Hey everyone, I'm baaack! I know, I know, it took forever for me to update the next chapter, and I apologize for the long wait.
A few notes, I replaced Tetsuo with the character of Ryuu in this chapter. He's one of the gangsters who attacked the Shohoku players at the gym together with Mitsui. If you noticed from chapter 21, he's the dude whom Mizuki accidentally spilled some paint on.
Second, Rukawa will be behaving like an insufferable jerk on the first part of this chapter, but don't worry, he'll redeem himself at the end.
Chapter 24: The Waning of Summer
It's over. It's all over.
In the blink on an eye, Rukawa Kaede's life was flipped upside down.
Everything was going out smoothly, Shohoku was already dominating the first half, the offensive trio of Rukawa, Ryota and rookie Zenko (RRZ as they dubbed them) were doing an impressive performance in leading the team to victory. Despite Akira Sendoh's display of brilliance and agility, Ryonan still failed to catch up, mainly because the team was unable to find talented players on par with the likes of their former Captain and Vice-Captain, Uozumi and Ikegami, who were considered as Ryonan's best defensive players. Although he tries not to show it, the heavy weight of responsibility puts immense strain on Sendoh.
Which really place Shohoku in an advantage. But then, a new player was brought in - a 6 foot 3 inches tall second year student, with long platinum blonde curls tied up in a man bun, who recently moved to Japan from the U.S. Ryota dislike him immediately because of his narcissism and arrogant behavior, not to mention his incessant throwing of profanities in foreign language.
The transfer student's name was Kihei Yamato.
But Rukawa already knew him even before the game. He met him when he inadvertently rescued a girl (whose eye color reminded him of moss) from being harassed by this creep. And with the way Yamato keeps glaring at him, he's obviously still holding a grudge towards him. A voice in his head warned him against letting his guard down.
It turns out this Yamato guy was vindictive by nature, and he ultimately resort to dirty tactics to seek his revenge by intentionally shoving Rukawa when the latter was about to do a slam dunk. Once a player got in the air, they have no way to stabilize themselves, and Rukawa was certain Yamato did push him, resulting in a dislocated elbow and sprained wrist. Yamato was issued a flagrant foul and immediately got kicked out of the match. In spite of his insistence that he remained at the game, he was still brought to the hospital.
Things just went downhill after that.
Emotions got high, and Rukawa later learned that Ryota was given a technical foul and got ejected for his unsportsmanlike behaviour when an argument with Yamato turns into a full brawl. The absence of Shohoku's ace player and captain immensely affected the team's morale, jeopardizing their chances of winning. In the end, Shohoku lost in its quest for the InterHigh Championship.
Rukawa clenched his fists, his mood darkening as he realized that once again, he failed. Basketball is his only objective in life. he had spent most of his time mastering it, throwing the perfect shot. Apparently, his practices aren't enough. He wasn't good enough.
But then he remembered that if it wasn't for that bastard Yamato, Shohoku had a chance of winning against Ryonan. If only he was more vigilant, maybe he could have avoided the situation, and not ended up with his arm placed in a cast. Now, he had a dislocated elbow and was advised by his doctor not to play basketball for a while. For him, it was equivalent to death.
It's seems everyone's been carrying a grudge against him.
That bastard Yamato.
The Dou Ahou.
That beanpole Satoshi.
Her.
Warm brown eyes suddenly filtered into his mind.
In a brief out of character moment, he wonders if she's worried about him. He quickly shook his head and dismisses the thought, recalling the words he heard her described him, her spiteful voice echoing in his brain.
'Pompous, insufferable , emotionally constipated jerk.'
He cannot for the life of him fathom why he was affected by what she said. He's usually indifferent to what other students negative view of him, and very few things faze him. Even the Dou Ahou's ceaseless insults thrown at him never troubled him this much.
'You had me convinced that you're my friend, but apparently you're not.'
Friend. Rukawa cannot remember the last time he had considered someone a friend. Or if ever he had one.
He only had his teammates. But he didn't know much or spent time with any of them outside school enough to consider them to be called his friend. They were simply his fellow basketball players.
And then came rooftop girl hurling accusations at him for making her believe that he was her friend. She was either acting up or her misery was real. He inwardly sighs. He knew for certain that the emotions she had shown to him were all real.
Rukawa closed his eyes, and attempted to make sense of what was going on. Everything about her had a weird effect on him. He was bombarded with emotions he wasn't familiar with.
The heavy weight of his plaster cast brought him back to the present and reminded him once again of his failure.
In this moment, Rukawa hated everything and everyone.
She's not his friend.
Those words meant nothing.
She meant nothing to him.
xxxxx
Mizuki pushes the bangs out of her face and took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she stood at the entrance of the hospital. This time, there was another person besides her father that she needs to visit.
The ace player's whereabout was made confidential due to the fear of influx of visit from his hordes of fans. It turns out Rukawa's staying at the same hospital where her father was currently confined. Because she regularly visits her dad, Mizuki had made acquaintances with some of the hospital staff. Unexpectedly, she heard them talking about a certain blue-eyed basketball prodigy who was recently admitted because of an injury during a game. A few exchanged conversations and she managed to acquire valid information about Rukawa's situation.
After an extensive deliberation, Mizuki walks towards his room with as much courage she could muster. But when she finally reaches his door, she halts, fear and uncertainty began creeping over her. Anxiety washed over her just thinking about approaching Rukawa again.
She took a step back, as his harsh words came back to her mind.
'Stay the hell away from me.'
As she stood there wallowing in misery, the door suddenly swung open and out came an attractive, well dressed, elegant woman.
They both freezes, startled by the appearance of the other. The older woman recovered first, her ocean blue eyes piercing through her,
Recognition dawned on Mizuki. The woman had the same deep azure eyes as Rukawa, as well as the intimidating aura. There was no mistaking that she was Rukawa's mother.
Mizuki's mouth fell open, and it didn't seem like it'd close any time soon. She's certain she looks absolutely comical as she stared dumbly at the beautiful woman before her.
"Can I help you?" Rukawa's mom asked as she closes the door behind her, eyes lingering on the nameplate of her uniform with a tinge of suspicion.
Remembering her manners, she quickly bows down and said, "How are you, mam? I'm Yohei Mizuki. A frie- , one of Rukawa-kun's classmates!"
The woman offered her a tight, practiced smile, but didn't say anything else.
"Um," she stammers, grasping for words. "Is Rukawa…. Can I talk, er, I would like to visit Rukawa?"
"I'm sorry, Mizuki-chan, but Kaede's resting at the moment," was the woman's monotonous response.
"Oh," Mizuki said dumbly. She then started rummaging through her messenger bag and pulled out a spiral notebook and held it out to her. "Could you please give these to him then? These are study notes that I made for him, so that – uh- he wouldn't get left behind from class."
Who was she kidding? Rukawa, studying? It was obviously just a ruse to see him. And clearly, his mom knows it too.
"I appreciate the help. But he already received a handful of them from his classmates."
"Uh, I also got him some chocolates," She opened one of the pockets of her bag and brought out a small box and presented it to the older woman,
"to cheer him up? She added sheepishly.
Rukawa's mom simply raised one of her brows - a gesture that strongly reminds her of the way Rukawa looks when he's utterly unimpressed by someone else's antics.
She shoved them back inside her bag. "I guess he received tons of chocolates, too."
"My son is not really fond of sweets."
Mizuki's eyes widened, absolutely disconcerted that someone is capable of resisting sweets. "That's crazy!" she blurted out, "Who doesn't like chocolates?" Realizing she'd spoken aloud, she clamped her hands over her mouth.
Luckily, Rukawa's mom looked more amused than offended by her outburst, judging by the small smile that curved her lips. It was more genuine and not forced this time.
Mizuki breathe out a sigh of relief.
"Is there anything else?"
"Ah, yes." She dug through the contents of her bag once more, smiling when she pulled out a CD and held it up for her to see. "Here. Greatest piano hits, featuring one of his favorite pieces."
She silently gives herself a high five when Mrs. Rukawa took the item from her, curiosity in her azure eyes.
"I believe the music will help him relax." Mizuki's voice cut through the sudden silence that filled the air.
The older woman's eyes narrowed warily, regarding her with suspicion once again. "How did you know he was listening to this?"
Mizuki tried not to squirm under her intense scrutiny. "Er.. I borrowed his cd player…sometimes."
One perfectly trimmed eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Kaede let you borrow his stuff?"
"Sort of, he-he." A nervous laugh escaped her lips, as she fidgeted with the buttons on her navy-blue blazer.
Mrs. Rukawa looked as if she was about to say more, when something or someone behind her caught the older woman's attention. Mizuki glanced over her shoulder and saw a gray-haired old man coming down the hallway, holding a paper cup. She immediately recognized him as the kind elderly man who dropped her off at her apartment months ago.
The old man's gray brows lifted in surprise when he saw her, a look of recognition crossing his face.
Mizuki bows her head in acknowledgement.
"It's nice seeing you again, Young Miss." The elderly man greeted her with a warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Before she could reply, she was interrupted by Mrs. Rukawa, "Do you know her, Gorou-san?" Although the question was directed at the older man, Mrs. Rukawa's intense gaze never wavered from Mizuki, who was blushing furiously.
"She is an acquaintance of the Young Master," answers Gorou-san before taking a sip of his coffee. "If my memory serves me right, I dropped her off at her home when she and the young master stayed late at school."
"We were working on a school project!" Mizuki explained quickly when she noticed the incredulous expression on Mrs. Rukawa's face.
"I believe it was about an interview for the school paper." Gorou-san corrected her.
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she instinctively took a step back, her mind telling her to flee. "Ah, yes. That's right." Mizuki let out a forced laugh, hand scratching the back of her head.
As silence hung between them; she could almost see the gears working in Mrs. Rukawa's head. She probably had heard all about the hullabaloo regarding the article.
She needed to leave now. ASAP.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed as she glanced at her wristwatch in an exaggerated manner, "Look at the time, I've got to go! Thank you." She gave a quick bow before turning on her heels and walking away.
She reached the end of the hall and was about to turn the corner when she heard the loud clacking of heels and Rukawa's mom calling after her.
"Mizuki-chan, wait!"
She stops and turned around, heart hammering in her chest. She didn't know how she's going to explain to her all about the article fiasco.
"I'm sorry!"
"Kaede is in the garden."
They both speak at the same time.
Mizuki scrunched her brows confusion. "Eh?"
Mrs. Rukawa's eyes softened and she gives her a warm smile. "Go. Talk to him."
From her periphery, she saw Gorou-san giving her a thumbs up.
Throat constricting, Mizuki could only nod and bow to them before making her way to the garden.
xxxxx
The garden was her favorite place in the hospital, she visited it almost every time she went to see her dad, enjoying the tranquility of nature's beauty surrounding her. The sounds of the water coming from bamboo tubes adds a soothing effect.
The scenery will be even more breath-taking during autumn season but Mizuki hopes by that time, she could be with her father so they can appreciate the place's magnificence together.
She never knew that this place is where her heart will get shattered into a million pieces.
She found him standing at the small and gracefully arched wooden red bridge, watching the koi swimming below, the slight wind ruffling his hair.
Her breath catches when she saw the cast in his arm, and felt a tug on her heart at his forlorn expression and defeated posture.
As if sensing her presence, Rukawa abruptly turned in her direction. Mizuki broke into a cold sweat as blue eyes pierced into hers, his expression unreadable.
Unable to withstand the intensity of his stare- and the thinly veiled animosity in them, she lowered her eyes, digging the toe of her shoes into the ground.
After what seems to be an eternity, Rukawa spoke, finally breaking their silent standoff.
"What do you want?" he asked, far too harshly. Mizuki flinched at the aggressive tone of his voice.
"I'm worried about you," she wanted to say. But she felt her throat constrict and no words came out from her parched mouth. Instead, she stood there dumbly and awkwardly while fidgeting with her fingers.
Silence hung between them, thick and heavy.
Apparently, Rukawa got tired of waiting and he began to walk away.
Panic grips her, and Mizuki try desperately to rein her thoughts in.
"Rukawa, wait," she pleaded, but Rukawa kept on walking.
"I'm sorry," she said as she chases after him. "Every word that you heard me telling Mito wasn't true. I … - I didn't mean anything about it, and I know I hurt you when-"
He whirled on her, a sneer forming on his lips. "Say whatever you want. I don't give a damn."
"I –" she stammers, searching for words to convince him to believe her. "I want you to know that-"
"What part of leave me alone do you not understand?" he snapped, cutting her off.
It took every ounce of strength for Mizuki to hold back her tears.
"You're my friend."
"I'm not your friend. I'll never be."
"But you are!"Mizuki insists, voice edged with panic. "Please don't shut me out. I… - we're all worried about you. I know that the winning the game meant so much to you, but you shouldn't get discouraged if you didn't achieve your goals. Losing is part -"
"Keep your stupid advice to yourself." He scoffed, interrupting her once again.
Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"
"Don't talk to me, don't even come near me."
His offhanded remark hurt and irked her at the same time. Mizuki clutched her fists tightly her fingernails were digging into her palm.
She's clearly getting frustrated, and it was getting extremely difficult to keep her emotions in check.
Stubborn, stubborn, STUBBORN boy.
"Fine," she says, temper flaring. "Fine!" she repeated, her voice becoming shrill. "I won't talk to you ever again, if that's what you want! I'll just leave you to your miserable, pathetic self." She yelled, and she furiously wiped the tears spilling down her cheeks, hating herself for crying in front of him, hating the tremble of her lips, hating how weak she was, how childish she's behaving at the moment, and hating him as he looked every inch the emotionless ace player as he'd been accused.
But she never expected she would be at the receiving end of his contempt.
"You're the one who keeps rubbing your misery to other people."
Rukawa's words felt like a cold knife was stabbed to her chest.
The air feels suddenly stifling and Mizuki felt like she's suffocating. She needs to get out of here.
Away from him.
She shouldn't have come here.
It was a mistake. A terrible mistake.
"I'm sorry," she says quietly, defeatedly, refusing to look at him, too terrified to see the utter loathing on his eyes.
Without another word, she turned and left, failing to notice the grief-stricken expression on Rukawa's face.
xxxxx
It had been twelve days since she had last talked to him.
And for the past few days, Rukawa had been beating himself up for behaving like a complete jerk. For being a heartless, insensitive, selfish asshole.
He knew he had fucked up, big time.
Rukawa shut his eyes as a crushing wave of shame engulfed him as he recalled his harsh treatment of her.
What he said to her was terrible, it was a low blow, it was cruel.
He spent weeks being angry at everything and everyone, too consumed with his own hatred and self-loathing, that he realizes, too late, what he has done.
Obviously, with the way she was avoiding him, whatever sort of peculiar bond the two of them had formed had clearly ended.
The fact that she's evading him really shouldn't bother him. After all, this was what he wanted, isn't it? She tried to make amends but he just threw her apology in her face, even demanded that she leave him alone.
He didn't know what to make of this feeling, but one thing is certain; he couldn't stand this awful, cold distance forming between them.
She was acting like he's a complete stranger. And he hated it. Although she didn't appear to be angry at him, he felt somewhat disquieted with the sadness that still lingered in her expression, an image he was incapable to delete from his mind.
Observing her from his seat, Rukawa notices the dark circles under her eyes, the usual light and warmth that shone from them now seems to have been extinguished, and he curses himself for inflicting pain on her when she already had enough.
He needed to do something.
Anything.
He had been awake since the wee hours of the morning - tossing and turning on his bed, and he cannot endure this lack of sleep anymore.
Mindlessly, he stood up and began to approach her desk. She stiffens up instantly, and when he finally met her eyes, his entire body has gone still, feeling his stomach twisted in knots.
Fear and apprehension were written all over her face and in those doe-like eyes. And something else.
She looked as if….
She looked as if he'd broken her heart.
Trying to ignore the weird erratic beating at his chest, Rukawa tries to come up with something to say, but who was he kidding? He rarely speaks, much less engage in small talk. Initiating conversation has never been his strong suit.
Fortunately for him, the teacher arrived, saving him from his brief bout of stupidity.
Later. He thought.
He'll come up with something to say, later.
xxxxx
Summer break has officially begun and still, Rukawa haven't got the chance to talk to her.
Well, he did manage to strike up a conversation with her on the last day of school, he thinks he said something along the lines of "your shoelace is untied."
At least he made an effort, unlike her who seems absolutely determined to avoid his presence, becoming proficient in the art of vanishing instantaneously whenever he's in a three-meter radius. Also, the Dou Ahou's minions were making it difficult for him to approach her, surrounding her like they're some sort of her personal bodyguards.
Frankly, it was irritating. And immensely tiresome.
What the heck is wrong with him?
He didn't know why he was so hung up by this girl?
Tsk. How annoying.
He blamed her for his distraction. He holds her accountable for losing a significant amount of his precious sleep. And he vows to tell her that the next time he sees her.
Rukawa let out a sigh. Summer vacation will end after a month.
He wonders if he could keep his wits about him for that long.
xxxxx
The next several days passed in a blur.
Normally, Rukawa was looking forward to summer vacation, glad to break free from the boring routines at school and be able to sleep and play basketball whenever he wanted. There are no nagging teachers, giggling girls, annoying classmates. The weather is warm and pleasant, it is the perfect time for basketball.
But now, he can't wait for summer to be over.
He's bored out of his goddamn mind.
Having been cooped up in his room in this scorching heat coupled with a heavy cast on his arm were taking a toll on him. He's been really cranky these past few days and he's convinced that it has nothing to do with NOT seeing her for a very long time.
It was all because of this dreadful, blazing heat. And the fact that he cannot fully play basketball because of his stupid plaster cast.
It was certainly not because of some girl.
xxxxx
Today, Rukawa finally got rid of his annoying cast.
He rubbed the part of his arm where it was previously covered in plaster cast.
The doctor advised him to take it slow and not exert his arm too much. He mentally scoffed at his suggestion. Nothing could stop him from playing basketball.
He should feel elated that he was free at last - free from the confines of his cast and free to roam around and practice nonstop, but there was something else bugging him.
He absently stirs the hot coffee on his hands. Unbidden, his thoughts diverted to warm brown orbs that continues to invade his mind.
He wonders what she's doing at this moment. How she's been.
He shook his head, hating how pathetic he was.
Rukawa then proceeded to sit on the bench as he drinks his coffee, waiting for his mom to finish her conversation with the doctor and settle the bills.
Two women walk past him and stops at the vending machine, chatting as they waited for their drink.
One of them was wearing a light blue scrub, and she greeted him when she saw of him, commenting on his now cast free arm. The other woman also took notice of him, and he didn't know if he was imagining it, but something like recognition flashed into her eyes.
He merely shrugged, offered a nod and then continues with his drink. Thankfully, she didn't bother to make another small talk.
He was about to rise from his seat when he heard the nurse ask, "How's Mizuki-chan?"
Rukawa almost chokes on his coffee. The nurse threw her a concerned glance before returning her attention back to the conversation.
The other woman, whom Rukawa assumes was Mizuki's aunt, shook her head and sighed, "I'm worried about her. She's been working round the clock these past few days."
"Oh, poor girl." The nurse says, "But I guess it's her way of coping with the stress.
The aunt nodded as she takes a sip of her drink, "I told her not to overwork herself. Thankfully, this time she listened to me. She went at the Jinja Shrine for the summer festival with her friends today." A small smile graced her lips.
Rukawa wanted to hear more about how she's doing, but Gorou-san suddenly appears from the hallway, informing him that his mother was looking for him and currently waiting at the lobby.
He gave a slight bow to bid the two ladies farewell before reluctantly following after the old man.
But the moment he stepped out from the lift and walked into the lobby, a decision had been made.
"Ma, could you drop me off at the Jinja Shrine?"
If his mother was surprised by his request, she didn't show it.
xxxxx
"Oh my goodness! You all looked absolutely lovely!" Ayako gushed as she surveys the four younger girls who were dressed in colourful yukatas and their hair done up in intricate braids woven with flowers and ribbons.
"Sakuragi will surely get into a heart attack if he sees you looking like that, Haruko-chan!" She added teasingly.
"Eh?" was the assistant team manager's confused response, while the other girls giggled at Ayako's remark.
"You look stunning too, Senpai." Matsui praised her upperclassman, who was wearing a golden sash and crimson yukata adorned with plums and flying cranes.
"Why, thank you! I'm glad you noticed, unlike someone else I know." The curly haired team manager pretended to be irked as she looked over at Ryota, who's still had a dazed expression on his face.
"Oh, he notices you alright," Mizuki laughs. Everyone knew that the Captain of the Shohoku Basketball team only has eyes for Ayako.
Ayako playfully rolled her eyes before linking her arms with both Mizuki and Fuuji, "Come on, let's go have some fun!"
The girls, together with the lovestruck Ryota, had a great time watching the colourful parade of paper lanterns in varying sizes and creative designs, surrounded by performers in vibrant costumes dancing to the rhythmic beat of the drums. They tried most of the games, from goldfish scooping-which none of them were successful, yo-yo fishing, and ring toss. Somehow, Ryota had managed to stir from his catatonic state and won Ayako a huge husky stuffed toy.
And of course, food stalls lined up the street, and Mizuki's mouth watered at the wide variety of food on display. She's extremely conflicted on which food to try first. She and Fuuji decided to buy different flavors of their Taiyaki, a cute fish-shaped snacks made with a waffle-like batter. Fuuji bought the matcha filling while Mizuki got the chocolate one.
"Here, try mine." Fuuji offered, holding her Taiyaki waffle out to Mizuki.
"Sure." She said eagerly and took a small bite. "Hmmm, yummy."
She also held out her waffle for Fuuji to have a taste. "Try mine too."
"What should we try next?" Mizuki asked as she scanned the row of delicious treats.
"I want to try the takoyaki."
"Okay, my treat this time." Mizuki said, grinning. But then, something caught her attention. "Oh, look at that," she exclaimed, pointing at the cotton candy kiosk, where the vendor is currently making a Hello Kitty cotton candy art. "So kawaii!"
"Oohh. Let's try that one too!" The other girl nodded excitedly.
"Hey, girls!"
They heard Ayako's voice and the pair turned around to search for their upperclassman, who was standing near the yakitori stands. She was with Ryota and their two other friends, Haruko and Matsui, each holding a variety of food in their hands.
"We'll see you at the picnic spot, alright? We're going there now!" Ayako yelled from twenty feet away.
They both nodded and waved their hands at the group. "Okay! We're headed to the temple next!"
She and Fuuji then continue with their food tripping, giggling and chatting as they explore the place.
"Oh boy!" Mizuki cries out as she sat on one of the stone boulders near the temple and lightly rub her tummy. "I'm so full, I feel like my stomach's gonna burst!"
Fuuji laughed at her antics. She was about to suggest that they join the others when she saw an old friend of hers from elementary. Mizuki, knowing that the two has a lot of catching up to do, left and proceeded to head towards the picnic spot.
As she ambled along the numerous vendor stalls, she heard raucous laughter coming from a group of four men.
She swears she had seen them before.
'Oh shit.'
She almost had a heart attack when she realizes that it was the scary looking guy whom she had accidentally spilled paint on not too long ago.
Ryuu.
That's what she heard his name was.
Immediately, she turned around so he won't see her. She stopped to browse around a booth displaying assorted masks design.
But once again, fate was against her.
Ryuu and his gang decided to stop from the same booth where she was currently hiding.
Hands shaking, Mizuki grabbed a random mask from the display and immediately put it on her face as she waited for them to leave and wreak havoc somewhere else.
Unfortunately for her, they seem to be having a good time as they horsed around and poked fun at the array of masks.
Taking advantage of their distraction, she made her exit. But alas, nothing escapes the vendor's hawk like supervision, and called her out for leaving without paying for the mask.
"Ah sorry, I didn't mean to…" she's about to remove it but remember that the punk Ryu and his lackeys were still there.
"I – er - how much is this?" she asked as she took out her purse. The shop owner told her the amount and to her complete horror, she discovered that she doesn't have enough money to pay for it as she had carelessly spent most of her cash gorging herself with food.
"That much for this hideous mask?" she heard Ryuu's snide remark.
Panic swept over her, and her hands felt cold and clammy. "Sorry, umm—but I don't have money." She whispered so that only the vendor could hear.
The old man scoffed at her, "NO Money?" He said loud enough for the entire people present at the festival to hear.
Ryuu and his minions snickered, their attention now entirely focused on her.
She gulped, a thin sheen of sweat materializing on her forehead.
After a beat, the vendor said, "Well, return the mask then."
"Can I pay later?" She whispered again to the vendor, who gave her an annoyed look in return.
"Just take off the mask and hand it back."
The vendor frowned at her when she still didn't remove the mask.
"I bet she's ugly as fuck." One of Ryu's gang rudely commented.
Mizuki immediately tensed up when Ryuu approached them, "Come on, mister, be kind to the young girl." Ryuu said in an overly sickening sweet voice.
"Tell you what, I'm feeling extremely generous today so I think I'll just pay for the mask. Is that alright with you, Old Man?"
The vendor simply nodded in agreement and then Ryuu turned to one of his minions, a lanky boy with buck teeth and hair dyed in green. "Pay him."
The boy sputtered in protest but he immediately digs in his wallet when he saw Ryuu's menacing glare. When the vendor received the payment, he then left to assist the other customers.
Mizuki remained frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do next. She knew for certain Ryuu didn't help her out of his good heart.
"Umm, Thank you." She mumbled, twisting her hands nervously, " I – I'll just go see my friends and then return here and pay you back." She told them, as she took a step back.
As expected, Ryuu stopped her. "Tut tut. Not so fast, sweetheart." He placed a cigarette to his lips and automatically, Buckteeth pulled out a lighter and lit it up for him.
He took a long drag on his cigarette, and blew a cloud of smoke into her face. He then held up his other palm, "I paid for that mask. Hand it over. Now."
At Ryuu's signal, the three other guys began to surround her.
"Truly, you had me intrigued." Ryuu slowly approached her, "Why won't you show your face, what are you hiding?" He was getting closer, and Mizuki clenched her fists, preparing to defend herself.
But, all of a sudden, a familiar voice spoke from behind her, "Touch her and I'll rip your hands off."
She recognized that voice.
His voice.
Rukawa!
xxxxx
With every second that passes, Rukawa is beginning to doubt his decision of coming to the festival.
There he stood at the shrine's entrance, eyeing the throng of people that gathered for the festivity. He looked out of place in his dark jeans, blue shirt and sneakers among the festival-goers in their yukata and wooden clogs.
Attending festivals were not really his cup of tea, he tries to avoid this kind of large gathering whenever he could. He can't even remember the last time he went, or if he ever went at all.
He just wished he wouldn't encounter any of his obsessive fans.
"Look! It's Rukawa!"
"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!"
"His cast is gone now!"
Thankfully, the girls he had come across were a bit passive and tame. Some simply gawk at him while others just inquire about his injury.
After what seemed like an eternity to him, he finally spotted a familiar face.
"Rukawa, my man!" was his Captain's enthusiastic greeting as soon as he saw him.
Ryota grabbed his teammate by the shoulders and quickly assessed him. "Good to see you! And whoaaa! You had your cast removed at last!"
Rukawa merely nodded his head in response.
Behind Ryota, their curly haired team manager appeared, holding an ugly looking stuffed animal in her hand and a huge grin on her face. "Rukawa! How are you? Finally, out of hibernation, huh?" She said, grinning at him.
"…."
"Oh, how I missed your 'eloquent' responses" was Ayako's teasing remark when the ace player only shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"I never expected to see you here." Ryota commented before taking a swig of his water. He then wiped his mouth with his sleeve before asking, "Did you come here with someone? Or are you… meeting someone?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at him which earned a loud laugh from Ayako.
"I think-" Ayako drawled, a smirk on her lips, "- the more suitable question is…. Are you looking for someone?
Rukawa's seniors turned to look at him in perfect synchronization as they waited for an answer.
He can feel his ears turning warm, and the two had the gall to share a laugh at his expense.
"So, tell us, Rukawa, who are you looking for?" Ryota asked, still wearing that stupid grin.
"None of your business." He said testily.
Ryota and Ayako glanced at one other, both trying to control their laughter.
"We bumped into several of the Shohoku players here." Ayako informed him. "Iishi, Toki…Zenko.. Yasuda.."
"Oh! The girls are here too!" She gushed, almost giddy with excitement. "And they all looked so exceptionally pretty today on their colourful yukatas and gorgeous hairstyle!"
Besides her, Ryota nods his head in agreement. "Too bad, Sakuragi's not here to see Haruko-chan looking all dolled up."
"And Mizuki-chan-" Ayako added loudly, her eyes glinting with mischief, "- looks oh so lovely! The color blue suits her really well."
Rukawa suddenly had a hard time breathing. And he felt that weird churning in his stomach again whenever he heard her name being mentioned.
"Just wait until Yasuda saw her," Rukawa stood rigidly, as if his feet were glued to the ground as he listened to Ayako's rambling, "that guy won't know what had hit him. He'll surely be starstruck. Hmmm. I wondered if he had already found her."
"I told him a while ago that Mizuki was at the temple with Fu-" Ayako paused midspeech when she saw that Rukawa had stopped walking from behind them. "Hey, you alright?"
Rukawa abruptly turned around and left without saying goodbye to them.
Ryota and Ayako silently watched his retreating back. It was only when Rukawa was out of earshot did the laughing began. The pair poked fun of their ace player's reaction.
"Did you see the look on his face?
"Oh boy, he got it so bad." Ayako said, grinning.
"Wait," Ryota blurted out, his brows scrunched as if contemplating something. "I don't recall seeing Yasuda today. He told me that he would be spending the rest of the summer break at his aunt's place in Yokohama."
"I know."
"Huh?" Ryota gave her a perplexed look, "But you just said- oh" his voice trailed off, finally getting it. "Ohhhhhhh!"
"Let him suffer from jealousy for just a wee tiny bit." Ayako smiled wickedly.
xxxxx
Rukawa began walking at a brisk pace, impatient to get to the temple. He didn't quite understand why he was acting this way, he just know that he really needed to see her. He ignored the voice in his head telling him that it was the thought of Yasuda seeing her before him that triggered this unusual behaviour from him.
He began to slow down as the temple came into view. He stopped and wiped away a sheen of sweat that had formed on his forehead. He scanned the small crowd that had gathered in the temple, searching for a certain someone.
The sound of the bell caught his attention. And his breath caught in his throat when he finally saw her.
There she stood at the center of the worship hall, hands folded and eyes closed in a prayer. She was wearing a dark blue yukata adorned with maple leaves and her hair was done in an intricate braid. There was a quiet grace and elegance about her, as he studied her profile.
Rukawa can't believe that she was the same clumsy and awkward girl, who consistently trip on her feet, whom he had encountered at school.
As much as he tried to be unaffected, he can feel his heart hammering erratically in his chest.
Reluctantly, he had to agree with what his team manager had said. She looks really lovely. But like a stubborn fool that he was, he refused to admit to himself that he found her beautiful.
His feet feel like a thousand weights have been attached to them, as he remained rooted to the ground and made no move to approach her.
So, he simply stood there, and watch her like some sort of a creep.
He rubbed his face in frustration.
Just as he had decided to quit being a wimp, a group of giggling and blushing girls suddenly blocked her path.
Rukawa tried his best to slip past them, but the girls were adamant and unyielding. It was only when he gave them his infamous deathly glare and commanded them to move in his most menacing tone did the girls allowed him to pass through.
But it was too late. She was already gone.
Damn him.
He'd had his chance and he let her slip away again.
Determination blazed in his eyes then, and he vows to make things right this time.
xxxxx
Mizuki never expected to see Rukawa Kaede at the summer festival, of all places. She knew for a fact that he would rather spend his free time playing basketball or getting some sleep than wasting his time attending this type of gathering.
And so, imagine her shock at hearing his voice once again.
It had been such a long time since she had last seen him. She thought that time apart might somehow make it easier, that it would make her forget about him, but it didn't. The truth was, she didn't stop thinking about him the whole summer break. It only made her realize that she missed being with him.
She could no longer deny to herself that she felt drawn to him.
The crowd seems to fade, the sounds of the vendors selling hot takoyakis and noises from the people milling about instantly come to a halt. All she could see was Rukawa looking significantly more handsome than ever, in his dark jeans, blue shirt and a messy hair only he could pull off. She knew she was gawking, but come on, who can resist that?
She let out a gasp when she finally took notice of his arm. He was no longer wearing a cast!
A croaky voice behind her brought her out of her haze and abruptly put an end to her state of elation.
"You know this guy, Ryuu?"
The gang leader, Ryuu, immediately masked his surprise at seeing Rukawa, whom he had gone into a bloody fight with that day Mitsui and Tetsuo stormed the Shohoku gymnasium. He got beaten badly by Rukawa, but he would rather die than admit to anyone that his ass got kicked.
Taking a haughty stance, Ryuu sneered, "Just some loser from the Shohoku Basketball Team."
His lackeys all snickered at his response while Mizuki bristled at his remark.
Knowing that they clearly outnumbered him, Ryuu taunted him more. "I was actually keeping tabs on you, Rukawa. So, how does losing feels like huh?"
"Oh, wait," he drawled, eyes glinting with malice, "You're used to it by now. After all, your team has never even gotten into the Inter High."
"Tsk. What a shame. What a total embarrassment!" He continues. "Heard you cried like a baby when you broke your arm."
Rukawa just stared at him, seemingly unaffected by his insults. Actually, he looked utterly bored by his rant.
Mizuki, on the other hand, is getting furious by the minute, gritting her teeth underneath her mask.
"Why don't you just quit basketball, you worthless piece of-"
"Hey!" Mizuki interrupted him, anger evident in her tone.
Ryuu's eyes narrowed on her, lips pulled into a tight line. And then, his face morphed into a sinister expression. "What happened to my sweet, innocent, ugly duckling?"
Laughter erupted once more. Ryuu stepped forward to get closer to Mizuki but Rukawa instantly blocked him, shielding her away from that crazy bastard,
The atmosphere crackled with tension.
"What? Are you planning on fighting all of us?" Ryuu asked, a wicked sneer crossing his lips. "That freak, Sakuragi, is not here to save your ass, this time, Mr. Ace player."
Mizuki felt her hackles rise when he mentioned Sakuragi's name.
"Say, where's that stupid, red-headed monkey anyway?"
"Shut UP!" Mizuki yelled, much to everyone's shock. Rukawa's head whipped around to look at her, eyes wide in disbelief.
Ryuu and his gang all stared at her in stunned silence. Even the people who were passing by stopped and stared at her curiously.
Mizuki stood her ground, her fists clenched at her side. "Rukawa and Hanamichi are a hundred times better than you. A thousand times better than the lot of you combined, do you hear me?"
"I'm so siiiicckkk and tired of hearing people bashing Hanamichi. He's a a good person! He just saved his little sister, you know. He's her hero. And I will not stand here and stay silent while you insult and talk shit about him!" She finished, her chest rising and falling rapidly after her sudden outburst.
Everyone was deathly quiet as they all gaped at her.
Mizuki gulped loudly, her bravado slipping and eventually replaced by a sense of trepidation.
Ryuu then threw back his head in laughter, his lackeys following suit, cackling like a bunch of hyenas.
"Are you sure we're talking about the same person here?" Ryuu sniggered as he drew a puff of his cigarette and blew a large cloud of smoke in her direction. "Come on! That idiot, a hero?"
"I think she's in love with that Hanamichi guy." Buckteeth said the redhead's name in a high-pitched girly voice.
"Definitely got poor taste if she likes that moron." Ryuu scoffed before throwing the cigarette to the ground and stomping it out with his heel.
Mizuki wants to reprimand him for littering but decided to keep her mouth shut to prevent any further trouble.
But it looks like Ryuu was asking for it when he unexpectedly reached out to touch her mask, "You can do better than him, sweethea- AAAAHH!"
Ryuu yelped in pain as Rukawa grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
All at once, chaos ensued. The three other gangsters began to surround Rukawa, and then, Buckteeth lunged at him, which forced Rukawa to release his tight grip on Ryuu.
Rukawa was able to dodge his punch and threw a quick, sharp blow to his abdomen, causing Buckteeth to double over in pain. The other two guys came straight at him, and Rukawa stumbled over as he got hit on the chin.
Desperate to help Rukawa, Mizuki grabbed a long wooden broom brush located at the corner of the booth and hit his attackers with it. The two scrambled to their feet to escape being whacked on their backs.
That was the scenario that the two policemen had witnessed when they finally arrived at the scene after receiving calls that a group of teenagers were causing trouble at the festival.
"Prrrrrrttttt!" The shrill sound of the police whistle instantly put an end to the brawl.
"Let's get the hell outta here!" Buckteeth yelled before running off and the other two followed after him, not wanting to get caught by the police.
Ryuu threw one hateful glare at her before fleeing.
The group fled away from the scene prompting the other policemen to chase after them.
The crowd parted as the police officer arrived. "What's going on here?"
Mizuki visibly tensed and quickly dropped the broom to the ground, fearing it to be some kind of accessory to the crime.
Luckily, the shop owner came to her defense. "Those guys were causing ruckus in my shop and harassing her." The vendor explains. "And this young man here," he added, pointing at Rukawa, "went to help her."
The rookie cop nodded and then turned his attention to her. "Everything okay, Miss?"
Mizuki nodded her head. "Yes, I'm okay. I'm fine. Thank you, officer."
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling uneasy as the policeman stared at her mask covered face.
"Alright," The policeman says afterwards, looking at her and then at Rukawa. "don't hesitate to contact us if those guys bother any of you again." He left and went to talk to the shop owner next.
Now that the commotion was over, the throng of people that had gathered earlier began to disperse.
And then, it was just the two of them left.
From her periphery, she saw him watching her and her cheeks grew hot under his intense scrutiny. She was grateful for the mask covering her face. But alas, she knew that he had discovered her identity. After her impassionate speech about Sakuragi, she knew in that moment her cover was blown.
As always, Rukawa just had to be present at the exact moment when she had to go through a humiliating episode.
Mizuki shifted restlessly, the awkwardness was suffocating her, and she so badly wanted to escape and run away from this place. But it would be utterly rude to just leave him without even thanking him for protecting her from those thugs.
And so, mustering all the courage she could find, she turned to face him – her gaze focused on his shoulder as she couldn't handle to look him straight in the eyes, and mumbled "thank you", finally putting an end to the silence.
As soon as she said her thanks, she turned around to make a hasty retreat, knowing he wouldn't reply or even acknowledge her.
She was already several paces away from him when she realized that he was following her. Glancing over her shoulder, (in what she defined as a moment of weakness) she found him walking behind her.
'Why is he following me?'
She frowned, completely confused.
Rukawa Kaede is driving her to insanity. A month ago, he seems to hate her very existence; acting rude and cold hearted, rejecting her apology, even denying their friendship, and then when he got back from the hospital, he acted like he did not just shred her heart to pieces, and had the audacity to look aggrieved when she didn't acknowledge his presence when he returned to school. He thought he was being discreet but she could feel him staring at her, making her stomach flipped in a weird way. But whenever their eyes would inadvertently meet, he would simply look away as if he didn't see her. And then, there was this one time when he did talk to her. It was during gym class and the day before summer break starts. He approached her all of a sudden and pointed at her shoes, muttering something about her shoelace being untied, and then walking away like he never spoke with her in the first place.
'What the hell was that?'
He was SOOO infuriating!
She glanced back again and he's still following her.
'What is his problem? Had he forgotten that he warned her to stay away from him. And now, he just shows up, out of the blue, making her confused and angry and happy at the same time. How dare he?'
She quickened her pace, and she silently cursed the wooden clogs on her feet as it hinders her steps, and slowing her down. She hiked up her yukata a bit, and sprinted down towards the pathway lined by cherry blossoms tree.
xxxxx
'Why is she running away?' was the question in Rukawa's head as he watched her took off in full sprint like a bat out of hell.
Wordlessly, he followed her.
She didn't stop running and every second of it was making him perturbed. After all, it's common knowledge that she had the tendency to trip even on the flattest surface. He needs to stop her before she hurt herself.
And so, for the first time since Rukawa met her, he called her out by her name.
"Mizuki."
'Beautiful Moon'
That's what her name means, he realized.
She whirled around, and he was strangely disappointed that he didn't get to see her reaction because of that damn mask.
She stood frozen to the spot, too stunned to say anything.
He slowly approached her and the movement snapped her out of her momentary stupor. She took a step back and he could sense that she was about to bolt again.
He sighed, "Stop running away."
She let out a frustrated huff.
"What are you running from?"
He thought he heard her say 'duh' before replying, "I'm running away from you."
He furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Dou Ahou." She said, the anger clear in her voice. "I thought you wanted me to leave you alone? What happened to your 'don't talk to me, stay the hell away from me' speech?"
Shame engulfed him, and he quickly lowered his head.
"You said…" She continues, her voice shaking slightly, "you said, you hate me."
His head snapped back to look up at her. "I never said that."
"I know I said some unpleasant things to you-"
"And I've treated you terribly." He interjected.
"I don't blame you for hating me." She insists. "I've ruined everything."
Rukawa wished she would stop taking the blame for everything that has happened. It was mostly his fault though. Because he was petty and selfish. That day when he accidentally heard her throwing insults behind his back, he should have just let it go. She was merely stating facts about him anyway. He normally didn't care about other people's opinion but as always, it was different with her. In the end, he felt extremely pissed off by what she said, and ultimately resulted with him ditching her at their Ghibli tour just to spite her. He thought it was probably for the best that they avoid each other, because with the Inter High coming up, he can't afford to get distracted. Because that's all she was to him, a distraction.
But truth be told, she was more than that.
And because he's an idiot, he continues being a jerk.
The loss of Shohoku and the reality that they won't be playing for the InterHigh further aggravate his dark moods, solidifying his reputation as being ruthless and having a heart made of stone. He became a wreck, and realized that anger was easier to tolerate than any other emotions. So, he got angry at everything and everyone, and the most he felt ashamed of was when he directed that fury towards her.
It's no wonder she thought he hates her.
He flexed his fist at his side, knowing that he has to make things right between them or he would never forgive himself.
"I don't hate you." He admits with his head bent down, his hair falling into his face and shielding his eyes from her gaze. "I never did."
There was a beat of silence.
"You don't?" she then asks, voice full of skepticism.
He shook his head, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Another uncomfortably long silence passed, and the atmosphere was thick with tension. Although, the cherry blossom trees that surrounded them shaded them from the afternoon sun, Rukawa could feel trickles of sweat running down his forehead. He hated that his face was open for her endless scrutiny while he can't to do the same to her. He wonders what she finds in them.
Finally, she spoke up.
"Thank you for helping me today."
He just shrugged in response and turn his gaze at a group of kids playing nearby.
"Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?" she reached up as if to touch his arm, but dropped her hand to her side the second she realized what she's doing. "Did you get hurt?" she kept her head down, staring at the ground.
"Why don't you remove your mask and then I'll answer your questions." he said, tone serious.
She started fidgeting with her fingers, a nervous tic of hers he had witnessed numerous times. "You probably wouldn't help if you knew that it was me behind the mask."
He frowned at her insinuation. Did she honestly think that he will just do nothing and let her get harassed by those bastards?
"I would have recognized you anywhere." He countered, "You couldn't disguise yourself from me if you tried."
At his response, her head snapped back up. "Oh."
"Who else could attract trouble like you do?" He winced, instantly regretting his words.
She took a step back, and he could just picture the disappointed scrunch of her eyebrows and the crestfallen look in her face at his thoughtless remark.
"Right." She glanced down. "Of course. That's me." She muttered, clearly dejected.
Rukawa mentally cursed himself. He ruined his chances again.
He felt the weird knot in his stomach again.
"Ayako and the girls are probably wondering where I am…" she trailed off.
He could sense that she was about to bolt, as she keeps on shuffling her feet restlessly, as if she couldn't wait to get away from him.
He doesn't want her to leave. He wanted to rip that annoying mask away so badly.
He really, really, wanted to see her.
'Let me see you,' a voice in his head said.
But he could never tell her that. Instead, he says, "There's a bug crawling on your mask."
The lie fell smoothly from his lips. It was simply a ruse to keep her from leaving and to get her to remove that damn mask.
And his ploy worked.
Mizuki shrieked, and immediately yanked the mask from her face, snapping the rubber band in the process.
"Is it gone?" she asked, frantically wiping her face for the imaginary bug.
"Is it gone?" she repeated, but Rukawa was having trouble listening. He merely stood in rapt silence, seemingly content to just look at her.
"Rukawa!"
"Hmmm?" he answered absentmindedly, too absorbed in tracing her features with his eyes.
"The bug?!" she all but yelled at him.
He blinked out of his stupor, and then shrugged, "It's gone."
She heaved a sigh of relief.
Another silence passed, as they stood there facing one another, and this time, there was no hideous mask hiding her face from him – all thanks to his 'clever' scheming. For a moment he simply watched her.
"I owe you one." It was Mizuki who finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry for getting you into trouble," she continued awkwardly, as she fiddled with her fox mask. "You came here to enjoy the festival-"
He snorted at that particular remark, but she didn't seem to notice.
"-and I ruined it for you. Again."
He wished she would stop apologizing, that she would look at him, but she kept her gaze to the ground. As she was about to place the mask on her face once more, he acted instantly.
"Don't." He reached for her hand, stopping her.
He wants to be honest with her. For once.
'Let me see you.'
She let out an adorable squeak when his hand touched hers, a deep red color flooding her cheeks. Her eyes were comically wide and the shock on her face was almost palpable.
"You're wrong," he admitted. "I don't give a damn about the festival."
Rukawa was glad to let it out of his chest.
For a moment, she just stares at him, looking up at him with eyes as wide as saucers and mouth opening and closing like a fish, the blush creeping further across her face.
Enough with the lies.
"I came here for you." he said in a soft voice that didn't sound at all like his own.
"What?" Mizuki choked on the words.
"I came here for you." he repeated. He realized he was still holding her hand, but pretended he didn't notice.
"Why?"
"Because I've been a shitty friend?" Rukawa shrugged as he blew a deep puff of air, ruffling his bangs.
Tension hung in the air between them. He stubbornly refused to speak again – he had already said too much.
Mizuki vehemently shook her head in disagreement. "No, you've been nothing but a good friend to me."
Again, he snorted at her statement.
She let out a huff of laughter which made Rukawa's lips twitch in an almost smile. He ignored the voice in his head telling him how much he had missed the sound of her laugh.
"Well, excluding that day at the hospital, of course. You were exceptionally mean," There was no bitterness in her voice, instead, her lips formed into that familiar teasing smile he was used to seeing from her. "and downright rude."
"But, I forgive you." She added promptly.
"For being a shitty friend?" Rukawa asked somewhat dumbly which earned a laugh from her. He could not help but smile, her laugh is contagious. He can't remember when was the last time he's smiled so much.
"Thank you, Rukawa," She whispered shyly, the brightest tinge of pink coloring her cheeks. "For everything."
"Kaede. Call me Kaede."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but the smile that appeared on her face is nearly blinding.
"Kaede." She says softly, and hearing his name on her lips stirred something deep within him.
His heart had never felt this light.
A/N:
Rk is so whipped, lol. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.
Thank you for taking the time to read and drop a comment if you can, pretty please?
Stay Safe everyone!