“What’s wrong with you?” Nijimura says instead, eyes then boring into Nash, who’s glaring at him.

“Why are we taking a fucking train? We’d be faster with a cab.”

“Says who?” he snorts. “In Japan, you can travel faster by train. It ain’t my fault, LA lacks that.” he rolls with eyes, gaze soon falling back on you, the moment you glance his way. He sees the way your eyes widen before you turn back in front, cheeks heating up. You try to move away only for the man to lean down, whispering something in your ear.

“On a second thought,” Nijimura seems to change his mind, focusing back on Nash. “There are some things you can’t exactly do on a train in the US.”

Nash raises an eyebrow. “Oh?” He seems intrigued. “And what’s that?”

Looking behind Nash, he smirks. “Hold on,” he says and walks towards the two. He places a hand on the man’s shoulder, smiling ever so sweetly, not missing the way you try to hide. “I’m sorry, but I think you’re making the miss quite uncomfortable.'' He speaks in Japanese.

The man begins sputtering nonsense, trying to come up with an excuse until he spots Nash approaching. He tsk-s, turns and walks away, murmuring under his breath. No one pays much attention to what just happened, aside from a few glares that are sent their way due to the loudness of their voices.

“What was that?” Nash asks once he stands beside Nijimura.

The latter doesn’t move his eyes from you as you continue to stare out the doors and into the night. “It was nothing.” He says and turns around.

“T-thank you…” Your voice is nothing but a whisper, but it stops Nijimura on tracks. Turning back your way, he takes in your appearance. You’re not from Japan, he notices before his eyes fall on your choice of clothes. A skirt—which was obviously a bad idea—and a top with a cardigan. You refuse to meet with his gaze and only then it dawns on him.

Narrowing his eyebrows, Nijimura takes a step closer to you, his chest against your back. Leaning down, his lips brush against your ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down your spine. “You liked that.”

Your eyes widen, but you don’t move. You refuse to move.

“Hm…” he hums, glancing at Nash, who looks at you both in confusion. You bite on your lower lip when you feel his hands on your waist. “You dressed like this for a reason, didn’t you?” he asks in a slightly louder voice for Nash to hear. His hands sneak towards your ass, squeezing it in the process. He groans, pushing himself closer to you. You can feel something poking at you from behind. “What a bad girl…”

Your voice gets caught in your throat and you gulp when you hear those two words. You bite on your lower lip as you look at Nijimura from beneath your bangs, your eyes just a bit wider in a doe-like look.

Nijimura groans, gripping your waist tighter when he sees your look. He can feel Nash move to stand beside him and no sooner does the latter’s face appear closer to you. His eyes watch you like a hunter waiting to pounce on his prey and it’s quite obvious whose role is whose.

“What’s this?” Nash hums and glances at Nijimura.

Your chest is heaving, knowing too well who they are. Only a fool wouldn’t know the most notorious members of Jabberwock are Nash Gold Jr. and Nijimura Shuzo. Only a fool wouldn’t know that just because Nijimura can keep Nash in check, when they’re completely alone, they’re the worst you can get.

“This,” Nijimura begins, not moving your eyes away from you; “is why Japan just might be better than America.”

Before Nash could oppose his words, you part your lips the moment Nijimura’s hand slips beneath your skirt. Nash narrows his eyebrows, eyes trailing down only to see your skirt raised a bit and Nijimura’s hand moving.

“Fuck, she’s wet.” Nijimura groans. “If I put my cock inside right now, I bet it’d swallow me right in.”

You feel your cheeks burn at his words, eyes looking around, hoping no one can hear you. Like luck is on your side, everyone pays attention to their own devices, no one even bothering to look your way.

Nijimura pushes your panties to the side, lubing his forefinger with your wetness. “Will you be a good girl and keep quiet for us?” he asks quietly, watching you as you turn to look at him.

Gulping you reach over to hold his hand. Nijimura raises an eyebrow, but he lets you pull away and release it before you turn to face them both. Your top is more of a lower-cut, which makes it perfect for them to see the top of your breasts and the colour of your bra.

Nash lickes his upper lip, a grin forming on his lips while Nijimura lets his hand be led beneath your skirt once again. Neither of them says a word, but Nijimura continues where he left off, only to slip a finger inside of your heat. You part your lips, a silent gasp leaving your lips when you look at Nash—moreover at his lips.

And he can’t deny you what you want, even if you don’t say a word. He leans down and presses his lips against yours. You immediately part them to let him in, which Nash doesn’t hesitate. Nijimura starts to pump his finger, occasionally rubbing only before he adds another.

“Oh shit…” you gasp when Nash pulls away, the heat going to every corner of your body.

“Would you look at that?” Nash muses, his hand slipping beneath your top, brushing against your body as it begins to trail upper, closer to your bra. “Our baby girl has a bad choice of words. We should punish her, hm?”

“We should.” Nijimura agrees.

“Mm,” you shake with your head.

“No?” Nijimura repeats, eyes focusing on you as well as Nash’s. “Why not? You have such a foul mouth for such a pretty mouth of yours.”

You shake your head once again. “I-I’ll be good.” You stutter and look at Nash. “P-please …” you whisper.

“Please what?” Nash raises an eyebrow, standing so close it’s almost suffocating. Their scents are suffocating, yet you still want more of them.

“Touch me…” Your whole body feels hot like in the middle of summer.

“Where?” he leans down, inhaling your scent that reminds him of lavender and lily flowers. “Are you not satisfied with Shuzo alone? You need another hand to give you aid?”

“Why don’t you lead him like you led me, huh?” Nijimura says as he thrusts his fingers in and out, building you up to orgasm. “You’re dripping so much. I can tell you want more, so why don’t you be our good girl for today?”

Your eyes are focusing on Nijimura before you turn to Nash, feeling like you’re the only ones on the train. A part of you feels glad it’s already so late, so there aren’t too many people around, yet the other part only feels much more excited with the knowledge that you might be caught.

Feeling a little bolder, you reach for Nash’s hand. He raises an eyebrow, feeling your shakiness all while your eyes show nothing but lust and need for more. He watches you lead his hand towards your breasts. A groan escapes him and Nijimura chuckles beside him as he squeezes, a moan leaving your lips.

“What do you think?” Nijimura looks at Nash as he slows his movement. “Don’t you think Japan might be better?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, it just might be.” Nash groans before he leans down and presses his lips against yours once again.

You unconsciously move your hips to tell Nijimura to fasten up, but the only response you receive is a chuckle. You’re ready to ask him, beg him instead, but Nash has no intention of letting you off so soon. Instead of pulling away, he deepens the kiss as his hand pulls down the top, showing your bra for anyone to see if it weren’t for their heights that completely hide you from the curious gazes.

“Keep doing that.” Nijimura says as he slowly begins to fasten his pace. “She’s squeezing my fingers in like it’s the last thing in the world she’ll get.”

You’re panting into the kiss, moving your hips to Nijimura’s thrusts before you feel his lips on your collarbone. A shiver runs down your spine when you feel warm breath over your nipple while Nash is focusing on your other side. You hold onto their arms for support, feeling your knees slowly turning weak.

“Are you close?” Nijimura asks and you nod.

“C-close…” you whisper as you pull away from the kiss. “So-so close. P-please, I-I wanna cum…” you stutter, looking at him.

“Since you’re asking so nicely, we can make your wish come true, right?” Nijimura glances at Nash, but not before he raises one of your legs, which only makes his fingers go deeper inside.

Instead of saying anything, the only thing Nash does is pinch your nipple between his fingers, which makes you come undone. Nijimura continues his ministrations, like nothing is going on, but both of their focus is on you as you bite on your lip hard to prevent yourself from being too loud. You shudder as you feel the wetness between your thighs that Nijimura tries to wipe it with his hand so it doesn’t pool at your feet.

“Fuck,” Nash curses as he leans in to kiss your moans away that manage to slip through your lips. “That was hot.” He says against your mouth.

Your eyes are half open, a love-struck and distant gaze in your eyes that makes Nash groan.

Nijimura pulls his fingers out of your heat, licking them clean without moving his eyes from you when you look at him. Your chest is heaving as you’re slowly coming down from your high, which brings along the realisation of what just happened.

Your eyes widen and expression turns horrified when you look from one to another while trying to cover yourself with the cardigan. Nash is smirking down at you with Nijimura looking like he didn’t just fuck you on his fingers alone.

“I-I—” you stutter, but have no idea what to say.

“I love it when they go shy.” Nash comments and holds for the front of his jeans. “Always makes me go even harder.”

Your eyes unconsciously follow his movement before your mouth opens at the obvious tent in his pants. You’ve only ever heard of rumours, but having Nash right in front of you, those rumours just might be true. You lick your upper lip, which doesn’t go unnoticed by either.

“We should bring this one with us.”

Your head snaps to Nijimura, whose eyes are boring into you, like he could see into your soul. Despite feeling terrified, you also feel excitement rushing through your veins as another wave of arousal begins to build in the pit of your stomach.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Nash asks, brushing his finger down your cheek before he holds your chin between his thumb and forefinger and forces you to look at him. “You’re gonna be our good girl and let us take you home, won’t you?”

Mesmerised by his eyes that are filled with nothing but lust and need, you nod your head.

The corners of Nash’s lips turn up in a smirk, glancing at Nijimura. “If she’ll do her job well, we just might keep her to ourselves.”

I dream vividly the night before.

I’m small and I’m playing with our cat in the living room. I think this part really happened, because I can tell what’s going to happen beforehand: she knocks a mirror down from the wall and it shatters.

But then the dream gets odd. I stare at the pieces of the mirror, and I feel a strange pull to the other side. I’m convinced I can go there, to another world, an upside-down world inside of the mirror, just by stepping into it. So I do. I grab my cat, and jump.

Suddenly falling down is falling upwards. I think I’m back to my current self, and… the cat isn’t there anymore. She vanishes, and in her place, I briefly see an image of a much bigger cat in front of me. A tiger.

You may be falling upwards. I’m simply flying, it says.

Then everything goes dark.

I open my eyes on a field of flowers. It goes on forever and they’re all the same. Tiger-lilies. I get to my feet, and that's when the flower next to me starts speaking.

– Pick me up, it says.

I stare back at it.

– Pick me up.

I swallow.

– Why?

– You want to.

I feel like the field of flowers is quietly laughing at me.

– I couldn’t, I say.

– Why not?

– That would… that would just be the death of you.

– Huh. Does that matter? You can keep me in a vase until all the life is gone, and then you can dry me between the pages of one of your books. You’ll never have to part with me.

I shake my head.

– Look around. This is where you belong. A wild flower doesn’t belong in a vase, I say.

– Pick me up, it repeats.

Suddenly the whole field starts chanting it, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up…

So I start running. Away. I have to get out of here.

Then I trip into something, and fall down, but not to the ground. Everything goes dark again, and I keep falling until I open my eyes in a familiar place. Well, something that at least looks like Kagami-kun’s apartment, but it’s… upside down. And it’s bigger. The rooms are bigger, and the ceiling, which is the floor, is higher.

A looking-glass house, I think. On the other side of the mirror. The world. Another world, I’ve never seen. So similar. Yet so different.

And there is Kagami-kun. Walking on the ceiling, which is actually the floor. Upside-down, across his living room. He hangs from the floor as easily as the sofa, the table, the TV… And then he looks down, which is up, for him. Straight at me, to the ceiling where I sit. But he doesn’t see me. I call out his name, but he just looks away and continues to walk to the kitchen. I do the same, and stand there, on the ceiling, calling for him. He starts cooking, and the steam rises to the ceiling, making me cough.

I wonder, if I jumped, would I be able to grab the corner of the table and hang from there? Probably not. But maybe the kitchen hood. Maybe then he’ll see me.

As soon as I jump, I fall upwards instead. Down. I land on the floor next to Kagami-kun. I sit up and look at him. The gravity is finally the same for us. He’s staring at me in confusion.

– What on earth are you doing? he asks.

– I… I fell down.

– From where?

– The other side, I say. – The mirror.

He nods slowly, frowning, like it does make some sense. Then he holds his hand out to me. I’m about to take it, but… suddenly I can’t.

– What’s wrong? he asks. – Take my hand.

– No.

– Why not?

– Because, I’m afraid that if I do, I won’t be able to let go.

The same nod and frown. His hand drops. He continues to cook. I get up on my own. Then I see that there’s a book on the kitchen table. It’s the book I had in mind for him to read, but I hadn’t had the time to give it to him yet.

I pick it up and start flipping the pages.

– It truly is the mirror world, I find myself saying. – Even books have to be read the other way around.

a) so there's at least one player who wasn't underestimating vorpal swords. if i were to overanalyse, i'd add that nick's wearing a hoodie (possibly athletic wear) whilst nash has a 'fancy' shirt on; perhaps nick wasn't expecting them to be going to host clubs instead of chilling/training?

b) i know what you're thinking: "how can you say nash is a hard worker when he didn't want to practice for the match". i reckon he was still pretty high on the complete and utter success of their previous match, that plus being around girls, encouraged him to have a more 'jason-y' personality. (either that or fujimaki didn't want to add too much depth/realism into nash's character bc he's unequivocally the villain, right? and obviously this helps with the plot and the jabberwock bad geniuses gom good geniuses rhetoric.)

earlier, i mentioned how nash is the only one that could keep the team together, and is thus the undeniable head of the team; here's a clear example. you can see both jason and zack have no interest in continuing - if anything, there's disgust in their faces, kinda just saying "we spat on all of japan, now we can go home". whereas nash won't allow for the slightest of possibilities that there might exist a team stronger than them, and hence agrees to the match. the key thing here is that the others do as he says without too much fuss.

another thing to note is nash's reference to harakiri. now what can we make of that, alongside his proficiency in japanese, in relation to his character? the way i see it, he's either a weeb or possibly has some japanese lineage. (you could spin that even further and say his mother was japanese, taught him the language, then abandoned him, and hence his almost excessive hatred/mockery of the japanese people.) (is that why he wanted to do another match in japan..?)

just a quick point. "thanks to him" - jason isn't so superior as to think that he could win this match effortlessly without nash's support. links pretty nicely with my earlier idea about how nash is the only person jason has always considered 100% strong.

yet another point about how nash is the strongest of the team in pretty much every way you can think of. you know how scary/powerful you have to be to shut jason up (after he's getting real pissed from being prevented from scoring?)

i personally think this is a pretty important panel, though i've never seen anyone mention it before. did nash grow up training in a professional basketball training situation, as opposed to growing up playing streetball like i suspect the others did? well, to answer that question, imma bring in another panel.

here we see visible rage on nick, zack and jason's faces - they can't accept their loss, which is fair enough. but i'd argue that nash's face seems to depict sadness more than it does anger like to rest of them, look at how downturned his mouth is - and he's looking away from the 'camera', as if hiding his shame.

when you combine that with what he says here, i have no doubt that this is someone who has experienced some proper lows in basketball - as would be expected from someone who's played 'properly'. he's possibly not even a prodigy like the rest of them - compare jason's motto with his. "i have never thought" versus "do not suppose opportunity will knock twice at your door".

there's various lines of thinking you could design with this - he might have been trained by alex (hence, himuro having heard of jabberwock, though he should have known of a team as popular of jabberwock regardless), he might have grown up with professional basketballer parents etc. but here's my own little theory:

nash received serious basketball training from early on - maybe because his parents were living vicariously through him, or maybe he always loved the sport and wanted to be no1. so there he was training away, but, as he grew older, it started getting all a bit too much.

he didn't want to dedicate his entire life to basketball. after all, his hobby is water sports and his speciality is boxing; that's a lot of different things to be keeping up with, whereas the pipeline for promising athletes demands people focus solely on basketball. as a result, nash become bitter: stopped attending practice regularly, got in trouble for trash talk of increasing severity, etc.

result was he was kicked out of the program.

only when he was no longer playing basketball again, did he realise how much he missed it. and hence he got into streetball, where he was tremendously successful as someone with so much training, 'elite skills', and the overly confident attitude to boot.