Miracles of Love
Author: Falling Star
Cast: Sakuragi Yasuya, Rukawa Kaede, Sakuragi Hanamichi, Akagi Haruko and more.
Type: Romance Story
Status: Non Yaoi
Synopsis:
Sakuragi Yasuya, a bright and beautiful girl that just transferred to Shohoku High School. She is the female version of the reckless Sakuragi Hanamichi who happens to be her cousin. She meets the cold and silent Rukawa Kaede. Unexpectedly, they fell in love. The match was unbalance, like putting ice and fire together. Then, something happened and shattered her life, changing it forever. Can Rukawa manage to save her or will he lose her forever?
Warning:
The story is quite unbelievable. You might decide to flame me after reading, but I DO NOT tolerate flames! But comments are accepted.
Episode 1: An Unusual Introduction
PRAK-KK BANG!
The raven-haired boy was thrown off his bicycle while his not so lucky victim fell while trying to avoid him.
"Kitsune!" Everyone turned to see an angry red head marching towards the boy and his red headed victim. When he reached them, he looked down at the girl who was trying to stand up and asked anxiously, "Are you alright Suya- chan?"
The girl glared at him and said icily, "I wouldn't know unless someone helps me to stand up."
Hanamichi at once apologize and offered her his hand. She graciously accepted and with his help, she stood up and walked a few steps. "I'll live," she said with a smile at her anxious red headed cousin.
"Phew, auntie would have killed me if anything happened to you!" he said as he turned and walked towards the boy who was surveying the damage on his bike. "Fox boy! Isn't it bad enough that you are a pain in my butt, but do you have to try to kill my cousin too? I really..." He left his sentence unfinished as he suddenly felt a slash of stinging pain that caused him to reel forward. His cousin then pulled him back and whispered into his ear, "Can you stop making a fool of yourself? You are embarrassing me!"
She then turned and walked towards Rukawa who was surveying the scene unfold before him with interest. As she approached him, she held out her hand.
"Hi, my name is Sakuragi Yasuya. What's yours?"
He merely grunted.
"Of course, I can call you kitsune like my cousin over there," she said as she jerked a finger towards Hanamichi who was glaring at them. "But I doubt you would have such an unrefined name."
Rukawa glared at her. At last he mumbled, "Rukawa Kaede."
"Nice name! Anyway, I've gotta run. See you around!" she said cheerily as she marched of towards her cousin and forcefully steer him away towards the main building.
Rukawa looked at the two departing red heads with interest. That girl was quite pretty. Her red hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and she had beautiful green eyes. Her bright and cheerful attitude irritated him a little, but overall, she seemed to be okay. He doubts anyone who is related to Sakuragi can be okay though. What was she doing there? Students don't normally join in the middle of the semester. He bent down and picked up his dented bicycle and with once last look at the red headed girl, he turned and wheeled his bicycle towards the bicycle shed.
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"Who was that guy?" Yasuya asked her cousin in a demanding tone.
"That was a kitsune who has an ego as big as Kanagawa," Sakuragi replied. Unsatisfied with his answer, she punched him playfully on the arm. "Serious. Ah, I see my cousin has an eyeful for him," he said with a sly smile.
Yasuya's face automatically turned as red as her hair. The impatient tomboy seldom liked any boy. Yet there was something about this Rukawa Kaede that attracted her. Maybe it was those pale blue eyes which looked like ice. "Please don't talk about it anymore!" she begged her cousin as they approach a band of people.
"Hi guys! Hi Haruko-chan," Sakuragi said to a brown haired girl as his face turned pink. Haruko smiled and returned his greeting. Yasuya chuckled softly as she watches her cousin act like a clumsy oaf in front of this pretty girl. Suddenly, all of them were cast under a shadow as a voice boomed, "Sakuragi, you're late."
She turned to find a gorilla-like man towering over them. Sakuragi smiled and said simply, "Sorry, gorilla. Blame it on fox boy over there. He nearly murdered my cousin," he said as he nodded towards the approaching Rukawa.
"He slept and cycled at the same time again?" A pretty girl who was wearing a bright red cap asked. Turning towards Yasuya, she asked in a concerned voice "Are you alright?"
"Oh, nothing that won't heal in a few days time. It isn't everyday that a handsome boy knocks you down and leaves without even saying sorry you know!" she said as she winked at Rukawa who was now standing behind the girl. With that, the whole group burst out laughing.
"Seems to me he needs to learn some manners," Sakuragi said nastily. "You, my darling cousin is no one to talk bout other people's manners. I still remember the time you pushed me into the pool and left without saying anything!" Yasuya replied sweetly at Sakuragi's comment. Sakuragi turned a shade pinker and protested, "That was years ago!" "No excuse, cousin dear!" Yasuya replied airily as she flips her ponytail.
Everyone laughed. The gorilla-like man said in his hearty voice, "Finally someone to out talk our so-called tiensai!" With that, everyone laughed even louder and Sakuragi blushed even deeper. Suddenly, somewhere inside the building, a bell rang.
"Ermm, I think we should go for classes now. It was nice meeting you, Yasuya!" Haruko said as she waved her hand. Meanwhile, Rukawa picked up his bag and silently left the group. He didn't know what to think of that girl.
"You have to go report in the principal's office," Sakuragi informed his cousin. "Yeah, I know. Care to accompany me?" Yasuya asked him. "What, after what you said? I don't think so!" he replied slyly as he turned to walk away. "But, I'll tell you where it is. It's over there," he said as he motioned towards the main building. With that, he turned and left her standing speechless.
"Do'aho!" she yelled at the disappearing figure. With that, she made her way through the sea of students towards the office.
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Episode 2: Coincidence?
Rukawa was sleeping peacefully with a little drool coming out from his mouth. The girls were gazing at him. He looked so cute even with saliva oozing from his mouth. The teacher was droning on and on about formulas with his back facing the class. Suddenly, the door opened with a bang and Yasuya entered the room.
The noise woke Rukawa up and instant reflex made him swing his arm towards the source of the noise. He hit the poor monitor squarely in his face. The whole class including Yasuya burst out laughing as the poor boy rubbed and tried to restore his bruised nose to its original shape.
When the laughter ceased and the teacher stopped looking so mad, Yasuya walked up towards the teacher and handed him a slip of paper. The class watched with mild curiosity as they observe the new student. The teacher read the paper with a disturbing smile was on his face. He then looked up and exchanged a few words with the red headed girl in front of him.
He cleared his throat and announced in a deep voice. "It seems that you have a new classmate. Please welcome Miss Sakuragi Yasuya." The class was taken aback. Could this red head be related to the hot-tempered fellow in the other class? Yasuya made a slight bow at them. A few of the boys were starting to look moony. She looks so pretty! Such beautiful eyes!
The teacher looked at the drooling boys. He'd better put her out of grasp or else he would never be able to teach. He cleared his throat once more and said in final sort of tone. "Will Miss Yasuya please sit in the empty place beside Mr. Rukawa? Mr. Rukawa, I trust you will assist Ms. Yasuya with her lessons. That might actually help you not to fall asleep in so many classes," he finished with a slight smile on his face.
The other girls were shooting daggers at Yasuya as she made her way towards the empty seat. They longed to sit on what they considered a throne all year long. And this new girl got all the luck.
"So we meet again," Yasuya whispered to the raven haired boy under her breath. Rukawa merely grunted and tried to fall asleep again. He had no intention whatsoever to help this red headed miss. As for lessons, he failed almost all of them!
He found it difficult to achieve his aim of sleeping as girls and boys stream towards their tables to meet the new student after class. The girls came as usual to try to talk to him and the boys wanted to know this pretty new girl. They even openly flirted with her.
When the next class began, he found it difficult to doze off as the teacher was eyeing him like a hawk. In addition, Yasuya seemed to take the teacher's comment of help seriously by asking him all sorts of questions. Not wanting to give the impression that he is a spastic idiot, he took the trouble to look up the answers and showed her the passages they were studying.
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Yasuya smiled secretly to herself. Rukawa didn't seem as dumb as he appeared to be. Although she asked him a lot of questions, she knew half the answers. It amuses her to see him studying hard just to save his pride. In her old school, she was a straight A student, and she promised herself that she will not break the record. She was also the star of her schools basketball team.
Finally, the bell rang to signal the end of school. She turned towards Rukawa who was packing nearby and asked casually, "Where is the cafeteria?"
Rukawa looked at her and mumbled. "I'll go with you; I'm meeting them as well."
Yasuya was surprised. She didn't expect him to offer. But since he did, she accepted. As they walk down the corridor, Rukawa's fan club eyed her suspiciously. They did not like pretty girls walking down corridors with their idol. Especially when they can't walk beside him.
The team met in the noisy cafeteria. When Yasuya and Rukawa arrived, the others were already there and eating. Sakuragi smiled slyly at her as she narrowed her eyes at him. She will have to talk to him later to tell him to keep his big mouth plastered. Or else, she will do it for him.
Haruko took her arm and said, "We haven't introduced you to the team yet. Let me do the honors. This is my brother, Takenori Akagi, she said as she motioned to the gorilla like man whom she met earlier. This is Ayako, our manager, Kogure, the peacemaker, Miyagi, and Mitsui, the best three point shooter around."
Yasuya eyed Mitsui with interest. She is an excellent shot as well. She wondered how good he really is. She looked around and asked casually, "What do you plan to do now that you guys have finished eating?" Everyone looked at each other and chorused in perfect unison, "Practice!"
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"Do you guys have a girl's basketball team here?" she asked. She plans to join one and continue playing.
"Unfortunately, we don't. Do you play?" Ayako asked with interest.
"Sometimes," was the offhand reply. She couldn't believe it. No basketball team? How is she going to survive? Her heart was heavy with disappointment.
When they got to the gym, the guys changed into their work clothes and started to warm up. When they started playing, she was surprised at her cousin's talent. She thought he was bluffing when he said he was a tiensai. She smiled to herself. Maybe he is. She then shifted her attention towards Rukawa.
He played well considering his height and build. His movements were graceful and almost flawless. It was a pleasure to watch him play. When they stopped for break, Miyagi informed them he has a family commitment to keep and needed to leave now. This made them one short for a practice game.
Yasuya looked thoughtful. Sakuragi looked at his quiet cousin and walked towards her "Suya, you always tell me that you play basketball. Do you there play with us?" he challenged her. Yasuya looked up and gaze into her monk head cousin and replied coolly, "Sure, why not? Wait, I'll go change." She got up from the bench and walked towards the changing rooms, leaving Hana and the rest rather dazed.
When she came back, she was wearing a wrist guard, a t-shirt and shorts that reveals her slim and shapely legs. All the guys except Rukawa couldn't stop gaping at her. She tightened her ponytail and walked onto the court.
Akagi divided them into two groups. He put Kogure, Mitsui and Rukawa on one team. On the other team, he put Yasuya, Sakuragi and himself. Ayako will be the referee. The match began with a blow of Ayako's whistle.
Playing alongside Akagi was an experience. His height naturally made his opponents afraid of him. As the match progressed, the score was 24 to 20 in favor of Yasuya's group. Yasuya who had the ball was dribbling it towards the other side of the court. Her fluid movements and agility surprised the boys. She was confronted by Rukawa who played defense. She smiled and took aim and shot a perfect three pointer. The ball went cleanly into the basket. Her shot shocked all the boys especially Rukawa. Beaten by a girl! Hmpf! How embarrassing for him!
Twenty minutes later, the match ended with a 35 to 32 score in favor of Yasuya's team. Sakuragi was gloating about beating Rukawa. Yasuya walked up to Rukawa and offered him her hand. "Good game," she said as he took her hand and quickly released it. She then walked back towards Ayako and the rest who congratulated her on her perfect play. She thanked them graciously and said it was nothing and the rest gave her a chance. Even Mitsui developed a certain degree to respect for her. He had never met a girl who could shoot three pointers like her
Meanwhile, Rukawa was secretly looking at her. Not many girls he knows play basketball and she was the first one who can actually get past him. No doubt she is a fantastic player. He got up and picked up his bag and made his way towards the exit.
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Episode 3: Thoughts by the Sea
The next few days in school were relatively normal for Rukawa. Meeting her before classes and after had become a routine. She seemed to be an absent minded girl, forever forgetting or misplacing her things. Sitting next to her was a dangerous activity. She will borrow his stationary, and next thing he knows, he will never see them again. She also tends to wake him up from the nicest of dreams, with that nasty poke in the ribs of hers. She always ducked in time, causing him to swing his hand in thin air, making himself look like a fool in front of a roomful of gaping people.
He could not deny he enjoyed her company immensely. She was just like Sakuragi, in temperaments and all. If you offended her, you would never hear the end of it. She might ignore you for days, or she might pester you till you try to avoid her. He liked neither solution. He does not want her to ignore him and certainly he does not want to avoid her! She was quick witted, hot tempered, humorous, but she can be a total airhead at times. Deep inside him, he regarded her as a bright stream of sunlight that shone in his gloomy life. (Stars' opinion: I can't help thinking it's solely his fault that it is gloomy.)
She was unlike any other girl he had ever met. She was blunt and straight to the point. Unlike his other ardent admirers, she never bothered to put on airs around him. She spoke her mind and can give you such a piercing gaze, you feel she is looking right through you. She often teased him about his good looks and great body that secretly makes his face goes red like a burnt tomato. Sometimes, she caught him blushing and gave him a teasing till the other team members had to turn away to hide their smiles. Sakuragi never bothered to hide. He laughed outright in his face.
He often dreamt of her. She always wore the same mischievous look in his dreams. More than often, he woke up to find her smiling at him, while the teacher fumed at him from above. He never felt this way before for any girl. As he sat there on the rocky cliff, with waves crashing against each other below, he felt the wind in his hair as he strummed a ballad and begin to sign along.
He possessed a very melodious voice. Due to the fact he seldom talks, not to mention sing, this quality tend to go unnoticed. He continued to hum and strum the next bar on the guitar when he suddenly heard a piercing note from the cliffs below him. He saw her.
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Not many people that knew Yasuya knows she plays the flute. The fact remains she plays the flute extremely well and often performed. She feels that the instrument that she holds is like a medium that conveys her feelings to the world.
She stood up and raised the flute to her lips. The flute generated a melodious tune that seemed to be what her soul is telling her. The notes rang pure and true raised themselves high into the air and seemed to be in sync with the sounds of crashing waves below her. Unintentionally, her thoughts tuned itself towards Rukawa. Rukawa, just saying his name softly makes her smile and her face grows hot. She continued playing a track from BSB's album, 'Black and Blue'. She would have loved to have sung along but she concentrated to playing the tune correctly. The lyrics replayed itself in her mind.
"Baby, please try to forgive me. Stay here, don't put out the glow. Hold me now, don't bother, if every minute it makes me weaker. You can save me from the man I've become.Looking back at the things I've done, I was trying to be someone, I played my part, kept you the dark, now let me show you the shape of my heart."
That was exactly how she felt about Rukawa. The song describes him perfectly. There is something untouchable about him. He seemed so near, yet so far, that there were times she were at loss about what she should do with him. There were times she was so angry with him that she wants to knock his head the way Akagi punches her cousin. Yet there were also times she wanted to hold him and cradle him in her arms, just to let him know that someone cares for him.
She stopped playing. She thought she heard footsteps approaching. She turned her head and a shadowy figure started to walk out of the mist. His guitar was slung casually across his broad shoulders and he was wheeling his bike. It was the figure she knew so well. She rubbed her eyes. She must have thought too much. She must be hallucinating! But as the figure came closer, she knew it wasn't a dream. It was Rukawa.
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"I didn't expect anyone to be here," Yasuya said casually. Her heart was pounding so fast and so hard, she was afraid it might burst!
"Life is full of surprises. I wasn't expecting anyone either."
"True. If everything in life is predictable, Life wouldn't be worth living for anymore. The excitement of being alive just won't be there. Life just wouldn't be the same," Yasuya said in a clear voice. Inwardly, she thought to herself, true, who would have ever predicted that I will fall in love with and ice man? Unknown to her, he was thinking exactly the same thing about her.
Casting a glance at the flute in her hand, he asked her casually if she wants to do a duet. They finally settled on the song Cradle from Atomic Kittens. He started to play the intro while she prepared to play the melody on her flute. After the first verse, he was so absorbed in the wonderful music they were making that unconsciously he started to sing.
She was so shocked at first she nearly dropped her flute. He rarely talked; it was a shock to hear him sing. But his voice was deep and harmonious and totally in key. During the interval between the bridge and the chorus, he asked her, "Would you mind singing the last bit?" She nodded her head.
She slowly took a deep breath. She always thought her singing was bad but since he asked so nicely, she didn't want to disappoint him. She picked up the melody and started to sing.
I am always thinking of you,
Hoping you are thinking of me,
Two hearts beating just like one against the world,
I am always dreaming of you,
Hoping you are dreaming of me,
I could never live one day without your love.
While she sang the chorus, she desperately wanted it to be true. That he thinks of her and dreams about her all the time. Sadly, she realized it was just a song, and that it might never come true.
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While she was singing, he looked at her real hard. With the wind lifting up her fiery red hair, she looked as enchanting as an angel. Her white T-shirt billowed in the wind. Her voice was music to his ears and he thought he would never get tired of listening to her. After the chorus, he joined in and started to sing with her.
I was only, I was only
I was only thinking of you,
I was only, I was only,
I was only thinking of you,
I was only, I was only,
I was only thinking of you.
They ended together with perfect timing. She smiled at him. As usual, he put on his cold façade. He did not know that it pains her that he would not even smile at her.
"It's late now, I have to go," Rukawa said as he got up and brushed his bottom of his pants. He wanted to get away from her as fast as possible. Who knows what he might do if he stays any longer. It never occurred to him to walk her home at it is late. He hesitated for a while. "Can I give you a ride?" he asked. The mist was starting to turn into a fog, and it was dangerous for pretty young girls to walk alone blindly.
She just nodded her head as a gesture of assent. She did not turn around to face him for she was afraid her expression might betray her. She slowly got up and followed the figure that was wheeling his bike into the heavy mist.
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Episode 4: Dangerous Rides and Dinner Treats
"AH!! Watch out!" Yasuya yelled as Rukawa once more served to avoid a shadow in the thick mist. The whole ride had been nerve racking and they still had 10 more minutes to go. Rukawa tend to fall asleep when he cycles and it doesn't help to know his record. Honestly, his record for knocking things over when cycling is almost as good as her cousins' for being dumped. No, better. She allowed her attention to waver for a while, to realize how nice it was to hang on to him tightly on the pretext of afraid to be thrown off.
She was brought back to earth by a moving figure. She shouted a warning to the sleeping figure that was doing the peddling in front. The warning came too late. Rukawa manage to serve in time and save them from being hit by a fast moving vehicle, but hit the lamp post with a resounding thud. Both Yasuya fell down with Rukawa and his bike landing on her. "Get off me!" She yelled as she struggled to escape his weight. Rukawa merely shrugged as he pushed the bike off and stood up. He brushed his pants of the dust and offered her his hand. To him, it wasn't a big deal; he had suffered worst hits than before.
"Oh Lord!" Yasuya exclaimed when she saw the damage on the bike and the lamp post. The lamp post was only slightly dented, but the same could not be said for Rukawa's bike. The fender was out of shape and the tire was flabby as though punctured. She turned to him and said, "Why can't you cycle as gracefully as you play on the court?"
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They wheeled his bike, or rather what was left of it to a nearby repair shop. It seems that the wreck was salvageable after all, despite the dents and knocks it suffered. The mechanic informed them it would take at lease two hours. Yasuya glanced at her watch. It showed 7:30 p.m. Realization struck her as hard as the bike hit the lamp post. She was supposed to be back half an hour ago!
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I was supposed to be back half an hour ago. What am I going to do? Auntie left for a company dinner and Hanamichi is hanging out with his friends at Youhei's house. I can't go home. I didn't bring my keys!" Amidst her frustration, a low growl was heard from her stomach. "And I haven't had dinner!"
"I think you two better get some food. With the heavy fog out there, you two won't be able to find your way home, let alone cycle. There is a mall nearby, why don't you go there, spend two hours and come back for the bike later? It should be ready by then. The fog might have lifted by then. And may I know how are you going to pay?" the mechanic added hastily. He wasn't going to do any work unless he was pretty sure that they can afford to pay the bill.
"Do you accept credit cards?" Rukawa asked stonily.
"Yeah, you have one?" the mechanic asked. Rukawa nodded his head. "Great, you can pay when the bike is ready."
"Err, one more thing, I think I left my purse at home," Yasuya said in a small voice. Rukawa sighed and said, "My treat."
"Great! Let's go!" she said with a little too much enthusiasm. Rukawa rolled his eyes upwards and made a silent prayer. If her appetite was anything like her cousin's, he prayed he won't go bankrupt at the end of the meal.
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They went to a nearby western restaurant. They sat in a booth opposite each other. The waitress approached them to take their order.
"I'll have ox tail soup, baked salmon with broiled potatoes and for dessert; I'll have the marble cheese cake. And one carrot apple juice please," she said after studying the menu.
The waitress sporting the name tag Annie cocked her eyebrow as she jotted down the order. She seldom has female customers ordering without restrain. The usually orders were salads and sky juice. "And you sir?"
"I'll have chicken salad and a bottle of mineral water."
Annie tried to hide her amazement. The girl eats like a guy while the guy eats like a girl. But she could not help thinking they make a very nice couple. "Will that be all?" she asked professionally. Both of them nodded their heads and she left the table.
"I said I will treat you, but there is no need to attempt to make me go broke. For a girl, you have a big appetite. No wonder you are growing fat," he said sarcastically.
"I'll pay you back if you want," she offered. "And I am not growing fat! The huge appetite runs in the family," she added quickly.
"There is no need to pay me back. I'll keep my word." This probably meant he won't be able to afford to the Yanni CD that was coming out later that month.
The waitress once more came to their table and served their food. With a slight bow, she left them. Rukawa started to pick on his salad daintily as the waitress observe them from afar. She was really curious about this couple. One had the face of a frozen angel while the other seemed to emit an aura of fiery determination. What opposites they make.
Yasuya tackled her soup with the appetite of one that had been starved for days. She broke of a bit of French bread and dunked it into her soup. She ate so fast, it mildly surprised him. They talked a bit while she waited for her main meal. She was surprised at the intelligence he possessed underneath the cold façade of his.
She tackled her salmon with renewed strength. He watched her gobble down the piece of fish. The other girls he often ate with ate daintily and tried to give out the impression of girlishness. He had never been able to stand the pretence and preferred take his meals alone. She was the first girl he met that didn't put on airs to impress him, and she never cease to amaze him with her unique personality. She amazes him as much as Sakuragi amaze him with his fast improvement on the court. The ability to amaze must have run in the family along with the appetite!
They finally finished their meal. She ate with such speed that she finishes her entire meal of three courses as fast as he ate his salad. He signaled for the bill and the original waitress who took their order brought it. He paid for it with his fathers' credit card. As the waitress walked away, she silently remarked to herself, "At least the guy still pays the bill."
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Episode 5: Discovery of Feelings
They walked back to the repair shop. The mechanic told them they needed another hour at lease.
"What are we suppose to do in the meanwhile?" Yasuya asked. They weren't familiar with this part of town.
"Let's see, you children can go to the arcade nearby. That should keep you occupied for an hour."
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Rukawa and Yasuya took the mechanics advice. As they entered the arcade, they were greeted with noise of fighting machines and excited squeals.
Rukawa took out some bills and exchanged them for tokens. They walked around trying to find suitable games to play. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm excitedly and dragged him to a nearby machine. It was the game that you try to shoot as many balls into the basket ball hoop. The challenge was the basket moves to the speed that you choose. She looked at him with a challenging expression on her face. He understood instantly and slapped a high five with her to seal the deal.
They played. Rukawa always won with a narrow margin. Yasuya, not believing the results always demanded a rematch. Both their stream of coupons grew longer and longer while their pile of tokens grew smaller. Finally, she won with a narrow margin of one. She looked at him with a taunting expression and pronounced herself satisfied. What she did not know was he purposely missed some shots just to let her win.
They exchanged more tokens and continued playing. She laughed and teased him when they were playing at the Dance Master. She remarked. "Your legs are like lead, I wonder how you ever earned the nickname Shohoku's Ace on the court!" That made him try harder, but he just wasn't tailored for dancing. He acted even more like a fool. Unlike him, Yasuya proved to be a better dancer.
Finally, they went to exchange their coupons. The finally chose a small bear and a key chain molded into the shape of a basketball. They agreed he should take the key chain and she will keep the bear. They walked silently back to the repair shop, both fought the urge to grasp for each others hand as they walk down the street softly lit by the street lamps and the pale moonlight.
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When they finally reached the repair shop, they were greeted by the mechanic. "Where have you two been? It is so late now! I thought you would be back in an hour. Here you are." He wheeled Rukawa's bike towards them. It looks as good as new.
Yasuya looked at her watch and gasped. They spent nearly two hours in the arcade. They were having so much fun; Time seemed to have passed by faster than usual. Rukawa handed him his credit card to pay for the repairs. Then they slowly walked back home in silence. She told him she won't ride with him anymore because she was afraid she might never make it home.
When they reached her house, they saw light and the shadow of someone bald pacing up and down the living room while another figure sat knitting oblivious of the pacing boy in front of her through the sliding door. They looked at each other and Yasuya grasped the bear in her hands even more tightly.
"I should really go now," Rukawa said feeling his face grow slightly red. He was glad the darkness hid his face.
"Yeah sure, see you tomorrow at school," she said. She was feeling pretty shy herself for some reason. With that she walked up to her fate while he wheeled his bicycle. After some distance, he looked over his shoulder once and threw one leg over his bike and rode away.
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Yasuya practically floated up the front door. She rang the bell and a very anxious Sakuragi opened the door almost instantly. He at once asked her all sorts of incriminating questions but she pretended not to have heard him. She continued humming and made her way up the stairs towards her room leaving her fuming cousin at the foot of the stairs. Her knitting aunt looked her once and realized she looked like a girl in love. She smiled to herself and said nothing.
Yasuya closed her room door. She went to her cupboard and got out a set of clean clothes. She opened the door once more and practically floated down the hall. She did not see her cousin look at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Her light hearted singing was heard as the shower went on and off.
Later that night, she crept into the bed with the small bear. There she slept and dreamt sweet dreams hugging the bear close to her heart.
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Rukawa turned the lock to his house humming softly to himself. He was humming the song which they played together this afternoon. A small smile crept up and displayed itself across his broad face. The face of a frozen angel at once transformed itself into one of a teenage boy in love.
He entered the house. His parents were watching television and he called out a cheerful greeting to them. With that, he made his way upstairs. His parents at once turned when they detected the note of happiness in their son's voice. They at once turned to see a disappearing figure that appeared to be dancing and singing his way up the stairs. They sank back into their seats in the sofa and exchanged worried and puzzled looks.
Rukawa showered and changed into his pajamas. As he emptied his jeans pockets, he found the key chain and took it in his palm and looked at it for a while. Memories of the happy evening they shared flooded into his mind once more, warming his heart. He never felt this way for any other girl before. In fact, she was the only girl he would ever talk to besides Ayako and occasionally Haruko.
He attached the key chain to his back and took a step back to admire it. He smiled again. He was smiling too many times these days. Could these feelings he feels now be.love? He shook his head and switched of the lights. With that he threw himself onto his bed and fell instantly asleep, dreaming about.her.
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Later that month, his parents sat down in the study and opened their bills. Rukawa's father opened his son's credit card bill without much interest. The usual expenses were there, bills from the record shop, the repair shop and the sporting goods store. Suddenly he grasped the paper tighter and pulled it nearer, not believing his eyes. The bill from the restaurant shocked him. It was as though there were three of his sons eating. Either that or his son must have been cheated. He handed the bill to his wife, and an equally puzzled expression passed to her face. She noted the date. It was the date when her son came home singing and dancing.
He looked up the telephone directory and called the restaurant up. As luck would have it, Annie, the waitress answered the phone.
"White Couch. How may I help you?"
"Mushi mushi, I would like to enquire was there a boy who is quite tall with long black hair hanging over eyes, came in a two weeks ago and spent *xxx yen and paid with a credit card?" Most people remember Kaede because of his startling good looks but cold demeanor. And not many boys his age possess their own credit card anyway.
"Yes. Mr. Rukawa I believe was his name." Annie smiled at the memory. "May I know who this is?"
"I am his father. May I know what did my son order to rack up such an expensive dinner, especially when he was eating alone?" the man said, his voice tinted with anger.
"But he wasn't alone. A young lady with red hair came with him. Let me check the records. Here. The young lady ordered oxtail soup, baked salmon and marble cheesecake. The young sir ordered a chicken salad. Is something wrong with the bill? It is stated that it amounted to *xxx yen." Annie asked in a worried tone.
"No, nothing is wrong. Thank you for your help." The man said faintly and ended the call.
"Our son wasn't eating alone."
Mrs. Rukawa raised an eyebrow.
"He treated a girl to dinner."
Mrs. Rukawa's eyes started to widened.
"And he came home singing and dancing." Her husband's voice sounded weak. "I think I am going to faint."
After a while, Mrs. Rukawa cleared her throat and finally spoke up. "I think our son is in love."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Episode 6: The News
Yasuya was very pleased. She had a good game with the rest of the team and now she is taking a long shower. Her aunt and her friends went out to see a movie and Sakuragi just left with his friends. She grasped for the towel hanging on the door and wrapped it around her body. After she dressed, she brushed her wet hair and let the wet tresses fall limply around her shoulders. Her wet hair seemed a shade darker but her eyes still shone with an enthusiastic gleam in them.
She walked down and found a note saying that dinner was in the oven. She opened up to find a plate of prawn tempura and a bowl of rice. Halfway through her dinner, the phone rang and she picked it up.
"Mushi mushi!" she said cheerfully into the phone. "This is Ms. Yasuya." She listened intently for a while and suddenly, she turned pale and grew cold. After what seemed an eternity but was in reality only seconds, she broke tears at the news she just received.
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"I am very sorry to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Sakuragi Takeunochi has died in a car crash this evening." The voice repeating that sentence that changed her life continued to haunt her dreams. Her aunt and cousin were extremely supportive. Her aunt told her that she will be living with them from now on as she was appointed as her guardian. She continued to talk about legal matters and assets but it didn't interest her. From that fateful night onwards, she grew a shell around her and was less cheerful than before. She also lost a bit of weight thus making her seemed extremely thin and sickly
It was already two months since the accident. She went to school as usual after coming back from Tokyo. She will inherit her fathers' shares in the company when she is of age. She turned out to be quite rich once she claims her inheritance. Her cousin accompanied her everywhere and insisted she come to practice. The changes in her attitude were noticed and everyone one the team was shocked at the news. They offered her their condolences.
Rukawa was shocked to see the changes in her. She no longer pestered him about in class. In fact, she seldom talked and completely lost her cheerful disposition. She seemed so withdrawn. Secretly, he was worried about her condition. Thus, Yasuya got her self two bodyguards. One that stays by her side and head butts anyone that dares disturb her and the other that stays hidden in the background to make sure no harm befalls on her.
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Usually, Sakuragi was her protector both inside and outside the school compound. But he did not attend school that day due to a bad flu from playing basketball in the rain with Miyagi and Kogure. After school, Yasuya manage to decline offers from both Akagi and Mitsui to escort her home. She managed to convince them that it was impossible for her to get lost and she will be walking in broad daylight.
She set out alone from school. Practice was cancelled due to the fact that half the team was ill. Rukawa followed her from a distance, unable to put his fears to rest. He left his bike in school, meaning to get it later. When she turned round the corner, he hurried his pace in case he lost her. But there she was, crossing the road, totally absorbed in her own little world. She did not seem to realize that a truck was moving in her direction. And he was too far away to do anything.
Yasuya was walking along, oblivious to the danger around her. She was remembering all the things that happened within her family from her earliest memories. They were practically a model family, living in a warm and cozy house. Her father was a successful entrepreneur while her mother was a part time interior designer. They were quite well off. Only when she hit puberty, did her attitude slowly change. She was aware of her beauty; her emerald green eyes and flaming red hair were always a source of admiration. But after seeing her friends' hearts broken after a relationship, she grew slightly afraid of commitment, and thus grew a shell around herself. She grew boyish and refused to believe in boys. She remembered the last conversation she had with her mother. It did not go well at all.
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*
"Why can't you act like a girl? Sometimes I wish you were born a boy!" Her mother said in a desperate tone of voice. Her daughter can be so terrible at times. It wasn't as though she lack attention from the opposite sex. Indeed, she has her own throng of admirers and was a popular girl. Yet she was so boyish and never wore skirts. In fact, she wore large T-shirts and jeans that barely revealed her slim and shapely figure. Ever since her fourteenth birthday, she had never seen her daughter wearing skirts. The red haired figure in front of her remained mute.
Mrs. Sakuragi sighed. "Your father and I are going to America for a few months. You will go to Kanagawa and stay with your aunt and cousin. Maybe you will learn to how to be a girl if you stay with a boy your age. Hanamichi is a nice boy. I'm sure you will get along with him. But darling daughter, do behave!"
Yasuya smiled for the first time. She missed her red headed cousin who was so much like her. From his mails; it seems he is playing basketball and is quite good at it. She longed to see him. She missed her aunt too. She was always so patient and nice. But with a son like Hanamichi, it is hard not have developed patience through out the years.
She boarded the plane for Kanagawa later that week. She will miss her friends, but she longed for a life of her own. Boarding the plane was the first step towards her new life. Maybe she will like it there more than she liked it here.
*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*
She was so absorbed in her thoughts; she was shell shocked when an enormous weight shoved her onto the pavement. A truck passed by splattering her and that "weight" with mud. Well, the "weight" got most of it since it was right on top of her, with its arms around her, as if trying to protect her and refusing to let her go. After opening her eyes and realizing who it was did she stop struggling. It was Rukawa Kaede. She held still as he sat up and looked at her. He still had not let fo of her Two months ago, it would have been bliss to wake up from her dreams in his arms. But now, things changed. She threw her arms around him and promptly broke into tears.
Rukawa was mildly surprised. He was so afraid he had been to late just now. With the reflexes of an experience basketball player, he managed to shove her to one side just as the truck was about to hit her. By, doing that, he was actually risking his own life. Only that second did he realize how close he was to losing her and how important she was to him. Instinctively, he held her tighter, afraid that she might vanish into thin air if he does not do so.
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Episode 7: Confessions of Love
Soon, as her tears stopped flowing, she disentangles herself from his rather tight embrace. With a ghost of her old self, she said in a mischievous voice, "Was it really necessary to squash me just now? That was the third time you tried to murder me, if my memory serves me correct." Rukawa rolled his eyes upward and was about to retort sarcastically when she added, "But thank you for saving me."
Rukawa just nodded as a sign of acknowledgement. He stood up and offered her his hand gallantly. She accepted and he pulled her up. Looking at his uniform, she couldn't stop herself from giggling. He was dirty and messy. He looked down on himself and then pointed at her hair. She lifted her hand and touched her head. It was caked with mud. She threw back her head and started laughing. He looked at her with a surprised look. He did not see humor in the situation they were in but her laughter was so infectious he couldn't help but smile.
She was surprised when she saw him smile. His face no longer resembled one of frozen angel, carved out of marble but more like school boys'. Her face grew hot as she asked, "Would you mind walking back to school with me? I feel like playing basketball," she asked him impulsively. She had a funny feeling he was following her all the time. His bike wasn't there and he wasn't falling asleep. He nodded and the walked along side her up the street where they came from. Suddenly, he threw caution to the winds and held her hand tight and not letting go till they reached the school. He wasn't going to take any chances by letting her out of his grasp. Once is bad enough, but to nearly lose her twice in one day would prove to be too much.
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Finally, by the time they reached school, it was raining heavily outside. They went into the changing rooms to change. She put her head underneath one of the taps and let the water run, taking the dried mud along with it. When she was done, she remembered that she didn't have a towel. Squeezing her hair dry, she held it with one hand as she absent mindedly wandered out of the girls' dressing room and into the boys' one, meaning to get one from her Sakuragi's locker there.
She opened the door to find Rukawa only in his underwear. (Ok, sorry to embarrass you guys.) She turned her head and mumbled out her apology as he quickly slipped into a pair of shorts. She walked towards Sakuragi's locker and opened it with the key she found taped to the side. Loads of rubbish tumbled out. Finally, she found a towel but it smelt as bad a whole basketful of smelly gym socks that she threw it back into the locker. She groaned inwardly as she began to shove armfuls of junk back into the untidy locker.
As she was about to close the door, she notice Haruko's picture taped onto the door. The picture was sealed in a clear plastic bag. To keep out all the grime and dirt from this locker I suppose, Yasuya thought grimly as she slammed the locker shut. She turned to come face to face with Rukawa. As though he could read her mind, he was offering her a towel. He looked as though he just showered and had put on a white T-shirt and shorts. His dark hair was damp and he combed it back, revealing his pale blue eyes. She accepted the towel and before she could say thank you, he was already out of the changing room.
Yasuya stood there and held the towel in her hands. The towel was slightly damp to her touch. She brought it to her face and inhaled in the scent of his shampoo. Shaking her head, she let go her hair which she had already tied into a bun whilst on her way into the boys changing room. The limp wet locks of hair tumbled out and she started to dry it vigorously. After a while, she tied her hair back into a ponytail and made her way out of the room. On her way out, she left the towel on the bench near Rukawa's locker and left the room.
By the time she came out of the locker room, he was already practicing his three pointers. They nodded to each other and the game began. Both of them had no intention of letting each other win. Both played with all their strength, skill and dexterity. They lost themselves in the game and enjoyed it immensely.
Finally, they were both too exhausted to continue playing. While he went into the changing room to pack up, she laid down on the bench and fell fast asleep. For the first time in months, she was too exhausted to dream up any nightmares.
When he came back, he found her fast asleep. She looked so angelic and at peace. He squatted down beside the still form lying on the bench. He brushed away the silken strands that strayed form the ponytail. Suddenly, he just wanted to stay there and gaze at her face forever. He shook himself out of his daydream. He left her sleeping as he went out to call the Sakuragi residence.
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Ring-ring. The phone rang at Sakuragi's house. Hanamichi at once got up from his bed but his mother had already picked the call up. He heard her speak into the phone and saw he nod from his room's doorway. He was worried stiff about his cousin's safety. Finally she put down the phone.
"A Rukawa Kaede just called. Yasuya is with him in school. Due to rain, they cannot come home yet," his mother told him.
"What?! She is with that baka kitsune?? I am going out to get her now!" he said ferociously as he stormed down the stairs. His mother race after him and barred his way.
"You are ill and the only place you are going is back to bed!" she stated firmly and pointed towards the stairs.
"But!"
"No buts! Now!"
He stormed up the stairs once more and grumbling was heard followed by slamming of the door. His mother smiled to herself. Despite always complaining about Yasuya's presence, he loved her and treated her as though she is her own sister. She smiles as she thinks of her own sons' shortcomings.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rukawa walked back into the gym. She was awake by now and was staring at the pouring rain through the window.
"How are we going back?" she asked, not bothering to turn back.
"We might have to stay till the rain stops."
"Really? I am hungry."
"The cafeteria has closed."
Rukawa walked towards his bag and produced bottle of water, two pieces of sandwiches and an apple. It was his lunch, but he hadn't touch it because he was to busy tailing her. Although he was hungry himself, he was willing to let her have everything. He brought the supplies to her. She gave him a ghost of her old smile. "Romantic huh? Pouring rain, stranded, limited food supplies. Just like an episode right out of 'Survival'." Then she saw him do something he never did before.
He smiled.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After thier meager lunch, they sat together and looked at the pouring rain. Flashes of lightning decorated the stormy sky. Upon her insistence, they shared everything, including the apple. They simply took bites after the other has taken.
"My father told me once that the rain means Old Man Heaven is crying. I wonder did Old Man Heaven cry for my parents?" she mused aloud. Rukawa turned to look at her. She also turned and gaze into his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't cry again. I cried all I had to this afternoon already. I think I've finally accepted the deaths of my parents. And I might turn back into the cheeky creature I was once," she added mischievously.
"I wish you would," he said quietly without looking at her.
"You what?" she asked in amazement.
"I said I wish you would. I liked you that way."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"Look, Old Man heaven has stopped crying. Let's get out of here," she said hastily. She got up and heard him do the same behind her. As she walked quickly towards the exit, she heard him call out her name. She pretended not to have noticed but continued to walk rapidly.
Rukawa ran towards her. He caught hold of her arm and swung her around facing him, gazing into her green eyes. On impulse, he kissed her on the lips. She struggled in his arms but he held her tight. Slowly, she found herself responding to his kiss and melting into his embrace. When they broke apart, she looked into those eyes that she once thought were like pieces of ice. But now, she saw love and concern, for her.
"What did you do that for?" she asked. "I don't know. I just wanted to do it," he replied with a small smile. "Well, why don't you do it again?" she asked as he brought his lips onto hers once more.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, as she fell asleep on her bed, she dreamt good dreams. Sakuragi wasn't very calm when he heard of their relationship, but he gradually accepted.
"What?! You are going steady with that Kitsune? You must be joking!" Sakuragi yelled when she came home that night.
"I am, and there is nothing you can do about it!"
"Idiot! He is only playing a fool with you!"
"He is not! Look on the bright side; it does leave the coast clear for you to court Haruko!"
She struck gold. He calmed down and actually sat down, and said, "You're right! With Fox boy out of the way, Haruko is mine! Mua ha-ha!" He laughed insanely. "At the way you carry on, I am surprised if you don't frighten her a mile away," she said under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
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That night, she spoke to Rukawa through the phone. In his voice she could detect warmth in it that was never there. Was this what love does to people? She shook her head as she once more heard snoring from the other end of the line. Gently, she replaced the receiver. He would wake up next to a dead line, and he can't blame her. It was useless to wake him up. The only thing that could was either her cousin nasty insults or her nasty poke in the ribs. She considered asking her cousin for help, but knowing him, he would probably overdo things.
She looked at the phone longingly. Releasing a sigh, she went to bed. She would see him tomorrow. That night, she did not dream anymore nightmares, but sweet dreams of him and her together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He woke up next to a dead line. He mentally kicked himself for falling asleep. He replaced the receiver and dropped onto the bed once more. He stared at the ceiling thinking about her, trying to remember every detail of her face, the sound of her voice, the feel of her hair and the warmth in her eyes. Eventually, he fell asleep dreaming about her.
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Episode 8: Miracles of Love
Rukawa couldn't believe it. He felt like walking amongst clouds, floating. He looked at Yasuya, who was walking beside him and she smiled at him. She had become more like her cheeky old self. The Shohoku team continuously teases both of them although it has almost been a week since he made the announcement. Even the teachers were surprised when they heard rumors about this mismatched couple. But it seemed to have a positive effect on Rukawa. He seldom fall asleep in classes now as he is too busy catching up. He has no intention of letting her beat him too much academically. His results improved steadily and his teachers were very please.
Haruko was slightly shocked but accepted with good grace. She congratulated on them both and wished them well wishes. Other admirers weren't so graceful; they openly scorn their relationship and made bets on how long it would last. Most of the time, either Sakuragi or Rukawa would be there to fend them off. Rukawa was still afraid he might lose her one day.
Practice has stopped and would be resumed soon due to exams. Rukawa thinks that he may be able to pass enough subjects to let him stay on the basketball team. His parents often wondered how this girl changed their anti-social son. And improve his school work as well! Talk about the miracles of love!
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Directly after results were posted, they had a match against Kainan. Rukawa's results were terrific. At least it was terrific compared to the last exams. He scored mainly B's and even an A for physics. Yasuya scored straight A's once more but poor Sakuragi failed miserably in almost all his subjects again. Yasuya resolved to help her cousin pass his next test with flying colors.
The turn up for the match against Kainan was terrific. There was talk of choosing Shinichi Maki from Kainan for the course in America. Everyone wanted to see how good he really was. So even though it was just a friendly game, many people attended.
Rukawa always regarded Maki as a rival and idol at the same time. To be the best, he must surpass Maki, yet he admires Maki for his skills and dexterity. The match against Kainan would prove who was a better player.
Ten minutes before the match. Rukawa was meditating by himself on the bench. Yasuya walked over and sat down beside him. She looked at him intently for a moment. She quietly studied the face before her. Commitment and desire to win was etched clearly and deeply into every line of his face. He opened his eyes and stared into hers for a moment. He gently took her hand which was on her lap and squeezed it gently. His face relaxed and broke into a smile.
"Nervous?"
"Not really. I want to win and I will win." He spoke with pride and confidence.
"I know you will..." With that, she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.
He looked at her and kissed her on the lips. She responded and all her brain could think was how deliciously soft and sweet his lips were. They broke apart when they heard shouting down the court. Sakuragi was having another run in with Kainan's Kiyota. Both of them were wearing the number ten on their jerseys.
"Little monkey, stop showing off! You are making a fool of yourself!" Sakuragi yelled at the long haired boy in front of him who was dribbling the ball. "Speak for yourself, red haired monkey!" Kiyota replied with a flourish. "What did you say?!" Sakuragi yelled as a fight broke out. They were subdued when Akagi and Maki both when down to court and pulled them apart. Akagi of course delivered one of his famous Gori-punch on Sakuragi's head and Maki pulled Kiyota's ponytail. Both captains exchanged nods and dragged their players off the court. Meanwhile, Yasuya and Rukawa exchanged knowing smiles.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The match started with the ball in Shohoku's possession. Rukawa and Sakuragi seemed to have developed newfound understanding since Yasuya came into the picture. They passed the ball to each other and seemed to be able to read each other minds. Rukawa dribbled the ball as he expertly evaded the Kainan blockers as he made his way down the court. He was met by Maki. He at once passed the ball to Mitsui who was nearby. Mitsui then shot a perfect three pointer that made the whole stadium explode with their screams and cheers.
Half time came. The players rested and Rukawa was attended to by Yasuya. Sakuragi grumbled on and on about forgetting close relatives until Haruko handed him a can drink. He at once started to turn pink and stammered his thanks. Yasuya said nothing but rolled her eyes upwards. Rukawa saw and was not able to suppress a smile. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upwards and he bowed his head to hide it. Truly, only Yasuya can make him smile like that.
The match resumed. Kainan proved to be a fierce opponent. Twice again they stole the ball from Shohoku. Yasuya noticed that Rukawa seemed to be slowing down. Her cousin as usual was still full of stamina. She cast a look at the clock. The score was 65 to 62 with Kainan in the lead. There was only five more minutes on the clock. Suddenly, she heard the referee's whistle. She at once turned her gaze towards the court and saw Rukawa on the floor. He seemed to be alright. The referee pronounced it a foul and gave Shohoku two penalty shots.
Yasuya looked at Rukawa. She was worried he might over exert himself. Like a charm, Rukawa turned his head and cast a glance at her. He the smiled and gave her a thumbs up sign. She returned his sign and smile. He then turned and concentrated on the penalty shots called.
He looked at the net. Images of Yasuya keep swimming into his head. He vowed he will score for her. With that, he took aim and released the ball. The ball hit the rim and rolled around a few times before it fell into the net with a satisfying swish. The second shot went cleanly into the net. All at once the whole stadium erupted with applause and cheers. The score was now 66 to 65 with Shohoku in the lead!
Mitsui once more got hold of the ball. Surrounded by three Kainan players, it was almost impossible for him to make a pass less say take aim and shoot. He saw a break and at once passed the ball to Sakuragi who was being guarded by Kiyota. The ball bounced on the floor but Maki intercepted it. He made a break and at once rushed down towards the other end to the court.
He was met by Akagi and Rukawa. While he was trying to escape Akagi, Rukawa sneaked up and stole the ball. While Maki was still shocked, Rukawa at once passed the ball to Miyagi who was nearby, who at once raced down to the other end of the court. He was met by Jin. He then passed the ball to Sakuragi who made a spectacular dunk.
The match progressed quickly. Kainan once more regained the lost points. In the last 25 seconds, the score was 72 to 71 with Kainan in the lead. Rukawa got the ball and at once dribbled it. He was met by Maki, who guarded him. Suddenly, amidst the noise in the stadium, he could hear Yasuya's voice clearly above the rest, cheering him on. With a sudden burst of energy, He rushed past Maki and dunked the ball into the net. The buzzer was sounded. The match has come to an end. Shohoku won with a 73 to 72 score!
After making that spectacular dunk, Rukawa dropped collapse on to the floor. His fellow teammates at once surrounded him and carried him off court. They laid him on the bench where a very attentive Yasuya took over. He clearly suffered from exhaustion. His parched lips were slightly parted and the slight rise and fall of the chest were the only indication he was alive. His face was pale and cold like marble and his hair clung onto his damp face. She at once knelt beside him and tried to revive him by wetting his lips with cotton swabs soaked in water.
He slowly opened his eyes to find her green ones brimming with concern peering upon him. Seeing her worried expression, he managed a weak smile and tried to sit up. She at once slapped him and promptly broke into tears. "Don't you ever dare frighten me like that again!" she threatened him through her tears, trying to make her voice audible above the noise. His only response was to kiss her forehead and hug her tight. Somewhere down the court, they heard Sakuragi proclaiming to the others about what a tiensai he is.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Episode 9: Epilogue
They were sitting next to each other in the park. Silence filled the gap between them as she watched the youngsters play. Suddenly, she heard snoring coming from the person sitting beside her. She turned her head and saw his head lolling onto the side while saliva dripped from his mouth. Sighing, she poked him in the ribs and ducked when the anticipated swing of the arm came. It was a trick that often came in handy whenever she wanted to wake him up.
He opened his eyes sleepily. When he saw the angry look on her face, he pulled back his head and shook it as if trying to shake the sleep away. She laughed and he realized that she had tricked him.
"Can't you try to stay awake for a minute?"
"Sorry, I am so tired!" As if trying to emphasize his point, he promptly yawned.
"Then go back to your house and sleep. Why come out if you are tired?" She turned his head away from him as if she was pouting.
"I want to spend more time with you! Isn't that good enough?"
Deeply mollified, she turned her head to face him. His face looked so tired and it seemed haven't recovered fully from yesterday's match yet. His eyes never lost their icy looks yet now, there seemed to be a fire behind them, a fire for her. He stared into her bright green eyes and leaned forward and kissed her deeply on the lips. They both relaxed as the passion of their kiss soared high and got lost among the swirls of purple and orange clouds above them.
*~*THE END*~*
Author: Falling Star
Cast: Sakuragi Yasuya, Rukawa Kaede, Sakuragi Hanamichi, Akagi Haruko and more.
Type: Romance Story
Status: Non Yaoi
Synopsis:
Sakuragi Yasuya, a bright and beautiful girl that just transferred to Shohoku High School. She is the female version of the reckless Sakuragi Hanamichi who happens to be her cousin. She meets the cold and silent Rukawa Kaede. Unexpectedly, they fell in love. The match was unbalance, like putting ice and fire together. Then, something happened and shattered her life, changing it forever. Can Rukawa manage to save her or will he lose her forever?
Warning:
The story is quite unbelievable. You might decide to flame me after reading, but I DO NOT tolerate flames! But comments are accepted.
Episode 1: An Unusual Introduction
PRAK-KK BANG!
The raven-haired boy was thrown off his bicycle while his not so lucky victim fell while trying to avoid him.
"Kitsune!" Everyone turned to see an angry red head marching towards the boy and his red headed victim. When he reached them, he looked down at the girl who was trying to stand up and asked anxiously, "Are you alright Suya- chan?"
The girl glared at him and said icily, "I wouldn't know unless someone helps me to stand up."
Hanamichi at once apologize and offered her his hand. She graciously accepted and with his help, she stood up and walked a few steps. "I'll live," she said with a smile at her anxious red headed cousin.
"Phew, auntie would have killed me if anything happened to you!" he said as he turned and walked towards the boy who was surveying the damage on his bike. "Fox boy! Isn't it bad enough that you are a pain in my butt, but do you have to try to kill my cousin too? I really..." He left his sentence unfinished as he suddenly felt a slash of stinging pain that caused him to reel forward. His cousin then pulled him back and whispered into his ear, "Can you stop making a fool of yourself? You are embarrassing me!"
She then turned and walked towards Rukawa who was surveying the scene unfold before him with interest. As she approached him, she held out her hand.
"Hi, my name is Sakuragi Yasuya. What's yours?"
He merely grunted.
"Of course, I can call you kitsune like my cousin over there," she said as she jerked a finger towards Hanamichi who was glaring at them. "But I doubt you would have such an unrefined name."
Rukawa glared at her. At last he mumbled, "Rukawa Kaede."
"Nice name! Anyway, I've gotta run. See you around!" she said cheerily as she marched of towards her cousin and forcefully steer him away towards the main building.
Rukawa looked at the two departing red heads with interest. That girl was quite pretty. Her red hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and she had beautiful green eyes. Her bright and cheerful attitude irritated him a little, but overall, she seemed to be okay. He doubts anyone who is related to Sakuragi can be okay though. What was she doing there? Students don't normally join in the middle of the semester. He bent down and picked up his dented bicycle and with once last look at the red headed girl, he turned and wheeled his bicycle towards the bicycle shed.
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"Who was that guy?" Yasuya asked her cousin in a demanding tone.
"That was a kitsune who has an ego as big as Kanagawa," Sakuragi replied. Unsatisfied with his answer, she punched him playfully on the arm. "Serious. Ah, I see my cousin has an eyeful for him," he said with a sly smile.
Yasuya's face automatically turned as red as her hair. The impatient tomboy seldom liked any boy. Yet there was something about this Rukawa Kaede that attracted her. Maybe it was those pale blue eyes which looked like ice. "Please don't talk about it anymore!" she begged her cousin as they approach a band of people.
"Hi guys! Hi Haruko-chan," Sakuragi said to a brown haired girl as his face turned pink. Haruko smiled and returned his greeting. Yasuya chuckled softly as she watches her cousin act like a clumsy oaf in front of this pretty girl. Suddenly, all of them were cast under a shadow as a voice boomed, "Sakuragi, you're late."
She turned to find a gorilla-like man towering over them. Sakuragi smiled and said simply, "Sorry, gorilla. Blame it on fox boy over there. He nearly murdered my cousin," he said as he nodded towards the approaching Rukawa.
"He slept and cycled at the same time again?" A pretty girl who was wearing a bright red cap asked. Turning towards Yasuya, she asked in a concerned voice "Are you alright?"
"Oh, nothing that won't heal in a few days time. It isn't everyday that a handsome boy knocks you down and leaves without even saying sorry you know!" she said as she winked at Rukawa who was now standing behind the girl. With that, the whole group burst out laughing.
"Seems to me he needs to learn some manners," Sakuragi said nastily. "You, my darling cousin is no one to talk bout other people's manners. I still remember the time you pushed me into the pool and left without saying anything!" Yasuya replied sweetly at Sakuragi's comment. Sakuragi turned a shade pinker and protested, "That was years ago!" "No excuse, cousin dear!" Yasuya replied airily as she flips her ponytail.
Everyone laughed. The gorilla-like man said in his hearty voice, "Finally someone to out talk our so-called tiensai!" With that, everyone laughed even louder and Sakuragi blushed even deeper. Suddenly, somewhere inside the building, a bell rang.
"Ermm, I think we should go for classes now. It was nice meeting you, Yasuya!" Haruko said as she waved her hand. Meanwhile, Rukawa picked up his bag and silently left the group. He didn't know what to think of that girl.
"You have to go report in the principal's office," Sakuragi informed his cousin. "Yeah, I know. Care to accompany me?" Yasuya asked him. "What, after what you said? I don't think so!" he replied slyly as he turned to walk away. "But, I'll tell you where it is. It's over there," he said as he motioned towards the main building. With that, he turned and left her standing speechless.
"Do'aho!" she yelled at the disappearing figure. With that, she made her way through the sea of students towards the office.
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Episode 2: Coincidence?
Rukawa was sleeping peacefully with a little drool coming out from his mouth. The girls were gazing at him. He looked so cute even with saliva oozing from his mouth. The teacher was droning on and on about formulas with his back facing the class. Suddenly, the door opened with a bang and Yasuya entered the room.
The noise woke Rukawa up and instant reflex made him swing his arm towards the source of the noise. He hit the poor monitor squarely in his face. The whole class including Yasuya burst out laughing as the poor boy rubbed and tried to restore his bruised nose to its original shape.
When the laughter ceased and the teacher stopped looking so mad, Yasuya walked up towards the teacher and handed him a slip of paper. The class watched with mild curiosity as they observe the new student. The teacher read the paper with a disturbing smile was on his face. He then looked up and exchanged a few words with the red headed girl in front of him.
He cleared his throat and announced in a deep voice. "It seems that you have a new classmate. Please welcome Miss Sakuragi Yasuya." The class was taken aback. Could this red head be related to the hot-tempered fellow in the other class? Yasuya made a slight bow at them. A few of the boys were starting to look moony. She looks so pretty! Such beautiful eyes!
The teacher looked at the drooling boys. He'd better put her out of grasp or else he would never be able to teach. He cleared his throat once more and said in final sort of tone. "Will Miss Yasuya please sit in the empty place beside Mr. Rukawa? Mr. Rukawa, I trust you will assist Ms. Yasuya with her lessons. That might actually help you not to fall asleep in so many classes," he finished with a slight smile on his face.
The other girls were shooting daggers at Yasuya as she made her way towards the empty seat. They longed to sit on what they considered a throne all year long. And this new girl got all the luck.
"So we meet again," Yasuya whispered to the raven haired boy under her breath. Rukawa merely grunted and tried to fall asleep again. He had no intention whatsoever to help this red headed miss. As for lessons, he failed almost all of them!
He found it difficult to achieve his aim of sleeping as girls and boys stream towards their tables to meet the new student after class. The girls came as usual to try to talk to him and the boys wanted to know this pretty new girl. They even openly flirted with her.
When the next class began, he found it difficult to doze off as the teacher was eyeing him like a hawk. In addition, Yasuya seemed to take the teacher's comment of help seriously by asking him all sorts of questions. Not wanting to give the impression that he is a spastic idiot, he took the trouble to look up the answers and showed her the passages they were studying.
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Yasuya smiled secretly to herself. Rukawa didn't seem as dumb as he appeared to be. Although she asked him a lot of questions, she knew half the answers. It amuses her to see him studying hard just to save his pride. In her old school, she was a straight A student, and she promised herself that she will not break the record. She was also the star of her schools basketball team.
Finally, the bell rang to signal the end of school. She turned towards Rukawa who was packing nearby and asked casually, "Where is the cafeteria?"
Rukawa looked at her and mumbled. "I'll go with you; I'm meeting them as well."
Yasuya was surprised. She didn't expect him to offer. But since he did, she accepted. As they walk down the corridor, Rukawa's fan club eyed her suspiciously. They did not like pretty girls walking down corridors with their idol. Especially when they can't walk beside him.
The team met in the noisy cafeteria. When Yasuya and Rukawa arrived, the others were already there and eating. Sakuragi smiled slyly at her as she narrowed her eyes at him. She will have to talk to him later to tell him to keep his big mouth plastered. Or else, she will do it for him.
Haruko took her arm and said, "We haven't introduced you to the team yet. Let me do the honors. This is my brother, Takenori Akagi, she said as she motioned to the gorilla like man whom she met earlier. This is Ayako, our manager, Kogure, the peacemaker, Miyagi, and Mitsui, the best three point shooter around."
Yasuya eyed Mitsui with interest. She is an excellent shot as well. She wondered how good he really is. She looked around and asked casually, "What do you plan to do now that you guys have finished eating?" Everyone looked at each other and chorused in perfect unison, "Practice!"
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"Do you guys have a girl's basketball team here?" she asked. She plans to join one and continue playing.
"Unfortunately, we don't. Do you play?" Ayako asked with interest.
"Sometimes," was the offhand reply. She couldn't believe it. No basketball team? How is she going to survive? Her heart was heavy with disappointment.
When they got to the gym, the guys changed into their work clothes and started to warm up. When they started playing, she was surprised at her cousin's talent. She thought he was bluffing when he said he was a tiensai. She smiled to herself. Maybe he is. She then shifted her attention towards Rukawa.
He played well considering his height and build. His movements were graceful and almost flawless. It was a pleasure to watch him play. When they stopped for break, Miyagi informed them he has a family commitment to keep and needed to leave now. This made them one short for a practice game.
Yasuya looked thoughtful. Sakuragi looked at his quiet cousin and walked towards her "Suya, you always tell me that you play basketball. Do you there play with us?" he challenged her. Yasuya looked up and gaze into her monk head cousin and replied coolly, "Sure, why not? Wait, I'll go change." She got up from the bench and walked towards the changing rooms, leaving Hana and the rest rather dazed.
When she came back, she was wearing a wrist guard, a t-shirt and shorts that reveals her slim and shapely legs. All the guys except Rukawa couldn't stop gaping at her. She tightened her ponytail and walked onto the court.
Akagi divided them into two groups. He put Kogure, Mitsui and Rukawa on one team. On the other team, he put Yasuya, Sakuragi and himself. Ayako will be the referee. The match began with a blow of Ayako's whistle.
Playing alongside Akagi was an experience. His height naturally made his opponents afraid of him. As the match progressed, the score was 24 to 20 in favor of Yasuya's group. Yasuya who had the ball was dribbling it towards the other side of the court. Her fluid movements and agility surprised the boys. She was confronted by Rukawa who played defense. She smiled and took aim and shot a perfect three pointer. The ball went cleanly into the basket. Her shot shocked all the boys especially Rukawa. Beaten by a girl! Hmpf! How embarrassing for him!
Twenty minutes later, the match ended with a 35 to 32 score in favor of Yasuya's team. Sakuragi was gloating about beating Rukawa. Yasuya walked up to Rukawa and offered him her hand. "Good game," she said as he took her hand and quickly released it. She then walked back towards Ayako and the rest who congratulated her on her perfect play. She thanked them graciously and said it was nothing and the rest gave her a chance. Even Mitsui developed a certain degree to respect for her. He had never met a girl who could shoot three pointers like her
Meanwhile, Rukawa was secretly looking at her. Not many girls he knows play basketball and she was the first one who can actually get past him. No doubt she is a fantastic player. He got up and picked up his bag and made his way towards the exit.
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Episode 3: Thoughts by the Sea
The next few days in school were relatively normal for Rukawa. Meeting her before classes and after had become a routine. She seemed to be an absent minded girl, forever forgetting or misplacing her things. Sitting next to her was a dangerous activity. She will borrow his stationary, and next thing he knows, he will never see them again. She also tends to wake him up from the nicest of dreams, with that nasty poke in the ribs of hers. She always ducked in time, causing him to swing his hand in thin air, making himself look like a fool in front of a roomful of gaping people.
He could not deny he enjoyed her company immensely. She was just like Sakuragi, in temperaments and all. If you offended her, you would never hear the end of it. She might ignore you for days, or she might pester you till you try to avoid her. He liked neither solution. He does not want her to ignore him and certainly he does not want to avoid her! She was quick witted, hot tempered, humorous, but she can be a total airhead at times. Deep inside him, he regarded her as a bright stream of sunlight that shone in his gloomy life. (Stars' opinion: I can't help thinking it's solely his fault that it is gloomy.)
She was unlike any other girl he had ever met. She was blunt and straight to the point. Unlike his other ardent admirers, she never bothered to put on airs around him. She spoke her mind and can give you such a piercing gaze, you feel she is looking right through you. She often teased him about his good looks and great body that secretly makes his face goes red like a burnt tomato. Sometimes, she caught him blushing and gave him a teasing till the other team members had to turn away to hide their smiles. Sakuragi never bothered to hide. He laughed outright in his face.
He often dreamt of her. She always wore the same mischievous look in his dreams. More than often, he woke up to find her smiling at him, while the teacher fumed at him from above. He never felt this way before for any girl. As he sat there on the rocky cliff, with waves crashing against each other below, he felt the wind in his hair as he strummed a ballad and begin to sign along.
He possessed a very melodious voice. Due to the fact he seldom talks, not to mention sing, this quality tend to go unnoticed. He continued to hum and strum the next bar on the guitar when he suddenly heard a piercing note from the cliffs below him. He saw her.
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Not many people that knew Yasuya knows she plays the flute. The fact remains she plays the flute extremely well and often performed. She feels that the instrument that she holds is like a medium that conveys her feelings to the world.
She stood up and raised the flute to her lips. The flute generated a melodious tune that seemed to be what her soul is telling her. The notes rang pure and true raised themselves high into the air and seemed to be in sync with the sounds of crashing waves below her. Unintentionally, her thoughts tuned itself towards Rukawa. Rukawa, just saying his name softly makes her smile and her face grows hot. She continued playing a track from BSB's album, 'Black and Blue'. She would have loved to have sung along but she concentrated to playing the tune correctly. The lyrics replayed itself in her mind.
"Baby, please try to forgive me. Stay here, don't put out the glow. Hold me now, don't bother, if every minute it makes me weaker. You can save me from the man I've become.Looking back at the things I've done, I was trying to be someone, I played my part, kept you the dark, now let me show you the shape of my heart."
That was exactly how she felt about Rukawa. The song describes him perfectly. There is something untouchable about him. He seemed so near, yet so far, that there were times she were at loss about what she should do with him. There were times she was so angry with him that she wants to knock his head the way Akagi punches her cousin. Yet there were also times she wanted to hold him and cradle him in her arms, just to let him know that someone cares for him.
She stopped playing. She thought she heard footsteps approaching. She turned her head and a shadowy figure started to walk out of the mist. His guitar was slung casually across his broad shoulders and he was wheeling his bike. It was the figure she knew so well. She rubbed her eyes. She must have thought too much. She must be hallucinating! But as the figure came closer, she knew it wasn't a dream. It was Rukawa.
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"I didn't expect anyone to be here," Yasuya said casually. Her heart was pounding so fast and so hard, she was afraid it might burst!
"Life is full of surprises. I wasn't expecting anyone either."
"True. If everything in life is predictable, Life wouldn't be worth living for anymore. The excitement of being alive just won't be there. Life just wouldn't be the same," Yasuya said in a clear voice. Inwardly, she thought to herself, true, who would have ever predicted that I will fall in love with and ice man? Unknown to her, he was thinking exactly the same thing about her.
Casting a glance at the flute in her hand, he asked her casually if she wants to do a duet. They finally settled on the song Cradle from Atomic Kittens. He started to play the intro while she prepared to play the melody on her flute. After the first verse, he was so absorbed in the wonderful music they were making that unconsciously he started to sing.
She was so shocked at first she nearly dropped her flute. He rarely talked; it was a shock to hear him sing. But his voice was deep and harmonious and totally in key. During the interval between the bridge and the chorus, he asked her, "Would you mind singing the last bit?" She nodded her head.
She slowly took a deep breath. She always thought her singing was bad but since he asked so nicely, she didn't want to disappoint him. She picked up the melody and started to sing.
I am always thinking of you,
Hoping you are thinking of me,
Two hearts beating just like one against the world,
I am always dreaming of you,
Hoping you are dreaming of me,
I could never live one day without your love.
While she sang the chorus, she desperately wanted it to be true. That he thinks of her and dreams about her all the time. Sadly, she realized it was just a song, and that it might never come true.
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While she was singing, he looked at her real hard. With the wind lifting up her fiery red hair, she looked as enchanting as an angel. Her white T-shirt billowed in the wind. Her voice was music to his ears and he thought he would never get tired of listening to her. After the chorus, he joined in and started to sing with her.
I was only, I was only
I was only thinking of you,
I was only, I was only,
I was only thinking of you,
I was only, I was only,
I was only thinking of you.
They ended together with perfect timing. She smiled at him. As usual, he put on his cold façade. He did not know that it pains her that he would not even smile at her.
"It's late now, I have to go," Rukawa said as he got up and brushed his bottom of his pants. He wanted to get away from her as fast as possible. Who knows what he might do if he stays any longer. It never occurred to him to walk her home at it is late. He hesitated for a while. "Can I give you a ride?" he asked. The mist was starting to turn into a fog, and it was dangerous for pretty young girls to walk alone blindly.
She just nodded her head as a gesture of assent. She did not turn around to face him for she was afraid her expression might betray her. She slowly got up and followed the figure that was wheeling his bike into the heavy mist.
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Episode 4: Dangerous Rides and Dinner Treats
"AH!! Watch out!" Yasuya yelled as Rukawa once more served to avoid a shadow in the thick mist. The whole ride had been nerve racking and they still had 10 more minutes to go. Rukawa tend to fall asleep when he cycles and it doesn't help to know his record. Honestly, his record for knocking things over when cycling is almost as good as her cousins' for being dumped. No, better. She allowed her attention to waver for a while, to realize how nice it was to hang on to him tightly on the pretext of afraid to be thrown off.
She was brought back to earth by a moving figure. She shouted a warning to the sleeping figure that was doing the peddling in front. The warning came too late. Rukawa manage to serve in time and save them from being hit by a fast moving vehicle, but hit the lamp post with a resounding thud. Both Yasuya fell down with Rukawa and his bike landing on her. "Get off me!" She yelled as she struggled to escape his weight. Rukawa merely shrugged as he pushed the bike off and stood up. He brushed his pants of the dust and offered her his hand. To him, it wasn't a big deal; he had suffered worst hits than before.
"Oh Lord!" Yasuya exclaimed when she saw the damage on the bike and the lamp post. The lamp post was only slightly dented, but the same could not be said for Rukawa's bike. The fender was out of shape and the tire was flabby as though punctured. She turned to him and said, "Why can't you cycle as gracefully as you play on the court?"
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They wheeled his bike, or rather what was left of it to a nearby repair shop. It seems that the wreck was salvageable after all, despite the dents and knocks it suffered. The mechanic informed them it would take at lease two hours. Yasuya glanced at her watch. It showed 7:30 p.m. Realization struck her as hard as the bike hit the lamp post. She was supposed to be back half an hour ago!
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I was supposed to be back half an hour ago. What am I going to do? Auntie left for a company dinner and Hanamichi is hanging out with his friends at Youhei's house. I can't go home. I didn't bring my keys!" Amidst her frustration, a low growl was heard from her stomach. "And I haven't had dinner!"
"I think you two better get some food. With the heavy fog out there, you two won't be able to find your way home, let alone cycle. There is a mall nearby, why don't you go there, spend two hours and come back for the bike later? It should be ready by then. The fog might have lifted by then. And may I know how are you going to pay?" the mechanic added hastily. He wasn't going to do any work unless he was pretty sure that they can afford to pay the bill.
"Do you accept credit cards?" Rukawa asked stonily.
"Yeah, you have one?" the mechanic asked. Rukawa nodded his head. "Great, you can pay when the bike is ready."
"Err, one more thing, I think I left my purse at home," Yasuya said in a small voice. Rukawa sighed and said, "My treat."
"Great! Let's go!" she said with a little too much enthusiasm. Rukawa rolled his eyes upwards and made a silent prayer. If her appetite was anything like her cousin's, he prayed he won't go bankrupt at the end of the meal.
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They went to a nearby western restaurant. They sat in a booth opposite each other. The waitress approached them to take their order.
"I'll have ox tail soup, baked salmon with broiled potatoes and for dessert; I'll have the marble cheese cake. And one carrot apple juice please," she said after studying the menu.
The waitress sporting the name tag Annie cocked her eyebrow as she jotted down the order. She seldom has female customers ordering without restrain. The usually orders were salads and sky juice. "And you sir?"
"I'll have chicken salad and a bottle of mineral water."
Annie tried to hide her amazement. The girl eats like a guy while the guy eats like a girl. But she could not help thinking they make a very nice couple. "Will that be all?" she asked professionally. Both of them nodded their heads and she left the table.
"I said I will treat you, but there is no need to attempt to make me go broke. For a girl, you have a big appetite. No wonder you are growing fat," he said sarcastically.
"I'll pay you back if you want," she offered. "And I am not growing fat! The huge appetite runs in the family," she added quickly.
"There is no need to pay me back. I'll keep my word." This probably meant he won't be able to afford to the Yanni CD that was coming out later that month.
The waitress once more came to their table and served their food. With a slight bow, she left them. Rukawa started to pick on his salad daintily as the waitress observe them from afar. She was really curious about this couple. One had the face of a frozen angel while the other seemed to emit an aura of fiery determination. What opposites they make.
Yasuya tackled her soup with the appetite of one that had been starved for days. She broke of a bit of French bread and dunked it into her soup. She ate so fast, it mildly surprised him. They talked a bit while she waited for her main meal. She was surprised at the intelligence he possessed underneath the cold façade of his.
She tackled her salmon with renewed strength. He watched her gobble down the piece of fish. The other girls he often ate with ate daintily and tried to give out the impression of girlishness. He had never been able to stand the pretence and preferred take his meals alone. She was the first girl he met that didn't put on airs to impress him, and she never cease to amaze him with her unique personality. She amazes him as much as Sakuragi amaze him with his fast improvement on the court. The ability to amaze must have run in the family along with the appetite!
They finally finished their meal. She ate with such speed that she finishes her entire meal of three courses as fast as he ate his salad. He signaled for the bill and the original waitress who took their order brought it. He paid for it with his fathers' credit card. As the waitress walked away, she silently remarked to herself, "At least the guy still pays the bill."
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Episode 5: Discovery of Feelings
They walked back to the repair shop. The mechanic told them they needed another hour at lease.
"What are we suppose to do in the meanwhile?" Yasuya asked. They weren't familiar with this part of town.
"Let's see, you children can go to the arcade nearby. That should keep you occupied for an hour."
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Rukawa and Yasuya took the mechanics advice. As they entered the arcade, they were greeted with noise of fighting machines and excited squeals.
Rukawa took out some bills and exchanged them for tokens. They walked around trying to find suitable games to play. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm excitedly and dragged him to a nearby machine. It was the game that you try to shoot as many balls into the basket ball hoop. The challenge was the basket moves to the speed that you choose. She looked at him with a challenging expression on her face. He understood instantly and slapped a high five with her to seal the deal.
They played. Rukawa always won with a narrow margin. Yasuya, not believing the results always demanded a rematch. Both their stream of coupons grew longer and longer while their pile of tokens grew smaller. Finally, she won with a narrow margin of one. She looked at him with a taunting expression and pronounced herself satisfied. What she did not know was he purposely missed some shots just to let her win.
They exchanged more tokens and continued playing. She laughed and teased him when they were playing at the Dance Master. She remarked. "Your legs are like lead, I wonder how you ever earned the nickname Shohoku's Ace on the court!" That made him try harder, but he just wasn't tailored for dancing. He acted even more like a fool. Unlike him, Yasuya proved to be a better dancer.
Finally, they went to exchange their coupons. The finally chose a small bear and a key chain molded into the shape of a basketball. They agreed he should take the key chain and she will keep the bear. They walked silently back to the repair shop, both fought the urge to grasp for each others hand as they walk down the street softly lit by the street lamps and the pale moonlight.
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When they finally reached the repair shop, they were greeted by the mechanic. "Where have you two been? It is so late now! I thought you would be back in an hour. Here you are." He wheeled Rukawa's bike towards them. It looks as good as new.
Yasuya looked at her watch and gasped. They spent nearly two hours in the arcade. They were having so much fun; Time seemed to have passed by faster than usual. Rukawa handed him his credit card to pay for the repairs. Then they slowly walked back home in silence. She told him she won't ride with him anymore because she was afraid she might never make it home.
When they reached her house, they saw light and the shadow of someone bald pacing up and down the living room while another figure sat knitting oblivious of the pacing boy in front of her through the sliding door. They looked at each other and Yasuya grasped the bear in her hands even more tightly.
"I should really go now," Rukawa said feeling his face grow slightly red. He was glad the darkness hid his face.
"Yeah sure, see you tomorrow at school," she said. She was feeling pretty shy herself for some reason. With that she walked up to her fate while he wheeled his bicycle. After some distance, he looked over his shoulder once and threw one leg over his bike and rode away.
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Yasuya practically floated up the front door. She rang the bell and a very anxious Sakuragi opened the door almost instantly. He at once asked her all sorts of incriminating questions but she pretended not to have heard him. She continued humming and made her way up the stairs towards her room leaving her fuming cousin at the foot of the stairs. Her knitting aunt looked her once and realized she looked like a girl in love. She smiled to herself and said nothing.
Yasuya closed her room door. She went to her cupboard and got out a set of clean clothes. She opened the door once more and practically floated down the hall. She did not see her cousin look at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Her light hearted singing was heard as the shower went on and off.
Later that night, she crept into the bed with the small bear. There she slept and dreamt sweet dreams hugging the bear close to her heart.
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Rukawa turned the lock to his house humming softly to himself. He was humming the song which they played together this afternoon. A small smile crept up and displayed itself across his broad face. The face of a frozen angel at once transformed itself into one of a teenage boy in love.
He entered the house. His parents were watching television and he called out a cheerful greeting to them. With that, he made his way upstairs. His parents at once turned when they detected the note of happiness in their son's voice. They at once turned to see a disappearing figure that appeared to be dancing and singing his way up the stairs. They sank back into their seats in the sofa and exchanged worried and puzzled looks.
Rukawa showered and changed into his pajamas. As he emptied his jeans pockets, he found the key chain and took it in his palm and looked at it for a while. Memories of the happy evening they shared flooded into his mind once more, warming his heart. He never felt this way for any other girl before. In fact, she was the only girl he would ever talk to besides Ayako and occasionally Haruko.
He attached the key chain to his back and took a step back to admire it. He smiled again. He was smiling too many times these days. Could these feelings he feels now be.love? He shook his head and switched of the lights. With that he threw himself onto his bed and fell instantly asleep, dreaming about.her.
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Later that month, his parents sat down in the study and opened their bills. Rukawa's father opened his son's credit card bill without much interest. The usual expenses were there, bills from the record shop, the repair shop and the sporting goods store. Suddenly he grasped the paper tighter and pulled it nearer, not believing his eyes. The bill from the restaurant shocked him. It was as though there were three of his sons eating. Either that or his son must have been cheated. He handed the bill to his wife, and an equally puzzled expression passed to her face. She noted the date. It was the date when her son came home singing and dancing.
He looked up the telephone directory and called the restaurant up. As luck would have it, Annie, the waitress answered the phone.
"White Couch. How may I help you?"
"Mushi mushi, I would like to enquire was there a boy who is quite tall with long black hair hanging over eyes, came in a two weeks ago and spent *xxx yen and paid with a credit card?" Most people remember Kaede because of his startling good looks but cold demeanor. And not many boys his age possess their own credit card anyway.
"Yes. Mr. Rukawa I believe was his name." Annie smiled at the memory. "May I know who this is?"
"I am his father. May I know what did my son order to rack up such an expensive dinner, especially when he was eating alone?" the man said, his voice tinted with anger.
"But he wasn't alone. A young lady with red hair came with him. Let me check the records. Here. The young lady ordered oxtail soup, baked salmon and marble cheesecake. The young sir ordered a chicken salad. Is something wrong with the bill? It is stated that it amounted to *xxx yen." Annie asked in a worried tone.
"No, nothing is wrong. Thank you for your help." The man said faintly and ended the call.
"Our son wasn't eating alone."
Mrs. Rukawa raised an eyebrow.
"He treated a girl to dinner."
Mrs. Rukawa's eyes started to widened.
"And he came home singing and dancing." Her husband's voice sounded weak. "I think I am going to faint."
After a while, Mrs. Rukawa cleared her throat and finally spoke up. "I think our son is in love."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Episode 6: The News
Yasuya was very pleased. She had a good game with the rest of the team and now she is taking a long shower. Her aunt and her friends went out to see a movie and Sakuragi just left with his friends. She grasped for the towel hanging on the door and wrapped it around her body. After she dressed, she brushed her wet hair and let the wet tresses fall limply around her shoulders. Her wet hair seemed a shade darker but her eyes still shone with an enthusiastic gleam in them.
She walked down and found a note saying that dinner was in the oven. She opened up to find a plate of prawn tempura and a bowl of rice. Halfway through her dinner, the phone rang and she picked it up.
"Mushi mushi!" she said cheerfully into the phone. "This is Ms. Yasuya." She listened intently for a while and suddenly, she turned pale and grew cold. After what seemed an eternity but was in reality only seconds, she broke tears at the news she just received.
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"I am very sorry to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Sakuragi Takeunochi has died in a car crash this evening." The voice repeating that sentence that changed her life continued to haunt her dreams. Her aunt and cousin were extremely supportive. Her aunt told her that she will be living with them from now on as she was appointed as her guardian. She continued to talk about legal matters and assets but it didn't interest her. From that fateful night onwards, she grew a shell around her and was less cheerful than before. She also lost a bit of weight thus making her seemed extremely thin and sickly
It was already two months since the accident. She went to school as usual after coming back from Tokyo. She will inherit her fathers' shares in the company when she is of age. She turned out to be quite rich once she claims her inheritance. Her cousin accompanied her everywhere and insisted she come to practice. The changes in her attitude were noticed and everyone one the team was shocked at the news. They offered her their condolences.
Rukawa was shocked to see the changes in her. She no longer pestered him about in class. In fact, she seldom talked and completely lost her cheerful disposition. She seemed so withdrawn. Secretly, he was worried about her condition. Thus, Yasuya got her self two bodyguards. One that stays by her side and head butts anyone that dares disturb her and the other that stays hidden in the background to make sure no harm befalls on her.
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Usually, Sakuragi was her protector both inside and outside the school compound. But he did not attend school that day due to a bad flu from playing basketball in the rain with Miyagi and Kogure. After school, Yasuya manage to decline offers from both Akagi and Mitsui to escort her home. She managed to convince them that it was impossible for her to get lost and she will be walking in broad daylight.
She set out alone from school. Practice was cancelled due to the fact that half the team was ill. Rukawa followed her from a distance, unable to put his fears to rest. He left his bike in school, meaning to get it later. When she turned round the corner, he hurried his pace in case he lost her. But there she was, crossing the road, totally absorbed in her own little world. She did not seem to realize that a truck was moving in her direction. And he was too far away to do anything.
Yasuya was walking along, oblivious to the danger around her. She was remembering all the things that happened within her family from her earliest memories. They were practically a model family, living in a warm and cozy house. Her father was a successful entrepreneur while her mother was a part time interior designer. They were quite well off. Only when she hit puberty, did her attitude slowly change. She was aware of her beauty; her emerald green eyes and flaming red hair were always a source of admiration. But after seeing her friends' hearts broken after a relationship, she grew slightly afraid of commitment, and thus grew a shell around herself. She grew boyish and refused to believe in boys. She remembered the last conversation she had with her mother. It did not go well at all.
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*
"Why can't you act like a girl? Sometimes I wish you were born a boy!" Her mother said in a desperate tone of voice. Her daughter can be so terrible at times. It wasn't as though she lack attention from the opposite sex. Indeed, she has her own throng of admirers and was a popular girl. Yet she was so boyish and never wore skirts. In fact, she wore large T-shirts and jeans that barely revealed her slim and shapely figure. Ever since her fourteenth birthday, she had never seen her daughter wearing skirts. The red haired figure in front of her remained mute.
Mrs. Sakuragi sighed. "Your father and I are going to America for a few months. You will go to Kanagawa and stay with your aunt and cousin. Maybe you will learn to how to be a girl if you stay with a boy your age. Hanamichi is a nice boy. I'm sure you will get along with him. But darling daughter, do behave!"
Yasuya smiled for the first time. She missed her red headed cousin who was so much like her. From his mails; it seems he is playing basketball and is quite good at it. She longed to see him. She missed her aunt too. She was always so patient and nice. But with a son like Hanamichi, it is hard not have developed patience through out the years.
She boarded the plane for Kanagawa later that week. She will miss her friends, but she longed for a life of her own. Boarding the plane was the first step towards her new life. Maybe she will like it there more than she liked it here.
*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*
She was so absorbed in her thoughts; she was shell shocked when an enormous weight shoved her onto the pavement. A truck passed by splattering her and that "weight" with mud. Well, the "weight" got most of it since it was right on top of her, with its arms around her, as if trying to protect her and refusing to let her go. After opening her eyes and realizing who it was did she stop struggling. It was Rukawa Kaede. She held still as he sat up and looked at her. He still had not let fo of her Two months ago, it would have been bliss to wake up from her dreams in his arms. But now, things changed. She threw her arms around him and promptly broke into tears.
Rukawa was mildly surprised. He was so afraid he had been to late just now. With the reflexes of an experience basketball player, he managed to shove her to one side just as the truck was about to hit her. By, doing that, he was actually risking his own life. Only that second did he realize how close he was to losing her and how important she was to him. Instinctively, he held her tighter, afraid that she might vanish into thin air if he does not do so.
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Episode 7: Confessions of Love
Soon, as her tears stopped flowing, she disentangles herself from his rather tight embrace. With a ghost of her old self, she said in a mischievous voice, "Was it really necessary to squash me just now? That was the third time you tried to murder me, if my memory serves me correct." Rukawa rolled his eyes upward and was about to retort sarcastically when she added, "But thank you for saving me."
Rukawa just nodded as a sign of acknowledgement. He stood up and offered her his hand gallantly. She accepted and he pulled her up. Looking at his uniform, she couldn't stop herself from giggling. He was dirty and messy. He looked down on himself and then pointed at her hair. She lifted her hand and touched her head. It was caked with mud. She threw back her head and started laughing. He looked at her with a surprised look. He did not see humor in the situation they were in but her laughter was so infectious he couldn't help but smile.
She was surprised when she saw him smile. His face no longer resembled one of frozen angel, carved out of marble but more like school boys'. Her face grew hot as she asked, "Would you mind walking back to school with me? I feel like playing basketball," she asked him impulsively. She had a funny feeling he was following her all the time. His bike wasn't there and he wasn't falling asleep. He nodded and the walked along side her up the street where they came from. Suddenly, he threw caution to the winds and held her hand tight and not letting go till they reached the school. He wasn't going to take any chances by letting her out of his grasp. Once is bad enough, but to nearly lose her twice in one day would prove to be too much.
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Finally, by the time they reached school, it was raining heavily outside. They went into the changing rooms to change. She put her head underneath one of the taps and let the water run, taking the dried mud along with it. When she was done, she remembered that she didn't have a towel. Squeezing her hair dry, she held it with one hand as she absent mindedly wandered out of the girls' dressing room and into the boys' one, meaning to get one from her Sakuragi's locker there.
She opened the door to find Rukawa only in his underwear. (Ok, sorry to embarrass you guys.) She turned her head and mumbled out her apology as he quickly slipped into a pair of shorts. She walked towards Sakuragi's locker and opened it with the key she found taped to the side. Loads of rubbish tumbled out. Finally, she found a towel but it smelt as bad a whole basketful of smelly gym socks that she threw it back into the locker. She groaned inwardly as she began to shove armfuls of junk back into the untidy locker.
As she was about to close the door, she notice Haruko's picture taped onto the door. The picture was sealed in a clear plastic bag. To keep out all the grime and dirt from this locker I suppose, Yasuya thought grimly as she slammed the locker shut. She turned to come face to face with Rukawa. As though he could read her mind, he was offering her a towel. He looked as though he just showered and had put on a white T-shirt and shorts. His dark hair was damp and he combed it back, revealing his pale blue eyes. She accepted the towel and before she could say thank you, he was already out of the changing room.
Yasuya stood there and held the towel in her hands. The towel was slightly damp to her touch. She brought it to her face and inhaled in the scent of his shampoo. Shaking her head, she let go her hair which she had already tied into a bun whilst on her way into the boys changing room. The limp wet locks of hair tumbled out and she started to dry it vigorously. After a while, she tied her hair back into a ponytail and made her way out of the room. On her way out, she left the towel on the bench near Rukawa's locker and left the room.
By the time she came out of the locker room, he was already practicing his three pointers. They nodded to each other and the game began. Both of them had no intention of letting each other win. Both played with all their strength, skill and dexterity. They lost themselves in the game and enjoyed it immensely.
Finally, they were both too exhausted to continue playing. While he went into the changing room to pack up, she laid down on the bench and fell fast asleep. For the first time in months, she was too exhausted to dream up any nightmares.
When he came back, he found her fast asleep. She looked so angelic and at peace. He squatted down beside the still form lying on the bench. He brushed away the silken strands that strayed form the ponytail. Suddenly, he just wanted to stay there and gaze at her face forever. He shook himself out of his daydream. He left her sleeping as he went out to call the Sakuragi residence.
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Ring-ring. The phone rang at Sakuragi's house. Hanamichi at once got up from his bed but his mother had already picked the call up. He heard her speak into the phone and saw he nod from his room's doorway. He was worried stiff about his cousin's safety. Finally she put down the phone.
"A Rukawa Kaede just called. Yasuya is with him in school. Due to rain, they cannot come home yet," his mother told him.
"What?! She is with that baka kitsune?? I am going out to get her now!" he said ferociously as he stormed down the stairs. His mother race after him and barred his way.
"You are ill and the only place you are going is back to bed!" she stated firmly and pointed towards the stairs.
"But!"
"No buts! Now!"
He stormed up the stairs once more and grumbling was heard followed by slamming of the door. His mother smiled to herself. Despite always complaining about Yasuya's presence, he loved her and treated her as though she is her own sister. She smiles as she thinks of her own sons' shortcomings.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rukawa walked back into the gym. She was awake by now and was staring at the pouring rain through the window.
"How are we going back?" she asked, not bothering to turn back.
"We might have to stay till the rain stops."
"Really? I am hungry."
"The cafeteria has closed."
Rukawa walked towards his bag and produced bottle of water, two pieces of sandwiches and an apple. It was his lunch, but he hadn't touch it because he was to busy tailing her. Although he was hungry himself, he was willing to let her have everything. He brought the supplies to her. She gave him a ghost of her old smile. "Romantic huh? Pouring rain, stranded, limited food supplies. Just like an episode right out of 'Survival'." Then she saw him do something he never did before.
He smiled.
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After thier meager lunch, they sat together and looked at the pouring rain. Flashes of lightning decorated the stormy sky. Upon her insistence, they shared everything, including the apple. They simply took bites after the other has taken.
"My father told me once that the rain means Old Man Heaven is crying. I wonder did Old Man Heaven cry for my parents?" she mused aloud. Rukawa turned to look at her. She also turned and gaze into his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't cry again. I cried all I had to this afternoon already. I think I've finally accepted the deaths of my parents. And I might turn back into the cheeky creature I was once," she added mischievously.
"I wish you would," he said quietly without looking at her.
"You what?" she asked in amazement.
"I said I wish you would. I liked you that way."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"Look, Old Man heaven has stopped crying. Let's get out of here," she said hastily. She got up and heard him do the same behind her. As she walked quickly towards the exit, she heard him call out her name. She pretended not to have noticed but continued to walk rapidly.
Rukawa ran towards her. He caught hold of her arm and swung her around facing him, gazing into her green eyes. On impulse, he kissed her on the lips. She struggled in his arms but he held her tight. Slowly, she found herself responding to his kiss and melting into his embrace. When they broke apart, she looked into those eyes that she once thought were like pieces of ice. But now, she saw love and concern, for her.
"What did you do that for?" she asked. "I don't know. I just wanted to do it," he replied with a small smile. "Well, why don't you do it again?" she asked as he brought his lips onto hers once more.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, as she fell asleep on her bed, she dreamt good dreams. Sakuragi wasn't very calm when he heard of their relationship, but he gradually accepted.
"What?! You are going steady with that Kitsune? You must be joking!" Sakuragi yelled when she came home that night.
"I am, and there is nothing you can do about it!"
"Idiot! He is only playing a fool with you!"
"He is not! Look on the bright side; it does leave the coast clear for you to court Haruko!"
She struck gold. He calmed down and actually sat down, and said, "You're right! With Fox boy out of the way, Haruko is mine! Mua ha-ha!" He laughed insanely. "At the way you carry on, I am surprised if you don't frighten her a mile away," she said under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
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That night, she spoke to Rukawa through the phone. In his voice she could detect warmth in it that was never there. Was this what love does to people? She shook her head as she once more heard snoring from the other end of the line. Gently, she replaced the receiver. He would wake up next to a dead line, and he can't blame her. It was useless to wake him up. The only thing that could was either her cousin nasty insults or her nasty poke in the ribs. She considered asking her cousin for help, but knowing him, he would probably overdo things.
She looked at the phone longingly. Releasing a sigh, she went to bed. She would see him tomorrow. That night, she did not dream anymore nightmares, but sweet dreams of him and her together.
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He woke up next to a dead line. He mentally kicked himself for falling asleep. He replaced the receiver and dropped onto the bed once more. He stared at the ceiling thinking about her, trying to remember every detail of her face, the sound of her voice, the feel of her hair and the warmth in her eyes. Eventually, he fell asleep dreaming about her.
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Episode 8: Miracles of Love
Rukawa couldn't believe it. He felt like walking amongst clouds, floating. He looked at Yasuya, who was walking beside him and she smiled at him. She had become more like her cheeky old self. The Shohoku team continuously teases both of them although it has almost been a week since he made the announcement. Even the teachers were surprised when they heard rumors about this mismatched couple. But it seemed to have a positive effect on Rukawa. He seldom fall asleep in classes now as he is too busy catching up. He has no intention of letting her beat him too much academically. His results improved steadily and his teachers were very please.
Haruko was slightly shocked but accepted with good grace. She congratulated on them both and wished them well wishes. Other admirers weren't so graceful; they openly scorn their relationship and made bets on how long it would last. Most of the time, either Sakuragi or Rukawa would be there to fend them off. Rukawa was still afraid he might lose her one day.
Practice has stopped and would be resumed soon due to exams. Rukawa thinks that he may be able to pass enough subjects to let him stay on the basketball team. His parents often wondered how this girl changed their anti-social son. And improve his school work as well! Talk about the miracles of love!
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Directly after results were posted, they had a match against Kainan. Rukawa's results were terrific. At least it was terrific compared to the last exams. He scored mainly B's and even an A for physics. Yasuya scored straight A's once more but poor Sakuragi failed miserably in almost all his subjects again. Yasuya resolved to help her cousin pass his next test with flying colors.
The turn up for the match against Kainan was terrific. There was talk of choosing Shinichi Maki from Kainan for the course in America. Everyone wanted to see how good he really was. So even though it was just a friendly game, many people attended.
Rukawa always regarded Maki as a rival and idol at the same time. To be the best, he must surpass Maki, yet he admires Maki for his skills and dexterity. The match against Kainan would prove who was a better player.
Ten minutes before the match. Rukawa was meditating by himself on the bench. Yasuya walked over and sat down beside him. She looked at him intently for a moment. She quietly studied the face before her. Commitment and desire to win was etched clearly and deeply into every line of his face. He opened his eyes and stared into hers for a moment. He gently took her hand which was on her lap and squeezed it gently. His face relaxed and broke into a smile.
"Nervous?"
"Not really. I want to win and I will win." He spoke with pride and confidence.
"I know you will..." With that, she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.
He looked at her and kissed her on the lips. She responded and all her brain could think was how deliciously soft and sweet his lips were. They broke apart when they heard shouting down the court. Sakuragi was having another run in with Kainan's Kiyota. Both of them were wearing the number ten on their jerseys.
"Little monkey, stop showing off! You are making a fool of yourself!" Sakuragi yelled at the long haired boy in front of him who was dribbling the ball. "Speak for yourself, red haired monkey!" Kiyota replied with a flourish. "What did you say?!" Sakuragi yelled as a fight broke out. They were subdued when Akagi and Maki both when down to court and pulled them apart. Akagi of course delivered one of his famous Gori-punch on Sakuragi's head and Maki pulled Kiyota's ponytail. Both captains exchanged nods and dragged their players off the court. Meanwhile, Yasuya and Rukawa exchanged knowing smiles.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The match started with the ball in Shohoku's possession. Rukawa and Sakuragi seemed to have developed newfound understanding since Yasuya came into the picture. They passed the ball to each other and seemed to be able to read each other minds. Rukawa dribbled the ball as he expertly evaded the Kainan blockers as he made his way down the court. He was met by Maki. He at once passed the ball to Mitsui who was nearby. Mitsui then shot a perfect three pointer that made the whole stadium explode with their screams and cheers.
Half time came. The players rested and Rukawa was attended to by Yasuya. Sakuragi grumbled on and on about forgetting close relatives until Haruko handed him a can drink. He at once started to turn pink and stammered his thanks. Yasuya said nothing but rolled her eyes upwards. Rukawa saw and was not able to suppress a smile. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upwards and he bowed his head to hide it. Truly, only Yasuya can make him smile like that.
The match resumed. Kainan proved to be a fierce opponent. Twice again they stole the ball from Shohoku. Yasuya noticed that Rukawa seemed to be slowing down. Her cousin as usual was still full of stamina. She cast a look at the clock. The score was 65 to 62 with Kainan in the lead. There was only five more minutes on the clock. Suddenly, she heard the referee's whistle. She at once turned her gaze towards the court and saw Rukawa on the floor. He seemed to be alright. The referee pronounced it a foul and gave Shohoku two penalty shots.
Yasuya looked at Rukawa. She was worried he might over exert himself. Like a charm, Rukawa turned his head and cast a glance at her. He the smiled and gave her a thumbs up sign. She returned his sign and smile. He then turned and concentrated on the penalty shots called.
He looked at the net. Images of Yasuya keep swimming into his head. He vowed he will score for her. With that, he took aim and released the ball. The ball hit the rim and rolled around a few times before it fell into the net with a satisfying swish. The second shot went cleanly into the net. All at once the whole stadium erupted with applause and cheers. The score was now 66 to 65 with Shohoku in the lead!
Mitsui once more got hold of the ball. Surrounded by three Kainan players, it was almost impossible for him to make a pass less say take aim and shoot. He saw a break and at once passed the ball to Sakuragi who was being guarded by Kiyota. The ball bounced on the floor but Maki intercepted it. He made a break and at once rushed down towards the other end to the court.
He was met by Akagi and Rukawa. While he was trying to escape Akagi, Rukawa sneaked up and stole the ball. While Maki was still shocked, Rukawa at once passed the ball to Miyagi who was nearby, who at once raced down to the other end of the court. He was met by Jin. He then passed the ball to Sakuragi who made a spectacular dunk.
The match progressed quickly. Kainan once more regained the lost points. In the last 25 seconds, the score was 72 to 71 with Kainan in the lead. Rukawa got the ball and at once dribbled it. He was met by Maki, who guarded him. Suddenly, amidst the noise in the stadium, he could hear Yasuya's voice clearly above the rest, cheering him on. With a sudden burst of energy, He rushed past Maki and dunked the ball into the net. The buzzer was sounded. The match has come to an end. Shohoku won with a 73 to 72 score!
After making that spectacular dunk, Rukawa dropped collapse on to the floor. His fellow teammates at once surrounded him and carried him off court. They laid him on the bench where a very attentive Yasuya took over. He clearly suffered from exhaustion. His parched lips were slightly parted and the slight rise and fall of the chest were the only indication he was alive. His face was pale and cold like marble and his hair clung onto his damp face. She at once knelt beside him and tried to revive him by wetting his lips with cotton swabs soaked in water.
He slowly opened his eyes to find her green ones brimming with concern peering upon him. Seeing her worried expression, he managed a weak smile and tried to sit up. She at once slapped him and promptly broke into tears. "Don't you ever dare frighten me like that again!" she threatened him through her tears, trying to make her voice audible above the noise. His only response was to kiss her forehead and hug her tight. Somewhere down the court, they heard Sakuragi proclaiming to the others about what a tiensai he is.
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Episode 9: Epilogue
They were sitting next to each other in the park. Silence filled the gap between them as she watched the youngsters play. Suddenly, she heard snoring coming from the person sitting beside her. She turned her head and saw his head lolling onto the side while saliva dripped from his mouth. Sighing, she poked him in the ribs and ducked when the anticipated swing of the arm came. It was a trick that often came in handy whenever she wanted to wake him up.
He opened his eyes sleepily. When he saw the angry look on her face, he pulled back his head and shook it as if trying to shake the sleep away. She laughed and he realized that she had tricked him.
"Can't you try to stay awake for a minute?"
"Sorry, I am so tired!" As if trying to emphasize his point, he promptly yawned.
"Then go back to your house and sleep. Why come out if you are tired?" She turned his head away from him as if she was pouting.
"I want to spend more time with you! Isn't that good enough?"
Deeply mollified, she turned her head to face him. His face looked so tired and it seemed haven't recovered fully from yesterday's match yet. His eyes never lost their icy looks yet now, there seemed to be a fire behind them, a fire for her. He stared into her bright green eyes and leaned forward and kissed her deeply on the lips. They both relaxed as the passion of their kiss soared high and got lost among the swirls of purple and orange clouds above them.
*~*THE END*~*