DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slam Dunk

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is, again, for the Ortiz sisters, Kristine Joyce and May Angelica, and to my best friend, Rochelle Paras. To all those who will review, good or bad, thanks in advance! May the power of lemon be splashed upon you all!

Rukawa's Revenge by Kumagoro Meowzaki

Rukawa Kaede lay in his bed, silently contemplating the series of unfortunate and unexpected events that made him cancel his well-planned trip to America. He was furious and angry and frustrated and disappointed that such a small event could make him drop all his plans and not go to America, but his years of putting on a cold demeanor taught him not to lose his head even over the biggest matters.

Still, he felt as if he should do something about it.

Someone was in the way.

Sendoh Akira.

Rukawa sighed, his brows furrowed. He would probably be packing right now if Sendoh had not challenged him to a one- on-one, if he had not accepted, if he had not lost.

That's just it...he would have won that one-on-one if he hadn't hesitated to shoot the ball at that perfect moment. The timing, the positions...everything was so precise and he was gonna shoot...he was gonna win...

Then Sendoh smiled.

Damn his stupid smile! Why did he have to smile like that? It wasn't his usual conceited grin...more like...AAAARGH! Rukawa closed his eyes and turned to his side. He couldn't find a word to describe Sendoh's smile as it looked then, but it sure made his heart go doki doki...

And the ball bounce out of the ring.

Rukawa pursed his lips. He can't go to America like this. He still wasn't the best player in all of Japan. And damn, he lost his concentration over a smile! A stupid smile, for Pete's sake!

And that was not all.

Sendoh seemed to beat him in everything. Looks, talents, brains, basketball. There's got to be some...activity he could outdo Sendoh in.

For minutes, Rukawa was lost in thought, his blue eyes like a computer scanning for data, his head lowered and his brows drawn together.

Then in an instant, his head snapped up and the light returned to his eyes. A look of determination passed his face, just like he did in basketball. But there was something else.

A deadly smirk played on his lips.

Sendoh Akira, for the fifth time, tripped over his own feet.

Baka, he thought, bending over and checking his shoelaces which were tied securely. Won't hurt to be sure though, he mused, retying his shoes.

Since he got out of the house, Sendoh had been losing his footing for averagely every ten minutes. He had seriously considered having his knees, legs, and ankles checked, but he doubted there was anything wrong with them.

Because he had been sneezing too, and he didn't have a cold or anything. Two sneezes at a time. Actually, he thought, if he had been eating, he would have choked.

He took it was not a good omen.

He checked the skies for a sign of bad things to come, but the sun still flashed a smile even brighter than his. The clouds still rolled lazily as the wind tickled their sides.

Shrugging, he went on his way, a smile pasted on his face. It was just a coincidence, a superstition. He certainly won't let a superstition ruin a perfectly good day.

thud

Sendoh fell face-first onto the concrete, earning himself unwanted glances from the people around him. He smiled, shrugged, and got on his feet.

"So...what you're trying to say is that...you want ME, the Tensai, Sakuragi Hanamichi...to help you defeat Sendoh...in an activity other than basketball?"

Rukawa nodded.

Sakuragi turned red.

Then purple.

Then his mouth full of food opened and he let out a huge tensai laugh.

Rukawa ducked to avoid the bits of partially digested food that flew out of the redhead's mouth. Yuck...

"What makes you think I'd help you, Kitsune?" Sakuragi asked, shoving more food into his mouth, his chopsticks clicking very fast.

The raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow and calmly replied, "If you help me beat Sendoh, you'd be beating Sendoh too. Technically."

Sakuragi gasped in fake surprise. "Wow, Kitsune, I didn't know you speak that much."

Rukawa took a sip of his own drink. "That is not my point."

"Well, what is?"

Long, slender fingers interlaced as a devilish little smirk passed across Rukawa's lips.

"Revenge."