When Fate Intervenes
By Shellagh22
Disclaimer: As much as I want to give ownership to one of the funniest and most entertaining animes out there, Slam Dunk is not mine. But characters not in the anime were created in my own little brain. (",)
Author's Note: Hi! This is a sequel of 'A Chance to Love' from me to all those who reviewed and liked that story. I love all your wonderful comments and compliments and hope to see them again in this sequel. I hope you enjoy this as much as the first! (",)
Other reminders: This is highly AU since this is beyond of what I know of the anime, Slam Dunk. Characters are also older and slightly different from before. I've made them mature somewhat, if you could call it that. Enjoy!
Prologue: Fate Intervenes
Kim Hamada placed her tray of food on the white table top and leaned tiredly on the back of a chair just vacated by another person at the crowded food court in the mall, uncaring with her slightly disheveled appearance. She had been up and about since 6 in the morning, poring over the countless portfolios and applications of young teenage girls vying for a spot in the modeling world. The day was already well after the noon hour and she was somewhere in the vicinity of the 125th and 130th hopeful applicant when she realized she wasn't getting anywhere. Her mind was numb at looking through so many faces and her body was screaming with hunger.
But though she was exhausted and starving, she couldn't help but look at each face that passed her table. As one of the junior executives in Models, Inc. in Japan, her job to search for the most alluring face anywhere that would launch thousands of print ads, TV ads, and magazine covers worldwide was completely ingrained in her brain.
In the seven years of her career, she had only found one girl who had reached that supreme level of being a supermodel. But she had always thought that someone out there, among the millions of teenage girls, was another diamond in the rough. Bigger, better and absolutely brighter than the one before. Someday, she believed that she'd find one again.
She dug into her food after several minutes but still kept a lookout. One can never know when that person would walk into your sights and change your life.
"I can't believe you liked that movie. It was, by far, the stupidest and corniest movie I've ever seen!" said Zoë Riechtmann with a shake of her head as she, Kaede Rukawa, Hisashi Mitsui and her twin strolled out of the cinema to join the steady traffic inside the mall.
"What are you talking about? The special effects were seamless," defended Rukawa automatically, taking the opposite side to get his girlfriend's temper up.
"You're really going to argue everything I say, aren't you?"
"I'm just telling the truth," he replied calmly but a corner of his mouth kept lifting.
"Fine, whatever, but if you say the story line was any good, I'd have to murder you," she threatened with a twinkle in her eye.
"But I actually thought it was good," replied Shellagh agreeably, joining in the conversation. "Well, except the ending. It kind of ended abruptly."
Zoë rolled her green eyes. "That's why it's not good! The stupid ending didn't justify the whole movie. It sucked BIG time."
Shellagh turned to Mitsui to ask what he thought, when she saw he was looking at the side, his face preoccupied again. She suddenly felt her throat constrict.
It seemed he had been acting this way ever since he came back from Shintai University three weeks ago. She remembered the day he arrived and he acted so distant then. She thought it must have been because he was tired from the travel and all the inconveniences that went along with it. But it was really becoming increasingly difficult to ignore that his actions meant something more. He often appeared distracted and so far from her that even when she tried asking him about it he wouldn't say what had him so preoccupied.
She just couldn't help but feel that he changed. For one thing, she felt that he was slipping away from her and she was powerless to stop it.
She tugged his arm almost awkwardly. "So, what did you think of the movie?"
As if awaken from sleep, he jolted. "What?"
"I just asked what you thought of the movie," she repeated tonelessly.
Mitsui ran his fingers through his hair in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry…it was fine, I guess."
She nodded, knowing that he wasn't paying attention to everything, especially to her. "Yeah, I guess." She quickly turned to her sister to hide from him the disappointment and hurt she was sure was in her eyes. "Are you still craving for that ice cream? We can pass by the food court if you want."
Zoë beamed, oblivious to her twin's inner turmoil. "Of course I want to!" Then proceeded to pull Rukawa faster towards the path of frozen delights.
Shellagh and Mitsui walked side by side at a sedate pace, not touching and not even speaking.
"When are you going to stop ignoring the fact that your sister's unhappy and Mitsui's hiding something?" asked Rukawa in her ear when they were near the food court.
Zoë's lips tightened. "There's nothing wrong."
He grunted. "You know as well as I do that's crap."
"Stop being pessimistic, Rukawa! And don't you curse at me," she hissed at him as people continued to pass by them. "There's nothing wrong with their relationship. Mitsui's probably just has a case of pre-school blues. You know he's going back to college for his second year next week, earlier than us starting our third year in Shohoku. That's enough to make anybody distant!"
"He has been acting this way since he came back," he pointed out.
She crossed her arms and frowned up at him. "Well, then maybe he was thinking about his final exams before he got here."
"You're determined not to see this as it is."
"I told you, there's no 'as it is!'" she muttered, her temper almost in shreds.
"You're not even going to ask your sister?"
"Because there's nothing to ask!" she snapped loudly. When she saw some people looking at her warily, she toned down her voice as she added, "You know, the way you're going on and on about this, I'm starting to think that maybe there's something wrong with us."
She started to storm away when he stopped her by putting an arm around her waist.
"Hey, I wasn't trying to make you angry ––"
"Well, you're giving a rotten impression of it."
"I'm sorry for that but I can't help but feel a bit worried for your sister."
Zoë's shoulders drooped, resigned. "Sometimes I wonder how you and Shellagh became really close."
"We always talk about you."
A golden eyebrow arched, current topic momentarily forgotten. "Really? What about me?"
Rukawa shook his head ruefully. "Forget I said anything." He looked behind them and murmured, "Look at them and tell me nothing's wrong."
She took a discreet peek at her sister and her boyfriend, long enough that her fierce expression softened and she whispered, "Why do you have to be right?" She sighed deeply and then continued, "I'll kill him."
He pressed her firmly to his side. "You will not interfere."
"What?! Am I hearing right? Didn't you just ask a while ago if I wanted to do something about them?"
"What I meant was that you should let your sister know that you're here for her through this rough time, not harass Mitsui who's twice bigger than you."
"I don't care," she said stubbornly. "You'll save me when things get out of hand."
"You will not interfere," he said again just as stubbornly.
She made a sound under her breath then loudly replied, "Fine. I want to talk to my sister now."
Rukawa gazed at her warningly. "Promise me you won't get involved."
"Yeah, yeah…"
He kissed her soundly on her pouting lips and sent her on her way with a promise of a huge banana split.
She glared up at him then stalked towards her twin.
"Hey Shell, can I talk to you?" she asked when she was in front of the two, completely ignoring her sister's boyfriend.
Shellagh glanced at the silent Mitsui then answered, "Sure."
Mitsui, looking relieved, nodded and went to where Rukawa was ordering some ice cream.
Seizing the moment as a perfect opportunity to ask if something was wrong with them, Zoë questioned tightly, "What's up with that? Is there anything wrong with him?"
"He's just preoccupied."
"With what?"
Shellagh opened her mouth to answer and then closed it. She shrugged her shoulders almost helplessly and then replied, "I don't know."
Zoë's eyebrows knotted but she tried to sound casual as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. There's nothing wrong."
"Are you sure? You don't look it."
"Don't worry about it."
Because she sensed that her sister wasn't ready to talk, she let it go for now. She took her hand in hers and smiled at her brightly. "Do you want your usual caramel sundae? My treat."
Her twin was flabbergasted. "Your what?"
Highly insulted, Zoë shot daggers with her eyes at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you don't really splurge on anyone. I was just surprised, is all."
"I do, too! Just not as often."
Shellagh suddenly laughed, something that had been missing for quite some time. "My point exactly."
Glad to see the miserable expression gone from her sister's face, she forgot to be offended. She grinned back instead. "Come on, let's go get your sundae."
Shellagh clung to her sister's supportive hand and hoped that the disturbing thought that slipped in her mind before Zoë came to talk to her was not true.
Kim dropped her spoon in shock. They were gorgeous. Tall, beautiful and both contrasting to each other's looks that she could see the future magazine covers and ads they would make. They would absolutely stun the fashion world.
She stared at the two in a daze while she berated herself. She almost didn't see them! She was too busy eating that she hadn't seen where they came from. They just appeared in front of the entrance of the food court when a huge empty black matte frame that caught her eye passed in front of them, creating a lovely real life picture of their smiling faces.
It was a sight to behold that her hands were itching to call the agency's professional photographer that they kept on as retainer to get their portfolios done. They were going to go a long way. She really believed it.
Why hadn't she seen them before? They were perfect! Not just one diamond, she mused. But two…She had to get them.
Now.
***
AN: Okay, you guys might have some questions regarding Models Inc. Japan and Shintai University.
Models Inc. is an old American TV series and I took the name because I couldn't think of a good name for a modeling agency (^_^;) and I added Japan to it so that it would sound that there's a branch of the company in Japan.
I used Shintai University because I was referring to the same university two coaches (I think they were coaches) that visited Akagi were from (it's in the TV series). Since I also didn't know of any universities in Japan, I took the liberty of using it. (",)
What do you think? Should I CONTINUE or NOT? Please REVIEW and tell me. Thank you! (",)
