Disclaimer: Do not own Slam Dunk and chars.

There goes my heart, just passing by

totallyloud

Haruko heaved a sigh as she stared off into the distance.

"Haruko-chan, hey, Haruko?"

She tilted her head, still staring far away.

"Hello--, Haruko?"

She sighed again, drumming her fingers on her table.

"HARUKO!!" Haruko's friends, Fuji and Matsui, slammed their hands in front of their friend's desk, now successfully getting her attention.

Haruko jumped in surprise and blinked at them. "Oh, hey, guys, what's up?"

The two stared at her curiously, worry slightly etched on their faces. "What's up? Are you okay, Haruko?" asked Fuji.

"Huh, yeah, why'd you ask?" Answered Haruko, who seemed like she still was in a dreamy state.

"What do you mean 'why'? You seem like you're in another space and time since yesterday." Matsui sat beside her and stated truthfully, crossing both her legs and arms.

"I do?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

"Nothing,"

"We don't believe you."

Haruko turned and just stared at her friends, surprised. She thought she had made a good act in acting normal. Truthfully, a certain thought kept bugging her since the other day.

"Well?"

"Well, you see," She started. "Um, I, I know I don't have the right or anything to think of it this way, but," She paused. "I don't really feel like I'm going out with Rukawa-kun. I mean, I know I shouldn't-"

"Well, of course you have the right, Haruko! If he told you; you two are going out then you have the right to complain when you don't feel like that!" Fuiji declared confidently.

"R-really?" Haruko sweat-dropped.

"Yeah-"

"Look, maybe you're wrong, because here's your knight right now, looking for you." Matsui interrupted them and pointed at their room's door. Suprisingly enough, there stood Rukawa leaning against the wall, talking to one of her classmates; maybe asking for her.

"Eh?"

"Go, Haruko! Talk to him, don't let him wait!" Her friends ushered her away.

olololololololo

"Um…"

"Nn."

"What is it," She glanced up at him for a second then averted her eyes again. "Rukawa-kun?"

"Nn." He just watched her. "Your… ankle okay?"

Haruko stared at him then looked down and nodded, blushing slightly.

He bobbed down his head, "Good. Nn, I have training later."

"Oh." Haruko slowly tilted down her head, hiding the disappointment in her face. "Oh. So… you can't walk home again." She stated rather than ask.

Rukawa nodded stoically.

Haruko heaved a sigh and looked up at him, forcing a smile. "That's fine! I'll just go home with Fuji and Matsui so it's okay!" She paused and observed his usual dull expression. "It's really okay! Ehehehe."

Rukawa looked at her skeptically for a moment then just nodded, "I see. I'll be going then."

"Okay." Haruko smiled. "Take care."

A slight wave of the hand and he was off.

ololololololo

"I told you, he've told me that for three days already and this had just gone on for just four days! Meaning we walked home together for just a single day…" Haruko slumped on her desk. "I knew I shouldn't be hoping for anything. This is just really nothing…"

"Don't say that, Haruko-chan! You should be blessed Rukawa-kun even said you were going out! I mean, who gets that once-in-a-blue moon luck? Plus, most of the girls here in our school would trade their lives for your place right now." Fuji explained to her, now contradicting her theory just a while ago about having the right and everything. "He's just maybe really busy these days…"

"I guess." Haruko just nodded thoughtfully, not wanting to worry her friends anymore.

"I know!" Matsui threw an arm around her friend's shoulder pointing a finger far away. "Let's go to the newly opened cake shop around the corner later on so you've got something to do!"

"Oh, there is?" Haruko sat up excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah they said there were very cheap and delicious ones!"

ololololololo

"Oh, I'm really full!" Haruko slumped back on her seat. "It really is delicious here, guys!"

"Yeah, I have to agree to that." Fuji nodded, sipping on her lemonade, hiding a burp.

Haruko stared outsiutside the shop; students from the nearby high school are walking home. "I wonder if Rukawa-kun will like this. I wonder if he went home already…" Haruko said all of a sudden, glancing at her watch.

Her two friends glanced at each other. Matsui stood up and dragged Haruko along. "Well, why don't you buy him one of these and check if he's home already."

"Yeah, maybe I could- wait, wait, what?" Haruko stared at her friend as if insane. "I co-couldn't do that, Matsui! I mean, I…"

"Of course you could! You're his girlfriend after all and you could bring him cake if you want to! What's a problem with that?"

"I," Haruko blinked. "I can't go to his house!"

"You'll just drop off the cake and see if he's home already!" Fuji accompanied them now. "What's up with that then?"

"I-" Haruko froze, blushing. "Nothing, I guess that perspective is alright."

"What were you thinking anyway?"

"N-nothing!"

ololololololo

Ding Dong.

The door opened to reveal a half-clothed Rukawa, who just blinked. "Hey,"

Haruko stood rigid and went red from head to toe. "Oh!" She quickly turned around. "Sorry!"

Rukawa regarded her and slipped on his shirt that was hanging form his neck a while ago. "What's up?"

"Oh, um, I just- a-are you fully-clothed now?" She dared glance at him.

"Nn." He left his door behind him and went towards her.

"I-" Haruko faced him and instantly stepped back as she bumped unto his chest. "I-I just brought you a cake!" She stammered and thrust the box towards him.

Rukawa slightly jolted and almost lost hold of it. He blinked at it.

Haruko scratched her head. "Well, I was jus on this shop earlier and decided to buy one. It's really nothing! I-If you don't want it I could just, could just, something-"

Rukawa was already inside his house with the cake. Haruko just stood there, blinking at the empty space in front of her. "Uh…"

"What are you still standing there for?" Rukawa peeked at her, forks in hand. "Close the door when you come in." He stated as he disappeared inside again.

"O-Okay." She closed the door and went in and saw that the cake was placed on the small table by his television. A pair of fork placed beside it and small plates. "Rukawa-kun?" She looked around. "What are we going to do?"

Rukawa appeared from the kitchen with a glass of water. "Eat your cake." He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"But it's yours now, I bought it for you."

"So?" Rukawa shrugged and sat down then looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

Haruko jumped slightly before making her way beside him. 'Eh, what's with him?' She glanced at him, he took his fork and tasted.

"Nn."

Haruko stared at him expectantly. "Um, is it good?"

Rukawa shrugged. "Yeah, I guess, is this your treat from last time?"

"Last time?"

He nodded and pointed to the couch.

"You mean… Oh, the other day! Well, not really, I haven't thought of that. It could be that, I guess." Haruko ducked her head. 'Ugh, what am I blabbering about?'

Rukawa just stared at her. "So, you didn't plan this treat?"

"No, I…" 'The reason I came here…' she suddenly thought. She opened her mouth to ask.

"Ne, Rukawa-kun," "Hey," They spoke at the same time.

"Oh." Haruko jumped in surprise. "You-you go first." She smiled meekly.

Rukawa stared at her stoically, as usual, then gazed somewhere else. "…about your treat."

"Hm, what about it?" She blinked at him.

"This Saturday, after the game." He muttered casually, digging into his cake.

"This Saturday, after the game." She repeated. "What about it?"

His brows furrowed as he stared at his cake. "The treat." He repeated as he glanced at her, a frown now starting to form on his face. "Nn."

"The treat," Haruko tried to solve this little puzzle of the boy beside her. Then a smile appeared on her features. "Oh! You mean I'll treat you this Saturday, after the game?"

Rukawa didn't answer as he chewed.

'Oh, it's really hard to communicate with this guy!' She sighed as she watched him. "Um. Like… a date?" Words sprang out of her mouth immediately.

Rukawa stared at her, quite taken aback as he could appear to be. Though he didn't seem to have any reason for that. They are dating.

"I mean… I," Haruko started to stammer as she realized what she just said. "Rukawa-kun," She took a deep breath.

"Um. Why… did you say we're going out?" She had finally asked it; the thing that was really bugging her.

"Rukawa's not really interested in girls, you know that." She bit her lip, feeling nervous all of a sudden, remembering the words her brother have voiced out to her; the truth that she'd been trying to avoid. "…maybe he just wants to play…"

Rukawa placed his fork on his empty plate with a clattering sound. "Why?" He repeated, in deep thougt.

"Yes." She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Because before-" you rejected me. She gasped lightly, remembering, sadness flicked for a moment. "I mean, Are we really…?" She trailed off.

Rukawa slowly stood up. Haruko clenched her fists on her lap. "You…" She heard him say.

She gulped and looked up at him.

He darted a glance at her with a serious face. "Interest me… right now."

With that, he left and went to his kitchen.

"It's not good going out with someone when your interest is not on him." She remembered him advising her of that before, as she sat there, surprised enough to be immobile.

olololololololo

"Interest him, huh? Well that's something coming from him."

"I guess," Haruko sighed as she told her friends the whole story, except the half-clothed Rukawa, of course.

"What's your problem now, eh?"

"He said I interest him right now. Meaning, I don't interest him before that's why he rejected me. I don't even know what made this interest bloom right now. I mean, I might, what if I lose it later…" She looked down at her clenched fists.

Fuji and Matsui glanced at each other. "Haruko… you already knew about this from the start, right? Your brother even warned you about it, remember? Rukawa maybe is just really playing. "

"I…" She started but was at lost. She bit her lip. "Yeah, you're right. I do know." She nodded to herself.

"Haruko-chan…" Her friends threw her worried glances. "Wait, moreover, about your date this Saturday…"

Haruko's eyes widened as she turned to face them. "Oh no, I forgot!"

olololololololo

Haruko arrived at their school, lunch time and quite fidgety. She looked down at herself. She was wearing a light blue striped shirt and a dark blue jacket over it, white Capri pants and her gray sneakers. She wasn't really good at this and wanted to wear something pretty but she ended up with her usual clothes. "I don't have pretty clothes anyway," She had said to her friends when they were choosing.

She was about to enter the gym when a bottle of water rolled down before her. She picked it up and looked up to see its owner. "Hanamichi!" She smiled, surprised.

Hanamichi just stared at her awkwardly before he finally spoke, "Hi, Haruko-chan," He grinned and scratched his neck. "Watching the game?"

"Un," She nodded and smiled back. "Do your best, okay?"

"I- yeah." He answered, his awkward air suddenly deflating. "I'll do my best, Haruko-chan! I'll beat the ass of those arrogant players!" He laughed his confident laugh.

Haruko giggled at him. "You're really funny, Hanamichi!" She smiled at him then paused as she noticed someone. "R-Rukawa-kun!"

Rukawa turned up beside them.

Hanamichi suddenly had his serious face. "You." He muttered under his breath. 'Fox.' He took a step in front of Haruko.

"Nn." 'Loudmouth.' Rukawa just threw him a glare as well, a deadly one, as he went on his way towards Haruko as well.

Haruko stared at them in confusion. "Eh, what's with this air, you guys!" She forced a laugh. "C'mon now, the game will be starting any minute now!" She waved of the tension and pushed the two along inside the gym. "C'mon, now, c'mon! Do your best you two, okay?"

"Hmph."

"Nn."

AN: Reviews? Reactions, suggestions or corrections?:D