Title: TIES THAT BIND
Series: 2
Chapter: 1 of 8
Author: Mist
Genre: Yaoi
Pairing: RuHana/HanaRu
Rating: R
Archive: SD Fic ; Fanfiction.Net
Email: myst_sg@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: SD characters belong to Inoue Takehito ; The song 'Then You Look At Me' belongs to Celine Dion
Warning: Bad Language!
Note to readers: This is a series of shounen-ai/yaoi fiction. Hence if you decide to read it, I think that you (the reader) are receptive towards homosexual fan fiction. So please do not email flames to me (the author) ... For those who have other comments & opinions, I welcome your feedback ... Thank you ... ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture - 13 November]
The slogan for Fujisawa City was 'A city we can live in comfortably for life'. Was there really such a comfortable place in the world? The atmosphere of Fujisawa was quite different from the metropolitan city of Tokyo. Traffic was less congested. The crime rate of this area was also lower. Hence it was a fine place to live in for the first eighteen years of a person's life, but that was all there was to this little Japanese city. Alvarez thought that young people should move to more robust environments if they aspired to make a name for themselves in the world. This man believed that the time was ripe for his Grandson to take the next step in life. He had decided to groom Sakuragi Hanamichi to takeover his businesses in the near future. Why? Alvarez's son had proven himself to be unfit for the post.
As they neared the house of Sakuragi's closest relative in the country, Alvarez wondered about the lady's possible reaction to what he had in mind. He had spoken to the woman several times in the past years, but he had only met her once. Further speculation was unnecessary when his eyes met hers.
Alvarez "Hello ... do you remember me?" looks at the woman
Ms Sakuragi "I ..." studies the man "Your voice is familiar ..."
{Can this person be him?}
Alvarez "I am the Grandfather of your nephew" nods
Ms Sakuragi "What brings you here?" opens the gate
{You have never visited Hanamichi since she died}
Alvarez "How are you?" asks a question to avoid having to answer her query
Ms Sakuragi "I am fine ..." motions for the men to follow her into the house "Please come in"
{Why have you come?}
Seeing that the men were comfortable in their seats, she went to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of tea for her guests. She knew that Alvarez was a very rich American businessman. He had a beautiful daughter, who had chosen to marry a foreigner whom she loved. Then Janine Alvarez had passed away after giving birth to a baby boy. Though the doctors had claimed that it was inevitable, this person had blamed the Japanese man for the death of his beloved daughter.
Alvarez "I have come to discuss my Grandson's future with you" sits up straight
Ms Sakuragi "Hanamichi's future?" serves tea "Now?"
{He is still a high school boy}
Alvarez "Yes" nods "My sources tell me that he does not have much of a future in Japan"
Ms Sakuragi "........." stares at the man
{What do you mean?}
Alvarez "Do you know that he has managed to fail all subjects in the June examinations?" sighs
Ms Sakuragi "........." nods "True, but ..."
{Just get to the point ...}
Eventually the man did get to the point of the conversation. He said that he wanted to bring his Grandson back to America to live with him. At the back of her mind, the woman had felt that such a day would come, but she did not expect it to be so soon. The thought of having to part with the dear boy was unbearable. In terms of height, Sakuragi was taller than most adults, but the boy was still a teenager.
Ms Sakuragi "Hanamichi is not good in the use of English language. There will be difficulties ..." shakes her head
{This is too soon ... he is still a boy}
Alvarez "Do not worry. He will receive the best education" takes a sip of the tea
Ms Sakuragi "........." thinks "His life is here ... his friends"
{He has a happy life here}
Alvarez "That may be true, but young people adapt very easily to changes" smiles "He will have new friends"
Ms Sakuragi "I appreciate your concern for Hanamichi" tries a delaying tactic "Why not wait for a few years?"
{There is no hurry}
Alvarez "No, I cannot" looks at the woman seriously "Let me talk to him"
Was there a way to refuse such a demand? Every fibre of her being was saying no, but that was just her emotional response. Ms Sakuragi knew that she could not deny this man's request. For heaven's sake, this was the person who had been sending 3,000,000 yen into the boy's account each month for the past two years. The lady had hidden the truth from her nephew by saying that the money was from the insurance company.
[Shohoku High School - 19 November]
The students of Shohoku were having their lunch break. Two students were trading rumours in the toilet. One guy told the other that he had heard that the performance by Rukawa & Sakuragi was a sham. After a few seconds of silence, the other fellow added that the entire event must be a conspiracy between those boys & the school. Next the first guy voiced a chain of nasty comments about the red head being a cheat, a liar & so on. Suddenly his face turned as white as chalk. What had happened? Had he seen a spirit? Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. Mito Yohei was in one of the closed cubicles. The boy panicked for he realised that Yohei had heard him say some very unpleasant things about Sakuragi Hanamichi. Everyone knew that Yohei was the red head's best friend. Was he going to be killed by one of the best fighters in the whole school?! Wait a minute. Why was Yohei smiling?! It did not make sense. Then he felt wetness running down his thighs.
Yohei "Hahahahahahaha!" laughs
{Serves you right}
Guy "........." turns red "My pants is wet"
Yohei "Yes" acts sympathetic "With urine. Do you have a weak bladder?"
{Coward}
A storm was building in the crowded school canteen. Many people could feel the air of hostility between the girls. What was going on? The obvious tension made the others felt uncomfortable. Boys sighed as they looked at the girls. Was there going to be another clash between the Rukawa fan club & the Sakuragi supporters?
Cheerleader - RU "I dreamt of Rukawa-sama again" orders a bowl of noodles
Cheerleader - KA "You are so lucky ... to dream of him every night" gets money out of her purse
Cheerleader - RU "I know" sighs "No one can be as wonderful as Rukawa-sama"
Cheerleader - WA "The other guy ... he looked as good as Rukawa" picks up her tray of food
Cheerleader - KA "How can you say such a thing?!" stares "Comparing a gangster with our prince?!!"
Matsui "Hey!" glares "You are not being fair! Sakuragi is every bit as wonderful as Rukawa!"
Cheerleader - RU "What?! That red head is a 'nobody' ..." stubs Matsui's shoulder with a finger
Matsui "Hey!" sweeps the hand away "Watch yourself"
Fujii "Sakuragi is not a 'nobody'!" protests vehemently "You heard his voice ... he sings beautifully"
This passionate discussion quickly escalated into a heated quarrel when someone mentioned that she saw the two boys kissing each other on the stage. Another girl said that Rukawa had kissed the red head as soon as the stage curtains closed & the lights were dimmed. Needless to say, these statements drew a fiery response from fans of the blue-eyed boy.
Takenori "Madness" stares at the mess
{Totally unbelievable}
Kiminobu "Akagi? Why are you not eating?" looks pointedly at the bowl of curry noodles
Takenori "Lost my appetite" grips chopsticks angrily
{Those girls are making so much noise}
Kiminobu "Come on" smiles
Takenori "I cannot understand how girls think" sighs "Do you know that my sister was crazy over Rukawa?"
{A crush on that guy for three years}
Kiminobu "Of course!" laughs
Takenori "Hmph! Can you guess what she told me last night?" grumbles
{Now she tells me that she is unsure of her feelings}
Kiminobu "........." shrugs "What?"
Takenori "Haruko asked me about my opinion about Sakuragi" shakes head "Can you believe it?"
{I cannot ...}
Kiminobu "Before last week, my answer would be no ... but now ..." nods
Takenori "Why?!!!" blinks
{You are not making any sense either ...}
Kogure could understand his friend's bewilderment. Akagi might have been surprised by the red head's performance, but his basic impression of the boy was still the same. At the back of his mind, Sakuragi was the wayward student who had the audacity to smash a basketball into his face. The fact that the boy could sing did little to change his opinion of the red head. However things were very different from a girl's point of view. His friend's sister was now able to see Sakuragi in a different light. A person's past was permanent, but his future was not. Haruko had noticed the boy's potential to mature into a fine man.
[Shohoku High School - 20 November]
Final examinations for the second term were scheduled to start on the third day of December. Therefore most of the students had gone home straight after lessons to study. However there was still a sizable crowd of people who came to watch the daily basketball training sessions. A short & tubby boy said something to his friends as Sakuragi got into a spat with Rukawa. Mito Yohei grinned & shrugged his shoulders in reply. The blue-eyed boy had just made a remark about the red head's failure to shoot three-pointers.
Kaede "Do'aho ... " sighs
{You missed again}
Hanamichi "Kitsune!" glares "Shut Up!"
{Damn it!!! What is the secret to scoring 3-pointers?!}
Hisashi "Hehehe!" laughs "Rukawa, how is your student doing?"
Hanamichi "Micchy!" protests "I am not his student!"
{Who wants to learn from a stupid fox?!}
Suddenly the girls started screaming all sorts of encouragements to either Rukawa or Sakuragi. Members of the Rukawa fan club shouted that they loved him, but the dark-haired boy ignored their presence as best as he could. At the same time, Sakuragi's supporters voiced their undying support for the red head.
Hisashi "Heheh! Sakuragi, how does it feel like to have your own supporters?" grins
Hanamichi "Bwahahaha!" laughs happily "Wonderful. Bwahahaha!"
{I can get used to this kind of thing}
Kaede "Do'aho ..." resists the urge to shake some sense into the red head
{Wonderful? Do you really mean it?! Argh! Are you serious?!!}
Hanamichi "Kitsuneee" smirks "Are you jealous?"
{This is fun}
Kaede "........." hits Sakuragi's head with a ball
{JEALOUS?! WHO SAYS THAT I AM JEALOUS!}
Hanamichi "........." fumes "You ..."
{Stupid Fox!}
Ryota "Stop! Stop it! No fighting!" stares at the two
Kaede "Aho" walks away
{I AM NOT JEALOUS!}
Hanamichi "Kitsune!" runs after the dark-haired boy "Where are you going? Are you running away from Tensai?"
{If what you said the other day was true ... why do you make it so difficult for me to understand you?}
Yasuda panted as he took a quick look at the clock. Hip! Hip! Hurray! The time was six o'clock. Ayako smiled & threw a towel over to him. She felt a little sorry for the boys. It had been a tough day for them. Haruko walked towards Rukawa & Sakuragi with a bag of cold drinks. A pair of blue eyes narrowed when the girl smiled as she handed the first packet of orange juice to the red head. Then she silently gave another drink to Rukawa. The Manager of the team stared at Haruko in surprise.
Ayako "Haruko-chan" covers her mouth with a hand
Ryota "Oh my ..." blinks
Hisashi "Oooh ..." wonders
Kaede "........." looks coldly at Haruko
{Get away from him! He is mine}
Yuki "Oh my ... indeed" studies Rukawa's expression
Fujii stared at Matsui, who winked back at her. The latter was glad that Haruko had finally figured out the realities of the situation. She was convinced that Sakuragi would be a much more engaging companion than Rukawa. Next she shook her head as Noma asked her if she knew about Akagi Haruko's change of heart. Then Okusu stretched out his hand to pinch Takamiya's cheek just to check if he was really awake.
Takamiya "OOOWWW!" yells "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Okusu "Huh?!" evades Takamiya's punches "Nothing much"
{So this is not a dream ...}
Takamiya "If you try that again" threatens the person who pinched him "I will ..."
Noma "Looks like Hanamichi's bad luck with girls has ended" grins
Yohei "Yes" nods "It has ..."
{Rukawa ... why have you changed him?}
HONK! HONK!!! ... HONK! HONK!!! ... BAM! ............... VROOM! VROOM!!!
Ryota "Noisy engine" frowns
Hisashi "Must be some punk picking up his girl" shrugs
Hanamichi "I ... I ..." beams at Haruko "Thank you ... so much!"
{Is this for real? Does this mean that I am more important to her than this Stupid Fox?}
Haruko "Sakuragi-kun" smiles
{I like you ...}
Kaede "........." glares at the red head
{Will you stop smiling like an imbecile?!}
Hanamichi "Hehe ..." smirks at Rukawa
{See ... she likes me now}
Kaede "Do'aho" hits Sakuragi's face with a ball
{Is she that important to you? ... and will you stop grinning at me?!}
Hanamichi "TEMEEE!" fumes "Kitsune!"
{What is wrong with you?! Since that night ... you are the one who is keeping quiet}
Kaede "........." takes off his damp T-shirt
{After all that we have been through ... are you saying that I must fight with this girl for your attention?}
Hanamichi "Hey! How dare you walk away when Tensai is talking to you?!" stomps feet in anger
{Come on ... what do you expect me to say?!}
Kaede "Why not?" stalks off in the direction of the showers
{How can I compete with this female? She is the girl of your dreams}
Hanamichi "Because ..." looks at the dark-haired boy
{Why are you ignoring me? What is wrong?}
Seconds later, Sakuragi grabbed his stuff & hurried after Rukawa. What was your problem? You said that you liked me. Did you mean it? You kissed me. Then you said nothing else to me for a week. What was I supposed to think? His mind was screaming questions at the blue-eyed boy, but pride had effectively kept his mouth shut.
Hisashi "I really hope that they do not destroy anything" sweatdrops
Ryota "Hanamichi ... " sighs
Ayako "Oh dear ..." takes a glance at the girl
{Haruko ... Sakuragi ... Rukawa}
For Haruko's sake, Ayako hoped that the rumours about Rukawa & Sakuragi were not true. She had a friend in another class who insisted that she saw the two boys kissing each other on the stage behind closed curtains. Who would believe such a ridiculous story? Everyone knew that both boys could hardly stand each other. Yet Ayako had noted Mito Yohei's troubled expression. The boy was obviously feeling uneasy about something, but what was he thinking about?
A couple of boys from the Shohoku baseball team were chatting as two people stepped into the changing room. Conversation ceased as the boys stared at them. One person ignored their inquisitive looks. The other glared back at them. The heated look was very effective & the group of boys left immediately. Sakuragi was very angry with the boy who was stepping out of his white shorts that was damp with perspiration.
Hanamichi "........." blocks the boy path to the shower
{Damn it! Say something ...}
Kaede "Step out of my way" grips his towel tightly
{Why are you here? When you would rather be with her ...}
Hanamichi "WHAT?!" shoves Rukawa "Damn it! This is not what I want to hear!"
{I am not a fucking mind-reader!}
Kaede "........." stares at Sakuragi's jawline
{What do you want to hear? Do you want me to say that I am happy for you?}
Hanamichi "Say something" forces the boy to face him "Answer me"
{Do you really like me?}
Kaede "What do you want me to say?" raises a hand to touch the boy's heaving chest
{I cannot ask you to like me}
Rukawa had asked a simple question that was difficult for Sakuragi to answer. The blue-eyed boy was indeed as sly as a fox. A truthful answer would be very revealing. The red head had mixed feelings about the other as well as uncertainties concerning a homosexual relationship. His eyes roamed over the person that was standing in front of him. Troubled thoughts turned to appreciation as he admired the whiteness of the skin that was smoothly stretched over lean muscles on a slender frame.
Hanamichi "........." gulps
{ARGH!!! I must be mad! I am supposed to be angry with him NOT admiring his ... ARGH!!!}
Kaede "Sssh" closes the distance by resting his head on the red head's shoulder
{I did not mean to hit you ... there is this feeling inside me when I see the way that you smile at her}
Hanamichi "Kitsune?" mutters "Are you sick?"
{You are driving me crazy}
Kaede "........." shakes head
{Maybe ... I was jealous}
Hanamichi "Are you sure?" sighs
{Liar ...}
Kaede "No ..." murmurs
{I am jealous}
Oh great! Fantastic! Rukawa's contradicting replies made him want to scream out in frustration. Was the Stupid Kitsune sick or not? The red head sighed audibly as he picked up his towel & walked into the shower. Sakuragi wished that the blue-eyed boy could be as straightforward as Mito Yohei. Then he became conscious of something that had slipped to the back of his mind.
Hanamichi "Haruko..." turns on the hot water tap absentmindedly "YAAA!!! HOT! HOT! HOT!"
{Oh dear ...}
Kaede "........." sweatdrops
Hanamichi "HOT! HOT!! HOT!!!" jumps around to avoid the jets of hot water
{I forgot about her ...}
Kaede "Aho" turns on the cold water tap for the red head
Hanamichi "AAAHHH!" screams "COLD! COLD!! COLD!!!"
{I ditched Haruko ... to run after this Spiteful Kitsune?!!! ... who is trying to freeze me to death}
Kaede "........." smirks
Things went from bad to worse for Sakuragi as the other guys from the team walked into the shower. Everyone stopped in their tracks to watch the antics of a naked red head that was hopping from foot to foot as he tried to avoid the streams of icy water. Gales of merry laughter followed the seconds of silence.
Ryota "Hanamichi" sighs "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Yuki "Very interesting" grins
{View ...}
Kaede "........." glares at the long-haired boy
Hanamichi "Brrr ..." shivers
Hisashi "Hahahaha!" laughs "Just turn the water off"
Then someone laughingly said that the cold water had caused the red head's member to shrivel to a 'cute little thing'. Immediately everyone turned to stare at Sasaoka Satoru. Was there any chance that Sakuragi had not heard what the fool said? Miyagi groaned as the red head advanced towards the unfortunate soul with a sinister look on his face.
[Akagi Household, 21 November]
How could some adults say that the life of a student was better than that of a working adult? Haruko rubbed her tired eyes as she stared at the stacks of books & study notes. The average student would often study for ten hours each day. Some of her classmates even had to attend supplementary lessons at cram schools in the evenings. The life of a high school student was not as enjoyable as some people imagined it to be. Then Haruko smiled as she looked at a photograph of the Shohoku basketball team. There was a much larger version of the same picture in her brother's room. She was sure that the fellow would never forget the day that his team defeated Sannoh.
Her mind wandered upon a memory of an earlier conversation between Matsui, Fujii & herself. The girls were at the local Denny's Restaurant that was a short distance away from school. As usual, the ever-alert Matsui had caught her daydreaming. She just sighed when the girl asked her to 'spill the beans'. Then her other friend asked if she was thinking about Sakuragi & Rukawa. This question surprised Haruko for it meant that the girl was being more perceptive than usual. Fujii reassured her that she had done the right thing. Both girls were absolutely sure that the red head liked her. Had she completely misunderstood his romantic intentions for friendship? Unfortunately the answer was yes. Akagi Haruko was as dense as a block of wood where such things were concerned.
Fujii & Matsui supported her decision, but someone did not. Akagi Takenori said that she had only fallen for Sakuragi's 'improved packaging'? Was she such a shallow person? Haruko shook her head furiously to deny the silent accusations. The girl steered her mind away from uncomfortable thoughts. There was a song by Celine Dion on the radio. It was titled 'Then You Look At Me'.
Laugh & cry, live & die
Life is a dream we are dreaming
Day by day I find my way
Look for the soul & the meaning
His antics made her laugh. His sorrow made her cry. His presence made the girl feel that she was alive. People said life was a dream. Yet that was not the essence of life. Life would be a nightmare without hope. Sakuragi brought that light into Haruko's life. It made her dream that Shohoku High had a chance to make it into the Inter-High Championships. Day by day, she watched as he turned the impossible dream into reality. It had not been an easy path for him. There had been many difficulties along the way, but he never gave up. The strength in his soul showed her the meaning of life.
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
Just by looking at the boy gave her the answer to what she had been searching for in life. Sakuragi did not have Akagi's experience in the sport. Sakuragi did not have Rukawa's skill with the ball. Sakuragi had known next to nothing about basketball. The red head had not been able to tell the basic differences between basketball & football. Yet the boy had managed to overcome all his deficiencies to become one of the top basketball players in the prefecture. Haruko learnt from the red head's struggles & she was not lost anymore.
People run, sun to sun,
Caught in their lives ever flowing
Once began, life goes till it's gone
We have to go where it's going
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
There was no escape from life's routine. When the sun came up, adults headed off to work & students ran off to school. Everyone was caught in his or her lives. Everyone had his or her role to play in society. The role of a student was to learn. Finally Haruko had learnt the reasons as to why did she like Sakuragi. The red head was a person whom she trusted, admired & respected above all others. The song had ended. The girl took a deep breath & smiled. It felt good to be not lost anymore.
To be continued ...
Series: 2
Chapter: 1 of 8
Author: Mist
Genre: Yaoi
Pairing: RuHana/HanaRu
Rating: R
Archive: SD Fic ; Fanfiction.Net
Email: myst_sg@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: SD characters belong to Inoue Takehito ; The song 'Then You Look At Me' belongs to Celine Dion
Warning: Bad Language!
Note to readers: This is a series of shounen-ai/yaoi fiction. Hence if you decide to read it, I think that you (the reader) are receptive towards homosexual fan fiction. So please do not email flames to me (the author) ... For those who have other comments & opinions, I welcome your feedback ... Thank you ... ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture - 13 November]
The slogan for Fujisawa City was 'A city we can live in comfortably for life'. Was there really such a comfortable place in the world? The atmosphere of Fujisawa was quite different from the metropolitan city of Tokyo. Traffic was less congested. The crime rate of this area was also lower. Hence it was a fine place to live in for the first eighteen years of a person's life, but that was all there was to this little Japanese city. Alvarez thought that young people should move to more robust environments if they aspired to make a name for themselves in the world. This man believed that the time was ripe for his Grandson to take the next step in life. He had decided to groom Sakuragi Hanamichi to takeover his businesses in the near future. Why? Alvarez's son had proven himself to be unfit for the post.
As they neared the house of Sakuragi's closest relative in the country, Alvarez wondered about the lady's possible reaction to what he had in mind. He had spoken to the woman several times in the past years, but he had only met her once. Further speculation was unnecessary when his eyes met hers.
Alvarez "Hello ... do you remember me?" looks at the woman
Ms Sakuragi "I ..." studies the man "Your voice is familiar ..."
{Can this person be him?}
Alvarez "I am the Grandfather of your nephew" nods
Ms Sakuragi "What brings you here?" opens the gate
{You have never visited Hanamichi since she died}
Alvarez "How are you?" asks a question to avoid having to answer her query
Ms Sakuragi "I am fine ..." motions for the men to follow her into the house "Please come in"
{Why have you come?}
Seeing that the men were comfortable in their seats, she went to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of tea for her guests. She knew that Alvarez was a very rich American businessman. He had a beautiful daughter, who had chosen to marry a foreigner whom she loved. Then Janine Alvarez had passed away after giving birth to a baby boy. Though the doctors had claimed that it was inevitable, this person had blamed the Japanese man for the death of his beloved daughter.
Alvarez "I have come to discuss my Grandson's future with you" sits up straight
Ms Sakuragi "Hanamichi's future?" serves tea "Now?"
{He is still a high school boy}
Alvarez "Yes" nods "My sources tell me that he does not have much of a future in Japan"
Ms Sakuragi "........." stares at the man
{What do you mean?}
Alvarez "Do you know that he has managed to fail all subjects in the June examinations?" sighs
Ms Sakuragi "........." nods "True, but ..."
{Just get to the point ...}
Eventually the man did get to the point of the conversation. He said that he wanted to bring his Grandson back to America to live with him. At the back of her mind, the woman had felt that such a day would come, but she did not expect it to be so soon. The thought of having to part with the dear boy was unbearable. In terms of height, Sakuragi was taller than most adults, but the boy was still a teenager.
Ms Sakuragi "Hanamichi is not good in the use of English language. There will be difficulties ..." shakes her head
{This is too soon ... he is still a boy}
Alvarez "Do not worry. He will receive the best education" takes a sip of the tea
Ms Sakuragi "........." thinks "His life is here ... his friends"
{He has a happy life here}
Alvarez "That may be true, but young people adapt very easily to changes" smiles "He will have new friends"
Ms Sakuragi "I appreciate your concern for Hanamichi" tries a delaying tactic "Why not wait for a few years?"
{There is no hurry}
Alvarez "No, I cannot" looks at the woman seriously "Let me talk to him"
Was there a way to refuse such a demand? Every fibre of her being was saying no, but that was just her emotional response. Ms Sakuragi knew that she could not deny this man's request. For heaven's sake, this was the person who had been sending 3,000,000 yen into the boy's account each month for the past two years. The lady had hidden the truth from her nephew by saying that the money was from the insurance company.
[Shohoku High School - 19 November]
The students of Shohoku were having their lunch break. Two students were trading rumours in the toilet. One guy told the other that he had heard that the performance by Rukawa & Sakuragi was a sham. After a few seconds of silence, the other fellow added that the entire event must be a conspiracy between those boys & the school. Next the first guy voiced a chain of nasty comments about the red head being a cheat, a liar & so on. Suddenly his face turned as white as chalk. What had happened? Had he seen a spirit? Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. Mito Yohei was in one of the closed cubicles. The boy panicked for he realised that Yohei had heard him say some very unpleasant things about Sakuragi Hanamichi. Everyone knew that Yohei was the red head's best friend. Was he going to be killed by one of the best fighters in the whole school?! Wait a minute. Why was Yohei smiling?! It did not make sense. Then he felt wetness running down his thighs.
Yohei "Hahahahahahaha!" laughs
{Serves you right}
Guy "........." turns red "My pants is wet"
Yohei "Yes" acts sympathetic "With urine. Do you have a weak bladder?"
{Coward}
A storm was building in the crowded school canteen. Many people could feel the air of hostility between the girls. What was going on? The obvious tension made the others felt uncomfortable. Boys sighed as they looked at the girls. Was there going to be another clash between the Rukawa fan club & the Sakuragi supporters?
Cheerleader - RU "I dreamt of Rukawa-sama again" orders a bowl of noodles
Cheerleader - KA "You are so lucky ... to dream of him every night" gets money out of her purse
Cheerleader - RU "I know" sighs "No one can be as wonderful as Rukawa-sama"
Cheerleader - WA "The other guy ... he looked as good as Rukawa" picks up her tray of food
Cheerleader - KA "How can you say such a thing?!" stares "Comparing a gangster with our prince?!!"
Matsui "Hey!" glares "You are not being fair! Sakuragi is every bit as wonderful as Rukawa!"
Cheerleader - RU "What?! That red head is a 'nobody' ..." stubs Matsui's shoulder with a finger
Matsui "Hey!" sweeps the hand away "Watch yourself"
Fujii "Sakuragi is not a 'nobody'!" protests vehemently "You heard his voice ... he sings beautifully"
This passionate discussion quickly escalated into a heated quarrel when someone mentioned that she saw the two boys kissing each other on the stage. Another girl said that Rukawa had kissed the red head as soon as the stage curtains closed & the lights were dimmed. Needless to say, these statements drew a fiery response from fans of the blue-eyed boy.
Takenori "Madness" stares at the mess
{Totally unbelievable}
Kiminobu "Akagi? Why are you not eating?" looks pointedly at the bowl of curry noodles
Takenori "Lost my appetite" grips chopsticks angrily
{Those girls are making so much noise}
Kiminobu "Come on" smiles
Takenori "I cannot understand how girls think" sighs "Do you know that my sister was crazy over Rukawa?"
{A crush on that guy for three years}
Kiminobu "Of course!" laughs
Takenori "Hmph! Can you guess what she told me last night?" grumbles
{Now she tells me that she is unsure of her feelings}
Kiminobu "........." shrugs "What?"
Takenori "Haruko asked me about my opinion about Sakuragi" shakes head "Can you believe it?"
{I cannot ...}
Kiminobu "Before last week, my answer would be no ... but now ..." nods
Takenori "Why?!!!" blinks
{You are not making any sense either ...}
Kogure could understand his friend's bewilderment. Akagi might have been surprised by the red head's performance, but his basic impression of the boy was still the same. At the back of his mind, Sakuragi was the wayward student who had the audacity to smash a basketball into his face. The fact that the boy could sing did little to change his opinion of the red head. However things were very different from a girl's point of view. His friend's sister was now able to see Sakuragi in a different light. A person's past was permanent, but his future was not. Haruko had noticed the boy's potential to mature into a fine man.
[Shohoku High School - 20 November]
Final examinations for the second term were scheduled to start on the third day of December. Therefore most of the students had gone home straight after lessons to study. However there was still a sizable crowd of people who came to watch the daily basketball training sessions. A short & tubby boy said something to his friends as Sakuragi got into a spat with Rukawa. Mito Yohei grinned & shrugged his shoulders in reply. The blue-eyed boy had just made a remark about the red head's failure to shoot three-pointers.
Kaede "Do'aho ... " sighs
{You missed again}
Hanamichi "Kitsune!" glares "Shut Up!"
{Damn it!!! What is the secret to scoring 3-pointers?!}
Hisashi "Hehehe!" laughs "Rukawa, how is your student doing?"
Hanamichi "Micchy!" protests "I am not his student!"
{Who wants to learn from a stupid fox?!}
Suddenly the girls started screaming all sorts of encouragements to either Rukawa or Sakuragi. Members of the Rukawa fan club shouted that they loved him, but the dark-haired boy ignored their presence as best as he could. At the same time, Sakuragi's supporters voiced their undying support for the red head.
Hisashi "Heheh! Sakuragi, how does it feel like to have your own supporters?" grins
Hanamichi "Bwahahaha!" laughs happily "Wonderful. Bwahahaha!"
{I can get used to this kind of thing}
Kaede "Do'aho ..." resists the urge to shake some sense into the red head
{Wonderful? Do you really mean it?! Argh! Are you serious?!!}
Hanamichi "Kitsuneee" smirks "Are you jealous?"
{This is fun}
Kaede "........." hits Sakuragi's head with a ball
{JEALOUS?! WHO SAYS THAT I AM JEALOUS!}
Hanamichi "........." fumes "You ..."
{Stupid Fox!}
Ryota "Stop! Stop it! No fighting!" stares at the two
Kaede "Aho" walks away
{I AM NOT JEALOUS!}
Hanamichi "Kitsune!" runs after the dark-haired boy "Where are you going? Are you running away from Tensai?"
{If what you said the other day was true ... why do you make it so difficult for me to understand you?}
Yasuda panted as he took a quick look at the clock. Hip! Hip! Hurray! The time was six o'clock. Ayako smiled & threw a towel over to him. She felt a little sorry for the boys. It had been a tough day for them. Haruko walked towards Rukawa & Sakuragi with a bag of cold drinks. A pair of blue eyes narrowed when the girl smiled as she handed the first packet of orange juice to the red head. Then she silently gave another drink to Rukawa. The Manager of the team stared at Haruko in surprise.
Ayako "Haruko-chan" covers her mouth with a hand
Ryota "Oh my ..." blinks
Hisashi "Oooh ..." wonders
Kaede "........." looks coldly at Haruko
{Get away from him! He is mine}
Yuki "Oh my ... indeed" studies Rukawa's expression
Fujii stared at Matsui, who winked back at her. The latter was glad that Haruko had finally figured out the realities of the situation. She was convinced that Sakuragi would be a much more engaging companion than Rukawa. Next she shook her head as Noma asked her if she knew about Akagi Haruko's change of heart. Then Okusu stretched out his hand to pinch Takamiya's cheek just to check if he was really awake.
Takamiya "OOOWWW!" yells "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Okusu "Huh?!" evades Takamiya's punches "Nothing much"
{So this is not a dream ...}
Takamiya "If you try that again" threatens the person who pinched him "I will ..."
Noma "Looks like Hanamichi's bad luck with girls has ended" grins
Yohei "Yes" nods "It has ..."
{Rukawa ... why have you changed him?}
HONK! HONK!!! ... HONK! HONK!!! ... BAM! ............... VROOM! VROOM!!!
Ryota "Noisy engine" frowns
Hisashi "Must be some punk picking up his girl" shrugs
Hanamichi "I ... I ..." beams at Haruko "Thank you ... so much!"
{Is this for real? Does this mean that I am more important to her than this Stupid Fox?}
Haruko "Sakuragi-kun" smiles
{I like you ...}
Kaede "........." glares at the red head
{Will you stop smiling like an imbecile?!}
Hanamichi "Hehe ..." smirks at Rukawa
{See ... she likes me now}
Kaede "Do'aho" hits Sakuragi's face with a ball
{Is she that important to you? ... and will you stop grinning at me?!}
Hanamichi "TEMEEE!" fumes "Kitsune!"
{What is wrong with you?! Since that night ... you are the one who is keeping quiet}
Kaede "........." takes off his damp T-shirt
{After all that we have been through ... are you saying that I must fight with this girl for your attention?}
Hanamichi "Hey! How dare you walk away when Tensai is talking to you?!" stomps feet in anger
{Come on ... what do you expect me to say?!}
Kaede "Why not?" stalks off in the direction of the showers
{How can I compete with this female? She is the girl of your dreams}
Hanamichi "Because ..." looks at the dark-haired boy
{Why are you ignoring me? What is wrong?}
Seconds later, Sakuragi grabbed his stuff & hurried after Rukawa. What was your problem? You said that you liked me. Did you mean it? You kissed me. Then you said nothing else to me for a week. What was I supposed to think? His mind was screaming questions at the blue-eyed boy, but pride had effectively kept his mouth shut.
Hisashi "I really hope that they do not destroy anything" sweatdrops
Ryota "Hanamichi ... " sighs
Ayako "Oh dear ..." takes a glance at the girl
{Haruko ... Sakuragi ... Rukawa}
For Haruko's sake, Ayako hoped that the rumours about Rukawa & Sakuragi were not true. She had a friend in another class who insisted that she saw the two boys kissing each other on the stage behind closed curtains. Who would believe such a ridiculous story? Everyone knew that both boys could hardly stand each other. Yet Ayako had noted Mito Yohei's troubled expression. The boy was obviously feeling uneasy about something, but what was he thinking about?
A couple of boys from the Shohoku baseball team were chatting as two people stepped into the changing room. Conversation ceased as the boys stared at them. One person ignored their inquisitive looks. The other glared back at them. The heated look was very effective & the group of boys left immediately. Sakuragi was very angry with the boy who was stepping out of his white shorts that was damp with perspiration.
Hanamichi "........." blocks the boy path to the shower
{Damn it! Say something ...}
Kaede "Step out of my way" grips his towel tightly
{Why are you here? When you would rather be with her ...}
Hanamichi "WHAT?!" shoves Rukawa "Damn it! This is not what I want to hear!"
{I am not a fucking mind-reader!}
Kaede "........." stares at Sakuragi's jawline
{What do you want to hear? Do you want me to say that I am happy for you?}
Hanamichi "Say something" forces the boy to face him "Answer me"
{Do you really like me?}
Kaede "What do you want me to say?" raises a hand to touch the boy's heaving chest
{I cannot ask you to like me}
Rukawa had asked a simple question that was difficult for Sakuragi to answer. The blue-eyed boy was indeed as sly as a fox. A truthful answer would be very revealing. The red head had mixed feelings about the other as well as uncertainties concerning a homosexual relationship. His eyes roamed over the person that was standing in front of him. Troubled thoughts turned to appreciation as he admired the whiteness of the skin that was smoothly stretched over lean muscles on a slender frame.
Hanamichi "........." gulps
{ARGH!!! I must be mad! I am supposed to be angry with him NOT admiring his ... ARGH!!!}
Kaede "Sssh" closes the distance by resting his head on the red head's shoulder
{I did not mean to hit you ... there is this feeling inside me when I see the way that you smile at her}
Hanamichi "Kitsune?" mutters "Are you sick?"
{You are driving me crazy}
Kaede "........." shakes head
{Maybe ... I was jealous}
Hanamichi "Are you sure?" sighs
{Liar ...}
Kaede "No ..." murmurs
{I am jealous}
Oh great! Fantastic! Rukawa's contradicting replies made him want to scream out in frustration. Was the Stupid Kitsune sick or not? The red head sighed audibly as he picked up his towel & walked into the shower. Sakuragi wished that the blue-eyed boy could be as straightforward as Mito Yohei. Then he became conscious of something that had slipped to the back of his mind.
Hanamichi "Haruko..." turns on the hot water tap absentmindedly "YAAA!!! HOT! HOT! HOT!"
{Oh dear ...}
Kaede "........." sweatdrops
Hanamichi "HOT! HOT!! HOT!!!" jumps around to avoid the jets of hot water
{I forgot about her ...}
Kaede "Aho" turns on the cold water tap for the red head
Hanamichi "AAAHHH!" screams "COLD! COLD!! COLD!!!"
{I ditched Haruko ... to run after this Spiteful Kitsune?!!! ... who is trying to freeze me to death}
Kaede "........." smirks
Things went from bad to worse for Sakuragi as the other guys from the team walked into the shower. Everyone stopped in their tracks to watch the antics of a naked red head that was hopping from foot to foot as he tried to avoid the streams of icy water. Gales of merry laughter followed the seconds of silence.
Ryota "Hanamichi" sighs "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Yuki "Very interesting" grins
{View ...}
Kaede "........." glares at the long-haired boy
Hanamichi "Brrr ..." shivers
Hisashi "Hahahaha!" laughs "Just turn the water off"
Then someone laughingly said that the cold water had caused the red head's member to shrivel to a 'cute little thing'. Immediately everyone turned to stare at Sasaoka Satoru. Was there any chance that Sakuragi had not heard what the fool said? Miyagi groaned as the red head advanced towards the unfortunate soul with a sinister look on his face.
[Akagi Household, 21 November]
How could some adults say that the life of a student was better than that of a working adult? Haruko rubbed her tired eyes as she stared at the stacks of books & study notes. The average student would often study for ten hours each day. Some of her classmates even had to attend supplementary lessons at cram schools in the evenings. The life of a high school student was not as enjoyable as some people imagined it to be. Then Haruko smiled as she looked at a photograph of the Shohoku basketball team. There was a much larger version of the same picture in her brother's room. She was sure that the fellow would never forget the day that his team defeated Sannoh.
Her mind wandered upon a memory of an earlier conversation between Matsui, Fujii & herself. The girls were at the local Denny's Restaurant that was a short distance away from school. As usual, the ever-alert Matsui had caught her daydreaming. She just sighed when the girl asked her to 'spill the beans'. Then her other friend asked if she was thinking about Sakuragi & Rukawa. This question surprised Haruko for it meant that the girl was being more perceptive than usual. Fujii reassured her that she had done the right thing. Both girls were absolutely sure that the red head liked her. Had she completely misunderstood his romantic intentions for friendship? Unfortunately the answer was yes. Akagi Haruko was as dense as a block of wood where such things were concerned.
Fujii & Matsui supported her decision, but someone did not. Akagi Takenori said that she had only fallen for Sakuragi's 'improved packaging'? Was she such a shallow person? Haruko shook her head furiously to deny the silent accusations. The girl steered her mind away from uncomfortable thoughts. There was a song by Celine Dion on the radio. It was titled 'Then You Look At Me'.
Laugh & cry, live & die
Life is a dream we are dreaming
Day by day I find my way
Look for the soul & the meaning
His antics made her laugh. His sorrow made her cry. His presence made the girl feel that she was alive. People said life was a dream. Yet that was not the essence of life. Life would be a nightmare without hope. Sakuragi brought that light into Haruko's life. It made her dream that Shohoku High had a chance to make it into the Inter-High Championships. Day by day, she watched as he turned the impossible dream into reality. It had not been an easy path for him. There had been many difficulties along the way, but he never gave up. The strength in his soul showed her the meaning of life.
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
Just by looking at the boy gave her the answer to what she had been searching for in life. Sakuragi did not have Akagi's experience in the sport. Sakuragi did not have Rukawa's skill with the ball. Sakuragi had known next to nothing about basketball. The red head had not been able to tell the basic differences between basketball & football. Yet the boy had managed to overcome all his deficiencies to become one of the top basketball players in the prefecture. Haruko learnt from the red head's struggles & she was not lost anymore.
People run, sun to sun,
Caught in their lives ever flowing
Once began, life goes till it's gone
We have to go where it's going
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
There was no escape from life's routine. When the sun came up, adults headed off to work & students ran off to school. Everyone was caught in his or her lives. Everyone had his or her role to play in society. The role of a student was to learn. Finally Haruko had learnt the reasons as to why did she like Sakuragi. The red head was a person whom she trusted, admired & respected above all others. The song had ended. The girl took a deep breath & smiled. It felt good to be not lost anymore.
To be continued ...