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:: Rambles ::

See, I told you that this is going to be a VERY typical fic. It will always be the usual Boy-Meets-Girl-And-They-Have-A-Happy-Ending kind of fic. *facefaults* Everyone can practically guess where I'm heading towards to …

Alexia …
The RPG is a Slam Dunk RPG game started by the Anime Illusions peeps.
It is where we torture the lives of our favorite characters. *evil grin*

Suisen …
I owe my writing pace all to you … *grins* … and Nabiki too …

Fujima will soon meet Miho. But let's not forget, the limelight is on Hanagata!
( Does Nabiki's infamous cheer … Ha-Na-Ga-Ta *clap*clap*clap* Ha-Na-Ga-Ta … )
Love you guys!

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:: Snow-Covered Dreams – Hanagata's Side Story ::

[ 4. Eyes On Me ]

[ 1 Year Ago – Daiei High (Osaka) ]

"Hayakute yo! The game is starting soon." The raven-haired girl yelled as she shoved open the door to Daiei High's basketball stadium.

The other girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "Remind me again why I agreed to this in the first place."

"Because this match is not open to outsiders. And the only way I could get to watch it is I have someone from here accompanying me. And, that's you." She replied, her eyes looking for their seats. And as an afterthought. "Besides, you still owe me one BIG favor!"

Hitomi Natsuko mumbled incoherently as she let her friend to practically drag her into their seats. She unfolded the little creased pamphlet that she was holding and read the words aloud. "Not to be missed … Daiei High's friendly basketball match with Shoyo High …"

The words were bolded in a way that even a blind person could read them. And she groaned again, wishing that she was someplace else at that moment in time. It was not making any sense to her why she was sitting there, watching the one thing in the world that she had ever despised of. Well, other than the fact that she did owe it to her friend to bail her out of permanent confinement to her room over something she did. But still …

It would make much more sense if this was Shohoku High instead. At least, Aya-chan would be here.

She closed her eyes and reopened them a second later. They were aching immensely. But the pain was not what bothered her the most. It was those dorky glasses she had on around them that she could not bear. No, she was not shortsighted. Just that her eyes contracted some kind of irritation – and if they had direct contact with any lighting, she was as good as blind.

Here I am, already as blind as a bat, and yet, I'm sitting here watching the one game I hate most. Great!

And she heaved in another sigh.

The sound of the buzzer startled her from her train of thoughts and she shifted her attention to the on-going game.

Two players leapt high into the air; their arms outstretched, reaching for the ball. The first open palm that touched the ball was one that belonged to the bespectacled guy in green jersey. The player looked extremely familiar to her – but it could also be that her glasses were making her delusional, so she shoved the thought away. Within a split second of time, his hand swatted the ball into the direction of his other teammates, and flew straight into the hands of another player in green with floppy brown hair.

And she found herself for the first time in her entire life, actually getting excited over a basketball game, by just the sight of that. The crowd then roared as the player dashed under the basket. And she felt her body tensed. Before she knew it, she was shrieking along with her friend, shouting encouragements for him to get the ball in.

Two other players then blocked his way, one of them being a very popular senpai in her school – his name she had forgotten – for she never did pay any attention to things or people related to basketball, and the player halted his steps, looking for an exit out of the dead end. Her eyes then registered another player – the same player whom she thought she actually saw him flying in mid-air when the game had first started - was emerging swiftly from across the court to the where the brown-haired player was. The two players' eyes locked for a brief moment before the ball was passed over. And before she could essentially make out what was going on, the player's right arm made a far-reaching arc with his body inclined backwards, sending the ball over to the dangling loop. As it went smoothly inside, she found herself jumping out for joy.

Yes, it was that breathtaking for her.

And when the magnificent feeling of awe died down, she found half the spectators present was staring strangely back at her. It dawned on her the very next second and she squirmed uneasily in her seat. Of course they should be. She was in Daiei High's uniform cheering for the opposing team.

~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~

The first half of the game ended with the home team leading by 6 points. Members of the Shoyo High basketball squad were taking their break in the small air-conditioned room provided by the host. They were bushed and worn out. And they should be. For they were facing one of the top high school teams in the whole of Japan.

Daiei High.

Hanagata Toru stared aimlessly out of the window. The game drained out more of his energy than he thought it would. But he minded not. The Daiei High's center was as tough and as swift as he was proclaimed to be. And that alone tickled his immense fighting spirit. He had always loved a good challenge. Whenever the opposing player appeared stronger than he was, he would always strive to be better. And he always did.

"I need to get a drink. Anyone wants one?" He suddenly spoke – tired eyes stared back at him.

When the rest of them shook their heads, he rose from his comfortable position and walked towards the door. As he proceeded to the exit, he gave a pat on Fujima's back. "Don't worry, we will definitely win!"

The newly-elected captain only grinned.

Hanagata flexed his strained muscles as he walked along the narrow hallway of Daiei High. When he turned to the corner where the vending machine was located at, he saw someone already standing beside it. Or rather, kicking it.

"Hey, don't swallow up my coins and give me my can of drink. You … you moronic piece of junk!" He could hear the girl scowling at the machine.

He remembered her being the strange looking girl with an over-enthusiastic-public-display-of-emotions from Daiei High who cheered for him, for his team earlier. Well, she wasn't really that strange looking. Perhaps the over-sized glasses she had on was a little absurd. It was strange because he had never expected someone from the home side to actually root for the rival team. No one ever did – at least not in his entire basketball lifespan. He chuckled softly before he sauntered to her side.

"Let me help." He offered politely.

Before the girl could respond in any way, he proceeded to give it a powerful thrust with his arm. *thud* The can of Pocari Sweat that the girl had paid for dropped into the pocket of the machine. He promptly reached into it and took out the can of drink.

"Here." He smiled, handing it back to her.

There was an awkward silence that lasted for a minute between the two of them. The girl was looking at him intently for the whole period of time, hesitating whether to take his offer – her can of drink – like as though it was somehow contaminated in some way. Feeling amused, Hanagata smiled again. This time however, the girl grimaced instead. And rather than thanking him, she grabbed the can and strode off.

Hanagata shook his head lightly as the girl started to walk away. "Strange indeed."

Just then, a big burly guy straddled past the corridor – he was big enough to dominate the whole range of free space around him – and pushed the girl that was blocking his way straight into the arms of Hanagata Toru. The can of Pocari Sweat that she was holding fell to the ground, and within seconds, it was crushed into plain recyclable junk.

"Itaaaiiiiiii!"  The girl yelped in pain, her back against the tall muscular player.

The other guy then turned around and stared at the girl. He probably had just noticed her presence there. He took a look at her from head to toe and then merely walked off like as though nothing had happened. And the girl's temper flared up in that instant.

Like they say, hell raised no fury like a woman scorned.

"Teme!" The girl scowled. "Don't you ever see where you're walking? Or are you blind?"

The guy halted his steps and turned around again. "Nani?"

"Oh, so you're deaf too?" The girl smirked.

The guy would have advanced forward to where she was then and there. And who knew what he could have done? He didn't appear to be a temperate guy. If he had, he would have apologized and everything would have been settled then.

Yes, he would have – but he didn't. He backed off and solemnly expressed his regret instead. "Gomen ne."

And of course, he was not at all intimidated by a girl who was not even half his size. It was the gesture made by the other guy who stood behind of her. Hanagata had his arm raised protectively over Natsuko; his eyes glinted dangerously behind those thick-framed glasses. They were like a warning indicator, threatening him to let it go and move away. Or else …

Big does not mean strong.

And he would be a fool to think the other way. But apparently, he wasn't.

As the guy nervously made his way, Hanagata walked to the front and faced the girl. "Daijobu ka?"

"Aa." The girl nodded, looking him straight in the face.

And when she did, she realized that he indeed looked seemingly familiar. Especially his eyes. There were hints of extraordinary alertness and intelligence in them, a sharpness she had once seen before. But where? She couldn't bring to mind.

"Hanagata-san! The game's starting now!"

And thus, the moment of spellbinding enchantment was broken by that unfamiliar voice.

Hanagata promptly turned to his junior. "Hai!"

The girl stood, unmoving for a second, before she gasped out. "Hanagata Toru?"

~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~

[ Present – Shoyo High (Kanagawa) ]

Natsuko rose from where she was and dusted off the dry leaves that have collected themselves onto her school uniform. She raised her eyes to meet the glaring sunlight and sighed.

"Okay, so now I am here – what should I do next?"

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(to be continued)