Author's notes: This story is about Yuriko who was Sendoh best friend before he when they were little?… What had happened between them?
Best Friends?
Yuriko smiled helplessly as her best friend Lina dragged her to watch the practices again, Her other friend Megumi shrugged and followed willingly. The school gym was filled with noise as they heard the ball dribbling. Lina opened the gym doors eagerly and found Sendoh's fans already cheering for him. Sendoh had just done a magnificent dunk that made the girls scream in happiness and Lina's eyes turned into little hearts.
Yuriko and Megumi rolled their eyes as Lina complained one minute about Sendoh's fans and admirers making a lot of noise and joining them the next. "Guys, I have to go I need to be home early." Megumi asked apologetically. Megumi got no response from Lina since she was still in a daze. "Go ahead." Yuriko nodded smiling, "I'll take care of her." She said referring to Lina's trance-like state. Megumi smirked and left.
After the practice, Lina and Yuriko walked home together. "Isn't he fantastic?!" Lina asked dreamily, when Yuriko didn't respond, "Isn't he so great?" she demanded. Yuriko smiled disarmingly nodding to please her friend. "Well see you tomorrow Yuriko-chan." Lina said waving warmly at her friend. Yuriko waved goodbye walking home. "I'm home." Yuriko called out to the empty house. She sighed at the silence and went straight to her room. She sat at her bed and noticed a picture in her desk of a young boy with blue eyes and black hair, and her younger self. She smiled at the memory and put the photo back and went to sleep.
The next morning, she woke up and walked downstairs to the kitchen finding a note. "Honey, can you please run over to the grocery and buy the following things? Signed mother." Yuriko picked up the list then stretched herself and went back to her room to dress. Walking outside, she hugged her coat tightly as a breeze blew over. "Winter is starting again." Yuriko thought as she walked inside the small grocery shop near their house.
After a couple of hours, Yuriko finished the long list her mother wrote, paid the cashier and left the store. As she was walking out the door, someone bumped into her making her drop all that she was carrying. Yuriko sighed frustrated and went down to start picking it up. "Sorry." Someone said aplogetically bending down to help her. Yuriko was picking up the last pieces when she looked up towards who bumped her and found herself staring at calm and happy blue eyes. "Sendoh-san." She acknowledged nodding slightly and turned to walk back home.
Sendoh stared at the simple looking girl he had bumped into; there was something familiar about her. He thought hard and remembered a name and a memory he had buried in the depths of his heart. "Yuriko-san." Sendoh spoke saying the name that entered his mind. Yuriko paused surprised and turned back to him for a moment a small smile at her lips before walking again continuously.
That afternoon, Sendoh rode his bike to the gym near the park. Along the way, he passed by a familiar looking house and instinctively he stopped. Against his will, he got off his bike and rang the doorbell.
"Mmmm…" Yuriko thought as she ate apiece if delicious chocolate cake her mother surprisingly baked for her the night before her. She frowned as the doorbell rang. "Who could it be?" Yuriko wondered as she got up. When she opened the door, she let out small gasp of surprise. "Sendoh-san." She greeted. "Yuriko." Sendoh said stepping inside her house uninvited. Yuriko frowned. "I don't remember inviting you…Is there something you want?" Yuriko asked politely. When Sendoh didn't answer and continued wandering towards the living room Yuriko sighed exasperated. "Am I supposed to jump for joy since you remembered my name?" Yuriko asked sarcastically.
Sendoh picked up a photograph from the living room table similar with Yuriko's picture in her room, though on this one they were surrounded with Yuriko's family. "Why are you being so mean? I just want us to hang out just like old times?" Sendoh asked frowning pointing at the picture. Yuriko swallowed unsure and nodded. "Come with me." He asked leading her. He grinned and waited for her as she prepared her bike and they went over to the park.
Yuriko clapped her hands as Sendoh did a shot successfully. They were talking quietly along the way and Yuriko realized that a part of her did miss him. The quiet moment was interrupted when one of Sendoh's fangirl noticed them and invited the whole group. And in a couple of minutes the gym park was making a lot of noise. The girls were blocking Yuriko's view while Sendoh flashed his fans a killer smile and then kept playing. Yuriko stood up frustrated and got her bike and started to go back to her house.
That night, Yuriko was writing in her diary when small stones were being thrown at her window. "What?…" Yuriko wondered as she closed her diary and peered at her window shocked at Akira staring up to her. "What are you doing here?" She hissed. "Can you come down?" he asked loudly. Yuriko hesitated and thought about it first. "I'll be right down." She said finally agreeing.
She opened the back door and found him leaning lazily against the tree. "To what do I owe this prized visit?" Yuriko asked mockingly. Sendoh looked at her weirdly. "Why are you like this Yuriko-chan?" Sendoh asked standing up straight. "Well because you just interrupted my relaxing moment, Sendoh-san." Yuriko said stiffly. Sendoh folded his arms frustrated and locked gazes with her. "You know that you can call me Akira."
"Forgive me, if I don't comply." Yuriko spoke not breaking eye contact. Sendoh sighed. "Why are you being so bitchy? What happened to you? Ever since you moved back you've changed…a lot." Sendoh asked remembering all the things he wished to tell her ever since she came back. "I changed?" Yuriko asked with narrowed eyes. "What about you? You have so become so full of yourself." She said with venom glaring at him. Sendoh took a step back surprised at her accusations.
"Huh?" Sendoh shook his head. Yuriko took a deep breath calming herself. "Why did you come here?" She asked controlling her voice. "Why did you leave without even saying goodbye?" Sendoh asked hurt in his voice. "Do I even have to answer that?" Yuriko replied sighing. "Yes, you do." He said encouraging her. "Okay…I got sick." She said simply. Sendoh looked disappointed at her answer. "Sick of what?" Sendoh persisted.
"Sick of all those girls all over you!" Yuriko let out angry. "Ever since I came back you forgot about me, you changed so much Akira that I wont even bother finding out anymore." Yuriko ranted. "You walked along the hallways thinking you're so cool, you don't even bother to even say "HI" to me, Am I not good enough to be your friend?" She continued trembling. "Would you take time to notice me if I screamed your name every time you walk past me and faint?" Yuriko demanded mimicking his fangirls mockingly. "Basketball has changed you hasn't it? You basked in its glory, you pass me everyday but you don't see me, you always hangs out with those new friends of yours, and every time I call you were never home." Yuriko poured out all her feeling getting angrier tears clouding her vision.
"Its because you left me first Yuri! You didn't write to me." Sendoh answered defensive getting angry too. "Am I not permitted to have a life just because you want me to hang out with you all the time?" Sendoh demanded stepping a foot closer to her. "You were the one who forgot about me!" Sendoh said nearly shouting. Yuriko winced. "I deserved that…something happened to me Akira…" Yuriko said softly her voice trailing off. "Well, I wouldn't know since you didn't bother to tell me right?" Sendoh asked accusingly. Yuriko sighed. "Let's just forget this talk ever happened, Sendoh-san, let's go back to ignoring each other." Yuriko suggested tired. "Fine." Sendoh said curtly walking away. He was halfway back when he turned around, "I don't know what happened to you Yuriko but at least I tried to rebuild back what was once between us. But here you are getting all stereotype about me being the star player in our team and pulling away from me again." Sendoh spoke his voice hard.
Yuriko was turned away from him but heard him and a tear fell from her eyes. She hastily went inside their house and sobbed and cried herself to sleep.
Author's notes: Please review! What happened to Yuriko? Will they ever be friends again, enemies or lovers?