Chapter 4 - Training

 Eiji said nothing to Aimi of what happened that night at the club, nor had there been any police calling his home. The old man’s probably fine, he told himself. The real problem was what to do with all this rage he’d been feeling ever since. He was the sort of person that bottled up everything his entire life; but now that dam broke completely, the boiling waters were cascading in a ceaseless torrent. 
 Strangely, Aimi hadn’t noticed anything, thought admittedly were talking a little less over the last few days. Since they (Aimi’s team) had qualified for their regional tournament, that meant after-school workouts and training with all the girls, led by Saburo, no doubt, since they hadn’t taken any measures to get themselves another coach and likely wouldn’t, since according to Aimi the fat bastard knew what he was doing when it came to volleyball and coaching - it just happened that he was a shit person besides.
 Eiji still thought about the way his hands groped at his girlfriend’s ass that night in the locker room, and the words of the fat asshole kept coming back to haunt him. Disposable people, he said they were called, referring to Aimi. People to be used once and thrown away. Ironic, since if he left right now, he still wouldn’t have used Aimi a single time. That’s only for others to do, I suppose.
 On Friday the girls were even granted a leave from the final classes so they could start practicing early to prepare for the match on Tuesday. Aimi said she would probably be staying there until the evening, and possibly going out with the girls (did that imply Saburo as well?) to get a few drinks (were they going to be non-alcoholic?). 
 Basically the whole thing put a knot in his stomach, and though Eiji was no stalker, he couldn’t help himself from wanting to show up unexpectedly and see just what went on in his absence. He needed to see what was actually going on over there and how Saburo was behaving around Aimi. When final class ended he grabbed his back and furtively made his way into the sports hall. The sky already darkened and the lights were only turned on for the court itself, so he snuck in through the entry at the top and chose a seat in the back of the spectator rows where no one could see him.
 Down below, he could see the girls split off into two different teams that played against one another, with Saburo waddling along the sidelines giving pointers. Aimi was playing well and looked very happy, though she appeared to be very worked up. The strands of her short dark hair were clumped together from the perspiration that kept dampening her forehead, dangling over her face, and her legs had a slight sheen of sweat that reflected light as she ran across the floor. Out of all the girls there she was definitely the hottest, and not just because she happened to be his girlfriend. Every so often she reached back and pulled at the tight shorts that kept coming between her buns and rose up to reveal the lower part of her ass. And yet the fabric was flimsy enough that Eiji could spot the clear pantylines even from where he sat, especially when she leaned over suggestively and pitched her ass up behind her suggestively. 
 Eiji shifted uncomfortably, a little turned on, but mostly angry that Saburo was getting a firsthand look at all that, and that other guys watching the games did as well. The shorts of this uniform were small on all the players, but they were especially obscene on a girl with an ass as round and big as Aimi’s that needed far more fabric to be covered up in full.  
 The ball went back and forth a couple of times, picking up in speed, until one of the girls on the other side did her best to hurl it past Aimi’s defenses. For a brief second it seemed to be out of her reach. But then Eiji heard Aimi’s cry as she jumped as high up as she could and sent it back flying to the other side, smashing past their defenses. 
 Despite the amazing performance, the other side seemed bored and annoyed, and so did Aimi’s own teammates from her side of the net. Only Saburo clapped and whistled at the display, then came forward and patted her ass proudly, and there was something uncomfortably fatherly and familiar about the way he did it. Aimi showed no reaction, neither did any other girl, as if this were completely normal. So this is what happens at training?
 He was angry, though this was to be expected on some level. To be fair, Aimi had told him that Saburo was a pervert, but she never mentioned anything about this specifically, never implied that she was groping meat for his fat hands on a daily basis.
 Eiji kept to the shadows and went on watching, dying to see if any more of that would happen. She must think I’m such a retard, he thought glumly. That I will never figure any of this out and will instead go on with it. 
 And, of course, it did happen more. 
 Every time Aimi outperformed some other player, that fat sleaze would come over and rub her round butt like some good luck charm. Close to an hour later she was so overworked and dripping with so much sweat that it literally pooled at her feet and left a glittering trail behind her steps. Saburo pulled her out for a short break and gave her a water bottle, then Aimi stood next to him, drinking and watching others play. He said something then teasingly slapped her on the back of the head. Aimi hit him in the arm in return, then leaned against it as she drank her water. 
 Leaning against him, her face touching his bare skin. 
 His hairy arm supported her from behind, his fingers resting just over her hips. “Come on, girls!” he yelled loudly. “We got a big match coming up. Put some muscle into it, damn it!” As much as they tried, though, none of them could compete with Aimi’s sheer ferocity or the natural athleticism of her super tight and strong body. Strange, to think she was surviving on just smokes and beer a few months ago. She wouldn’t even be here without me, he thought unhappily. And this is how she repays me.
 She lifted her head to speak to Saburo, turning it until he was gripping her with both arms and her face nuzzled against his chest, eyes smiling up at him. Both of his hands came down over her ass for a brief period, and this time Eiji could see a few teammates glaring over at the two of them. They’re acting like they’re a couple! Aimi stamped her feet, then punched him in the chest and sprinted out of the place. She came back only a few seconds later, phone in hand, texting something. 
 Eiji’s phone buzzed.
 Her message read: <I love you.> 
 He stared at the screen for some time, wondering if he should text back or not. Aimi moved back to stand next to Saburo, who moved her to the front of him and wrapped his huge arms around her slender waist. 
<How’s training?> 
<Not bad! How are you? I miss you…> 
 Eiji glanced at her where she stood, only a hundred meters away from him or so, her ass no doubt touching the old man’s crotch as he held her, her tight ass grinding against his wrinkled dick. She misses me, huh? <I miss you too. When are you coming home?>
<Later, I think… The coach isn’t letting us go until we drop dead.> 
 Is that fucking so? Eiji ran his tongue along his teeth and exhaled with frustration as he watched her. <That sucks. I hope he isn’t causing you any trouble. I’m worried.> 
<Oh, no, no, no! Everything is okay! Don’t worry about me!! Anyway, I have to go, I LOVE YOU. I’ll tell you as soon as I’m out.> 
 She gave her phone to Saburo and went back on the court, laughing as the ball came her way. Eiji could see the asshole holding her phone and wondered if he should text back. Well, why not? <I love you too, Aimi… I can’t wait for you to be out. I’m sorry you have to deal with that retarded piece of shit of a coach. Though I’ve been hearing his days here are numbered, thankfully.> 
 Saburo felt the phone buzz and lifted it up, glancing at the message. It turned into a long look, then he pocketed it. You fucking moron, thought Eiji, grinning with some satisfaction. Let him simmer on that for a while. 
 Aimi went back into the game with full force, going even harder against the other team and stealing every shot that came to her side. Sweat was flying off her body just ten minutes later, while the moves she made to toss the ball back at them were getting less graceful (if that was even possible) and more extreme. One time she just threw herself face down to the floor so she could hit the ball. Are you crazy? Eiji was thinking. 
 The other girls were starting to look annoyed, and one of them, Sakura, a shortstack with green hair and a pink highlight that was too thick to be playing any real sport, even walked off the court. Saburo called her back angrily, but she lifted her hands up in despair. “What’s the point?” Eiji could hear her say. “She’s better and for that you give her special treatment and act all lovey dovey. Well, I’m done. I’m not going to be humiliated by the likes of you.” 
 She sounded mad. Understandably so, since the training did have the feeling of a whole host of girls just being there to serve as fodder for Aimi’s own personal development and exercise. Saburo went after Sakura trying to get her back, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “Well, there goes our second best player,” he cried. “Aimi! Go get her back here.” 
 Aimi’s only played it dumb and shrugged. Saburo got closer to talk to her, and when she appeared unresponsive grabbed her wrist. She pushed him back hard, then threw the ball right at his fat head. “Get back here, you ingrate!” Saburo yelled after her as she, too, left the premise. “I swear to god, Aimi, I’ll kick you out of this team.” 
 The other girls were just standing there, dumbfounded, until Saburo barked at them to go on playing and chased after Aimi. 
 At least fifteen minutes passed, and they still hadn’t come back. 
 Eiji took his phone out to check for the time again when a call from his mother came through at the exact moment. “Shit,” he whispered. 
 He went as far back as he could and answered the phone. “Mom?”
“Eiji!” she snapped. “Where the hell are you? I’m worried sick.”
“I’m… just at school.”
“At school? You missed your school. Mrs. Kobayashi called and she said you didn’t show up and you didn’t call. They waited for you for almost half an hour. What the hell are you doing?” 
 Fuck, he thought. Somehow, he completely forgot that he needed to go to cram school. “It’s my bad. I forgot.”
“How do you forget?” she went on, no less angry. “Eiji-kun, I’m worried about you. You’ve been acting so strange lately. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing, Mom, nothing…” 
“It’s because of that girl, isn’t it?” 
 You bet. “No, I swear it’s unrelated.” 
“I doubt that. Anyway, you better be home soon, or I swear I’ll lock you out.” 
 His mother hung up on him. Great, he thought. As if his life wasn’t bad enough without having her hounding him.  
 Aimi and Saburo still weren’t back. 
 He couldn’t stay there any longer. And he needed to know what the hell was going on. There was no way to go to the locker room directly from where he was without being seen, but there was a long way around it if he entered the building from the other side. 
 He grabbed his bag and moved quickly, trying to avoid attention, though the few students walking down the halls that were late because of their clubs paid him little mind. Eiji went into the other building, his heart beating wildly. What am I going to say if she sees me? I guess I’ll say I wanted to surprise her. 
 His hands were shaking when he reached the door. The hall was empty and the door was closed, but he put his ear against it to listen. “... know this depends on you,” he heard Saburo saying. 
“Why should I play if everyone hates me?” Aimi snapped back, far louder.
“Because you need them to get seen out there. You can’t play volleyball alone.”
“I already am.” 
 Was it just a normal conversation, then? A little pep talk? At this point he expected to hear her slurping on his dick or something. God, I’ve become so grim. Nevertheless, he wasn’t entirely satisfied. He pressed down lightly on the latch. He felt the pressure in his hand as it went all the way down, then let it rise without a sound and stepped into the brief corridor. This is insane, he thought, even as he took the first step inside. 
 Thankfully, that little corridor that led from the door to the locker room proper blocked any view of the entrance from the inside. He tiptoed until he reached its end, then tried to get a glimpse of what was going on inside.
 He could see Saburo’s massive and sweat-stained back and one of the low wooden benches bending under him. From his thigh dangled Aimi’s feet, while her head rested on his shoulder with the eyes closed. “I’m just so done with everything,” she said. 
“Now, now, calm down…” he told her, tenderly stroking her leg with his hand all the way down her calf. “Everything’s going to be okay.” Then he hugged her close and let Aimi bury her head in his chest instead.
 Just what the hell was this? 
 For a second he thought Aimi was about to lift her head towards him and he scrammed, heart about to explode in his chest. She’s in his arms… he thought furiously. That bitch. How could I ever have bought her shit? A part of him wanted to go back in there and scream in her face, but the other was wondering what she would do in the future. Was she going to continue lying about her relationship to Saburo? That bitch! THAT FUCKING BITCH! I TRUSTED YOU!
 He slammed the door on his way out of the school and storm off to the bus stop. I am done with her for good after this, he promised himself. No more; only revenge.
 If she thought she could humiliate him in this way, then he could humiliate her, too. Pretend that he knew nothing about this and test out her loyalty. 
 And why not, after everything she was doing? 
 To think that she would be… so cozy with that guy when she whined about him as a pervert the whole time. You fucking liar! At some point he couldn’t take it anymore. He started weeping, filled with rage and frustration. I almost killed someone to defend you… I… 
“Hey, are you all right?” 
 As he leaned against the cold building in the alley, a female voice addressed him. It was rough and lacked the syrupy edge of his girlfriend’s. Sakura from her team stood in front of him, wearing a leather jacket that was zipped all the way up. “I know you. You’re from the other class.” 
 Eiji tried to control his tears. “I know.” 
 Her eyes narrowed. “You’re the bitch’s girlfriend.” 
 The vitriol in her voice made him chuckle. “Yes.”
“Well, I suddenly don’t want to feel bad for you anymore, but I still do. Are you okay?” 
“I just need to get home.” 
“Are you drunk?”
“No.” 
“Do you have cash?”
“Yes.” Tears were coming to his eyes again. How could you lie to me like that? I believed you. Starting a life together? What a sick joke…  
 Sakura slapped his arm. It was only a light tap, really, but it was enough to make him lose balance. “You can make it home, I believe in you. Believe in the you that believes in yourself.” 
 For the first time that night, Eiji smiled in spite of himself. “Gurren Lagann.” 
 She winked. “You betcha’.” 
 They separated with a simple bye, and Eiji was miserable to be alone again. 
 Somehow, no matter how much he planned to take revenge on Aimi, it wasn’t making him feel better. Just as he reached the bus, his phone buzzed and there was a new message from her. <I MISS YOU SO MUCH AND I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE!> it said. All caps for emphasis, huh?
 The sight of it just made him disgusted. Either way, he wasn’t going to do this now. He just wanted to sleep. <I love you too. How are you?> he sent back numbly. 
 There was no response. 
 He sat down in his seat and hid his face from the other passengers as he began to sob, knowing that whoever was outside could look in and see him perfectly. I’ve become an embarrassment because of her. 
 It was almost bedtime and she still hadn’t responded to him asking how she is. He kept glancing at the clock, telling himself not to message her, but broke at 11:21pm and sent one more text. <Baby, are you okay?> 
 It was 3:17am and there was still nothing when he finally passed out. 