Rukawa Kaede looked at the boy in front of him and took a deep breath. It was not easy to do what he was about to do.
"I like you," the words finally came out from Rukawa's mouth.
The boy in front of him gaped and looked at him incredulously. "Don't fuck with me!"
"I'm not fucking around. I'm serious," Rukawa said coolly as he traced every bit of the redhead's features. But I don't mind fucking you! (huhu)
Sakuragi Hanamichi threw away violently the orange ball that he was holding for quite some time, he was enraged! What a humiliation! Who does he think he is? Doesn't he know that I hate his guts? Ha! I know, this is his new tactic to bring me down, he wants to beat me by toying with my feelings! Sly fox! Hah! The tensai won't be fool!
"I don't believe you fox!" Sakuragi yelled on top of his lung and lurched forward to punch Rukawa on his pallid face and Rukawa was taken aback by the punch. I'm confessing my feelings to him and all I get was a punch? Again, why do I like him in the first place?
"Look at me! Do I look like I'm lying to you?" Rukawa said while grabbing both of Sakuragi's shoulders in an attempt to calm the latter down.
"Don't touch me!" Sakuragi slapped away Rukawa's hand. Sakuragi thought he saw a flash of sadness in the kitsune's eyes when he pushed him away, but he wasn't sure. He's not sure about anything right now!
Sakuragi glared at Rukawa while Rukawa just looked back at Sakuragi with hope. Sakuragi was the first one to break the staring contest.
"I don't have time for silly games, kitsune," Sakuragi growled and walk away towards the exit, leaving the brunette-haired boy.
"You know I'm not playing games here. I'll wait until you're ready, doaho." Rukawa uttered as he watched sadly his beloved redhead's retreating figure.
The most popular boy in Shohoku High School and the Most Valuable Player of the year had just been rejected by his first love. Life is twisted, ne…
One week later…
"Wait," Rukawa said as he grabbed Sakuragi's wrist. Sakuragi was planning to go home and he was on his way out from the locker room when Rukawa suddenly grabbed him. Thank god nobody was there to witness the awkward situation he was in, Sakuragi thought. Or else he would die of humiliation being seen caught in the wrist by his mortal enemy.
"Let me go!" Sakuragi yelled angrily and pulled his wrist away but Rukawa acted fast and tightened his grip. It's been a week since Rukawa's love confession to him and Sakuragi had been avoiding Rukawa like a plague ever since. Today was inevitable. Gori, as Sakuragi would call the team captain, had tasked him and Rukawa the cleaning duties. So it was just the two of them left behind after the practice had long ended.
"Not until you hear me out," Rukawa said with a serious face. Sakuragi, sensing the seriousness in Rukawa's tone decided to cooperate.
"Okay," Sakuragi replied while looking away for he couldn't bear to look at the kitsune straight in the face. Rukawa released his grip from the redhead's wriggling wrist.
"Is this about the I-like-you thing that you told me last week? I told you I can't play your stupid games, kitsune," Sakuragi ran through his red hair with his finger, obviously he was nervous. "It's sick, you know," he added.
"Sick?" Rukawa winced. He was trying hard to accept the word that had just come out from the redhead's mouth. "Do I disgust you that much?"
"Um, er..." Sakuragi stuttered. Why does he have to sound so sad? "Yes, you're sick you know that Rukawa? You have all those girls whose head over heels for you, and yet, you came to me and said you like me. What the hell is wrong with you?!" Sakuragi replied bluntly. "Plus, we're both men!"
Rukawa looked at Sakuragi motionless. "Hn" Rukawa picked up his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder.
Sakuragi watched the kitsune as the latter picked up his bag. "Oi, where are you going?"
"Home," Rukawa replied monotonously.
"That's it? You made me stayed back just so that you can go home first?" Sakuragi snarled.
Rukawa looked at him expressionless and turned away. "I disgust you. I should stay away from you."
Sakuragi was speechless. He watched until Rukawa was out of his sight. This should be the best way, right tensai?
All this time I've been chasing and got dumped by 50 girls, and now of all people, the one that I hate most, not to mention a guy!, claims that he likes me! Boy, I must have done something really bad in my past life to deserve all this!
A couple of weeks later…
"Oi Rukawa," Rukawa heard his darling redhead calling his name.
"Nanda?" Rukawa asked back.
"I heard you're going to America,"
"Yes," Rukawa nodded his head and looked at the redhead hopefully. Why is the doaho asking me this question? Could it be that he doesn't want me to go?
"Huh! Are you trying to run away from the tensai's greatness? Are you afraid of this tensai that you decided to run away to America? Nyahahahaha!" Sakuragi laughed his annoying laugh and grinned foolishly at the kitsune, and then walked away to do his own shooting practice. He felt a stab of pain in his heart when he overheard Anzai-sensei and Mitsui talking about Rukawa's going to America, but now he felt like someone's stabbing his heart continuously when he heard it from the brunette's own mouth. He's leaving me…
Wait! I thought I hated him, but why do I feel sad knowing that he's leaving for America? It would be great if he leaves, I will have Haruko-san's attention all to myself, no fox meddling, no fighting with him, no name-calling, no Rukawa… no kitsune… no fox… Shohoku will be a better place without that kitsune-otoko, right tensai? Or is it?
Rukawa looked at the redhead and sighed. "Doaho," he muttered.
Sakuragi couldn't sleep that night because he kept thinking about a certain brunette-haired boy. I wonder if Rukawa couldn't sleep at night thinking about me, like I'm thinking about him right now?
A month later…
"Oi Mitchy! Why is that kitsune-otoko still in Shohoku? I thought he's going to America?" Sakuragi asked Mitsui.
"Huh? Oh, that. Anzai-sensei told him to be the best in Japan first, and then he can go to America. You didn't know? It was old news. Sorry to disappoint you, but he's gonna be here for quite a while,"
Disappointed was the last thing that Sakuragi felt at that time. He was relieved and happy knowing that Rukawa would not be leaving him. Sakuragi decided to do the right thing and went to find Rukawa.
Two minutes later…
"Oi Rukawa," Sakuragi said and he felt a smile crept onto his face.
"…" He's smiling at me!
"Let's go and grab something to eat after practice," Sakuragi said and quickly jogged away.
Rukawa smiled for the first time in 10 years as he watched the redhead's back. Life couldn't get any better for him!