SLAM DUNK
By: Alea
CHAPTER 1: CHIHARU
It had been a long time since Sakuragi actually got out of bed and on to the court. His hands shook for the first time in his life when he held the basketball. Tensai. he kept repeating as he was staring at the hoop. Tensai..
"Stop!" He said to himself. "Shoot already!"
His hands slipped under the ball and he thrusted the ball into the air and it went bouncing off the rim.
"NO! TENSAI TENSAI!" He had to keep reminding himself that he was and still is a Tensai. Otherwise, his self-confidence would vanish.
He tried shooting again and this time; the ball went flying over the backboard and higher way higher than the hoop.
"Kuso!" He cursed. "A Tensai like me must not be this way!"
He tried it again and the ball flew out of the court and on to the street.
Sakuragi was drenched in sweat and his anger overcame him. "DAMMIT!"
He walked outside to pick up the ball.
"No. This isn't happening. I exercise daily, I practice dribbling, and now that I'm finally out of bed, I suck? No! Tensai.. Sakuragi the Genius!" He kept muttering that towards himself when he didn't realize what was ahead of him.
A blond young lady stood in front of him. Her eyes a nice blue and her smile, a warm one. She didn't look like she was from Japan. More like out of town. She held the ball in her hand sternly and looked down at the sad guy.
He had his back lowered and he moped around.
"Hi." She said. "Do you need this?" She passed a hard chest pass to Sakuragi.
Sakuragi looked up and saw the blond. She smiled at him and he looked strangely at the girl.
"Ohayo!"
Sakuragi looked confused. "Are you a foreigner?"
"Yeah." She passed him a brochure. "I'm not sure where to go. Can you tell me where this is?"
Sakuragi went ballistic. "This is my school!" Right on the brochure it said, 'SHOHOKU HIGH SCHOOL.'
"So, you can tell me where this place is?"
Sakuragi looked at the clock towards him. "First, can you play basketball?"
"Actually. I used to."
Sakuragi looked at her suspiciously. The blonde was no Rukawa at hiding the truth.
She blushed a bit. "What?!"
Sakuragi burst out laughing. He only knew this girl for a minute and she made him laugh. She laughed along too.
As he put his hands on his hips she realized something and he realized something too.
"Chiharu?"
"Hanamichi?"
They were both pointing fingers at one another and she finally broke the silence when Chiharu burst into laughter.
"Eh? Oh my god!" She smiled again. "How could I forget that orange hair?"
Sakuragi stared at her. She was so beautiful yet so remarkable. It was her. his first girlfriend in first grade and secretly in Middle School. He didn't add her to his 50 girls that dumped him. For no one knew about Chiharu. Her long blond hair, her beautiful blue eyes. And now, her sexy body!
Sakuragi wiped his eyes and started to laugh. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Chiharu!"
She smiled once more and with one hand, she took the ball from Sakuragi and called him on the court before he realized anything.
"Come on Sakuragi-Kun! I want to see your basketball moves!"
Sakuragi tilted his head and saw her hands slip under the ball and her eyes concentrating on the net. She then let go of the ball and made an unbelievable shot that Sakuragi himself didn't know.
"A three-pointer fade away!" He shouted as she landed back on the ground.
"I've been working on that shot for two years now."
He couldn't believe his eyes and his jaw was jammed to the floor. He, was in shock.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rukawa smelled the fresh air as he walked in the park. Joining the Japanese Basketball team was amazing. He was cool about it and was so happy that he left leaving all the amateur basketball players behind. However, he missed everyone and he didn't want to admit it, but he missed the Shohoku amateur basketball players.
He rode his bike and put on his Walkman as he rode the well-known streets that he missed. It was amazing because it was the first time he had rode his bike and not sleep at the same time. But his first stop, basketball court.
"I wonder if it's changed. I wonder if anyone's playing?"
Rukawa parked his bicycle outside the court and wrapped it around a piece of wire.
As he slowly walked into the court, he saw none other than Sakuragi himself, and a beautiful young girl.
Rukawa stood at the entrance. His heart leaped when he saw her. Her agile movements, her swift shots, and her good looks. And the fact that she was beating Sakuragi.
Chiharu stole the rebound off Sakuragi's shots and ran to half court faster than the red head and shot her famous three pointer fade away.
Sakuragi fell in a heap at half court and Chiharu sat beside him. "Hey, not bad at all!"
Sakuragi went red. "You beat me. 40-0."
Rukawa laughed aloud and Sakuragi stood up and saw him. But the Rukawa he saw, was laughing. Not serious, not calling him names. But laughing.
"RUKAWA! What do you want fox?"
Rukawa walked beside Sakuragi. "Just wanted to say hi. Do aho."
Sakuragi was fierce and he swirled around and punched Rukawa. "DON'T CALL SAKURAGI HANAMICHI A DOAHO! DON'T CALL TENSAI THAT!"
Rukawa faced the way as the punch. But he didn't feel a thing.
"Sakuragi-kun! Yamete!" Chiharu yelled. "Don't!"
Sakuragi let his fist down. "Sorry."
Rukawa smiled. "I see someone's changed. No going out of control when beating someone. That is not the Sakuragi I know." He thought.
Sakuragi flinched and was a bit curious about Rukawa. He was always silent. And now he was smirking. And laughing and not to mention talking?
Lost in thought, Sakuragi sat down not realizing what was happening around him.
"Rukawa. Laugh?" Sakuragi kept thinking hard.
Chiharu ran towards Rukawa and got her towel. "Are you okay?"
Rukawa saw her blue eyes and the ball right beside her as she touched his face. Her movements shocked him.
"Do you need some ice?" She asked softly. "Are you going to be alright?"
Rukawa ignored her words and took the basketball that was right beside her. He practiced his superb dribbling and his offence against an 'imaginary' person.
Chiharu saw him. Astonished, she walked closer to him.
"You're. good. so . good." She said.
Sakuragi seeing this shook his head and threw away his thoughts. "What changed you Rukawa? You know that Tensai can beat you anyday and that laughing is my part of life!"
Rukawa frowned and passed the ball to Sakuragi. "1 on 1."
"No problem!" Sakuragi turned to face Chiharu. "Stand back. This Tensai is going to win!"
Chiharu giggled and slapped him softly on the back. "Go Tensai."
Rukawa didn't say anything and it made Sakuragi feel a lot better knowing that the same Rukawa was back. for a while.
"The player who reaches up to 10, wins." His face still stern and he concentrated on the game. "Start."
Sakuragi dribbled the ball down the court and saw the gleaming eyes of Rukawa. Sakuragi was intimidated for just a little while and then took a shot. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi! I have." The ball bounced off the hoop and landed into Rukawa's hands.
Rukawa dribbled down the court and made a nice slam dunk and let go of the hoop.
"Your ball, Sakuragi."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
This continuous rivalry led on and on and on until the score was 10-0 with, of course, Rukawa leading.
Rukawa smiled. "How are you Sakuragi?"
Sakuragi glared at him and walked out the court forgetting to take his basketball.
"Sakuragi? Sakuragi-Kun!" Chiharu yelled as she was still sitting down on the court. Then, she sighed. "He's always been a sore loser."
Rukawa looked at her. "I'm Rukawa Kaede."
He held out a hand and she clasped it. "I'm Chiharu Tsukamoto."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Stupid Rukawa." Murmured Sakuragi. "He always ends up annoying me. He's changed, but he's still better than I am. NO! Tensai Sakuragi! I am Tensai!"
Sakuragi sighed and walked on. His head swirling around the changes that happened over the holiday. He seems to suck, Rukawa laughing, Gori and Kogure-senpai left, and Haruko.
"Hi Sakuragi-Kun!"
"Haruko-Chan!" He turned bright red and hoped she didn't see so. "How are you?"
Haruko ran beside him. "I'm fine. And you?"
Sakuragi frowned. "My back aches a bit. And my basketball hasn't improved."
Haruko looked at him and cocked her head. "Tensai? Would you like to practice with me?"
Sakuragi stood still. "H..a..a..r..r..u..u..k..k..o..o..o." He stuttered.
She grabbed his hand. "Sakuragi, my brother would like to see you in the championships this year. And I would like to help you. Since I am the assistant coach!"
Sakuragi's face lightened up. "Of course Haruko-Chan! I am the best of the best! And Gori knows that too!"
Haruko giggled and pulled him to the Shohoku campus.
As they stepped in, the great court was empty and a basketball was placed out. Haruko took out her hat from her bag and put it on. She found a silver whistle in her bag too. She blew hard and a huge sound filled their ears and loudly as she could, she yelled. "Assistant coach Haruko-Chan at your service!"
Sakuragi laughed aloud and she smiled.
"Okay. Sakuragi Hanamichi, run two laps around the entire court!"
"Okay!"
He ran as fast as he could and came back in 10 seconds flat.
Haruko's face was astonished and she blinked her eyes twice. Then, shaking her head, she blew the whistle again. "Ball Control!"
Sakuragi grabbed the ball and did his favorite, 'hmmhmmhmm' move.
Haruko blew the whistle. "One more time!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
The training went on for hours and hours until Sakuragi opened the door and walked out.
"Sakuragi-Kun?" Haruko asked as she trailed along behind him.
"Hai." He answered.
"Let's practice tomorrow too!"
"Hai!"
By: Alea
CHAPTER 1: CHIHARU
It had been a long time since Sakuragi actually got out of bed and on to the court. His hands shook for the first time in his life when he held the basketball. Tensai. he kept repeating as he was staring at the hoop. Tensai..
"Stop!" He said to himself. "Shoot already!"
His hands slipped under the ball and he thrusted the ball into the air and it went bouncing off the rim.
"NO! TENSAI TENSAI!" He had to keep reminding himself that he was and still is a Tensai. Otherwise, his self-confidence would vanish.
He tried shooting again and this time; the ball went flying over the backboard and higher way higher than the hoop.
"Kuso!" He cursed. "A Tensai like me must not be this way!"
He tried it again and the ball flew out of the court and on to the street.
Sakuragi was drenched in sweat and his anger overcame him. "DAMMIT!"
He walked outside to pick up the ball.
"No. This isn't happening. I exercise daily, I practice dribbling, and now that I'm finally out of bed, I suck? No! Tensai.. Sakuragi the Genius!" He kept muttering that towards himself when he didn't realize what was ahead of him.
A blond young lady stood in front of him. Her eyes a nice blue and her smile, a warm one. She didn't look like she was from Japan. More like out of town. She held the ball in her hand sternly and looked down at the sad guy.
He had his back lowered and he moped around.
"Hi." She said. "Do you need this?" She passed a hard chest pass to Sakuragi.
Sakuragi looked up and saw the blond. She smiled at him and he looked strangely at the girl.
"Ohayo!"
Sakuragi looked confused. "Are you a foreigner?"
"Yeah." She passed him a brochure. "I'm not sure where to go. Can you tell me where this is?"
Sakuragi went ballistic. "This is my school!" Right on the brochure it said, 'SHOHOKU HIGH SCHOOL.'
"So, you can tell me where this place is?"
Sakuragi looked at the clock towards him. "First, can you play basketball?"
"Actually. I used to."
Sakuragi looked at her suspiciously. The blonde was no Rukawa at hiding the truth.
She blushed a bit. "What?!"
Sakuragi burst out laughing. He only knew this girl for a minute and she made him laugh. She laughed along too.
As he put his hands on his hips she realized something and he realized something too.
"Chiharu?"
"Hanamichi?"
They were both pointing fingers at one another and she finally broke the silence when Chiharu burst into laughter.
"Eh? Oh my god!" She smiled again. "How could I forget that orange hair?"
Sakuragi stared at her. She was so beautiful yet so remarkable. It was her. his first girlfriend in first grade and secretly in Middle School. He didn't add her to his 50 girls that dumped him. For no one knew about Chiharu. Her long blond hair, her beautiful blue eyes. And now, her sexy body!
Sakuragi wiped his eyes and started to laugh. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Chiharu!"
She smiled once more and with one hand, she took the ball from Sakuragi and called him on the court before he realized anything.
"Come on Sakuragi-Kun! I want to see your basketball moves!"
Sakuragi tilted his head and saw her hands slip under the ball and her eyes concentrating on the net. She then let go of the ball and made an unbelievable shot that Sakuragi himself didn't know.
"A three-pointer fade away!" He shouted as she landed back on the ground.
"I've been working on that shot for two years now."
He couldn't believe his eyes and his jaw was jammed to the floor. He, was in shock.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rukawa smelled the fresh air as he walked in the park. Joining the Japanese Basketball team was amazing. He was cool about it and was so happy that he left leaving all the amateur basketball players behind. However, he missed everyone and he didn't want to admit it, but he missed the Shohoku amateur basketball players.
He rode his bike and put on his Walkman as he rode the well-known streets that he missed. It was amazing because it was the first time he had rode his bike and not sleep at the same time. But his first stop, basketball court.
"I wonder if it's changed. I wonder if anyone's playing?"
Rukawa parked his bicycle outside the court and wrapped it around a piece of wire.
As he slowly walked into the court, he saw none other than Sakuragi himself, and a beautiful young girl.
Rukawa stood at the entrance. His heart leaped when he saw her. Her agile movements, her swift shots, and her good looks. And the fact that she was beating Sakuragi.
Chiharu stole the rebound off Sakuragi's shots and ran to half court faster than the red head and shot her famous three pointer fade away.
Sakuragi fell in a heap at half court and Chiharu sat beside him. "Hey, not bad at all!"
Sakuragi went red. "You beat me. 40-0."
Rukawa laughed aloud and Sakuragi stood up and saw him. But the Rukawa he saw, was laughing. Not serious, not calling him names. But laughing.
"RUKAWA! What do you want fox?"
Rukawa walked beside Sakuragi. "Just wanted to say hi. Do aho."
Sakuragi was fierce and he swirled around and punched Rukawa. "DON'T CALL SAKURAGI HANAMICHI A DOAHO! DON'T CALL TENSAI THAT!"
Rukawa faced the way as the punch. But he didn't feel a thing.
"Sakuragi-kun! Yamete!" Chiharu yelled. "Don't!"
Sakuragi let his fist down. "Sorry."
Rukawa smiled. "I see someone's changed. No going out of control when beating someone. That is not the Sakuragi I know." He thought.
Sakuragi flinched and was a bit curious about Rukawa. He was always silent. And now he was smirking. And laughing and not to mention talking?
Lost in thought, Sakuragi sat down not realizing what was happening around him.
"Rukawa. Laugh?" Sakuragi kept thinking hard.
Chiharu ran towards Rukawa and got her towel. "Are you okay?"
Rukawa saw her blue eyes and the ball right beside her as she touched his face. Her movements shocked him.
"Do you need some ice?" She asked softly. "Are you going to be alright?"
Rukawa ignored her words and took the basketball that was right beside her. He practiced his superb dribbling and his offence against an 'imaginary' person.
Chiharu saw him. Astonished, she walked closer to him.
"You're. good. so . good." She said.
Sakuragi seeing this shook his head and threw away his thoughts. "What changed you Rukawa? You know that Tensai can beat you anyday and that laughing is my part of life!"
Rukawa frowned and passed the ball to Sakuragi. "1 on 1."
"No problem!" Sakuragi turned to face Chiharu. "Stand back. This Tensai is going to win!"
Chiharu giggled and slapped him softly on the back. "Go Tensai."
Rukawa didn't say anything and it made Sakuragi feel a lot better knowing that the same Rukawa was back. for a while.
"The player who reaches up to 10, wins." His face still stern and he concentrated on the game. "Start."
Sakuragi dribbled the ball down the court and saw the gleaming eyes of Rukawa. Sakuragi was intimidated for just a little while and then took a shot. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi! I have." The ball bounced off the hoop and landed into Rukawa's hands.
Rukawa dribbled down the court and made a nice slam dunk and let go of the hoop.
"Your ball, Sakuragi."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
This continuous rivalry led on and on and on until the score was 10-0 with, of course, Rukawa leading.
Rukawa smiled. "How are you Sakuragi?"
Sakuragi glared at him and walked out the court forgetting to take his basketball.
"Sakuragi? Sakuragi-Kun!" Chiharu yelled as she was still sitting down on the court. Then, she sighed. "He's always been a sore loser."
Rukawa looked at her. "I'm Rukawa Kaede."
He held out a hand and she clasped it. "I'm Chiharu Tsukamoto."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Stupid Rukawa." Murmured Sakuragi. "He always ends up annoying me. He's changed, but he's still better than I am. NO! Tensai Sakuragi! I am Tensai!"
Sakuragi sighed and walked on. His head swirling around the changes that happened over the holiday. He seems to suck, Rukawa laughing, Gori and Kogure-senpai left, and Haruko.
"Hi Sakuragi-Kun!"
"Haruko-Chan!" He turned bright red and hoped she didn't see so. "How are you?"
Haruko ran beside him. "I'm fine. And you?"
Sakuragi frowned. "My back aches a bit. And my basketball hasn't improved."
Haruko looked at him and cocked her head. "Tensai? Would you like to practice with me?"
Sakuragi stood still. "H..a..a..r..r..u..u..k..k..o..o..o." He stuttered.
She grabbed his hand. "Sakuragi, my brother would like to see you in the championships this year. And I would like to help you. Since I am the assistant coach!"
Sakuragi's face lightened up. "Of course Haruko-Chan! I am the best of the best! And Gori knows that too!"
Haruko giggled and pulled him to the Shohoku campus.
As they stepped in, the great court was empty and a basketball was placed out. Haruko took out her hat from her bag and put it on. She found a silver whistle in her bag too. She blew hard and a huge sound filled their ears and loudly as she could, she yelled. "Assistant coach Haruko-Chan at your service!"
Sakuragi laughed aloud and she smiled.
"Okay. Sakuragi Hanamichi, run two laps around the entire court!"
"Okay!"
He ran as fast as he could and came back in 10 seconds flat.
Haruko's face was astonished and she blinked her eyes twice. Then, shaking her head, she blew the whistle again. "Ball Control!"
Sakuragi grabbed the ball and did his favorite, 'hmmhmmhmm' move.
Haruko blew the whistle. "One more time!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
The training went on for hours and hours until Sakuragi opened the door and walked out.
"Sakuragi-Kun?" Haruko asked as she trailed along behind him.
"Hai." He answered.
"Let's practice tomorrow too!"
"Hai!"