CHAPTER 9: THESE TWO GUYS (PART 1)
(Mitsui)
He keeps staring at the reflection of himself.
'Fool!' that's the only word that keep echoing at his head. When he washed his face, that word will disappear but only to return. It was last night, the night that he blamed for this terrible bad day. The only first time he hoped that somebody will invent time machine.
"I love you. No matter how much you love Rukawa, no matter how long you've been in love with him. I can't help myself."
She stared at him, long enough to make him realize how crazy he was.
"G-Good night, senpai." She rushed to her house. Leaving him all alone and messed up. In autumn, Mitsui Hisashi at his seventeen. Finally, confessed for the first time and wished that he vanished from earth.
(Rukawa)
"Rukawa-kuuun!"
"Good luck at the winter tournament!"
"I'll support you!"
"You're the hottest!"
Those phrases are the most commons (and favorites) ones from the all of Rukawa's fans. Classmates or seniors, they're all falling for him.
'Stupid, girls… Can you be quiet for a while?' He walks casually even though his fans are following him everywhere. That'll be the first time he wished they'll be quite for a while. He usually wished they'll be quiet—forever. But he already gives up on that wish. Those wish goes for every annoying girl that like him. Except one.
"Rukawa-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked politely. It actually surprised him since she rarely talks to him. But since she's the manager, he thought that she'll be talking about the club or something like that.
"…I like you since seventh grade, Rukawa-kun!"
It was so suddenly that he hasn't even got a chance to blink or yawn. His whole body is freezing for a moment. When he finally snaps back to the 'real' world, he founds this girl with brown hair staring at me with these hopes in her eyes. This girl is that exception. The one that he thought won't 'betray' him and confessed like other girls.
In autumn, Rukawa Kaede at his fifteen. Run away from something for the first time.
(Mitsui)
"Ah… I don't feel really good; I wanna go sleeping in the roof… Say something to sensei, okay Kawamura-kun?"
"B-b-but, Mitsui-san! You've skip too many classes! Aren't you worried about your grades?" The clumsy Kawamura tries to talks back this time. He doesn't want to be scolded again by the homeroom teacher for not keeping eyes in his troublesome classmate.
"Ne, Kawamura-kun." Mitsui approaches him slowly and smirks. "I know some cute girls in Himura all girls' school, you can have one if you keep quiet…"
Bull's eye! Kawamura torn between good grades and cute girls. He gulps and turns his back, "M-make sure you don't skip Math class. Your grade is very low on that subject!"
"That'll be the last thing you'll be worried about, Ka-wa-mu-ra-kun!"
He walks to the roof while mumbling and thinking sometimes shakes his head too. He's kinda nervous about meeting her again. But, of course he can't skip the club too. The national tournament is two days to go… 'It's decided! I will act casually!'
He opens the roof door.
He looks at the sky, it's so blue because the weather has been so good lately, despite of the cold. He notices the door is opening. And what do you know? It his senpai, which is also his rival at club.
"H-hey, Rukawa! What are you doing here? This is senior area!"
"Why are you doing here too, senpai? Aren't you supposed to be studying? Low grades students aren't allowed to join any kind of club activities."
"Huh, speak to your self!" Mitsui's anxiety grows bigger and bigger. The fact that Rukawa is here, make him remember about Haruko even more. Both of them stayed in silence for a while. Driven insane by his own mind, Mitsui tries to make up some unimportant topics…
"Where do you go whenever the practice is finished? Err, I mean the club and your practice finished."
"Nowhere, just go straight home, sleeping."
"No way! You must have some girlfriend, maybe one or two to play with…"
"Nope, I don't have any."
"What?! But those annoying girls are always there for you! You can just close your eyes and pick one!"
"But basketball is everything to me. It's better than dating any girl around… It's my life…and love."
Mitsui sighs again and lies beside his junior, "Yeah, I know… Basketball is also everything to me. But…" He chuckles, "lately something disturbing comes and I barely have the time to practice basketball at my own anymore."
"Well, your life seems to be more interesting than mine. Sometimes I just found my life plain and boring. But then realize, there's nothing much to do about it…"
"So you just leave it that way? God, it's killing to be you—literally."
"Maybe you're right. I'm not like others. I don't smoke. I don't flirt with chicks. I don't go to karaoke and stuffs."
"Really? Man, you definitely gotta do that. Or you'll regret it, seriously!"
"Yeah right. I never regret stuffs, past is past for me." Rukawa gets up. "Oh yeah, if you're going to smoke—tell me. I'm going to leave immediately."
"What're you saying? You hate smokers? Eh, I don't smoke either."
"I thought you're in a gang or some thing like that back in the days."
"That's not a reason to smoke. Even though, all of my buddies smoke… Maybe because deep inside, I always hope there'll be the time when I can return to basketball."
"So what know? Is this the part where I should be touched and cry?"
"Huh, cry at yourself, bitch. I f I were you, I could be the most famous player plus womanizer in the country!"
They stop chit chatting, they only gaze at the blue sky.
'They're forming in straight line they're going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds the blitzkrieg bop
They're piling in the back seat they're generating steam heat
Pulsating to the back beat the blitzkrieg bop…' Mitsui hums, as he about to go to the next line… 'Hey ho…'
'Hey ho, let's go shoot'em in the back now they want I don't know
They're all reved up and ready to go…' Rukawa continues the song that Mitsui just hummed. Mitsui stared at him.
"I thought you said you're different from others?"
"My big brother is a big fan of punk."
"That won't make you know Ramones's first single, they're classic… Don't tell me you're fans too."
"Not really. My heart is for Sex Pistols."
"Sid Vicious is a God."
"Totally. I have the replica of his padlock, original from UK."
"Damn you! I always looked for it! It's too expensive in here!"
"You can have it. My big brother works in UK; I can have another one next time he's back in town."
"Seriously?! Man, you're too generous!"
"Yep, just come to my house after the practice finished. I'll show you my collections!"
"Collections?! Whoa, that's cool!" Rukawa chuckles and somehow that's make Mitsui realize he never sees him does that.
Maybe this rivalry can be friendship indeed…or not?
A.N.: Sorry for the long waiting, the school is killing me. Since I'm in ninth grade, I must study hard to get into top high school (Wish me luck at this too)! And incase you're wondering, I'm going to inform you that this chapter will be divided in two parts. So keep reading and don't forget to leave reviews, okay?
