As Kyo walked into school he saw president Yuuki in high spirits, Kyo stopped in front of her, and greeted her, "Good morning, Yuuki."
"Good morning Kyo, I saw the list this morning, keep up the good work."
"I will, see you."
It was a quick exchange, and it seemed like she wanted to say more to him, but Kyo didn't press it and went to class. As he sat down he said "Morning Kimori."
"Morning Kyo. What clubs are you checking out today?"
"The sports clubs."
"Oh cool, you will get to meet three of the legends of Hanabira high, honestly I'm kind of envious of that."
"I what?" Kyo said dumbfounded, he had heard of the seven wonders of the school, but "the legends of Hanabira High" was different.
"Don't tell me you don't know of the seven legends?" Kimori said in shock as if the seven legends were on the same universal scale of knowledge like 2+2 was.
"Not a clue." Kyo said with a slight tilt to his head.
"Listen Kyo, you know how most schools have the seven wonders like a piano playing in the dead of night, or a ghost who wanders the halls? Well we have those as well, but we also have something similar with some of the students that go here. They are referred to as the seven legends. Three of these people are sports members; another that you would know of is the school's VP, legend number four 'The Ice Princess.'"
"Interesting, which three are they? I might go to them first." Kyo looked intrigued and was fully listening now.
Kimori continued, "The first is the captain of the basketball team Kenji Koda, his nickname is Flare of the Blaring Winds, this is because he moves so fast that the red streak in his hair looks like a flame in the wind. The second is the president of the swimming club, Hiroko Oyogu, nicknamed Shark at Sunset, not sure why though. The third and final one is a 2nd year student of the archery club, Yumi Yajirushi, nicknamed Target Eyes, she has not lost a tournament since elementary school, or so the rumors say."
"Wow, they all sound amazing." Kyo thought to himself that maybe he should be scared to meet with them all, but from his experience people who play sports are some of the kindest people in the world. Kyo was thinking of people like Hiro, Kimori, Himori, and Goda for reference. "Who are the last three?" going back to the original topic.
Kimori thought for a moment trying to remember the names of these people. "number five was the nurse of the school, nicknamed 'Bloody Mary.' Number six is the president of the radio club Ryu Kosume, nicknamed 'vanishing voice,' and lastly is …" Kimori paused, really trying to remember the person's name, "Takiko! I think that was his name." Kyo thought to himself, this is the second time I have heard the name "Takiko" but who is he? Soon after, the homeroom teacher walked in and started class.
…
During lunch Kyo met with Yuuki in the usual spot by the stairs. Kyo was there sooner than she was,"Sorry I am late Kyo, I was trying to get lunch from the school store but everything was sold out."
"You don't have to apologize, honestly I thought after I became the treasurer I would only see you during morning and meetings. So these lunches with you are nice." Kyo said, waving his hand dismissing the apology.
Yuuki pouted for a moment then said, "I think you and I are friends Kyo! I would hang out with Shino, but she is always busy with stuff." Kyo felt like this situation was deja vu from the first day of school, "Yuuki, do you not have friends?" Kyo asked somewhat jokingly.
There was an awkward pause, then Kyo heard a reply, "No, not really, you don't make true friends easily when you are always busy and are friendly to everyone." Yuuki was not saying this to brag nor was she trying to suggest that being nice was an act, she really does care for people. However, she stands in the mornings and greets people inside, she has faculty meetings, and has to stay after school. There really was no time for her to make real friends, so Kyo and Shino.
Kyo felt bad bringing it up, he was on the other spectrum than Yuuki was, Kyo has lots of friends, however, he could still relate to her, since they were also busy all of the time.
To lighten the mood, Kyo asked, "Since you couldn't get any lunch, did you want some of mine?" These words pulled Yuuki out of a saddening thought, and for a moment, she did not think it was real.
"Huh?" Her eyes were confused since the offer came out of nowhere, "you mean I can have some of your lunch Kyo?" Kyo's lunch was a simple sushi bento box having four pieces of sushi, two egg rolls, and some vegetables on the side.
"Yeah it's no problem."
They split the bento evenly and Yuuki seemed rather satisfied." You're a lifesaver Kyo, I will make you lunch tomorrow."
"You don't have to do that, my aunt gives me some money for food, so I am fine, really."
Yuuki was somewhat confused as to why Kyo had said his aunt and not his parents, but she shook it off, and pressed further,"Do you have any preferences, Kyo?"
Kyo did not want to play this back and forth game again and figured that Yuuki would bring him lunch no matter what he did. "I am not allergic to anything, but I hate water chestnuts. Anything else is fair game." Kyo said with a smile, making Yuuki blush a little.
Yuuki said in an embarrassed voice, "Truth be told I am not that good at cooking, and least not as good as my brother, but I am working on it."
"Well I am looking forward to it." Kyo said with a smile before asking the question, "You have a sibling?" For some reason Kyo was given the impression that she was an only child.
"Yeah he goes to college, he's two years older than me, do you have any siblings, Kyo?"
Kyo paused, then said" yeah I have a half sister, she is seven years younger than I am, so it's kind of hard to talk to her." Kyo refrained from telling Yuuki that he lives alone, and what his parents are really like.
Yuuki thought back to the aunt comment, but again, didn't question it, instead she said,"You're her older brother though, you should try to talk to her. I am sure she will be happy if you give her some attention."
"Yeah … maybe, it's a little more complicated than it sounds though." Kyo had contemplated calling the house since he got the letter from his mother, and this just added more reason on top of it. Kyo's mind began going wild before breaking the silence. "Do you have any animals, Yuuki?"
"Nope, you?"
"I don't, but my mother has a cat."
"Oh cute" Yuuki seemed confused by Kyo's wording, but she didn't pry. "Who do you plan on meeting today, Kyo?"
"The sports clubs"
"Smart, all of them are kind people so there shouldn't be any problems there." The bell then rang. The two got up and parted ways.
"See you later Kyo"
"See you tomorrow."
…
After school Kyo went to the back of the school where our fields and gym are located.
The first club Kyo decided to check out was the basketball club. Entering the gym Kyo saw an amazing display of two legends facing off in a 1v1 basketball match, full court. The duel was between Kyo's friend Goda and the basketball team captain Kenji Koda, who was also one of the seven legends of Hanabira High School.
Goda is not only Kyo's friend, he is an amazing athlete, and got into Hanabira via recommendation. During middle school Goda was a part of basketball, soccer, and volleyball clubs. Goda's accomplishments earned him the nickname "Ace."
Goda had a number of features that made him unique, for starters he was tall for a fifteen year old, he has short black hair, and a muscular build. Another reason was his personality, he was quiet, not shy, and serious about everything he put his mind to. His academic record also placed him in a league of his own. Goda was ranked first for all three of middle school. The only person who could match him in athleticism was Hiro, and that was only in soccer. The only person who could match him in academics was Kyo, who got ranked second all throughout middle school.
Despite all of these great feats, for the first time ever, Kyoyta Arianagi saw Goda being pushed back when facing Kenji Koda. The legendary basketball player at Hanabira High was physically fit, with black long hair going down to the base of his neck, with a section of his hair having red highlights in it. He was smaller than Goda but his footwork was insane. Kyo watched the match with intensity.
Koda had the ball, while Goda was blocking him, they were at the mid court line. Koda's leg moved to the right, but he threw the ball left in between Goda's ribs and arm on the opposite side. Koda threw the ball so fast that it blitzed between Goda without him being able to react. Koda ran right, then bolted left to catch up to the ball, making a V around Goda. For a moment Kyo saw what Kimori meant. Koda looked like a flame in the wind. As Koda grabbed the ball he was in the perfect spot to dunk it, earning him the win. Both had impressive speed and power, everyone watching was mesmerized before clapping and yelling.
"LET'S GO KODA" "WAY TO GO KODA!!" "WHAT SPEED, KEEP IT UP CAPTAIN!!"
Koda looked towards his fans, and said, "Hehe, c'mon guys, I am getting embarrassed." He turned towards Goda, and the two gave a loud high five. Kyo assumed that Goda would be more down from his loss, but there was a look of determination in his eyes.
"That was fun, thank you Goda."
"I should be the one to thank you, it has been a long time since someone beat me in this sport. I have a lot to learn from you." Goda said offering a handshake, which Koda reciprocated.
"Alright guys line up for shooting practice!" Koda said to the team.
Kyo took his opportunity and ran up to Goda and Koda after their moment, "excuse me can I speak to you two for a moment" Kendo looked confused while Goda looked at Kyo with a dull expression. Kyo was used to standing next to Goda, but being around Koda, he thought to himself this guy has an otherworldly aurora about him.
"What is it Yo?" Goda said.
"You know this guy?" Koda asked
"Yeah he isn't one to stay after school though. What do you want Yo?" Everyone has their own nickname for Kyoyota Arianagi. Goda's nickname for him was Yo. It had been about a month since the two of them had spoken. Kyo wasn't even sure if Goda knew that he got in or not.
Kyo looked at Koda and said, "it is nice to meet you, my name is Kyoyta Arianagi, treasurer of the student council. Do you need anything for the start of the new year?" This news shocked Goda, but it didn't really show on his face. Koda just thought, oh the student council, and left it at that."Our equipment is fine for now, maybe a better air pump, but you don't have to do that this month."
"Right, sounds good, I will put that down for next month then, that's all I needed to hear." Kyo took out his phone and wrote that down in his notes app. When he looked up from his phone he saw Koda give a bright smile, "sweet looking forward to it." Koda walked away and Goda was about to follow after. Then Kyo yelled out, "Hey Goda,"
This stopped him and made his head turn, Kyo continued, "just so you know, I no longer live with my mother, so if you would like to check out my new place and hang out sometime you can. It is only five minutes away from here."
Goda gave a slight smile and said "Sounds fun, I will take you up on that offer one of these days." Goda then turned back around and followed Koda. Kyo then left the gym and went to the building next door.
…
The building next to the gymnasium was the swimming pool, accompanied by the members of the swim team. The building has two stories, the first floor was for showering and lockers, and the second was the pool itself. It was fairly big with a number of members.
As Kyo was going up the stairs to meet with the club he saw a tan girl with surprisingly long black hair, about to the base of the neck, the underside of her hair was light blue, with dark blue eyes to match, she had a black jacket on with the schools one piece black swimsuit on underneath. She had a presence similar to Koda if not more intense.
Kyo looked up at the girl before him and said, "hi, do you happen to be the president of the swim club?" Kyo asked this only because he felt that similar feeling, if he was right, it was a lucky guess, and if he was wrong, it was a simple misunderstanding.
She looked down at Kyo from the top of the stairs and nodded, but didn't say anything."Sorry to interrupt your break, I was wondering if your club needs any new equipment?" Kyo said this genuinely feeling bad, she probably wanted a break, alone time since she wasn't with her teammates, this was a feeling Kyo knew all too well. There was a long pause from his question to her answer.
Kyo figured that she was thinking, and didn't press for information, instead, he walked up the stairs, and peered through the plastic panel in the center of the door. Kyo stood there, partly hunched over, watching people swim laps, and betting against himself on who would win. The girl simply stared at Kyo, eventually asking, "Do you like the water too?" Her voice was mature and straight to the point.
Kyo thought about how he felt about water, it was not a question he had been asked before, "I don't hate it, but I was never really around it as a kid." This was as honest an answer as any that he could muster.
"I see." There was another pause between the two, before she continued, "I feel sad for you."
"Can I ask why?" Kyo said not understanding what he had done to make her feel this way.
"All you're doing is running errands, instead of doing what makes you feel free." She said while looking out at the water.
"I find this job to be rewarding, sure for right now I am just running errands, and meeting people, but I get the feeling after I meet everyone and understand the council more, that's when the fun will really begin. You know?"
She thought upon his words for a moment, as if watching a bird who has been caged its whole life, finally seeing an open door, but not knowing what to do with it."If you ever feel trapped, feel free to swim with us."
"Thank you for the offer, I will be sure to take you up on it one day. May I ask again, what equipment does the swim club need?" Kyo asked, confused. The girl did not respond, she opened the door, walked outside, took her jacket off, got on the launch pad, and jumped. Kyo took this as a message saying "all we need is our swim clothes and water." Kyo then walked down the stairs, and over to the final building.
…
Kyo walked from the pool over to the far right side of the school where the archery club was held. The building was the oldest one on school grounds, and was made almost purely out of wood. They did things the traditional way here, at least from the looks of it.
As Kyo walked around for a bit, seeing the shelves encased in glass of awards and photos, he eventually got to the back of the building.
When he peered into the room, Kyo saw six people sitting in a line all wearing long black Kyūdōgi's and each wielding a long wooden bow. They were sitting down watching a girl with long brown glossy hair pulling back her bow and lining up the shot.
She exhaled, then fired the arrow, piercing the center of the target perfectly. The girl took a deep breath, put the bow to her side, and bowed. Kyo thought that it was beautiful, breathtaking in fact.
While Kyo was captivated by the girl's archery, he heard a voice from behind him. "Excuse me, mind explaining why you are looking at my club members like that?"
Kyo turned around to see a man with really long light black hair being kept together with a red ribbon, and wearing the same black outfit as everyone else."Wait, you have the wrong idea! I am the new treasurer of the student council, my name is Kyoyota Arianagi. I was asked to visit every club to see if they need anything!" Kyo said with a bow.
The tapped his head with his right index finger, "I see that makes for a good excuse, but I'm gonna need some proof." Given how Kyo must have looked he wasn't sold on Kyo being an official member of the council.
Kyo thought to himself about how he could prove his own innocence, then said, "oh I know, let me call the president. Yuuki will tell you the truth." Kyo received President Yuuki's phone number during lunch on Monday. However, this was his first time calling her. Kyo thought to himself, to think my first time calling Yuuki is used to convince this guy that I'm not a stalker. After a few rings, Yuuki picked up the phone. "Hello Kyo, is everything ok?"
"Hey, President Yuuki, sorry to ask for this favor, but can you explain to this guy at the archery club that I am the treasurer of the student council?" Kyo deliberately left out the reasoning as to why Yuuki was being called.
Kyo handed the phone over to the upper classman, and the two had a brief exchange. Kyo could only hear his voice saying "yeah" and "I see." He then hung up the phone, handing it back to Kyo. The man said, "haha, you know it was a joke right? I figured you were telling the truth, I just wanted to mess with you.
The man patted Kyo on the back while laughing. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Arianagi, you may call me Kishiwara." Kishwara then bent his head into the room and called over the girl from before. She got up and headed towards them, stepping into the hall, so the others could practice in peace. Kishiwara then introduced us, "this here is Kyoyota Arianagi, the student council treasure. Mr. Arianagi, this is Yumi Yajirushi, a member of the archery club." Kyo thought to himself, this is one of the seven legends Kimori told me about.
The two bowed to each other before Kyo continued, "Does the archery club need any new equipment?"
The two thought for a moment, then Yumi Yajirushi said, "Arrows and targets are our usual requests. We keep up with our uniforms and bows well enough."
"That makes sense, a set of each every month then?"
"Arrows every two months, targets every month if possible." Kishiwara added.
Kyo took out his phone and added their request to his notes app. After looking up from typing, he said, "that should be all, thank you, also, Miss. Yajirushi, your shooting was very beautiful, keep up the good work." Kyo normally was not one to compliment another, but her skills were so impressive he felt like he had to say something.
Once again they bowed to each other, then went their separate ways. Kyo worked his way to the outdoor courts including soccer, tennis, and more. None of these clubs had any memorable moments compared to the first three, but Kyo was positive that they will do something interesting at some point during his meetings with them.
With the sports clubs out of the way Kyo went back up to the fourth floor and copied the requested materials down on a piece of paper, leaving it on the president's desk, then went home for the day. That night when deciding what clubs Kyo would visit next, he realized that he did not have a list of what all the clubs were. Thinking to himself, I will ask Yuuki tomorrow if she can recommend something to me.