:: With Eyes that See ::
[Chapter Four]
[Basketball Practice]
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and its characters do not belong to me…
Author's Notes: Does this chapter seem longer? It certainly did when I was typing it…_
Replies:
Keax-XV: I don't have a dog, but I'd love one!
Nellie: Gomanasai, I don't know where Fujima can fit into this fic…but I like Fujima too, so look out for him in later fics!
Icko14: The part about Kogure is hounding me, cos I can't seem to develop anything from it…will try, though!
"Yes, I'd love to!" Shika almost shouted with joy. It had been ages since she had attended a regular basketball practice. In Japan, at least. She could not ask for more.
But they did give her more.
She stood on the sidelines, watching the practice. Or rather, letting her ears do the watching as she followed the movements of the ball just by its sound.
Suddenly, she stretched out her hands and caught a pass from Mitsui.
"You can't get me that way. I heard you a mile off," she teased. She had quickly learnt to recognise the players by the way they walked or moved. Even their style of bouncing the ball did not go unnoticed. Well, when you had no eyes, your other senses worked a lot harder.
Mitsui grinned. 'Not that she can see it,' he reminded himself, and said instead, "Nice catch. Now throw it back."
She did, accurately judging the distance between Mitsui and herself.
'You rock, girl," Mitsui said as he dribbled the ball back on court.
The exchange had not gone unnoticed by the other players. Rukawa even was impressed. He shot a glance at the girl, in her school uniform, standing at the side of the court, her chocolate-coloured dog sitting calmly at her feet. She looked in his direction, an unconscious move on her part, but it made Rukawa's spine tingle. Eerie how she had "known" he was looking at her. He turned away quickly.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the court, Sakuragi was trying to convince Yasuda that he too, could catch a pass with his eyes closed.
Yasuda, however, was not so naïve, and refused to throw that ball to Sakuragi, knowing that he would be blamed if the "tensai" failed to catch "that lousy pass".
The girl had been better than he had expected. Kogure was impressed by her skill. It was no wonder, then, that the girl could tour the world displaying her skills. Who wouldn't be impressed with a blind girl who shot a 90% average from the free-throw line. It was incredibly high.
On a sudden impulse, he walked up to her. "Satomi-san, do you want to play?"
She was stunned. Play?
Then, she grinned. Her expression of pure joy startled Kogure for a moment. She was so happy, just to play.
"Sure. Let me get changed."
She bent down and picked up her bag. Apparently, she had a change of clothes inside. "Just in case I had gym class today," she explained.
She had not played for so long. Not a real game, that is. Even though she had been adept at judging distances despite having lost her sight, playing a basketball game was next to impossible. However, in her training with Seiko, she was better equipped to have an estimate of distances, and after she and Seiko returned to Japan, her training had been relentless. It was time to put it to the test.
"We'll play a three-on-three. Akagi, Ryota, Sakuragi. You'll take on Rukawa, Mitsui and Satomi-san – "
Here, he was interrupted by Shika, "Call me Shika."
"Okay. Anyway, play till one team gets thirty points, or when ten minutes are up. Whichever comes first. I'll referee. Let's go!"
Rukawa looked at the girl warily. She was good, he knew, but play in a game? Against some of the best players? He doubted it.
Mitsui shot a worried glance in Shika's direction. Would she be able to hack it?
Ryota felt nervous. If she was as good a point guard now as she was when she had her sight, he was up for a tough game. Then, he shook himself mentally and banished all thoughts but the one that had sustained him through matches with Shoyo's Fujima and Kainan's Maki – "I am the best!"
Akagi was expecting a good show. The girl had got guts.
Sakuragi looked at the girl with a little disdain. She could not compare to him. He wanted to laugh out loud, to boast of his prowess, but a look from Gori dissuaded him.
Shika felt the familiar feel of the floor of a basketball court, and was looking forward to playing. First, she told her teammates, "Listen, you know I can't see, so talk to me. I need to hear you to be able to catch the passes and throw them. I'm a point guard, see? But you can forget about the shooting part, unless it's free throws. I can't shoot unless I know exactly where I am, and it would be pointless for me to wait there, ball in hand, while one of you directs me, right?"
Somehow, the thought of someone standing in the middle of the court, looking around for directions before shooting was amusing. Mitsui snorted.
"Come on, we can do it! Let's go!" she said excitedly.
[Chapter Four]
[Basketball Practice]
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and its characters do not belong to me…
Author's Notes: Does this chapter seem longer? It certainly did when I was typing it…_
Replies:
Keax-XV: I don't have a dog, but I'd love one!
Nellie: Gomanasai, I don't know where Fujima can fit into this fic…but I like Fujima too, so look out for him in later fics!
Icko14: The part about Kogure is hounding me, cos I can't seem to develop anything from it…will try, though!
"Yes, I'd love to!" Shika almost shouted with joy. It had been ages since she had attended a regular basketball practice. In Japan, at least. She could not ask for more.
But they did give her more.
She stood on the sidelines, watching the practice. Or rather, letting her ears do the watching as she followed the movements of the ball just by its sound.
Suddenly, she stretched out her hands and caught a pass from Mitsui.
"You can't get me that way. I heard you a mile off," she teased. She had quickly learnt to recognise the players by the way they walked or moved. Even their style of bouncing the ball did not go unnoticed. Well, when you had no eyes, your other senses worked a lot harder.
Mitsui grinned. 'Not that she can see it,' he reminded himself, and said instead, "Nice catch. Now throw it back."
She did, accurately judging the distance between Mitsui and herself.
'You rock, girl," Mitsui said as he dribbled the ball back on court.
The exchange had not gone unnoticed by the other players. Rukawa even was impressed. He shot a glance at the girl, in her school uniform, standing at the side of the court, her chocolate-coloured dog sitting calmly at her feet. She looked in his direction, an unconscious move on her part, but it made Rukawa's spine tingle. Eerie how she had "known" he was looking at her. He turned away quickly.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the court, Sakuragi was trying to convince Yasuda that he too, could catch a pass with his eyes closed.
Yasuda, however, was not so naïve, and refused to throw that ball to Sakuragi, knowing that he would be blamed if the "tensai" failed to catch "that lousy pass".
The girl had been better than he had expected. Kogure was impressed by her skill. It was no wonder, then, that the girl could tour the world displaying her skills. Who wouldn't be impressed with a blind girl who shot a 90% average from the free-throw line. It was incredibly high.
On a sudden impulse, he walked up to her. "Satomi-san, do you want to play?"
She was stunned. Play?
Then, she grinned. Her expression of pure joy startled Kogure for a moment. She was so happy, just to play.
"Sure. Let me get changed."
She bent down and picked up her bag. Apparently, she had a change of clothes inside. "Just in case I had gym class today," she explained.
She had not played for so long. Not a real game, that is. Even though she had been adept at judging distances despite having lost her sight, playing a basketball game was next to impossible. However, in her training with Seiko, she was better equipped to have an estimate of distances, and after she and Seiko returned to Japan, her training had been relentless. It was time to put it to the test.
"We'll play a three-on-three. Akagi, Ryota, Sakuragi. You'll take on Rukawa, Mitsui and Satomi-san – "
Here, he was interrupted by Shika, "Call me Shika."
"Okay. Anyway, play till one team gets thirty points, or when ten minutes are up. Whichever comes first. I'll referee. Let's go!"
Rukawa looked at the girl warily. She was good, he knew, but play in a game? Against some of the best players? He doubted it.
Mitsui shot a worried glance in Shika's direction. Would she be able to hack it?
Ryota felt nervous. If she was as good a point guard now as she was when she had her sight, he was up for a tough game. Then, he shook himself mentally and banished all thoughts but the one that had sustained him through matches with Shoyo's Fujima and Kainan's Maki – "I am the best!"
Akagi was expecting a good show. The girl had got guts.
Sakuragi looked at the girl with a little disdain. She could not compare to him. He wanted to laugh out loud, to boast of his prowess, but a look from Gori dissuaded him.
Shika felt the familiar feel of the floor of a basketball court, and was looking forward to playing. First, she told her teammates, "Listen, you know I can't see, so talk to me. I need to hear you to be able to catch the passes and throw them. I'm a point guard, see? But you can forget about the shooting part, unless it's free throws. I can't shoot unless I know exactly where I am, and it would be pointless for me to wait there, ball in hand, while one of you directs me, right?"
Somehow, the thought of someone standing in the middle of the court, looking around for directions before shooting was amusing. Mitsui snorted.
"Come on, we can do it! Let's go!" she said excitedly.
