Chapter 2
Ayako went home, half angry, half depressed. She pondered on the thought that Ryota didn't really love her.
"Those daily confessions of love were just pranks, to make me fall in love with him. It's just a game, like basketball." she grumbled as she strode across the pavement, her hands folded in front of her chest.
"He fakes moves in the court, that's how he scores sometimes."
She continued to grumble continuously."I didn't know he also faked moves in real life..." She stared hard at the asphalt beneath her feet.
"He does it very well." She breathed in deeply, her heart felt heavy.
"I can't believe I fell for it!" She kicked a rock in her path so hard, that it disappeared from her view.
"If he really loved me, he would wait for me. I didn't say yes to him yet because it's not yet time. If he really loved me, he'd understand."
She arrived at her house and headed straight for her room. She opened her closet, which had Ryota's picture posted in it. She tore the picture off the cabinet. She gazed hard upon it. Into Ryota's charming eyes. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to the stud he wore on one ear. She remembered how it always shined whenever he walked, or smiled, or played basketball, or when he told her how pretty she looked today, or when he asked for help in History, and when he told her that...he…loved her.
"I'm going to tear this picture. I'm going to forget all about him. He is out of my life." Her hands trembled as she positioned her fingers, ready to tear the picture.
"Just one pull Ayako. Just one pull and the picture you've worked so hard on to get will be gone. All your efforts in getting it, all the excuses you made to get it, all of it will be worthless. Just one pull..."
"Why can't I do it?!" Her eyes were teary as she stuffed the picture under her books. She lay down on her bed, staring on the ceiling.
"It's quiet. Too quiet..." She reached for her radio, and turned it on her favorite station. The music echoed through Ayako's room.
"There's a song that's inside of my soul,
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again,
I'm awake in the infinite cold,
But you sing to me over and over again."
"So I lay my head back down,
And I lift my hands and pray,
To be only yours I pray,
To be only yours,
I know now,
You're my only hope."
"No matter how hard I may try to forget about him, I don't think I'll ever do." Ayako's eyes were getting heavy.
"I'm so stupid. I can't believe I'm being so emotional. Maybe that wasn't Ryota's girlfriend. Maybe I just jumped into conclusions. Yeah, that's right. She isn't his girlfriend. I'm the one that he loves."
"Ryota..." Ayako's eyes closed slowly and a tear dropped from her eyes and trickled down her cheek.
~*~*Ryota's Room*~*~
Ryota was exhausted from the practice. He turned his radio on, and lay on his bed, his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, and thought about Ayako.
"I am so glad I got to see Aya-chan."
"Sing to me the song of the stars,
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again,
When it feels like my dreams, so far,
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again."
"But why was she in a bad mood? She looked grumpy when I glimpsed at her."
"So I lay my head back down,
And I lift my hands and pray,
To be only yours I pray,
To be only yours,
I know now,
You're my only hope."
"It seems that she is so far, yet we are so close to each other."
"I give you my destiny,
I'm giving you all of me,
I want your symphony ,
Singing in all that I am,"
"I'd give the whole world to you if I can, but I can't. I'm only human."
"At the top of my lungs,
I'm giving it back."
"So I lay my head back down,
And I lift my hands and pray,
To be only yours I pray,
To be only yours I pray,
To be only yours,
I know now,
You're my only hope..."
"I pray... To be only yours Aya-chan... And for you to be mine."
~*~*The Next Day*~*~
Ayako was still in a bad mood. Yuri came to practice, much to her dismay. And Ryota even introduced her to the team. The memory was still fresh in her mind.
"Guys, this is Yuri. Yuri, this is the Shohoku team. Akagi, Sakuragi, Rukawa, Kogure,.…,…,…and Ayako."
Ayako became grumpy, and she lost self-control. She started yelling at the team, to work harder, even when she was more than satisfied with their performance. Kogure noticed that there was something wrong with her, and offered her a walk home.
"Ayako, Is there something wrong?" Kogure asked Ayako, while they walked outside the gym.
"No there isn't. Why do you ask?" Ayako smiled weakly.
"It's just that you've become so temperamental ever since..."
Ayako felt her heart skip a beat. Did Kogure notice that she had feelings for Ryota?
"S-since when?" Ayako asked hoping that Kogure didn't notice.
"...since Yuri came."
Ayako looked down. The precious secret she has been keeping all this time, it was out.
"I have been noticing that you have been jealous of Yuri. Do you love Ryota?"
There was a brief moment of silence.
"...Yes..." Ayako finally admitted, whispering in a soft voice. There was nothing else to do but tell the truth.
"Well, if you love him, then why don't you say yes to him?"
"I will... Just not now... It's not yet time."
"But Ayako, he's been following you around for a long time. Why don't you think it's time?"
"It's hard to explain..." Ayako said to herself, thinking of a way to explain it to Kogure.
"Kogure, once you reach your goal, will you still reach out for it?"
"Huh?" Kogure was a bit confused.
"I-I don't think I will, I mean, I did reach the end of the line. What's left for me to reach?"
"Exactly. Ryota's goal is to become one of the best players in the prefecture, and he's doing it all for me. So he can impress me, so I can say yes to him. If I accept him as my boyfriend, maybe, just maybe, he won't work hard for basketball anymore. I know he's that type of guy who reaches out beyond his goal, but I'm not taking any chances. Love can wait. Basketball can't."
Kogure was left silent.
"Now I understand why. Ayako has devoted herself to the basketball team. She has even sacrificed her love for Ryota, for victory. But, there's something wrong. She thinks basketball is more important than love." Kogure thought.
"Kogure might be thinking that I placed basketball on the very top of my priorities, that basketball is more important that love. No, he's wrong. It's just that basketball only lasts a year, now that we are second years. Once we are in the fourth year, we are not allowed to play anymore. But my love for Ryota will last, hopefully, forever." Ayako thought.
They passed by the other side of Shohoku High, the side where the small building and the swimming pool was located. Ayako looked around, and saw a familiar twinkle in the distance. She looked closer and saw Ryota, talking with Yuri in a bathing suit.
"They're together again?" Ayako deliberately turned her head into the opposite direction. "I didn't see anything."
Kogure noticed Ayako turn her head, and he saw Yuri and Ryota together. He placed his hand over Ayako's shoulder.
"It's going to be alright Ayako, I'm sure you're just mistakened."
"Thanks." Ayako replied.
Yuri saw Ayako and Kogure walking together.
"Ryota, there's Ayako." She said, pointing at Kogure and Ayako.
Ryota gaped at the sight of Kogure and Ayako walking together. The worst thing was that Kogure's hand was over Ayako's shoulder. Ryota felt furious at this sight.
"Kogure...you good for nothing...how dare you...you know I..." He grumbled, clenching his fist. He wanted to make a run for Kogure and bury his fist in deep in his face.
It was official. Ryota was jealous.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes:
Finally! Here is the second chapter! After 2 days of having a mental block, I finally got ideas!
Here are some clarifications/explanations in the chapter:
Kogure has no HD (a.k.a. HIDDEN DESIRE) for Ayako. The "hand-over-the-shoulder" thing was just an act of friendship/comforting. Ayako looked around, and saw a familiar twinkle in the distance. The "familiar twinkle" was Ryota's ear stud twinkling.I didn't even put one single Japanese word! Do you think I should drop the Japanese thing?
(Okay, call me a trying-hard-Japanese-writer if you want!)
Let me know through e-mail (thunderbolt232@yahoo.com) or review and tell me your opinions.
I'm off to the next chapter! (I can't promise you to update fast but I'll try.)
^_^
Disclaimer: The song written here is Only Hope by Mandy Moore. Nice? Yes it is! Isn't it?!