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 13 – Fight Club Sandwich  (=^_^=)

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

After a few seconds, Yuki began to look worried. So did Mitsui.

/What, am I going to accept him, just like that? I can't believe he pulled this stunt on me! Does he take me to be some kind of fool? How dare he embarrass me like that! Uresenai! (Unforgivable!) Am I just some pawn of his, easy to be ridiculed? How dare he! Oh, I'll answer him all right…/ thought Kimiko.

"No."

That, was the answer of Toyowara Kimiko when Mitsui Hisashi asked her to be his girlfriend. Many faces had their mouths open at her reply. Especially Yuki. And Mitsui.

Without waiting for any prompt, Kimiko calmly stood up, set the bouquet and box beside her and looked at Yuki. Using her eyes, which looked like very much the expression Rukawa Kaede usually uses, she mentally told Yuki that she needed to go. Yuki nodded once, subtly. Kimiko then turned, picked up her bag, and without looking at Mitsui, left the basketball court.

After her departure, a loud murmuring could be heard, and Mitsui could only stare after Kimiko. He thought he was going to win Kimiko over for sure, and yet, this was the answer he had gotten.

/"No."/

/"No."/

/"No."/

The answer still rang in Mitsui's ears.

/Poor Mitsui-sempai…/ thought Yuki.

/Kimiko-chan…/ Thought Akagi and Kogure.

/Yosh! I've won for sure! / Thought Toyama.

Anzai-sensei clapped his hands, and got the team to go back to regular practice. Within a few minutes through the practice, Mitsui kept missing his shots, and couldn't tolerate it anymore. He begged Anzai-sensei to let him go. Anzai-sensei agreed. Grabbing a towel, he raced outside the doors.

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As Kimiko briskly walked away from the basketball court, in a slight daze, she could not believe what had just happened to her.

/Mitsui Hisashi, just asked me to be his girlfriend! Mitsui… Hisashi! And I said no! Mattaku! What stupidity! What the HELL, was I thinking? Feminist ideas? Damn it! He's not like those guys who make fun of me! Is he? I don't know… No, he isn't… Though, I may be wrong… No, I couldn't be wrong about him… Argh! I'm such an IDIOT!!! / Thought Kimiko, slapping her head with her palm repeatedly. /I've liked him. I always have… haven't I? He even brought me flowers! FLOWERS! And truffle chocolate! And they were my favourite too! I wonder who told him… Never mind that, what am I going to say to him? How am I going to even FACE him? Kimiko, you're dead… better put your head into a pail of water and die…/

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/What have I done? I should have known that she isn't the kind of girl that would get bowled over by sweet talk. It's what… only been a few days? She probably thought I was making fun of her to spite her! In front of the whole basketball team to BOOT! She's a nice girl, really… and kind of cute. Just that she's fat, that's all. Hisashi, get used to it, you want a girl with a body or with a sense of humour? Which is it going to be? Humour, I'd have to go for humour… Yeah… I guess, she's just worth it… What's this? My heart, it's beating so fast… I'm worried… about her… about her… about… Kimiko-chan… MY Kimiko-chan…/ thought Mitsui as he ran as fast as his feet could carry him, with the hope of him being able to catch up to Kimiko, before she left the school compound.

What he didn't notice was that he didn't even think about the bet, the whole time.

As he reached the school gate, he ran outside, to the street, and couldn't see any sign of Kimiko.

/Oh no… has she left already? / "KUSOOO!!!!!!!" howled Mitsui.

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(At Shohoku High outside the main gate, 2nd week February, Friday evening, Valentine's day)

/Oh no… has she left already? / "KUSOOO!!!!!!!" howled Mitsui.

/This… is NOT happening to me! Don't tell me she can run faster than I can? / Thought Mitsui with a wry expression.

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(Near the school gate)

Hearing a loud shout, (it could be very much a loud wail) Kimiko rushed to where it was coming from, since she was nearing the school gate. Actually, Kimiko took the usual long-winded way to the school gate, instead of the shortcut, which Mitsui used. Seeing Mitsui, she quickly hid behind one of the huge trees that were nearest to her.

"Kimiko! Kimiko-chan! Doko wa? (Where are you?)" Shouted Mitsui repeatedly. "Please, come back." He added softly.

/How the hell am I going to face him? I just turned him down! I don't think the back gate is open at THIS time of the night! Kuso! Now I won't be able to go back home! Kuso!!! That stupid idiot!!!/ Thought Kimiko.

As she turned to lean her back onto the body of the tree, she accidentally broke a twig, which snapped and made a slight noise. Mitsui heard it, and figured Kimiko was hiding from him, somewhere. He began to walk back inside the school, and it seemed as if he was going back to practice.

/Good, he's leaving… now I can go back home. Whew! / Thought Kimiko. When she couldn't see Mitsui anymore, she quickly tiptoed towards the school main gate. As she was about a few steps from exiting the school compound, she could hear footsteps, as if someone was running. Turning around, she could see Mitsui approaching her.

/Doesn't he EVER give up? / Thought Kimiko. With the only one action she could only do at the time, when she saw Mitsui, she did what she had to. And that was… to run.

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(Back at Shohoku High basketball court)

Kimiko entered the court first, and everybody turned to see Kimiko with a bloodied nose, and the two members with sombre faces.

"Kimiko-chan, what happened to you!" cried Yuki worriedly, rushing to her friend's side.

"It's nothing, Yuki-sempai. Daijobu."

Mitsui, not saying anything, nor looking at Kimiko, dropped Kimiko's bag on the bleachers and went into the locker room, and was followed by Akagi and Kogure.

/Great, I'm sure to have won! Mitsui Hisashi, you're history! / Thought Toyama gleefully.

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(In the boy's locker room)

In the boy's locker room, Akagi and Kogure confronted Mitsui.

"What did you do to her, yarou!" shouted Akagi.

Mitsui calmly took out the first aid box, and stared at the giant.

"Mitsui-san, please tell us what happened!" pleaded Kogure. /If you brought harm to her, Mitsui Hisashi, I'll never forgive you! / Swore Kogure.

"I don't need to tell you guys, she can tell you herself. Now if you both will excuse me, Toyowara needs to tend to her injury." Said Mitsui, nonchalantly, exiting the locker room.

/Since when did he call her so formally? / Thought Akagi and Kogure, looking at each other.

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(At the bleachers)

"Kimiko-chan, did Mitsui do anything to you? You can tell me!" pleaded Yuki.

"I told you, Yuki-sempai, nothing happened. Let the matter rest. Will you quit it already, I'm getting a headache already!" retorted Kimiko with a laugh.

"I simply don't believe you! Why won't you tell me the truth?!?" cried Yuki, near to tears.

When Mitsui emerged from the locker room, everyone on the court, with the exception of Anzai-sensei, threw dagger eyes at him, for the team thought that he had did harm to their innocent assistant manager. Kimiko noticed this, and appreciated the team's concern, and made a mental note of it. Mitsui threw the first aid kit over to Yuki, before proceeding to shoot some baskets at the other end of the court, since she knew first aid. After Yuki had cleaned up Kimiko's nose, Yuki began to continue her interrogation about Kimiko's injury.

Akagi was ready to beat the living daylights out of Mitsui, and was marching towards him when he emerged from the locker room, when the oddest thing happened. Mitsui shouted at Yuki to shut up, which made everyone freeze, and shouted at Kimiko to meet him at the middle of the court.

"Hey, Toyowara, meet me in the middle of the court!"

"And why the hell should I do that? Baka!" Kimiko shouted back.

"Do you want a repeat performance?" threatened Mitsui, pointing at Kimiko with his index finger.

"I dare you!!!!" blazed Kimiko, as she stood up, and began to walk to the middle of the court.

Mitsui dropped the basketball he was holding and walked toward to the middle of the court. It seemed that a fight… was about to take place.

"Kimiko-chan, chotto matte! (Wait!)" cried Yuki.

"Leave me be, Yuki-sempai… it's time he learned a thing or two from me, Toyowara Kimiko…" Kimiko said, with clenched fists.

"Kimiko-chan…"

"Kono yarou! What are you planning to do to her?!" shouted Akagi, and charged at Mitsui, planning to beat him to a pulp. Kogure followed Akagi slowly, with his fists clenched, ready, just in case he needed to protect his dear friend, Kimiko.

"Stop! Akagi-sempai!" commanded Kimiko, in a tone that surprised everyone. "This is mine to settle, dakara..(Therefore) dakara… Onegai, leave us be." as she stared at Mitsui.

Akagi stopped in his tracks, and just stared, as his Kimiko-chan went to face Mitsui, alone.

Hisashi and Kimiko were then face to face, in the middle of the court.

"I dare you to repeat what you did… just now." Kimiko said dangerously soft, folding her arms akimbo, her eyes blazing.

"Aren't you afraid I might just do that, Toyowara?" sniggered Mitsui.

"Or are you chicken, just because of the number of people here, Mitsui Hisashi?" said Kimiko, somewhat arrogantly.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless then!" shouted Mitsui, and swung his right fist towards Kimiko's face.

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(=^_^=) Meow!

Fran Chong: Thank you for your input, and will take into my mind! Actions and expressions let you know what's in my mind, right? ^_^ ^Sweat drop^ Maybe I'm polite? :p Thanks and hope you enjoy the journey!

Lady Harlequin: You can speculate all you want, but enjoy the journey! As you read on, you can daydream about what's going to happen, and that's the point of my fic… you can daydream while getting the answer to your dream… Hope you like it! ^_^

Charon-san: About time you came over to see an update! LOL Keep checking regularly ne? And you sure you guys want a chase? If so, let me know! (but judges decision is final, if it's a yes or no. ) :p

Cherry Blossoms Kaorin: Thanks for your review! ^_^ Hope I don't disappoint, and enjoy the journey with us!