  It was the following day in the AFC club room.  Eddy and Yang were getting changed in preparation for practice.

"Yang senpai, I had no idea you were on the class karuta team."

"Well, I knew you were."

"Did you?  How did you know?"

"Word travels fast around here y'know.  Like, I'm surprised you didn't know that I was."

Eddy shrugged.

"I'm sorry senpai, I guess I'm always the last to learn about stuff like this."

Yang chuckled.

"Indeed."

"Actually, Brettany said she knew. Her best friend is a huge fan of yours and apparently, the word had travelled very fast that you were on the class karuta team. She told me that a lot of girls wanted to sign up this year to play in the school karuta comp for that very reason."

Yang burst out laughing.

"OMG"

"So where did you learn how to play, senpai?"

"It's a pretty popular game in Hokkaido. I've played since primary school. The problem is, we play by different rules and I had to be re-trained. My class captain was pretty tough, too."

Eddy grinned.

"She was last year's vice-captain of the school club, wasn't she? I can imagine how intense she would be. She was Brettany's karuta club senpai that beat her the year before in the school karuta comp, which was why Brettany was so determined to beat her this year."

"Well, as she said, I'd say the best team won fair and square.  Well done, Chen.  You must have practised a lot to play like that."

"Thank you senpai.  And thank you for still coming to AFC to practice with us."

"You're welcome.  You ready?"

"Yes."