Author: I own the characters that are NOT from Slam Dunk…. If they are from Slam Dunk, they are property of Inoue Takehiko. Please don't sue me… Also, a foreword, I tend to be long winded when writing my fics, so at least you get the overall picture, as well as the locations/background, and worth your dollar on Internet charges! LOL Please do email/review me, and I can update the previous chapters. Thanks!

Words in italics or between slashes are thoughts, words within ^^ are actions, unless otherwise stated, words in brackets are locations usually before each section.

(=^_^=)  Chapter 12 – The Sweet Sugary Proposition  (=^_^=)

(At Shohoku High basketball court, 2nd week February, Monday evening)

"So, are you up for another bet, Mitsui-kun? Or are you afraid of what I'm going to dare you?" asked Toyama.

"Yarou, what have you got up your sleeves? Is it something that will end in my demise? Har har har…" asked Mitsui.

"No, not at all… It's more of an endurance dare… Care to take my offer? The bet stakes are on ¥500,000, u game?" /you're going down, Mitsui. Down to hell. /

"Why not? I'm sure I can endure what you can come up with… What is it, hanging upside down? Asking a girl for her number? Beating up some innocent dude? You name it, Toyama, and I'll make sure you regret daring me."

"Very well…" /But I think you'll be the one regretting, Mitsui. / "The dare, Mitsui-kun… is for you to go out with our assistant manager again…"

"That's it? You're weird, Toyama…"

"I haven't finished yet… There are several things, in this bet, Mitsui-kun… You go out with her, and get her, to be your girlfriend by the 14th of February, Valentine's Day, AND, break up with her a year later. Those are the terms of the dare… do you still wish to continue? Or are you chicken?"

"Do you hate Kimiko that much?" asked Mitsui.

"Nope, but I'd sure like to see a fat girl cry." Grinned Toyama.

"You, are one sick guy, But alright, you're on! You better get the money ready!" laughed Mitsui. "That ¥500,000 is MINE!"

"Let's shake on it."

And they did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that the bet was on, Mitsui did everything in his power to get Kimiko to be his girlfriend. He didn't have much time, for he only had a few days. He began to constantly shower attention on Kimiko, by waiting her after class, and sending her home after practice, which led to Kimiko feeling embarrassed for her class would keep asking her questions if they were an item yet.

"Damn Toyama, if I had known I had only days to work on Kimiko, I wouldn't have agreed to that stupid bet. Why do I keep getting into these messes?" he mumbled under his breath during a class break.

On the 14th of February, Friday, Valentine's Day, he decided to make his proposition to her, in other words, ask Kimiko to be his girlfriend, during practice. It was 7 o'clock in the evening, when the basketball team had a 5-minute break, when Mitsui decided he should act quickly. He opened his sports locker, and took out the loveliest bouquet of blue tulips wrapped in plastic lace and blue ribbons, and a box of truffle chocolate. He found out that Kimiko liked blue tulips and truffles from the girls in her cookery club. He had quite a difficult time getting the information out of them, for they were swooning over him most of the time! He then braced himself, and took a deep breath before striding out of the locker room with a smile, and heading for Kimiko's direction, on the bleachers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(At Shohoku High basketball court, 2nd week February, Friday evening, Valentine's day)

"Hora, Kimiko-chan, miru… MIRU! (Look)" squealed Yuki, spotting Mitsui with the bouquet.

"Itai! Nan da, Yuki-sempai! Quit squealing! I'm busy calculating scores here! What is it???" asked Kimiko irritated, twiddling with her pencil.

The sight of Mitsui with a bouquet of flowers and what seemed to be a box of chocolates brought the attention of the whole team, except Toyama and those in on the bet, wondering why and where was Mitsui going with those flowers. Some speculated that they were for Yuki, but some thought otherwise, for Kimiko, since they were the only two females at the basketball court anyway.

"When I say, miru, Kimiko-chan, you do as I say, and LOOK!" squealed Yuki excitedly, using both her hands to turn Kimiko's line of sight, mainly her head, to Mitsui in basketball uniform with the bouquet, walking towards them.

"What the…………." was all Kimiko could say.

Standing in front of Kimiko and Yuki, Mitsui got down on one knee, smiled and put the bouquet and box into Kimiko hands, and said loudly in a clear voice: "Happy Valentine's day, Toyowara Kimiko! Will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend? Please."

Silence. Deafening silence.

Suddenly, the whole basketball court roared in support to Mitsui. Kimiko could only look down, her cap covering her eyes. As the roaring died down, everybody waited for a response, some in anticipation, some in curiosity.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Kimiko finally broke the silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(=^_^=) Meow!

L.I.D.[author]: I'm going to post the next chapter when I get some nice reviews, so please contribute, by telling me what answer you think Kimiko will give our dear Mitsui through reviews and why (reason), won't you? /cute innocent grin/