Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk or any of its characters.

A/N: Sorry for the late update.


Chapter 11: Running Away

If only I could

I would stay with you….

As the rain hammered hard on the roof, Haruko made her way back inside the basketball gym. With Rukawa Kaede's jacket draped over her shoulders, her heart and mind was in a total turmoil.

Why does he keep on doing things I never expect him to do?

She kept on asking herself, feeling frustrated and confused. He was the one who always makes her feel that she's nothing but a mere teammate. But why does he always show these sides of him? It's like when a wound was starting to heal but suddenly it started to bleed again.

Setting foot inside the gym, Haruko spotted Rukawa packing his things on one corner. With determined footsteps in spite of her confused and frustrated mind she approached the raven-haired, pale skinned, tall with piercing azure eyes that was Rukawa Kaede.

"Stop this! Stop messing with me!" Haruko cried, her voice was clear enough for Rukawa to hear her on top of the noise the rain was making outside.

Rukawa looked up at her. Her blue eyes were a mirror of frustration and anger. He didn't expect her to snap at him like this. Not in a million years. He was caught off guard but he was well aware that it didn't show on his face. He remained stoic while he stared at her. He can't understand why she was acting like this.

"Don't make it harder than it already is…. Please…." Haruko said, her voice now pleading and tears were already falling freely from her eyes. Rukawa flinched when he saw those tears. He wanted to close the distance between them and wipe those tears but his self ego prevailed. Again. His brows furrowed instead. It was getting harder for him to contain his emotions especially that Haruko was crying her heart out in front of him.

"You asked me to stay away from you…." Haruko continued; her voice cracking. Rukawa could feel the pain in it which made him take a step towards her. So this was all about what happened at the hospital park. He opened his mouth to speak. To tell her he's sorry for saying those harsh words to her. That he regretted telling her those words. But he froze when she spoke again.

"Stop…. Please…. Stop…. You're making it harder…. by doing these gentle things to me…" She sobbed. "You're making me expect more from you…. If you want me to stay away from you… Please stop making me feel this way!" Haruko harshly wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She removed the jacket over her shoulders and handed it to him.

He was too stunned to react. He felt like everything was in haze that for the first time Rukawa Kaede felt something prick in his heart as she ran away from his sight and into the heavy rain outside. He watched Haruko ran away for the second time.

He clutched his jacket tightly that it almost tore. He wanted so much to run after her but there were many what if's in his mind.

-/-/-/-/-/-

"Is kaa-san leaving us?" young Kaede asked his father after he was awakened by the loud commotion made by his parents arguing. He saw his father pleading for his mother to not go. He watched as his mother went ran away outside in dead of night under the heavy rain.

"No, Kaede," the older Rukawa assured him but the young Kaede knew better. "Don't worry, I'll bring her back." Kaede was left alone by the doorway when his father ran after his distraught mother.

Kaede sat down by the doorway. His knees pulled up to protect him from the coldness of the empty house, arms wrapped around them, patiently waiting. He stayed on that position listening outside for any sign of his parents' return. The sun started to crept through the windows but there was still no sign of his parents even his father.

Later that day, his grandparents went to the house and broke the most dreaded news he would hear.

"You're father will never return…."

"He died in the car accident while chasing your mother…."

Kaede cried every day until there were no tears to cry.

Why was every person he cherished and loved left him?

Unfair.

It was unfair.

The only thing that kept him going was basketball.

Every day he practiced.

He put a wall around him to keep people out. Afraid that if he let them in, they will just leave him like his parents.

Rukawa opened his eyes abruptly. He fell asleep again at the school rooftop. He gazed at the clear blue sky and remembered his dream. No it wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. The event of his life he doesn't want to remember. Suddenly, another memory entered his mind, the memory of Akagi Haruko running away from him. Every single word she uttered that night has bothered him. They were daggers that pierced through his heart. And slowly crumbled his defenses.

Stop.

Haruko's voice rung through his head as if she was right beside him.

He blinked his eyes several times to erase his thoughts of her. Rukawa started to get up, it's time for basketball practice. He was excited to participate in their team practice after being sidelined for weeks. But his face give away anything, he's Rukawa Kaede after all, the human block of ice.

-/-/-/-/-/-

"So, how was your date with Sendoh?"

Rukawa stopped in his tracks when he heard their team manager's voice inside meeting room. She was no doubt talking to the assistant manager and the girl who has been giving him extreme headache for the past days. It was not his hobby to listen to other people's conversation but his curiosity has prevailed over his rationality. He wanted to know.

"It was amazing…." He heard Haruko replied with a timid voice. Rukawa could picture her blushing. It made him furious for no apparent reason. He was not used of other guys making Haruko blush.

Before he could hear another reply from Haruko, he scampered away from the meeting room's door and proceeded to the court. It was still empty. He started to warm up by dribbling. He needed to focus on his game if wants to be the number one. He can't let a girl lose his focus on his main goal.

After few minutes, the two girls came out of the meeting room. Ayako was giddy and it seemed that she was teasing the younger female. Haruko was blushing madly.

"Wow!" Ayako gasped when she spotted him. "You're back Rukawa!" he stopped dribbling and acknowledged the team manager but her assistant was blatantly not looking at him. She busied herself with the sheets of paper on her hands, looking anywhere except him. Somehow he felt a prick of pain inside him. He misses the cheerful Akagi Haruko.

She really is avoiding me.

Rukawa swerved to the left with the ball in his hands. He maneuvered against the rookie Koizumi while they were having a practice drill. The guys were all excited to see him up and running again especially captain Miyagi. He was relieved to know that his best player will be able to play on the official games due next month.

Look at me. Even just once.

He dribbled to the right and escaped the tight defense of his defender. He has only one goal: to score. He looked at the basket. There were other players waiting for him to attack but the red head was the only one he noticed.

"Bring it on, teme kitsune!" he challenged.

I will make you look at me.

With one swift move, Rukawa Kaede took flight with the ball in his hand. Sakuragi jumped with in front of him, ready to block his shot but he was too stubborn to be defeated. He put the ball to his other hand. Without blinking, he slammed the ball on the basket, ignoring the rants of the red head do'aho, the awestruck rookies and the screaming of fangirls. He didn't care about them. He only cared about one person at the time and the only person in the gym who refused to look at him.

I will make you look at me again.

He landed smoothly on the floor and simply stared at her direction.

When you ran away

Without knowing

My heart ran away with you….


A/N: So there it is! It's a little angsty, this time I made it entirely into Rukawa's point of view! Anyways, thank you for the continued support and reviews! Arigato, minna-san! *bows*