for mrsklemzak

Haruko glanced at her watch. There was still a few hours before sundown, and she wanted to visit the basketball team before she settled in for the night. She was sleeping over at her friend Fujii's relative's house, which was a way from the inn where the Shohoku team stayed. Besides, she'd went off for her impromptu walk without telling anyone, and she didn't want people to worry.

She glanced around at her surroundings. The peaceful greenery was soothing to the eye, and the ambience had a mystical touch to it that she couldn't find anywhere. Hiroshima was beautiful, and secretly she hoped that Shohoku would win their following games so that she could stay longer. Her eyes fell upon the stream, the clear water quietly flowing in the opposite direction she was heading. Inhaling the sweet air, she closed her eyes, vanquishing all the scrambled thoughts in her head.

A moment to herself was all she needed.

Now it was time to head home. Haruko reluctantly shifted her feet, taking her time. Her thoughts began to drift over to Rukawa Kaede - imagine a romantic stroll with the handsome ace in the tranquil park! But her elation was short-lived as she started to worry about him, how he'd been worn out by the game against Sannoh that morning. Once she worried about Rukawa, she worried about her brother. She knew that her brother Takenori was a fighter, but she could still remember the weary look on his face in the moments following the match. Miyagi and Mitsui were next on her list - were they okay? And especially her best friend Sakuragi, with his broken back.

Were they all really okay?

Haruko was too wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't see where she was going - tripping over a little pebble inconveniently placed in the middle of the trail. All of a sudden, her train of thought derailed when she unceremoniously fell flat onto the ground.

"Miss, are you okay?" A gentle, concerned voice called out.

Dusting herself off, Haruko simply smiled, though there was shooting pain in her knee. It was probably going to turn a pretty shade of purple the next morning, and she cursed her own clumsiness.

"I'm okay, thanks." She looked up to meet an extended hand - one so ginormous that Haruko immediately thought that the person was simply perfect for basketball - only to notice that it belonged to a vaguely familiar face.

"Kawata Mikio?"

Mikio helped Haruko to her feet. "That's me." The Sannoh freshman didn't expect the girl - or even anyone - to recognize him. He'd been lamenting his luck from that morning when she came along and fell to the ground right in front of him, shaking him out of his funk. As he scrutinized her features - was she a classmate from Sannoh? He wasn't sure, but he felt like his luck was changing.

"Thank you for helping me." She smiled again, looking up at him. Compared to Mikio's gigantic stature, she seemed so tiny, like an elf.

"No problem."

"I watched the match this morning, that's how I recognized you." Haruko explained.

"Oh." Mikio wasn't the most eloquent with girls his age. Doubled with the disappointment from that morning, it still was uncharacteristic for him to come up with an abrupt response.

"I'm Akagi Haruko, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Akagi…?" Mikio couldn't help but gape. Was this elfin creature possibly related to the fierce captain of Shohoku, the team that beat Sannoh?

Haruko laughed, a delicate tinkle. "I get that a lot. Yes, my brother is the captain of Shohoku High."

"Please congratulate your brother for me." Mikio bowed his head, as a clutching pain gripped his heart. He certainly wasn't over the loss to no-name Shohoku, and he blamed himself for it. He thought that he didn't play very well, losing to someone smaller than him - he was the largest player on-court, at 2.1 metres; probably even in the whole tournament.

"I will. Sannoh is a very strong team, too." Haruko said, remembering the almighty trio of Fukatsu, Sawakita and Mikio's brother, Masashi. "I think you played well this morning."

"That was my first game." Mikio muttered. "I don't think I'm that good."

"Kawata-kun, you played in the Nationals. Doesn't that say something about your talents? Besides, I'm sure you learn from your big brother. He's an incredible player." Haruko said. She could still remember the defeated way her own brother Takenori had faced Kawata Masashi. It had taken almost half of the game for Takenori to finally face Masashi head-to-head.

Mikio glanced down to the sprawling green carpet of grass. There it was - the comparison to his perfect brother. Kawata Mikio was definitely destined to be in Masashi's shadow - a lesser, mediocre version of the best center in Akita, probably Japan. Mikio certainly didn't want to cry in front of the petite stranger, but he could feel the tears well up in his eyes once more.

"Kawata-kun? Is there something wrong?" Haruko paled slightly, worried if she'd said the wrong thing. Here was a boy, incredibly large for his age, who'd lost in his debut basketball match. And that match had been against her brother's team, no less. Of course he"d be upset. He was part of the team that was supposed to be the best in all of Japan.

MIkio swallowed and roughly wiped the tears away with the back of his hand. His brother wouldn't be too pleased at him for going around town, moping at their loss. The rest of the team had even strengthened their resolve right after the game; hunting for a basketball court to continue their never-ending intensive practice.

"Sometimes you can't just win all the time." Coach Doumoto had said to the team right after the match. The atmosphere in the locker room was tense - the defeat was Sannoh's first in a very long time. "We did our best, but somehow Shohoku was much better...especially that redhead. Sakuragi Hanamichi." Coach Doumoto's eyes blazed as he said the name.

"That redhead sure was determined." Masashi interjected. "You guys better get 'em next year. Work hard from now, all of you. Especially you, Mikio." Mikio could feel Masashi's sharp gaze on him, but he kept his eyes down.

"Since we have some free time, let's go and practice, yo." Fukatsu grabbed a ball.

"Oi, Mikio, where are you going?" Sawakita asked, spying the boy heading for the exit. Mikio didn't look back, and shut the door silently behind him.

"Probably gonna go and cry to our mum. What a baby." Masashi's voice escaped between the door as Mikio closed it.

Mikio had let his feet guide the way, which was how he'd ended up in the panoramic park in the heart of the city.

"I'm fine, Akagi-san." Mikio said quietly, not meeting the girl's eyes. "I need to leave now."

"Oh. Okay, then." . She still wanted to talk to him, but given the circumstances, it seemed inappropriate. She'd just met him, too, so it seemed too much to pry around, asking him too many questions.

"Bye." Mikio gave her a withering smile and walked away, leaving Haruko alone by the bench where he'd sat earlier. Maybe Masashi was right - he needed to break out of his funk. Now that Masashi was about to retire, Coach Doumoto was probably going to make him his brother's replacement. He'd have to train hard, of course, since only the best players made it onto Sannoh's starting five.

"Work hard, Kawata-kun! See you at next year's Nationals!" Haruko called out. Her words rooted him to the ground - that expectation weighed on him, yet it rejuvenated his spirit at the same time.

He was going to be his brother's replacement, and finally step out of that shadow. He was going to work hard, and make Sannoh great again. And revenge on no-name Shohoku sounded interesting. This summer, he was rooting for the team of troublemakers for Kanagawa for the top prize. But next year, Mikio would make sure that Shohoku would be defeated.

Mikio faced Haruko and smiled genuinely at her, pumping his fist in the air. Maybe she wasn't an elf, but a fairy…

Haruko's cheerful smile lit up his day. And the prospect of seeing her again one day...he'd make sure that when the day came, he was Kawata Mikio, the best center in Akita. Possibly Japan.

A/N: I miss writing fics, but my schedule is hectic. Writing this made me feel happy, though it feels a bit subpar. Reviews, as usual, are welcome!