SAKURA POV
~TOKYO, JAPAN ~
"Sakura! Sakura!" My mom called again. As much as I loved her, it was exhausting helping out at her café, The Creamy Land. She could've just accepted the money Dad sent every now and then. I knew things had been hard for her since the divorce, but we still lived in the house Dad bought us, so why reject his help?
"One honey milk latte, please," a frail voice cut through my thoughts. We had staff, but it always felt like I was one too. Not that I was complaining... except I had basketball practice to get to. I groaned. "Whatever you're thinking can wait, after you bring my latte," the old man added with a chuckle. "Oh, sorry sir! I'll get that right away," I rushed off. The Creamy Land was Mom's happy place. No matter how many errands she sent me on, it made me smile seeing her so invested in something she loved. My lips curled into a faint smile as I pulled out my phone. Scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled across a video of Jenna Mettali and my ex. Great. I always knew Jenna would go that low, but seeing it happened was still hurtful. I hissed under my breath. My blood boiled.
My track record with guys? Trash. It was either they hooked up with a friend or got bored and ghosted me. I'd cried myself to sleep more times than I could count, wondering if I was cursed or just not enough. Maybe my "Mr. Right" was out there on a white horse... but that fairy tale was more fiction than anime. Sometimes I even wondered if I should start dating girls. There was this one girl who kept trying to get my attention. I was still zoned out in the corner when I suddenly remembered. Practice! I darted past the frail man, I couldn't make out what excatly he was saying, probably ranting about his coffee but I didn't catch a word. I ran outside, spotting Mom chatting with a customer. I gave her a quick kiss on the head and waved.
"Make sure you impress them!" she called, beaming. Right. Tonight's practice wasn't just any practice. Rumor had it NBA scouts were visiting looking for girls to recruit from Japan to the U.S.A. Both my parents supported my dreams, and it was one of the few things they still had in common. Shame they couldn't see the love they still had for eachother. Maybe when I die, they'll finally realize it. I dashed across the dim lit street, nearly crashing into a trash bin. I staggered and cursed I'd forgotten my phone and purse at the shop. No time. I had to trust my tiny legs and make it there. Judging from the sun drifting away, it had to be almost 7pm. The perfect time for high school girls after school and chores and for girls who were done with highschool, except from sunny saturday morning.
I had dashed as fast as I could. The court finally came into view. I had paused several times to catch my breath. Finally, I arrived just as teams were being picked. I knew everyone here, more like I had issues with almost all of them... And I knew the other girls would bring their A-game. "If it isn't little miss Sakura," a voice full of venom rang out. I rolled my eyes and tilted my head slightly. Jasmine. A freakishly tall girl, her black coloured hair mirrored her eyes, her prescene exuded confidence, my biggest rival. On the court, I saw her as competition. But to Jasmine, I was a threat, a wall she needed to tear down to become the next big thing. We didn't speak. Just stared. But our eyes said enough. I had curses on the tip of my tongue... but I held back. I knew she'd try to provoke me tonight. But nothing was going to spoil my mood.
"Alright, let's pick teams!" A young lad called out, his blonde hair standing out. Spinning the ball on his finger like some hotshot. "Sakura, you're team one. Jasmine, team two." Of course. Always us. Always rivals. We took turns picking from the group. I grabbed Himari, Anna, and that new girl with the fast feet, Rina. Jasmine smirked and grabbed a tall girl, apparently she tought the taller the better. Then she picked Tasha, and Aiko, both girls were very tall like she was building a giant fotress. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to lose.
The match kicked off fast. Sweat already rolled down my temple as I darted across the court. Every pass, every shot, every jump, I gave it everything. Jasmine blocked me twice, but I still landed my shots. One, two, then three. My team cheered. "She's hot today!" the lad shouted, pumping his fist. Jasmine grunted, rolling her eyes. "Lucky shots."
The scores were tight, Tasha and Jasmine chemistry were good and also the fact they were freakishly tall. It was close, real close. Aiko nearly tied it up with a final shot, but I snatched the rebound and dashed toward the hoop. The last few seconds ticked down. I took a deep breath and jumped. Swish. Final buzzer. We won. Everyone gave me high fives as they drifted off, laughter and chatter slowly fading. The court emptied, leaving behind only the sound of my breathing and the squeak of my shoes.
I sat on the edge and began rolling up my socks, the heat still clinging to my skin. My fingers were trembling not from exhaustion, but from something else. That buzzing thrill of victory. Then I heard her voice. "One-on-one." I looked up. Jasmine stood with her arms crossed, eyes sharp, mouth drawn into a flat line. Her dark hair was tied back now. She meant business. "You sure?" I asked, glance at her with a grin on my face. "You already lost once." She rolled the ball to me. "Let's see if it was luck." I stood up, heart thumping again, and caught the ball.
We played. It was brutal. Fast, fierce, every move tighter than the last. My shoes scraped against the court as I twisted, ducked, jumped. Jasmine pushed harder than ever too hard. As I went up for a layup, her elbow knocked into mine midair. I felt a twist and a sharp sting shoot through my hand as I hit the ground. "Shit " I held my wrist, the pain sudden and raw. "Damn... Sakura." Jasmine crouched, her expression soft for once. "I didn't mean to" she said, her eyes filled with fear, I wasn't sure if she was remorseful but they were was nothing I could do. "It's fine," I muttered, trying to smile. "Still won, didn't I?"
"You're crazy." she said, trying to help me up, I chuckled, despite the pain almost making me unconscious. I started walking home, with the growing pain. I had lied to her I was fine, we had never really talked to eachother in a friendly manner, so I felt it was the best thing to do. But now thinking on it again, as I staggered, barely walking with the severe pain, I had no money for a ride, or my phone, so I had to walk back. I sighed, feeling a sense of sadness, giving the fact I believed a simple rumor. Amidst my inner discussion, a voice called out. "Excu.....Excuse me, the women shouted, as she stopped after taking in a deep breathe.
"You're miss Sakura right?" She asked, holding her knees. She seemed to have been running, I tought to myself. Before replying, "Yes I am and You're?" "Ohh right," she said, standing up straight now, Her blonde hair fell messily over her shoulders. "My name is Susan Rice," she said. My heart raced, I had heard of that name before, It was one of the names the rumor entailed, an English scout. It seemed she felt I knew who she was by my facial experession. She spoke out, "Sorry for taking Your time." "I was informed You would be there, but unfortunately I came too late," she said, her eyes firm and I knew this wasn't some cruel joke, it was real, as the growing pain in my hand.
I tried to supress the ongoing joy in my heart, I flustered, I wasn't sure about what she was going to say but I couldn't hide the happiness. She looked at me again, her eyes scanning me all-round, "I had already seen clips of You, You're gifted child." She said. She brought out a sliver ticket. My eyes glued to the ticket, I knew what it was, I would've pinched myself, but with the pain already shooting through me, I might've passed out. Still... I couldn't stop smiling." She stretched her hand, giving me the ticket, then she looked at my hand again, then she spoke. "I hope they won't be a problem. Her voice laced with concern as she gave me a concerning glance.
I shook my head, not knowing what to say. She looked again, hesitated. Then gave me the ticket. "The tryout starts one month from now in the US, But I want You to come to the UK, two weeks from now, let's get You whipped into shaped before You go for the try out." She grinned, handing me her business card, it had her number. "I'm sure You know what to do with that. I nodded as she started walking away. "You're a rare talent, miss Sakura. Waving her hand, I stared at her until she was gone from my sight. I had tried to jump in happiness but My pain brought me back to realization but nevertheless, I had just gotten an oppurtunity of a life time.