Rukawa dozed through his biochemistry lecture. Although a Sports Science major, he didn't have much interest in the mandatory academic modules on his course. His classmates kept sneaking glances at him, but he didn't stir. Everyone had heard the story. How the famous Wildcat ace had been beaten by some random team of nerdy nobodies, lead by the new campus hero - the "underdog".

Rukawa had played hard. He'd taken it seriously. It had only been one quarter of a game, and yet it had felt to him like the wildest of rides.

And now, he napped.

They whispered about him. But then again, they were always whispering about him.

It had never bothered him what other people thought. So Rukawa ignored them.

As the lecture came to a close, he blinked blearily awake, wiping away a little of the drool at the side of his mouth. He ignored the mutters. The looks. The Professor who looked like he wanted to protest. He packed up his bag and walked right out.

There was only one thought on his mind. Sendoh Akira.

He obsessed over the smallest details of their exchanges. Trying to work out where he could have shaved off a few more seconds of time. Which challenges he could have handled more neatly and with more finesse. What he should have done differently. Why it was that some amateurish team had held him back.

As a person who lived with his thoughts always half on the basketball court, whether he was eating or studying or even when sleeping, it was a familiar state of mind for him. He had always had the habit of replaying and replaying and replaying after a big game - trying to analyse his weaknesses and his errors, continually striving for improvement any way he could get it.

Although he hadn't expected to meet a rival during the university's amateur sports week, the game and now this so-called "underdog" filled his thoughts consistently.

He'd replayed the game so many times in his head that he was beginning to lose track of reality. It was a small wonder he'd even made it to his lecture at all. He hadn't remembered to eat breakfast. He couldn't seem to organise his thoughts around anything except the game, as if the rest of the world had faded to a liquid blue that only slipped out of focus whenever he tried to concentrate on it. He could have won. He ought to have won. But he hadn't. Why?

He crossed campus towards the law faculty. The path and the building were familiar to him. He frequently came here to practise, and to meet someone he knew after lectures were done.

He didn't have a plan for finding Sendoh, but at least he knew he belonged to the law faculty because he had been on that team. Following yesterday's game, it seemed Sendoh was now famous across campus, so someone must know where he was. And if he was really stuck he could even ask that guy.

He entered the law building at random through one of the many external doors.

It was bland inside. The walls off-white paint and the floor a boring shade of hard-wearing blue carpet. He looked into a nearby classroom and saw only empty chairs, a teacher's desk and computer. He emerged again, and looked cluelessly left and right.

The law building was large. It was five floors high with classrooms on each floor and two full-sized lecture theatres as well as the law library. He couldn't possibly search every room one by one. A few passing students gave him nervous stares and wide berths. It was pretty obvious none of them wanted to talk to him. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance and began to prowl towards the main entrance.

By chance, he noticed a student whom he recognised. It was the large centre who had been playing on the law team yesterday. Rukawa did not know his name, but he walked over to him.

This student was a good foot taller than Rukawa, but his eyes widened and he took a step back upon seeing Rukawa approaching. He looked as if he expected a fight. Rukawa kept his hands deep in his pockets. He was used to people being intimidated by him.

"I'm looking for Sendoh," Rukawa said. "Where is he?"

"S-S-Sendoh?" Aota queried nervously. "What do you want him for? Hey, y-you better not be planning r-r-revenge, or something," he tried to sound threatening, but failed spectacularly since his voice was trembling.

Rukawa narrowed his eyes. "I want to talk to him," he said coldly. He didn't want to waste breath explaining himself to useless nobodies, but this guy might actually know where Sendoh was.

"He's a second year," Aota said reluctantly, clearly hoping Rukawa would go away and leave him alone. "So you could check the room list." He pointed to a noticeboard that was covered in papers.

Rukawa nodded in comprehension, then turned without a word and stalked over to the board. Behind him, Aota left as fast as possible through one of the exits.

Rukawa glanced over the papers confusedly. It soon because obvious that there were at least six second year classes occurring at the same time, and while this narrowed his search somewhat, it was hardly the answer to his problem. It was entirely possible that Sendoh didn't have class at this time at all. Or that he was in another block completely. He sighed. This was pointless. Perhaps he was going to have to ask him after all.

But as he turned, he stopped short. The doors on the far side of the hall had opened, and some chattering students were emerging. And there, by chance in the very midst, was Sendoh Akira himself.

Rukawa stared.

He looked different from yesterday. For a start, he was wearing glasses, and had a sharp-looking suit that matched the other law faculty students around him, who were all wearing shirts and ties. He looked far more academic than Rukawa had expected. He held a textbook in his hand that was unreasonably thick and heavy, and a little dog-eared from handling. Between the pages stuck out dozens of little colourful tabs marking various paragraphs. Down the spine, Rukawa could just about make out the words Introduction to Human Rights - Cases and Materials. He had his leather book bag slung casually over his shoulder, and was turning his head to discuss with another boy beside him.

"Damn you really stumped him with that quote!"

"Well, you know it wasn't strictly applicable…"

"Well he didn't know that."

"His face when you made that point analogy about the bird falling out of the sky."

"Ahahaha yeah that was wild. Did you see the judge laughing?"

"Funniest moot ever."

Rukawa blinked at them, not understanding their conversation.

And what was a moot?

At that moment, a few of the group caught sight of Rukawa standing in front of them and paused, freezing up like prey. And then Sendoh looked up and saw him too.

He stopped dead in his tracks, mouth slightly agape, eyes blinking in surprise. His lips formed the shape of an "oh".

Every eye had turned on Rukawa. He stood there in tracksuit and trainers, looking casual and out of place among the more formal dress of the law students. Nonetheless, he stepped forward, hands still in his pockets, intending to speak. He had even practised what he was going to say.

Students immediately moved to the side, getting out of his way, eager to avoid getting caught up in the expected confrontation. The tension was unexpectedly high, although Rukawa didn't know why. Sendoh hesitated, now conspicuous in the middle of a suddenly empty space, his eyes showing a little apprehension.

But before Rukawa could even reach him, his friend stepped out in front.

"Hey!" the boy snapped.

Rukawa stopped, and looked down at him. He was above average in height, but not nearly as tall as Rukawa. He was dressed smartly like the rest, and had soft floppy hair that made him look like a wimp despite his aggressive posture. Rukawa realised that he had seen him on the law basketball team the day before.

"You lost!" he barked at Rukawa. "Just deal with it!"

Rukawa tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Don't come here threatening people!" the boy added ferociously.

Rukawa had no idea what to say to that.

He looked up into Sendoh's face and saw trepidation in his stare. He turned his head left and right and realised that all the students in the hall were standing poised and nervous. Against him.

They really thought that he had come here to fight.

That he was angry.

Get lost! He could feel their thoughts directed against him. You're not welcome here.

Rukawa was not one to be intimidated. But at the same time, he was too reserved to impose himself upon those who did not wish to interact with him. And seeing Sendoh's expression then, he realised that to stay, to speak, would be pointless.

So Rukawa took a step back. Then he turned around, and he left. The words he had planned and practised dissolved into silence.

-tbc

ANs: sorry for all the teasing; they'll meet in the next chapter! promise! ;)

since it seems no one is reading this story so i'll probably switch to writing something else for a while and come back to this later.