Hoshino POV:
Today was a weekend, which meant no school. And, like any normal student, I slept in. Although my definition of "sleeping in" is probably different from that of other people.
Where I live, sleeping in usually means 9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. For me, it's 1 p.m. It's a bad habit—I agree—but when you're staying up until 3:00 a.m. every night, the weekend is the only time I can make up for lost sleep.
God forbid a man indulges himself once every seven days.
When I was younger, Dad used to force me to wake up early. But considering that everyone in the house—Mom, Lily, and me—started waking up later as we grew older, he eventually gave up.
Majority rules.
Anyway, today was supposed to be another glorious day of self-indulgent hibernation. That was until my phone began buzzing. I keep it on mute because I despise ringing sounds—but a vibration this long usually means someone's calling.
I groggily grabbed my phone… and declined the call.
Sorry, but I'll stay asleep. I'll call you back later—probably.
As if the caller expected that, they called me again immediately. Decline. Another buzz. Decline. Then, silence.
Finally. Some peace and quiet.
I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. Just as I began to sink back into the mattress, the phone erupted again. I clicked my tongue, irritation bubbling up.
Who the hell keeps trying to call me?!
I sat up and snatched my phone off the bed. I squinted, focusing on the blurry screen until I could make out Yu's name. Of course.
I accepted his call, pressed the phone to my ear, and sighed loudly enough for him to hear. "Hah… what do you want?"
"Ah! He actually picked up? With only four tries? This has to be a record or something!"
Surprised, I pulled the phone back and looked at the screen again. It was undoubtedly Yu who was calling me… but I heard Luna's voice instead.
Are they hanging out…? Then why the hell do they need me?! Just let me go back to sleep!
Someone cleared their throat from the other end. "Ahem, sorry about that," Yu said, taking control of the call. "Anyway, wake up. We are at the park right now trying to play basketball. We sent it in the group chat just in case you happened to be awake. Obviously, you weren't. Anyway, Luna and I were playing, and these three people came up to us and asked if we wanted to play with them. We need a third. Hurry up and come."
Decline this son of a bitch right now! It isn't too late to climb back into bed and get some shut-eye! I know you want to!
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. "I'll be there in five minutes…"
You're such a fool!!!
Ignoring the protests of my own mind, I dragged myself to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got dressed. Since it was a humid spring afternoon, I opted for a white T-shirt and basketball shorts. Just before I left the room, I grabbed a headband.
When I play, my hair gets in my face. It's annoying as hell.
I headed downstairs quietly, careful not to wake Mom, who was asleep on the couch. I raided the pantry for snacks, grabbed a towel, and packed a small mountain of water bottles. None of these were for me. Yu gets really sweaty after we play, and Luna gets really thirsty and hungry.
Dad didn't have work on Sundays, but he wasn't upstairs or downstairs, so it was safe to assume he was out on his usual afternoon jog.
Once everything was ready, I stepped into the garage. Cold, dusty air filled my lungs. Weirdly enough, I found the smell somewhat refreshing. I paused for a moment, enjoying it—until the hot, humid air from outside came rushing in.
…Welp, mood's over.
I rolled my bike out, shut the garage, and started riding toward the park. It's only an eight-minute walk from my house, so I could've just walked.
I chuckled at the thought. Nah, I hate walking.
I tried biking fast, but every time I picked up speed, the thick, humid air brushed against my skin, forcing me to slow down. By the time I arrived, I could already feel the weight of the sun piercing through my mind's haze.
I parked the bike against a nearby bench and walked toward the court.
"Ohhhh shitttt! I didn't know he was your third!"
A shiver ran down my spine, snapping my brain awake. The voice belonged to neither Yu nor Luna. It was someone much worse. There's no way… what the hell would she be doing here?
I scanned the court. Five people stood there. Yu and Luna were there, obviously. The other two? Unexpected—but acceptable. Sora, the student council president, and Remi, someone I've known since my first year. My face paled as I looked at the final figure.
Her long, wavy black hair flared behind her, her arms casually placed against her hips. A wide, confident grin stretched across her face. And most notably of all—she had a dragon tattoo curled around her neck.
I suppressed the urge to groan. You've got to be kidding me. I just woke up, and this is who I have to play against?
She snatched the ball from Yu and launched it at me with full force. The ball blurred through the air, as if phasing in and out of existence. My arms moved on their own and caught it, the force sending tremors through my bones. My palms stung, but the pain didn't reach my face.
"There you go! You should be all warmed up now!"
She burst into a hysterical, boisterous laugh—the kind of sound that made the trees stop swaying out of fear.
I rolled my eyes and threw the ball back to her. She caught it with one hand and started spinning it on her index finger.
"Aren't you forgetting to say something to me, kid?" she teased.
"Yeah, yeah," I said, putting on the headband. "It's nice to see you, too, Julie."