-- You caught me off guard.
Now I'm running and screaming,
'I feel like a hero.' --
MONDAY
10:52 AM
"A storm this afternoon?" Haruko wiped the sweat from playing basketball off her brow with the back of her hand. The court was empty, just the way I like it. Looking up at the clear blue sky, she smiled to herself and shrugged her now tired shoulders. It seems impossible. Who knows, maybe the weather forecast for today was a hoax.
"Oh no! The house chores!" Dropping the basketball on the concrete floor, she ran home, not noticing the tall figure and a pair of dark blue eyes behind the fence among the bushes. The weird thing is, he wasn't there to practice.
Why else would he come there, without his bike, in just a plain shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers? He came here everyday to watch whoever play. It just so happens that Haruko was the one playing today. She was pretty good… with the perfect lay-ups and all… graceful play. And he never thought he would actually think of the word 'graceful' to describe a form of play.
Err… Where was he headed to again? Oh, right. Nike.
1:31 PM
"Whew!"
Done, done, done, and done. Finally…! Her daily chores were finished! She needed a nap…just a power sleep would be enough… I'd crawl. Anything for a nap. Gotta… get… to… my… bed…
A relaxing sigh. Her bed covers felt softer than yesterday.
- - - - -
Wow. He accidentally skipped lunch because of choosing decent basketball shoes. In the end, he didn't even buy himself a pair. I crave for McDonald's. Then McDonald's it is.
6:13 PM
He needed food. Oh yes, I do.
Practice had been torturous today, even without the captain, and Rukawa burned all the Big Mac, fries, and a large Coke in just the first 2 hours of playing ball. A low grumble from his belly told him that. But he had no plans to eat again. He stayed behind and practiced those slam dunks and jump-shots and lay-ups until he perfected them. Not that they weren't already perfect. But he had to, to be the number one in Japan.
- - - - -
Haruko groggily, slowly, blearily opened her eyes to the world, but she gasped before she could even yawn and abruptly got to her feet, once she had laid her eyes on the digital clock above the end table beside her queen size bed. She had fallen asleep for almost 5 hours and completely forgot that the grocery store closes at 7. Oh no!
Dressed in a pink tank top, denim shorts, and a pair of sneakers, she grabbed the house keys and ran down the street towards the grocery store with the shopping list her mother had left for her.
7:02 PM
The rain fell so hard against the school gym's roof, it startled him a bit. He could barely hear the ball when it hits the floor. Maybe it was time he went home. It'd be hard to ride a bike when it's already too slippery and windy.
- - - - -
She ran home as fast as she could, her feet treading the wet concrete floor. She was drenched and cold that she felt numb all over. I knew I should've brought that umbrella…! So much for doubting the forecast. But thankfully,she could already see her house from afar.
She dropped her groceries by the front steps and searched her pockets for the keys, but she did not find them. She searched the grocery bags one-by-one, but there was no luck. She had lost her house keys! The back door was locked, she was sure of it, and she really didn't want to smash their windows. Her neighbors probably wouldn't want to open their doors because of the wind's strong force, so her only option was to look for a locksmith at this late hour.
But there was still no luck. The locksmith's store had closed early because of the typhoon, and she felt weak when she got home. Her head spinned, and she so badly wanted to cry for help. But she couldn't even bring herself to grasp the main door's knob, and she sank to her knees, and only the ominous tranquility of blackness embraced her when her vision blurred before her eyes.
7:59 PM
Typical of him not to go home as soon as possible. It's just that, the ball was so hypnotizing that he couldn't just put it down. What can I do? Basketball was his passion, his addiction.
Now the rain fell even harder, and it gave him quite a hard time controlling his bike. It kept him awake. He didn't even have an umbrella with him. Great. He passed through his usual route, or a shortcut as he would call it. But he came to a full stop at the captain's house because of an unconscious body sprawled across the front steps. "Haruko…?!"
He dropped his bike, and got to his feet, running towards her, and oh, how she was burning hot in his touch. She was breathing fast, gasping for every ounce of oxygen and her eyes shut from the darkest of night. Why one earth would she be out here like this?! He carried her like a hundred pounds was nothing and attempted to open the door, but it remained locked after a few more turns. I have no choice… They couldn't stay under the rain any longer.
He had to bring her somewhere…
He carried her in his back, piggy back style, and ran for the nearest bus stop, not really giving a damn about his bike, much less about the groceries. He had to get home. Fast. Thankfully, thankfully, there was one waiting for a few more passengers. "Please hurry."
He sat at the very back of the bus, holding her like he was hanging on for dear life, and it was strange how tight he held her in his arms, and he was hoping, hoping that the small amount of body heat she could get from his body would help her warm up even for just the short duration of the trip.
And it was the first time in his whole life that he felt so awake… and so frightened.
