"You've grown four centimeters, Rukawa-kun." Ayako said, she was updating the players profiles in preparation for the next school year. Kaede's first thought was that he is taller than his dad now then he thought of how he can take advantage of his added height in future games. Hanamichi would still be the center, since he's still taller, but if Kaede goes to the big leagues, then this added height will surely be advantageous.
The basketball team had gathered that afternoon to play a bit and talk about the next school year. Riyota would be going off to college along with a few of the other guys in the team. They currently have seven juniors and five freshmen in the team. That number would have been okay if not for the pressure of keeping up to the name bestowed upon them, thanks to that championship they won.
"Alright, listen up." Riyota clapped, calling all the team members to gather around him. Coach Anzai, Ayako, Gori and his sister stood next to him. "I know you guys are fretting about what will happen to the team next year, but I've already gotten several calls from students of different schools, telling me they will transfer to Shohoku to join the basketball team. So there should be more members next year." Riyota turned to him, "Rukawa, can you let Sakura-chan know about this so she can plan accordingly the budget?"
Kaede nodded. Maybe he was just flattering himself, but it was nice to be the go-to person when it comes to her.
"Second order of business. We've talked among ourselves," Riyota gestured to the four that stood with him, "And we figured Kaede would be the most suitable new captain."
The assignment took Kaede by surprise—mainly because he was not really thinking about it. But to be appointed basketball captain is still a great honor and privilege.
Of course, it was only a matter of seconds before Hanamichi has another one of his outbursts, "WHY HIM?! What about me Riyochin?!"
"You'll be vice-captain. We figured, Kaede already had experience, being the team captain of Tomigaoka. But also he is disciplined and he'll know which areas need polishing and improvement." Riyota explained calmly. In his mind, Kaede thought they judged rightly.
Riyota then turned to Hanamichi, who was sulking next to Kaede. "A vice-captain's role is no less important than the captain's, Hanamichi. While Rukawa takes care of the technicalities, you will be in charge of making sure the team members are motivated."
That makes sense, as well. Kaede thought, humbly acknowledging that he would not fit that role, seeing as he does lack people skills.
Hanamichi was still sulking so Kaede turned to him, "He's right. You are better at motivating the team. It's like, you are the nucleus of this group."
"The what?" Hanamichi raised an eyebrow at him, making sure to convey his annoyance, as always.
"The nucleus. You know, the center of an atom?" As soon as he said that, he realized just how nerdy he sounded. She's really rubbing off on me.
Ayako quickly added, "You keep the team together, Sakuragi-kun. We're depending on you!" To make him feel important is all that's needed for Hanamichi's spirits to liven up again. In an instant, he was back to his usual self, laughing and joking around.
"Finally, I know you all have finals coming up but just so everyone knows, though we are not having practices anymore, everyone is welcome in the gym to play and practice on their own so long as they clean up after themselves." He declared. "Any questions?"
There were none and the meeting adjourned. Ayako came up to him, "Rukawa-kun, I hope you can explain to Sakura-chan that the team is really expecting a huge surge of members next year. This happened to Sannoh and Kainan when they became known as great schools for basketball. So, I'm projecting, as early as now, a funds allocation that's triple of what we have now." She finished just as Riyota was coming up behind her.
"That's right. Use your charm, I'm sure she'll listen." He said. Kaede suspected he was teasing him a bit, "I'll do my best."
"Great." Ayako clapped.
Kaede began to walk away, but then he heard Riyota talk sweetly to his girlfriend, "I have something nice planned for us on White Day," He said.
The topic piqued Kaede's interest. White Day? That day a month after Valentines' when guys reciprocate gifts they've been given. He has not celebrated White Day ever. He has not accepted gifts from any girls, so he's never had to. But this year, he had to, not just because he had to return the gift she's given him, but especially because he wanted to dote on her—and it had to be something sizable that will leave a strong impression. Unfortunately, he did not know where to begin.
Kaede backtracked, whom better else to ask than one who's experienced and knows about his feelings already?
"Riyota," He said in almost a whisper, and the team captain halted his conversation with his girlfriend to look at him. It occurred to Kaede just how embarrassing and awkward this was going to be. He felt heat rise up from his neck to his face.
"Um...w-what do you n-normally g-give or do on W-White Day?" As if the question wasn't humiliating enough, his mouth just decided not to cooperate and embarrassed him further by making him stutter.
"Ho-ho! Rukawa-kun is making White Day plans!" Ayako clapped and rubbed her hands together, she looked excited and amused. Kaede felt his face get warmer. "Sakura-chan gave you chocolates then?" She said in a sing-song voice.
Yes, but it wasn't the kind he wanted. He wanted it to be honmei choco. "Sort of."
"Advancing in basketball, advancing in love, you're unstoppable." Riyota teased, a smug grin on his face. Kaede frowned and glared at the both of them. He really wished they would just answer the question already before their conversation attracts attention.
"Well," Riyota scratched his scruff, "For me, I always think about what Aya-chan would like. I always seem to get a better reaction when it's something immaterial though." Kaede recalled the Disneyland trip. That was truly priceless.
"Because, those are things that don't wilt or fade, you see."Ayako began, she's always been sensical like that."Sakura-chan doesn't seem to be the type to cling on to material things. I'm sure she'll appreciate something invaluable. In the end, I know it's cliché but it's the thought that cou—" Ayako paused abruptly to sob, "Oh, you've grown so much! You're no longer that kid in junior high that's got nothing in mind except basketball. You actually have other pursuits now! I'm so proud of you."
She sounded like a mother. But that's how she's always been to the team. She has this very strong motherly instinct. Kaede thought, if he stayed any longer, he'll get smothered by the both of them in talks about romance and courtship. So he thanked them for their advice and left.
That night, he immediately began researching and concocting his White Day plans.
-o-o-o-o-o-
White Day. Kaede walked in the study room and found Sakura poring over trigonometry equations with a smile on her face. "Why are you doing Trigonometry?" He asked as he took his usual seat.
"Because it's Pi Day! Happy Pi Day!" She said happily. It took a second for Kaede to understand, Ah, March 14 is 3.14.
Excitement was sprawled across her face, "Did you know that we can't really know the circumference of a circle because even though we have pi, it's an irrational number—meaning its digits will go on forever in a random sequence." Kaede nodded and smiled in response. Her enthusiasm for Math is so amusing to him.
Sakura continued her musing, "They've found 1.24 trillion digits of pi so far. The most anyone's ever memorized is 42, 195. I can only go," She paused to look up, as if trying to remember something, "3.141592653589...Yeah, that's it." She stuck her tongue out.
Kaede chuckled. Man, did he love her every little quirk.
Sakura turned back to her equations and Kaede cleared his throat, "Anyway um..." He pulled out his gift from his pocket and slid it across the table towards her. Sakura blinked, and examined the gift then looked up at him, "What's this?"
"You want to come with?" He stated, trying to gauge her reaction.
She stared back and forth from his face to the Uverworld White Day concert tickets, "Today? It's finals next week."
Kaede smirked, "Ishihara, we studied all year."
Sakura smiled sheepishly, "We did, didn't we?" She took the tickets in her hand, "Then, okay! Let's go!"
They made a quick stop at their homes to change out of their uniforms. Kaede noticed that the cherry blossom tree in the Ishihara yard was in full bloom and the tulips were also beginning to blossom. Ayumi was home, to Sakura's surprise. She said that she changed shifts with one of her co-workers who had to study during the day.
"Well, Rukawa-kun got concert tickets for Uverworld in Tokyo! We'll be going tonight, if that's alright." Sakura asked politely. Ayumi smiled, "That sounds fun. You enjoy yourselves."
Sakura was taken aback by her mother's immediate consent. Normally, like on Kaede's birthday, she drilled her about the details of the trip, et cetera, et cetera. This time, her mom looked quite happy about it. She wondered about the sudden change. But she was glad she had her mother's permission, "Wonderful! I'll go change now." She ran upstairs, feeling very excited to see her favorite band—and with Kaede, no less.
Kaede waited for Sakura downstairs. Ichiro was talking to him animatedly about Uncharted, a game they both played and enjoyed. In his peripheral vision, he could see Ayumi smiling at them.
"You still meant what you said?" She said, her tone pleasant, interrupting his conversation with Ichiro.
Kaede nodded, showing his resolve through his eyes, "Very much so. I promise."
Ayumi smiled, "To be brave enough to come to me about her, you show true commitment Rukawa-kun. Bring her home safe." Kaede felt encouraged. It was nice to have her support and permission about her daughter.
They left for Tokyo two hours early before the concert to have an early dinner. They ate at a restaurant near the Tokyo Dome and then headed inside towards their mid-row seats. He's never been to a rock concert before, and earlier he found out from Sakura that this is her first as well. It was nice to be able to share this together.
The concert started at seven sharp. As soon as the lights dimmed, with only neon lights moving about, the crowd stood and clapped and cheered wildly. Sakura and Kaede stood with them, and amid the loud music and the loud cheers, he thought he heard people complain in the back. Sorry, can't help that we're both tall.
Uverworld made their grand entrance and the dome filled with shouting, clapping and squealing. The fast-beat music gave him an adrenaline rush, which strangely made him want to play basketball.
He glanced at Sakura who was swaying side to side with the beat, and she smiled up at him. Even in the dark she's beautiful. She dresses simply; tonight she wore jeans, leather boots, a t-shirt and a jacket, yet even the simplicity of her attire could not dull her shine. She still looked way better than the rest of the female population on the planet combined. She is the most beautiful in his eyes.
The band played songs from their new and old albums. Sakura sung along with them, pumping her fist in the air, bobbing her head with the beat and she would squeal occasionally when a band member would do something flamboyant. Kaede stood stiff, with his hands in his pockets, singing along quietly under his breath.
When the band played a very upbeat song that propelled the crowd up to their feet dancing, Sakura faced him, singing the song with exaggerated facial expressions, moving her shoulders with the beat. She looked adorable. He took a bold step closer to her and took in the fragrant smell of lavender, "I didn't know you dance." He whispered in her ear. She giggled and whispered back, "I don't. I probably look like a frog in a blender right now, but I can't help it. This is so awesome!"
She was not afraid to be goofy with him. He was so pleased to see her happy and having fun that he could not help but smile, sing along with her, and bob his head slightly as well. It's the first time he's ever shown anyone this side of him. He was glad she didn't think it weird and goofy. She just giggled and smiled fondly at him.
The concert ended around 10 pm. Sakura sang Uverworld songs the entire train ride back to Kanagawa and on the bike ride home. She stopped singing suddenly, and he felt her grip on his shirt tighten a bit, "Ne, Rukawa-kun, thanks for taking me to see Uverworld." She said softly. Kaede could not help but smile, he was quite proud of himself. He liked making her happy. Coolly, Kaede shrugged and responded, "Of course. You're my favorite girl."
It was a big hint to his real intentions. Inside, he kind of hoped that she would get it. He'd been wanting to tell her for a long time about what he truly felt, but words always failed him. Kaede has always been more of a doer than a talker; he embodies 'actions speak louder than words' and that is exactly what he's been doing: just showing her in his own ways just how much he cared for her and just how much he adored her. But their slow progress tested his patience and lately he'd only managed to verbally drop hints about his interests. He really hoped she'd catch on and maybe they could take another step in their relationship, but at the same time there was this gnawing fear of how she will react.
There was a short silence and then Sakura began singing again. She said nothing about his comment, almost as if she didn't hear it or she was pretending to have not heard it. Kaede felt a little bothered by it, but also a little relieved. He would not know what to say anyway if she chose to discuss it now. Maybe another day.
Her voice echoed around the empty streets. It made for a rather dreamy evening with the stars lighting the night sky and her compellingly haunting singing. Now that he could hear her better, he realized she had a beautiful voice—it was enthralling and cinematically wistful. It will perfectly match what he's about to give her next.
"I need to pick up something for a sec." He turned the corner toward his apartment. Sakura mustered an "uhuh" and kept singing. They got to his apartment and while she played with Sancho and told the cat stories about the concert, he went to retrieve his present.
The shock on Sakura's face when he presented his gift to her was priceless. With a solid cedar top, and warm mellow sounds, it was the perfect guitar for beginners—or so he's researched.
Sakura's jaw hung open, her eyes glued to the musical instrument that lay on his coffee table, "Please tell me you didn't get this for me."
Kaede smirked, amused at her reaction, "Of course it's for you." But Sakura didn't smile, she just looked worried, "Rukawa-kun, this is too much. I got you chocolates, for crying out loud."
"So? Didn't you say you wanted to learn?"
Sakura frowned, "I do. But you don't have to reciprocate like this. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for the thought. But it's still too much for a White Day gift."
Kaede bowed his head and thought about it for a bit, was it really too much? How would he know what's too much? This is the first time he's ever celebrated White Day! He didn't even really think of the cost when he planned his gift. He just wanted to dote on her, to see her happy.
"Who says it's for White Day? I got you this for Pi Day! Happy Pi Day!"
Pi Day had no traditions, no rules about how to celebrate it. She can't argue with him on this. She made up her own holiday, he made up his own rules and traditions about it—and if that means extravagant gifts, then so be it. Anything that will make her accept what he's been wanting to give her for a long time.
A smile slowly manifested on Sakura's face, "Clever son of a gun." Kaede shot her a smug grin in victory. He thought he saw a faint blush on her face as she slowly approached the coffee table.
"So, it's really mine?" She whispered, still pink in the face. Kaede offered a smile in return. She took the guitar in her hands and strummed the strings. The sound scared Sancho away, it made them both laugh. She turned to him and with the gentlest of smiles, she whispered, "Thank you, Rukawa-kun."
He felt his heart soar. But in response he tried to act cool and just shrugged and took a seat next to her as she practiced with the few chords she knows, which apparently, a guy named Kyo taught her. Kaede ignored the jealousy he felt to calmly watch her like this. She ended up staying for another hour before he finally took her home. When he dropped her off, he thought he saw her motion for a hug, but then pulled back. She instead squeezed his arm and reiterated her thanks for the tenth time. Kaede went home extremely happy and satisfied, although he would have liked that hug.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Unbeknownst to the two, Keijiro came by the Ishihara home earlier that night. Ichiro answered the door when the doorbell rang, "Yes?"
"Hi, I've come to see Sakura-chan."
"Nee-san's not here right now. She went out to go see Uverworld with her boyfriend."
Keijiro raised his brow, startled at the information, "Boyfriend?"
"Yes. Rukawa-senpai. You know, tall guy, good at basketball?"
Keijiro frowned, "I know who he is." This is certainly news to him. He waved a good night to Ichiro and left, texting Chisa and their other friends, asking whether or not they knew Sakura and Kaede were dating.