Author's Notes: Hey! This is the third installment of the fic. To those people who reviewed… May you keep on reviewing and inspiring me to do this fic…

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY

This Time Around

Part 2

Sakuragi: She's Rukawa all right.

Everyone: Nani?!

Rukawa: …

Sakuragi: Teme… you heard me right… This kitsune-otoko, iie, onna is Rukawa!

Mitsui: This is no time for bullshit Sakuragi.

Miyagi: Yeah… We have enough of your stupid pranks…

Ayako (scrutinizes Rukawa): Mina, what if she is really Rukawa?

Miyagi: Aya-chan?! Don't tell me you side with that baka Hanamichi? /goes teary eyes/

Akagi: ENOUGH!

Then everyone went silent.

Akagi: If you claim to be Rukawa Kaede, then what on heaven, hell or earth happened to you?!

Sakuragi: He's been punished for his stinking attitude towards women. /snickers/

Ayako: He's not asking you, baka! /hits Sakuragi with her paper fan/

Sakuragi: Fine! You don't have to hit me… itai… /winces in pain/

Akagi: You should find a logical explanation for this miss.

Mitsui: Yeah.

Rukawa: I don't need to explain. I'm Rukawa. Period.

Miyagi: Don't tell me you just woke up today only to find out that you're no longer a man… hmp.

Rukawa: Exactly, sempai.

Everyone: Nani?

Kogure: On the contrary, she looks a lot like Rukawa…

Mitsui: Kogure? She doesn't look like Rukawa. Look at her eyes—Oh Shit!

Kogure: Not only her eyes Mitsui-kun, even her complexion and hair color are the same with Rukawa's.

Sakuragi: Yeah, she even has that annoying attitude. /muttering/

Ayako: You're not helping at all. /swats Sakuragi again/

Akagi: She looks like Rukawa all right. But how can we be sure that SHE is really Rukawa?

Sakuragi: I know! Kitsune have a birth mark near his /blushes/ behind…

Miyagi: How did you know?! Hentai…

Rukawa: … /blushing/

Sakuragi: Shut up Ryocchin! How can I not notice it? We share the same locker room?!

Mitsui: You have a point… even Miyagi have one.

Miyagi (blushing): Shut up Mitsui!

Mitsui: That's sempai for you.

Ayako: Hey! Can we just fix this matter on hand? We're wasting our time. Rukawa, come with me in the changing room, NOW!

Rukawa: H-hai…

After a few minutes… Rukawa and Ayako emerged from the changing room. Then Ayako announced…

Ayako: She's Rukawa.

Sakuragi: I told you.

Mitsui and Miyagi: No, you didn't.

Sakuragi: Teme… How dare you two doubt the tensai?!

Mitsui: Hey, isn't it Doubt is your middle name? /laughs/

Then Sakuragi and Mitsui went into some brotherly brawl…

Rukawa: Yesterday…

They stopped and paid full attention.

Rukawa (he continued): Yesterday, the do'ahou caught me shouting at those irritating cheering nincompoops…

Miyagi: Then? What did those freaking ladies did to you? Cast on you some gender-changing spell?

Rukawa glared at Miyagi.

Rukawa: Then the do'ahou told me that I-

Sakuragi: "I hope you'll wake up one day as a girl so you'll know exactly what they feel! Cold-hearted freak!" /he said while crossing his arms/

Rukawa: Then when I woke up this morning…

Mitsui: So, Sakuragi is the root of all this insanity…

Miyagi: Your words kill, Hanamichi! (Not literally KILL though) Why don't you tell me, "Hey Ryocchin, I hope you'll grow 10 centimeters more and be the No.1 PG in all of Japan"?

Mitsui: Are you some kind of a witch?

Sakuragi: Yeah, like hell I'll do that, Ryocchin! And I'm not a goddamn witch! If I were then I would turn you into a frog.

Kogure: Maa, now the problem is solved, why won't we carry on our practice? We have Rukawa already, what're we waiting for?

Akagi: Not yet. Rukawa is here all right, but how can we possibly convince everyone that "hey, Rukawa just *poof* turned into a girl"? Moreover, we couldn't allow him, I mean her to play in the upcoming game against Ryonan which is two day's from now.

Ayako: Now, there's the problem.

Rukawa: I. Can't. Play? /disbelieving/

Akagi: Rules are rules. As long as you're in that body, we can't allow you to play.

Sakuragi: Why kitsune? Can't live without the limelight? Face it! Nyahahaha…

Rukawa (not minding Sakuragi's snide comments): I can't attend classes and now even basketball? /tears already forming in her eyes/ [women are emotional J]

Sakuragi (to himself): Hmp, I never thought that he's capable of showing any sort of emotion.

Rukawa (turns into Sakuragi): Do you hate me that much?! /she's now crying/

Her words cut deep into Sakuragi's heart… She was about to run away when a hand stopped her… it was—

Sakuragi: I—I'm… /hug's Rukawa's crying form/ I'm sorry…

Everyone (staring wide-eyed): /Mitsui /would someone care to hit me? /Miyagi/ What the hell?! /Ayako, Akagi and Kogure are dumbfounded/

Rukawa poured her heart out to the least person expected, Sakuragi.

To be continued…

What do you think? A poor excuse for a chapter? Anyway… please care to review… THANKS!

Dylan©