Chapter Text
A chilly breeze circled around her hairy arms, and a gray sky shielded her from the sun, making her feel at peace. All were still. She heard nothing from outside, and everything from within. Her pulse, her right arm periodically moving up and down, her inhales and exhales; no need for a decision, no need to know, only a comforting ignorance…
“Hey, Sancho, you’re gonna keep standing there or what? Not that I really care, but the break’s almost over, and you don’t strike me as the type to skip class. So, how about we get this done?”
A tall and familiar figure was in front of her, just past the three-point line. She had tied her long straight brown hair –long enough to reach her hips– into a ponytail. Her deep blue eyes locked on Sancho, Rodion raised her arms slightly and extended them to each side as to assume a proper defensive stance.
Sancho looked down at her right hand and then back at Rodion, before slowly dribbling towards her. Rodion appeared a lot more serious this time around, likely wanting to finish their match quickly. Clearly, Sancho wouldn’t be able to simply run past her like she previously had.
Once she was close enough, Sancho switched. She lowered her legs and core, began bouncing the ball faster, and put her free hand in between the ball and Rodion, ready to bolt at her smallest misstep.
She then caught the opportunity she was searching for, as Rodion stepped a bit too far to Sancho’s right. Taking advantage, she quickly passed the ball between her legs and to her left hand. At the same time, she stepped forward with her right foot, positioning her body between the ball and Rodion once again. With her path clear she would sprint to the hoop, score, and bring an end to their match… is what Rodion expected and rushed backwards to prevent, completely missing Sancho’s actual movement.
As Rodion was dashing back to recover her position, Sancho had anchored her right foot where it stood, pushed the ball to the ground with her left hand, quickly turned around using her left foot, caught the ball back with her right hand, and rushed to the basket from the right. She held the ball between her two hands, took one step, then another, before finally she raised the ball above her head and took the near-unmissable shot. However, just as the ball left her hands, it was blocked by another, falling to the ground next to her.
Rodion picked the ball up and dribbled her way over to the three-pointer, turning her head back on the way to smirk at Sancho.
Their roles now switched, Sancho, too, paced over to the line, meeting Rodion not long after. She took a deep breath to focus and took her position in front of her. She certainly didn’t wish to lose the match, not wanting Rodion to think that recent events and the resulting lack of practice had adversely affected her skill. Considering Rodion would barely notice something was wrong if it snowed in July, the attitude was more to convince herself that she was doing alright.
It was all very simple; all Sancho had to do was not let her get past. While Rodion was taller and heavier than her, the difference in strength wasn’t nearly big enough for her to simply force through Sancho’s defense. Furthermore, Sancho was more agile than her, making it easy for her to always remain between Rodion and the basket.
Sancho locked her eyes on Rodion, looking for any sudden movements. After a few twitches that went nowhere, she finally saw Rodion commit, as she leapt to the left with one of her legs. Sancho quickly reacted, taking a step back and to the right remain in front of her, making sure she couldn’t get past. But unfortunately for Sancho, Rodion had no intention of passing her as her other leg hadn’t moved an inch. Seeing Sancho taking a huge step back, she simply stepped back as well, returning to her original position behind the line and took the uncontested shot. The ball hit the inside of the rim and went in, concluding the match, leaving Sancho to stare aimlessly at the basket and think about her situation.
Theirs was an absolute clown car, a team composing of five -now down to four-freaks, nobody sitting on the bench, and a delusional coach adamant on guiding them to their meaningless destination. No matter how much she cared for some of her teammates she couldn’t deny their, and to an extent her own, ineptitude. And if there had ever been any hope of them winning anything, Kromer determined that her need to shout slurs at a public competition superseded it. And yet, nobody in the team beside her even seemed to care. It frustrated Sancho to see them so unserious.
Perhaps had she not been so stubborn back then she could’ve been part of a proper team, maybe she could’ve made him proud, maybe she could’ve at least shown that she cared…
A warm hand placed on her shoulder snapped her out of it, and words soon followed.
“That was pretty fun, forgot how much I enjoyed this sort of practice thanks to our break. By the way, rather than running to the basket, you could’ve just taken the free shot once you juked me and won the match you know. You should really consider shooting more often. You know… from a distance.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” Sancho replied without turning back, as she sought to leave.
“Well, before you go. Do you know or have anybody in mind for the fifth slot? I’ve already asked the others, but they said they hadn’t found anyone yet.” Rodion asked.
“No.” Sancho answered without slowing down or turning to face her.
“Okay, be sure to find me if that ever changes. Bye Sancho~!”
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Many students were running to her left and right, turning the usually calm staircase into a rhythmic brawl, slowly progressing upwards. The hundred or so feet stomping at every step and loud banter from a dozen heads echoed around the spiral staircase. Not wishing to be caught up in the mayhem, she kept pace with Faust next to her.
After waiting for 15 minutes as the two last people in the line, they picked up their food and sat down at their usual place, a secluded corner of the cafeteria.
“Xichun, would you be interested in joining the basketball team?” Faust asked her, ending the comfortable silence. Xichun knew Faust was in the team, though she would’ve never guessed that she would invite her as well.
“Hmm? Why do you ask now?” Xichun replied.
“Our team used to consist of 5 people, meaning we didn’t have any players on the bench. As you may have heard, Kromer was asked to leave the team following some recent problematic behavior, leaving a spot that couldn’t be filled. Our captain Rodion asked if I knew anybody who could replace her.” Faust explained.
“I can’t really say I am all that interested. You know, I don’t exactly have the time to play games or chase curiosities around like you do.” Xichun responded as she played with the remaining few pieces of rice on her plate.
“I anticipated you would say something like that. So, I wouldn’t have brought this up if I didn’t think you had good reason to accept. That reason being that you could use the team to further your academic career. A good performance in the season may land you the scholarship you want.”
Xichun fell silent for a moment, weighing the proposal. Faust was mostly correct about the scholarship, her only mistake being the choice of words. She didn’t "want" a scholarship, she needed one, desperately, and she was willing to do just about anything to secure it.
To grant herself more time to think and to satisfy her curiosity, she asked Faust:
“Who’s on the team?”
“Our current four players in no particular order are: Faust, Rodion, Ryōshū, and Sancho.”
“Tell me more about the others.”
“Rodion is our team’s captain and statistically our most consistent player. Unlike the rest of us, she has been playing since primary school. The way she plays the game reflects this. Although she isn’t particularly intelligent, her experience allows her to strategize effectively as captain. She is also prone to taking risks, a tactic that gets us into trouble more often than not. As a person, she is optimistic and carefree, keeping up a relaxed attitude and even joking under precarious circumstances.”
“Our captain being that laid back doesn’t inspire much confidence.” Xichun remarked.
“The only person who has any sort of confidence in our team is the coach. And hers borders on delusion.
Next is Ryōshū. Her play style is focused on precision and aggression. She always plays in a way that forces her opponents to act, whether they possess the ball or not. Under her constant pressure they either fail to keep up or make simple errors, giving her an opening to break through. Personality wise, she is… unique to say the very least. She used to be part of the arts club, yet her interpretation of art differed greatly from theirs, leading to her being kicked out. She often incorporates dead and mutilated insects and small animals into her works.”
“So, she is a weirdo, got it. How do you even mutilate animals at school?” Xichun asked, confused by the logistics.
“That is one of the few things I would rather not know.
And finally, there is Sancho. Sancho is rather inexperienced compared to the rest of our team, as she joined at the start of this school year and had no prior history with the sport. Despite this, she is quite skilled and for the most part was able to catch up with the rest of us. Though she is still lacking when it comes to strategic or planned play, she makes up for it by being a wild card. Besides matches and training, we don’t really get to see her. She doesn’t seem to enjoy the company of others and prefers to keep to herself. Thus, I do not know much of her character.”
“Sancho… Isn’t she from our class?”
“Correct. She sits to our back and left by the window. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever interacted with her outside the team.”
“Have you made up your mind yet?” Faust reiterated. Xichun thought about the offer for a final time before answering with a sigh:
“Our lineup’s chances at success appear to be slim, but I don’t have enough options to be picky. Count me in.”
“Wonderful, we have practice today during P.E. classes. You will get the chance to meet the rest of the team and our coach then.”
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Descending down a flight of outdoor stairs, Xichun and Faust arrived in front of the door leading to the basketball court. Inside, Xichun made a troubling observation, they had been 5 minutes late for the practice and yet there were only two other people present in the court.
One of them she recognized, it was Sancho missing a shot from the free throw line as soon as they entered. Her bright golden hair swayed opposite her motion as she moved to pick up the rebounding ball and try again. Almost a perfect replica of the sun her eyes were if not for the apathetic and empty look they carried with them.
Judging by her appearance the other must’ve been their coach. A middle-aged woman with a slightly dark complexion wearing what could only be described as mix between a professional uniform and sportswear. Unlike Sancho who hadn’t even glanced their way, she was looking straight at them, carrying a strained smile that smelled trouble.
“Hello, Faust. I presume this is the “interested friend” you mentioned?”
“Yes Coach.”
“Wonderful.” She said as she moved her eyes over to her and continued. “My name is Outis, and I am the coach for this team. I hope you share very little in common with your teammates. Because if I must deal with another slacker on this team, instilling discipline through unorthodox methods will become my last option.” The same tense smile appeared on her face as she delivered the last sentence.
“Jia Xichun, it is a pleasure to be part of your team miss Outis.”
“Just coach will suffice. Now come with me, let’s not waste any time as we wait for those two.” As soon as she finished talking, Faust started walking away from them and over to the bench. Unsure exactly what was going to happen, Xichun trailed her new coach as they made their way over to the half of the court unoccupied by Sancho.
Outis picked up a ball from a ball cart by the basket and handed it over to Xichun before saying:
“Now go to the three-pointer and show me what you’ve got.”
As Xichun approached the line, Outis remained close behind her, waiting for her to start their match. Once behind it, Xichun turned around and encountered a major problem. The old woman that had seemed only slightly larger and taller than her now stood like a tank, her wide arms stretching far and her figure emanating strength. Her eyes were dead set on her face, not even concerned by the movements of her arms or the ball, putting even more pressure on Xichun. Under such a sharp and intimidating gaze any plans she formed were immediately assaulted by a thick swarm of doubt, clouding her judgment.
At that moment, she stopped thinking about the game. What was the point of this exercise? She, a petite girl who hadn’t played the game in years, clearly stood no chance against the likes of her coach. She would just approach her, lose the ball to a quick and rough interception, be forced to defend against a thousand fake outs and be played like a fool. What was Outis expecting?
Then, an urge came to her, the urge to subvert. The coach was standing over a foot away from her, giving her the space to try whatever she wanted. Without arbitrating any further with herself, Xichun took the longest step back she could, landing just behind the three-point line and tossed the ball with as well a form as she could remember. Outis tried to intervene, yet she was too far away to reach Xichun in time. The ball bounced on the rim and barely missed, disappointing Xichun. She would’ve landed that shot had it been her middle school self, she thought before remembering why she stopped playing.
Outis caught the rebounding ball and turned around to face Xichun, this time carrying a satisfied smile.
“Impressive.” She stated, her tone not indicating any form of satire. Surprised, Xichun responded:
“I missed?” as she looked at Faust who was watching them from the bench for any explanation. Before Faust could analyze and give her opinion, Outis explained herself.
“You realized you couldn’t make it past your opponent and took advantage of their sole mistake of underestimating you. This game is as much about strategy as it is about skill and physique, and at this level of play mastering even one of those is enough for success. Although your technique could use some work, you made the right choice and that’s what matters.”
Just as Outis concluded her speech, the doors loudly opened once more to the figure of two girls right next to one another.
“We’re here~!” Rodion announced as she entered the gym with her right arm wrapped around Ryōshū’s head, dragging her inside clearly against her will. The deep red of her teammates blood lusted eyes was dead set on Rodion.
“You know the deal 10 minutes late, 30 laps around the court.” Outis said after consulting her watch.
“Couldn’t we at least catch our breath for a moment, coach? Ugh… I’m already tired from having carried us both here.” As Rodion finished Ryōshū was finally able to break free from her grasp, pushing Rodion away in the process.
“You don’t get such luxuries in life. Now get in line.” With her words both Rodion and Ryōshū took their positions behind where the half court line intersected the court’s boundary. Soon after, Sancho and Faust dropped what they were doing and joined them, leaving only Xichun.
“Join your teammates Xichun, this is collective punishment.” Her instincts kicking in, Xichun didn’t object to her undeserved punishment, instead taking her place in the 2-person wide line next to Faust. In front of her on the first row were Rodion and Ryōshū and behind her Sancho by herself. A loud whistle marked their start.
The old wooden floor of the court was crackling beneath her feet as she took the first left turn of forty. The indoor gym kept the freezing weather outside, allowing the heaters inside to create a warm atmosphere. The heat mixed with their jog around the court and allowed sweat to quickly gather on her forehead.
“Welcome to the team. It was Xichun, right?” Rodion asked, turning her head to peak at Xichun over her own shoulder.
“Yea, and you must be Rodion.”
“Yep, I guess Faust has already done the introductions for us, hasn’t she? I don’t know what she told you exactly but don’t worry, I think you will fit in with us right away!”
“I merely described each of us in a short and objective manner. If you believe such descriptions may cause a bad impression that is on you.” Faust retorted as the group finished their 3rd lap.
“Anyway, although some of us may not be so chatty, we are all happy to meet our new teammate. It’s really nice to be back on the court.” Rodion said, adding “Right, Ryōshū?” under her breath as she lightly poked Ryōshū’s right arm with her elbow. Prompting Ryōshū to take a look over her shoulder, too. She eyed Xichun top to bottom, her expression carrying not a hint of emotion. The weight behind the crimson red eyes, questions of what thoughts lay hidden behind them, made Xichun’s joints and muscles grow numb from a cold that wasn’t even there. Ryōshū kept her gaze upon Xichun for a moment longer before facing back front, not a single word exchanged, but impressions certainly held for both parties.
At that moment Xichun also caught Rodion looking elsewhere, specifically behind her, where Sancho should’ve been. After some not-so-subtle attempts to signal Sancho (at least that’s what Xichun believed she was trying to do by moving her head like that) Rodion finally gave up and asked with a forced smile:
“What do you say Sancho? You two are classmates, aren’t you?”
Following Rodion’s question, all of them were now half facing Sancho as they finished their 6th loop around. Even Ryōshū seemed curious about how she would respond.
“Why does it matter?” She had naught to say about that arbitrary connection, nor the person she had it with.
“It matters because-You know what yeah, you’re right Sancho who cares?? Why did I even bother trying to get you and Ryōshū to talk? When did I become the responsible one? *Sigh* And when will this run end?” she said, stretching and smearing the last word to better convey her annoyance.
“Exactly twenty-three and a half laps from now.” Faust answered, another even more exaggerated sigh being Rodion’s only response. After crashing out like that she had no intention of speaking again.
Two weirdos and a sympathetic fool, exactly as Faust had explained. Her expectations were certainly not spectacular, Xichun was aware she would not receive a firm handshake and a warm welcome, and yet this weird ritual still managed to sink below those pitiful expectations. Not that it mattered much of course, she was here for a well-defined purpose, not to satisfy any childish desires for comradery. As long as these people could perform on the field, the quirks of their characters were entirely irrelevant to her.
Now that the awkward conversation had ended, she looked around, observing the court she would spend a considerable amount of time inside. She had already taken note of some wooden planks on the floor that were damaged in various ways. Be it the ones with large visible cracks across their width, the ones that were no longer fully connected to their neighbors, or the ones that were simply missing. Luckily, most of the imperfections were behind the lines that constrained play.
She glanced upward as they passed by both baskets. One had a few cracks on its glass and the paint of its square had mostly eroded, only leaving some subtle red lines indicating where it used to be. It also had several holes in the net, albeit still faring better than the other which was missing the net entirely. The other hoop was also clearly missing one of the large screws that kept the rim attached.
Giant windows were present at the sides of the building facing the east and west. Located several meters of the ground presumably to avoid any ball reaching them, they let sunlight come in all day round. A bit below them were several caged-up lights to serve the same purpose at night, along with some heaters that were currently not turned on. Though somewhat worn down, the gym would more than suffice as a place to practice.
After a few more minutes, they finally approached the middle of the court on their last lap. Outis looked at the watch on her left wrist, waited until the group passed the finish line and pressed a button. The sweaty and tired group of girls began slowly walking towards the water bottles by the bench. Before they reached them, however, their coach blocked their way.
“Fourteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds. None of you are taking this seriously, a literal toddler would’ve finished before you did. If this is your pace during matches, they’ll rout you.” Outis was facing them with a fierce and intimidating look.
“Run ten more laps and if you can’t do it in less than three run ten more. No water until you are done. Understood?” Nobody said a word, only exhausted and defeated faces.
“Understood?” Outis reiterated much more aggressively and loudly, clearly demanding an affirmative response from her team.
“Understood, coach.” The group replied with varied latency and enthusiasm, yet still in relative unison, before heading right back to the line.
Weeks gone by without exercise, the fatigue of the last 30 laps and the prospect of having to run even more weighing them all down… Unlike her first time around these loops, she had neither the energy nor the intent to observe her surroundings, only focused on keeping pace with everyone else. Despite their best effort however, it took them a bit over three and a half minutes to pass the line for the eleventh time.
After another five minutes of torture, they were finally allowed some respite and water before quickly being reorganized by Outis and forced to practice technique. In a way, Xichun found the discipline comforting. Grueling hard work was what they needed to succeed, and it also was both familiar and familial to her.
Perhaps this would help make her adequate for once…
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A tall figure walked inside the classroom. All their classes had concluded half an hour ago and only a select few students were left. From the 2nd story windows the sun was saying its final goodbyes, only a sliver of purple remained in the sky dominated by a deep dark blue. Someone had been waiting for him, sitting on top of a desk by the window side corner. Seeing him enter, she exclaimed:
“Heey, Guido. Come over, take a seat!” He obliged and sat down on a chair in front of Kromer, their eyes landing on the same level due to his height.
“Why did you ask to see me after school, Kromer?” He asked.
“Ah you see, it all started a few weeks backs, you remember? When our dear friends requested that I no longer be a part of the girls’ basketball team.” She started explaining with exaggerated grief.
“Yes?”
“Well apparently, they believe they have found someone who can replace me. So cruel, is it not, to abandon their old sister in such a way?” Kromer continued, donning a childish grin.
“My dear friend, you are the most reliable person I know. I would be overjoyed if you could learn who this exceptional person is so I can at least personally congratulate them at some point.”