[DISCONTINUED] Basketball And Manga

Only the two of us.

Author's note:

  I think(hopefully) you guys are going to love this chapter.Honest.
  Vote if you did like it!Thanks.

Shizuka's POV

  Inside the rumbling bus,I sat in the back window seat as I stared at the passing trees.Although my earphone was blaring music into my ears,I could still hear ALL the noise the rest of the basketball club was making.

  Remember I asked what was coming? Yeah,well,a competition is coming.A competition among the most prestigious high schools. The one-month school-break from June-July is the last chance to train. And I got dragged into it. WHYYYYYY????

  Well,to be more precise,it's a basketball competition. This competition is supposed to be highly confidential,or so they say,and only basketball members;coaches;teachers-in-charge and close relatives should know about it.

  The competition is really important because it is one of the deciding factors for the Rankings.The Rankings is a rank of which they decide the position of the schools.Like,which school is the best and such.The competition doesn't really decide,it just helps the decision.Achievements and scores(in exams)also decide the position of schools.

  I think there were other sports competition too,but I don't really remember them,so whatever. Anyway,since it's a school-break,Coach decided to bring us to the country-side for training. US. Including me. Yep,and that's how my holiday,which I've been fantasizing about,got turned into a damned training camp... Justttttttt great.Oh and by the way,the camp is a month long. *Cry*

  ~~~~~

  We reached our destination in about 3 hours and got off the bus. The inn we were staying was old-fashioned but in fairly good condition. The area we were training at was beside a hill and the woods a.k.a the place where our hell would be held.

  After we settled down and put our stuff into the rooms we would be sleeping in,our hell began. 

  The first day ended,and I thought I was going to die.The second day ended and I was on the verge of death. The third day - sorry,Shizuka has died from exhaustion. I mean who wouldn't?! We have to run up and down the hill six times a DAY. The guys use the rest of the day to play practice matches, practice shooting or simply dribbling(which isn't that simple in a high-speed dash).However I don't. And it's not just because I don't want to - it's also because Coach wants me to train my stamina.And I don't understand why I have to.Sighhhhhhhhh.

  Thus,I am forced to run around the campus 8 times.I'm sure you would die just like me.The campus isn't huge,but it's definitely big. Plus,the ground is uneven and rocky. However,even a camp/hell like this has a silver lining.After 5 o'clock,we get to do whatever we want before dinner at 7.30 p.m(usually something like barbecue).And after all the crazy training, everyone's exhausted,so the guys don't really make much noise.

  Feeling exhausted,I fell asleep.A nightmare,a shadow of the past,caused me to wake up.That's right...this happened before. Unwanted memories flashed through my mind and it felt like the room was closing in on me.I jumped out of bed and walked out of the inn,deciding on getting fresh air.

  It was probably close to 7 p.m,since the air was getting colder.Despite that,I decided to take a short walk through the woods on the trail. Memories continued to wash over me and without my knowledge,the sun began to set,and dark clouds loomed closer.

IZUMI'S POV

  "Did you see Shizuka?"I asked Kasumi.That idiot,disappearing before dinner. "I think I saw her walking towards the woods.She's probably just taking a stroll,calm down." I sighed and replied,"I am calm but unlike you,I want to eat.We can't eat if the whole team's not here." His mouth dropped open and he said,almost immediately,"Go find her.Now." I made an annoyed face and muttered,"You're calm when it doesn't concern you.But when it does,you push it to someone else." Kasumi shrugged and said,"You want to eat right?"

  I would have kicked him if Ko didn't tell me to go. Tch,stupid Shizuka,wondering around before dinner. The sky was already getting dark and it was getting harder to see.I jogged on the trail and soon enough,I saw Shizuka walking slowly.

   "Shizuka!"I shouted grumpily.But she didn't reply.I shouted again but there was no reply.I ran up to her and stopped her.She jumped a little and swung her fist at my face,luckily I dodged in time,otherwise,this shut-in would have given me a broken nose.

  "Oh,it's just you."She said when she saw my face. "Don't 'oh it's just you' me!You almost punched me in my face."She rolled her eyes and said,"That was the point,wasn't it?" I glared at her with my mouth open.

  I would have shouted at her if I wasn't that hungry. "Arghhhh,whatever.Let's go.I  want to eat dinner." I grabbed her hand and headed in the opposite direction. As we continued to walk in the dark,it started to rain.Heavily.REALLY?! Great,now I'll have to dry myself before eating.Suddenly,Shizuka pulled back and shouted out in the rain,"Dude!Stop!We're going in the wro-" But she was cut off.

  "WAHHHHH!!!!"I screamed as the ground beneath me disappeared. I felt myself crash into cold,wet dirt as pain shot through me. It took me a few moments to finally move again. Shizuka,who was beside me,sat up slowly.I got up too,feeling extreme pain.

  As I rubbed my shoulder,which was definitely going to be bruised,I looked up.We fell into a hole. WHO DIGS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE?!The hole wasn't that deep.We could climb out if we helped each other under normal circumstances,but it was raining,and everything was slippery. Shizuka also noticed we had fallen into a hole and she sighed. That is,before something in her snapped and she shouted,"SEE?!I TOLD YOU TO STOP!WE WERE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION,YOU IDIOT!"

  I had my fair share of rage and I shouted back,"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!IT WAS DARK AND COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING.BESIDES,MY SENSE OF DIRECTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN BAD!" She became silent and stared at me as if I was an idiot. "Your sense of direction is bad,and yet you came to look for me. Are you a retard?" This time,I snapped too. "IT WAS IN THE SPUR OF A MOMENT.I FORGOT MY SENSE OF DIRECTION IS BAD." And Shizuka shouted back,"AND YOU REMEMBER NOW?WOW,THAT'S A LOTTTTT OF HELP."

  We continued to shout at each other before a sudden roar of thunder shut the both of us up. Shizuka jumped again and her eyes squeezed shut. She started to shake. I sat there confused.

  "S-shizuka..." I started. "Y-you...okay?" I cringed when I said that. Stupid question.Of course she's not okay. She didn't reply. Shaking,eyes shut,hands clamped over her ears - she looked....afraid. I couldn't believe my eyes. This Shizuka is scared? The cold-hearted,rude and sarcastic Shizuka is scared?

  Then it struck me. No matter how rude.No matter how cold. This Shizuka,is still human.

  A word I learnt in class flashed in my mind. Astraphobia. A fear of thunderstorms.I didn't need to ask her.I didn't need clarification. And for a reason unknown,I knew exactly what to do. My heart didn't race.I wasn't flustered.I didn't hesitate nor did I think it was over-dramatic.I didn't think about my own feelings;all I thought about was hers.

  I crept over to her,took my jacket off and put it over her.She wanted to shake it off but I said out,"Don't be stubborn." I sat in front of her and leaned my forehead against hers,causing our hair to tangle together.My arms rested on her shoulders and I shut my eyes. "It's okay.Nothing's going to happen."I said softly.Quietly.Calmly. Hopefully helping her relax.

  Although it wasn't in a favourable situation,in that moment,it felt like only the two of us existed.