Kenichi's head snapped up. His eyes, which had been clouded with a sort of secondhand disappointment, were suddenly sharp and focused. "What?"
The single word held more surprise than if Ren had announced he was joining the kendo club.
Ren just shrugged, as if it was a simple fact. "The girls' team. They're different."
"Different how?" Kenichi leaned forward, his previous melancholy gone, replaced by a genuine, analytical curiosity.
"They're... professional," Ren said, trying to find the right word. His voice, which had been flat and bored describing the boys' team, now had a note of engagement. "They're run properly. Their coach knows what she's doing—she was actually running drills, not just... yelling. Their captain, a 3rd-year, looked like a real leader. The whole team has discipline. They were organized."
Kenichi was stunned. He'd been expecting a total, depressing report. "Well... that's... that's good to hear. A well-run team, then."
"Yeah," Ren said, then he paused. The memory of the tryout flickered in his mind. "And they have a 1st-year... a point guard. She's... good."
"Just 'good'?" Kenichi asked, sensing there was more.
Ren's "Eagle Vision" replayed the moment: the sloppy defenders rushing in, the gap appearing, the perfect, fluid jump shot. "She's... really good," Ren corrected, a note of respect in his voice. "She's the only one I saw all day, in either gym, who actually knows how to play."
Kenichi's face lit up with a genuine spark of interest. "A 1st-year prodigy, you mean? That's..."
He opened his mouth to ask more, but he never got the chance.
"A-HA! I KNEW IT!"
The voice was a high-pitched missile that shot through the study, making both Ren and Kenichi jump.
Kaori Ishikawa was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, a sly, triumphant grin on her face. She was in her "at home" clothes—a ridiculously expensive-looking lounge set—and she looked like a cat that had just cornered a mouse.
"You've been listening," Ren accused, his voice instantly returning to its deadpan state.
"I've been discovering!" Kaori said, marching into the room and flopping dramatically onto the leather sofa. She kicked her feet up. "I knew it! You weren't gone for one day before you found a girl!"
"Now, Kaori..." Kenichi said, but he was failing, miserably, to hide his own smile. He quickly disguised it as a cough.
"No, Dad, this is a critical family moment!" Kaori declared, pointing a finger at Ren. "My little stormcloud has a crush! A girl! And a basketball player! Ren-kun, is it love at first sight? My little brother is finally growing up! He's a man!"
"I'm not," Ren said, his voice flat, but the tips of his ears were turning a faint shade of pink.
"Lies! You're blushing! I see it! You're totally blushing!" Kaori cackled, sitting up. "So, what's she like? Is she cute? What's her name? Did you talk to her? Did you use one of your two facial expressions? Oh, 'She's just a good player'—" Kaori perfectly mimicked Ren's deep, monotone voice "—that's exactly what a boy with a massive, embarrassing crush would say!"
"I don't have a crush," Ren insisted, his face a mask of annoyance. "I don't even know her name. I was just pointing out that she's a competent player. Unlike... everyone else."
"AWW, 'a competent player'! That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard you say!" Kaori cooed, clasping her hands over her heart. "Dad, we have to prepare! We need to invite her to dinner! Grandfather will want to run a background check—"
"I'm going to my room."
Ren, having had enough, stood up. He'd take his chances with homework over this interrogation.
"That's right! Run away!" Kaori yelled after him as he escaped the study. "You can't hide your feelings from your Nee-san!"
The sound of his sister's cackling followed him all the way down the hall.
Ren disappeared into his room, the door clicking shut.
In the study, Kaori was still giggling. "Oh, this is going to be the most fun I've had all year."
Kenichi just shook his head, but he was smiling, too. A genuine, hopeful smile. He looked back out the window at the pond, his son's words echoing in his head.
He noticed her. He's still watching the game... He's still in it.