Chapter 16: Ball
60-61
The number represented the scores of each team on the digital scoreboard.
The match was so fierce that the heat boiled inside the field.
Two teams panted heavily to catch a breath.
Only the teacher Etani appreciated this boiling match even though it was just for the weak genders.
Looking at a particular figure of the 'secret weapon', Etani couldn't help but sneer in her heart.
"As expected of Moe-chan"
Aoi gave a sincere compliment from the bottom of her heart. Despite carrying the 'weight' under her back, she could alone keep a minimal gap in the score.
"Our 'secret weapon' has worked hard but you don't allow us to expand the gap at all"
Moeni's face darkened.
That scumbag, except for the two watermelons, had no use in the match. She wondered who was the real enemy.
Suiri felt that she was offended to death. She wanted to shine under the field to regain her face somehow. Her fighting spirit soared high no matter what her body yearned for rest. This was her second chance in life so she wouldn't waste it anymore.
She wanted to live a better life.
She wanted to do whatever she could.
She wanted to break the limit of her body.
She also wanted to win for free drink.
Her eyes burnt with an aggressive flame that could swallow any opponent.
Her flashback memories of the hellish training under her sister's instruction rewound in her mind.
'Sui-chan, this technique can only be used once! As long as you use this move, no opponent can intercept your ball'. A gentle voice with the effect of brainwashing echoed in her mind.
'You don't need to understand its principle, just imitate your sister's movements'
Onee-sama, I won't disappoint you. Suiri became determined.
She spoke.
"Hazune-san, please pass me the ball"
A confident tone blended in the tense atmosphere.
"???"
Moeni was stunned by this request.
"???"
Her teammates's faces also grew in despair while the faces of the enemies bloomed with joyful smiles as if the spring of the new year was coming.
"???"
The teacher Etani played the role of the referee in the match.
At this time, it was the last round and only 30 seconds remained.
This ball was the last straw to lead the team to a glorious victory.
Moeni slapped the ball at the same time to watch the situation. Her teammates had been suppressed while in front of her were double-defending tactics, Aoi-chan, and Hae-chan.
The only one, who was ignored and treated as the secret weapon by the enemies, was wearing a confident atmosphere on the field, Hoshiyuki Suiri. Should she trust and pass for her? Or was she able to break through the double tactic from the enemies?
There was no need for any hesitation. The time passed by mercilessly without waiting for anyone.
10 seconds left.
She realized that she had to bet by putting everything on the seemed-to-be useless person. Maybe the enemies would be caught off guard by her.
Moeni had to make a crucial decision.
She decisively passed the ball for Suiri, which caught Aoi and Haeno off guard.
'Just like my prediction'. Moeni thought in her heart.
Suiri's teammates held their breath for her. They didn't know how the result was going but they had a tiny hope for winning.
When they saw Moeni passing the ball for Suiri, they felt that the tiny hope had disappeared without a trace.
Although the energy remaining inside Suiri had dissipated a lot, she mustered it up to boost her last momentum.
She spoke.
"Hoshiyuki technique! Illusional Dribbling"
"..."
Etani had to wash her ears again. What's the technique? Was it included in the textbook of basketball?
On the other side.
The enemies were confused as well. Was this the plot of Shounen's manga about sports?
Of course, the opponents didn't have any intention to let Suiri break through their defense. Immediately, the point guard stood in front of Suiri but...
"Oh my...How can I see that there are three balls?!!"
"Which one is real?!!"
The point guard thought hard and didn't know how to intercept the ball. Her expression turned serious.
"???"
The question marks appeared on everyone's head.
After watching the coquettish operation of Suiri, the point guard couldn't even make a move. What if she intercepted the fake one? Was she called a pervert by the whole school?
Aoi exclaimed.
"So this is illusional dribbling in the legend"
Etani retorted.
"No, this is the disgraceful move and the legend didn't even record such a move"
Everyone at the scene had shocking expressions.
Aoi couldn't help but give a thumb-up to Suiri.
"What an incredible technique!"
Etani: "???, Does it deserve your compliment?"
Haeno and Moeni suddenly went dumb at the same time while other players gasped at how this scumbag played.
Moeni held her forehead speechlessly and felt insulted at the same time.
She looked down at her chest and turned to Suiri.
Aoi gave her comment.
"This technique can only be used by those who have a big bosom"
"Real turns fake and fake turns real"
"That's why it's called illusion"
Etani: "Don't explain that unhealthy technique like a professional"
"Why do you have the mood to explain but don't come back to your field to defend!?"
"That scumbag in the parenthesis is wreaking havoc in your field!!"
The teacher Etani Asuka didn't have anything to say. Her expression was as dark as the bottom of the pot. She didn't expect that the Ice Queen would play tricks. In addition, it didn't violate the rule so she was speechless. To be more surprise, those girls also played their game with Suiri.
Aoi spoke: "Yabai~, I forgot"
"Thanks for your remind, Etani-sensei"
"..."
Etani Asuka has been a physical trainer for this school for more than 5 years. This was the first time she'd witnessed such a situation.
Illusional dribbling could make the ball blend in with the objects on the host's chest. This technique was invented by Maria because she also possessed a 'humble' chest despite not being as large as Suiri's. This technique attacked other players' mentality instead of super physical skills in basketball.
Suiri actually broke through their defense. She felt grateful for her sister because this technique came from her. She tried to mimic the actions and momentum of her sister in the memory. She said that this technique could be only used once; otherwise, it would be ineffective next time. Suiri believed so and it actually worked. She couldn't help but feel happy in her heart.
Suiri gathered all of her last strength to jump up despite the legs losing their response.
She did an alley-up on the enemies' basket.
*Shua*
The whistle also came together with the sound of the ball intruding into the basket, which created the perfect victory atmosphere like some shounen manga.
62-61
The scores had pinned the result of the match.
Aoi felt that although she had lost, she had gained something new.
Haeno was sullen because she had underestimated the enemy. No one wanted to lose and she was no exception.
Suiri's teammates rushed to Suiri to celebrate as if they just won the final.
"Woa!! Hoshiyuki-san, you are so great!!"
"You have created the miracle!"
"You must be our team's secret weapon!!!"
"..."
Moeni didn't say anything and kept silent. She just looked at Suiri with a complicated expression. She won but she felt that she had lost something. She should've celebrated with them.
'Are these fat things so good?'. Moeni questioned herself. She was just a little loli with a cutting board on her chest so she wondered if her life would change when she had those useless fats. Until now, she found her excuse that it would hinder her move and action. This time, Suiri had shown her their potential in sports. She was jealous of this girl who had a supermodel figure and two watermelons.
'God, why are you so unfair!?'. She yelled in her mind.
Moeni sullenly approached and congratulated perfunctorily.
"Haha, student Hoshiyuki-san, you did a great job"
Suiri had shut down her body as she laid on the floor to catch her breath.
"hah~, hah~"
She heard their voice trying to talk to her and could only nod to reply.
Haeno's group collected money to buy drinks for Moeni's team. The teacher Etani also announced the physical training course had come to an end. The students could rest because there was no next course in the afternoon. Before leaving, she just shook her head and looked at Suiri once more time. Although the method to win was a little despicable, she felt the improvement of Suiri with her classmates.
This girl seemed to open her heart a little with others. Despite the relationship being superficial, the joy and happiness together were all true. This was human nature. No one could resist that joyful moment.
Suiri found a place to sit and rest with Moeni and others while waiting for the free drinks of the lost ones.
Her teammates surrounded her and Moeni to have an enthusiastic chat but Moeni carried almost the conversation while Suiri just replied in short sentences.
However, her classmates had gotten used to it so there was no problem.
Soon after that, Haeno, Aoi, and their group bought and brought the drinks along the way.
Suiri chose for herself chocolate milk. After rebirth, she found that her appetite had changed or not...because she had a super duper rich family in this life as the delicacies had expanded so she could know what suited her taste the best. She couldn't believe that she was a sweet-tooth person. In her previous life, she ate it but was not as addicted as the current her. Sweet was expensive as hell, so she hadn't tasted those high-end ones in her previous life. Thanks to that, she had become a little fangirl for sweet.
Everyone had their job to do so Suiri quietly left and went ahead to the changing room.
She changed back to her formal uniform clothes and her previous underwear. She put the stinky training uniform and the smelly sport-underwear in the bag. Then, she sprayed it with the anti-smell bottle on it and her body.
'Being a girl is so hard'. Suiri realized that girls in her previous life and this life were so good, which she respected very much. They could hide their body odor without men realizing it. The job they did behind the scenes had so many complicated steps. No wonder women took more time to prepare than men.
Soon, she took off toward the designated clubroom which Akane-sensei had talked about.
Suiri arrived at the building which was specialized for club activities.
She felt tired when moving from one after another. Moreover, she had just finished the physical training course. She thought that she would skip those confession letters in her fabric bag. In her mind, she couldn't wait to go home and have a good sleep.
It couldn't be helped. She just wanted to blame the setting of the novel. She or he designed such distinctive places that it would help to promote the events between the male protagonist and those heroines. Also, the chances that those heroines witnessed the sea king protagonist hooking up with other fish women would decrease dramatically. With this setting, the plot in the nursing room, the physical training equipment's storage room, the rooftop, and the backyard could easily execute those events without the interference of the mob characters. Suiri would like to call the author of this novel 'the most creative writer'.
Suiri, now, had stood in front of the door of the clubroom. There was a signature board of the name.
'Club research Rock&Roll'
'Yume ni sake'
(Blooming in the dream)
That was right. This was the name that Akane-sensei had chosen for this club instead of the Golden Dragon bla bla bla.
Its name was so nonsense that Suiri wouldn't want to dig deeper. She also knew that lame name was just her teacher's joke.
In the original plot, the name of this club would be Tsukiakari (Moonlight) like the title of the novel. This clubroom in front of her should've been that name. Suiri was sure that she could've abandoned her past life to continue to live on.
The plots or something were all illogical now. The plot had deviated to the unknown.
This world was her reality.
She could sweat.
She could feel the pain in her physical sense.
She could observe people's emotions because they weren't NPCs.
She could feel the presence of musical spirit in this world once more time.
She could taste all the delicacies. If adding salt, it would be salty. If adding sugar, it would be sweet. If adding lemon sauce, it would be sour.
Suiri tried to find the excuse, or the reason to be able to admit that this world was real, not the strings of words wrapped up in each page of papers.
However, the unknown was the scariest thing in the world.
She didn't know how to keep up with her current life. Just thinking about the future, she would marry someone and have kids according to the unspoken rules of wealthy families. She felt scared and insecure when giving her own life to someone. The existence of Mio had raised an alert for her. In the plot, without her family, the heroine could advance the tech sooner or later but she chose the hanging card for 'Suiri' and took advantage of her family to push the development of their family. It could be said that the original one was used as a tool woman from another perspective. Like any broken engagement cliches, the righteous fiancee always took for granted. Such a ruthless empress.
She didn't know what would happen in the future. Her appearance also deviated from the original plot as well. She originally shouldn't have a plump figure and the two twin hills. She remembered clearly that the original 'Suiri' had an E-Cup bosom like her sister Maria. As for such a deviation, she didn't have any clue.
Suiri suppressed those negative thoughts.
Suiri sniffed her body once more time to make sure that the stinky smell from the excessive exercises had faded away.
In her hand was a chocolate milk can from the 'Puri-Puri' brand. It had a loud name across the world due to its yumminess. The Stardust Academy was sponsored by this brand to use this drink in those vending machines which was placed in school. Luckily, her team won and she could get it for free. She felt happy because she gained it through her effort.
A/N: Are you sure?
She opened the door and stepped inside.
There was no one here. This club only had 2 members, her, and Charlotte.
Her eyes lit up when those famous musical instruments appeared magnificently.
Piano, trumpet, violin, drum, bass, and some ancient and electric guitars.
Her hands began to tremble under the excitement.
She also caught sight of those Japanese musical instruments. She couldn't believe they would place them here.
To be honest, the reason that she could make a comeback after the plagiarism incident was for those instruments. Her piece of music, 'Past Life' (Zense), was composed of such instruments of Japanese. Not a sole piano performance, that was why she said the piece would remain incomplete forever in that world.
The room was different from the original illustration in the novel because those instruments shouldn't have existed in this room in the first place. It was supposed to be the backup room for the Music Club and have a blank state without any furniture.
Suiri couldn't hold herself back anymore. She launched her assault on those pitiful instruments.
The piano itself was digital instead of the grand-types.
Although the keys weren't mechanical like the grand one, Suiri felt it was so weird in her hands.
She decided to test it and insert the power plug into the electrical socket on the wall.
The digital interface screen lighted up which indicated the piano being ready for use.
The piano music echoed in the clubroom.
Suiri began to play some classical pieces with her meticulous slender fingers. She danced her hands on the piano which brought out the precise melody.
'The sound quality of this keyboard was so crisp and good'. Suiri commented in her heart.
After a while.
Suiri started exploring other instruments but she didn't notice that her enthusiasm was captured by a certain figure.
*Applause*
*Clap clap clap*
Suiri was startled and turned her back to look who the other party was.
The short black-haired woman who had dedicated features was standing at the door of the clubroom. Suiri knew her because she was the teacher teaching math in her class.
"Um, Good afternoon Kobayashi-sensei"
"Ah, good afternoon, student Hoshiyuki-san"
She smiled gently which made Suiri awkward because she didn't know her very well. In the original plot, she didn't have any information about her.
Suiri squeezed the last drop of the chocolate milk can.
She needed to supply sugar for her brain to process the situation.
Kobayashi still kept this gentle facade.
"What're you doing here, sensei?"
Suiri couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Oh, you forgot to close the door"
"Then, I heard your play"
Misa shrugged.
"Ah, I'm sorry"
Suiri apologized. In her impression, did she close the door? Why couldn't she remember?
"No need, your music is so fantastic"
"I felt lucky to listen to"
Misa praised her to heaven. Actually, Suiri did close the door and she sneakily entered the room to enjoy a live performance of the famous young musician.
Misa couldn't help but clap her hand. No wonder her best friend, Shimori Akane, a.k.a Aka-chan paid so much for this girl.
"Um"
Suiri replied softly and sighed a relief. Nevertheless, she was nervous with this unfamiliar teacher.
"Oh, that's right"
"I've heard that you're a multi-instruments player, aren't you?"
Misa changed the topic while still hanging a gentle expression on her face.
"Yes, I am"
Suiri emotionlessly answered. This bland mask was the only weapon to protect herself from others. She could sense the teacher in front of her making a reconnaissance of her. More than that, her eyes swam to inspect and analyze her behavior and movements.
This teacher wasn't simple at all. Under that gentle and pure facade, Suiri could guess that this beauty was a black rose with thorns.
Misa knew that there was no need to go around and play mysteriously so she spoke.
"Ahem, Let me go straight"
"I'm Aka-chan's best friend and also her former bandmate"
This was the best way to communicate with the child possessing the mentality of an adult. Misa heard the description of Suiri through the little mouth of her best friend.
Suiri was stunned as her body had stopped working. It turned out this almost mob character had such a background. In the plot, the author didn't even mention the name Kobayashi Misa. She believed that she could no longer use the knowledge in the novel.
Misa nodded in satisfaction when she declared her identity. However, she couldn't find this girl's reaction in the slightest.
She could only go straight to the topic. She wanted to know this person. Was she worthy of her best friend's attention?
"Kobayashi Misa, a former drummer in the oblivious band 'The Sunny Cherry Blossom'"
"Oh!!!!~~~~"
Suiri exclaimed in surprise but her sickness didn't convey that emotion at all.
"..."
Misa didn't know if this girl knew about this name in the musical industry or just replied perfunctorily.
Of course, Suiri already knew this name once mentioned in the novel. The predecessor of the Moonlight band was the sun which was comparable to the moon. The mindset of the author was no surprise for Suiri in the naming sense. The Moonlight band was set as the successor of 'The Sunny Cherry Blossom".
Misa didn't know what to do. As expected of the name Ice Queen, she made others have to squeeze the shallow gray matter in their brain to talk to her. Her answer completely killed the flow of the conversation. What more special was that her answer not only contained enough information, not too much or too short, but also extremely formal in the context.
Mise coughed embarrassedly.
"Kohum~, when I see you getting attention from Aka-chan-sensei, I can't help but be curious about you"
Suiri nodded understandingly. It made sense.
"..."
'Don't keep silent! At least say something'. Misa's mentality exploded.
She tried hard to maintain a gentle facade in front of this student.
"Ahem~, don't you find curious about me and Aka-chan-sensei at all?"
Suiri's principle in this life was 'don't mess and dig into others' affairs'. It would bring trouble to you in an unexpected way. She admitted that she was also curious as well but she loved her safety more. Being ignorant was bliss.
Suiri shook her head slightly because she didn't want to stick to the main characters in the plot.
'Damn'. Misa cursed in her mind.
Don't look at the gentle facade of Kobayashi Misa. She was once in a rock street band and her language was a little abnormal and not suitable for an academic environment. Without the education of Akane, this girl was hopeless to enter the Stardust Academy despite her outstanding mathematic skills.
The gentle facade cracked a little bit. Misa's true face was a hot-blood person. She also had her own patience so she changed the topic.
"Ah, I heard that you created a new song. Can I hear the trailer?"
Suiri continued to shake her head. "Sorry sensei, no comment"
"..."
'Gyaaa'. She heard that the new song would become a hit according to Aka-chan, she also listened to Akane humming that melody. She was also a nerd in music. She couldn't help but want to have an exclusive right to listen first.
She got frustrated.
After a short private interaction, she confirmed this student was very troublesome.
The door opened once again to interrupt this awkward atmosphere.
"Sui-chan, your sister is coming"
"Sui-chan, sorry for the late"
Maria and Charlotte walked together to the room.
Maria paused for a while.
"Oh, White Lotus-sensei"
Misa's blue vein popped out of her head. This nickname was the result of her facade outside. These two sisters pissed her off.
'Calm down'. Misa tried hard to suppress this uncomfortable feeling.
"What're you doing here? Kobayashi-sensei"
Charlotte looked at the female beta with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing, I just had a little chat with student Hoshiyuki-san"
Maria spoke righteously.
"Oh, what did you just say? Can I know since I'm also Hoshiyuki?"
"haha~, nothing big...I'll go now"
Misa had to use an escape card to get out of there. This trip was fruitless. She couldn't hear the new song and wasn't able to reduce the distance between her and Suiri.
After sending White Lot...Kobayashi-sensei away...
Before Suiri realized it, Maria had already used both hands to entangle and hug her from behind.
She sniffed the raw aroma from her sister after excessive exercise.
Why was this girl so fragrant? She smelled so good. The strawberry scent was still lingering on her body.
"Onee-sama, I'm stinky. Don't hug me"
Suiri panicked when Maria continued to sniff her. What if those stinky smells hadn't faded yet?
"Your smell is so good"
"Really?"
Suiri thought this sister deceived her. If so good, why was your expression so wrong?
"Hue~hue~"
Maria was a hidden pervert but the victim didn't even know about that side.
Charlotte could only cough to remind the two of them that she was still there.
*cough* *cough*
The two sisters returned to normal state.
Suiri couldn't help but want to brag to her sister about her victory.
"Onee-sama, all thanks to you, I used your techniques and gained my first win in basketball"
"???"
Charlotte didn't know at all because she wasn't in the same field as Suiri.
"..."
Maria maintained the perfect image sister and praised her sister.
"Good, you have improved your realm in the physical skill"
Suiri nodded and said.
"Ah, Onee-sama, I'll go to the toilet for a while"
After drinking chocolate milk, she needed to push out the waste in her body.
She said that and stepped out of the room to head to the restroom.
Suiri left Maria and Charlotte in the clubroom alone.
Maria covered her face and didn't know what to say.
It seemed that it had been backfired. With the purpose of seeing her sister's chest, she shamelessly lied about that technique in the training at home and this girl quite believed it.
"I don't deserve to be this pure girl's sister"
So innocent.
Maria felt that she deserved to do Seppuku.
Her death couldn't atone for the sin that she had pitted for her lovely sister.
Maria took out the Miracle Educational Stick from her skirt and mimicked the posture of Seppuku.
Charlotte yelled.
"Maria-senpai!!!!!"