Fujima surveyed the basketball team of Shoyo High School with a satisfied smile on his face. This is the best team that has been assembled yet. All of them are in the best shape, and all of them are in top mental condition. They are ready to conquer and to win. A determined glint flashed into his eyes momentarily. We WILL become the Number One this season.
Just then, Hanagata came into the gym, a large smile on his face.
Huh? What's up with Hanagata? Fujima waited for his best friend to approach him, then asked, "Hanagata, why are you late for practice? And why do you have that smile on your face?"
"The same reason," Hanagata answered, and the smile on his face got wider, if that was at all possible. "I just got a call from my aunt and uncle in the Philippines. They said that my younger – and only – cousin, Sumire, will be moving in with me two weeks from now, and that she's going to be studying here in Shoyo!"
Fujima grinned. "Honto? That's great! But you never told me you had a cousin, much less a female one… How come you kept it a secret all this time? I mean, we HAVE been best friends for quite a while now…"
"You never asked about my relatives."
"Only because you don't live with any."
Hanagata laughed then, and waved his hand. "Fine, you got me! But don't you worry, I'll introduce you to her. I think you'll get along pretty well; she's an incredibly nice girl, and intelligent, at that. Why don't you come with me when I pick her up from the airport?"
"When will that be?"
"Two weeks from now, like I said. Are you free then?"
Fujima fell silent for a while, thinking over his
schedule. Hmm, would I be able to go? He then remembered that he had set
a practice that particular weekend for the Shoyo team. He groaned, and shook
his head. "Gomen, but I can't. We have practice, remember?"
Hanagata shrugged. "Then move it. Let's have the practice in the morning, since Mire-chan's flight is still in the afternoon. That should solve it, right?"
Fujima grinned broadly. Sometimes it amazes me that Hanagata can be so resourceful when it comes to these sorts of things. Maybe that's why he has lots of flashes of brilliance on and off court… "Well, if that's how you're going to put it… I'll see if I can fiddle with the schedule a little."
Hanagata laughed then. "Sure you can! You're the coach AND the manager, aren't you?"
"Hai, but there are times I wish I could get rid of the managing bit," Fujima answered ruefully. "It's hard handling all these duties all at the same time…coach, manager, and ace…"
"Seems like we ought to find you an assistant then, someone who can take over the managing duties for you," Hanagata said with a thoughtful nod. "Maybe we should consider taking in someone from outside the club to do the managing…"
Fujima nodded. "Hai, maybe we should." He grinned then, and waved his hand to the court. "But we can talk about that later. Get to practice!"
Hanagata laughed out loud, and nodded. "Yes Coach!"
* * *
Hanagata peered at the crowd of people swarming the airport, trying to pick out one single familiar face from out of the entire lot. Now where could she be…? He turned to Fujima, who was standing right beside him. "Do you see her anywhere?"
Fujima smirked. "I'm not the one who's built like a tower, Hanagata. And besides, I don't even know what she looks like."
Hanagata sighed, and shook his head. Fujima's weird when he does that. There are times when he praises me for my height, and then there are times when he pokes fun at me for it. He smiled then. And I guess that's why he's my best friend…
"Toru-kun!"
Hanagata snapped to attention when he heard the familiar voice sail through the din, and he looked up to see a slim hand waving at him through the crowd. He grinned as he watched a small figure clad in fresh whites and blues come pushing through the crowd towards him. In moments, a cheerful and rather flushed face was grinning up at him. "Mire-chan!"
Sumire grinned, and promptly dropped the bags she was holding to hug him. "Toru-kun! God, it's been so long since I last saw you!!"
"What are you talking about?! It's only been TWO YEARS, Mire-chan!" Hanagata gripped her gently by her shoulders, and pushed her away, taking in everything about her. He grinned. She's grown. A lot. Her lovely black hair that was so similar to his was now longer, almost to her waist, and was tied up in a single ponytail that was starting to become just a little unruly. Her eyes were still the same sparkling brown he had come to know and love, but there was already a slight hint of maturity in their depths. Her figure was curvier now, he observed, and seemed to be the kind of body that would make guys do a double take. "But you have certainly grown a lot."
"And you have grown too," Sumire answered as she attempted to touch him on the forehead, succeeding only barely, and even then by standing on her tiptoes. "Jeez, you're MUCH taller than before!! What have you been taking while I've been gone, huh? Hormone supplements?!"
"I always thought it was just genetics, but it's so like you to put it that way," Hanagata said with a shake of the head. He grinned then, and gestured to Fujima, who had been watching the entire affair with quiet amusement. "And by the way… Sumire, I'd like you to meet my best friend at Shoyo, Fujima Kenji. Fujima, this is my youngest and ONLY cousin, Sumire Rowena."
Sumire grinned brightly, and held her hand out to Fujima. "Hello! Nice to meet you, Fujima-san!"
Fujima grinned back, and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sumire-san."
Hanagata smiled, and picked up Sumire's bags. "Come on Mire-chan, let's go home!"
Sumire nodded, and followed him quickly, Fujima just behind her. Hanagata placed Sumire's bags in the trunk of his car, and got into the driver's seat. Sumire slid into the passenger's seat beside him, and Fujima sat in the back.
Sumire grinned as she strapped in the seatbelt. "So, tell me what it's like at Shoyo."
Fujima raised an eyebrow at her. "You're going to be studying at Shoyo?"
"Hai," Hanagata answered with a nod as he pulled out of
the airport parking lot, and headed for his house. "Mire-chan will be studying
as a freshman at Shoyo…though I think she was supposed to start college already
back in Manila. Isn't that right, Mire-chan?"
"Hai," Sumire answered with a mock-mournful tone. "I could've moved on to college already…started on the path to getting my degree…but then Mom and Otoo-san told me to study here AGAIN!!! I tried to get special consideration from the Japanese Department of Education so that I could move on immediately to college, but it wasn't granted, unfortunately, and now I have to repeat my high school education all over again!"
"But at least you'll be with people your own age," Hanagata said consolingly. He glanced at Fujima through the rear-view mirror, and explained, "In the Philippines, the education system is extremely fast-paced, so most students enter college at sixteen or seventeen."
Fujima laughed then. "Oh, so THAT'S the reason! I thought for a second there that you were some kind of genius, Sumire-san!"
Sumire laughed out loud. "Oh no, Fujima-san, I'm no genius! I'm very ordinary, I assure you. I have my own academic woes."
"We're here!" Hanagata declared as he pulled up in front of his house. He got out of the driver's seat, and went over to the back of the car, quickly unloading the luggage he had stowed there (which wasn't really that much). He approached the door, and unlocked it, holding it open for Sumire. "Ladies first, ne?"
Sumire laughed, and whacked him on the arm as she walked past him and into the house. "You can be pretty nice when you want to, you know that? If you do that ALL the time, I wouldn't be surprised to find an entire line of girls at your beck and call!"
Hanagata grimaced at this, especially when he heard Fujima's snickering as he entered the house.
The captain of Team Shoyo smirked. "So she doesn't know about all your admirers, does she?"
"Iie, but once she starts studying this Monday, she'll find out," Hanagata answered.
Fujima laughed, and edged out towards the door. "Well then, I guess I'll have to leave you two alone for some quality family time. See you on Monday, Hanagata!"
Hanagata merely rolled his eyes, and nodded. "Hai. See you Monday!"
AUTHOR'S OOC:
Harle snickers So far so good!
Chibi-Sumire screeches as another person pops up: EEK!! Who's THIS?!?!
Mystery Person grins, and waves: Hello!
Harle smiles brilliantly: MAIA!!! So glad you could come!!!
Maia shrugs: Well, you know, it was a little hard, considering the number of lines I had to wade through, but hey, all worth it in the end!!
Chibi-Fujima eyes Maia suspiciously: Who is she? Another author?
Harle grins and bobs head in a nod: Yup! She's the one who wrote the fic about Rukawa and Malena!
Chibi-Hanagata pops head up, eyes wide: She's the one who created Malena Hernandez?!
Maia smiling: Uh-huh. Malena Hernandez, the first girl to EVER whip the butts of all four aces of Kanagawa!
Harle nods: Uh-huh! And the first girl to actually elicit feelings from Iceberg Rukawa!
Chibi-Rukawa pops up from out of nowhere in kitsune form: I heard that…
Maia spots kitsune Chibi-Rukawa, goes into chibi mode herself, and chases after him: KAWAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chibi-Rukawa gulps, and runs off, Chibi-Maia hot on his heels: …!!!!
Harle sweatdrops: Eheheh… Anyway, on to the next part of the fic…