Chapter 03: Meet the Navy Man

~Jadis

            Haruko didn't want to share Gwen with anyone. 

On the path toward the tennis courts, they made small talk about this and that… and Haruko couldn't help but to be pulled in by Gwen's mysterious black hole.  What was it about her?  By the time that they arrived at the gap between the basketball gym and the tennis courts, Gwen agreed with Haruko's new nickname for her.. Wennie.

"I think the tennis girls aren't here yet, why don't you come in the gym?  I'll show you how proud I am of our team!" 

"But I-"  Haruko grabbed Gwen's arm and pulled her into the gym.

"This is my friend Kaede Gwen!" shouted Haruko.  Her crisp voice echoed through the sultry gym atmosphere.  "Gwen, this is hopefully the future Shohoku team members!" 

Gwen smiled brightly to acknowledge everyone.  More and more people gathered around, but the thundering shout called everyone back to practice.  It was Mitsui.

"Hey!  What's all this?  Practice!!" shouted Mitsui.  No one dared to talk – and that was how Mitsui wanted it to be.  He wanted respect and this was his only sign that he was getting any.

His repsect came to a halt when someone giggled behind him.

"Who dares laugh at the grandmaster!!"

"I-I was just … puhahahahahahah …. Grandmaster?  Hahahah!"  Gwen had to hold onto Haruko for support.  Haruko nervously poked at Gwen to stop, but  Gwen just couldn't seem to contain her laughter.

"Oh~ What do we have here now?  Tennis girl?"  Mitsui used his height and looked down on her as a form of intimidation, but the gal refused to play along.

"I'm sorry ~ I-I … ha~ you're not trying to intimidate me, are you?  Because it's not working.  Try something else and I might just be able to give you the grandmaster respect that you demand.  Hahahahah~!"

Mitsui immediately took to the girl.  She had confidence and a sense of humor.  There was something about her that pulled Mitsui to her.  It wasn't a randomn love but somehting deeper… Mitsui took her as a younger sister then and there.  Mitsui's rough countenance softened into a tender smile. 

"I'm Mitsui."

Gwen quit her insane laughter and brought out her right hand.  "Gwen, Kaede Gwen."  Gwen shook his hand while dropping her enormous tennis bag onto the floor. 

"Hey, I heard about you~ the new hit list girl, right?"  it was Ryota. 

"I'll be right back.  I need to give the never give up speech to the new comers," said Haruko.

Gwen's concentration was back on the courts where the new comers were on one side of the court practicing and the other players were on the other side of the court practicing as well.  One player who seemed to be the tallest caught her eye. 

"Wait a minute… peh .. Rukawa Kaede is on the team?" shouted Gwen. 

"Yes, young sapling.  You must know him really well to be on the hit list," teased Mitsui.

"N-no, I mean yes … I mean not really," said Gwen.  It was a small world after all, thought Gwen with a small grin.  "I mean NO~!" shouted Gwen.  She stood up with rage.  People like him couldn't play basketball!

"Calm down, young sapling!  Actually he's our number two – after me that is,"

Gwen watched as Rukawa effortlessly moseyed around the returning players with ease to play a simple point, one after another.  Rukawa's black hair dripped with sweat – but it wasn't sweat that he gained with hard work … it was just sweat from exercise.  Gwen watched with her hands clenched as Rukawa never passed nor have any concern for the other members.  Her father was never like this.  He cared about everyone and still he was the best.  He did his best…

"…he's not challegened.." whispered Gwen.  Gwen grunted as she put her tennis bag on her shoulders again.  "Mitsui, can you tell Haruko that I'm going to practice.  Come if you'd like~" 

Gwen saw Haruko and Mitsui waved from the other side of the gym.  She sighed and was about to head for the door when she saw Rukawa dribble back to set himself for a three pointer. 

"You punk!" Gwen put her fingers up and in the direction of Rukawa.  She squinted her eyes and gave her fingers a twinkle.  "Miss~~ miss ~~" 

Right before release, Rukawa caught sight of Gwen riduluously twirling her fingers at him. 

… it wasn't long before his hand began to shake again.

Shit.  How long is this going to go on?

The ball was in the air.. soaring… soaring… so- eh… hitting on of the gym windows on the second floor seats for the audience. 

"WaaaAaaAaAAaa~ HAHAHAHAHAHAH, IT WORKS~!!!"

Other than her, there was dead silence.  Rukawa miss?

            Feeling satisfied, Gwen cleared her throat and left the building.

* * * * *

            Haruko was sitting  in between two bushes, adjacent to the basketball courts for almost seven hours.  The neighborhood park was desolate … at two in the morning. 

Of course, duh …it's always empty two in the morning… 

She was tired of the cold weather… wait… yeah… her left leg has officially fallen asleep..

            "..for the team..for the team.." chanted Haruko.

            It was hard to find new players because the Shohoku students were afraid to be on a team that really… grew famous over night.  Perhaps the commitment was too great…

            Mitsui… hearing a rumor that the other day, there was somehting great that would help the team found on the very court that Haruko was spying on.  That very thing … whatever it was… better be there … seven hours…

            I don't even sleep seven hours!!!

            At first she thought it was the noise of a cat scratching against the bushes, but was in for a surprise when she turned around.

            "RUKAWA!" shouted Haruko.  "Wh-What are you doing here?"

            Haruko's legs final decided to give in when her dream was squatting so close to her.

            "Ah!" Haruko wailed her arms out to grab onto something .. it was Rukawa that lent her his hand.    Her small hand fit perfectly into his large hand.  They had a moment when they  met eye to eye. 

"…ah…"  As if on cue, Haruko's face turned like a beet.  She turned her eyes away before her head would explode. 

            Rukawa sqeezed her hand to pull her upright.

            Ah… so this is what his hand feels like.  Lucky, Wennie.

            "Th-th-thanks… Rukawa… favorite shirt… eh…don't want to … eh favorite shirt…"

            Rukawa, making sure that she wouldn't fall back down again, let her hand go.  Rukawa looked at his hands to check if they were shaking or not.

            No… it's not her either… then what the hell is it?…

            "I..I…I … I heard that  you got a lot of offers from colleges… con..congradulations,"

            Rukawa merely shrugged.  "How's Sakuragi?"

            Haruko felt like her heart just jumped out, ran around Earth twice, and leaped back into her heart again.

            Ah, I can't believe that he's talking to me! 

            "H….He…He's doing much better.." answered Haruko.  Her heart raced faster like a speeding locomotive.  There wasn't an answer so she looked back to find that Rukawa had gone.

            Eh.  He's gone?

            Feeling extremely foolish, she took a couple of unstable breaths and looked back at the courts, and gasped.  A person was in mid air – a slam dunk.

            There was a certain silence that was difficult to describe… The person landed on the gym floor softly.  Haruko's mouth dropped when she saw how … how… the moonlight glistened the sweat on upper body… his wonderfully chiseled body…  he was so tall … his chest was like the Pacific Ocean … his grace was like a dragon curling for it's final blow … his charm was like the knight in shining armor… er.. in shining no armor …

            There was a certain silence that was difficult to describe.  The man softly landed on the ground.  He grabbed the basketball and walked towards the bench, just before where Haruko was standing, and picked up a discarded gray shirt.  He wiped his sweat with his shirt and slung it over his shoulder.

            Navy?

 He sighed as he brought his water bottle up to his lips to drink vicariously. 

            The man pulled up a medium sized duffle bag to his shoulder, ruffled his short and unkempt (making him all the more ruggedly handsome) hair to sprinkle the beads of sweat off.  Then, he tossed the empty bottle into the trash can…

            Wait.. the way he's walking… maybe he's really in the Navy. … wow, navy man…

            He was about to exit when he saw someone block his exit – it was Rukawa twirling his ball impatienly in front of the gate.

            Haruko remained silent.  The ring of the slam dunk still sizzled in her heart.  The navy man tried to leave but Rukawa refused to move.  The second time, the navy man brushed past Rukawa's shoulder wihtout a second look. 

            Rukawa did not speak a word or move.  The navy man was much much more built than him… intimidation?

            "…Rukawa.."  Haruko smiled suddenly, and almost leaped with joy, if it weren't for her legs – legs that had fallen asleep.  HE would be the knew Shohoku member, perhaps the next new ace.

            Haruko was about to leave when she saw Rukawa was finally moving up and down the courts.  He stopped twirling the ball and began dribbling.  He began to run up and down the courts until the ball and he were one.  He looked up at the court and to his surprise, the image of the navy man was guarding him.  He went once to the left – fake.. another to the right.. fake?? No, he made an 180 to the right and headed for the basket.  He jumped in the air as the image jumped as well.

            "Rukawa.."

            Rukawa dunked the ball hard and quicker than usual.  He handed hard onto the park court.  The navy guy's image was still there, expressionless, just as he left.  Usually, he would never hurry … he would always take all the time he needed for perfection.

            Haruko quickly hid into another bush when Rukawa came out of the court.  Rukawa prepared to get on his bike.

            Haruko thought it was nothing at first… but it was apparent when he tried to lace his basketball into his back.  His right hand was shaking like it was dunked in poison.  Was that what Gwen meant about caffeine?

            No way… caffeine… but he was fine at practice..

            It slowly hit her then.. Haruko couldn't help but to smile..for the first time… it wasn't her .. it was him..

"Rukawa … he's … he's nervous.."

* * * * *

            It was the same night.  

The night was the longest for him. 

            He missed her …

            He wished her to go…

            … but it wasn't true…

            … he didn't want her to go…

            … he wanted her to be with him, forever…

            … but he let her go…

            He still had his shirt off when he entered his rented apartment. 

            Someone was waiting for him… just as he expected… he sensed her when he was on the front porch of the apartment building.

            He turned on the lights to his place to reveal who it was.

           "Penelle, what are you doing here?"  He stood firmly in the doorway.  His legs were firmly spread apart - looking as daunting  without even trying.

            The woman standing in front of him was bare.  Penelle had long wavy skyblue hair.  She radiated beauty – her perfectly cut jawline, pearly white skin, gleaming red eyes, elongated ears, full chest, slim waist, long legs… what any man would want…

            … but this man did not want her… that is why she wanted him…

            "Ah, Mattnoma.  Must we start off this way?  Why…"  Penelle purred as she walked towards him.  Penelle slide his shirt off his shoulder and slipped it over her head.  It was a bit big, but Penelle was delighted with the smell that bloomed off the shirt – Mattnoma's scent.

"…it's been so long."

            "Get the hell out of here.  I'm not in the mood to play your games.  I'm here on business."  He slammed the door and tossed his bag across the living room. 

            "Business… here?  Of all places, 'he' sends you to Kanagawa …"  Penelle wrapped her arms from behind him.  She pulled her closer to him.  She loved the way he felt in her arms…

            "It's none for you to be concerned with."

            "Oh but it is…"  Her hands began to slowly move downwards.  "Think of it, Mattnoma…Kanagawa~ the same place where Gwendell happens to be at the moment.. And it is none for me to be concerned with?"

            Penelle felt his muscles tense.  "Now, what kind of buisness might this be, hmm?"

            "Get the hell out before I toss you out!"  Mattnoma stalked to the door and almost ripped it open.

            "Ouch, still the same temper and arrogance.. tsk tsk…"  Parnell walked with a pretty gait towards the  door.  "… You're looking for the missing jewel are you not?"

            Mattnoma gave her a murderous stare.

            "Hey, what else could it be?  You coming for Gwendell?  That's outrageous~!  Didn't you erase her memory… ah yes, I remember… happy memories, isn't that right my dear lord?"  Parnell gave out a lusty snicker.  She advanced to the otherside of the doorway.  "For her sake? Against Haru?  Well, at least I was the last to see that pathetic-"   

            Mattnoma, without a second thought, slammed the door on her face. 

It wasn't true…

… he didn't want her to go…

… no one was to touch her because she belonged to him…

… he wanted her to be with him, forever…

… but he had let her go…

            With the door closed, he could not none other than to be engulfed by darkness… his light was taked away from him…