Reliability

By: Aviantei

18—Gymnasium IV

The sunshine shimmers through the world

With exams over and a few scant weeks left until summer vacation, life cycled back into its routine. Classes picked back up with zero remorse, the Rakuzan Boys Basketball Club continued its tri-weekly practices with renewed focus on assessments for their upcoming training camp, and Choukou and Kenta asked for hangouts after school every now and then, heading to cafes for a treat or visiting a local park that had a fabulous view of the sky above.

Their exam results came out soon after, and Megumi found that she'd managed to keep within the top twenty-four for her year—which was enough to maintain her place in Class-A, as well as her scholarship. She'd even managed to score a bit higher than she'd expected with her unexpected break from classes, falling just short of making it into the top fifteen.

Akashi, to no surprise whatsoever, had achieved first place with a near perfect score.

Finalizing the paperwork for the summer training camp took precedence soon after, and Megumi took as much of the work of organizing everyone's permission slips as she could muster. Higuchi, seeking a bit of a breather before heading out to cram school, let her handle it, and Megumi had confirmed that all over one-hundred members of the club had turned in their forms, as well as organized them into alphabetical order before passing the batch off to Shirogane.

The time counting down to summer seemed to pass in a rapid but still pleasant blur. Megumi had almost forgotten how good and stabilizing a routine could feel, the way it made it easy to know where to go and when to rest. Wrapped up in the warm air of the growing summer, the final day of classes came, bringing the last club meeting before the training camp with it.

Once more, the entirely of the Boys Basketball Club had assembled in the first stringer's gymnasium, and Megumi still felt struck by how the normally rowdy and active members could all hold a complete and total silence, waiting for Shirogane to address them. Megumi herself was in her usual position in the front row, seated beside Higuchi. When she glanced over to the starting lineup, she forced herself to focus until she found Mayuzumi's still indistinct but there form at the end of the line. Hayama noticed her stare and flashed her a short wave, grinning as always.

"As you all know," Shirogane said, his voice snapping the room to rapt attention, "we will be on summer break starting tomorrow. While we will take the next week off from practice, afterwards we'll be heading out for your training camp. Even so, don't slack off on your regular physical activity in this time. I expect you to be in the same shape you are now whenever we reconvene here next Monday. Understood."

"Yes, sir!"

The sound of over one-hundred voices answering in perfect unison still made Megumi jump, but she managed to stop herself from leaping out of her skin entirely. Higuchi gave her a half-amused, half-concerned look, and she had to resist the urge to stick out her tongue in retaliation. I'm not going to break from a little bit of noise, thanks.

"With that in mind, I expect you all to report here on Monday in two weeks. If you have issues, you're responsible for contacting myself or Higuchi to make arrangements." The same call of affirmation echoed off the walls, and Megumi took note that she'd likely be responsible for that duty when the next year came around. "Akashi, do you have anything you want to say?"

"Of course." Though she'd seen it so many times, Megumi still felt awed by the ease of how Akashi could rise to the occasion, could stand in front of a crowd without having to rehearse his lines. "As Coach has said, being part of this team means staying in shape, even though we have already proven ourselves to be at the top once more. If you can't understand even that much, then you won't have any hope at standing on the court in an official match. This training camp will be the time to prove yourselves. And know," he said, narrowing his eyes until they were nothing but slits of gold and red, "that I won't tolerate anything less than your best effort."

It wasn't just Megumi that shuddered at those words. Even Higuchi beside her stiffened, and Megumi thought she heard a few people gulp behind her. It was a small comfort that she wasn't the only one that Akashi affected that way—though from what she could tell none of the Crownless Generals seemed too intimidated. Nebuya and Hayama had enthusiastic grins on their faces, and even Mibuchi's lips had curved up in a small smile.

Too late Megumi realized that Akashi was looking at her, as if assessing her reaction. Some sort of test of her resolve? It took her a moment longer than she would have liked to steel herself, but Megumi schooled her face into a determined expression and didn't flinch away. I don't intend on backing down just yet, Akashi-kun.

At least, for the moment, Megumi felt like she was reliable enough for that.

"Me-chan, GET!"

Without any consideration for the rest of the team leaving the gymnasium, Choukou had captured Megumi in a hug, almost toppling her off balance. Higuchi, who had been walking with Megumi, coughed, and Choukou stuck out her tongue. Looking unsure of what to say, Higuchi met eyes with Megumi. "I'll see you next week for the training camp, then, Kaizuto-san?"

"Yes, I'll see you then, Senpai." Taking that as permission enough, Higuchi went on ahead, tossing a wave over his shoulder as he went. Megumi returned the gesture, then gave Choukou a bemused smile. "You didn't have to come and pick me up, Choukou-san. I would have been fine meeting up with you where we said we would."

"I know, but I got all excited, and I couldn't wait so I came and got you!" Megumi didn't need Choukou to say it to understand her enthusiasm—Choukou had a wider grin than usual on her face, plus she was near bouncing in place. "I've been thinking about this all week. Plus I only get you for so long before you disappear on your training camp, so gotta get as much Me-chan quality time in as I can before then!"

As if it were contagious, Megumi found herself easing into Choukou's energy. "I don't know if I'm all that exciting of a house guest, but I'll at least try not to be a bother while I'm there."

"Are you kidding me? You're not boring at all, Me-chan. Besides, I get to give you your first sleepover, ever, so I pulled out all the stops. We have loads of snacks, plus I picked out all these movies, and if you wanna we can do each other's hair or just play cards—whatever you want!"

Though Choukou had already said as much several times throughout the week, but thinking about it still made Megumi smile. Half because of her APD, the other half because she'd had a hard time making friends, Megumi had never been over to someone else's place, nor had she wanted to risk bringing someone over. It was scary to think about, but also exciting.

It's a little scary, but if I'm going to be spending a whole week out at the training camp, I need to at least get used to this much. Plus, Choukou-san's understanding. It'll be fine.

"Alright, if we're ready to roll," Choukou said, taking Megumi's hand and holding it up towards the bright and blue sky above, "let's get ready for the best sleepover, ever!"

Megumi hadn't really had a set idea in her mind as to what Choukou's room would look like, but it didn't surprise her in the slightest. Choukou had painted the walls a bright pink and, aside from the bed, most of the floor had comfortable cushions, including a dolphin that looked almost the size of a beanbag. Other, smaller stuffed animals littered the bed and top of the dresser. She did have a small desk tucked into the corner, but the scattered papers and upturned pencil cup indicated that it probably didn't get much regular use. On a mini entertainment center sat a TV, along with a few magazines stacked on the lower shelf.

"Make yourself at home," Choukou half-sang, pushing Megumi further inside. "My place is your place for the next few days, so you can use anything you like. Mom's gonna make dinner, but I have some pocky and stuff. You want any? Want something to drink?"

"Oh, no, I'm—" Recognizing the pouty look on Choukou's face, Megumi cleared her throat and changed course. "I'll have whatever you're having. Maybe some snacks?" That was enough to appease Choukou, who zipped out of the room en route to the kitchen. Trying not to feel too awkward, Megumi put her bag down near the door and paced a bit, getting used to the feel of the carpet.

Sheesh, just act like normal! This is supposed to be fun. With a sigh, Megumi plopped down onto the nearest cushion she could find and tugged her bag closer, her usual habit after getting home kicking in as she pulled out one of her summer assignments. She had started to put down the beginnings of a few math problems when Choukou came back, toting a tray that had a few cups and several boxes of candy stacked on it.

"Oh, come on, Me-chan, you gotta be kidding me," Choukou said with half a whine slipping into her voice. Megumi blinked, looking up to find a pout on her friend's face. Choukou sighed. "It's summer break; you can't just start on your homework first thing."

Megumi tilted her head. "But if I wait too long to start, it'll be harder to finish it up on time. Especially since I have to go to the training camp next week…" She'd never gone on such an extended trip aside from a few for school, and even then she'd stayed home from a lot of them. She wasn't quite sure how the time management would play out with such a large commitment involved. "I mean, sure, there's still time over the summer, but it stresses me out to leave things be for that long…"

Choukou grimaced in the same way she did whenever Kenta called her out on something. "Okay, yes, fair point. But we just got home. You gotta give yourself a break from everything, especially since you were working hard at practice." Megumi glanced back to her homework; for her, getting everything she could out of the way first thing was the norm, a distraction of routine. "Look, I promise we'll work on stuff later, but I'm declaring snack time. Can you get that table over there?"

Looking around a bit, Megumi found a low snack table propped up against the dresser, and she relinquished her homework to pull it out and set it down in front of where Choukou had stood as a marker. The tray came down, a couple of packages spilling off the edges at the end of their balancing act. Steam indicated tea, though it was a much darker color than what Yamada-sensei served in the counseling office.

"Take note, Me-chan," Choukou said, lifting a finger into the air, "summer means vacation and relaxation more than ever. While I totally admire your determination to get things done, I'm here to help you unwind as part of the holiday—not to mention that sleepovers are supposed to be fun! So if you want, we can work on class stuff and whatever tomorrow. Tonight we're gonna celebrate our amazing friendship. And the very first step to doing that is indulging in snacks!"

Megumi stifled her giggle in her hand, but found her eyes drawn to a package of apple-flavored gummies anyways. "Whatever you say, Choukou-san."

"And about that!" Choukou pulled open the top of a pack of chips in time with her last syllable. "We've known each other for a couple of months now, you know. I've been calling you Me-chan, 'cause that's my thing, but I get the feeling that you've only been calling me by my given name so it's not as confusing talking to me and Kenta at the same time." Megumi popped a candy into her mouth and averted her eyes. "I knew it! Well, I mean, I'm not upset or anything, but you don't gotta do that; you can use a nickname, too, or even drop the '-san' altogether. At least call me '-chan,' kay?"

Not finished chewing through her candy all the way, Megumi swallowed sooner than she meant to. It wasn't an out there request, per se, and especially not as Choukou was making it, but Megumi still hadn't expected it. She'd never been close enough with someone to…

Megumi dropped her head a bit, feeling her insides start to squirm a bit at the thought, her brain going wild with negative possibilities. Forcing them down to even a whisper was difficult, but she pushed on so the train of thought stumbled out of her lips rather than wreaking unchecked havoc in her skull. "I've never…given someone else a nickname before."

"That's okay," Choukou said without hesitation. "I don't care if it's a crappy nickname; so long as you give it to me, that's what matters." Megumi looked up, and Choukou's smile was oddly more serene than usual, but no less genuine. "I think our names say a lot about us already, because they're something our parents gave us. But when someone else picks out a special name for you, it's kind of like they're creating a new way of acknowledging everything that you mean to them." She let out a chuckle, shrugging. "Maybe it's kind of lame for me to badger someone else for a nickname, but I'd like to hear the name you come up with for me, Me-chan."

Megumi crumbled the empty gummy wrapper between her fingers. "It's…probably not going to be a very good nickname."

"Nah, any nickname Me-chan gives me is gonna be perfect, 'cause it's from you." Choukou pushed a stick of pocky into the side of her mouth. "You really don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought I'd tell you it's okay if you're a bit more familiar with me."

To Megumi, being on a first name basis with someone was already familiar enough—almost too familiar, and though she didn't mind that Choukou used a nickname for her, doing the same in return seemed almost overwhelming. While her instinct wasn't going haywire enough to tell her to leave the room, part of Megumi desperately wished to change the subject.

But I don't want that. It's what my mind thinks it wants, but it's wrong.

"Choukou…chan," she managed, unused to the syllables rolling off her tongue. Though it was such a little change, it felt so hard. Though it was such a little change, Choukou's smile was brighter than Megumi had ever seen it, and she had to duck her head in embarrassment. "I don't think…I can come up with something right away, but I'll try to think of one. So does calling you Choukou-chan work for now?"

"Heck yeah, it works!" Choukou pumped her fists in excitement. "And no worries if it takes you a bit to get used to callin' me that. I'm pretty patient when I need to be." Megumi had the feeling that, if Kenta had heard that assessment, he would protest. "Now with that out of the way, it is time for snacks and chatting. Oh, you should try some of this tea; Papa picked it out and it's super good—"

Choukou continued talking, and Megumi listened while doing as instructed. The tea had cooled a bit, with less steam wisping from the top, but she could still feel the warmth through the ceramic. She took a sip, the rich taste slipping over her tongue and down her throat.

It's super sweet.

Though the next few days were busy, Megumi didn't end up feeling exhausted at all.

Choukou had indeed planned almost everything, but she had all sorts of options so that Megumi could at least do something she enjoyed, and she'd even slipped some homework in there as well. Choukou also wasn't opposed to amusing herself whenever Megumi needed a breather, and the few days of sleepover/camping out at Choukou's ended up feeling refreshing in a way that Megumi didn't know was possible for her as she finished packing up her bag and headed for the door.

"You sure you don't want me to walk home with you, Me-chan?" Choukou asked, pulling Megumi into a farewell hug.

"No, I'll be okay. I want at least a little time to myself before I have to go be with the team for the week." Even if Megumi didn't feel exhausted yet, she knew well enough not to dive into constantly being around large groups of people without taking a breath first. She did return Choukou's hug first before pulling away. "Thanks for having me over, Choukou-chan. We'll see each other before we go back to school, okay?"

"Sounds good!" Choukou gave her another pat on the back before waving. "Text me if you need me, Me-chan! I'll come to your camp and fight anyone that causes you trouble!"

Smiling to herself, Megumi took train home without any troubles. She did need to take care of laundry, but Choukou's parents had sent along some leftovers so she wouldn't have to worry about picking up groceries to have dinner. Aside from cleaning and packing, she could maybe do a bit extra of her summer homework and make sure all her club files were in order.

All thought whatsoever ground to a halt as she approached her apartment door, and the key slipped straight out of her fingers.

A tall boy with a bit of bulk in his muscles, curly dark brown hair, and sun-kissed skin stood there waiting, a large duffel bag hung over his shoulders. He turned with a smile that held just enough cruelty to make Megumi tremble as he raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey there, Megu-chan."

"…Nii-san."

[Author's Notes]

(claps) Who's super rude - it's me!

Thanks very much to Sapphiresushi, Huang Ming Yue, Cherylicious, hazelasian19, ToxicQuicksilver, neminka, haruka4, IceWaterDragon, Cammy2662, and AnimeLoer345643 for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I really appreciate all the support you've been kind enough to give me. I hope that all of you (and the rest of the readers of this fic, regardless of if I've mentioned you by name before) are staying healthy in the midst of this chaotic time. May this chapter give you a bit of friendship fluff to warm your heart (before I totally rip it out with my stupid cliffhangers).

I definitely wanted to spend a bit of time emphasizing Megumi and Choukou's friendship here, because it's just as important for her character development as the interactions with the Rakuzan boys. Naturally, we'll be seeing more of that as we progress.

...Assuming you all don't kill me for this chapter ending. Seems likely.

This is the part where I give you all full disclosure that my brain has seemed to wholly abandon the idea of maintaining any sort of structured posting schedule. There will still be updates of something every Saturday, but the next chapter of this is not yet in the queue. I know exactly where it's going, and it'll get uploaded in time, so don't think I'm abandoning the fic! I'll try my best to make sure it's within this year, but no promises on exactly when. Regardless, it'll be summer training camp time, so please look forward to it!

-Avi

[03.30.2020]