Author's Notes:

Yokatta! I'm already on chapter five! Hopefully this fic will end soon. I have to finish this before my birthday. [I know I have said that before...] Demo... yare, yare. On with the fic! Thanks to all those who reviewed and yes, Aya-chan's feelings are unstable. You know, they say some girls are like that, trying to cover up their feelings for a certain person... I often do that.


Disclaimer: [sighs] I am not the owner of Slam Dunk. [sighs again] But heck! I have the ringtone of Slam Dunk in my cellphone and I'm damn happy about that!



The Search Is Over
by Shohoku no Miko

Chapter Five: Drastic Times Need Drastic Measures... Sakuragi?




"Gori!" Sakuragi shouted, running like a lunatic to the bus. It was 7:30 a.m., too early for him to be at school. Shohoku team was nowhere to be found on the bus, they were still in their rooms. Akagi and Sakuragi were the first ones to arrive on the bus.

"Nani?" Akagi answered back.

"Ayako-chan and Ryochin can settle things before the game!" Sakuragi beamed, feeling very proud of his plan.

"What is it?" Akagi asked inspite his own doubts, and Sakuragi whispered his plan.

Soon the other members of the team arrived, and the time for executing the plan came. Akagi, being the captain of the team, talked to them and told them about their 'strategy'.

Soon everbody boarded on the bus, but three members were still not there- Ayako, Rukawa and Ryota.

Rukawa arrived after two minutes and took the backseat. Ryota came in next, and sat beside Lukawa.

"Oi, Ryochin! I am sitting beside kisune!" Sakuragi shouted. Rukawa's eyebrows creased, while Ryota looked shocked.

"You, Sakuragi, seated beside Rukawa, your greatest enemy?!"

Rukawa remained silent, Sakuragi sweat dropped. "Eh, hehe, heh... I... wanted to... talk to him! Hai! I wanted to talk to him!" Sakuragi shot Rukawa a just-go-with-the-flow look. Rukawa sighed. And Ryota took the seat in front, the only vacant seat. He searched for Ayako, but did not see her.

Ayako stepped into the bus, and found two empty seats- one at the back and one at the front. 'I'd rather sit at the back.' she mindlessly walked towards the back of the bus, until Sakuragi went to the seat beside Rukawa.

"Oi, Ayako-chan! I'm sitting beside kisune!"

Ayako was puzzled. "Nani? You. Will. Sit. Beside... Rukawa?"

"Hai! You know, we have to talk about matters... And another thing, your seat is there at the front, ne? Don't you always sit there?" Sakuragi smiled sheepishly. Ayako looked over her shoulder and saw that Ryota was seated at front. She rolled her eyes and sighed audibly, obviously annoyed with the idea of sitting beside her ex- boyfriend.

Ryota looked up just in time that Ayako stopped on the side of the chair. "Aya-chan?!" his face lit up.

Ayako threw her gymbag over to him. "Hold this while I sit down." [kinda bully, eh?] he caught it before it hit his face. Ayako slumped at the chair and grabbed her gymbag from Ryota and mumbled thanks. Ryota smiled. She shifted her position on the chair, her back against him.

Ryota sighed. 'How I wish we could talk... It seems like a bad day for the two of us.'

Kogure sat behind Ayako, trying to eavesdrop on whatever conversation the two might bring up. But unfortunately, she does'nt want to talk with him. All he could hear was the constant sigh of Ryota and the shifting of position by Ayako. 'Can they stand like that for the rest of the day?

The bus was rocking with noise when Anzai-sensei climbed up. Everybody stopped from what they're doing and Mitsui led Anzai-sensei to his seat, beside Rukawa. [like Sakuragi would sit beside him...]

The bus skidded. Everybody was in full swing, listening to the music from the speakers. Except the two seated in front, who obviously are not in the mood to sing along with the songs.


~Then good luck, it finally struck
Like lightning from the blue
Every highways lead me back to you...~



"Aya-chan?" Ryota called.

Ayako looked at him. Ryota side glanced before he continued. "Gomen nasai for everything I have done. I know I did not take it seriously, I was too preoccupied with basketball. I realized what I did and I promise that I will never do it again."

"This not the time for that."

"But you see, you have a great effect on me!"

"Can't we just talk about this after the game?" Ayako rolled her eyes and looked at the road ahead. Ryota sighed and stared out the window, watching the passers-by.

Ayako noticed the silence in the bus, obviously all of them were listening. 'So they did this all along!' she thought. "Will all of you mind your own business?" she shouted, startling everyone. Kogure, who is seated behind the two, shook his head. 'It's not good.'

The trip to Kainan was silent after that incident.


Author's Notes:

1. Ah! Fifth chapter done!

2. Gomen again [and again] for all wrong grammar and misspelled words.

3. Gomen. I know this story sucks. And as of presstime I'm having an Author's Block.

4. Please review! Oh, and does someone know the surname of Ayako? And the meaning of Ryota's name? Like if Rukawa Kaede means 'blue fox' then what does his name mean? To anyone who knows it, please include it in your review or send it to ayachan_ryota@yahoo.com. Arigato! And onegai, review!


~Shohoku no Miko~