Chapter 11: Arc I – Chapter X – On A High Note

 

 

Some time after leaving the basketball court, Oye had Nichols slung over his shoulder. He trudged through the school’s hallway leading to the clinic, his nose wrinkling at the faint odors fuming from his friend’s prone body as though he hadn’t bathed in a month and worked out every single day.

 

He laughed under his breath. As though! There was no way!

 

He couldn’t imagine Nichols building up his body. Imagining him all ripped was flat out funny. Though the thought was amusing, Oye almost wished that Tommy was the type to be interested in weight lifting with him. He wished that his nerdy friend would stop reading so much and at least try out a few things that would toughen him up so much that he wouldn’t need them so much. 

 

Just playing basketball with them now and again would help to change how Beppu viewed him, but Nichols seemed afraid of getting hurt.

 

If it hadn’t been for Hoshino and his special quality, things between Beppu and Hoshino would have never changed. It was earlier this year …

 

“Are you…” Nichols muttered, his blood leaking from a corner of his lips. He hung over Hoshino’s shoulder as he carried the blonde boy to the nurse for treatment.

 

“Kenneth Hoshino.” Hoshino laughed as he shifted Nichols a bit to ease some discomfort in his own neck. “We’re in the same class.”

 

“I… I know… I —” Nichols coughed, covering his mouth in a hurry. “I’m T—Tommy Nichols.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” Hoshino said cheerfully as they neared the clinic’s front doors off the hallway as they trudged up.

 

“W-what I was saying…” Hoshino gently kicked the door open and hauled his injured friend inside. “Ahem…” Nichols coughed. “Are you sure… that you… want to take so much…?”

 

“Of course!” Hoshino said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. You’re light enough. Whatever we miss, we can borrow notes for. Even though I haven’t been here too long yet, I’ve made a few connections… and I’ll hook you up too.”

 

“T—thank you.” Nichols hung limply on Hoshino’s shoulder.

 

“Jeez… don’t die on me!” Hoshino exclaimed in alarm.

 

“What?” A guy with short black hair and black eyes, the product of pure Japanese genes, except for his unusual height. “Is Nichols alright?”

 

“I dunno.” Hoshino muttered and patted Nichols’ face. He pressed his hand lightly against his mouth and his brows knitted as he waited. After a moment’s wait, he felt Nichol’s warm breath as he exhaled. “Good. He’s okay. But Beppu got him real bad.”

 

Oye’s eyes widened slightly, and he peeled a wet lock of blonde hair from Nichols’ already bruising face. “Shit… The guy doesn’t know the meaning of restraint,” he said with plain distaste.

 

“You know Nichols?” Hoshino asked.

 

“Let’s worry less about niceties and more about getting Nichols into a bed,” the black-haired student that towered over Hoshino by a head and a half’s length beckoned to Hoshino.

 

“My bad. You’re right.” Hoshino barked a rueful laugh as he hurried after. “You work here as an understudy or something? Wanna be a doctor or something?”

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“Maybe.” The boy murmured as he led Hoshino to a door and opened it to peek inside. With a nod, he flashed Hoshino a grin and gestured, pushing the door all the way open. “This one’s open.”

 

“Maybe?” Hoshino asked as they walked to the bed and set Nichols gently in the bed.

 

The dark-haired guy now looked at a loss, now that Nichols was in a bed. “I haven’t thought about what I want to do once I graduate.” He ran fingers through his hair and gave a deprecating laugh. “I guess I could be a doctor. My parents would prefer that, I guess, but I keep thinking I’d rather become an athlete.”

 

“Eh?” Hoshino blinked. “Well… that pays well if you make it. What sports are you into?”

 

Frowning, the other rubbed his chin and shook his head. “Haha. You know… we’re in the same class. I remember the day you transferred in and introduced yourself. All full of bluster and confidence. I know your name, Hoshino, but you don’t know mine.” He extended a hand to Hoshino for a handshake and Hoshino took it without hesitation with a grin. “I’m Nick Oye.”

 

“Nice to meet you. The name’s Kenneth Hoshino.” Hoshino nodded.

 

Oye shrugged and laughed politely. “If you don’t mind, I’ll answer your question.” His eyes fixed on Hoshino’s face thoughtfully. “I have a problem. I like basketball the most and catch all the NBO games stateside each season. But Asteria Academy doesn’t have a team, even though there’s kind of half court on the grounds… and no one else seems to care about the game like me.”

 

“Basketball, eh?” A familiar voice came from the doorway behind the two.

 

Hoshino blinked and fixed the newcomer with a reproving expression, lips tight. “Speak of the devil,” Oye muttered.

 

“I’ll show you the devil.” Jared Beppu entered the room, rolling up a sleeve and glaring at Oye.

 

“Why’d you poke your nose in here? Did Nichols kick you in the nuts or something?” Hoshino asked with a grin.

 

With a withering glare and trembling lips, Beppu’s hostility immediately refocused on Hoshino. Oye scratched his head, muttering to himself and eyeing Nichols’ prone form on the bed. “Good thing you’re here, Hoshino.” Beppu said tauntingly as he walked up to Hoshino and sized up the smaller guy with a sneer.

 

“Oh, really?” Hoshino said, stretching his back. “Go ahead and give it your best shot.”

 

Beppu’s face darkened, and he drew his leg back like he was about to kick a placed football with all his might. Oye’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward to intervene, but Beppu struck fast and true. Hoshino continued to stare into Beppu’s eyes with a grin when his blow landed between Kenneth’s legs, with an audible impact.

 

Hoshino wavered a moment and his lips whitened, but his lips didn’t move. That grin remained plastered on his face.

 

“You said you’d do it a few times, right?” Hoshino said, his voice squeaky but face serious. Moments later, on hearing his own voice, he started laughing, clutching his stomach instead of his aching balls. His legs trembled, but he gave no other sign of his distress. “I sound like a fucking chipmunk! Hahaha!”

 

He did his best Chipmunks impression and moments later, all three boys were laughing.

 

After that, the bully who had no respect for anyone else in school to that day had gained a strange new friend. Ever since, in deference to his new tough friend, he eased up on his favorite target. 

 

Hoshino had a strange quality about him. He had a power to bring people together.