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.
This chapter goes out to Nicki-chan, hope you like the snippet with Rukawa! Enjoy!
(=^_^=) Chapter 35 – Connecting Yummy People (=^_^=)
Taking the train, along with Natsumi, Aki and Yumi, Kimiko and her Cooking Club gundan went to Osaka. The doctor had advised her not to go, but Kimiko was stubborn, and insisted. Only when she assured the doctor that she would be bringing her medicine, her gundan and a wheelchair with her on her trip, would the doctor let Kimiko be discharged. The fact that she also threatened the doctor with her bare fist also helped, much to the chagrin of her gundan. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^ )
Kimiko had calculated that they would be able to reach Osaka by nightfall, after the match with Toyotama High. She had faith in Team Shohoku. She called Ayako, for she knew she could trust her curly haired kouhai, during the train ride.
/They should have finished the match by now… / Thought Kimiko.
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(Outside the sports hall in Osaka)
-Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Moshi moshi! Ayako desu!"
"Aya-chan, it's me…"
"KIM-" Ayako began to exclaim.
"HUSH! Don't let them know it's me… Has the match ended?" cried Kimiko quickly, into the phone mouthpiece.
"Kimiko-sempai… Are you all right? Hai, it has." Ayako whispered into her mobile phone, moving away from the team members.
"Are they with you? Right now?"
"Hai." Ayako replied, careful not to let anyone in Team Shohoku know who she was talking to.
"Then call me when you're somewhere safe. Outside and away from everyone preferably, all right?" pleaded Kimiko.
"Hai. Ja ne."
"Ja."
-Click!
Ryota jogged to where Ayako was. "Who was that you were talking to, Aya-chan?"
"Oh, it was my Okasan (mom), Ryota… Saa, let's all go back to the inn!"
"Hai! Aya-chan!" replied Ryota with hearts in his eyes. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
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(In the train bound for Osaka)
"They were there huh, Kimiko-chan?" asked Aki.
Kimiko nodded. "I wonder how they fared…"
"Don't worry. They'll win!" cheered Yumi.
"So yo!" added Natsumi.
"Omae tachi…" smiled Kimiko, taking a bite from the bento box her gundan made for her.
"Don't worry, we'll send you there via train first then wheelchair!" snickered Aki.
Kimiko pouted.
Her gundan just laughed.
(L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
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(Osaka Inn, near where Team Shohoku's is, in the late afternoon)
Upon reaching their inn, which was very near the inn where Team Shohoku stayed, Kimiko heard her mobile phone ring.
-Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Moshi moshi, Toyowara desu."
"Kimiko-sempai, it's me Ayako!"
"Aya-chan!"
"How are you doing, Kimiko-sempai? Where are you now?"
"I'm fine… And… I'm in Osaka…"
Kimiko could hear a loud bump, as if someone fainted, and quickly regained their composure. "Aya-chan, are you there?"
"Kimiko-sempai! What are you DOING in Osaka?"
"I want to see the team win… enough said. How was today's game against Toyotama?"
Kimiko could hear Ayako cry. "We won, Kimiko-sempai… We won!"
"Yokatta!!! (Thank goodness!)" Smiled Kimiko.
"Will you be visiting us then, Kimiko-sempai?"
"No, Aya-chan, I won't…"
"Naze? (Why?)"
"I don't want everyone to worry about me… I trust you Aya-chan… And don't you worry… I have my gundan, Natsumi, Aki and Yumi with me… I will join you all when we win the championship! I just needed to tell you I'm all right, that's all…"
"Arigato sempai… " Thanked Ayako, obviously trying not to cry.
"Don't worry. I will be there at the games, and support you all. Don't you fret!" Kimiko teased.
"Hai, Kimiko-sempai."
"Now go. Don't let them know you've been missing…I'm sure Ryota-kun is missing you!" chuckled Kimiko. /How I love teasing those two lovebirds! I just wish Ryota-kun would tell her how he felt about her already! /
"Kimiko-sempai!!!! Not funny!" cried Ayako.
"Sore ja, I'll be watching over you all…"
"Ja, sempai… Oyasumi…"
"Oyasumi…"
-Click!
"So will you be visiting them, Kimiko-chan?" asked Natsumi.
Aki and Yumi looked at Kimiko.
"Nah."
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That night, Kimiko couldn't sleep. She kept on having dreams about her vision when she was in the hospital. /Just who was that guy? Why did he say he loves me? Who could it be? /
Kimiko kept tossing and turning, and didn't get much sleep…
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The game against Sannoh High was to commence at 11:30 in the morning, and Kimiko made sure she only went into the premises later than that. Natsumi had reserved a special corner she had spotted, whereby they could watch the game, and not be obviously seen by most people. Aki helped a wheelchair bound Kimiko in, for she was quite weak, due to not sleeping well last night.
As Team Shohoku was warming up, Kimiko and her gundan were quite amused at Sakuragi's antics, when he tried to do a slam dunk, but the ball only hit the rim, much to Kiyota's teasing. She knew that Team Shohoku was nervous, as Ayako had told her just before the team left their inn. Kimiko was thankful that only Ayako knew, and knew that Anzai-sensei could take care of the boys. They could win this game.
/Ganbatte, Nori-kun… You've been dreaming of this, for the longest time… Baka! / Kimiko chuckled, as she mentally cheered her best friend.
The match was truly about to start. Now, Sakuragi amazed everyone, by performing powerful and successful dunk into Sannoh's hoop, and making a macho arm flexing line with Mitsui and Miyagi. Kimiko and her gundan giggled. (L.I.D.[author]: LOL!)
/Baka, Sakuragi-kun! Baka Mit-chan… Kawaii Ryota-kun! / Kimiko laughed inside.
Suddenly, as if in response to Sakuragi's dunk, a member from Sannoh's basketball team swiftly dribbled the ball in attempt to make a dunk into Shohoku's basket. The ball never went it, thanks to the two balls, fired by Rukawa and Akagi, who were in cheeky mode. Kimiko and her gundan tried their best not to burst out laughing with all their might. (L.I.D.[author]: Hey, it was a funny scene!)
Kimiko noticed that later on in the game, Anzai-sensei talked to Sakuragi and Miyagi, and she KNEW that Anzai-sensei was planning something that involved the sophomore and the flaming freshman. (L.I.D.[author]: nice name huh? It's mine, y'hear? Flaming freshman!!!! MINE! LOL )
Soon enough, Kimiko saw through her keen eyes, that Miyagi gave Sakuragi a signal, but for what? She saw Miyagi throw the ball to the hoop, and Sakuragi was waiting under the basket.
/Is he going for an ally-oop? When in heaven's name did anyone teach Sakuragi THAT? / Kimiko exclaimed mentally, with a sweat drop.
Sakuragi jumped high, as he always did, and managed to do it! He did a combined ally-oop! After a second of utter silence… The crowd went WILD!
However, Sannoh caught up with a shot, and soon, Akagi had possession of the ball. He passed it to Mitsui, who made a three-pointer, to which he pointed his index finger in the air proudly. Even though Sannoh shot baskets when it was their 'turn', Mitsui shot another two three-pointers consecutively. She could see that Sakuragi and Miyagi were chasing after Mitsui, asking what made him be in top form today.
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(On the court)
"Hey Mitchy! You're in good shape today!" remarked Sakuragi in chibi form.
"Yeah!" piped Miyagi.
"Urusei! (Shut up!) And get back to the game!!" shouted Mitsui. /Kimiko, we'll win this! For us, and Shohoku! /
(L.I.D.[author]: Awwww!!!!)
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Seventeen and a half minutes were left for the first half. Kimiko saw that the monkey centre for Sannoh was challenging Akagi, and she stuck her tongue out.
"Nani, Kimiko-chan?" asked Yumi.
"If that Sannoh centre thinks Nori-kun is a Gori, HE'S a bigger Gori than he is!" said Kimiko, cheering for Akagi.
Kimiko's gundan: ^Sweat drop^
"Go, Ryota-kun, go!" cheered Aki. "See mina! There he goes!"
Miyagi was now attacking, and was attempting a lay-up shot, but the ball was swatted away by Sannoh's Number nine. However, by sheer luck, Sakuragi happened to be in the way of the ball, and the ball bounced off Sakuragi's face and into the hoop! (L.I.D.[author]: That scene cracks me up every time!)
Everyone's face sweat dropped, even Rukawa's, and the whole stadium erupted in astonished cries.
"Yappari… (Yep!) That's Sakuragi's face value for you…" Kimiko nodded, face serious, arms akimbo.
Kimiko's gundan: ^Sweat drop^
Sakuragi was benched for a while to nurse his nosebleed, and the non-starting members finally got a chance to play. Rukawa was now defending the number nine from Sannoh, Eiji, and was eluded by him. But not for long. Both scored a basket, before Sakuragi came into the game once again. After a few minutes of game play, both Eiji and Rukawa took a rest, and Kogure went into the game, to replace Rukawa. Suddenly, to replace Eiji, was this humongous male, number fifteen, and it turned out to be the Sannoh centre's brother. And Sakuragi was supposed to guard him.
As usual, Sakuragi made a fool of himself, by getting a pushing foul against the number fifteen from Sannoh.
Kimiko: ^Sweat drop^
It seemed as if all was lost, due to the hulk of number fifteen, but Sakuragi soon turned the tables around, and did his field shots! And thanks to Sakuragi's Tensainess, and a couple of moves Miyagi and Kimiko taught him, he managed to make the number fifteen from Sannoh fouled out, and get benched.
Kimiko: "Yay! Sakuragi-kun go!"
Kimiko's gundan: ^Sweat drop^
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It was now halftime, with Shohoku leading, 36 – 34. The starting members were now Akagi, Mitsui, Miyagi, Sakuragi and Rukawa. Outside, it began to rain.
Seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to play into the second half. Sannoh was leading, 50 –36. Kimiko was frantic. She didn't know what to do. At this rate, Sannoh was going to whip their behinds! Suddenly…
-Ding! Ding!
She got an idea! Taking out her cell phone, she began pressing its buttons wildly. She looked at where Ayako was, and saw that she received her SMS.
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(=^_^=) Meow!
There! A scene with Rukawa in it! Hope you're happy! LOL!