Title: Untitled... as of yet.
Author: OptimisticPessimist, a.k.a. SeraphKirin
Pairing/s: ?/Hana, other pairings not set of yet.
Rating: -
Status: On-Going
Genre: Romance
Chapter: 2/?
Email: seraphkirinhotmail.com
Disclaimers: All Disclaimers Apply.
Archive: SDBC, Fanfiction.net and Fandomination.net... that's about it I think.
Author's Notes: Just to repeat what I said before... This is mostly from Youhei's POV... so sue me if you don't like it... as if I'll care in the first place...
Sorry for the rudeness above... I just finished a crappy Lit assignment and was thoroughly frustrated by the ambiguity of the question... Gomenasai ne.
Anyway, the pace here has slowed down to a snail's crawl... so enjoy this... or curse at me as you please...
Legend:
[words] - someone's thoughts...
Italics OR word - Dream sequence, Flashback... (depends on what I want to do first...)
CAPS/Bold - emphasis
Chapter One: Ponderings
Danny's, After Practice
Youhei looked at the boy sitting across him. He noted the signs of fatigue on the redhead's features and observed the fact that the young man was sitting unusually quietly in his seat, staring at the scene beyond the window and barely touching his food.
The boy in question was also hypersensitive to the many changes in his surroundings and Youhei had since lost count of the many times Sakuragi had flinched whenever the door opened to admit a new customer.
This simply couldn't go on.
Not only was this harmful to the world in general, it was harmful for all the residents of Kanagawa to live in fear of one inconsistent redhead with a compulsive tendency to head butt anyone who got in his way.
[They should reward me with dozens of medals for all the risks I take when I probe into the root of all his problems for them.] Youhei noted, mentally resigned to his fate.
He took a deep breath, preparing himself physically, emotionally and spiritually for the plunge he was about to take. Silently praying to all the valid gods he could think of for protection from one destructive redhead, he coughed slightly, catching the attention of one renegade redhead.
"Anou... Hanamichi, why were you acting so strangely this morning?"
Brown orbs darkened ominously as Youhei closed his eyes and prepared for the coming punishment.
After anticipating the dreaded blow that did not arrive, Youhei risked opening one of his eyes to peek at his friend, who had returned to his vigilance of the external scene.
Upon finding that no such punishment was in place, Youhei decided to take matters further. "Is something bothering you? You know you can talk about it to me."
Silence.
Brown depths stared fixatedly at some unknown object outside the restaurant, seemingly fascinated with that object.
After five minutes of waiting and still no response from the red head, Youhei pressed on determinedly. "Hanamichi, I'm asking you a question here. Why were you acting so strangely this morning?"
Still nothing.
Youhei sighed. [This is going nowhere...]
He looked down at his half-full glass of Pepsi. [When he talks, he's like an irritating radio broadcast that you hate, but still listen to anyway. But when he doesn't...] He heaved another hefty sigh, stealing a glance at his silent friend opposite him. [...And when he doesn't, he gives you the Rukawa treatment... It just figures, doesn't it?]
He checked his watch. [6.55 pm... Still ear-WHAT?!] His eyes widened. [6.55 pm?! Shit! I'm late!]
He got up to leave. "Oi, Hanamichi!"
The redhead turned his head to look at Youhei, lifting one eyebrow indifferently.
"I gotta go, 'k? I'm late already!" Saying thus, Youhei gulped down the rest of his drink.
Sakuragi merely nodded; it would appear that he wasn't the least interested in what Youhei was doing.
Youhei grabbed his bag. "Ja ne, Hanamichi!" He proceeded to run out of the restaurant yelling, "I'll see you in school tomorrow!"
Back in Danny's, Sakuragi heaved a sigh.
There was no reason for him to stay inside the restaurant, now that Youhei, whom he had dragged into accompanying him in the first place, was gone.
He got up from his seat a few scant seconds after taking another sombre look at the scene outside.
It was time for him to go.
--
Hanamichi trudged all the way home.
Somehow, he felt as if he'd lost something.
Something... important.
Something that he could not have done without.
Something he missed so sorely that it affected him even till now.
That wasn't the problem.
He'd only identified the tiny, little, irritating feeling that was nagging at him at the back of his mind all this while.
So now the only problem he had was...
Identifying what exactly was the thing that caused him to be so... or more precisely, why is he missing that thing so much?
It couldn't be Haruko. He had gotten over his feelings for her 3 months ago, after learning that she was going out with Aota. Naturally the latter was ecstatic to the point of being delirious when the girl agreed to his proposal shyly...
Sakuragi stifled a snicker. Of course, Aota (who'd won 2nd place in Akagi's last year in the Judo IH tournament) now had to contend himself against one single entity: The Gori, or more familiarly, Akagi Takenori.
The last he'd heard was that Haruko was desperately trying to convince her brother that she definitely did NOT need a guardian to accompany her into the Tunnel Of Love at the carnival nearby.
Yep, he chuckled to himself. That was amusing alright. Considering that Akagi 'announced' it (though not deliberately, he just happened to be in Shohoku when he'd heard Aota speak to his sister about the carnival.) to the entire team, it wasn't surprising that the couple's faces had gone redder than any tomato in the world.
Turning serious once more, Sakuragi reflected inwardly, sifting through his memories and experiences... looking for that one thing that mattered...
It couldn't be basketball either. His back was doing fine and he, now a sophomore, was improving as fast as he was before that same accident with his back.
He was now learning how to make three-point shots through Mitsui's excellent but intensely annoying know-it-all tutelage.
His defence had also improved. Miyagi had took it upon himself to teach the redhead the finer points of guarding an opponent and seeing things as such, Ayako thereby also took it upon herself to tutor the redhead the finer points of... nothing else but basics.
It definitely wasn't Rukawa either... His relationship (Seraph: coughs) with the fox had improved tremendously and even though they still bickered every single time they saw each other, there appeared to be a silent consensus that their argument OFF COURT was not allowed ON COURT, thanks to the newly improvised Ayako's Rules Of Conduct.
Yep, they were working together (yes, you heard right) better than ever, and ever since Sakuragi fell out of love (so-called) with Haruko, there no longer seemed to be a need for his animosity against Rukawa, even though he still loathed the Rukawa shinetai with a vengeance.
So what was it?
Honestly, he didn't know himself.
Hanamichi, why were you acting so strangely this morning?
Youhei's words came floating back, creeping into his conscious mind when he'd least expected it.
[Why, huh...?] The redhead had reached the park near his house. He sat down on one of the benches, ignoring the fear-ridden peeks at him from the adults, the awe-inspired gazes from the young, the obnoxious, yet cowardly looks from the punks in the surrounding area.
[If only you knew, Youhei...] The red head clasped his hands behind his head as a cushion of sorts.
[If only you knew...]
With that, our redhead closed his eyes... and began thinking back to events dating, not too long ago, just a mere two days ago...
Continued...
Author's Notes:
So how was it? Suspense? You hate it? You love it? Tell me tell me!
R & R, guys!