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 34 – Resolution (=^_^=)
"Yamero!!!! (Stop it!) All right, you have my word." Said Mitsui, nearing towards Toyama.
Toyama grinned, and began to beat Mitsui up with all his might. Toyama's two bodyguards stood guard beside Kimiko, making sure she didn't try to escape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you sure this will work, Kogure?" Akagi asked his best friend for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, now shut up and let's do it!" growled Kogure, ever determined to rescue his Kimi-chan.
/Although Kimi-chan looks so kawaii all helpless like that, she should never be hurt!! Ye Gods! What thoughts am I thinking at a time like this!! / Thought Kogure, trying desperately to hold back his urges. (L.I.D.[author]: That thought was for you hentais! Don't say I never listen to your reviews! LOL!)
Team Rescue Shohoku, consisting of Akagi, Kogure, Sakuragi and Miyagi were creeping silently, or trying to, behind the warehouse, in order to catch those who kidnapped Kimiko by surprise. They all wore handkerchiefs that were like robber style in Japan, just below their noses.
They were just in time to see Toyama beat the living daylights out of Mitsui, and Akagi motioned for them to split, and take out the two strong men guarding Kimiko.
All of this took place swiftly, and Akagi, and Sakuragi took care of the two men, whilst Kogure and Miyagi tried to loosen the ropes that bound Kimiko to the pillar. When Mitsui knew that Akagi and the others were taking care of the 'body guards', he began to beat Toyama up.
"Kimi-chan…" Kogure began to say, looking at a worn Kimiko. "What have they done to you…"
Kimiko recognised Kogure's voice, and looked away.
/He pities me, that's it… /
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mitsui was beating the living daylights out of Toyama. But Toyama wouldn't give up.
/I will deal with you, if it's the last thing I do! You ruined my future, yarou! I could have had everything… The glory, the fame, the friends… I initially wanted to be rid of you from entering the starting members, but no, you had to complicate things, didn't you? You just HAD to come back and be the star of Shohoku basketball! Well, I won't let you!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha! (L.I.D.[author]: Toyama's gone crazy here… ^sweat drop^)/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Mitsui was certain that Toyama couldn't and wouldn't wake up after his beating, he went over to where Kimiko was, and whispered into her ear: "Miko-chan, I'm so glad you're all right…I don't know what I would have done if I lost you…"
"Mit-chan, don't you only pity me?" Kimiko asked, not opening her eyes. "Look at me, I'm fat and ugly…"
"Whoever gave you that idea?" interrupted Mitsui.
"Toyama…"
"Listen, Toyowara Kimiko, I love you, and don't you forget it! No matter what!"
/Mit-chan, you… you love me? I don't believe this… /
"You… You do?"
"Yes, I do, with all my heart…" whispered Mitsui into Kimiko's ear.
Mitsui and Kimiko held each other for a long time. Kimiko opened her eyes, and saw that Toyama was alive, and was heading straight towards Mitsui's back! In the corner of her eye, she saw Kogure run to shield the two of them. Just as Toyama was ready to plunge his dagger into Kogure's abdomen, it didn't hit his intended victim.
Protective instinct had taken over Kimiko, and she pushed Mitsui aside, and screened-out Kogure, making her in front of him, and Toyama plunged his knife instead, into Kimiko's abdomen (stomach area).
/This feeling, is, euphoric, it isn't painful now, but it will be soon…/ Kimiko laughed silently to herself. /I've managed to save Mit-chan and Kimi-kun… They will be able to make it to the games… It's the least I could do… They have to… WIN! / Thought Kimiko, her body slumping to the floor.
Toyama drew the knife back towards him, causing Kimiko to bleed profusely, and his fear went into overdrive.
/No, that wasn't supposed to happen! That was for Mitsui!!! / Thought Toyama.
He began to run, but Akagi pinned him underneath, along with Sakuragi.
"MIKO-CHAN!!!!!"
"KIMI-CHAN!!!!!"
Both Mitsui and Kogure ran towards Kimiko and caught her as she fell.
"Miyagi! Call an ambulance, quick!"
"Hai, governor!" shouted Ryota, running swiftly, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mit-chan… Kimi-kun…"
"Hush, Kimi-chan, don't speak… The ambulance will be here soon…" said Kogure in the most comforting voice as he could, despite his obvious sobs.
"Yeah… Hang on!!!" cried Mitsui.
"I feel sleepy…"
"Baka! Don't you dare fall asleep on me! Kimi-chan!!!" shouted Kogure, who slapped both Kimiko's cheeks repeatedly, making her wake up.
"Itai, Kimi-kun…"
"Baka…" added Mitsui.
The ambulance came soon, as well as police cars. Kimiko was rushed to the hospital, and was operated on immediately. Before entering the operation theatre, she said a few words to everyone.
"Everyone, no matter what happens, do your best for the Inter High. I WILL be fine. Mit-chan, Kimi-kun, if you both don't do your best, I will be very disappointed…"
"We won't disappoint you! We promise! Absolutely!" shouted everyone.
With a slight, sincere smile, Kimiko entered the operating theatre, and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making a long story short, the basketball team were not suspended or anything for fighting, for they explained that the Sakuragi gundan had done the fighting, and they were there as back up. Toyama was charged, and sentenced to jail. For 20 years. (L.I.D.[author]: Happy now? LOL) The evil of Toyama was now put past them, but a more pressing issue was on the minds of Team Shohoku. Would Toyowara Kimiko be all right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the end, Kimiko was fine, but unconscious. Her battered face and body were bandaged and cleaned up. She had to stay in the hospital for several weeks, and was to be monitored constantly by the staff of the hospital. Mitsui and Kogure wanted to stay by her side day and night, but Akagi wouldn't let them. Although it might sound cold of him, he and Kimiko were close friends for a long time, and he knew that that, was what Kimiko would have wanted him to do for he knew of how much both he and Kimiko wanted Team Shohoku to be the best. That was his way of making sure that Kimiko's dreams and words did not go unheeded. And with a fiendish fervour, Team Shohoku trained to the best of their abilities for the upcoming Inter High.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Ayako was now totally in charge of Team Shohoku, due to Kimiko's absence, they were on the train for Osaka, and they realised that they had to beat Toyotama High, and then, beat the almighty Sannoh High.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon arriving at their hotel, the team decided to relax a bit before tomorrow's match.
Ryota was determined to beat that funny faced guy from Toyotama High who made jokes about his height, and to do it for his Aya-chan and Kimiko-sempai.
Rukawa was sleeping as usual. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
Sakuragi called Haruko up to chat as well as to find out how Kimiko was doing.
Akagi, Mitsui and Kogure were sharing a room, and were worried about how Kimiko was doing, but were also thinking about the upcoming game. They knew that Kimiko wanted them to do their best, and not think about her condition. Both Akagi and Kogure knew this, and explained their feelings to Mitsui, who understood perfectly. They could not lose the game tomorrow. Absolutely not. For their sakes, as well as their injured manageress. The heat was on.
(L.I.D.[author]: -sings- The heat is on!! Down the street! (Remember that early 90's song? He he he) I am so lame…LOL! )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kimiko could see nothing but pure white. She realised that she was not standing up. On the contrary, she was lying, face down, on what seemed to be mid air. She raised her head, and could see a pair of feet. She raised her head even higher, and could see a figure… a male figure.
/That figure… I know him…/ thought Kimiko, now on all fours, trying to remember.
"Aishiteru, Kimiko…" said the male, giving her his hand, wanting to help her up.
Suddenly, instead of being in mid air, Kimiko found that the ground she was on, was made of marble, and covered with a layer of water, about 1-2 cm deep. She tried standing up, and to gain a better view of the male figure's face. She saw the neck, and was about to be able to see his face, when a bright light shone in her line of sight…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Urgh… My head…" mumbled Kimiko, who woke up finally, as a bright overhead light was shone onto her face. "Itai! And my stomach! What the hell happened?"
She lay on the hospital bed, and scanned the room. No one was there, except for Natsumi, who promptly turned around at the sound of her voice.
"Kimiko-chan! You're awake! Thank goodness!" cried Natsumi, glomping Kimiko, causing her to shout out loud.
"ITAI!!!"
"Ano… Sumanu!"
Memories of what happened flowed into Kimiko's mind, and it caused her a huge headache. "Ouch…"
/I know that Mit-chan loves me… What about Kimi-kun? Did he ever love me? Or was it pure friendship? Was it all a lie? But which part? God, my head hurts…/
"What's wrong, Kimiko-chan? Daijobu? I'll call the doctor!"
"Hai…"
The doctor came, and made Kimiko rest in the hospital for several weeks. But Kimiko had learned a thing or two from Sakuragi, and that was to never take no for an answer. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
Taking her organiser, she looked up the venue of where Team Shohoku was staying, and where the match was going to be held. She was going to Osaka.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(=^_^=) Meow!
Crystal Arie-chan: Nani o? LOL anyways, enjoy!
Super rookie-chan: LOL He's back and he's bad!
Nigel-san: LOL! Thank you so much! *Bows* DO let me know when you've read the previous chapters, ok? Yes, do keep in touch! Send me an email!
Madiha-chan: LOL Arigato! ^_^ *Hugs*