Disclaimers: Salm Dunk is not mine or will it ever will be.*sob.*

Warning: OOC Sakuragi and Rukawa and very short chapter

Pairings: Still the two of them





Everyone nodded and Rukawa continued, "You see, more than two weeks ago, when I just came back from the USA, I saw Hanamichi reading Haruko's letter. Well, um." He looked at Sakuragi, with a tinge of nervousness in his eyes and continued after the redhead nodded, ".we got to know each other better after that."



FLASHBACK.

Sakuragi had been reading the letter when Rukawa passed by to show him his All-Japan team jersey.

Rukawa just got back from the All-Japan team training and he only planned to jog around town and go back home. He didn't plan to train with the Shohoku team yet. Not yet, maybe two weeks from now.

He originally planned to go back home after that last lap. But, although he did not sleep at all, his mind did slip off a bit. So, the result was, he took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up meeting Sakuragi.

Sakuragi looked up from the letter the letter and smiled warmly at him. "Oi Kitsune! I thought you wouldn't be back for about three weeks!"

"I thought I'd come back earlier than I had originally planned," was the reply.

"So how was the training?"

Rukawa looked at the redhead and was quite surprised that he was actually treating him nicely. Rukawa, deciding then, that if the redhead was willing to treat him as a friend, then he was also willing to do the same.

So, he sat down beside Sakuragi and replied, "The training was hell."

"Hell?" asked Sakuragi, with genuine surprise in his voice. "How could training be hell for you?"

"Everyone there was only thinking of their self-improvement, so much that they do not care about teamwork."

"Are you sure you're Rukawa?"

"Huh?" asked the raven-haired player, surprised that Sakuragi would actually ask a question like that. "What are you talking about?"

Sakuragi leaned back on the bench they were sitting on and replied, "The Rukawa I knew was a good player, no...he was the best rookie that ever graced our team. And hearing that same Rukawa complain about basketball training and other players being selfish is so...surprising.. I mean why would that same person complain about an attitude that he's best at?" He turned his head sideways to look at Rukawa and giggled slightly at the obvious surprise etched on the stoic boy's face.

Sakuragi's slight giggle brought Rukawa back to his senses and he put his mask on again.

At this, Sakuragi stopped giggling and let out a deep sigh. "You know, you should be more expressive of your emotions Rukawa. Your fans would love that."

Rukawa snorted, "Who said that I was interested in my fans? They're more like a nuisance to me, always disturbing my sleep or destroying my concentration on court." He looked at Sakuragi and said, "You could have them if you like."

"Ha ha, no thanks Rukawa," replied Sakuragi. "But you're right, they are very noisy girls. The guys think that it's nice to have them around to motivate the team. But...for me, they're just a bunch of flirts who yell their infatuations out for the whole world to know. Mo, your die-hard fans never know when to quit. I hope one day they lose their voice, even for a day only, so that we can have a quiet practice for a change."

Rukawa raised a brow at what Sakuragi said and asked, "You also don't like them?"

"Hell no."

"But Haruko acts the same way they do, although in a more quiet way."

"Haruko?" asked Sakuragi. He looked back at the kitsune-eyed boy and continued, "Oh her...she's sweet and everything, the perfect girl. I guess I had a crush on her before but it was only a crush."

"Only a crush? You're attracted to her like bees are attracted to honey."

At this point Sakuragi laughed out loud, "I only do that to hit Akagi's nerve, it's only for fun, no big deal."

"Akagi?"

"Is something wrong?"

"You usually call him Gori."

"Yeah, I do. The same way that I always call you kitsune." Sakuragi was about to speak more but a doctor approached the two and Sakuragi folded the letter he was reading. "Hey, see you around Rukawa." He stood up and prepared to leave.

"Hey, Sakuragi!" Rukawa called.

The redhead turned around to face him and he continued, "Would you like to go on a light 1 on 1 with me?"

Sakuragi was quite surprised at the sudden proposal from the quiet boy. But then, he smiled and replied, "Sure. Where and when?"

"Tomorrow, about 4 o'clock."

"Sure, I'll be there."

And the two of them parted to go on their separate ways.





Author's Note:

Yay! The fifth chapter is finally up! I'm very sorry if the explanation of their behavior isn't complete yet, (I told you this'd be a yaoi fic and the yaoi part still isn't up yet).

Sorry if this is such a crappy chapter. I'll do my best to finish this as soon as possible. Gomen minna if I left you on a cliffhanger again. It's just that I have a lot of things to do at the moment.

C&c's are welcome.