Chapter 5: Arc I – Chapter IV – Breaking the Tie

 

 

 

The hollow springing noise of the basketball bouncing on the pavement echoes off the surrounding school’s buildings, filling the court with rhythmic noises that ricocheting off every which way as Hoshino dribbles. His feet move intricately as though his steps were a dance. Meanwhile, he analyzes Oye and Beppu’s movements in their defense of the hoop, towering over the smaller Hoshino. Their outstretched arms obscure his view of the hoop.

 

Tap, tap… tap… tap… tap.

 

Spotting a vulnerable spot in their unsynchronized efforts to bar his way, Hoshino maneuvered around at high speed as the two larger boys raced to keep up and weaving backwards. Hoshino twists and jumping, taking advantage of a momentary clear view of the hoop. He sends the ball sailing through the intervening air directly to the net, cannoning through the gap, seemingly guided by wings. He hurled the ball, and it bounced off the square on the backboard and bounced at an angle to strike the rim and bounce off.

 

The basket rattles as it passes through the net, swooshing loudly as the ball rebounds to hit the near wall as Hoshino races to recover the ball for another shot.

 

Breathing heavily, Hoshino’s feet take him towards the wall, but finds that he’s too late. Beppu puts a hand on the basketball and, with deft movement, takes control of its momentum and turning, he jumps, trying for a three pointer.

 

Not waiting, Hoshino and Oye race for the hoop, watching as the ball arcs through the air and with a swooshing noise, the ball passes through.

 

The two look at each other somberly, without interrupting their jostling for control over the ball as it strikes the pavement and bounces beneath the hoop. Moving lower and squatting, Hoshino puts a hand on the ball first, scooping it narrowly away from the reaching fingers of Oye.

 

Leaping aside, Hoshino was already dribbling again, weaving around as Beppu resumed his defense and again Hoshino was faced by the two towering over him. Hoshino flashed a grin at them, undaunted.

 

“Good moves, but no matter whatever you try, I’ll block it this time.” Oye grunted as he took a defensive position, spreading his arms, weaving around in sync with Hoshino, clinging to him like his own shadow. Hoshino energetically spun back and forth, bouncing the ball with small, controlled movements to keep Oye from intercepting. But, knowing that Beppu would try something physical. Losing patience with a stalemate, Hoshino gritted his teeth and charged forward, jostling past Oye, making contact as his shoulders parted them. Landing on the other side, leaping, Hoshino pulled back his arm with the ball securely in his palm to send the ball sailing heavenward.

 

With a twist of his fingers, Hoshino guided the ball in its flight as the ball left it and tipping his fingertips, the ball strikes the hoop and with a bounce, rolls in and through.

 

“Hahahaha!” Nichols clapped his hands, astonished by Hoshino’s slam dunk. “Great one, Kenneth!” he exclaimed.

 

Landing, Hoshino staggered, turning towards the watching Nichols. The blonde boy looked up cluelessly from the digital book he had his nose buried in. Even noticing that Nichols had missed seeing his shot, Hoshino still made a victory sign, eliciting a scowl from Oye as he landed after his futile attempt to intercept.

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“Shit… I swear you have wings sometimes.” Oye muttered, running fingers through his sweaty black hair.

 

“Poetic bullshit.” Beppu rolled his eyes. “He’s just a lucky little punk, Oye.”

 

Hoshino shrugged and stretched, his grin not showing any sign of fading. “We’ll see about that, you big goon. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a break, so…”

 

There was a sudden streak of purple light through the air, again distracting Hoshino as Oye grabbed the ball from him and started dribbling. “That so?” Beppu shot back as he moved to block Oye’s shot.

 

Shaking his head, Hoshino’s skin tingled as he jostled aside Beppu, defending with his hands in the air. No matter whatever that purple thing was, it couldn’t be that important. Probably his eyes were playing tricks on him. What kind of pervert would want to stalk him with some sort of a stealthy drone? Goosebumps were standing on his arms, the hair on them standing upright.

 

Oye pulled a smooth movement then, turning and dodging back and forth and as the two crashed into each other, Oye pushed past and threw the ball, aiming for a clean swoosh through. Time seemed to freeze as Hoshino leapt into the air, close to putting a finger on the ball, working to divert its path. He reached with everything he had… and suddenly everything around him seemed to click, yet soundlessly. Everything faded in his vision and his eyes were suddenly filled with light. 

 

The walls of the buildings turned into what seemed to be masses of solid light. Twisting his eyes towards Beppu, still midair with him, looked like a constellation of light. Looking down at Oye, smirking, knowing that his ball was perfectly aimed, his lips twisted, forming a crooked line of stars.

 

What? Hoshino wondered what was happening to him. His fingers faltered as his momentum took him higher, and as time slowed, he saw something that was swallowing these little stars nearby. It was like he was floating in space and now everyone was made of stars with empty spaces between everything. While empty space pervaded everything like light, the thing devouring the stars was — wrong.

 

The void approached the four. To the side, Hoshino could see Nichols watching, his starry eyes fixed on him. The shadow creature moved easily despite how slowly everything else moved, including himself. Suddenly, the strange vision faded, leaving Hoshino temporarily blinded. There was a scream and Hoshino’s feet finally landed and he heard the ball bounce off the rim of the basketball hoop to hit the ground. Ahead of him, wrapped around Nichols, was a large insect-like creature made of… nothing?

 

 A rotten scent filled the air as the monster wove a nasty dark substance around Nichols’ twitching form. Moreover, he was paralyzed. The thing had a form making it appear that it had crawled out of the world’s filthiest toilets, matching its odor. It was a nebulous, bug-like form with cocoons fastened on its back. Inside of these strange fleshy, slimy-looking structures were faint, barely recognizable forms.

 

“What are you staring at? Hey… where’d Nichols run off to?” Beppu asked, putting a hand on Hoshino’s shoulder. “Smells like hell’s sewer opened up.” His eyes searched the court, to no avail.