Title: Much Ado About Nothing
Author: SeraphKirin
Part: 1/?
Genre: …
Type: Romance/Humour
Pairings: … Go figure.
Rating: … What rating? I don't see the need for one.
Author's notes: Some of you may have heard of the above name before… for those who don't, the name belongs to one of Shakespeare's plays. There is no adaptation of the play… I just borrowed the storyline for the sake of pure fun… After all, "Much Ado About Nothing" is a play involving much romance, sap and humour.
Don't expect Shakespearean language to appear here or for the fic to be in the form of a play… after all, I only borrowed the basic idea… NOT the entire play itself…
Oh yes, before I forget, this play HAS yaoi and non-yaoi pairings. As to who is with who… wait and see, you hentais…
The prologue itself is mainly about Miyagi's thoughts, so don't expect too much…
Prologue
Miyagi surveyed his team at practice and sighed.
It had been three months since their match against Sannoh and Shohoku had finally returned to their normal routine of training and re-training for their summer IH competition. Training was now reduced to a boring routine now, what with Rukawa off to the National Youth Team and Sakuragi still in physical therapy…
Not even the new influx of over 25 committed freshmen to the team helped to boost spirits (the numbers being at their highest for once with no more Akagi to hound them… he only comes back occasionally now…).
Yes, things were NOT the same without those two irritants no matter how hard Akagi, Mitsui and Miyagi tried to deny it. Rukawa had always been the one to push others to higher heights (though he himself had no actual intention of doing so…) and Sakuragi… Sakuragi had always been the one who fuelled their desire to win. He was the one who assisted them mentally, though whether or not the guy is aware of the effect of his uncompromising spirit on the team or not was another matter altogether…
It was hard for the team to admit it but they missed Sakuragi and Rukawa despite the trouble that they created when together and the inevitable chaos that eventually erupts.
They had suffered a humiliating defeat in the quarterfinals of the district competition and it had been a devastating blow to Shohoku's pride.
The loss of Akagi as their center, Rukawa as their small forward, Sakuragi as their power forward had left a void that was too big to fill at such a short time. The new members of the basketball team were simply not up to the challenge.
Miyagi heaved another sigh. He would give anything… ok, except HIS dear Ayako… to have Sakuragi and Rukawa back on the team again.
It was good to have beginners that were aspiring to become like Sakuragi but what Shohoku needed now was NOT twenty beginners and five rookies. Not that Ayako was complaining though.
She enjoyed torturing the beginners with basics, basics and more basics. And as much as Haruko sympathised with the freshmen, Ayako was still the senior manager in the team and had the most say in training the new recruits.
However, while the recruits made up for skill with enthusiasm, they did not have Sakuragi's innate talent for learning basketball. This meant that none of the Year Ones (or Twos for that matter) were capable of filling in the shoes of the three major players in the team.
So no matter how they say it and no matter how many times the problem is evaluated, the conclusion was very simple.
In short, they needed Sakuragi and Rukawa.
Back in the team.
Playing alongside them.
Learning progressively as they improved their skills and learnt to adapt to the loss of Akagi.
However, the situation, for the moment at least, does not show any signs of changing. Lady Luck was still sticking her tongue out at them. (One wonders what they could have done to deserve that, hmm?)
Miyagi scowled, frightening the poor freshman that had been unlucky enough to glance his way.
"It's a wonder that we even have members left, what with the way you keep scaring them off."
Miyagi frowned.
"See? You just did it again!"
"Go away."
"In your dreams."
"…"
"Whoa, is somebody trying to act like Rukawa or what?"
Groaning in frustration, Miyagi tried to keep a tight rein on his temper. It wouldn't look very nice if the captain of the team pounded his only remaining (and capable of actually playing basketball) member of the "star five" last year into a bloody pulp, would it?
If Mitsui wasn't the only member of the team with skills strong enough to play decent (and decent is already straining the line) basketball, he'd have tied him up and fed to the sharks for all he cared. And since he doesn't really have a replacement for Mitsui…
"…Okay, since you sound so interested in what I have to say, I might as well keep the news to myself…"
The boy took the bait immediately.
"What news?" He demanded, catching hold of Mitsui's sleeve as the other boy tried to get up.
Mitsui smirked slightly; he knew that nosy was Miyagi's middle name and that Miyagi simply hated being left out any new developments, basketball or not.
"Well?" Miyagi enquired forcefully; he didn't like that infuriating smile on Mitsui's face.
Mitsui raised an eyebrow. "Is that any way to ask someone for information?"
Miyagi's scowl deepened. "Fine. I'll find it out from the others later."
Turning, the short boy started back to the court where a practice match was on between two Year One teams.
"All right, all right. Man, can't you take a joke?"
"So I can't. Sue me."
Mitsui sweatdropped.
The power guard folded his arms across his chest, his impatience in wanting to return to training evident in his countenance, and waited for the bombshell (?) that was soon to appear.
"I received two letters."
Miyagi arched an eyebrow. "And?"
"They're from Sakuragi and Rukawa respectively."
That caught more of his attention. "And?"
"Gee, can you be at least a bit little more enthusiastic about this?"
"Humour me."
"Fine. I say it straight to your face: Sakuragi can rejoin the team sometime in Mid December while Rukawa will be back next week Wednesday."
Miyagi was about to say, "Fine, now that you're done, let's return for practice," when the actual impact of the words that Mitsui just uttered hit him on the head.
Mitsui took a look at Miyagi's face and started laughing. "Man, this was why I wanted to be the one to tell you…"
Miyagi, however, continued ignoring Mitsui, his mind in a twirl. Hanamichi and Rukawa… coming back...?
His mouth creased into a grin. "Yatta!"
He took hold of Mitsui's arms and started doing a little jig right on the sidelines.
The ignorant freshmen looked at them, quizzical expressions on their faces. They wondered if their seniors had finally gone mad.
"And I thought that Miyagi had become more matured after receiving the captainship." An amused voice cut through their celebratory dance.
The two looked up to find Akagi and Kogure at the entrance of the gym, smiles on their faces.
"Wow, you guys got the latest already?"
Kogure's smile widened. "Actually, Sakuragi and Rukawa informed us personally over the phone yesterday night…"
"… And we thought that it wouldn't do us any harm to pay a little visit back here." Akagi finished.
"Onii-san!" Haruko ran up to Akagi and gave him a warm hug. She hadn't got to see him for quite some time ever since he started life in university, especially so because he was now living in a dormitory instead of at home.
The freshmen looked rather awed at the "celebrity" entrances. Ayako just filled them in on what was going on.
"Miyagi…" Akagi's voice held ominous undertones.
The new captain gulped and cowered slightly at the vast difference in build between the ex-captain and himself. Akagi had not lost any of his formidability as a strict captain at all.
"Now that Rukawa and that red-headed baka is coming back to the team, I do not want to see another dismal failure to enter the summer IH… is that understood?" Akagi was very menacing when he held his face close to another's.
"Yes Sir!" Miyagi managed to squeeze out, his fear of the ex-captain not diminished in the least.
"What are you guys staring at?" Akagi demanded of the wide-eyed freshmen around him. "Hayaku! Practice!"
That shook some sense into them; they became mobile again and started to move about, preparing for a Junior versus Seniors and Sophomore match.
"Oi, your sempais are looking on. If you freshmen lose by 20 points and above, you'll have 100 push-ups or 50 rounds around the school to do as punishment!" Ayako's threat had an immediate effect on the players.
"HAI!" The players looked considerably a lot perkier than before. 100 push-ups? 50 rounds of roughly 800 metres each? They'd die before they even finished half of those!
The Senior-Sophomore team looked rather warily at them, sensing a strong heat aura radiating from them. Akagi and Kogure sweatdropped. Even when Akagi was in charge, the "punishments" were never this severe… in fact they were about half of what this batch were doing.
Miyagi smiled. Things were finally looking up for them, Lady Luck was once again on their side, what could go wrong?
The answer?
Everything.
Continued…
Author's Notes: My comments on my own writing are that this is most probably the lousiest piece I ever wrote. High probability of discontinuation… since I cannot seem to find ideas to go on with the fic…
Any way, review and I'll see if you like it or no. If you don't like it, well, then I'll just go back to writing severely depressing and gloomy fics. shrugs I seem to excel in that area anyway…
And even if I do continue with this fic, it's gonna take a helluva lotta time to finish this fic…
Shohoku Boys: [in unison] WHAT? You start a fic but refuse to finish it?
SeraphKirin: [pointedly ignores them] Put a lid on it. [types something on her keyboard]
Shohoku Boys: [hands and legs moves of own accord and starts glomping the guy nearest to them] Argh! What's happening to us?
Sendou: [Smiles beatifically at her] Luckily, Ryonan, Shoyo and Kainan are not in this fic.
SeraphKirin: [smiles back sweetly at Sendou] You'll never know… Just you wait and see… I might have a sudden burst of inspiration and decide to continue the fic…
Sendou: [smile frozen on face]
Ryonan, Shoyo, Kainan: [humongous sweatdrop as they slowly shake their heads] Sendou, you just had to say it, didn't you…