Role Reversal
Chapter 6
Rukawa
Hanamichi looked like he was having fun. Okay, fine, he was having LOTS of fun.
I wasn't.
Everyone else was having fun playing a game and here I was stuck in a corner, dribbling a ball while in the most ridiculous and awkward position. I was almost half-kneeling, but my knee was supposed to be off the floor. My calf muscles felt cramped and tight. If not for Ayako-sempai's weapon- her paper fan, I would have wanted to take a break long ago.
'1 more minute!' Ayako announced. Just then, I spotted Haruko's lovely face in a small crowd across the gym. She caught my eye and waved, and I eagerly waved back, losing control of the ball in the process.
Ayako's fan smacked viciously onto the back of my head and she reprimanded me for getting distracted. The whole gym was suddenly roaring with laughter, supposedly at me. Even Haruko was laughing so hard that her cheeks turned pink.
Haruko was laughing at me.
Haruko was laughing at ME.
HARUKO WAS LAUGHING AT ME!
Haruko, the girl I'd given all my heart to, the only one who'd ever complimented me as far as I could remember, my crush, my LOVE, was laughing at me.
She, was laughing at me, just like the others.
I joined the Shohoku Basketball Club for her, to make her happy, so that I could see the smile I loved so much light up her pretty face that spoke only of innocent beauty.
And what I got from her, for all my efforts to make her happy, was laughter directed at me. Not just any laughter, but mocking laughter.
I felt a dull ache in my chest, as if my heart had suddenly been encased in lead. I put the ball down softly and slipped out of the gym.
The others were too busy laughing to notice me leave. Not even Ayako, who was bent laughing.
*****
'I win by 3.5 moku. Good game, Nakata-san.'
This was my second win for the day and I was already beginning to forget the feeling of rejection and mockery-until we juniors were told to wash the Go stones. In any case, it was much better than being laughed at by your crush.
I mulled over many things as I trudged home, my heart feeling heavier than my leaden bag stuffed with books.
As I turned the corner, I saw Haruko walking alongside Hanamichi. I stopped dead in my tracks. I certainly wasn't ever going to talk to either of them for the rest of my life, much less walk on the same street as them.
Call me petty, cowardly, or whatever you want. But the thing is, if you were in my shoes at that very precise moment, seeing what I saw and feeling what gnawed at my heart, you'd surely have done the very same thing I did: backtrack and run in the opposite direction.
Fine. That was a stupid thing to do.
I forgot I was wearing those dumb imitation leather shoes that our school made compulsory as part of our uniform. The point was, they made a hell of a racket, slapping loudly against the pavement as I ran, and that attracted their attention.
'Rukawa! Wait up! We need to talk!'
Me? Wait? Hanamichi, not in the next 1 million years.
I turned my head around to see if they were going to leave me be or give chase, and nearly tripped when I saw Hanamichi catching up, fast, on me.
Damnit. Why didn't his shoes make a sound?
I put in an extra burst of speed and then turned around to see if I'd thrown him off when I felt my body wham into something tall, metallic and thin: a lamppost.
By the time I had recovered enough to stand up and regain my bearings, Hanamichi was before me, panting heavily.
'Why. did you. run?'
'.'
'Were. you. running. from. Haruko?'
I stiffened, but said nothing.
'Why. did. you. leave. the. gym. halfway?'
'I. I.'
'I swear. I won't. tell. anyone.'
'Haruko. she was. laughing at me.'
Hanamichi arched an eyebrow at me, but said nothing.
'I. I. was practicing dribbling under the charge of Ayako. you know, that horrid position. and then Haruko waved at me, and I. of course I waved back. but then in the process, I lost control of the ball. and got my head whacked by Ayako. and that's when everyone present started laughing. even her.'
'Is that the reason why you left? Tell me, are you quitting for good?'
'I guess so. I've already joined the Go Club. After all, basketball isn't a sport for a wimp like me. I belong in the Go Club. I have a better future there.'
'So. you're seriously not coming back?'
I shook my head determinedly and then walked off, in the direction of home.
After I'd moved a short distance, Hanamichi came up to me from behind and gripped my shoulder fiercely. 'I'm going to tell you something. something that goes against my pride. I watched you as you practiced your dribbling. I believe you have the potential to become a great basketball player. In other words, you can be a star that will outshine many others in our country, and perhaps even those overseas. Don't let your talent go to waste. your improvements come in leaps and bounds.'
I turned to face him once more and eased his grip off my shoulder. 'I'm sorry. I can't. the humiliation of being laughed at by Haruko is more than I can take. I'm not going back, not ever.'
I turned away from him and walked off, my heart and feet feeling like blocks of lead.
When I was about to turn the corner, Hanamichi yelled, 'Haruko was laughing at me, not you! And that is the whole damn truth!'
A/n: hello. I'm so evil. Rukawa's a big loser. Hee hee hee. Sorry to all Rukawa fans out there. Anyway, I apologise for the big delay in my uploading because well, I had exams. But now they're over. =) okiez. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Ja!
Chapter 6
Rukawa
Hanamichi looked like he was having fun. Okay, fine, he was having LOTS of fun.
I wasn't.
Everyone else was having fun playing a game and here I was stuck in a corner, dribbling a ball while in the most ridiculous and awkward position. I was almost half-kneeling, but my knee was supposed to be off the floor. My calf muscles felt cramped and tight. If not for Ayako-sempai's weapon- her paper fan, I would have wanted to take a break long ago.
'1 more minute!' Ayako announced. Just then, I spotted Haruko's lovely face in a small crowd across the gym. She caught my eye and waved, and I eagerly waved back, losing control of the ball in the process.
Ayako's fan smacked viciously onto the back of my head and she reprimanded me for getting distracted. The whole gym was suddenly roaring with laughter, supposedly at me. Even Haruko was laughing so hard that her cheeks turned pink.
Haruko was laughing at me.
Haruko was laughing at ME.
HARUKO WAS LAUGHING AT ME!
Haruko, the girl I'd given all my heart to, the only one who'd ever complimented me as far as I could remember, my crush, my LOVE, was laughing at me.
She, was laughing at me, just like the others.
I joined the Shohoku Basketball Club for her, to make her happy, so that I could see the smile I loved so much light up her pretty face that spoke only of innocent beauty.
And what I got from her, for all my efforts to make her happy, was laughter directed at me. Not just any laughter, but mocking laughter.
I felt a dull ache in my chest, as if my heart had suddenly been encased in lead. I put the ball down softly and slipped out of the gym.
The others were too busy laughing to notice me leave. Not even Ayako, who was bent laughing.
*****
'I win by 3.5 moku. Good game, Nakata-san.'
This was my second win for the day and I was already beginning to forget the feeling of rejection and mockery-until we juniors were told to wash the Go stones. In any case, it was much better than being laughed at by your crush.
I mulled over many things as I trudged home, my heart feeling heavier than my leaden bag stuffed with books.
As I turned the corner, I saw Haruko walking alongside Hanamichi. I stopped dead in my tracks. I certainly wasn't ever going to talk to either of them for the rest of my life, much less walk on the same street as them.
Call me petty, cowardly, or whatever you want. But the thing is, if you were in my shoes at that very precise moment, seeing what I saw and feeling what gnawed at my heart, you'd surely have done the very same thing I did: backtrack and run in the opposite direction.
Fine. That was a stupid thing to do.
I forgot I was wearing those dumb imitation leather shoes that our school made compulsory as part of our uniform. The point was, they made a hell of a racket, slapping loudly against the pavement as I ran, and that attracted their attention.
'Rukawa! Wait up! We need to talk!'
Me? Wait? Hanamichi, not in the next 1 million years.
I turned my head around to see if they were going to leave me be or give chase, and nearly tripped when I saw Hanamichi catching up, fast, on me.
Damnit. Why didn't his shoes make a sound?
I put in an extra burst of speed and then turned around to see if I'd thrown him off when I felt my body wham into something tall, metallic and thin: a lamppost.
By the time I had recovered enough to stand up and regain my bearings, Hanamichi was before me, panting heavily.
'Why. did you. run?'
'.'
'Were. you. running. from. Haruko?'
I stiffened, but said nothing.
'Why. did. you. leave. the. gym. halfway?'
'I. I.'
'I swear. I won't. tell. anyone.'
'Haruko. she was. laughing at me.'
Hanamichi arched an eyebrow at me, but said nothing.
'I. I. was practicing dribbling under the charge of Ayako. you know, that horrid position. and then Haruko waved at me, and I. of course I waved back. but then in the process, I lost control of the ball. and got my head whacked by Ayako. and that's when everyone present started laughing. even her.'
'Is that the reason why you left? Tell me, are you quitting for good?'
'I guess so. I've already joined the Go Club. After all, basketball isn't a sport for a wimp like me. I belong in the Go Club. I have a better future there.'
'So. you're seriously not coming back?'
I shook my head determinedly and then walked off, in the direction of home.
After I'd moved a short distance, Hanamichi came up to me from behind and gripped my shoulder fiercely. 'I'm going to tell you something. something that goes against my pride. I watched you as you practiced your dribbling. I believe you have the potential to become a great basketball player. In other words, you can be a star that will outshine many others in our country, and perhaps even those overseas. Don't let your talent go to waste. your improvements come in leaps and bounds.'
I turned to face him once more and eased his grip off my shoulder. 'I'm sorry. I can't. the humiliation of being laughed at by Haruko is more than I can take. I'm not going back, not ever.'
I turned away from him and walked off, my heart and feet feeling like blocks of lead.
When I was about to turn the corner, Hanamichi yelled, 'Haruko was laughing at me, not you! And that is the whole damn truth!'
A/n: hello. I'm so evil. Rukawa's a big loser. Hee hee hee. Sorry to all Rukawa fans out there. Anyway, I apologise for the big delay in my uploading because well, I had exams. But now they're over. =) okiez. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Ja!