Bab 173: From the Start of Zero
A month had slipped by since the "break" between Furuya and Catherine had begun. The initial shock of their split had worn off, leaving behind an unexpected air of civility. Catherine had returned to her usual aloof demeanor, while Furuya had retreated into a more reserved, but still light-hearted, role.
The first week after the split had been a bit awkward, but gradually, the atmosphere returned to its usual rhythm. Everything seemed to be settling into a new normal.
Yasushi turned to Furuya, curiosity glinting in his eyes. "How's everything going with the baseball team?" he asked.
Furuya straightened, a hint of pride evident in his stance. "Good. I've got a solid shot at becoming the ace this year. It's my last season, and I've been working my ass off. I'm really hoping to make it."
Xinyi, leaning in from nearby, chuckled. "I saw this guy wrap two giant truck wheels in rope and pull them while running laps around the field. It's like something straight out of an anime. It's kinda weird seeing that in real life."
"It's working!" Furuya snapped, glaring intensely. His eyes drilled into her as if daring her to prove him wrong. Xinyi, on the other hand, met his gaze with a self-satisfied smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Well, whatever happens, good luck, man," Yasushi said, glancing over at Alicia, who was seated nearby. His tone was a mix of casual encouragement and a hint of concern. "But with that said…"
Alicia, still seated with a focused expression, chimed in, "The planning for the event is progressing well. We've confirmed that the changes for this year are accurate. We've also put together a list of potential locations, making sure to account for everyone's preferences and needs."
This year, as previously mentioned, their goal was victory. With their increased numbers and strategically planned routes, they felt a solid confidence. They had been diligently planning and organizing over the past week and had also included a strategy for scouting the locations ahead of time to enhance their chances on the event day.
"The Garbage Collection Event, huh?" Furuya said with a sharp edge in his voice, his eyes fixed with fierce resolve. "Put me in a spot where there's a lot of them. We got messed up by that serial killer last year, but this time, we're winning."
Alicia, her brow furrowing slightly with concern, asked, "Are you sure? It might—"
"I'm sure," Furuya cut her off firmly. "I want to be the top collector this year." He then slung an arm around Yasushi's shoulders, his grin widening. "Put me with broski. We're gonna crush this year's event."
Alicia looked over at Yasushi, seeking confirmation. Yasushi gave a reassuring nod. With that, Alicia adjusted the group list, placing Furuya with Yasushi's team. The conversation shifted to casual topics and the details of the upcoming event. Some classmates were also quietly strategizing, plotting their own plans to improve their chances.
This informal strategy was a common practice among the seniors. They were intent on making the most of their high school years before heading off to college or diving straight into the workforce.
+-+
"You doing okay, man?" Yasushi asked as he and Furuya hung out by themselves near the baseball field. With no game or mini practice scheduled during their lunch break, Furuya had the afternoon off.
"Hmm? Oh…yeah, I'm good," Furuya replied, taking a sip from his can of coffee. "I thought I'd be feeling down or something, but surprisingly, I'm not. I've been doing a lot of thinking and making some changes about myself, but I refuse to stop being who I am, if you get what I mean."
Yasushi nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "That's exactly what I was trying to say before, though I wasn't too great at putting it into words. It's about growing as a person without losing sight of who you are while you're trying to improve yourself. We're still young, so don't beat yourself up over it."
Furuya chuckled at Yasushi's words. "You sound like an old man. Is this the wisdom of 'Lord Yasushi,' huh?" he teased, and both of them laughed heartily.
"Hey…do you know anything about Catherine?" Furuya asked, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty. "W-we haven't talked since then, and we barely interact when we're all hanging out as a group. I mean, we're polite with each other when we're there, but…"
Yasushi nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, she's doing fine according to Xinyi. She's just going back to how she was before you two started dating — pretty much stone-faced and indifferent," he explained, causing Furuya to give a weary smile.
"I see…" Furuya said, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Well, I don't think trying to be all grand and flashy to win her back will work, will it?"
"Doubtful," Yasushi responded. They lapsed into another moment of silence before Yasushi spoke up again. "Why not try to impress her during the event? I need to take charge to score some points with Jingliu's dad, but you could help me out. What do you think?"
Furuya stared at Yasushi, weighing his options carefully. After a moment, he nodded, a hint of resolve in his eyes. "I'm in. As long as I get a chance to show her that I've changed, that I can be better and a bit more mature… then count me in."
Yasushi's face lit up with a smile as he raised his fist. The two friends shared a fist bump, the gesture solidifying their agreement. "Then let's make this Garbage Collection Event one to remember," Yasushi declared with enthusiasm.
"What do you mean by that?" Furuya asked, clearly interested.
Yasushi smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough. Trust me on this." Furuya nodded in agreement, intrigued by Yasushi's confidence.
+-+
"That's what we talked about. What do you think?" Yasushi asked, his gaze shifting between Jingliu and Xinyi.
School had ended two hours earlier, and now the three of them were relaxing at a nearby restaurant. This place was different from the one where the school troublemakers had caused a scene. They had been sitting here for the last twenty minutes, eating and catching up, with the main topic of discussion being Furuya and Catherine's situation.
"I mean…I'm okay with it," Xinyi said as she sipped her juice, her brow furrowing slightly. "But I'm not sure how Catherine will react. She's barely shown any emotion since that day. It's clear she didn't like what happened, but she probably saw it as something that might help Furuya, I guess?"
Jingliu nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes, but we need to consider a few things, particularly Furuya's resolve. Will he actually follow through with this change he's talked about, or will he fall short of the commitment he's made?"
Yasushi nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that actions spoke louder than words and needed to see Furuya's transformation firsthand. Over the past week, he had been observing his friend closely, noting glimpses of change but not yet the full picture.
"It'll take time, but hopefully, we'll see some real progress during the event. I also need to up my game, since Bhaqui and Alicia are still keeping an eye on me for Jingliu's dad," he said.
Xinyi laughed, her tone light. "Well, good luck with that, Mr. Future Master of the Yang family."
Yasushi gave her a stern look. "You need to start taking things more seriously, too. All three of us are going to follow in our parents' footsteps, you know?"
Xinyi's expression turned serious as she replied, "Of course. I've been studying more in secret. I need to be able to impress my dad, even if he's pretty laid-back with me. I still have to work hard to uphold our family name."
Yasushi crossed his arms, his expression focused. "Well, changing the topic, we'll be heading out tomorrow. Since it's the weekend, we can take our time with it. We'll be checking out the spots for the event before it starts in a month, so—"
"We know, so we can win," Xinyi interrupted, playfully poking the tip of Yasushi's nose. "Geez, you're really fixated on this, aren't you?"
Yasushi chuckled, amusement in his eyes, but he didn't contest her observation. "Yeah, we want to win. It'll be good for college applications and, of course, there are those rumored prizes."
"Prizes… what were they again? I wasn't really paying attention," Xinyi asked, scratching her cheek.
Jingliu exhaled quietly, then answered, "It's two things: a voucher for that pizza place that's been gaining popularity lately, and a set of coupons for various stores around the city. There's a wide range of places they work at, so a lot of people are pretty excited about it."
"Oh! A pizza voucher~ I've been meaning to try that place. A bunch of our classmates said it's really good," Xinyi gushed, her eyes lighting up as she launched into a mini-rant about the restaurant, listing all the dishes she'd heard about.
"Coupons? What kind of coupons are we talking about?" Yasushi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jingliu responded calmly, "The usual. Discounts at various stores around Ginsukimura. Apparently, the mayor worked with local shops to make it happen. I think there are around ten to fifteen coupons in total, and the biggest discount is something like 50% off. Pretty useful, if you ask me."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Yasushi began, about to continue, but a loud bang from the entrance snapped their attention elsewhere.
They turned to see a large group pushing their way into the restaurant, already causing a scene. Their voices were loud, and the way they interacted with the staff was rude, almost aggressive. What grabbed their focus wasn't just the rowdy attitude, but the fact that the group wore uniforms from another school in the city, and their loud conversations centered around the upcoming Garbage Collection Event.
Once the loud group settled into their seats, their obnoxious conversation resumed, completely disregarding the restaurant's atmosphere.
"We're gonna screw them over. I've already got some guys lined up, the ones skipping this dumb event," one of them said, his grin wide as he leaned back, clearly enjoying the attention.
"What do you mean?" another guy asked, genuinely intrigued.
"My family's got money to burn, so I paid some of the dropouts who don't care about the event. They'll ambush people around town, beat 'em up, and take their trash bags. With them out of the way, we'll coast through the competition," he explained with a sick sense of pride, reclining further into his chair.
"As expected of Youta! Always ahead of the game!" one of the others chimed in, the admiration in his voice obvious as he looked at Youta with something like reverence.
Youta's grin widened at the praise. "Yeah, that's what my old man taught me. Doesn't matter if it's shady or not. As long as you win and nobody catches you, that's all that counts," he added, his confidence brimming as if he'd already claimed victory.
Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi exchanged glances, all three visibly repelled by Youta's obnoxious plans. The disgust was clear in their expressions as they lingered a little longer, hoping the group would slip up and reveal something more significant. But it became apparent that the conversation wasn't going anywhere useful, so they quickly finished their meals and left the place without a word.
A few buildings down, Xinyi broke the silence. "So, what now?" she asked, her tone sharp, clearly unimpressed with the situation.
Yasushi rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger, his mind working as he pieced together his next move. "I'll talk to the rest of the group about it. Let them know we'll handle it, especially me and Furuya. Maybe if we take the lead, it'll help him smooth things over with Catherine. Give him a bit of a boost in her eyes, you know?"
Xinyi's lips curled into a sly smile. "You're always thinking ahead for him, huh?"
Jingliu nodded in agreement, her own smile softening her normally serious expression. "It's obvious you care about him more than you let on. Even when you come off a little cold, you're always looking out for him."
Yasushi shook his head slightly, a quiet laugh escaping. "Nah, that's just how guys are. We don't need to spell everything out. But when things get tough, real friends step up. That's what matters. Those two were good together, and they've just hit a rough patch. I want to help him get through it, because I know he's trying — even if he doesn't always show it."
Xinyi flashed a mischievous grin, then dashed behind Yasushi and leaped onto his back, effectively making him her unwitting steed. "Onwards, my steed! To your homes we go, and we'll brainstorm our plans along the way!" she announced with mock grandeur.
Yasushi let out an awkward chuckle as he felt Xinyi's chest pressing against his back. He noticed Jingliu's annoyed glare directed at Xinyi, but she seemed to shrug it off. Despite the odd situation, Yasushi continued walking, Xinyi still clinging to him and chattering away about their vague strategies for the event.
As they made their way home, their determination solidified. They were resolved to prevent Youta and his group from sabotaging the event, and they were prepared to use every resource and strategy at their disposal to ensure that the competition remained fair for everyone involved.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Haruki_Murakami
Haruki_Murakami "Qush uyasini o'zi yasaydi" - Uzbek proverb
"The bird builds its own nest."
Meaning: Everyone is responsible for creating their own life and success.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone