The bell is ringing. Classes for the day are officially done. Students are now coming out of the school gates as they make their own ways. Some are heading home, others, mostly the boys, are heading to the arcades to try out the latest arcade game. The girls prefer the karaoke so they could sing out their hearts all night long.
Meanwhile, there are still students left in the school grounds, mostly club members and assigned room cleaners performing their duties for that day. Others can be seen in the lockers area, picking up their stuff as they prepare to head out.
A tall, brown-haired girl makes her way through a sea of lockers until she finds a locker labeled “Minamimoto Sakura”. She opens it to reveal a pair of brown shoes. As she takes It out, a folded piece of paper drops onto the floor.
“H-huh? What’s this?”
She picks it up and opens it to reveal a note.
Come forth to the new open court near the park. I shall be waiting for you.
It has no name on it.
“Sacchan!”
Sakura turns around to see a red-haired girl in twin ponytails calling her.
“Oh, Hazuki, it’s you.”
“Let’s check out the new open court outside of town. It’s near the park. Kocchan is also coming with us. I’m looking forward to see it.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go!”
“But where’s Kotori?”
“She’s just outside. She’s waiting for us.”
“Oh, okay.”
They went outside of the locker area, where a short-haired girl comes to meet them. Together they head outside of the school grounds and along a back road leading to the sports complex since it’s the easiest way to there, although not many people use this road.
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The park is rather empty on that day since it’s a school day. The open court does have quite a few people using it, mostly boys and young children, with some girls in the mix. On weekends, however, this is usually filled with lots of people since it is used for pick-up games and public leagues.
Hazuki is rather enthusiastic about playing in this place with her friends.
“Wonderful! I haven't played in an open court for a long time. Say, isn’t it great to be able to play again, Sacchan? We have been busy in school lately.”
“Hmmm. You’re right.”
“Okay, let's go! Oh, wait. I have something for you guys. Check it out,
ne?”
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Meanwhile, a young girl in Seijo uniform walks along the empty road which seems to lead to the sports complex, all by herself. She has a rather mysterious aura around her, as evidenced by her almost ghostly-white skin and midnight black hair with bangs covering her eyes.
A young bespectacled boy, also in Seijo uniform, is also walking along the road, following her lead from a long distance. He’s walking with a slight limp, and he occasionally stops to check his back and legs. He looks on the trees around the road, thinking to himself as he goes
As he walks towards her a far distance ahead, she suddenly turns around as to check for something in the surroundings. Seeing nothing, she went on.
The boy hides himself behind a tree near a lamp post to avoid being seen.
Whew, that was close. But I thought she actually saw me. She has pretty sharp senses, I see.
He comes out of the tree and continues trailing her.
She does pass by the open court, with the boy hiding somewhere nearby. Again, she turns around, but sees nothing, so she takes a turn to the right and disappears.
He remembers something he overheard at the faculty room before the afternoon class.
She’s rather small for a basketball player, but she’s really good at what she does. I heard she had received offers from many high schools in and outside the prefecture.
Yeah. But she turned them all down, didn’t she? Hmm, I wonder why.
He inhales slightly deeply, and lets out a silent breath. He then peeks through his hiding spot to see Ryoko return to the complex, already clad in a black-and-white jersey which reads “Mizunomaki #7, Ichinose.”
“This is it.”
He comes out of his hiding spot when he sees Ryoko is already far away and followed her to the open court.
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Clad in a red jersey which reads “Fujinosawa #23, Horio” with a basketball on the floor, Hazuki is waiting in a corner of the open court not far from a small dressing room which could fit at most 4 or 5 people in it. A few minutes later, Sakura and Kotori came out of the room, looking around shyly as they walked. Hazuki turns around and waves at them as she calls out.
“Sacchan! Kocchan!”
She lets out a laugh of excitement as she sees them also wearing the Fujinosawa jerseys. Sakura’s jersey is numbered 32, Kotori’s is numbered 25.
"Wow! The jersey looks great on you, guys!"
Sakura and Kotori blushed upon hearing the compliment, albeit in embarassment.
"H-huh, really? But it's kind of embarassing. Our arms and legs are exposed," says Sakura.
"Y-Yeah. Even our undersides are exposed too. I'm quite ashamed. I've put on quite some weight recently," adds Kotori.
"Eh? Don't worry about it, Kocchan. They won't notice anything like that. You did wear the undershirts that came with them, did you?,"
"Y-yes, but...", hesitates Kotori.
"Geez, I thought I had it perfectly done. It took an arm and a limb just to get those for you, you know,"
"H-huh, really?"
"Yeah. I saved a lot of money for it just for you guys, because you are my best friends. And as my best friends, I want you to at least be able to play basketball with me."
Sakura and Kotori are amazed.
"Did you know? Hazuki felt lonely when Sacchan and Kocchan couldn't play with me for the middle school team. People in class thought I was a freak because I play basketball. I couldn't stop talking about it but I could hardly talk to anyone about it. They keep saying it's a boys' game, the girls' club can't win the championships and I should quit. But you're the only ones I know that didn't think that way.
Hazuki remembers a fond incident that seemed to changed her life forever.
Hazuki was crying on her desk, albeit silently. Two girls in her class, one shorter and one taller, approached her and tried to calm her down.
"I-It's not true, Horio-san. I don't think you are different.", chided the shorter girl.
"That's true! I think basketball players are strong! I think it's not only a boys' game. Even us girls can do it, too! I believe our girls' team can win it all! I truly believe it!", encouraged the taller girl.
"R-really?"
"Yeah. So will you come with us?", asked the shorter girl.
"Please. And whenever you're free, can you teach us how to play basketball?", asked the taller girl.
Hazuki wiped her tears and looked at them with a shining radiance of hope.
"H-hmm. Okay. That's a promise. Thank you, Konno-san, Minami-san..."
"It's Kotori and Sakura for you. We are friends now, okay?"
"Okay then, Kotori, Sakura."
"That was two years ago, wasn't it? But I wasn't able to teach you how to play the game," continued Hazuki, hanging her head down in disappointment in herself.
"Well, well, that's okay. All three of us have been busy with everything and stuff," explains Kotori.
"No. I have promised to teach you how to play basketball at the right time. And now is the right time. I want us to play together. I don't want to play alone. Even if it's a strong team, as long as Sacchan and Kocchan aren't in it, I won't play for it. So please, allow me to teach you basketball, okay?"
"Eh. Since when you have been qualified to teach basketball?"
A mysterious voice was heard as the three girls are talking.
"H-huh? Who is that?", asks a startled Sakura.
They turned around to see a short, pale-skinned, black-haired girl clad in a #7 black Mizunomachi jersey. Hazuki looks at her in shock.
"Mi-Mizunomachi? The middle school Prefectural Champions, the team that made it to the National Finals. It's no mistake. It's her! Ryoko Ichinose!"
Handle: Mikoto Urabe (Mysterious Girlfriend X)
Name: Ryoko Ichinose (
市ノ瀬 遼子)
Class: 1-6
Birthdate: December 31st (Capricorn, the Goat)
Height: 156cm (5'1 1/2")
Weight: 45kg (99lbs)
Position: Shooting Guard