Cote: Retelling

Chapter 5: I Love BALLS

It was the day after the club fair. Saturday, the day of the soccer club's orientation. My day started with sunny skies and a blazing sun, signaling a hot day. The timetable said to arrive by 1:20 pm in your gymwear. "Expect the orientation to take around 2-3 hours and remember to bring water, towel and a change of clothes. Don't overeat for lunch and don't be late!" Was what was written. Orientation would entail an introduction to the club, rules and how it operates, equipment guidelines, physical assessment, skill assessment and a short practice game to round it off. My first taste of club activities. I couldn't help but be intrigued at this new experience.

Arriving at the male changeroom of the first field, I head inside. Three other students, all in the middle of changing, turned my way as I walked in. For some reason, they were standing around in a circle half-naked, clad only in their underwear. I couldn't help but feel apprehensive, like I was in an unknown kind of danger.

"Hey there, fellow newcomer. Name's Yoshimoto Kotetsu, class 1-C. Nice to meet you. Feel free to call me Kotetsu." Well, he seemed friendly enough. In fact, his introduction reminded me of Hirata's, where he asked you to call him by his first name. Anyway, he had long, somewhat pointy black hair that pointed downwards and a bandage on his nose.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, 1-D. Nice to meet you, Yoshimoto."

"Call me Kotetsu, like I said. Anyway, these two are-"

"Watanabe Norihito, 1-B. Nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun." His hair was short and slightly ruffled, with a bit sticking out of the bottom. His expression was somewhat apathetic like mine, but was better described as neutral. Also, after looking closely you could see a tiny mole on his right ear.

"And I'm Shibata Sou from class 1-B. Nice to meet you, Ayanakouji." Just from looking at their body's muscle mass and distribution, I could tell he was the best out of this group. The others were decent as well, but...actually, that's not the issue here. Why are they standing in a circle half-naked?

"Nice to meet you too. So, why are you guys standing in a circle half-naked?

"Well, it's a competition, of course." Said Yoshi-I mean Kotetsu. "We were seeing who had the best muscles, and Shibata here blew both of us out the water." Watanabe nodded along as he said that.

"Well, I'm at least confident in my athleticism. What about you, Ayanokouji? You going to challenge me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. I mean, when you're in a sports club you can't really be shy about changing around people. This is a bridge we'll cross eventually, so come on, Ayanokouji. I can tell you're decently athletic, so show us your bod!"

Well, Shibata makes a good point. They'll eventually see, so better to do this now. I start changing with a sigh. As I take my shirt off, the changing room gets filled with impressed sounds and looks of admiration...could you guys at least be silent?

"So the latecomer was the secret powerhouse all along, huh? Impressive, Ayanokouji." Says Kotetsu. Stop looking so closely, please.

"Ayanokouji-kun, what kind of sports did you do to get a body like that?" Watanabe asks with genuine curiosity. Well, my body certainly isn't one you can get with normal training. The white room's extreme curriculum is reflected in my body, after all. If I told them what the actual routine was, they'd no doubt look at me like I was a monster. Anyway, just as I'm about to provide my ready-made excuse, I hear the changing room door open behind me with a dramatic creak.

Hirata comes in, smiles and all, and I suddenly realize I'm standing in a circle while half naked with three other half-naked guys staring at me. I lock eyes with Hirata, and soon his eyes take in the scenery. A moment of silence befalls us as time slows to a halt...