A/N: Here I am again, starting a fanfic I wouldn't be able to finish…Hehe…but anyway, people like me have resolutions too (reminds me of my solitaire which until now is still in chapter 1..i'll get back to it asap) ok, enough of that. This is basically a crossfifc between slamdunk and bt'x. I'm wondering why they don't have bt'x site here.
Disclaimer: I just own the fic.
Drops. Drizzles. Rain.
Chap 1. Gaijin
`Twas a gray morning . Buildings, streets, and houses were competing against the dull color of the sky. Different colored cars zoomed on the streets, highways—but they all looked the same—even the trees that usually brighten up the regular sight of a city could not engage people to look at them.
Cars, buildings, houses, highways, trees, skies.
On a day like this, it would not be surprising if people—and their attitudes—were gray also. Maybe most but not all.
"Nanitenyo—," the 13 year old Sendoh mumbled over the telephone.
"Who would want to practice today, you know?" Hiroaki Koshino answered from the other line. After a long pause, "Sen—"
"I do."
"Nani?" but already, the line was cut.
----
"Akira, where are you going?"
"Somewhere…"
"Akira, the weather…"
But the spike-haired bishounen hopped onto his bike and sped off with his big black sports bag.
----
It was already 7 am when he reached the place. Unlike what he had expected, the open basketball court was not that empty. In fact, there were a number of people –boys alder and younger than him—were sweating out while dribbling or shooting the basketball.
"Cool," Sendoh mumbled as he parked his bike beside a bench. At least he was not disappointed. Had he come to the covered court first he would have found it full.
Some players dunked, lay upped, shot at the free throw line and others—about four—college students played a half-court game. Fifteen minutes passed. A long haired guy doubled up and gestured a time out. He took a seat near Snedoh and panted.
"He's chickened up already."
"YEach! Couldn't even stand an hour."
The resting player's comrades teased him.
"SHuddup...hff...i've been playing since 5 am baka."
"Nah! you're ruining the game, come back here."
"Huh. It only shows you can't continue a game without me."
"Shuddup. call a sub then."
The player turned to every direction his neck could carry and found himself lookignup at a tall lithe figure. He gestured with a thumb. "He's my sub."
The other players looked at Sendoh. "Yah play basketball?"
Sendoh grinned.
"Fine. Come here."
"Hey kiddo, don't spoil my game," the resting player called after Sendoh.
A ball was passed and the game started. The adversary dribbled the ball and passed it to his partner. The latter cross-dribbled it.
1, 2, 3..Sendoh mentally counted the times the ball hit the floor; he opened up his body, 4, 5, 6...
In a flash, he tapped the ball with his left hand.
"What the--"
The adversary lunged to retrieve the ball but Sendoh got it first. He started dribbling furiously and turned around. The other players soon became attentive after being surprised by the newbie's move. Snedoh feigned a pass. His guard involuntarily gave a space for him to go through. Akira seized the opporunity. with two steps and a jump, he dunked the ball with his right hand. He held onto the ring for a while. WHen he finally jumped down, he saw the other players' awestruck faces. He smiled.
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The sky began to cry out the burden it had been carrying. It started as needles, a light drizzle, then the gray clouds poured out fat drops of rain adn everything blended into a symphony: the tip-taps of the rain, the squeals of kids and females running for cover, the splash of the puddle of water on the street as cars sped at them, the soft thud of the ball being dribbled.
Akira Sendoh gazed up, not at the basketball ring but at the sky. It was already nine am. They had played until the first drops of rain made the other players go to their respective abodes for protection.
He sighed. He threw the ball upwards and did not mind catching it. He let it bounce up and down before grabbing it and he dunked once more.
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The rain lessened to a silent drizzle. He scratched his nape and stood up from his kneeling position. Now his knees were really dirty. He had been looking for the ball but couldn't find it. He had looked under the bench, bushes,a round the area. It was very impossible that he had lost it.
No way.....He sighed---Achhooo!---and sneezed. He was not sorry that he had played despite the weather. At least his co-players had not underestimated him, thanks to his extraordinary height.
So much for the lost ball...
Gathering his wits, he started walking, dragging hgis bike with him. What would he tell his parents? That he lost it and found a wet white handkerchief for its place?
-------
She had found a simple weed flower crushed under a basketball. Lifting the ball, she had stared and felt for the flower's petals. after a while, she had put her umbrella's handle between her cheeck and shoulder, wiped the ball with her handkerchief and carried it with her.
-------
She was retracing her steps. After two days of looking around inthis part of Japan, she was quite sure she was not lost. Not yet.
-------
He stopped beside a two-step which led to a higher portion of the street. He cast a look at the court. So much for basketball.
She cast a glace at the corner where she had been. A look was enough to recognize her surrounding.
Big drops of rain began to pour again.
She turned and founde herself staring at the nape of a spike-haired guy.
Sendoh wondered why suddenly he was not bothered by the rain. He looked up to see a black cloth with silver stems underneath. Turning, she found himslef looking at a gaijin with a pale complexion, aristocrat nose, most delicate pair of lips, finely sculptured face and neck framed by a shaggy necklength hazel blonde hair and a par of genuine lightest gray blue eyes he had ever seen.
TBC
AN: I hope this will not be like my other fic. i don't want to be attacked by a serious mental block again...hehe...review...(time to update solitaire...)
