NOTE: No, you're not dreaming. This is Chapter 21 of When in Osaka; after 4 years… Sorry, it took a while. I did not 'proof-read' this so; you may or may not like this but, if you're a follower of this story, you can give it a try and thank you in advance. ?
Warning/s: SenRu, OOC, Lengthy (the longest one I've written versus ALL previous chapters)
CHAPTER 21- WHEN IN OSAKA
At one point or another, (or maybe even at many points) we all have a crush on someone. We all find that one person who fills our stomach with butterflies and gets us tongue tied every time we just look at them. Maybe they're a friend, maybe a class or work mate, maybe they're even someone we hardly know. The point is, they have an effect on us that it's near impossible to explain. Some of us are in luck and we manage to turn our frustrating crush into something more while others find that it's simply not meant to be. No matter what end your crush comes to, the feelings you have while you have a crush are just the same however. Maybe you're lucky and you can confide in a friend but some of us choose to keep our crush to ourselves for various reasons. Sometimes it can be a very lonely feeling too – you can't quite believe that anyone understands what you're going through… just like her and the way she fidgets on one corner, while clutching the paper bag on the handle.
Haruko Akagi endlessly fidgeted on one corner near the elevator as she waited for it to go down and take her up to her room. She somehow managed to excuse herself from the partying crowd and was now getting ready to go up to her room and probably just fix her things. She sighed softly to herself. There is this certain feeling she has been harbouring for the past year—and no, she doesn't feel the least alienated by it. In fact, she very much know and acknowledges the feeling that she likes him—him, Rukawa Kaede, the quiet, stoic, and indifferent small forward from their basketball team. And to Haruko who could only show her admiration from afar; it does quite hurt… a bit too. Sometimes we don't even know exactly why we form a crush on someone but then, thinking about it, it is a pretty good theory. It's why we probably develop the so –called feelings of love to these people despite all their flaws. Our heart can overlook these things and show our mind what's really important after all.
Haruko's felt her gaze softened as she recalled a distant memory from a recent practice; she saw how Rukawa executed every play—every game is etched clearly in her mind, they're always in replay. And in every move he makes, in every dribble, layup, shot, or dunk he makes… Haruko knew that while it is probably the most beautiful thing she could ever saw; she also knew as well that the quiet guy from her team also knows how to work out her racing chest… every time. Until now. Until here in Osaka. For once, Haruko felt excited—happy to be exact. May it be of the experience, or may it be something else, she knew she was happy to be taking in this small trip with her brother and the whole team… and maybe because, she knew he was also going to be there. For some reason, she actually saw this as a chance- a small chance. A good and possibly a close encounter with someone whom she has been harbouring her feelings for some time now.
For the petite brunette, there is this certain boy…
'Rukawa-kun…' She silently thought to herself. 'Sometimes I wish you would know that I… stare at you when you're not looking.'
Haruko felt her eyes widened when the ding sound from the elevator came by and she literally almost shrieked—good thing, no one's around. It was their last night in Osaka and in the camp, and tomorrow morning, they will be leaving back to Kanagawa. She sighed softly to herself and walked towards the opened elevator; she stepped inside carefully and looked down like as always, aware that the elevator is now halting to a close; she pressed the fifth button and was thinking of nothing really when the door to the elevator was paused to close to her disbelief. For some reason… Haruko felt her chest raced. His hair. His eyes. His voice… his smile. Tall guys. Sendoh Akira and…
Haruko seemed to be staring a lot when the two players mounted inside the elevator and there she was on one corner, seemingly awestruck or whatever as she gulped involuntarily and nod her head curtly. She felt her hand clutched on the paper bag she was holding. "A… anou… Kombanwa, Ru…Rukawa-kun…" Silence. The aforementioned name seemed quite surprised as well, maybe he wasn't expecting the elevator to be occupied as well with a third person; not that he mind—but the way he stared at the petite, and smaller brunette lady on one corner and the way he partly opened his lips is a clear indication that he, too, was surprised.
He nodded nonetheless. Not the one to be a bastard; after all, it was his Captain's sister. He knew of her of course. Haruko Akagi. The girl gape a bit as she stared from Rukawa who was staring passively at her as well—she shifted her gaze to her right and felt reluctant at first, but unlike Rukawa, her greeting was of course, reciprocated.
"Uh… a-anou, good evening to you too, Sendoh-kun." She almost stammered and bowed as well. The Ryonan guy blinked back but smiled nonetheless. "Hi there. Good evening too…uh… Harumi?" A pause. Silence. Haruko partly gasps, clearly Sendoh was gravely… She saw Sendoh Akira blinked back at her and turned to look at his side—expecting perhaps for Rukawa to be looking at him but wasn't. Haruko was surprised at the fact that Sendoh got it wrong, still… she manages to softly chuckle though. "Uh anou, its not Harumi, Sendoh-kun… its actually…"
And felt her ears flushed, because she was amazed at the fact that he knew…
"Haruko." Rukawa muttered back in his low voice—his eyes looking to his left—to Sendoh. The Ryonan player nodded and looked back at her and grin. "I'm sorry, my bad… Haruko-chan, then." He smiled—and offered his hand for a shake. Haruko looked at the extended arm then wordlessly nodded, took in the larger hand and grasp it—she felt her cheeks flushed though, no, not of the romantic kind—but because of admiration towards the older guy from another team. She actually thought the new Captain of Ryonan is nice up close.
"Its okay Sendoh-kun…" She muttered back in her soft voice. The elevator door opened and Haruko fidgeted first before stepping out—the two boys giving to her obviously. Sendoh watched the small lady clutching perhaps a small paper wrap with a pink ribbon walked a few steps ahead of them and was about to say something when he suddenly remembered something… he stopped walking though. Rukawa paused and looked behind him, wondering though.
Rukawa remembered, he insisted that he wanted to go up and slid the certificate in his bag and even though he contended that he go up alone, for some reason, Sendoh Akira is the persistent one. He would have pushed his older lover if only he could but then…. His efforts proved to be futile after all. Rukawa stared at the taller guy and queried in his low voice. "What?" He asked. Sendoh looked at him and smiled good-naturedly; he has to remind himself that Kaede is perhaps the dense type alright and that once in a while he does needs to be alone in order for him to come to terms. Sendoh sighed and shrugged. "Uh, I remembered something… I think I need to go down." He grinned. Rukawa blinked back his confusion. Sendoh chuckled though. "You go ahead and return your certificate, here's mine as well… could you just keep this as well for me, please?"
Rukawa doesn't understand—but he found himself nodding nonetheless. 'Why is Akira acting so….weird?' He got the other paper from his beau's hand and looked at the taller guy with slight suspicion. Sendoh simply smiled back though and rolled his eyes. "I realized, I wanted to probably sing later." He chuckled though. Rukawa snorted. "You came all the way up here with me to say that you wanted to sing…" He reiterated back in his monotone voice; not that he minds, Rukawa doesn't actually-but it did kind of surprised him that Sendoh suddenly wanted to do something for the party. The Ryonan player simply laughed a bit and tapped his younger beau's arm. "I'll wait for you down there, then…"
Rukawa stared at the suddenly retreating form of Sendoh and wondered the oddity of it all—he cast his stare as the elevator door closed and walked towards their room instead. Rukawa turned right on the corner and was surprised to see Haruko standing in front of her room probably—their eyes met and Haruko instantly felt her chest skipped a bit. She almost dropped her paper bag. "Uh… anou, h-hello Ru-Rukawa-kun…" She stammered. Silence.
Rukawa simply nodded faintly and when he came face to face to his room, he put his hand on top of the knob to open it when he heard another query from the petite brunette. "Uh… anou, where is Sendoh-kun?" Haruko, for all that matters, feels as if she is in a hot tub. Rukawa momentarily stopped and looked behind him. Silence. He saw the girl fidgeted a bit more. "He went down already…" Rukawa muttered back softly. Haruko simply nodded at this. "Saa…" Sensing that no more questions would be thrown, Rukawa then decided to turn the knob and went inside. Haruko blankly stared at the door that was closed now and sighed audibly. Again, she failed, or so she thinks.
Fujima cleared his throat and stepped up on the mini stage they had. "Oi, is everyone drunk already?" He hollered. The guys simply cheered and hooted back. Fujima grinned. "Now, I know that this isnt really our thing but of course, to make our last night more memorable—we decided to have a small programme for tonight!" Some hooted and cheered while some groaned at the mention of it. Sakuragi simply hollered and laughed his head off, thing is, he was game. Fujima frowned when some of the protests came mostly from his very own teammates. "Team Shoyo, we will not be left behind." He clacked his tongue and turned to his beau Maki who was simply looking at him amused. Maki simply chuckle lowly and ran a hand on his hair. 'Ken, I don't get your way of ruling…'
"So we decided of course to just make this a team effort. Let's keep it simple for everyone, we'll just have a simple singing contest for everyone, each team is going to vie for someone whom you think has the talent."
"So what's the criteria?" Mitsui hollered, and a few looked at his way. The shooting guard obviously a bit flushed from drinking a lot but his focused eyes tells them otherwise.
"Teme, who's the judge?" Sakuragi hollered in. Uozumi looked at those two and nodded at his very own team. "Well Shohoku seems to be pretty pumped up." Uekusa simply nodded. Koshino rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Well, they're a bunch of attention seekers anyway." Ikegami looked on and smirk. "Hey we should join, I think this has a prize!" Hikoichi felt excitement as he pumped his fist in the air. "Yosh! If this is a singing contest, we all know who's got the talent!" They all nodded at Hikoichi and Koshino could only wonder. 'Speaking of which, where the heck is that Sendoh Akira anyway?'
"Okay-okay, but it doesn't all end there, given the fact that the match-ups has been very entertaining for all of us… I think its only best that we get to see each pair perform? Is it not?" Everyone laughed and hooted as they all turned around to look at each other's team partner for that match-up, some were already grinning and pointing at each other. Mitsui snarled, obviously he thought its probably the worst idea ever. "We're fools to be joining this. Ugh." Kogure simply stared at him and chuckled in response. "I thought you were asking for the criteria?"
"Yeah, I thought it was going to be solo." Hanamichi overheard this and laughed a loud. "Nyahah! So Micchy, you really did want the attention, eh?" Shohoku team burst out laughing a bit to which the three-pointer simply grinned and waved off.
Fujima eyed everyone from his point of view and grinned. "So, I'm guessing everyone is ready?" A pause. "Or not?" Laughters.
"Even if we're not, we don't have any choice." Hanagata deadpanned. This earned him a pat on the shoulder from his teammate, Nakano. Fujima simply rolled his eyes off his serious friend and snorted. "Toru, c'mon. Its just a one-night event." A grin from Fujima and Hanagata was left with no choice. Soon enough, team Shoyo started the small event with a few of their players singing—off key. Of course everyone started laughing and dishing out snide remarks as it was probably one of the worst tunes they have ever heard. Sakuragi placed himself in front as he made fun with Takano. Miyagi was clutching his sides with laughter and almost picked up a fight with Kiyota. It was pandemonium.
"Speaking of the love-struck devil." Koshino snorted as he tapped his foot impatiently while sitting atop a high stool. Sendoh walked nonchalantly, eyeing the party that has just begun. He approached Koshino who wasn't really smiling. "Wow you're alone, where's your… err, how do I say it?" Koshino chided almost and went bug-eyed. Sendoh simply chuckled and shook his head. "You looked irate Kosh." A grin. Koshino simply clacked his tongue and handed the latter a bottle of beer. "This is how I normally look, Sendoh." The aforementioned name simply grinned back and said nothing.
"So, what's happening here? Are the Shoyo boys okay?" Sendoh queried, quite amused at the scene before him when he heard Nakano singing some random pop song a bit off key as the other guys hooted and cheered for him. Sendoh, too, found himself smiling at the funny scene. It was a rare sight. Koshino simply shrug. "Ch, yeah they're very much fine—just singing their hearts out." A pause. "By the way, why are you alone, I thought the brat is with you?" Koshino sneered, almost. Sendoh simply nodded as he drank from his bottle. "Yeah, he's up there in the room."
"Oh really, don't tell me you guys got separated already after… what? Two hours?" A malicious grin and Sendoh almost glared—but he smirked nonetheless. "Do I look like that someone who would literally do that?" Koshino nodded and grinned. Sendoh simply snorted and chuckle back. "You're really that serious." Koshino muttered. Well, there isnt much to say—to Koshino, most often than not, Sendoh is partly deemed as someone who is not a hundred percent sombre; he is when he wants to, but there was something in him today and his newly found emotions of the heart that makes him so sure. And to his shorter teammate, while it'll probably take some of Sendoh's precious time off of from practice, he knew that if it makes his teammate/Captain happy, then he's fine with it as well.
Rukawa walked towards his closet and opened his bag to placed their certificates inside when a knock on the door broke his reverie. He opened the door and saw the girl from earlier—it was Haruko. "Ru-Rukawa-kun, anou… I was just wondering if… you… I mean…" Haruko stammered as she clenched and unclenched her right hand while clutching on the paper bag on her left. It isn't everyday that she gets to have this moment. Here. Like this. Standing in front of her long-time crush. Haruko felt her chest thumping, not too wildly though, because deep inside she knew, she had to sum up her composure.
"I mean, I was wondering if you got a…" And she was rather surprised when Rukawa opened the door and turned his back on her but not without inviting her in. "Sure, come on in." Haruko reminded herself that this probably wasn't a dream; and if it were, she prayed to not wake up anytime soon.
Rukawa went back to fixing his bag, aware that he has a visitor and was wondering as well but not too much. He noticed her at the corner of his eye; the petite five-foot four sister of his Captain, standing almost timidly on one corner, fidgeting for a bit. Rukawa turned and stared—Haruko met the gaze of the taller person inside the room and felt her face heat up. "A-anou, sorry to bother you—I just came in to actually…uhm…"
Kokuhaku. So much more than a simple word, this two-kanji phrase has the power to start a new exciting life for her — or, sadly, put a period to your hopes and dreams of getting that special someone's interest. Haruko wondered if it was the latter statement. The thing is, confessing your feelings to the person of your interest isn't suppose to be scary, but why does it scare her? Isn't it supposed to be liberating? One has to recognized that pain is normal. When you love someone that doesn't feel the same way… it hurts.
"Anou, I just came by to actually give you this..." Haruko felt a small lump in her throat, fighting impending tears threatening to cloud her vision, as she lifted her hand up to give her present. Rukawa stood still, eyes blinking back before dawning them on the blue paper bag that was seemingly wrapped carefully. Many can agree that unrequited love is one of the worst feelings imaginable. The pain of becoming attached to someone in a way that isn't mutual can be so unbelievably traumatizing. When you love someone, who doesn't love you back, it can take a long time to accept that it's virtually impossible for things to work out. It can be so easy to convince yourself that their feelings could change in the future, but more often than not this isn't what ends up happening. This false hope can lead to a vicious cycle of pain, frustration, and disappointment — a far cry from what a balanced and healthy relationship should be.
"I mean, it's the holidays and all… Merry Christmas, Rukawa-kun." A smile. Unfair. How does one end up falling in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way you do? Rukawa accepted the present before him with a small nod, not sure of what to say. Haruko tried her best to look alright. "Saa, I guess I must be…"
Courage. It doesn't always roar; sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day that encourages you to give it another try; it is not the absence of fear, but it doesn't mean you don't get afraid…
Haruko turned her heels and started walking towards the door, aware that a pair of cerulean orbs are staring behind her back.
Courage means you don't let fear stop you.
Haruko clenched her fist and turned around. "Rukawa-kun…the thing is…I've actually always… liked you." The last two words almost came out as a soft whisper. Too soft that she felt her voice break but was cautious not to let the other noticed. "Gomennasai!" Haruko interjected abruptly as well while bowing down, feeling heat rising up on her cheeks. There was a slight of flicker in Rukawa's eyes but his usual passive and indifferent nature held on. It was almost a force to reckon with. Haruko found herself feeling suddenly a bit forlorn… and she wondered very much.
"I'm sorry, I mean… I shouldn't have confessed like that…"
Rukawa slowly shook his head and sighed softly, not really knowing what to say. "No, I… its okay." He spoke rather softly. Haruko gasp a bit. Rukawa looked at her and somewhat tilted his head to the right, creating an angle of dim and light on his well-chiseled face. Was that a faint smile on his lips? Haruko wondered but ignored it anyway. "I know." Haruko felt her face warmed up. Rukawa… knew? He knew what? That she likes him? Haruko can now actually feel the thumping on her chest.
"I mean… I've always…" Rukawa paused, not really wanting to sound too arrogant but not also wanting to put on a wrong impression; after all, she is still his Captain's sister and the team's assistant manager.
"… noticed."
Haruko felt a lump in her throat, her eyes itching to cry out of embarrassment and the whatnots, but the one thing that kept her sane is that smile. His small, faint smile. It wasn't a conceited one, it was just a simple act of acknowledgement—that it is okay. Haruko felt her lips curving upward as well.
Hours into the celebration and some of the Kanagawa players are already showing signs of being tipsy and all; not that they are allowed to get drunk since some of them are still under aged, it was a one-time event—a party; and although the two Captains, Uozumi and Akagi initially disagreed to include liquor, but they were outnumbered because of the protests from the loudmouths of Sakuragi and Mitsui came so they came to an agreement to just limit the intake of alcohol.
"Lying beside you…here in the dark…"
Sakuragi stopped his cackling and frowned upon hearing the almost out of tuned voice of his senior colleague. "Teme, Mitcchy, are you singing in the funeral?" Mitsui was getting ready to sing the chorus when he overheard is name, he immediately looked back and saw the grinning face of the redhead who just insulted his singing prowess. "Shut up, think you can do better than me?" Sakuragi showed his usual scowl and laughed his head off; he was seated with the other players and most of them are just chitchatting the night away and telling random stories about their school, classmates, principals, and the whatnots.
Kenji Fujima was obviously the leader of one circle as he endlessly stated his plans of defeating the other teams in the next playoffs—but the redness of his face clearly showed that alcohol had already invaded his body, but not his sharp mind. "I can only wonder our comeback for the next season, I mean, we will be stronger than ever, plus I got a plan! Actually, I already know what to do." Hanagata sighed and shook his head. "Jeez Kenji, you've said that for the fourth time already." Fujima looked surprised as he stared to his right. "Oh, have I?" Hanagata simply nodded. Fujima simply chuckled earning exasperated faces from his teammates.
Uozumi and Akagi seemed to be having rather, a formal discussion over some bottle of beers. "I am still surprised that we've made it this far." Akagi stated. Uozumi nodded. "Well, you've finally had stronger teammates." Akagi nodded back. "Uozumi, are you serious about not getting back on the court in college?" Uozumi found himself nodding for the nth time. "Apparently, I have decided to focus on taking up a course that focuses on managing a restaurant." He smiled. "I realize that maybe it isn't so bad to actually try something else, I've played for three years and met amazing teammates and opponents, I am somewhat at ease with that…" He paused. "…besides, I have no doubt that I've left our team on able hands…" The tall and former center of Ryonan found himself staring not far from where they were—right into the laughing and smiling face of their Ace, Sendoh Akira, who was oblivious that he was being talked about… Akagi simply snorted and nodded. "Yup, you're probably right. I just hope he won't disturb our practice time, if you know what I mean." Akagi popped a small vein to which Uozumi simply chuckled his response. "I'm going to remind him not to visit your school often."
"He can drop by anytime, just bring food to everyone and not just to our pale, blue-eyed, super rookie." The two Captains simply toast to their agreement. Speaking of which…
Sendoh's circle which includes Sakuragi, Miyagi, Fukuda, Ikegami, Koshino, were having the time of their lives talking about the most mundane things a typical high school guy could think of. "Are you freaking serious right now, Ikegami-senpai?" Koshino almost hollered in between his gritted teeth. Ikegami simply nodded, looked down-suddenly feeling a bit shy. "How come we didn't know about this?" Koshino prodded, too surprise and dumbfounded at the new information they just had receive. Ikegami simply shrugged. "Well, you never asked—I mean, none of you asked anyway." He smiled.
"What is her name?" Fukuda asked while munching on some nuts and drinking vodka. Sakuragi cackled and pointed a finger on the smug-face of the Ryonan power forward. "Nyahaha, you're jealous, because you aint got a girlfriend aren't you Fuku-teme!" Fukuda simply cast a glare but did not back down. "Well you aint got one either, who are you to say?" Sakuragi fumed and wanted to almost knock the latter out but was held back by Ryota. "Will you just behave, Sakuragi?!"
"Uh, well…" Ikegami, for all the reasons, blushed that made the whole boys laughed. "Aww, Ikegami-senpai!" Ikegami tried to look mad and scowled but failed to do so. "So, senpai, who is the lucky girl?" Sendoh prodded as he tilted his bottle of vodka to a finish—a slight tinge of flush on his well-chiseled face; the darkness of his blue orbs seemed evident under alcohol and his disheveled spikes, but he kept his usual lips on a constant smile.
"Fumiko." Ikegami stated and everyone paused. Sendoh tilted his head, eyes a bit surprised but very much intrigued as he placed his chin under one palm. "Fumiko… Fumiko… why does it seem that I've heard that name before?" Sendoh wondered but smiled. Koshino rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Duh, Sendoh…are you this dense or what?!"
"She's in your class, Taichou." Fukuda stated. Sendoh almost gape a bit. "Really?!" The whole circle laughed. "You idiotic, Spiky! Nyahaha!" Sakuragi hollered, liking the way Sendoh seemed to look stupid.
"Oh, Homura-san! Is it her? Fumiko Homura, right?" Sendoh stated, while chuckling. Koshino grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you got it right. She's our class president, you idiot!" Koshino elbowed their taller Ace. "Wow, Ikegami-senpai, I didn't know…" Sendoh grinned. "No one knew, Taichou." Fukuda stated as he smugly grinned. Ikegami chuckled along with the rest of the boys. "Nyahaha, can't believe a common player got a girl! Hey, I thought Hikoichi said that Spiky here has all of Ryonan girls swooning?" Sakuragi stated as if wanting to connote something. Ikegami popped a vein as Miyagi simply shook his head. "Sakuragi, why do you have to be…" Sendoh sweatdropped and raised both of his hands in defense. "You must have heard it all wrong, Sakuragi-kun."
"Hahaha, humility doesn't suit you, Spiky!" Sakuragi hollered as he whacked each and everyone and made peace but did not escape Ikegami's glare. "Oopss, sorry Mr. Common Player, but I'm happy for you, I really am!" The redhead grinned his usual.
"Whoah! I was passing by when I heard you guys talking about Fumiko Homura?" Hikoichi almost galloped his way into the circle and groans can be heard when the youthful lad suddenly joined in. "Well, I'm sure you knew a lot, since you always like keeping that tiny notebook of yours, eh?" Koshino said. Hikoichi nodded and went on to rant, earning the attention of all the guys and a blushing Ikegami.
"Fumiko Homura, she's in your class, Sendoh-senpai. She's the class president, she's very studious and also an A-student! She's also a fan of our basketball club and the president as well of the writer's guild! But you know what, and despite of it all?" Hikoichi stated living the other guys cliffhanging. "WHAT? TELL US!"
Hikochi grinned almost demonically. "She's never been interested at Sendoh-san! And had only liked Ikegami-senpai since last year! Amazing! It's true love, Ikegami-senpai, I am so happy! Uwaah!" Everyone cheered and hooted and Sakuragi even stood up to whack a laughing Sendoh on the back. "Now I know why she seems annoyed every time she sees me, hey, stop it Sakuragi-kun!"
"Oh, you remember her now, Sendoh?" Ikegami teased back-Sendoh was a bit dumbfounded and everyone laughed at the scene.
"Apparently, its not always about you, Spiky! Hahaha! Not all the girls adore you!" Sakuragi hollered earning stares from the other tables. "But we know someone from our team who does adore you! Nyahaha!" Miyagi laughed like crazy and shook his head. "Sakuragi you bastard! Sendoh's all flushed up, hahaha!" They all paused and seemingly think when they suddenly remembered. Sendoh sheepishly smiled and scratched his nape.
"Well, what about you, Sakuragi? What's your love story anyway?" Koshino tried to meddle. Sakuragi stopped his ruckus and was a bit caught off-guard, everyone was staring at him. "Ch, teme, you dare question the Tensai and his lovelife? Nyahaha, of course, there is only one girl for me! This tensai is loyal!" They all hooted and hollered and continued teasing each other for awhile as each and everyone carry on with their own ruckus.
"Is everyone here? We might as well start our small program before we cap off the night." Fujima grinned and like the usual, he reiterated that the competition pair should present a 3-minute show just for entertainment purposes. At first, everyone seemed not too interested but when two of Shoyo boys stood up and started singing in their out of tune voices, everyone laughed and is suddenly pumped up now, each wanting to prove to everyone that they know what talent means after all.
Sendoh yawned as he pressed the button to the elevator to take him up to his room. Upon reaching the floor, he was surprise to see Haruko who was standing in front of the elevator, as if waiting. Their eyes met and Haruko bowed and smiled back. "Oh, hi Sendoh-kun. I was just about to go down." Sendoh blinked back his eyes and returned the gesture. "Hey, Haruko-chan right?" Haruko chuckled and nodded. "Yes, you got it right this time." A pause. "Uhm, anou, Sendoh-kun… I just actually want to thank you earlier…" Haruko stated in her usual voice. Sendoh was a bit confused, trying to think what is it that made the petite lady from Shohoku thanking him. He sheepishly smiled. "Uh, I don't actually follow, Haruko-chan, heh." Haruko found herself blushing—not because of anything; she just thought that the Ryonan Captain truly looked easy on the eyes up close and her realization that…
'Rukawa-kun, I know you'll be fine… I'm happy.'
"Its nothing Sendoh-kun. Well, I must be going down, I'm sure Ayako-san has been waiting for me."
Sendoh knocked twice before opening the door to their room revealing a semi-dark room; the light from the bathroom was kept open. He walked towards where Rukawa was seemingly sleeping, his head down on the coffee table. Sendoh softly chuckled to himself. He approached the still figure and sat across the empty chair, looking intently at the raven-haired guy who remains oblivious to his surroundings. Only then Sendoh noticed that Rukawa had his earphones on. Slowly, he reached at one ear pod and removed it. He was hesitant at first but gathering his new found courage, he leaned over to softly wake his sleeping beau.
"Kaede…" Sendoh mentioned the name he has come to love. And as if on cue, the figure stirred a bit before slowly lifting his head up, eyes a bit unfocused because of the dark surroundings. Rukawa was partly awake already when he felt a pair of moist lips dampened his right cheek—his eyes fluttered open and felt his chest thumped a bit; Rukawa felt his face flushing up as his found its way to glare at the one who did it to him.
"What are you doing?" The rookie softy muttered. "Waking you up, Sleeping Beauty." Sendoh replied back, a soft light illuminating half of his face, revealing his fine features and his pair of deep blue eyes. Rukawa furrowed his brows, but his red-face betrayed him. "You didn't have to do that." Sendoh simply smiled back. "I didn't have to do what?" Liking the way he teased the seemingly uptight star player of Shohoku. Rukawa stretch his both arms and yawned a bit. "You know, actually, I did it all wrong. Sleeping Beauty woke with a kiss on the lips, not on the cheek." He grinned. Rukawa scowled a bit before scoffing. "Doaho." Sendoh simply laughed at the response.
"I saw Haruko-chan at the elevator." Sendoh stated. Rukawa wordlessly nodded. "You guys…talked?" Sendoh prodded further, a smile on his lips. Rukawa stared at his older lover and shrugged. "Sort of." Sendoh simply chuckled and yawned. He stood up, stretch his long arms and rubbed his eyes. Rukawa silently observed his older boyfriend, still a bit surprised at the turn of events. Sendoh plopped himself on the bed, burying is face on his pillow. Rukawa turned to his seat. "Party's over?" Sendoh waved his right hand. "Nope, just about to start." Rukawa nodded wordlessly. Minutes of silence pass and Sendoh seemed still. Rukawa wondered if he has fallen asleep. He fished for his phone and started browsing randomly. "Cant believe we're returning back tomorrow." Sendoh muttered lazily as he turned his back on the bed. Rukawa paused and stared at the figure on the table. Sendoh was right, it all seemed too fast. The Ace player of Ryonan hoisted himself up off the bed. "Can I ask you something?" Rukawa said nothing as if waiting for the question. "After this…camp, will I be able to see you again?"
Rukawa contemplated before answering. Was it a question? If it was then the answer is pretty obvious, but, more than the query, was it something Sendoh probably feels unsure of that he still needs an answer? "What do you…mean?" Rukawa muttered back softly, eyes almost gleaming in the semi-dark room. Sendoh shrugged. "I mean, I know you'll be busy and all…practice and stuff. Can I visit you sometime?" He snorted a bit, probably finding his question a bit idiotic but he just wanted an affirmation. "You wanted to… come visit me at… school?" Rukawa stated a bit slowly, eyes clouding with the tiniest confusion but was very much sincere. Sendoh nodded. "Yeah, sort of." Rukawa nodded. "Why not?" Sendoh smiled his usual, eyes warming up as he nodded. "Great…Captain Akagi wouldn't mind, right?" He grinned. Rukawa almost snorted and put up his lips almost upwardly. "That you have to ask for yourself." And they both chuckled.
"How about at home, I mean, your house?" Sendoh prodded further. When he heard nothing from the latter he immediately put up his hands as if on defense. "I'm sorry, I don't want to sound too intruding or anything…I was just…."
Its not that Rukawa minds, he doesn't actually. But the sudden realization that his Father whom he hasn't seen for almost ten years, was finally home and that—well, although he hasn't told the entirety of it to Sendoh, this is personal to him and it is true when they say that other things may change us, but we always start and end with 'family.' And for Rukawa, he has yet to come to his terms, especially in meeting his estranged father.
"Sorry…" Sendoh stated again. He was hoping to get a response this time. Rukawa seemed to be taken aback when he heard the latter apologizing as he simply shook his head and adjusted tucked his hands further in his pullover. "N-no, its okay. I should be the one to apologize, I guess." Sendoh merely shrugged it off. "There are some things that…" Rukawa started, eyes looking at nothing in particular, but not at Sendoh's direction. "I mean… my father just came home and, I don't know if…"
Sendoh understood. This wasn't just something one can holler into his own family; he don't expect Rukawa to come home, hug everyone, and tell his dad, 'Hey, I have a boyfriend now, he's from Ryonan!' And come to think of it, he wondered what Akito, his brother would probably think of too? Unlike in his case though, his brother is more of an open-minded person and literally doesn't mind like ninety-five percent of the time, so he thinks he wouldn't probably encounter a hassle, unlike his younger beau… Sendoh wondered if he should probably make a good impression on Rukawa's family—especially his father.
"Its okay, I understand. Look, maybe you should come and visit me at home one time, after this camp? I want you to meet my brother. I'm sure he'll like you." Sendoh stated good-naturedly. Rukawa simply looked at the taller guy and smiled a bit. "Sure. What's his name again?" Rukawa prodded. "Akito. He's twenty-four." A pause. "He works in a software company—technically he's an engineer." Rukawa snorted and almost chuckled a bit. "I only asked for his name, doaho." Sendoh simply laughed and threw a pillow on Rukawa who caught it right-handedly. "I was just being accommodating, okay."
"Gosh, where have you been, I was actually looking for you!" Ayako grabbed Haruko's arm and led the brown-haired girl somewhere to sit as singing voices of semi-drunk players and loud chatters from people in the room ensued. Haruko sighed and smiled. "Ayako-san, I'm so sorry… I was just…" Ayako stared inquisitively as she poured beer on an empty glass and hand it over to the latter.. "Drink it up, hurry! Don't tell on me to your brother, okay?" Ayako chuckled as she herself gulped on her own glass. Haruko held the glass of beer with both hands as his eyes stared at random. "Hey, don't zoom out on me, where'd you go." She paused and took note of Haruko's empty hand and just like that, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh my God, did you just-?! So did you give it to him already?" A wide grin on the curly-haired manager's face is surely inevitable at this given moment.
Haruko felt his face flushing a bit as she wordlessly nodded and smiled. "H-hai, Ayako-san." Ayako's eyes widened in response as she laughed her head off, earning a few stares from the Kainan boys from nearby but the boys ignored them afterwards. "Oh my—so, how'd it go? What did he say? C'mon, spill the beans already Haruko, and please drink okay. These are the moments wherein you should be getting booze into your system so that you'll feel more… vivacious!" She laughed further. Haruko simply chuckled meekly. "That's a powerful word, Ayako-san." She paused as she tried to remember the short but memorable moments she had with the stoic rookie of Shohoku. For her, it was more than enough. "So? Did he accept your gift?" Haruko nodded.
"Yes. Rukawa-kun accepted it." She paused, lips forming into a smile. Ayako was simply staring and was grinning. "He also told me that he…" Haruko gulped and drank from her glass and decided to continue. "…knew. He knows." Ayako's eyes widened. "He knew what?!" Haruko felt her ears burning a bit, not really wanting to say it and wished Ayako would just get it. "You know what, Ayako-san."
"Oh really? So he knew that you…liked him?" Ayako whispered as Haruko almost panicked when the latter mouthed the word. "I cant believed him, and here am I expecting him to not ever noticed. I mean, Rukawa can be like a log, but it's a good thing he accepted your gift." She chuckled and prodded further.
"Oh really, why so?"
"Well, I remember back in Tomigaoka High, Rukawa wouldn't really bother with those gifts girls usually give him. So, what else did he say?"
Haruko shook her head. "Not much. He just accepted my gift and… well, said thanks and all." She paused. There was something that made Haruko not tell Ayako that she also did confessed her feelings, its not that she's still keeping her hopes up that the chance of Rukawa reciprocating her feelings will ever come by; she just decided to keep today's moment to herself, after all, tomorrow they become her precious memories.
"I want to dedicate this song to… uh, Aya-chan." A smile. Hoots and cheers erupted as Miyagi and Mitsui came up front. Ayako simply rolled her eyes, smiled and flashed a V-sign to Ryota who was acting like a lovestruck fool and not a formidable point guard. "Is she his girlfriend?" Kiyota asks his teammate Takano who simply shrugged. "Beats me."
Soon after, a familiar tune started playing in and when Miyagi started singing the first line, everyone laughed; he too, found himself chuckling a bit before gaining composure and confidence and soon after he and Mitsui has been performing. Koshino snorted and shook his head at the two men who was acting as if they got talent, not noticing that someone sat beside him. He took a sip on his beer and almost sputtered it out. "Goodness, Sendoh. The heck, where have you been?!" Sendoh simply smiled and shrugged. Somehow he managed to get back to his teammates without some of them noticing, he found an empty seat near Koshino and likewise with Rukawa who simply placed himself inconspicuously on a seat near Akagi who took notice of him immediately.
Although Sendoh very much wanted to be where Shohoku was… he decided to give himself and Rukawa space. Koshino seemed irate, yet again, as he stared at his pal who was simply looking ahead, an easy smile on his lips as he watched the ruckus of both Miyagi and Mitsui, earning the laughter from most of them. Turns out, Mitsui can actually sing in tune. "Where's the brat?" Koshino prodded but his neck was searching left and right, looking for one particular guy, and spotting him sitting with his usual stoic expression near their Captain. "Why aren't you with him?" Koshino asks. Sendoh simply shrugged. "Oh you don't want me here, Kosh, I thought you missed me?" Koshino's ears flushed out of sheer annoyance and he simply scoffed. "Idiot, its not that, I just thought you'd rather be with-ehem, him of course." Sendoh simply nodded. "Yeah, you bet. But, Ryonan is still my team, right?" He grinned. "Besides, I don't want to impose too much on him—well, not yet. Not here." He smiled. Koshino simply rolled her eyes and turned his sight back to where Rukawa was, only to find the latter looking at him. Koshino shuddered. "Ugh!" Sendoh shifted from his seat. "What's the matter?"
"I just saw the eye of the devil." Koshino exaggerated. Sendoh wondered at that as he, himself turned his gaze to his right to check up on his younger beau; he saw alright but Rukawa was simply looking down on his phone as if busy scrolling. Sendoh simply smiled to himself—as an idea struck his spiky head. He fished for his phone and texted a familiar number.
Rukawa slipped discreetly to placed himself on an empty seat next to Akagi who was sitting beside Uozumi of Ryonan. The two giant centers clearly noticed him but it was Akagi who instigated a conversation. "Rukawa, where have you been?" Rukawa simply looked at his Captain, suddenly remembering his sister who just confessed to him. Of course, he's not stupid to say that to his senior. "Have you seen Haruko by the way?" Rukawa was surprised at the second question, but maybe Akagi is just asking him as a brother who would ask the whereabouts of his sister. Rukawa simply nodded and pointed towards where he saw Ayako and Haruko were seated side by side. Akagi nodded, calming when he spotted his little sister with their manager. "Where have you been, anyway?" Akagi prodded. Rukawa honestly thought the question was long forgotten. Rukawa momentarily looked at nothing in particular before answering. "I…fell asleep, Captain." He simply said almost monotonously. Just then, a chuckle coming from the former Captain of Ryonan was heard. "You fell asleep or someone made you fell asleep?" Uozumi, in all his size and glory made the statement, earning a surprise look from Akagi who found himself laughing with the other. Well, who would have thought that the two Captain seniors knew how to make fun of their own colleagues. Uozumi, still with his shoulders shaking jokingly flashed a V-sign and smirk. "Peace." It isn't everyday he gets the slight upperhand in teasing the formidable pointer and Ace of Shohoku.
Rukawa's ears heat up as he found himself surprised and frowning at the reaction shown before him and he could only snort, but not without muttering back. "Tc, no wonder you didn't make it on the InterHigh, Boss Monkey. Peace." Uozumi instantaneously frowned and almost fumed, but he let it passed. Akagi simply chuckled and crossed his arms to his broad chest. "It was just a joke, Rukawa. Chill." Rukawa simply sighed and nod his head.
"Kidding aside, Sendoh is a good guy, you just have to… well, stretch your patience with him especially with his habitual tardiness." Uozumi stated without looking at the person he was talking to. Rukawa paused scrolling on his phone and wondered why Uozumi said that, he found himself looking at the former Captain of Ryonan. Akagi simply nodded at him. Uozumi decided to continue. "He's the Captain now of Ryonan, and well, if there's one thing I would like to request, just remind him of the team."
"I'll remind him not to visit Shohoku often." Akagi butted in and the two gorillas laughed at the statement.
Rukawa was silent but heard everything alright; Uozumi may not be the strongest center in the region, but he can be regarded as a good leader. He simply nodded his head. Just then, his phone sent him a familiar ding sound.
What in the world Captain Uozumi is saying to you? =) -A.S
Rukawa found himself snorting as he bit his lower lip, finding the right reply and wondering the would-be reaction of his older beau.
He's dreading he left the team on you. -K.R
Aww. Please tell him I don't want to be Captain. =) -A.S
I missed you already, you know. =) -A.S
Doaho. -K.R
I 3 you too. =* -A.S
Rukawa simply rolled his eyes and looked up to where his text mate is sitting from, spotting him instantly looking back. Sendoh smiled from where he was sitting, held his phone up with his right hand.
"Can we call on now Uozumi and Akagi-san please?" Fujima hollered. Upon hearing that, the players on an uproar as they blared on their seats while cheering. Sakuragi has the wildest reaction of all when he stood on one of the tables and pounded his chest like King Kong; earning him the laughter from the crowd. Akagi obviously popped a nerve as he clenched his fist in sheer annoyance and embarrassment. "Do we have to do this, aren't we supposed to be exempted?" Uozumi muttered, all flushed from the thought of going up on stage. Akagi sighed and shook his head, he didn't want to join either.
"Nyahaha! Gori, the whole jungle will bow before your greatness! Bwahaha!" Sakuragi hollered. Fukuda who was nearby the redhead simply looked at the latter rather smugly and scratched his temple. 'Why do I have to be partnered with this nonsensical idiot.'
"Make us proud, Uozumi-senpai!" Hikoichi shouted as he pumped his fist on the air sending team Ryonan laughing their hearts out. Sendoh eyed the two centers walking towards the mini stage and clapped his hands when the two passed by him. "I'll get you later, lover boy." Uozumi warned his successor and Sendoh simply chuckled and put on a thumbs up.
"Did he just call you lover boy?" Koshino uttered. Sendoh simply shrugged and laughed. "Did he?" Akagi and Uozumi stood upfront, not actually knowing what to do. Akagi cleared his throat and braved the crowd. "We demand to be exempted-?!" But was immediately cut off with hoots and boos. Uozumi's nerves were off as he seethed in front and frowned but was only met with laughter. "This is going to be epic, hahaha! I am gonna record this and make copies even." Nobunaga Kiyota stated as he readied his phone; Jin simply grinned back at his colleague and patiently watched for the two Captains to come to their terms.
A few minutes more and the two decided to just randomly punched in a random song; Akagi very much dreading his current situation as the mic was passed onto him; Uozumi was simply trying to 'play' along. "Well, since this is already my last year as Ryonan's Captain, I decided to just showcase my innate talent…" And everyone laughed but cheered for him. "By the way, this song is actually my father's favorite." Even Sakuragi cackled but was very much encouraging Uozumi. Akagi's nerves were about to popped as he sighed exasperatedly. "You speak as if you're going to die you idiotic Uozumi." The latter simply smirked and started singing the first line of the song earning 'whoahs' and cheers. Akagi could only cringe and shook his head in response.
"Why do birds suddenly appear…" Uozumi started and everyone went ballistic.
Sendoh laughed from where he was seated as he placed a hand on his face. Koshino laughed and was even hitting the table with his hand, eyes clouded with tears from mirth of laughing. "And that was your predecessor, Sendoh!" Sendoh shook his head in sheer surprise. "I am so transferring to another school after this." He joked. Fujima and Maki were trying their best not to laugh but their smirking lips were betraying them. Hanagata simply adjusted his glasses and went for another bottle of Vodka.
"And let's give it up for Uozumi and Akagi-san! Akagi, you weren't really singing up there!" Fujima said with a wicked gleam in his blue eyes. Akagi simply snorted and went bug-eyed. Well, apparently it has been mostly Uozumi who was leading while the latter was simply sort of humming onto the mic up to the last note. Fujima waited for the crowd to recover from the event but was only pumped up as ever when he announced the name of the next performers.
"One of them claims he's a genius, so, why don't we call on our 'resident' genius on camp, Sakuragi and… Fukuda?" Fujima grinned and Sakuragi instantly stood up with his usual menacing and confident stance. Fukuda simply looked on, unbothered on his seat. "The heck Fukuda, stand up there!" Koshino shouted. The power forward of Ryonan simply looked at Koshino smugly and ignored him. Koshino's nerve can be clearly seen popping.
Sakuragi grabbed the mic from the smaller Fujima to his surprise. "I have been waiting for this you know." He laughed his usual earning a mockery from his rival in Kainan; Kiyota playfully threw a tissue paper in front while laughing. "Hear you were born on Ape-ril, red head monkey! Hahaha!" Sakuragi obviously didn't like it as he menacingly pointed a finger to the wild monkey of Kainan. "Shut up and just wear Ape-rons, you wild monkey of Kainan! Nyahaha!" Maki sighed and pulled his energetic freshman from upfront and made him seat on his chair. "Kiyota, behave. Or I'll be the one to pin you on monkey bars." The other players of Kainan simply chuckled as they heard their team Captain speak; obviously his patience seemingly running out. Fukuda remained unfazed as he continued drinking on his beer and ignoring the ruckus around him.
"Well, I don't like forcing people to come up here. If you're not really a talented person, I cannot blame you for being ordinary." Sakuragi stated earning him popping nerves. "What do you think of Sakuragi-kun, Haruko-chan?" Ayako prodded as they watch the redhead make an uproar in front. Haruko was taken aback at the question as she looked at the person questioning her. She smiled though. "Well, I think Sakuragi-kun is really an asset to our team, he's improved a lot and is still improving, I really think that…" Ayako chuckled and playfully slapped Haruko at the shoulder causing the other to almost stumble over. "You are a funny girl, Haruko-chan!"
"Ayako-san, you asked me what I thought of him, ne?" Haruko replied back, rubbing her shoulders a bit. Ayako simply rolled her eyes and grinned. "I guess, my bad right? What I meant was…what do you think of him aside from being a basketball player?" Haruko blinked back her confusion. Ayako squinted her eyes and smirked. "Do you think Sakuragi has a romantic side, hm?" Ayako laughed. Haruko felt her face heating up as she searched for an answer. "Well, anou, I'm not really sure Ayako-san, I'm pretty sure beneath his energetic personality—I'km sure he has a caring personality." Haruko smiled assuredly as she looked at the redhead in front of them who was about to start his own show.
"Before I begin, I would like to dedicate this song to uh…" Sakuragi flushed causing the players to hoot and laughed at the self-proclaimed tensai and Akagi's nerves to popped. He clenched his fist and swore he would get the power forward if he tries something else.
"You can do it, Sakuragi!"
"C'mon man! We're paying here, haha!"
"Get out of there redhead monkey!"
"Dedicate it to whom!?"
Sakuragi felt his back getting sweaty and all but that it did not unfazed him. "…well, I would like to honestly dedicate this song to a special person…" And everyone clapped and cheered, encouraging him to just spill the beans. "Damn, don't tell me that redhead has a girlfriend?!" Koshino muttered to Sendoh who was simply looking at the power forward of Shohoku trying very much not to break down in front. He simply smiled his usual and shrugged at Koshino. "I don't know Kosh, he seems like a nice guy, I don't see any reason as to why he shouldn't have one?" Sendoh grinned, knowing something probably not everyone knew.
Just as Sakuragi was getting ready to punch in the number, a tune was already playing and soon enough everyone was gaping their mouths when it was Fukuda who stood up front with a bottle of beer on one hand and a mic on the other; Sakuragi almost fumed but was too awed. "…we dedicate this lousy performance to the two teams who will be going to the InterHigh." And the first line he sang made everyone dropped of off their seats—laughing but very much surprise because the power forward of Ryonan can actually hit the note; Sakuragi was too overwhelmed even to react as he remained standing in front, mouth gaping while Fukuda stoically sang in front—as if it wasn't 'him'; as if he was someone else—everyone literally was surprised. Except maybe for one who remained on his seat, a wide grin on his lips as both of his arms and back were against the table; even his seatmate was too dumbfounded to react.
"I actually knew he can sing—I invited him once in our house before he returned to our team." Sendoh muttered cheerily as Koshino pointed his finger at Fukuda Kicchou who continued without any sign of embarrassment, deep inside he knew that he's got the talent. "How come you don't invite me in your house, to think we've been classmates since Junior High?" Koshino muttered. Sendoh's brows raised. "I have invited you before, you just have way too many excuses." Koshino just pouted and scoffed.
"See the thing about you, that caught my eye..." And he even smirk as the crowd wiped off their tears while laughing and soon enough, everyone was waving their hands in the air as if it was Fukuda's concert.
"I think we have a winner already!" Fujima announced when Fukuda finished. "Hey, I haven't performed yet!" Sakuragi hollered but he was jokingly booed. "You might not have to, after what Fukuda did!" Fujima replied with a grin. Sakuragi approached his stoic camp partner and stared at him right in the eye. "Teme, what were you trying to pull back there, and what do you mean by a lousy performance?"
Fukuda simply stared right back and shrugged. "I just save your sorry ass, commoner." Sakuragi seethed his teeth in annoyance, too irritated to be labeled as 'commoner'. "What do you mean you saved my ass?!"
Fukuda smirked, "What, don't tell me you are really going to announce to everyone out there that you're in love with your Captain's sister?"
Sakuragi stopped for a while and gave it a thought. Was he really going to say it? And if so, does he really have the guts? He knew of his feelings right from the start, but maybe, just maybe—this aint the right time to be thinking of himself too much, besides, he worried that his friendship with Haruko might be affected—and he wouldn't want that. Sakuragi scoffed and sat beside the latter and crossed his arms. "I am gonna do that, just you wait and see. Well, maybe not now. But you're still an arrogant bastard to be labeling that as lousy. Teme." Fukuda could only smirk. He knew the redhead of Shohoku maybe loud and all, but he can actually be timid and a simpleton by heart.
"Of course, we wouldn't call it a night yet; not without seeing the winners of these camp stand up here in front, would we?" Fujima sneered while everyone cheered and turned to look back at the two Aces of two teams who went head to head in the Inter High qualifying rounds. Sendoh simply grinned and jokingly looked around as well as if Fujima was referring to someone else.
Sakuragi's blood seemed revived once again as he cheered the latter and dared his team's rookie to brave the front. "Nyahaha! At long last, Spiky—you will not be exempted from this one! Never!"
Uozumi simply smirk and shook his head. "You don't want to hear him sing, trust me." Akagi's brows furrowed. "Oh, why so?"
Koshino elbowed his taller friend as the hoots and catcalls turned louder and the players were almost chanting both of their names. "I told you, you wont be getting away with this." Sendoh was simply smiling his usual; he turned back to Rukawa who was left alone all throughout his spot since Uozumi and Akagi went to seat somewhere else, and alas, poor Rukawa-kun felt his ears turned red when Sendoh jokingly stood up to 'fetch' him on his seat. "Nyahaha! You think you're so special Kitsune, you wanted to be escorted?" The other players laughed at Sakuragi. Ayako tried hard not to giggle—but she was giggling as she playfully slapped Ryota on the back. "Aya-chan, what the heck?! Its just Sendoh and Rukawa." Ayako laughed as she knew something their point forward don't. "You know Ryota, the problem with dense persons like you is that you are not unarmed; rather, you are 'armed' differently." Ryota could only sigh exasperatedly and blinked back his confusion. 'Ugh, women indeed!'
Maki was staring at Sendoh, a visible smile on his lips; Fujima simply slid beside him and placed his chin atop on Kainan's captain and grinned. "Sendoh sure is a patient one." Maki simply snorted. "He needs to be."
Uozumi turned to look at their Ace player and grinned. Akagi simply sighed and scratched his head. "Let me remind you that I need Rukawa to be 100% during the Inter High." Uozumi laughed at his colleague. "Why are you telling me that, tell that to our Captain." He grinned and jabbed his finger at Sendoh. Mitsui's brows furrowed as he frowned a bit—he drank from his bottle of Vodka and stared again—then his eyes widened in realization of something he never thought of before, not until now, at this given instance. He turned to the nearest player at his player—it was Hanagata. "Oi, is there something going on with those two?"
Hanagata adjusted his glasses and felt the corner of his lips lifting up. "Yeah, they're together- I think. Or, I've heard." Mitsui almost sputtered his drink, surprised at what he just heard. "What the-?! Seriously? How come I didn't know about it?" Hanagata smirked, "I don't know, maybe because you're…alcoholic?" Mitsui frowned and scoffed. "Shut up, four-eyes. Tch, cant believe this-well, if they're happy with each other, who are we to judge?" The three-pointer grinned nonetheless.
"Who's judging anyway?" Hanagata queried. Mitsui simply shrugged. "I'll be damned I never knew Sendoh would fall with our one-worded kitsune." He laughed at his own statement.
Jin chuckled at the three-pointer of Shohoku and shrugged. "We didn't either, we just… noticed." Mitsui stared at the two was seemingly talking at one another—or more like, it was Sendoh who was doing all the talking while the latter simply glared or snort.
Rukawa mustered his glare in sheer annoyance, not the one to be joining these types of hype and nonsensical things. Sendoh sat beside the obviously annoyed Rukawa. "I've finally been able to sit beside you." He muttered to his younger lover as he playfully nodded to the players who were waiting for them to stand in front. "What are you doing?" Rukawa muttered back but the uneasiness he's feeling is trying its best to settle in him. Sendoh simply shrugged and smile his usual. "I'm just sitting here, Kaede…" He chuckled. "…well, beside you of course." Sendoh cleared his throat. "Well, what do you say, I don't think I can get away with this, alone." He chuckled. Rukawa snorted and shook his head. "I'm not gonna stand in front and sing—if that's what you're thinking." Sendoh laughed at bit and scratched his head. "So you're just going to let me do it all alone?"
Rukawa stared at his older beau, their eyes met and even though they've been both honest already with each other's feelings, falling for someone—it still has that surreal feeling, for Rukawa at least. At first, he doesn't even know its happening. It all just started with a simple 'hello' on the train and he would have never guessed it would lead to this.
"Earth to sunshine…" Sendoh playfully waved his hand and chuckled. Rukawa felt his face flushed a bit as Sendoh saw that; "Are you thinking about me?" Rukawa snorted. "Doaho, I'm not." Sendoh simply laughed and placed both of his hands on his knees and stood up—just like that and the cheers turned louder when he started walking towards the stage. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Teme Kitsune you bastard, letting Spiky all alone in front! Boo!" Sakuragi hollered.
When the crowd seemed to have settled down, Sendoh sheepishly smiled and looked at his team and saw them looking at him back with encouraging faces. "Make us proud, senpai! We love you!" Hikoichi wailed—everyone around him cringe, well almost.
"Well, show us what you got. You won the camp tournament anyway." Fujima jeered on one corner. Sendoh simply chuckled. "I got nothing. Look, I'm not good at this." But was instantly booed especially by his teammates. Sendoh simply laughed in front. "Alright, whatever."
Cheers and claps erupted. Fukuda smiled lopsidedly when he heard his taichou agreed to ride along with the crowd. Akagi's brow furrowed. "If this punk damage my eardrums, I'm gonna throw him out." The center of Shohoku joked. Uozumi simply laughed and warned him though. "You will not be able to do that, because he's a natural."
Rukawa felt his chest thumped a bit when he heard Sendoh. Truth is, this is probably the first time he would hear him actually—well, he has heard him humming before in their room when they first arrived at camp, but that was different.
"I dedicate this to…" Sendoh started, his voice deep and reverberating in the room—everyone instantly fell silent. Sendoh looked around the eager faces of his colleagues, some with their camera phones on stand by already, but most with encouraging looks, smiles, well maybe except for one raven-haired, blue-eyed rookie who was sitting at the back-solo, looking down at his phone, scrolling randomly, probably pretending not to listen but Sendoh knew he was.
Ayako bit his lower lip in excitement as he stared at Haruko who was smiling her usual. "Tell me what you're thinking, Haruko. Don't keep it to yourself, girl." She winked. Haruko simply chuckled and looked down at her own glass. "I honestly don't know, Ayako-chan… I mean, I know I should be feeling… sad perhaps? Or angry? Disappointed but… looking at him like that, Sendoh-san seems to be genuinely…happy." She smiled, the honest kind. Ayako simply nodded and pat the petite girl on the back.
"You know Haruko-chan, maybe you should just try to open your eyes and take a good look around—there might be this one person, who's totally into you—and maybe, just maybe, you ought to give this person a chance." She winked again. Haruko flushed and shook her head, feeling a bit indignant. "N-no way, I d-don't think someone likes me… I mean that's impossible." Ayako simply laughed her head off. "Impossible is not a fact, Haruko-chan. Its an opinion."
"Myself. I dedicate this to myself." Sendoh stated—and everyone laughed. Sendoh too, chuckled in front and placed his hand behind his nape.
"Can we just interview you guys since you're the winner?" Fujima hollered and everyone hooted in agreement. Sendoh gaped a bit before trying to reason out. "No, why would you that?" He grinned. "Because you beat every single one of us." Fujima declared, standing up, one arm on his waist. Maki simply chuckled on his seat and shook his head. "Kenji, will you just… give this moment to the guy." Fujima looked back and raised one brow. "Of course, after I asked a few questions. I'm sure Sendoh wouldn't mind." The crowd laughed at the conversation.
"Well, I only think its fair that you question him too." Sendoh stated, pointing his finger to the oblivious Rukawa—who looked up when he felt he was being talked about. "Come right up here, rookie of Shohoku!" Fujima hollered. Rukawa wanted to just ran away but his exasperation couldn't suppress this event any longer and so he obliged, earning him cheers along the way; although his glare at Fujima can be seen.
"Teme Kitsune, he's gonna ask you about exam questions you know nothing about, nyahaha!" Sakuragi hollered, the players around him chuckled in amusement. Rukawa simply rolled his eyes and ignored the latter. Standing both in front—with an obvious space between them, their colleagues had a feast. Sendoh turned to Fujima and shrugged. "Now what?"
Fujima grinned and chuckled. "Relax Sendoh, I will not be gnawing your head off." The players laughed. "So how does it feel to beat us?" Fujima stated and everyone groaned but snickered. Rukawa in all his honesty can actually feel his chest thumping a bit; he didn't know if it was because of excitement or… nervousness of standing in front and being asked about questions he might not want to hear or answer. He can only look discreetly at Sendoh to his left and trust him not to… well, not to probably say things that doesn't really matter.
"Best ever." Sendoh joked earning catcalls and hoots especially at Maki who was simply smiling on his seat. "I mean, its you and Maki-san." Sendoh explained. His team cheered for him the most. "And you, Rukawa-kun?" Fujima asked the quieter of the two. Sakuragi cackled. "I'm sure he had a hard time, nyahaha!" Players from Shoyo and some of Kainan laughed at the redhead's statement. Rukawa heard Sakuragi and was tempted to just ran and give him a kick on the face but held his ground. "No comment." He muttered softly. Fujima simply rolled his eyes and snorted; he was expecting that answer from Rukawa rather.
Sakuragi simply laughed his head off as he heard the answer earning him a lump on the head when Akagi came up to pummel him. He dragged the power forward of Shohoku near to him and urged the for the others to continue. Mitsui and Miyagi were wiping their eyes from mirth of laughter on their seat, seeing the all-too familiar events in Shohoku itself.
"Do you think you could have won if Rukawa isn't your partner in camp?" Fujima queried and everyone hollered. It was a gun-point question. Honest and straightforward. Sendoh was tad bit surprised—and so was Rukawa who wasn't expecting that question. Koshino gritted his teeth. "Tc, why is even Fujima asking that, he sound so bitter?!" Ikegami simply laughed. "Chill Koshino, this is just for fun. Well, on one point, I would like to hear Sendoh's answer on this one."
"Of course Spiky would still win! It would have been an easy one, had I been his partner! Itee! Gori!" And Sakuragi was pummeled once more, sending the players into snickering some more.
Sendoh snorted and shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. I don't really depend on who will be my partner in camp. I'd still give my one hundred against you two, with or without Rukawa." Maki chuckled but his eyes gleamed of akin to astonishment when he heard the bold answer of Ryonan's Captain. Their eyes met—Sendoh's and Maki and the Captain of Kainan simply nodded in acknowledgment of what he thought of as a good leader with sheer motivation. Fukuda simply pulled up a lopsided smile and flash Sendoh a thumb's up. 'Taichou, we'll definitely try our best next time to be in the IH.'
"Ohhh!"
"Take that, Fujima!"
"Hahahah!"
"Nice one, Sendoh!"
"That's our Captain!"
"Spiky you bastard!"
"Hey, this is odd, why do we get to be questioned?" Sendoh muttered, Fujima laughed and raised his hand. "Chill there, I just want Rukawa to stand up in front and all." Rukawa promised to remind himself to plot a revenge against Fujima; he felt his ears heat up as he only snorted in return. "That concludes my questioning, just go on with whatever you two have planned." Fujima grinned. Rukawa rolled his eyes and started to walk away from the stage when he was held on the arm by no other than…
"Don't leave me up here." A smile. Sendoh's deep blue eyes and his usual smile, coupled with his disheveled hair all came up to Rukawa's vision as the younger player could only stare back silently. The crowd clapped and looked rather interestingly on the scene before them; some with knowing gazes, the others with amusement but whichever was, they kept on waiting. Rukawa wanted to be eaten by the ground—if that is even possible; he can actually feel his chest racing and was a bit feeling embarrassed but cannot do anything about his situation. "I told you, I'm not…" He started muttering to which Sendoh simply nodded. "Yeah I know, I don't want this either, lets just give them a minute or two, then we'd call it quits." He smiled—so charmingly, Rukawa couldn't help but to stay.
"I don't normally do this so…" Sendoh muttered as he randomly punches a number on the microphone not noticing Rukawa who left him to sit down on one of the chairs in front—next to Fujima. Rukawa was surprised though when Fujima handed him a glass of Vodka, he simply blinked back his confusion. "Sorry a while back, I know you didn't like these things." He grinned. Rukawa simply sighed. "You know?" Fujima chuckled, noticing the sarcasm in Rukawa's voice. "I mean, I know you're not the type to be with a crowd but—thanks for trying." He winked. Rukawa simply nodded, he was not mad, he's just feeling a bit wary about those type of gun-point questioning.
When the familiar strum of guitar intro started playing, some almost gawk with their mouths slightly opened and their eyes wide as they pointed at the person rather excitedly; perhaps it is their first time seeing and hearing him sing out in the open; it is in fact a rare sight for most; a few even crept closer to the performer before whipping their phones out and aiming the lens at him; trying to record a minute or two…
Sendoh smiled a bit as his colleagues cheered. "This song is called, 'Wait for Me'…" Everyone hooted and muttered random things; Sendoh simply grinned. "Because I'm always late…" The players laughed. Rukawa even found himself chewing the insides of his lower lip, feeling his impending chuckle but was able to hold it off.
Sendoh shrugged as he held the mic even closer to his lips as he found himself sitting down on one of the chairs in front. "Kidding aside, I dedicate this song to…" Everyone kept their silence, knowing to whom he might as well commit it. Rukawa felt a lump on his throat as he tried to lower down his head and hid his eyes beneath his fringes because of what Sendoh's about to say; or so he thought. "…to everyone here." He smiled. Everyone laughed and booed him jokingly. "Stop pulling our legs, Spiky! Nyahaha!" Sakuragi hollered.
Its completely normal to feel out of your mind when you're in love, so as they say. Some studies even say that the brain of a person falling in love looks the same as the brain of a person who has taken cocaine. Actually, one can thank dopamine, which is release in both instances, for that feeling. But Rukawa is not an addict; just so happens that he found himself also staring at the one person everyone seemed to be fixated upon. It wasn't the first time Sendoh held a mic, he and his brother would have time together over karaoke sometimes, and he wasn't the one to typically brag bout his 'skill', he don't even consider himself a singer; he's just lucky to have a tune and the song he found for himself is so random he didn't thought of it as noteworthy; except that the moment he sang the first line of in his deep voice and without effort made everyone remember why music is life; its why their hearts have beats, and made one Rukawa even realize that he has been staring too much with his chest drumming to his ears and that suddenly, all these songs were about you.
"Gonna open my heart, out of the scares and listen up
Gonna do what I'm told, though I'm told and listen up
Take a shot in the rain, one for the pain and listen up
I traveled all the way…"
*TBC. After 4 years ulet ?Kidding. Working on the next chapter, determined to finish this. Thanks for reading and sticking by.
*Wait for Me- Kings of Leon (disclaimer)
Chapter 22- When in Osaka