Girl by the pond - Chapter 1 “Ne, come to Shohoku High next year, would you?” “Why the sudden interest?” “Hmm... want to see you more often, that’s all. I want to share every single detail of my life here with you.” “Well, I’ll try but there’s no guarantee.” He would always find her sitting on the grass, by the school pond, early in the morning, gazing silently, with her large, pensive eyes, at the outskirts of the school and the fishes swimming freely and gaily in the pond. The auburn hair of hers was tied in a plait, complementing her slightly tanned features by making them look gentle and delicate. What captivated him the most, however, was the various expressions her eyes always seemed to be conveying. At times, they would twinkle and shine, as if she just received some joyous news; sometimes, they would turn dreamy and pensive, as if she were lost in her thoughts; occasionally, her eyes would become soft and vulnerable, as if she needed someone strong to protect her from the world’s evils; at other times, they would just appear dazed and unfocused, like she had just woken up from a slumber. An aura of melancholy as well as tranquility surrounded her. Never was she once seen sitting by the pond with anybody and she did not look like a local to him. Was she a new student? Kogure did not see her again for some days, although he did see her standing at the rooftop, occasionally, gazing out into nothingness, her eyes savouring the scenery in front of her. For some strange reason, she left an indelible impression in his mind, one that he could not shake off and it unsettled him greatly. He wondered if he would have a chance to see her again today. What would he do when he saw her? He mused, introduce himself? He swung his bag over his shoulder and walked past the school gate. “Ohaiyo, Kogure,” someone greeted him. “Ohaiyo, Akagi.” “Rukawa’s finally in our team, he’s finally in our team.” “Hm...” He nodded his head absentmindedly, glancing at the school pond. “Just the thought of Rukawa in our team perks me up all day.” She was not there by the pond, most probably she was at the rooftop. “The hope of us getting into the IH competition seems to be brighter and brighter.” Akagi was very pleased; evidently the flame of getting into the IH competition was still burning brilliantly within him. All these years Kogure had known him, the passion about getting into the IH competition had never left him once. That had been his ultimate goal. “You forgot about Sakuragi. I think he’s not too bad either.” Kogure’s words dampened his spirits all of a sudden. “Please, don’t talk to me about that baka. The only successful thing he can do is to embarrass and irritate me all day long.” Akagi fumed at the thought of Sakuragi and his nonsensical antics. “But you must admit he does have the physique we need in basketball.” “Tell me about it.” Akagi said in a disbelieving tone. “Let’s get to our homeroom class. It wouldn’t be good if we’re late.” Kogure broke into laughter, saying. To be Continued... **Next**