Chapter 5: No Matter What
A loud buzzing sound from a phone filled the modern room and woke a man from his slumber.
Carefully navigating the cluttered nightstand, the man reached and grabbed the phone.
A call from *******
"What is it?" The man grumbled.
"***** You saw the news about Rylon, right?"
"Who hasn't," he replied back.
"Japan huh? What a waste!!!"
"Seems like this year will be very interesting," the man sighed.
"I'm hanging up ******. I'll see you at practice."
Rage suddenly filled the man as he slammed his fist, phone in hand, against the soft mattress.
"Running yet again..." Just then a thought came across the man's mind, and a smile appeared on his face.
"No, this is even better... You better keep winning until you meet us."
"Just wait, you won't be able to run from your past for much longer. I'll crush you on the highest stage. Rylon, I swear I'll kill you." He paused.
"For Noah, I'll win. No matter what."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Achoo!" the man next to me side-eyed me.
"Achoo! Wow, sorry must be talking about me right now," I nervously laughed. The man grumbled something untranslatable which really pissed me off. After all, he had no place to talk, if it weren't for these air vents, I might've passed out from how bad his breath smelled. I turned up the air conditioning even more and a sharper gust of cool wind hit my face. It felt good, a sort of, on-top of the world type of feeling, metaphorically and literally. I was in an airplane after all.
I opened my window to see the world I was soon to leave behind. From the clouds. I could see it all. Los Angeles, California. From the Hollywood sign to each car stuck in miles of traffic, being this high in the air watching life unfold underneath me provoked hidden emotions deep within my chest. A sense of freedom. While I was 30,000 feet above my present and past, I was a twelve-hour flight away from my future. A future where I could be an entirely different person.
But could this future… this ideal be an illusion? Am I still trapped in the cage of my past? Or is trapped the right word to begin with...
"I'll do my part... So, she better do hers." I was referring to my mother of course, and our irregular deal. My train of thought was cut off by my phone, someone had texted me.
Alex: Did you see those fireworks out of the window?
Almost two months have passed since my last high school game in February, since today is March 28th, we have a little over two months before the season begins. Of course by we, I meant the sender of that text, Alex Hirato, the other American joining team Japan. I knew him on the basketball scene, he was pretty new to the sport but he was definitely making waves with his talent. We both managed to get connected with one of the managers of Team Japan, Hana Miyazaki, she put us together on the same flight. While we weren't sitting directly next to each other, thing's worked out. We would meet sooner or later, so since he was going to be my future teammate, the first option seemed best. Most importantly, I wanted to see his personality. I'll need capable teammates if I was going to follow through with my ridiculous conditions I set with my mother.
I'll beat Team USA… And in the end, lead Japan to a championship. Yes, if she was going to accept her meal ticket being across the world, there has to be conditions as appetizing as that.
While, I wasn't avoiding a conversation with Henry, I was damn tired. He just connected all the way from New York before this flight, how the hell did he have so much energy. But hey, if that energy translated onto the court, I'd gladly put up with it.
"I'm gts."
I shut down my phone and put on my noise cancelling headphones, for the 11 hours and 30 minutes left in the flight to Tokyo, I'd lean back and enjoy the serenity of silence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"TOKYOOO! I'm finally back!" Alex's voice boomed. I laughed, which in turn caused him to look at me.
"You act like some character off of an anime I'd watch," I laughed as I stretched my arms out, sleeping in the plane definitely helped, but the cramped space took a toll on me.
"But, I can't say I'm not excited." This was it, my new life. Here no one knew the truth… But they definitely knew who I was.
As we exited security, and headed towards the baggage claim, we got swarmed by people and reporters. Cameras flashed in every direction as I tried to wipe my eyes and fix my hair for the sudden mob of paparazzi. They greeted Alex and I, mostly in Japanese but I noticed a few trying to speak to us in English. The lines of fans continued towards the exit, towards their final grand gesture, the culmination of their generous greeting. A sign which welcomed me to Japan, it read:
Welcome Rylon Mercer!
"Must be nice, you're famous." Alex was laughing but I could tell there was deeper sadness behind his words. While I was in a foreign land, I had a whole country behind my back. I felt a new sense of determination.
"Don't worry, the entire world will know our names after this year." There was no other option. After thanking the crowd and answering a few questions, I noticed another crowd was making its way towards us. Amidst the new commotion, I could see the figure of a man getting closer until we were face to face.
"Rylon Mercer! nice to meet'cha!"
I looked up to see a hand extended out, following the hand I looked upwards to see a man around my age. He was slightly taller than me, 6'3" maybe? Probably more 6'4. He had medium length, textured white hair to go along with a tanner complexion. The man's features however, were pretty normal to say the least. On that first glance I wouldn't have noticed who he was, until it clicked.
"Hiyato Mori, it's nice to finally meet you." I finally realized who he was, I mentally scolded myself for not recognizing my future team and schoolmate.
"Haha I'm glad you recognized me! If it wasn't for my height not many people would think I played basketball." Good thing he can't read my thoughts.
"And you must Alex Hirato." Hiyato smiled.
Troy shot me a side-eyed glance before he too realized who the person in front of us was.
"Nice to meet you!"
Cameras surrounded us as we grabbed our luggage from the claiming area. I looked at my phone to check the time.
"Shit." Hiyato and Alex looked at me confused.
I know the pilot said we would be arriving early, but with how easy and efficiently we got through security, we were over an hour early.
"Coach Ito and miss Miyazaki couldn't have known we'd take off so early, or the fact we got through security so quickly."
"We're an hour and thirty minutes early."
"Well maybe we can catch a ride with Mori when they pick him up?" Alex brought up a good point, we're save-
"About that…" Hiyato nervously began to talk.
"I'm an hour early too." He scratched his head while looking away.
We all looked at each other in silence before I genuinely began to laugh. This is my fresh start, I'll make the most out of it.
For my own future, I'll win.
No matter what.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone