Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own SlamDunk.

Author's Note: It's been ages since I've been near a computer since my mom really became a volcano when I slept at 1:00am for a couple of days just because of the internet. Really, it was just 1:00am! Anyway, I used my being a staffer for our high school yearbook as an excuse in writing this up. Really, I made a great show talking about the motto of my batch mates just so I could touch this computer's keypad!!

Ending Up With You 4

Chapter 4

All About Ayako

'I've decided that I'm not taking part of any wedding… especially if the said wedding was mine…' Rukawa thought as he continued watching Sendoh's car that was just in front of him.

'Are you out of your mind!! Do you realize what will happen to your reputation if you neglect what happened that night at the bar?!' his chibi burst out.

'I do…'

'Then I should also tell you that Japan is not like western countries. If you happened to kiss anyone at a bar in America, no one would even spare you a glance… but here in Japan, even the Prime Minister would know about it!!' his chibi ranted on.

'You do realize that I don't care?'

'And let me remind you that this wasn't the only time you made an eye-catching performance printed in black and white on the newspaper. It's been almost, what? A hundred times just because of being frustrated about an affair with one woman…'

'She isn't just any woman and you, of all people, should know it…'

Flashback

'K'so…'

Rukawa ran dragging his bike alongside him to look for shelter against the rain. This was downright terrible. He had a basketball game to go to and he was running late. If he hadn't slept in… well, actually, he always slept in. It's just that it had never rained in one of his sleep-in cases. Well, actually, it had rained in one of his sleep-in's but never on an important game. And this was important because the team they were against today was at least bearable that the others. Really, if you had no decent players, then a school shouldn't even think of making up a basketball team. It will only make rival schools' players annoyed. Just like what he, Rukawa, was now… Annoyed.

Well, not because of the oncoming game, but because of the downpouring rain…

'Hey, that rhymes!' his chibi cut in.

'I don't care….'

'But the rain IS downpouring…'

'I know that…'

Rukawa had just found a small shed by the street. It was under the thick canopy of trees that helped lessen the rain that fell on the shed. Beside the small shed was a short lamp post, and behind it was a vast expanse of greenery. Short shrubs lined the slippery side-walk and moss covered the shed and the lamp post.

Now that he made a sweeping gaze on his surroundings, Rukawa noticed that this place looked like it survived both the first and second world wars. It didn't look like the shed was made of cement and that lamp post sure looked like it was covered with rust to the core.

'Well, if you were someone else and not god-forsaken Kaede Rukawa, this place might have been romantic.' His chibi just couldn't help butting in a snide comment.

'You know, one of these days I'm gonna be taking anti-deppresion pills because I have this nagging feeling you're talking to me because I'm depressed over something…'

'Well, I'm gonna save you the trouble of thinking about those reasons why you, almighty lord, are depressed…

1. You don't have a girlfriend…

And considering the fact that you are already sixteen, it's a shocking thing indeed.

'You sound gay…' Rukawa butted in too.

'-2.' His chibi continued as if he didn't hear anything.

' Even if you did have a girl who is a friend, that is also not possible since you don't have a friend, much more a girl…'

'So, basically, you're saying I have no friends? Sorry to cut that happy ray of sunshine, but I do…'

'Don not'

'Do too'

'Do not'

'Do too'

'Do not'

'Do not'

'Do not!! HAH!! You think I'd fall for that old trick!? You underestimate me too much… Moving on, those guys you have on your basketball team do not count as friends. A friend is not someone you talk strategies about basketball with. I don't even think you talk about that MUCH more open your mouth like a hard working captain. A friend is someone you talk about the weather with.'

'And why should I talk about the weather with a stranger?'

'That's exactly my point.'

'I wasn't aware you had a point…'

'That aside, even if I had no point, what I was trying to say was you don't have a friend.'

'Am I supposed to say 'Ouch'? because frankly, I don't feel anything close to hurt.'

'Which leads me to 3. You are a bastard.'

'Now that is uncalled for, bastard.'

'I am a bastard because you are a bastard…'

'…'

'4. You are standing alone in the this small shed waiting for the rain to stop so that you can go to a school's basketball game which starts after fifteen minutes…'

'And what's wrong with that?'

'In shorter terms, it means you have to have a life…'

'I have a life, I'm breathing and standing here having delusions about a voice inside my head.'

'That is exactly what people call as 'not having a life''…

'And from what part of my sentence did you deduce that horrible statement?'

'That you are 'standing here having delusions about a voice inside your head'…'

'Well I am!'

'That's it! You're only standing and breathing! Anything else?'

'Eating and sleeping?'

'…'

'Basketball-…ing…'

'…'

'…'

'There! Do you see my point now?'

'Still not seeing it!'

'Be-

"Hi there!"

'Was it just me, or did you hear a chipmunk speak?'

Rukawa turned around to see that someone had joined him under the small shed, and that someone was a girl. And that girl had curly brown locks cascading down her shoulders, framing her face. It was sprinkled with water here and there and her dark-hued hair contrasted with her fair skin. She had round friendly eyes and lips set in a friendly smile. She wasn't the most beautiful fish in the sea but she could lure many fishermen if she wanted.

'Okay, I'll let that disturbing description go for the moment… This is your chance!! Go for it!!'

'--'

'Please!! Do this for me!! If you have any mercy on yourself at all, do this!!'

Rukawa stared at the girl blankly, but he did as he was told.

GRUNT

'Oh my # God!! Did you just grunt in front of a girl!! UNBELIEVABLE!!'

The girl raised her eyebrows and the smile became confused but she recovered quickly.

"Uhm… Hi, I'm Ayako… And you are?"

"Rukawa," short and all that Rukawa was capable of, frankly speaking.

"Oh… OoOohhh… You're the basketball captain of the school we're playing against today!"

"Yeah."

"You're heading towards Tomigaoka High aren't you? For the basketball game today. I'm heading there too, I'm the team manager."

"Oh."

"It seems as if this rain isn't letting up soon, what do you say we run for it?"

"Huh- What?"

"We run for it, we both have a game to go to and we're running late. I say we run for it, the school's not that far."

"Miss, I can't afford to catch a cold."

"Well, it's not too cold!"

Rukawa didn't like the sound of this. Here was the team manager of his rival school and she -yes, she- was offering him a first class ticket to catching a cold express minutes before a -let's face it- useless game. On the other hand, he could go to the game on time, catch a cold, and have a valid reason of sleeping at school and at home. Yes! Decision-making over.

Ayamo… Ayako still had that hopeful face on, "Come on!! It'll be fun!!"

Doubtful, Rukawa offered a meek, "Yeah, I guess…"

"Here," Ayako grabbed hold of his hand (which made chibi Rukawa's eyes bulge) and said, "On the count of three, one… two… RUN!!"

She pulled on Rukawa's still hand and together they ran through the harsh rain. It was only a matter of seconds when they were completely drenched running towards an unbelievably far school.

"You said on the count of three!!" Rukawa had the grace to complain -coughwhinecough- to a girl.

"RUN is in the place of three, simple logic!" she shouted at him against the noise of the falling rain.

"Crazy logic, then!" he retorted.

And at that, she laughed. A pure, angelic laugh that made him stop for a while and stare at her back.

She turned around to face him when she noticed that he had stopped. Her hair whipped around at her sudden movement and some got stuck on her wet face.

"What?" Ayako asked curiously.

Rukawa stopped his staring and said, "No-Nothing… Let's go…"

And this time, it was him who reached out for her hand and pulled her running towards the school's gate.

And he did catch a cold after that. But he won the game for the rival team's manager. He won the game for her. And he did get an excuse for sleeping, both at home and at school. And he did get a life. A life with a girl in it. Not a girl friend, not a girl 'friend', but a girl nonetheless.

END OF FLASHBACK

Rukawa drove towards the city once more to face Ayako.

'Okay.. Okay.. But only for 5 minutes. You know I really don't get you, there's a girl pushed under you're very nose, will be married to you without you breaking a sweat and you still go after the unattainable one…' his chibi pulled him out of his reverie.

'Don't you know that's exactly the reason why I'm still chasing her? Men love a chase and I'm a man. Period.'

He pulled out his keys and pocketed them as he went out from his car. He closed the car door and locked it with the remote control key, glanced at Sendoh's car once more before taking a deep breath and proceeded to walk towards the photo shop.

He stopped on the sidewalk.

There she was.

After all those years she was still the same. The same Ayako he had known since high school. Her curly brown hair was as curly as ever, but was now tied in a ponytail with some of the shorter strands hanging beside her face. She tucked them behind her ear unnoticeably as she talked on. She still had the same round friendly eyes and more beautiful than he had remembered.

He tore his eyes away from her and watched the person she was talking to.

Sendoh. Akira Sendoh. His rival in basketball, rival in good looks, and rival in love. It seemed as if they were destined to be rivals in everything.

'Hmph, well I, for one, know he can't beat you at biking with a blindfold and sleeping anytime, anywhere, and with raging noise reaching unimaginable decibels.'

'Thanks for the comfort.'

'You're welcome…'

'Do you really not know what sarcasm is? Or are you deliberately provoking me?'

'Both…'

'Never mind…'

Nevertheless, Rukawa was thankful for his chibi. They both shared the same passion of hating Sendoh to the very core. Who wouldn't hate that alien hair and that carefree freaking smile? And the way he stands! He's so smug and proud and #&…

'I sound like a freaking girl'

'Freak… Hahahaha!!' his chibi occupied himself with rolling around in laughter.

Rukawa decided to take another step towards the shop's double doors.

'OoOhhh… You're chickening out aren't you?'

'Am not…'

'Are too'

'Am not'

'Well, why don't we just turn around and run towards Haruko's open arms?'

Rukawa ignored this and took another step towards the doors.

'Turn back when there's still a chance. They still haven't seen you.'

Rukawa pushed the double doors and heard the door chime tinkle so near above his head. Well, being that tall certainly makes you a target for door chimes.

Sendoh and Ayako both turned to face him.

Rukawa suddenly wished he could melt on the spot and not reemerge from the floor until they had confirmed him deformed and not acceptable as a human life form.

But no, contrary to popular belief, God was not that merciful.

"Oh, Hi! Rukawa-kun!"

The -kun sounded sweeter than the door chime.

"Yo!"

And the door chime broke and choked out a weird noise similar to the exhaust outlet of an old car.

He nodded towards the two of them.

It was an unspoken agreement that Rukawa's proposal won't ever be mentioned again and act as if it never happened.

"What brings you here?"

Rukawa simply pocketed his hands.

"What kind of question is that?" Ayako answered for him, "He doesn't need a reason to be here, right? Rukawa-kun?"

"Oh alright… I'm leaving now so that you could catch up with your best friend here… Ja!!"

And with that, Sendoh planted a swift kiss on Ayako's cheeks and patted Rukawa's shoulder as he passed by towards the doors.

"Bye, Sendoh-kun!"

"…"

Ayako stepped out from the counter and stood beside Rukawa facing the glass panes. She watched Sendoh get inside his car and drive out of the driveway.

"HhHmmm… He's so unpredictable, don't you think?"

Rukawa just shrugged beside her.

"Wait! I hear you've been pulled into something again! What was it this time?" she asked, facing him.

"It's nothing really…"

"Oh…" she faced the glass panes again, "by the way, I'm going to tell Sendoh I like him."

Rukawa turned to face her.

"Well, you know I've been pining for him since the time I learned to walk. It's just, I think it's time for me to come clean you know?"

She turned to face him with a blush on her face.

"Why don't the three of us go on a double date so you could accompany me to the most important dinner of my life? I could call a friend of mine so you won't be alone. And after that we could all go home and I can finally tell him what I've been dying to tell him for how many years. And he would finally know that-

Hey, are you there?"

At the moment, Rukawa could feel nothing. And he didn't know what to do and what to say.

'You don't really know what to say in the first place…' his chibi couldn't help but butt in.

"You're babbling…"

"Oh," she laughed awkwardly, "It's just, I'm really nervous you know."

"So, about the dinner dates, are you coming?"

Rukawa opened his mouth to refuse, but too late, Ayako had already used her puppy dog pout on him.

"Alright."

"I'm going to call a friend of mine over to be your date, is that okay with you?" Ayako asked.

"Oh, never mind, I'll get a date myself."

"Oh!" Ayako was surprised, this was the first time Rukawa had said HE was going to get a date. It wasn't because no girl would want to go with him (and believe me, it wasn't, far from it), it was because he didn't to go to any trouble asking a girl out. That was just so ANNOYING.

"Well, I hope she's not too pretty! She might bait Sendoh-kun away from me!" Ayako joked with him.

"Oh, she's not pretty alright."

"Hey, what a harsh thing to say about any girl. I bet you talk about me the same way with your guy friends! You're not worth being a friend Kaede Rukawa!" she mocked him.

'I don't talk about you that way,' Ruakwa said to himself.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Rukawa stared at Ayako again, thinking about her confession to Sendoh and what Sendoh would say.

"I'm… nothing… I'm alright. It's… You're finally going to tell him. Aren't you afraid that it might put a strain on your friendship?"

"You'll never gain anything if you don't risk anything Rukawa, besides, nothing strains Sendoh-kun. He's so, you know? Happy and carefree in his little happy bubble world."

"Yeah…"

"So, tell me about this girl. Is she pretty?"

At once the image of Haruko in that black innocent-but-seductive dress flashed before his eyes.

"Well… y-yeah…"

'HAH!! You admit that she's pretty!!'

"Come on! Describe her!"

"Well, she has straight dark-brownish hair past her shoulders, um… pretty eyes… and really-"

"Really what?"

He was going to say drop-dead gorgeous and/or sexy but not in front of his long-time crush he wouldn't.

"Nice… really nice."

"I have a feeling 'nice' wasn't what you were going to say."

"But she is! Nice, I mean."

"Alright, I'll hold on to that."

"It's already late in the afternoon, any plans for dinner tonight?" Ayako continued.

"Nothing, actually…"

"Aren't you inviting your girl out for dinner tonight?"

"Um…she has," Rukawa struggled to remember the note Haruko had scribbled hurriedly for him, "a late shift at the hospital…"

'Phew…'

"Nurse?"

"No, doctor…"

'How did you know?' his chibi butted in.

'I saw it in her pictures. I know a doctor when I see one.'

"Wow… She must be rock-hard intelligent!"

"Yeah…She is…"

"Is that uncertainty I hear in your voice?"

"N-No.."

"Hehe… Just kidding, anyway, I need to close down the shop, wait for me okay?"

Rukawa walked outside to the late afternoon warmth and stood beside his car.

Ayako carried her shoulder bag with her and headed towards the car door Rukawa held open for her.

Ayako talked for the both of them while Rukawa drove through the city towards Ayako's apartment.

Ayako stepped out of Rukawa's car and bade him good bye. And without a second glance, entered her apartment.

'That good bye means much more than she intended…'

'It's good that you know…'

And with that, Rukawa drove out of the parking lot and drove towards the small shed that had survived World War 3.

'There's still no World War 3.'

'With the way things between you and Sendoh have been going on, there's bound to be a World War 3.'

'Oh…'

Haruko stood alone on the hospital's driveway.

'This is beyond humiliating!'

'Bear it with a smile, mom always said…'

'There isn't anything worth smiling about when you are stuck on a hospital's driveway just because you can't ride a bus home and with no husband-to-be on the way to pick you up.'

Haruko sighed, her chibi had a point.

'I wish the camera had focused only on Rukawa's face and not included mine…'

'Bad luck…'

Haruko watched an expensive Land Rover make its way towards the hospital's driveway. It stopped right before her.

'Wait, Rukawa's car isn't a Land Rover, is it? Oh!! He has another expensive car at his beck and call!', Haruko's chibi said.

The car's window slid down and in the car was the handsome face of no other than Sendoh.

"Hello Haruko-chan!"

"Sendoh-san!"

"Sendoh-KUN!" Sendoh insisted.

"Se-Sendoh-kun, um, what brings you here?"

"Well, I just happened to stop by. Checking out the hospital, you know…" Sendoh said with a wink.

Haruko blushed, "Oh!"

"Need a ride home, fair maiden?"

"I- I really couldn't…"

HONK!! HONK!!

Haruko saw that a couple of taxi's were already getting impatient.

"I'm not driving off without you, Haruko-chan!" Sendoh playfully said.

HONK!! HONK!!

"Dum-di-dum-dum-dum…" Sendoh had started humming as if he couldn't hear the impatient honks of the drivers behind him.

"Oh alright!!" and Haruko hurriedly jumped in his car and secured the seat belt.

"There! Wasn't so difficult, was it?" Sendoh said after they were safely out of the hospital's driveway and off towards the outskirts of the city where Rukawa's mansion lies.

Haruko sighed audibly.

Sendoh laughed at her childishness and drove through the city feeling good with himself for giving a ride to the most appealing girl in his lifetime.

Author's Note: Well? How was it? Review please? So that i might have something to drive me into doing everything I could just to sit before this computer!!hahaha