* Author's disclaimer: again.. I don't own the characters of slam dunk in
any way.but of course, I added the characters of Ayisha and Irene! Although
I like Fujima-san very much and although this may seem as a Fujima-fic,
it's not exactly it. Just wait and see for the turn of events alright? Keep
your reviews coming please?
CHAPTER 3
" O, hi Ayish!" Irene exclaimed, noticing the girl peeking through the door.
"Huh?" Ayisha said, stunned that her bestfriend had caught her.
" Have you been listening to the interview? Why don't you come in?" Irene suggested, motioning her to go to her.
Ayisha blushed slightly as she came out from behind the door, and closed it. She turned and faced the guys. She could almost feel them towering over her even if she knew they were just seated. She walked towards her bestfriend, and stood behind her seat.
" I'm sure you know them right?" Irene asked.
Ayisha nodded in return.
" Well, guys..uh Ayisha-san..and.Ayisha-san.the team of Shohoku." Irene introduced.
Kogure grinned at the shy girl standing behind Irene. " I know you, Ayish, although I'm not sure if we've formally met. Your parents and my mother are friends I think? They often go to your house and eat dinner.I suppose you've noticed." Kogure said noticing that Ayisha couldn't remember a single thing about it. As her eyebrows came together, she tried to figure out what Kogure-san was talking about. After a moment, her eyes lit up in recognition.
" You're Kogure-san, right? Yes, I've seen your parents eat with us.one time." Ayisha smiled.
" Well then, I guess you got yourself a friend from the famous team of Shohoku." Irene said.
-*-
" Sakuragi! You have to avoid making those fouls!" Ayako barked at the red headed guy, standing in the middle of the court. Hanamichi wanted to complain but seeing Haruko standing at the sidelines, watching him with hopeful eyes. He nodded, instead, in acknowledgement of the comment.
" You think we're ready?" Kogure asked nervously, his brown eyes showing deep concern, as he watched the players of Shohoku display their talent.
" Hai, Kogure-san! Akagi's been training the team real hard. I think we can win this game. We've improved a great deal this year, since we started training these guys." Ayako said cheerfully, trying to encourage the vice-captain of a guaranteed victory.
" Don't worry too much, Kogure." An old voice beside him said. It came from Coach Ansei. " If their training flows smoothly and no one else gets in a fight.I'm sure we're going to have a large chance of winning. Don't forget what I once told Hisashi-san. Never give up.."
Kogure looked at his coach in awe. He knew that their coach was a very respectable man, filled with wisdom and determination. But it wasn't exactly the game that he was worried about. It was a girl..that he just couldn't take his mind off. She's known her for years.but why only know did she began to like her? The answer to that question was the thing that he'd been trying to decipher.
" Okay, that will be all you guys!" Ayako called out, at the sound of her stopwatch. The members of the team one by one went inside the locker, and the coach left the gym, leaving Ayako and Kogure behind.
" What's bothering you, Kogure-san?" Ayako asked, as she noticed that Kogure was still in deep thought.
" Huh? Oh.sorry. It's nothing I can't handle, really. I'm worried about the game I guess." Kogure replied absent-mindedly.
" You and I both know that it's not about the game anymore, Kogure. I can see it in your eyes." Ayako said as she smiled affectionately at the vice- captain.
Kogure looked at her wondering what she meant by seeing it in his eyes. 'Could she possibly know it?' Kogure asked himself.
" Well.I guess, I'm just getting that blank stare from you nowadays. If you don't want to talk about it, it's ok.but why don't you try writing to that advice column writer..Natalia? I heard she's good. maybe she can help."
-*-
" I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, alright? Thanks guys. Get some rest." Kenji Fujima, ordered as members of his team one by one left the gym. He was now left alone in the vastness of the whole gymnasium. He didn't feel like going home yet. He didn't want this night to end at all.
He got his basketball and dashed towards the end of the court and did a fantastic lay-up. The ball went straight into the ring, and echoes aired through the gym, as the ball bounced off to the side. He rested his hands on his slightly bent knees, taking in long deep breaths.
Tomorrow.his whole team will be leaving for Shohoku, for the most anticipated game ever. His fear and anticipation were manifested in the drills that he's been doing with his team. He was able to form new plays and taught them how to fight the fiery fury of Shohoku's team.
Strands of his light brown hair covered his eyes, hiding the real emotion that he was feeling. There was only one person that he wanted to talk to.only one person that he wanted to see. He knew that she was there studying in Shohoku, and he was wondering at the same time if she too, anticipated his arrival.
' Fool!' He thought to himself as he started to gather his things. ' She would never wait for you! She probably wouldn't even want to recognize you.' Fujima thought bitterly, as he closed the gym lights and left it, in deep darkness.
-*-
Ayisha threw her black messenger bag on her bed, and plopped herself next to it.
" I'm so tired! Can't I have rest!?!" Ayisha exclaimed to herself. Unaware that her voice was heard in the next room, she jumped up, shocked, when her mother answered back, " Are you ok, Ayisha? Of course, you can get some rest! You need to."
" I'm alright mama-san!" Ayisha called back. She groaned as she managed to stand up and sit down on her desk, filled with lots of paper work.
She looked at the picture frame standing in front of her. It used to bring her good memories, now it was haunting her. It was a picture of her and Fujima, with Fujima's arms wrapped around her, and she almost laughing with joy. She tried to smile meekly at it, but her heart found it hard to.
" Enough of you, Fujima. I have some work to do." Ayisha said to the picture standing in front of her. She reached into the pile of letters that she got from her inbox at the office, and opened it.
" Oh. I see it's you again." She recognized, as she started to read the letter coming from Jaded.
' First of all, I would like to say thank you for that wonderful advice you gave me. You're right. I really can't forget her. She's too beautiful to be forgotten. I've also tried to venture myself into sports.preferably basketball, just so I could take my mind of her. It did made me forget her for awhile.but I can't. I'm hoping I could run into her tomorrow.do you think.I should talk to her? Should I tell her that I love her still? I really do want to tell her what I feel.but I don't know if she still feels the same. And I guess.well, I'm just afraid that I might get hurt by the pain of rejection. Honestly, I don't know what to do anymore.I just want her to know that I love her. Wondering, Jaded.'
Ayisha was touched by what the guy wrote. It was so full of emotion, so honest, and so real. Ayisha half wished that Fujima would do the same for her. For a moment there, she began to wonder if he still loved her. She shook her head dismissing the absurd thought.
' He probably wouldn't want to recognize me now that, he's famous.' Ayisha reminded herself. 'You're just a column writer.in fact, an anonymous column writer. No one even recognizes the real you behind that pen name. They may thank Natalie.but never Ayisha.'
She sighed, as she got her pen, and again wrote down what she thought was right.
' Thanks for the compliment, Jaded. If you really love her.tell her. Don't be afraid of what she'll think. of what he'll think (if in case she has another boyfriend)..or what her friends will think. What's important is that you tell her. Let her know about what you feel.but at the same time don't expect.just accept, whatever her reaction will be.'
Don't expect.just accept. Ayisha smirked at her own advice that she knew very well, she found it hard to follow.
CHAPTER 3
" O, hi Ayish!" Irene exclaimed, noticing the girl peeking through the door.
"Huh?" Ayisha said, stunned that her bestfriend had caught her.
" Have you been listening to the interview? Why don't you come in?" Irene suggested, motioning her to go to her.
Ayisha blushed slightly as she came out from behind the door, and closed it. She turned and faced the guys. She could almost feel them towering over her even if she knew they were just seated. She walked towards her bestfriend, and stood behind her seat.
" I'm sure you know them right?" Irene asked.
Ayisha nodded in return.
" Well, guys..uh Ayisha-san..and.Ayisha-san.the team of Shohoku." Irene introduced.
Kogure grinned at the shy girl standing behind Irene. " I know you, Ayish, although I'm not sure if we've formally met. Your parents and my mother are friends I think? They often go to your house and eat dinner.I suppose you've noticed." Kogure said noticing that Ayisha couldn't remember a single thing about it. As her eyebrows came together, she tried to figure out what Kogure-san was talking about. After a moment, her eyes lit up in recognition.
" You're Kogure-san, right? Yes, I've seen your parents eat with us.one time." Ayisha smiled.
" Well then, I guess you got yourself a friend from the famous team of Shohoku." Irene said.
-*-
" Sakuragi! You have to avoid making those fouls!" Ayako barked at the red headed guy, standing in the middle of the court. Hanamichi wanted to complain but seeing Haruko standing at the sidelines, watching him with hopeful eyes. He nodded, instead, in acknowledgement of the comment.
" You think we're ready?" Kogure asked nervously, his brown eyes showing deep concern, as he watched the players of Shohoku display their talent.
" Hai, Kogure-san! Akagi's been training the team real hard. I think we can win this game. We've improved a great deal this year, since we started training these guys." Ayako said cheerfully, trying to encourage the vice-captain of a guaranteed victory.
" Don't worry too much, Kogure." An old voice beside him said. It came from Coach Ansei. " If their training flows smoothly and no one else gets in a fight.I'm sure we're going to have a large chance of winning. Don't forget what I once told Hisashi-san. Never give up.."
Kogure looked at his coach in awe. He knew that their coach was a very respectable man, filled with wisdom and determination. But it wasn't exactly the game that he was worried about. It was a girl..that he just couldn't take his mind off. She's known her for years.but why only know did she began to like her? The answer to that question was the thing that he'd been trying to decipher.
" Okay, that will be all you guys!" Ayako called out, at the sound of her stopwatch. The members of the team one by one went inside the locker, and the coach left the gym, leaving Ayako and Kogure behind.
" What's bothering you, Kogure-san?" Ayako asked, as she noticed that Kogure was still in deep thought.
" Huh? Oh.sorry. It's nothing I can't handle, really. I'm worried about the game I guess." Kogure replied absent-mindedly.
" You and I both know that it's not about the game anymore, Kogure. I can see it in your eyes." Ayako said as she smiled affectionately at the vice- captain.
Kogure looked at her wondering what she meant by seeing it in his eyes. 'Could she possibly know it?' Kogure asked himself.
" Well.I guess, I'm just getting that blank stare from you nowadays. If you don't want to talk about it, it's ok.but why don't you try writing to that advice column writer..Natalia? I heard she's good. maybe she can help."
-*-
" I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, alright? Thanks guys. Get some rest." Kenji Fujima, ordered as members of his team one by one left the gym. He was now left alone in the vastness of the whole gymnasium. He didn't feel like going home yet. He didn't want this night to end at all.
He got his basketball and dashed towards the end of the court and did a fantastic lay-up. The ball went straight into the ring, and echoes aired through the gym, as the ball bounced off to the side. He rested his hands on his slightly bent knees, taking in long deep breaths.
Tomorrow.his whole team will be leaving for Shohoku, for the most anticipated game ever. His fear and anticipation were manifested in the drills that he's been doing with his team. He was able to form new plays and taught them how to fight the fiery fury of Shohoku's team.
Strands of his light brown hair covered his eyes, hiding the real emotion that he was feeling. There was only one person that he wanted to talk to.only one person that he wanted to see. He knew that she was there studying in Shohoku, and he was wondering at the same time if she too, anticipated his arrival.
' Fool!' He thought to himself as he started to gather his things. ' She would never wait for you! She probably wouldn't even want to recognize you.' Fujima thought bitterly, as he closed the gym lights and left it, in deep darkness.
-*-
Ayisha threw her black messenger bag on her bed, and plopped herself next to it.
" I'm so tired! Can't I have rest!?!" Ayisha exclaimed to herself. Unaware that her voice was heard in the next room, she jumped up, shocked, when her mother answered back, " Are you ok, Ayisha? Of course, you can get some rest! You need to."
" I'm alright mama-san!" Ayisha called back. She groaned as she managed to stand up and sit down on her desk, filled with lots of paper work.
She looked at the picture frame standing in front of her. It used to bring her good memories, now it was haunting her. It was a picture of her and Fujima, with Fujima's arms wrapped around her, and she almost laughing with joy. She tried to smile meekly at it, but her heart found it hard to.
" Enough of you, Fujima. I have some work to do." Ayisha said to the picture standing in front of her. She reached into the pile of letters that she got from her inbox at the office, and opened it.
" Oh. I see it's you again." She recognized, as she started to read the letter coming from Jaded.
' First of all, I would like to say thank you for that wonderful advice you gave me. You're right. I really can't forget her. She's too beautiful to be forgotten. I've also tried to venture myself into sports.preferably basketball, just so I could take my mind of her. It did made me forget her for awhile.but I can't. I'm hoping I could run into her tomorrow.do you think.I should talk to her? Should I tell her that I love her still? I really do want to tell her what I feel.but I don't know if she still feels the same. And I guess.well, I'm just afraid that I might get hurt by the pain of rejection. Honestly, I don't know what to do anymore.I just want her to know that I love her. Wondering, Jaded.'
Ayisha was touched by what the guy wrote. It was so full of emotion, so honest, and so real. Ayisha half wished that Fujima would do the same for her. For a moment there, she began to wonder if he still loved her. She shook her head dismissing the absurd thought.
' He probably wouldn't want to recognize me now that, he's famous.' Ayisha reminded herself. 'You're just a column writer.in fact, an anonymous column writer. No one even recognizes the real you behind that pen name. They may thank Natalie.but never Ayisha.'
She sighed, as she got her pen, and again wrote down what she thought was right.
' Thanks for the compliment, Jaded. If you really love her.tell her. Don't be afraid of what she'll think. of what he'll think (if in case she has another boyfriend)..or what her friends will think. What's important is that you tell her. Let her know about what you feel.but at the same time don't expect.just accept, whatever her reaction will be.'
Don't expect.just accept. Ayisha smirked at her own advice that she knew very well, she found it hard to follow.