NOW WHO'S THE MAN?
By nightjade
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slam Dunk so please don't sue me...just sit back, relax and enjoy the show!
Chapter 1: Common ground
Even the rivalry would not stop at the court.
The cool water was very welcoming as it slid down his throat. Practice game or no practice game, it was very tiring, indeed. Anzai- sensei was a silent yet very driving coach. It was very hard to disobey him. It would be like going against your own conscience. That would be more than enough for a rookie to handle.
He let the water splash on his face. It was somewhat reviving and makes him ready for another round.
Well, almost.
"Rukawa-kun! You played very well."
Kaede Rukawa slightly turned around at the sound of the familiar female voice.
"Haruko" he acknowledged simply, then took another gulp of water before letting go of the fountain. He wiped his face and turned to her. She looked pretty as always. Too bad he's not interested.
"Anzai-sensei was pretty -- quiet today. But you guys looked harangued. Its okay, though. It is good training for the championship. Its just a few days away.." she stopped when she realized that she was stammering. Kaede continued to look indifferent.
"Oh well, I guess I better go. Uhmm...ganbatte, Rukawa-kun." And with that she turned to go away.
Kaede suddenly felt a pang of guilt...slightly..for having been rude to the sister of their captain whom he respected so much. He felt that somehow he owed it to Takenori to be nice to Haruko for once.
"Arigatou...Haruko-san."
He saw her turn back and smiled broadly, then turned to walk away again. He just watched as she slowly disappeared into the gym's hallway.
"Rukawa! Break's over! Time to get spunky!" Ryota's voice rang out from the gym.
Kaede took a deep breath before heading back to the court. It was time to get to work.
"Pooh! I give up! I give up! This practice game doesn't feel like a practice game at all!" wailed a very beat up Hisashi Mitsui. He slumped on the floor of the shower room and leaned back on the lockers.
Ryota Miyagi dried his curly head and wrapped the towel around his waist.
"Hai! I feel as if my bones are about to give in...in fact I can hardly feel them!"
A loud boisterous laugh suddenly echoed in the room.
"Hahaha! That's what you get for not being gifted like this genius over here!"
Together, Riyota and Mitsui feigned innocence and started looking far ahead and sideways.
"Genius? Where? Where?"
Sakuragi did not have the time to react anymore as Akagi suddenly came in, looking seriously disappointed. Everyone stood silent in the presence of their captain.
"We do not have time to be lax about the whole thing. We have a championship to win! We still need to practice - harder! What we had in court today was not enough. We have to start again tomorrow-- early morning we will meet here and jog around the gym--twice the number of rounds!"
Everyone's breath caught in their throats. Twice the number of rounds? Is he insane? Normal rounds were hell already.
Sakuragi could not contain his astonishment.
"Th--that--that would mean..?" Suddenly he was too scared to even calculate.
Akagi's frosted look did not waver.
"Hai! We would be doing thirty laps tomorrow morning to add up to our stamina. There is a big possibility that we will be facing Kainan again. And what they are doing is even more inconceivable! Any questions?"
No one dared to speak up again. This time, Akagi smiled.
"Good. Now," he looked around, suddenly aware that they were one person short. "Where is Rukawa?"
He could barely keep his feet on the pedal of his bicycle. He kept wavering to the sides and decided to stop first before he meets an accident. The time was too critical for anyone, especially him, to get injured. HE was badly needed by his team and in this game. There was just too much at stake.
He stopped by a coffee shop and parked his bike. Then he searched his pockets for a spare change and decided to buy himself a dose of caffeine. Maybe that's what he needed. Something to soothe his aching muscles from the tough practice. He opened the door just in time as a charming young lady was coming out. They both looked surprised, then she shyly smiled and thanked him for opening the door for her. Rukawa could not speak. Instead, he just nodded awkwardly and held the door open until she fully got out. The girl smiled again and walked away, leaving him standing there looking like an idiot. He finally seemed to catch himself and snorted, then went inside the shop to buy himself the long awaited dose of caffeine.
On his way home, he spotted the same girl waiting for her chance to cross the street. The light suddenly turned red and she looked in one direction first before stepping on the road. Suddenly out of nowhere, a car came careening down the street, trying to go against the red light. The driver seem not to see her.
Rukawa could not resist being the savior of the day. He was already close to where she was standing and as soon as she was within reach, he grabbed her on one arm and pulled her off the street just in time as the car sped down right where she was seconds ago. A bit later and she would have been squashed to death. They landed on the sidewalk with Rukawa receiving most of the impact and the girl safely cushioned against his chest. Shakened and realizing their present position, both of them suddenly became shy. She quickly got up and dusted her skirt, while Rukawa flicked off dirt on his arms. She turned to him and flashed him another shy, charming smile...something Kaede was beginning to appreciate..and bowed slightly.
"Arigatou..thank you for being kind" she said, looking deep, into his dark blue eyes.
Kaede did not know how to respond. Instead, he did not say anything. She laughed softly.
"You know, you don't always have to act so tough. You can smile at times. It is good for the soul."
Kaede was even more surprised at this.
"I have to go now. Thank you..again." And with that she turned to go. Kaede finally could not hold back. He was so curious.
"Gomen...I'm...Rukawa. Kaede." he stammered. He wanted to know if he was doing the right thing, if he would get the right response. He did.
She turned around and nodded.
"I'm Nasumi Maia. Its nice to meet you, Kaede. Take care."
For the first time in his life, as he watched her go away, Kaede Rukawa smiled sincerely.
"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Akira Sendoh called to his teammates as he exited the courtyard.
Their neighbors had set up a game for the whole block and asked Sendoh to be their coach. Amidst the shouts of "unfair!" from the other teams, they all agreed. Of course, their team won but because he was such a team player, instead of feeling angry, jealous and cheated, the others admired him more.
He slung his bag on his shoulder and walked home. It was a nice windy day and he decided to take a detour to the park. He wanted some peace and quiet and some time to meditate. He found a vacant spot on the grass and settled himself down. The cool air made him feel better. He looked around and saw people enjoying the same day. There were picnics, children playing and a Frisbee heading directly in his way! Before he could react, the Frisbee smacked right into his face.
"Oh! Im very, very sorry! Are you alright?"
Sendoh stopped rubbing his red nose and turned to look up. He was immediately face to face with a pretty honey haired girl and she had the look of outmost sincerity. He smiled despite the pain throbbing on his forehead.
"It's alright. I'm ok really. No big deal." He massaged the bridge of his nose once again with the hope of easing the pain.
The girl had to control her laughter. There was a thick red line across his nose where the Frisbee had hit.
"Well, I'm sorry again. Have a nice day." Then she picked up her Frisbee and went away. Sendoh just waved and tried to get back to his meditation. Suddenly he could not seem to concentrate anymore. That Frisbee did hurt and he found himself watching her instead. Strange. That never happened to him before.
He was unaware of how much he had been watching her. He suddenly saw her looking strangely at him. His SD form suddenly started waving and smiling and giving her assurance that he wasn't thinking of anything evil against her. She smiled back.
Finally, he decided to go home. He saw her packing up as well. Her companion seemed to be in a hurry and left her with all the apologies he could think of. The girl folded the blanket and stuffed it in the big picnic basket they hadwith them. Sendoh, being the forever gentleman, could not let her carry all those things by herself.
He trotted towards her and cleared his throat.
"Uhm...ano, do you want some help?"
The girl turned in mild surprise and immediately smiled when she saw him.
"Oh, that would be nice of you. Arigatou!"
Sendoh took the basket. "Mind if I walk you home?"
The girl shyly shook her head. They walked silently for a while. Then Sendoh could not resist asking. "Was he your boyfriend?"
She was surprised at this sudden question but laughed softly and shook her head.
"IIe! He's my classmate. He asked me to help him in courting this girl and was so excited to leave and try my advices. I couldn't let him wait."
Sendoh laughed too at his nosiness.
"You're too kind."
When they got to her house, he handed her the basket and smiled.
"Thank you..?" She hesitated.
"Its Sendoh. Akira Sendoh" he replied. She smiled back.
"Thank you, Akira Sendoh. Be careful on your way back."
He nodded. "And what's your name?"
"Nasumi Maia."
Kaede Rukawa was in a state of shock as he beheld the scene before him. Standing a few feet away from him was Sendoh and Maia!
What's going on? he suddenly fumed at the thought. The rivalry was not only on the court but also outside as well.
"So he's trying out his luck with my women, too! Even up to my social life! Well, I won't let him! I won't let him beat me in court, and I certainly will not let him beat me here either!" he muttered under his breath.
He saw them leaving...together! Feeling his insides snap, he decided to follow them to wherever they were going, then talk to her right in his face and let him know that he was the first--that he was the man! He followed them home as inconspicuously as his SD could manage. Finally, she went inside and Sendoh was left all alone. This would be the time to ring Maia's doorbell and have Sendoh see that he knew her first...that he was the man! He steadied himself and prepared for the showdown. He took careful solid steps towards him.
To his surprise, Sendoh turned around as if he knew Kaede was right behind him. He stopped midway in his steps and stared at him in the eye. Sendoh's gaze was that of a challenge, something that Rukawa understood outright. Right then and there, he realized that Sendoh was not only a rival in court but also in his social life! How arrogant indeed!
Sendoh smiled knowingly at his sudden reaction and cocked his head slightly to the right.
"Are you jealous? I was just being a gentleman."
This got Rukawa fuming silently under his shirt. And you're saying I'm not? he thought angrily...(well, he wasn't really THAT much!)
But then again, maybe it was how Sendoh would want him to respond. And if he did, then he would finally lose.
"Nandemo. I'm not interested." And with this said, he turned around and walked away, feelling slightly satisfied with having the last say in the conversation.
...to be continued..
A/N: Err...sorry for revising this fic. I just couldn't resist making some changes until the whole story sounded different! Anyway, thanks for the reviews! They really helped. I hope you enjoy this one!