Chapter 10: The Match Begins
Sunday morning arrived with a buzz of anticipation—it was our first match. The sun peeked through the clouds, casting a soft glow over the school parking lot where we gathered with our bags, water bottles, and nerves.
"Alright! Make sure you've packed everything you need!" Takeshi-sensei barked as he pulled up in a ten-seater minibus, slightly dented but reliable.
"Dibs on the front seat!" Taiga shouted the moment the door opened.
"I want it too!" Aizawa jumped in, and the two started bickering like always.
Seriously, they were like a comedy duo.
"Stop arguing. The front seat's for Sayaka," Rikuya said flatly, cutting through the noise like a samurai blade.
With our seats sorted, we piled in. Takeshi-sensei took the wheel, Sayaka claimed the front. The first row had Rikuya and Kaito—Rikuya's hulking frame meant the three-seater row now only fit two. Behind them sat Taiga, Rei, and Aizawa, squeezed like sardines. I ended up in the very back with Hiroki. Coach Tsugawa, looking cool as always, rode his motorbike behind us since there was no room left.
About ten minutes into the ride, silence filled the van. Not a tense kind, but the quiet that comes before something big. Maybe it was nerves, or maybe we were all just imagining how the match would go.
"Soooo... let's remember the ramen we're getting after this," Kaito said suddenly, trying to cut through the tension.
"Ramen!" Aizawa repeated with a grin.
That was all it took. Soon everyone was talking—about ramen, toppings, side dishes, even arguing over which shop was best. Just like that, the heavy atmosphere cracked open. Laughter filled the van.