Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk. If I do, I would be filthy rich and not be writing fics...

Looking through the deep blue eyes of our ever-lovable super rookie. A one-shot story.

Blue Eyes Blue

He bounced the ball lightly, then dribbled it towards the hoop.
He made a fake around an imaginary opponent and jumped back slightly.
He then made a fade away shot behind the 3-point line.
3 points in.
Alright.

Rukawa turned to look at his other teammates.
He couldn't call them his friends, but he couldn't call them strangers, either.
They had been there with him during their victory against Sannoh and also their defeat against Aiwa.
But he knew, deep down, he didn't care that Shohoku had lost to Aiwa High.
What mattered was that they had defeated Sannoh, the number 1 team in Japan.

Basketball.
His life revolves around it.
He had neglected his studies, his family, even his social life for a chance to play basketball.
And it was worth it.
However, he couldn't help but envy those who can juggle everything all at once.

"Haha! Nobody can defeat the power of this tensai."
Hearing those familiar words, Rukawa's mouth twitched.
Do'aho.
But he had to admit, that do'aho had done better than he had expected of him during the inter high games.
To think that he had only started playing that year...

"Rukawa, Rukawa. L-O-V-E Rukawa."
He flinched slightly.
Darn girls.
He knew his popularity among the girls.
He had wondered about it, marveled over it.
How someone moody like him could attract girls, he couldn't find an answer.
Thus, he chose to ignore them, hoping it would chase them off.
However, the more he ignored, the larger the group of girls became.

"Rukawa-kun..."
He turned expectantly.
Could it be... No.
It's just HER.
Another one of his 'fans'.
Captain's (well, ex-captain's) sister.
Akagi Ha...Haru...well, something.
What did he expect?
He knew 'she' wouldn't come to see him practice.
He could still hope...

"Anzai-sensei, good morning..."
Chorus of greetings could be heard around the gym.
Miyagi raced up to him to tell him that everyone is present.
Ever since the 3rd year players left, things have been somewhat peaceful, since Sakuragi's fooling around is not stopped by Gori...err...captain anymore.
Anzai-sensei sat down and told them to continue practice.

Anzai-sensei...
He felt slightly ashamed, and refused to look him in the eye.
Ever since he had told Anzai-sensei of his dreams to go to America to play basketball, and was disallowed him to, he had practiced hard everyday.
Of course, what Anzai-sensei had said was true.
He still wasn't good enough.
He not on the same level as Sendoh or Maki yet.
So what if he is in the Kanagawa top 5?
He's not number 1 in Japan.
He's not MVP.
He has to beat Sendoh...
Next year...

His fist clenched.
How he wished he was as easy-going as that Ryonan ace.
How he wished he could see basketball as just a game, and not a battle.
How he wished... but no matter how many times he hoped for it, he knew he would never be that way.
Basketball was never a game to him.
It is his life.
It's his lover, his one and only.