I was mostly introverted in junior high school, but it was due to me not really talking to people unless necessary, and I spent most of my time either reading novels or drawing in my sketchbook. I honestly have always been more comfortable with my nose buried in a book than with socializing because it brought me peace of mind, and I enjoyed reading. I had a small circle of friends, but I was known for being quiet but thoughtful and kind.
However, there's one thing that has always piqued my interest other than reading and drawing, and that is basketball. Since I was little, I had a fascination with the sport because of my older brother Hiroki. Every time he took up a basketball, I watched him in awe of the skills he displayed and how intense and fun the sport was. The energy, the competition, and the teamwork captivated me, but I never imagined that my life would intertwine with basketball in any meaningful way.
My brother used to always go out every Sunday with two of his teammates to play street basketball, and I would always accompany him to watch. As soon as Hiroki received a pass from Yukio, he launched a quick three-pointer from beyond the arc. The ball spun through the air like a blur, and with a satisfying swish, it dropped cleanly into the net. "Nice shot!" Seiji shouted, impressed as his teammate grinned, already preparing for the next possession.
The opposing team then passed the ball back to them to continue the scrimmage. After receiving the ball, Hiroki quickly passed it to Yukio, who faked and drove past his defender. He then pulled up for a two-pointer, however, it bounced out of the rim. Seiji then suddenly exploded into action, grabbing the ball off a missed shot. The defenders tried to close in on him to stop him from scoring, but with a powerful leap, he soared toward the hoop.
Seiji then cocked the ball back and slammed it through the rim with a fierce dunk, sending his defender flying and shaking the backboard with the force of the slam. "Jeez, this isn't a match! Seiji, take it easy on them, would ya?" said Hiroki as he sighed. "Listen, Yukio, the point of taking a wide-open shot is to ensure that you don't miss. Remember that," said Seiji.
On the final possession to finish the game, Hiroki dribbled between his legs, faking left before spinning right to shake off his defender. He spotted an opening near the three-point line and, without hesitation, launched a deep three-pointer over his defender's hand. Time seemed to slow as the ball arced through the air, and with a perfect swish, the game ended.
"Whoa, amazing!" said Tomoe, stunned. I have always admired and looked up to my older brother. He was so talented and cool, and he would always be there for me no matter what. It was a few weeks later when my older brother had his first prefectural match. I was in my final year of junior high, so I had to leave school a bit early just so I could watch the match.
I managed to reach midway to the end of the fourth quarter, and everyone's eyes were glued to the court. The score was seventy-two to fifty-eight in Toshigawa Academy's favor. Jirou was the team's point guard at the time, but we were never acquainted until that day.
Jirou dribbled at the top of the key, his heart racing and fatigue slowly kicking in. His opponent was guarding him closely, trying to prevent any space for a shot. Jirou then smirked, and with a sudden crossover, he broke past his defender. With a quick glance, he spotted Hiroki, who was open on the wing.
Without hesitation, he launched a quick pass to him. Hiroki caught it in perfect rhythm, and with the confidence of a seasoned shooter, shot a three-pointer. The ball soared through the air, spinning until it swished. The crowd erupted as Hiroki pumped his fist in the air. "Nice shot, big brother!!" shouted Tomoe, who was watching courtside and not in the bleachers.
The opposing team quickly regained possession and tried to return the favor, catching Hiroki off guard. As the opposing player approached the paint, Toshigawa scrambled to catch up to him. He then launched himself into the air, preparing for a dunk. However, before he could score, Seiji jumped into the air and blocked him.
As the ball bounced off the rim, Yukio swooped in, seizing the opportunity to grab the rebound. He snatched the ball away and pushed the fast break by quickly making a pass to Jirou, who scored a layup. "Nice one, Jirou," Yukio said. After a few more possessions, the score was sixty-seven to eighty-three, and the opposing team was in possession.
After receiving a screen, one of their players went for a layup. However, he was blocked by Seiji. The force of the block caused the ball to spiral toward Tomoe. Startled by the ball that was quickly approaching her, she closed her eyes in fear. Jirou, who was near the ball, jumped out of bounds in mid-air and, to prevent his team from losing possession, threw it back into play.
However, he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, taking Tomoe down with him. After receiving the ball, Hiroki swiftly made a pass to Seiji, who slam dunked the ball, and the crowd burst into cheers. "Hey, you can open your eyes now, you're not hurt, are you?" asked Jirou, who was an inch away from Tomoe's lips. Tomoe opened her eyes and replied, "No, I'm fine," as she blushed.
"I see, that's good," said Jirou as he got up and went back to the game. Tomoe, who was still flustered, felt her heart beating as she watched him running back to the game. For the remainder of the match, I watched his every move. He wasn't exceptionally talented as everyone else on the court, but he made up for it with his quickness, charisma, and uplifting spirits.
After that day, I found myself going to Toshigawa every day after school to watch him practice. I would sit courtside to watch my brother and the team play, but in reality, I was just curious about him. Eventually, the team lost in the fourth round against a tougher opponent. However, that didn't demotivate them from stopping training.
One day, after their practice and everyone left, I decided to take it upon myself to clean the court. Since they were working so hard, I figured it was the least I could do for my brother. What I didn't realize was that Jirou, who was sitting alone in the bleachers with his bag tossed next to him, his jersey clinging to his skin as he wiped the sweat from his face, was alone, a rare sight considering how popular he was with everyone.
He had a sad look on his face, which compelled me to call out to him. "Hey," said Tomoe with her voice barely above a whisper. Jirou then looked down from the bleachers, surprised. "Uh, hey, you're Hiroki's younger sister, right?" he asked as he gave a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You played well at training today," Tomoe blurted out before she could stop herself. "Thanks. I'm not used to hearing that from people who don't attend this school." Tomoe then felt her cheeks flush. "I—I just wanted to say that. I, uh, I like basketball. Wait, why did I say that? Why would it matter to him?" she said to herself, embarrassed.
Jirou then chuckled, and there was a flicker of warmth in his eyes. "I could tell. Not many people stay after practice to clean up, not even us as players. You must really like it. And I also noticed you watching me during practice every day," he said as he came down from the bleachers and walked closer to Tomoe.
"Well... th... that's..." Before Tomoe could respond, Jirou kissed her. After that night and a couple of encounters afterward, we eventually became a couple. He was really nice. We went on dates, and he would read books with me and also teach me how to play basketball on the weekends. Everything was perfect between us until one day when I was in my first year at Toshigawa...
"Jirou, sorry that I wasn't here on time. I had club activities at the literature club."
"What the hell took you so long? Don't ever make me wait again, understood?" he asked with a dark look on his face.
"Okay... it wasn't my intention. I'm sorry," said Tomoe, who was awkwardly confused.
"Take off your clothes."
"What did you just say?" asked Tomoe, shocked.
"Did I stutter? I said take it off now. You're going to have to show me that you're sorry."
"I feel really uncomfortable. I don't know what happened to you, but you're scaring me. I'll just leave," said Tomoe, but as she was about to leave, he held on to her hand and shoved her down. He started ripping her shirt off, and she tried resisting. However, he punched her in the face.
Consistently struggling to fend him off, Tomoe got hit multiple times, and out of fear, she gained the strength to kick him aside and ran away. Confused and hurt by what happened that day, I ran straight home to my brother.
"Hiroki!!" she shouted as she reached the door.
"Tomoe, what happened? Who the hell did this to you?" asked Hiroki furiously.
"Big brother, I tried to fend him off. I told him no, but he still forced himself on me,"she said, tears in her eyes.
"These bruises... who did this?" asked Hiroki, his voice full of concern.
"I should have listened to your warning. Jirou wasn't who I thought he was," she said, her voice trembling as she spoke about the betrayal.
After hearing the full story, the next day at school, Hiroki immediately confronted Jirou. "Jirou!!" shouted Hiroki, his anger barely contained.
"Oh, vice captain, what's up?" Jirou asked, seemingly unbothered by Hiroki's fury.
"Don't act all innocent with me when you know what you did," Hiroki said as he started to mercilessly punch Jirou, beating him to unconsciousness. His teammates tried to stop him but barely managed to keep him under control.
"Let go of me! I'm going to kill this bastard!" Hiroki yelled, his rage overwhelming him.
"Come on, Hiroki, calm down," said Seiji, trying to hold him off.
Jirou was immediately admitted to the hospital, and a couple of days later, my older brother was arrested, even though he was trying to help. Although he tried explaining to the officers why he did that to Jirou, they didn't listen to him. After the incident subsided, everyone started spreading rumors about me and my brother. The constant whispers and mumbling drove me insane.
The people who I knew and called my friends all up and left me alone in the literature club, treating me as if I were a monster when I was just a victim. Eventually, I completely shut myself off from the entire world and stayed alone for a very long time, until I met you, Tetsuo.