Chapter 4 - Rival
“BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU!”
“Did you take in the full 5k last night?” Miyabi asked in a bored voice.
“Double! You know the manager from Parco from last week? He called again!”
“That’s wonderful!” she praised, shivering inside. Retail managers… She was so glad it had been a long while since she’d had the ‘pleasure’ of one of them. “So the regular thirty percent cut is… three thousand. I do like things even.”
“…Here you go. You know, I was thinking lately about going on my own. I mean, this is my second call in a week.”
“BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU!”
“Nearing the end of the third quarter the score is tied, 37 all. Kumai gets the ball… Score!”
Since her reply was drowned in the sudden cheer, Miyabi straightened her face and repeated again, “You still have no idea what you’re doing. You can’t even imagine a real customer yet. Or do you want to serve retail managers the rest of your life? You might as well drop out and go work tables at a maid café.”
“Irasshaimase~ Goshujin~sama!” Chinami chimed from beside her, smiling wide and giving a suitably servile bow. Miyabi elbowed her in the rubs, causing the girl to grunt at the lost breath. Her smile only halfway faded though.
Miyabi readjusted the hoodie which hung low past her waist, but not low enough to cover the chain dangling from her sash. It was the only accessory visible on her otherwise standard uniform, though her hair splayed out in a tail from a gold-threaded band behind 10-yen coin-sized golden hoops hanging from her ears. Three additional small rings pierced the back of her left ear as well.
“Retail managers aren’t all that bad…” the first-year said in a quieter voice. “Does the company even matter?”
“Trust me,” Chinami said, wincing slightly as she rose up straight again, “It does. If you trust us, you’ll find out what we mean eventually too.”
“Besides, what’s seven thousand gonna buy you?” Miyabi asked, her head tilted slightly. “And that’s even after working half the night.”
“A-as you say…” the girl stammered. “Natsuyaki-san.”
“BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU! BE-RI-KOU!”
Miyabi resisted the urge to hold her ears as the buzzer sounded.
“And that’s the third quarter! 41-39 is the score as we head into the final period…”
“Don’t you find that announcer annoying sometimes?” Chinami asked, scratching her chin as she watched the girl they just completed business with make her way through the bleacher supports and disappear back into the crowd.
“Why do you say that?” Miyabi replied indifferently, searching the crowds as she carefully counted the cash in her hand before stuffing it into her shirt. “It’s no louder than your normal voice.”
Chinami grimaced, leaning her head forward to scratch the back of it. “You got me there…”
“Oi, Natsuyaki,” came a voice from the crowd, and Miyabi’s eyes darted to see two girls in black, red-threaded seifuku separate themselves from the crowd. One had mid-length, red-streaked bushy brown hair, and two chains hanging from her waist, as well as a white leather jacket that certainly wasn’t part of the uniform. The jacket had colorful designs sewn over each side pocket, and on each shoulder. The other had long black hair tied in a ponytail as well and held her chin up, chewing gum in a fancy red jacket that Miyabi thought must have been Gucci. The skirt of the first hung well past the knees, while the other’s was actually quite short, almost to the thighs.
“You knew they would come, didn’t you?” Chinami asked in a toneless voice at her side, but Miyabi kept her eyes on the newcomers.
“It’s the one time of the year CTG deigns to come play in our gym, even though theirs is no better. Of course they’d come. I didn’t know who it’d be though.”
When they approached, the girl with the red streak slightly in front of the other who almost seemed to prefer to stick to the shadows of the bleachers above, they scrutinized and sized each other up carefully.
“Who’s the whelp?” Miyabi asked, gesturing with her chin at the girl in back.
“Nakajima,” the front one said slowly, “Would you like to introduce yourself to our friends here? We’re guests in their house, after all.”
“You better keep that in mind,” Chinami said, arms now crossed at her chest.
The named girl stepped forward, though still behind the other. “Nakajima Saki,” she said in a somewhat drawling voice. “First year, Cutie Gakuen. Nice to meet you.” Despite the gum-chewing and dumb-sounding tone, Miyabi watched her carefully. First years were never the best actors.
“You brought a first year to us!?” Chinami squawked indignantly, stepping forward, but Miyabi threw out an arm to hold her back. “Might as well serve us a challenge right here and now!”
“Easy, Chii,” Miyabi said. “I’m sure there’s more to the story.” Her head swung back to the girl in front. “Isn’t there, Murakami?”
Murakami Megumi grinned, that puckered smile seeming to imply some private joke she was just on the brink of laughing at, and her eyes sparkled dangerously. Miyabi knew it wasn’t just for show.
“Of course,” she said in a condescending manner. “After all, I wouldn’t want it to look like we were… neglecting you.”
“You could’ve just let us carry on with our business,” Chinami grumbled.
“We couldn’t just pass up the chance to say ‘Hi’ while we’re all gathered here together, now could we?” Murakami said with a flourish at the stands. Miyabi glanced to the side herself and saw the team huddled up with their coach, a tall woman with long black hair and a relaxed disposition. When she spotted Kumai, the girl was gazing directly back at her as she breathed heavily.
What was up with the athlete lately? She seemed to be paying Miyabi an inordinate amount of attention, and there was that day in the bath too… Ah, it wasn’t like she was the only one interested in what she and Chinami were doing down here, even if Miyabi wouldn’t have expected it from the girl. She was sure there were many eyes on them right now, and she wished she knew who they all were.
“She’s right though,” she responded matter-of-factly, “We are just trying to conduct business here.”
“Well you see that’s the problem,” Murakami said with sarcastic regret, “Your business is interfering with our business, which goes on to interfere in the school’s business. We can’t have this school of yours moving up on our turf around here.”
Miyabi felt Chinami light up at that, and she hoped the girl would use some of that wit of hers to try and conceal it as best she could. She felt her own spirits rise at that. So they were taking notice, were they? Well that was the plan after all, and Miyabi Natsuyaki was no longer used to anything but success in projects she put in the effort to plan.
Instead, she responded as expected to the slight. “That’s BeriKou Gakuen,” she stated seriously, and nodded her head toward the other girl again. “Now, are you gonna tell me who the first year really is, or should we just walk away right now?”
Somewhat surprisingly, the younger girl stepped up beside Murakami, peering calculatingly into Miyabi’s eyes. “I represent… a new element in Cutie Gakuen,” she said almost sweetly. “With our Megu-chan here thinking of transferring, and graduation coming up in so very few months, there may be certain… opportunities available for those who seek them.”
Miyabi studied her a moment as the other girl gazed back with eyes that almost seemed to be dancing. The girl had apparently dispensed with the dumbness act. Such a show of confidence worried her more than the acting. “But you aren’t one of those, are you?” she countered astutely, and Miyabi identified a slight quaver in the other’s gaze as at least mild surprise.
Then she looked back to Murakami. Despite her apparently correct guess about the first year, she also most certainly noticed how familiarly she addressed her senpai. Except for perhaps a slight tightening of lips though, the older girl didn’t react to it.
“You might be transferring?” Miyabi asked the fellow second year, her mood falling slightly at a memory. “Gonna join her?”
The other’s face darkened. “That is none of your business, Natsuyaki.”
Just after she spoke a buzzer sounded, and the referees signaled the beginning to the final quarter. Miyabi glanced through the spectators again, but the teams were already back on the court and resuming play.
“She was my friend too, you know,” she said quietly, still gazing toward the court.
“And mine,” Chinami added from beside her.
“Just watch your step,” Murakami advised. “Remember who runs this district.”
“Oh?” Miyabi asked idly. “I thought we weren’t so competitive any longer.”
“Things change,” Nakajima said quietly, drawing all eyes to her. “People graduate. Others enter. Would think you’d know about that too.” She gazed placidly into Miyabi’s face. “Or maybe you don’t?”
Miyabi shrugged, pulling her red-and-gold-embossed black hoodie tighter around her shoulders. “I’ve never really paid much attention to such troubles except those which have found me.” This time she had even Chinami glancing askance at her.
“That’s a pity,” Nakajima replied. “Maybe you should start to show a bit more school spirit.”
Miyabi glanced at Chinami, who stared back a moment before shrugging with her eyes and turning away. Then suddenly, the girl’s temperament changed.
“Now you listen here,” she said, her ever-present smile only emphasizing her words in its contrast. “Don’t think I’ll just stand by while you tell another student of this school, and coincidentally my close friend, what to do.” Then she pulled out a lollipop from her jacket and began to lick at it, still staring hard at the two rivals. “Unless you’re lookin’ to start something here and now?”
The two Cutie girls looked between the two Berries before glancing at each other, though Murakami lowered her eyes quickly. Miyabi was amazed to see a lone wolf like Megu defer so easily to anyone, much less a junior, and decided that she’d have to look into what was going on down the street after all. She couldn’t have any potential upstarts begin hurting her business.
Then Murakami’s eyes came up, and they suddenly looked hard as stone. “You know as well as me this isn’t the place, Tokunaga. Though maybe we could arrange for something in the park later?”
“Maybe we should!” Chinami shot back, leaning forward and brandishing the lollipop like a weapon, but Miyabi threw out an arm to hold her back.
“Not now, Chii,” she said in a calming voice. Suddenly they heard a loud cheer come up from the crowd, and the PA announcer came through barely over the noise, “51-46 after a dunk by Kumai! I think we might be on our way to victory!” Within all the cheering a perhaps shriller chorus of boos echoed from the other side of the stands as well. The games between the two schools always brought out most of the two student bodies, especially since they were located so close together, and tonight was no different.
“Sounds like we’re gonna beat you tonight,” Miyabi said, a smirk forming on the corner of her lips.
“Don’t get overconfident,” Murakami replied, though she also glanced a bit nervously toward the court, where the Berries had just made another steal.
“So why exactly did you come down here anyway?” Miyabi asked as she peered suspiciously at the two again.
“Ouch, I’m hurt. Can’t friends just catch up with each other from time to time?” Murakami asked with a wicked grin.
Chinami laughed out loud. “Friends!” she burst out. “Last I saw you, Miya had left you under a bridge in the park all bruised and battered.”
Suddenly the other scowled, and took a challenging step toward Chinami before Nakajima reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping the girl in her tracks. It certainly didn’t stop her scowl from deepening though.
“Natsuyaki’s right,” she said, eyeing both Berries warily. “This isn’t the place.” Then Miyabi noticed her eyes focus on Chinami a moment. She seemed to realize as Miyabi did too that eventually this confrontation would have to happen. She would have to help prepare her friend for it… somehow.
“As for why we came here, it was to let you know that things will be changing soon.” This time the first year looked back at Miyabi. “Yes. By next year things will certainly be changing.” And with that her lips turned up in a smile for the first time, and she broke out in quiet laughter that quickly became a bit wild. As she laughed, she pulled her older companion back the way they came, Murakami glaring daggers back at them for a few steps before finally turning away.
When they disappeared into the crowd again Miyabi did her best not to exhale too loudly. When she glanced at Chinami the other girl’s eyes were still focused where the others had disappeared, and though her smile was still there, it was very tight. After a moment she broke out of her spell and glanced to Miyabi.
“I want to kick her ass soon,” Chinami told her through her beaming smile. “I really, really want to…”
“You will,” Miyabi said absently, patting her friend’s shoulder as she stared off blankly into the crowd. Yes, she had some work to do. But since when would that be something new?
After a time a small cough brought them out of her personal reveries, and Miyabi glanced over to see another girl who had detached herself from the crowd and was looking their way. She wore her BeriKou seifuku very elegantly, without any extra accoutrements aside from a shiny chain necklace, and had long silky black hair braided close to the scalp at the top. She seemed familiar to Miyabi somehow, but she couldn’t think of why.
“Oi,” she called out to her. “Good girls shouldn’t come underneath the bleachers. It’s dirty here.” As if to emphasize her point a PET bottle fell from a bleacher just above the girl, but she cleanly just stepped aside to let it fall to the floor where it gave a small bounce before rolling to a rest. Miyabi squinted harder at the girl, and she felt Chinami do the same. “You’re a first year, aren’t you?”
“That’s right,” the girl said, calmly stepping closer. Miyabi stuck her hands in the pockets of her hoodie to glare as she closed in.
“How are your studies going so far?” Chinami asked, and Miyabi blinked at her smiling friend. Sometimes it was hard even for her to tell if the girl’s smile was as kind as it looked or hiding fangs that might be about to strike. That skill at deception was one of her strengths.
Kind it might have been, but the approaching girl stopped and glanced at Chinami with a look of innocent surprise from which she quickly recovered. “They are well,” she said in what sounded to Miyabi like an uppity voice. She was quickly starting to dislike this girl. “They’re hardly competitive at this school after all, are they not? Although the teachers do try hard.”
“Look, just scram, all right?” Miyabi said with a sour face. “We’re a bit busy here.” They needed to recount the haul they’d taken in over the course of the game, and discuss whether they might need to make any personnel management decisions.
However, Chinami gave her a level look, and she said no more, now pouting slightly as well. “Have you thought about being more active in the school and with your other classmates yet?” her friend asked warmly. Was Chinami actually trying to recruit her? Miyabi appraised the young girl again. She was certainly pretty. That was, if you could get past the annoying snobbishness. Some guys did like that sort of thing. In fact, you could always find a guy who was into pretty much anything… as long as a young teenaged girl was involved.
“I may be beginning to,” the other said, considering them thoughtfully. “I have been watching you tonight.”
“Have you now?” Miyabi asked, mocking her tone a bit, her voice dangerous. This time Chinami lifted a hand to make a calming gesture toward her.
“Excuse me,” the girl replied, bowing her head slightly. “I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Sugaya Risako.”
“I don’t care…” Miyabi felt like growling before punching the girl’s lights out, but she stayed quiet in consent to Chinami’s wish. If her associate wanted to use her, fine, she had her own girls. Miyabi Natsuyaki would just certainly not manage her.
“Nice to meet you,” Chinami replied with a smile of her own, though without a bow. At least she was firmly establishing who was in charge here. “I’m Chinami.” She gestured to Miyabi. “This is Miyabi.”
“I know who you are,” the girl said mildly. “Most of the school does, or at least those who would care about the things you do.”
Chinami glanced over to Miyabi with an “I told you so,” smile, but she wouldn’t give the girl the pleasure of agreement. “If you’re looking for work, we already have a full complement of girls,” she said instead, “But there’s always a chance we could find new clients.”
Sugaya’s lips puckered in distaste. “Work?” she asked as if it was an unfamiliar word. “Oh no, I don’t need that.”
“Then stop wasting our time,” Miyabi growled.
“I was actually thinking of taking a more active part in your gang.”
Miyabi found herself staring a moment before completely breaking out in laughter. “You?” she asked, almost hysterically. “Join us? That’s a hoot! I’ve barely known you five minutes and already I can’t stand you. What makes you think I’d even consider you as an associate?” This time even Chinami stared in disbelief at the younger girl. She may have been more reasonable to begin with, but a request like this was just absurd.
The other’s cheeks flushed though in what appeared to be a small amount of anger, and she said in a hard voice, “There’s just the two of you now, isn’t there? You were small to begin with, but after that girl transferred I imagine you’re severely limited with just the two of you. All a rival would have to do is split you down the middle. Am I wrong?”
The knowledge she displayed of Maiha transferring made Miyabi stop laughing, and instead she narrowed her eyes at the girl. However, the younger girl didn’t stop there as she appeared decide on something, and her eyes settled on Miyabi. “Natsuyaki Miyabi, daughter of Natsuyaki Satoichi of the Sumiyoshi-kai Yakuza, currently residing above a club in Azabu Juban with your mother and doing your best to make your own way apart from your parents’ legacy.”
Leaving a stunned Miyabi in front of her, she then turned to Chinami, who stared back at her with wide eyes, smile gone. “Tokunaga Chinami…” she began, gazing thoughtfully into her face. “Unremarkable background, your father a middle management salaryman, so I’m guessing you fell in with the wrong group by chance and now are trying to establish your independence and prove yourself to your more… legitimate friends and associates.” It looked like she wanted to say more, but instead closed her lips and left the effect on the two girls across from her.
However, Miyabi didn’t get to this point without being able to deal with a wide variety of surprises such as this, so she recovered quickly. “So you know who we are.” She appraised the girl again; her neat hair and smart uniform. “I’m guessing you didn’t learn all that by beating up informants on the street. Though you know, that is more the type of thing we tend to do.”
“I did mostly learn about it through my family connections,” the girl replied. “They could be helpful to you too, I would imagine.”
“You don’t expect me to believe you’re some secret Yakuza daughter, do you?” Miyabi shot back, with Chinami glancing at her again.
Sugaya giggled at that. “Oh no, of course not,” she replied. “My father is in real business.”
Miyabi glowered. “Tell us again why we’d care to have you around?”
“It’s just something I wanted to give you to think about,” she replied with a warm smile, looking between them. “Three can accomplish more than two, after all.” And with that, and what Miyabi thought was a bit of a lingering glance at Chinami, she turned and walked back into the crowd.
“You know,” Chinami said, staring after, “She might have a point.”
“Say any more and I’ll kill you myself right now,” Miyabi grumbled, and she noticed the crowd seemed to be getting louder. When she glanced up, she saw all the fans on their feet cheering wildly. “I take it the game’s almost over?”
The two girls walked just out of their space below the bleachers so they could actually see the game, and as she thought, there were only seconds left. BeriKou was even actually up by five.
“Five… four… three… two… one…!” the crowd shouted, and the ball flew as the final buzzer sounded to deafening cheers from above them, with almost equally loud boos on the other side.
“Wow, look at that,” Chinami mused beside her. “We actually won.”
…
As the stands began emptying out, two seniors kept their seats, their long legs stretched out onto the purposefully empty bleacher just below them. “I can’t believe they actually blew it!” the taller one said, pulling her thick trench coat around her and staring at the star member of the BeriKou team who was now being mobbed by other team members and fans.
“It’s just a regular season game,” the other replied, her eyes drifting lazily and seemingly aimlessly across the opposite bleachers as they emptied out below. “The tournament is what’s important.”
“Still, it’s the first time we’ve seen them lose any game, isn’t it?” the first mused. “Although,” she said, glancing with a grin over at her friend. “There’s always the finish to track season as well.”
“Right…” the other said distractedly, as her eyes rested on two girls just emerging from below the bleachers. They were obviously attempting to be discreet, and doing a fairly good job of it, but for those who were looking, they also stood out with decorated uniforms and the hoodie one was just now pulling up over her ponytailed hair.
“Hello~” her companion said, waving a hand in front of her face. “You spacing out already? We’ve still got a busy night tonight, though I’m not sure why you still try. We have a free pass to the college if we want it.”
“Studying is still important,” the other responded, knocking her hand away, though now focusing on other girls still in the stands including a shorter one with a black sash tied as the obi for her skirt. “You can’t get anywhere without knowledge, after all.”
“Yeah, like you need it,” the taller said. “Cmon,” she continued, offering a hand as she stood. “Let’s go. I think this place is gonna get unfriendly soon.” She eyed the crowd gathering on the court. “Or at least, for those of us who aren’t you and have nothing to worry about. Plus,” she continued with suddenly bright eyes, “I want some after-game cake! You know how competition makes me crave sweets…”
“Whatever you say,” came the response, and the girls quickly made their way from the bleachers, smiling and giggling.
It was only a regular season game, but still, the Cutie Gakuen track star who doubled as almost universally respected school leader left the gym with a sour feeling in her stomach. Everyone knew that despite her other significant skills she also had a gift of connection with fate and even fortune telling. The final buzzer had caused something to reverberate within her as if signaling an omen, though she didn’t yet know of what.
Only five months remained until graduation, and despite a fulfilling career something was still missing. The winds were changing, and she just hoped they didn’t bring a typhoon along with them.
Topic: Tsuukai! Berryz Gakuen (Decisions) (Read 19105 times)