Kokuhaku: Part 1 of A Tanabata Story

Chapter 3

"That was brave," Takashi said quietly as they walked out to the soccer practice field.

"I really screwed up, didn't?"

"Not necessarily. You certainly impressed the other first years."

"I wasn't out to impress anyone. I just want to get through life peacefully and not be noticed. Now everyone is going to be gossiping about me."

Takashi shrugged. "You handled it about as well as anyone could have."

They stepped outside and the senpais sent some of the first years off to get the club's equipment. Then they proceeded to monopolize the practice field. As usual, when they weren't running errands for their senpais, the first year boys spent the entire hour sitting by the side of the practice field watching them. Jack found a small tree and sat under its thin circle of shade with Takashi. "Why did I let you talk me into joining the soccer club?" Jack grumbled.

"Because the school expects you to join a club, because if you don't you won't have any friends, and because you shot down all my other suggestions."

Jack watched the upperclassmen mess around on the field and conceded his point with a grunt. They had finished their practice game and were goofing around, trying trick shots and "exercises" like seeing how long they could bounce the ball and keep it up in the air.

"It's not too late to join the English club," Takashi needled.

"Talk about not making friends," Jack snorted. "I doubt I'd be very popular constantly telling everyone they were saying everything wrong. I've actually had teachers correct my pronunciation when I failed to put a vowel after every consonant."

Takashi snickered.

Daichi, one of the first years, shouted from the sidelines. "Come on, senpai! We want to play too!" Jack thought he had seen Daichi in the same classroom as Miyamoto.

"Kohais are supposed to learn by watching their superiors," a second-year goalie called back. He was the type to enjoy his new senpai status by throwing his weight around.

Once Daichi broke the silence, other first years joined in. "How can we practice your techniques without time on the field with the ball?"

The goalie singled out the loudest one. "Shut up and go get me a juice."

The first-year who'd drawn attention to himself got up and ran for the vending machines. If he took too long, he'd get cuffed on the side of his head and all the first-years might get assigned extra duties by their senpais.

"You know what you should do?" Takashi nodded toward the senpais. "You should go out there, take the ball, and challenge them to take it back."

Jack laughed and shook his head.

"Why not? You're good enough to beat most of them."

"Because they'd kill me for even trying."

"You might get to play if you earn their respect. You're good enough."

"I antagonize them enough just being a gaijin, I've already got a target on my back."

Takashi shook his head. "You've been in this country too long. An American wouldn't say that."

Jack almost snapped out, how would you know, but Takashi was probably right. Takashi had family in the states. He vacationed there almost every summer. He probably did know more about Jack's country than Jack did.

"You can't accomplish anything without taking some risk. An American would know that too."

The truth of it only irritated Jack. Easy for you to say when you don't have to pay the price, he thought. He rose, muttering. "We should just go inside before they send us all back to clean their shoes."