can do this, just relax,’ David thought, trying to calm down.
Takumi received the next serve low, returning it to tie at one point. With David in the back during Takumi’s serves, both Yuka and Natsuki hit their shots high, forcing him to return them. After another shot went wide, Tsukasa shouted to Takumi. Before the next serve, Takumi took his hand and twisted his racket.
“Here, this should keep you from hitting it out. You’re doing fine, keep it up,” Takumi said.
With his new grip, David prepared to face off against Natsuki’s serve. He could feel his heart beating furiously as competing desires to run away or make some kind of spectacular shot to shut up the girls jostled for superiority. Seeing David concentrating so hard, Natsuki laughed and hit a lazy serve high and back, forcing him to scramble back. The result left no one laughing. Nearly stumbling, David swung his racket wildly. Hitting the shuttle dead center, he sent it smashing back into Natsuki’s shocked face.
Embarrassed, she composed herself just enough to toss the shuttle back at David for his next serve. Then something happened that David had never experienced before. The crowd cheered him on; he could hear people shouting his name, with choruses of “Gambare” and “Fighto David!” It sent a thrill through him.
The game grew more intense with each serve. David’s gaijin shots and Takumi’s skill kept the girls on the defensive. Finally, with the boys ahead, Natsuki dropped the shuttle just in front of the net on David’s side. Her victorious smile turned to horror as David flung himself forward. Somehow getting his racket under the shuttle, David sent it back up with just enough force to make it land on the top of the net and tip into the girls’ side.
“Ha! How do you like that?” David yelled, still sprawled on the court. The tension brought out the part of him usually reserved for when Jessica got on his nerves. Luckily, the resulting cheer from their win nearly shook the gym and covered his all too appropriate Japanese from all but a few. Clapping and with a wide smile, Tsukasa walked up to the students.
“David, you are going to join the badminton team. I’m sure that with practice and Takumi’s help you’ll do great. You’ve got great concentration, fighting until the end like that. I like that in my players,” he said seriously. “Besides, you need an after school activity.”
While Takumi made a show of trying to translate, Chul Soon stepped in and relayed Tsukasa’s semi-invitation in English.
“Do it David,” Rie said, popping out of the crowd. “Dad already gave his permission.” David took a look around at his classmates watching him.
‘It was fun to win, and I like practicing with Rie. Maybe it is time I took up a sport. Jess will never believe me.’ The thought of his sister’s incredulous reaction decided him.
“Sure, I will,” David replied carefully.
“Good, I’ll see you a bit later today then,” Tsukasa said before turning to Takumi. “Take him through the basics and explain the drills before practice. Anything he doesn’t understand he can pick up later.”
David ended his first day after the accident so exhausted that he completely forgot to bring up the events of two days before. The games plus drills in the afternoon left him so sore all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. David smiled. He had also made a new friend. Chul Soon had congratulated him after the crowd died down. Before David could make it to his room, Takumi, his formal quiet manner back, caught up with him.
“You know, you insulted Natsuki with pretty much every word you said today. I know you’ve only been speaking Japanese for all of one day, but there are some things about directness I should probably tell you.”
Nearly an hour later, David sat before a computer screen, staring at the blinking cursor, his head nodding. After the lecture from Takumi on how to say things in a more roundabout manner, and the different modes of conversation in Japanese, he was trying to send an email to his sister. With all that had happened in the last three days, he needed a bit of clarity. Unfortunately, Masao had been all too clear about secrecy.
Sighing, he tried to sum up his feelings, but instead wrote about badminton and made vague references to his new friendships. He knew Jessica would be as unsatisfied with his letter as he was, but only hoped she could grasp enough to either ask the right questions, or at least make the right snide comments to get his thoughts working clearly. With a yawn, David hit send and headed for bed.
Matsumoto Kendo
April,
That one simple thought drove me to push out from the confines of my mind. To seek the boundaries and claw past them, if only for a chance to escape the approaching doom…
When he awoke, David had a response from Jessica waiting in his inbox. It had simply asked what happened? Unable to explain further, he made a few weak excuses and then prepared for the day.
At school, David tried to capitalize on his sudden successes but met with mixed results. Trying to fit in, he attempted to emulate people back home. This resulted in several older students calling him “KY,” which he quickly learned meant out of touch, or socially awkward. Moreover, Koji and his friends were sure to laugh every time they saw him. It was clear the entire school knew about his hand. The worst setback was when he tried to apologize to Natsuki. Instead of accepting his apology, which he made in front of numerous students, she was even more abrasive.
“I always thought someone should call Natsuki out for being an uncultured bully,” Naoto told him after.
Perhaps because of the problems, the week sped by quickly. His teachers remarked at his improvement, and after he scaled back his attempts to fit in, the time he spent with his classmates went more smoothly. Shou began taking time to explain things, and Naoto gave him a manga he had finished. Chul Soon even offered to practice badminton during free periods.
David’s early evenings were filled with homework and badminton. Thanks to Chul Soon’s after lunch practices, David was soon able to keep up with the first years’ drills. Though he lost every game he played, most of the team members were encouraging.
Through it all, his impending decision loomed, and Jessica was not content to leave him be. Despite the sixteen-hour time difference, she caught him online after practice one night, insisting he explain what was going on. Although young, she was as strong of mind as anyone he knew. She had to be to check their erratic father.
Very carefully, David finally explained about his impeding choice, without telling her any of the specifics. He attempted to explain how he had to decide if he should take on a new responsibility, or if he should just leave things be.
With a lol Jessica replied, “You already know what you will do. So go do it already. That’s always been your problem, too much thinking not enough doing. Go for it. I decided daddy is going to take me to Disneyland. We leave next week.”
It was surprisingly easy to imagine she had convinced their father that, because of some scientific imperative, they both had to go to Disneyland immediately. With a laugh, David started on his English homework.
Barely into his second month in Japan, the change was dramatic, and not only because he understood Japanese. Back in the States, cliques ruled most schools, but they were nothing compared to the tight-knit groupings developed over years of being in
