Carnival Delight!

By coolpriss

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. Never has been, never will be. I could only dream…

Chapter 6: Down the Tunnel of Love!

Sakuragi was rubbing his fiery head, which now nursed three huge lumps. Usually, under those circumstances, he would swear under his breath, but this time, he was grinning from ear to ear. Actually, almost everyone's lips were twitching. Everyone except Akagi, whose face was bright red, either from embarrassment or anger -- probably both.

Needless to say, Sakuragi's scheme of reprisal worked. He got inside one of the small cars and bumped all the guy members of their team with all his might, well, except Kogure, that is. He especially targeted Akagi and Rukawa. The tall, thin boy managed to evade Sakuragi's attacks, which made the redhead fuming mad. Sakuragi glared angrily at the kitsune who simply continued to drive along as if nothing was amiss. With a battle cry of "Te me Kitsune!", Sakuragi stepped on the gas pedal and went flying in full speed towards the insolent Rukawa, who easily dodged him. But as Rukawa turned swiftly to his right, he exposed Akagi heading straight for Sakuragi's direction. As the colorful miniature cars were intended for small kids and not huge captains of basketball teams, it was almost bursting with Akagi's large frame. When the two cars collided, Sakuragi was sent flying back, right into the surprised Haruko's car, while Akagi, still inside the tiny bumpcar, flipped over on its back, rolling over and over. It finally stopped in front of an unsuspecting little girl who took one look at the upside-down Akagi and gave an ear-splitting scream. The poor child cried so hard that no matter how many times Akagi bowed and ask for forgiveness, the mother just moved farther and farther from him until she picked up her daughter and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Everyone was silent, following Akagi like naughty little children scared of their mother's wrath. It was Kogure who finally broke the silence.

"I'm hungry," he declared, trying to sound cheerful. "What do you guys think? We haven't had anything for dinner but those hotdogs, and it's already," he glanced at his watch and gasped. "Ten-thirty?!"

"Nani?!" Mitsui looked alarmed. "It's that late already?"

Sakuragi crept beside Mitsui and grinned coyly. "Just tell your mother you have to study with Gori, I'm sure she's gonna believe you…"

Mitsui narrowed his eyes at Sakuragi.

Kogure immediately went between the two and smiled pleadingly at them. "C'mon you two, let's just find something to eat then we can go home…in peace, ne?"

"How can we eat when someone doesn't even have money to buy food?" Akagi suddenly turned around and looked hard at Sakuragi.

The redhead frowned. "I do have money, Gori!" he retorted. He fumbled in his pockets. "Ha! See?" he opened his palm and revealed three small, bronze-colored coins. Everyone except Akagi fell.

"And what do you plan to buy that with?" Akagi countered, sneering. Then he narrowed his eyes sternly at Sakuragi. "And don't even think of threatening those vendors."

"I'll buy some food! You'll see, Gori!"

A few minutes later, everyone was holding a stick with light, cottony pink stuff all over it.

"This isn't food!" Miyagi complained, glaring at it as if he could change it into real food just by doing that.

"Stop complaining and just eat!" Sakuragi retorted. He stuffed the whole fluffy thing into his mouth. Then he stopped suddenly and frowned. He turned to the cotton candy vendor. "Oi! You're cheating me! I didn't even have the chance to chew it and it was already gone! Give me back my money, you cheater!"

"Why can't we buy our own food? We have our own money anyway," Mitsui, ignoring the commotion behind him, also frowned at his cotton candy.

"No. This is supposed to be a training camp to build our teamwork. What one eats, everyone eats too!" Akagi's stomach was also growling for some real food, but his pride told him to stick to his decision. This was his punishment for them, for what Sakuragi dare do to him.

"Why do I have to be part of this training?" Ayako groaned as she gingerly took a bit of the pink stuff and watched it melt in her hand even before she put it in her mouth. Her stomach growled furiously. She sighed.

"Why don't you like cotton candy?" Haruko asked in wide-eyed wonder as she took a bite off her stick. "It's soo yummy…" Then something caught her attention.

She saw a man-made river that goes into a dark, heart-shaped tunnel. Beside the ride was a ticket booth where there was a long line of lovers. Her eyes went back to the tunnel. A dream bubble appeared. "Anou, Haruko-chan…would you like to ride down there with me?" Rukawa would ask her. "Rukawa-kun…I-I'm a bit scared…it's so dark down there…" "Daijobou, Haruko-chan…I'll be there with you…" "Rukawa-kun…" Then they would ride on the boat, holding hands and gazing deep into each other's eyes…

"Rukawa-kun…" she sighed, her eyes the same shape with the tunnel.

"Eh?" Sakuragi heard Haruko sigh. He looked at the direction she was staring at. Another dream bubble appeared. "Anou, Haruko-san…would you like to ride down there with me?" "Sakuragi-kun…I-I'm a bit scared…it's so dark down there…" "Daijobou, Haruko-san…Tensai Sakuragi will be there with you…" "Sakuragi-kun…" She would nod bravely and smile at Sakuragi. "Hai. I'm not gonna be afraid since Tensai Sakuragi will protect me…" "Haruko-san…" Then they would ride on the boat, holding hands and gazing deep into each other's eyes…

"Haruko-san…" Sakuragi sighed, a big, silly grin plastered on his face.

Miyagi turned to look at him and followed his gaze. His eyes grew huge and a similar grin spread across his face. "Ne, how about riding there next, minna-san?" he announced, pointing to the ride. Another dream bubble appeared. "Anou, Aya-chan…would you like to ride down there with me?" "Ryota…are you out of you mind?!" "Eh?" The dream bubble popped unmercifully.

"I thought we were going home now? It's getting late," Ayako continued, backing slowly away from Miyagi.

"Aya-chan…" waterfall tears cascaded down Miyagi's cheeks.

"It's not that late! C'mon let's have one last ride, minna-san! Onegai? Onii-chan?" Haruko implored at her brother, tears building at the corner of her eyes. "Onegai, onii-chan…"

"She's right! We have time for one last ride! Or are you scared, Gori? Bet you can't swim! That's why you're scared to ride down there because you know the boat couldn't support your weight and you can't swim! Am I right, Gori? But I didn't know gorillas are afraid of water--ow!" A fist went slamming down Sakuragi's skull, shutting him up.

"Alright, alright! One last ride." The three jumped for joy. "But." They stopped rejoicing and looked at Akagi. "We draw lots to see who sits with whom."

"What? That's not fair, Gori!"

"And why not?" Akagi glared at Sakuragi.

"You're just scared no one would ask you to ride with and be left alone," Sakuragi accused.

"Nani?!"

"Le'ts just do as the captain says and draw lots, ne, Sakuragi?" Kogure went between the two. "If it's meant to be, you'll still manage to sit with that person whatever happens…"

"You're right, megane-kun!"

"Yare, yare. Let's just get on with it!" Mitsui said impatiently.

Akagi held out several strips of paper. "Yosh. There are two papers with the same color. Whoever picks the same colors will be the ones to sit together. Okay, who picks first?"

"I will," Kogure cheerfully fished out one. "Green."

"I'm next," Miyagi stared at the pieces of paper, as if trying to see what color Ayako would be picking. "Blue."

Akagi turned to Ayako.

"Do I have to?" Ayako sighed before reaching out. Miyagi gazed at Akagi's fist, as if cursing the other blue paper to get picked by Ayako. And it worked. "Nani?!" Ayako exclaimed, holding out the blue paper.

Miyagi almost fainted with bliss. He rushed over to Kogure. "You're right, Kogure! If we're meant to be, we're meant to be! I could kiss you --" he noticed Mitsui's sharp glare. "But of course, I won't. Arigatou, Kogure-san!!"

Mitsui picked a paper, his narrowed eyes still on Miyagi. "Green." There was a slight tug of satisfaction in the corners of his mouth.

It was Haruko's turn. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes and picked. "Yellow."

Rukawa was next. Haruko closed her eyes and started praying vehemently. "Red." Haruko looked like she was about to cry.

"Ha! It looks like Haruko-san is meant to be with me! Nyahahaha!" Sakuragi placed his nose inches from the two papers left. He looked from one paper to the other. Finally, he chose the one on the left. It was red. "NANI?!"

"Yosh. We know who we are sitting with. Let's go!" Akagi held out the yellow paper. He went over to his sister whose dream bubble just shattered into pieces. "Don't you want to go with me, Haruko?" Akagi asked her.

She looked up at Akagi and forced a smile. "Iie, onii-chan. Of course I'd like to ride with you."

"GORI!! You cheated me! Let me pick again!! I'm not riding with Kitsune!!"

"BAKA! This is a training camp! Besides, you were the one who picked that!"

Sakuragi looked angrily at the overjoyed Miyagi with the not-so-overjoyed Ayako, then at Kogure who was waving at him and Mitsui who was sneering at him, then finally to Akagi and the wistful Haruko.

"She's so sad because I couldn't ride with her…Haruko-san…" Sakuragi looked longingly at her. Then he turned angrily at Rukawa who was boarding the small boat. "Rukawa! This is all your fault!!!" And Sakuragi jumped beside the pale boy. The boat started to float unsteadily towards the tunnel. "You always de--estroy--" Sakuragi stood up in the boat which caused it rock violently. "Yaaahh!" Sakuragi landed right on top of Rukawa just as the boat disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel.

Korky, who was quietly seated on the bench, waiting for them to emerge from the tunnel, sighed. "Yes, life is more important than money…I used to think clowns have the best jobs in the world…you don't need to think very much…you just make those bratty kids laugh and you get your paycheck…" then he glared at the tunnel where the Shohoku basketball club disappeared itno. "But I didn't think memorizing all those crap about all the rides and everything about this place…then, getting forced to eat hotdogs, then to ride the…that…horrendous ride…then having nothing to eat but these…these junk called cotton candy…I didn't think these were part of my job…if this is what I'm gonna be doing every single day of my life…" Determination lit up his star and heart eyes. "I'm going to the administration office! Whatever happens, I have to hand out my resignation letter!" Then his huge, smiley mouth upturned. "But how am I gonna find my way through the maze?" Then his eyes traveled to his right side. There was a huge castle standing proudly. But before it were tall hedges going in all directions. It was impossible to get to the castle without entering the maze first. "Only lamebrains would dare enter there…" he sighed. Then he glanced at his left where Ayako was hurrying out of the boat, followed by the dreamy Miyagi.

"I need some food…some real food…" Ayako was muttering, holding her stomach.

"Aya-chan…"Miyagi murmured from behind her. "She held my hand…"

A slow smile started for form on the buffoon's face. "Or a hungry pack of highschool students…"

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A/N: One chapter to go and this baby's all wrapped up! Yay! Thanks so much, minna-san for reading and reviewing this fic!!!! It meant so much to me!!! Domo arigatou!!! Sorry if I'd cut the story inside the tunnel…I just left it to your imagination…^_^ So, what do you think? Please R&R!!!