It had happened so slowly as if time stood at a standstill.

One sunny morning during the fourth period at Shohoku Highschool, a group of students comprising of two and third years were busy at the track field for their physical education class.

"You boys need to go faster than that!" a heavily built man was yelling to the boys running along the track, "One more round!"

The runners groaned, their bodies already exhausted but other than that, they kept quiet, not daring to voice out any protest for fear that they would be punished with an extra lap.

"K'so!" Mitsui cursed, his breathing ragged, "If this keeps up, I'm not gonna have enough strength for basketball practice later!"

Miyagi moaned, "Why do we have PE before break time, anyway? I'm starving already as it is!"

"Hey you two!" yelled the track coach to the third years, "If you still have that extra energy to chat I'll give you two more rounds!"

"Asshole," Mitsui huffed under his breath.

"I hope he falls over and die," Miyagi cursed.

A few metres away in the gym, the girls were doing their own exercises and for that week it was a session of volleyball. As the boys went through their ordeal in track, a group of third year girls stood at the open door of the gym, watching their male-classmates and their juniors as they waited for their turn at the court.

"Hey Ayako-chan! Look, there's Miyagi-kun!" one of the girls said to the curly-haired girl who was holding a ball. Ayako turned around before walking up to her friends.

"Aa," she acknowledged disinterestedly.

"I thought you said he was fast," Ayako's friend pointed to Miyagi, "He's no more faster than the rest."

"They've been running for five laps now," Ayako's other friend reminded the first, "The others look tired but Miyagi-kun and Mitsui-sempai look all right. I guess that's because they're in the basketball team, ne, Ayako-chan."

Ayako nodded. "Aa. Even Mitsui-sempai's stamina has improved this year."

One of the girls smirked, nudging Ayako on the arm. "Eh, Ayako-chan. Who do you like more? Mitsui-sempai or Miyagi-kun?"

Ayako's eyes widened. "Nani?"

"Mou!" the second girl protested, "Miyagi likes Ayako! Ayako-chan! You can't have Mitsui-sempai as well."

"Miyagi is not mine!" sputtered the curly haired girl.

"So are you saying you like Mitsui-sempai?"

"Iie!" denied Ayako hotly, "They're just friends!"

As Ayako glared at her friend, the first girl turned her attention back to the running boys. "Ne," she suddenly said pointing to a group of second years running behind the third year, "He's in the basketball team too, isn't he?"

"Ah?" Ayako looked to the field to see Kuwata Toki lagging behind his friends. "Yes, he is," she replied.

"He sure doesn't have enough stamina like the rest," commented the first girl.

Ayako sighed. "No, he doesn't. He's quick and he can play as well as the rest but only for a short period of time. He gets tired easily."

"He's cute," the second girl remarked, giggling.

"Do you like him now?" teased the first one.

The other girl laughed. "Not in that way. I like my men strong. He's too sweet for my taste."

The manageress of the Shohoku basketball team shrugged. "Whatever. C'mon. It's our turn," she told them before walking up to the court where another group of players were getting ready on one side of the net. Her two friends followed her, along with the other third years who were waiting along with them.


~~~~

After half an hour of running, the boys trundled towards the washing area to cool themselves off with water from the pipes lined up off the field.

"That bastard Kano!" spat Mitsui, washing his face with the water pouring into his palm, "He said it would just be a normal run."

"He probably didn't get any last night," snorted Miyagi before he took a sip from a drinking fountain nearby, "That's why he's punishing us."

Mitsui exhaled a tired breath as he grabbed his towel from the cement wall behind the pipes. After furiously toweling the pipe water and sweat dripping down his face and bangs, he took a look around and was surprised to see that the person he was looking for was not with them.

"Where's Kuwata?" the scarred-face boy asked Miyagi.

The pierced-ear guard shrugged. "Dunno."

Mitsui pulled the towel from over his head and went to look for the boy. When he saw Sasuoga, one of the second year, another player from the basketball team and also one of Kuwata's classmate standing with the other two-years, Mitsui approached the boy and asked him, "Hey, Sasuoga. Where's Kuwata?"

The other second years stared at the tall third-year, awed.
"Ah, Mitsui-sempai. He's with Kano-sensei," Sasuoga replied waving his hand to the direction of the track field. A wince appeared on the younger boy's face. "I think Kuwata-kun is being punished."

The third year frowned and he immedietly turned to where Sasuoga was pointing at.

"Hey, Mitsui," Miyagi called out when he saw his friend walking away. Mitsui ignored him, much to the boy's chagrin.

"Baka," the guard muttered, rubbing his face with a towel in his hand.

"What's wrong, Miyagi-sempai?" Sasuoga asked.

Miyagi sighed. "What else? It's Kuwata he's worried about. Sometimes Mitsui's like a mother hen with that kid."


~~~~

The aforementioned 'mother-hen' was at that moment walking quickly back to the track area. As he came closer to his destination, two girls walked by him and even with his attention focused on Kuwata's wellbeing, he was still able to hear what the girls were saying.

"Ah, you mean Kuwata-kun?" one of the girls giggled, "Yes, he's so cute. Kinda like a baby brother, only taller."

"Hai," her friend agreed, "He looks so naive. And weak. I'm not surprised to see the coach go at him like that. Kano-sensei is unforgiving for types like him."

Mitsui's steps suddenly became quicker as his mind began to entertain him with scenes where Kuwata was being tortured. Try as he might, he could not help but feel worried when it came to the second-year.
Mitsui first met Kuwata when he returned to the basketball team a year ago. The younger boy was one of the shortest players in their team, but even if not for his height, the second year's personality made him look weaker than the rest. Like Kogure, Kuwata was friendly and often thought of his friends' wellbeing like a true friend. Other than being considerate, the boy was also gentle to the point of meekness, especially if one compared him to the other attitudinal players that the Shohoku team sports. If Kuwata was not running around minding other people's business he would normally keep quiet that others sometimes thought that he was not there.

When Mitsui was held back in the third year, thus giving him another year at Shohoku highschool, the scarred-face teenager slowly got to know his junior. Under normal circumstances, Mitsui would not have given Kuwata much thought but fate pulled them closer. Probably it was because they had the same duty times in the roster schedule after basketball practice or probably it was because they walked the same route home after that. Both or either way they spent time together and during that time they talked and got to know each other better. Soon, the third-year came to understand the younger boy, and without intending to do so, Mitsui started to care for him.

Seeing Kuwata as a person much weaker than himself, an unfamiliar need to protect the boy began to grow in Mitsui and as the younger teen became closer to him, Kuwata also became dependant upon Mitsui's strength that people began to take notice. Mitsui was aware of their relationship but by that time, Kuwata has already squeezed himself into Mitsui's life that for Mitsui it has become normal for him to run to Kuwata whenever the boy needed help. Others, especially Miyagi have told him to let Kuwata alone but it was hard for him to break that habit that has already formed in his life.

As Mitsui came closer to the track area, an angry voice drifted from behind the wire fence and upon crossing over he found the coach looming over the second-year who was on his knees, sweaty and out of breath.

"You're pathetic, Kuwata! You are a weakling! Are you sure you're from the basketball team?!" the coach was yelling angrily at the boy.

Mitsui stopped a few metres away, watching in silence but not wanting to intervene just yet. Kuwata was unable to respond to the scoldings, let alone stand, as the boy was apparently made to run extra laps by the track coach. After another strain of insults being hurled upon the poor boy, the coach turned around with an annoyed huff and stalked away, passing by Mitsui without a glance to the third-year's direction.

As soon as the coach disappeared from his sight, Mitsui walked up to the second year and knelt down in front of the boy. Hesitantly, Mitsui touched Kuwata by the shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

Kuwata looked up and blinked, surprised at seeing the third year there. Suddenly, the boy smiled, exhaustion eclipsed by the joy of seeing Mitsui with him.
"Mitsui-sempai."


~~~~

A few minutes later, Mitsui stood watching Kuwata with a feeling of sadness as the junior began cooling his flushed face with the water from the pipes. The third year wondered what Kuwata was thinking about what people were saying behind his back but having experienced that feeling of weakness before, Mitsui could guess how difficult it was for the junior at that moment.

As Kuwata blindly turned the tap off, the scarred-face player came closer to the second-year to pass the boy a clean towel. Kuwata nodded his thanks and began to towel his face and wet hair dry while Mitsui stood trying to think of something motivating to say to the junior.

After a while, Mitsui sighed and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly. "You mustn't care what people think. You are what you are and it doesn't matter what people say."

Kuwata stared at Mitsui, the boy's big brown eyes looking up at him in confusion. "What they think? Who? What are they saying?"

Mitsui scowled. The kid was as naive as a country girl in a big city! Frustrated, he tugged the towel on Kuwata head forward angrily, covering the second-year's face completely.

"Ummf!!" Kuwata squeaked as he tried to get the towel off of his face. When he finally managed to do so, Mitsui was already walking away muttering something Kuwata was unable to hear but from the tone, the third-year sounded displeased. Kuwata ran after the older boy, worried, clutching the towel to his chest.


~~~~

Kuwata watched anxiously as Mitsui munched angrily at his sub-sandwhich. It was break-time and as usual, Kuwata joined Mitsui at the rooftop to eat their food before the fifth session begins.

"A-Ano... Mitsui-sempai," Kuwata began carefully, "Are you mad at me?"

"Iie!" barked Mitsui, taking another furious bite out of his sandwhich.

Kuwata continued to stare at the senior as he chewed his chopsticks in worry.

"What's up with you?" asked someone from behind them.

Mitsui turned around and saw Miyagi standing there holding his lunchbag in his hand. The pierced-ear guard sat down beside them and began to take out his own food to eat.

"He's been like this since just now," Kuwata told Miyagi as the senior took a bite out of his apple, "I think he's mad at me."

Mitsui heard the note of sadness in the junior's voice and growled. "I'm not mad at you," he said gruffly, before taking another bite from his rapidly disappearing sandwhich, "I'm just not in a good mood right now."

Kuwata smiled. "Honto ni? You're not angry at me then? That's good!"

Mitsui's hand that held the remaining sandwhich fisted at those words. Kuwata was still innocently clueless at his frustration that Mitsui felt like wanting to pound the boy senseless to the floor.
But then he heard Miyagi cluck his tongue at him, and only then did Mitsui realise that the last of his food was being destroyed by his own hand. Immedietly, he relaxed his fist to salvage whatever could be eaten from his squished lunch.

A few minutes later, as Mitsui licked the remaining chilli sauce from the palm of his hand, Kuwata gave a gusty sigh of satisfaction.
"Ah! I'm full!"

Mitsui looked over to the junior's lunchbox and his eyes widened. "What?! How come you're already full?! You haven't even eaten half of it! You'll stay weak if that's all the food that you'll take!"

Kuwata turned his doleful eyes to his food and said quietly, "But I'm already full. And besides-"

"So give it to me then-" Miyagi began before Mitsui cuffed him at the back of the head.

"Temme!" yelled the guard.

"It's his," Mitsui said, "And even if Kuwata's gonna give his food out, he might as well give it to me."

Miyagi snorted "And why's that?"

"Coz I'm still hungry," Mitsui grumbled, thrusting his hand in his paper lunch bag to take out a packet of juice.

Miyagi rolled his eyes but when he took a look inside his friend's lunch bag, the guard immedietly understood the other boy's complaint.

"Was that all that you had?" Miyagi asked, "You usually have more than that."

Mitsui sighed. "Okaasan's gone with outosan for a second-honey moon."

Miyagi grinned. "That's cool!"

The older boy looked disgusted. "My parents? On a honey-moon? I do NOT want to think about what they're doing right now ... eww ..."

"But you've got the house to yourself!" Miyagi pointed out.

"Sure, it's fun," Mitsui said, "But no one's at home to cook for me now."

Miyagi nodded in agreement, remembering Mitsui's mother's delicious cooking that he has had the pleasure of tasting.

Suddenly there came a groan from Kuwata and the two third-years turned to see the junior doubling over in pain.

"Hey, Kuwata, are you alright?" Mitsui asked, touching the boy's back tentatively.

"I feel sick," the boy moaned. Mitsui took a look at Kuwata's lunchbox and upon seeing that it was empty, he could guess what was wrong. Turning back to the junior, he admonised, "Baka! Why'd you have to force yourself!"

"But you said that I'll stay weak if I don't eat more," Kuwata whined, his pouting lips trembling dangerously.

Mitsui quickly stood up, pulling the boy with him. "C'mon, we've got to get you to the nurse," he said before he called from over his shoulder to his other friend, "Miyagi! Pick up his stuff! I'll meet you in class later! Tell sensei if I'm late!"

"Hai!" Miyagi answered, but Mitsui was already running down the stairs, holding Kuwata's arm tightly and hoping that the boy would not throw up before they reach the nurse or the nearest sink.

"Sempai... gomen nasai..." apologised Kuwata weakly as he tried to catch up with Mitsui's long strides.

The third year merely sighed and continued to pull the boy along.


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