Title: Maybe
Author: Haze
Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk so don't sue me please.
Chapter 4:
It was still five am but Sendoh was already on his way to the park to practice for basketball. He couldn't sleep straight and when he finally couldn't stand it, he decided to just go out for practice.
He was wearing shorts, T-shirt, and his rubber shoes and he was carrying his basketball stuff in his sports bag which is slung on his left shoulder. He had just turned in a corner when someone bumped into him.
He looked down at the person and saw a familiar boy seated on the sidewalk. He reached his hand to help the boy up. The boy ignored it and forcedly stood up.
Sendoh looked at the boy. He was about 171 cm. He had a pair of sunglasses on, a cap worn reversely and a pair of earphones on his ears. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a big T-shirt over it. He was on a cargo pants and roller blades.
"Sorry." Sendoh muttered.
The boy looked at him closely and pulled the earphones off his ears.
"Are you alright?" Sendoh said after noticing that the boy was silent.
"Yeah." He was about to skate away.
"Hey. You look familiar." Sendoh heard himself call out to the boy.
"I always skate around here at this time." The boy replied.
"Oh so you're that boy that I always see whenever I walk this way at this time." Sendoh didn't understand why he was keeping this boy from skating away. Sendoh somehow felt a certain presence that drew him to this boy.
"See ya."
"Wait. Are you going home now?" Sendoh asked before the boy could skate away.
"No." He said flatly, obviously wanting to skate away now.
"Do you mind if I tag along?"
The boy looked deep in thought before looking at Sendoh again and sighing. "I don't mind as long as you don't bother me." Then he skated away.
Sendoh smiled then ran after the boy. He's so elusive. I wonder why. Sendoh thought as he ran and tried to keep pace with the boy.
Finally the boy stopped and looked at Sendoh who was panting hard.
"What's the matter?" Sendoh asked.
"You seem too tired to keep up."
"It's not easy to *pant* keep up on foot *pant* when you're skating as if a *pant* train is *pant* after you and if I'm *pant* carrying something." Sendoh blurted out between his hard panting.
"I'm sorry about that. I usually skate this way."
"You amaze me. How can you skate that fast?"
"I always skate every morning that's why I developed my fast speed on skates. Are you hungry?"
"Now that you mentioned well-"
"Come on then." He skated slowly towards a fast food store that opens at six am.
Sendoh followed him and saw him ordering food at the counter. He approached the boy and saw him already carrying a tray of food. The boy skated to a table in a corner. Sendoh followed him and sat across the boy.
"Here." The boy said and handed Sendoh his breakfast.
"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"
"You don't have to pay me. It's my treat."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry about skating so fast."
"It's alright. Maybe I should run after you every morning to improve my stamina."
"You have a good stamina. No one could keep up with me for almost two hours unlike you."
"I see. Can I be frank?"
"Shoot."
"What?" Sendoh said confusedly.
"I said 'Shoot'. It means start firing your statements already."
"Oh."
"So what did you want to tell me?"
"Why don't you remove your cap and sunglasses? And well, why do you sound almost like a girl trying to imitate a boy's voice?"
The boy looked at him closely before finally smiling and removing his cap and sunglasses. Sendoh stared at the boy who was truthfully a girl. A purple-eyed girl with light blue hair.
"Haruka?" Sendoh muttered with shock in his voice.
"Shocking huh. Don't tell anyone."
"But why?"
"So that no one would bother me." She rolled her eyeballs. "I don't understand why they keep on trying to jog or skate with me."
"Boys?" Sendoh smiled.
"Yeah. Geez! What's up with their crazy minds anyway?"
"They're trying to make you notice them."
"So that I can teach them to skate? Geez! Why don't they just hire some instructors or something?"
Sendoh smiled even more. So his Haruka is someone who ignores boys' advances on her. She's someone dense enough to ignore even him.
"I guess I should be feeling very honored." Sendoh smiled.
"Huh?"
"I mean you don't want anyone especially boys to tag along with you. But you allowed me and even treated me to breakfast. To top it all, you even revealed to me that you're actually a girl."
She just smiled and continued eating her food.
"So you skate even on schooldays?"
"Yeah. I skate before I prepare to go to school."
"What is your favorite subject?"
"Lunch break and detention." She smirked.
"What?" Sendoh looked shocked.
"Shocked? Well. I only sleep at school or go to the rooftop. Well to sleep, too. When I sleep inside the classroom, the teacher gives me detention so I skip class most of the time."
"Aren't you bothered by that?" He said, still shocked.
"No. It gives me more time to sleep."
"Aren't you into sports?"
"I'm in the soccer team."
"Oh. How's practice?"
"I don't know."
"How come?"
"I don't usually show up for practice."
"What?" Sendoh was again shocked.
"You seem to be easily shocked. Well. I'm not really interested in soccer so why should I bother to show up?"
"What's your coach's reaction?"
"She just looks happy when I show up. But she doesn't go into scolding me when I don't turn up for many practices."
"Why not?"
"She grew tired of it, I guess."
"If you're not interested in soccer, why did you join?"
"I didn't join on my free will. They kept on bugging me and they even talked to my brother and friends to talk me into joining the soccer team."
"So you're not interested in school and sports. What are you interested in then?"
"Sleeping, listening to music, and skating."
"Sounds like you are someone I know though he's interested in basketball. I always hear his teammates say that he does nothing but sleep and listen to music if he's not practicing basketball."
"Oh."
"Where do you study anyway?"
"Kainandai High. You?"
"Ryonan High. Kainan is very particular with excellence."
"I get your point. I don't know why they're so lenient on me. I'm even wondering why they're still keeping me on the team even in the school."
"If you don't go to class, how can you answer on quizzes?"
"I don't. I simply write my name on the paper and pass it to the teacher."
"What's your grade then?"
"What else but an F."
"What are your parents' comments about all this?"
"My dad's with his new wife in Europe." A shadow settled on her sparkling eyes. "And my mom's in heaven already."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. I've gotten over the fact that my family will never be the same." She then smiled bitterly.
"I'm really so sorry to have opened the topic."
"I said it's alright. Do you play drums?"
"Yeah, well I used to."
"Why did you stop?"
"Because I have basketball now."
"Oh."
"Do you play drums?"
"I used to but it bothers my brother and everyone in the house so I stopped."
"Oh. So what will you do for the rest of the day?"
"Skate around I guess."
"How about going to the mall with your friends?"
"I don't want to. They'll go shopping again. I hate shopping."
"Oh."
"I'm not quite what you expected, am I?"
Sendoh looked at her closely and saw sadness in her eyes before they became expressionless again.
"It's okay. You can be frank with me." Haruka told him to assure him.
"Well not really. I expected you to be different even the first time we actually had a conversation which was technically yesterday."
"You seemed to remember much."
"It was only yesterday."
"I guess you're right."
"You don't seem to like hanging out with people."
"I don't and I hate being followed around."
"Oh I see. So you'll hate me if I tell you that I want to follow you around."
"I won't. I know that you won't say that. Besides, I would just probably laugh at you."
"Then why aren't you laughing now?" Sendoh said, giving her his most charming smile.
"I got to tell you. You have a very charming smile." She grinned. "Caught you off guard huh."
"Sort of."
"Do you skate?"
"No."
"Oh."
"But I can run beside you if you'll allow me." He smiled teasingly at her.
She just smiled at him and continued to eat.
"Well? May I run with you every morning?"
"Maybe."
"That's good enough for a yes in my opinion. Are you fond of watching TV?"
"Yeah. I watch Rurouni Kenshin."
"Really? My sister is fond of watching that, too."
***RING (Ringing Tone: Ice Blue Eyes)***
Both Sendoh and Haruka reached out and pulled their cell phone.
"Hello? I'm eating breakfast. *pause* No, you don't have to fetch me. *pause* Yes, I can skate home. *pause* What? Why didn't they call me first? *pause* I'm not in the mood to go out with them. *pause* I'm sorry. Fine. Tell them that I'll be home soon. Did they go to my room? *pause* Oh good. Er, is Naga-chan there? *pause* Nothing. We're up to nothing. *pause* Okay. Bye." She looked at Sendoh. "Excuse me. I've to make a call."
"Go ahead."
"Er, Naga-chan, do me a favor. Is Chiro-chan with you? *pause* Er, tell him secretly to talk to my friends. As for you, sneak out and go to my room. Remove those dumb clothes from the Aero bags and put them on the part where I put my T-shirts and pants. Then put my boy clothes in the Aero bags please. *pause* Please. I'm totally begging you. *pause* Fine. I'll help you out on your English. *pause* Okay. Deal. Bye."
"So you have to go home now?"
"Yeah." She looked at Sendoh's cell phone. "Oh. So we have the same ringing tone?"
"Yeah. My sister. Remember she watches Rurouni Kenshin, too."
"So you're pretty close to her then."
"Yeah."
"I want to talk to you longer but. I have to go."
"Oh. Yes of course." Sendoh said, greatly disappointed.
"You don't want me to go, do you?"
"Well. I don't but you have to so I won't exactly stop you."
"Hmmm."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I like hanging out with you."
Sendoh was caught off guard but he hid it behind a smile. "Want to have a dare?" Sendoh said suddenly.
"Shoot."
"Okay. I dare you to go to school and pay attention and participate in class. Also, show up for your soccer practice and participate. Do that for as long as you can."
"What if I don't agree to do that?"
"Are you backing on a dare? Too bad. I thought that you can win a challenge."
"How can you be so sure that I'll really do that if I agree?"
"Word of Honor."
"What if I say that I don't have a Word of Honor?"
"Then that's a major leek for your pride."
Haruka looked at him closely. "You're tricky."
"Are you on the dare?"
"Fine. But I also dare you to balance your drum session with your basketball and I dare you to learn to skate."
"Okay. So we have a deal of dare here?" Sendoh held out his hand.
"We have." Haruka held out her pinky finger at him.
"Oh." Sendoh held out his pinky finger like what Haruka was doing and Haruka clipped her pinky in his.
"You have my Word of Honor."
"You have my Word of Honor, too." Sendoh said with a smile. "Can we - may we exchange our cell number?"
"Well, mine is kind of confidential. So I'll ask you to give me your word that you won't give it to anyone."
"You have my word. My number is kind of confidential, too."
"You have my word. I'll save my number on your cell phone and save yours in mine." Haruka handed Sendoh her cell phone and got his in return.
Haruka handed him his cell phone after saving her number then put on her sunglasses and cap. "Well. I'll go now. Bye, er-"
"Akira." Sendoh said, not giving her his last name so that she'll call him by his first name.
"Oh. Bye Akira-san." She smiled and skated away hurriedly.
~tbc~
Author's Note: Okay. I hope chapter 3 and 4 is not hanging. I decided to upload two chapters because I didn't know where to cut. Chapter 3 seems too short. If I placed the contents of chapter 4, it'd be too long so here - two chapters. Anyway, thank you so much to those who reviewed the past chapters. Thank you. ^^
My Answers to the Reviewers:
frozenfemale Don't worry. The story is already finished. I'm just trying to dissect it properly. Do continue to read. ^^
Jo-sen7 I will as long as you people are still there ^^
tensaispira Here. Two chappies ^^
Author: Haze
Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk so don't sue me please.
Chapter 4:
It was still five am but Sendoh was already on his way to the park to practice for basketball. He couldn't sleep straight and when he finally couldn't stand it, he decided to just go out for practice.
He was wearing shorts, T-shirt, and his rubber shoes and he was carrying his basketball stuff in his sports bag which is slung on his left shoulder. He had just turned in a corner when someone bumped into him.
He looked down at the person and saw a familiar boy seated on the sidewalk. He reached his hand to help the boy up. The boy ignored it and forcedly stood up.
Sendoh looked at the boy. He was about 171 cm. He had a pair of sunglasses on, a cap worn reversely and a pair of earphones on his ears. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a big T-shirt over it. He was on a cargo pants and roller blades.
"Sorry." Sendoh muttered.
The boy looked at him closely and pulled the earphones off his ears.
"Are you alright?" Sendoh said after noticing that the boy was silent.
"Yeah." He was about to skate away.
"Hey. You look familiar." Sendoh heard himself call out to the boy.
"I always skate around here at this time." The boy replied.
"Oh so you're that boy that I always see whenever I walk this way at this time." Sendoh didn't understand why he was keeping this boy from skating away. Sendoh somehow felt a certain presence that drew him to this boy.
"See ya."
"Wait. Are you going home now?" Sendoh asked before the boy could skate away.
"No." He said flatly, obviously wanting to skate away now.
"Do you mind if I tag along?"
The boy looked deep in thought before looking at Sendoh again and sighing. "I don't mind as long as you don't bother me." Then he skated away.
Sendoh smiled then ran after the boy. He's so elusive. I wonder why. Sendoh thought as he ran and tried to keep pace with the boy.
Finally the boy stopped and looked at Sendoh who was panting hard.
"What's the matter?" Sendoh asked.
"You seem too tired to keep up."
"It's not easy to *pant* keep up on foot *pant* when you're skating as if a *pant* train is *pant* after you and if I'm *pant* carrying something." Sendoh blurted out between his hard panting.
"I'm sorry about that. I usually skate this way."
"You amaze me. How can you skate that fast?"
"I always skate every morning that's why I developed my fast speed on skates. Are you hungry?"
"Now that you mentioned well-"
"Come on then." He skated slowly towards a fast food store that opens at six am.
Sendoh followed him and saw him ordering food at the counter. He approached the boy and saw him already carrying a tray of food. The boy skated to a table in a corner. Sendoh followed him and sat across the boy.
"Here." The boy said and handed Sendoh his breakfast.
"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"
"You don't have to pay me. It's my treat."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry about skating so fast."
"It's alright. Maybe I should run after you every morning to improve my stamina."
"You have a good stamina. No one could keep up with me for almost two hours unlike you."
"I see. Can I be frank?"
"Shoot."
"What?" Sendoh said confusedly.
"I said 'Shoot'. It means start firing your statements already."
"Oh."
"So what did you want to tell me?"
"Why don't you remove your cap and sunglasses? And well, why do you sound almost like a girl trying to imitate a boy's voice?"
The boy looked at him closely before finally smiling and removing his cap and sunglasses. Sendoh stared at the boy who was truthfully a girl. A purple-eyed girl with light blue hair.
"Haruka?" Sendoh muttered with shock in his voice.
"Shocking huh. Don't tell anyone."
"But why?"
"So that no one would bother me." She rolled her eyeballs. "I don't understand why they keep on trying to jog or skate with me."
"Boys?" Sendoh smiled.
"Yeah. Geez! What's up with their crazy minds anyway?"
"They're trying to make you notice them."
"So that I can teach them to skate? Geez! Why don't they just hire some instructors or something?"
Sendoh smiled even more. So his Haruka is someone who ignores boys' advances on her. She's someone dense enough to ignore even him.
"I guess I should be feeling very honored." Sendoh smiled.
"Huh?"
"I mean you don't want anyone especially boys to tag along with you. But you allowed me and even treated me to breakfast. To top it all, you even revealed to me that you're actually a girl."
She just smiled and continued eating her food.
"So you skate even on schooldays?"
"Yeah. I skate before I prepare to go to school."
"What is your favorite subject?"
"Lunch break and detention." She smirked.
"What?" Sendoh looked shocked.
"Shocked? Well. I only sleep at school or go to the rooftop. Well to sleep, too. When I sleep inside the classroom, the teacher gives me detention so I skip class most of the time."
"Aren't you bothered by that?" He said, still shocked.
"No. It gives me more time to sleep."
"Aren't you into sports?"
"I'm in the soccer team."
"Oh. How's practice?"
"I don't know."
"How come?"
"I don't usually show up for practice."
"What?" Sendoh was again shocked.
"You seem to be easily shocked. Well. I'm not really interested in soccer so why should I bother to show up?"
"What's your coach's reaction?"
"She just looks happy when I show up. But she doesn't go into scolding me when I don't turn up for many practices."
"Why not?"
"She grew tired of it, I guess."
"If you're not interested in soccer, why did you join?"
"I didn't join on my free will. They kept on bugging me and they even talked to my brother and friends to talk me into joining the soccer team."
"So you're not interested in school and sports. What are you interested in then?"
"Sleeping, listening to music, and skating."
"Sounds like you are someone I know though he's interested in basketball. I always hear his teammates say that he does nothing but sleep and listen to music if he's not practicing basketball."
"Oh."
"Where do you study anyway?"
"Kainandai High. You?"
"Ryonan High. Kainan is very particular with excellence."
"I get your point. I don't know why they're so lenient on me. I'm even wondering why they're still keeping me on the team even in the school."
"If you don't go to class, how can you answer on quizzes?"
"I don't. I simply write my name on the paper and pass it to the teacher."
"What's your grade then?"
"What else but an F."
"What are your parents' comments about all this?"
"My dad's with his new wife in Europe." A shadow settled on her sparkling eyes. "And my mom's in heaven already."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. I've gotten over the fact that my family will never be the same." She then smiled bitterly.
"I'm really so sorry to have opened the topic."
"I said it's alright. Do you play drums?"
"Yeah, well I used to."
"Why did you stop?"
"Because I have basketball now."
"Oh."
"Do you play drums?"
"I used to but it bothers my brother and everyone in the house so I stopped."
"Oh. So what will you do for the rest of the day?"
"Skate around I guess."
"How about going to the mall with your friends?"
"I don't want to. They'll go shopping again. I hate shopping."
"Oh."
"I'm not quite what you expected, am I?"
Sendoh looked at her closely and saw sadness in her eyes before they became expressionless again.
"It's okay. You can be frank with me." Haruka told him to assure him.
"Well not really. I expected you to be different even the first time we actually had a conversation which was technically yesterday."
"You seemed to remember much."
"It was only yesterday."
"I guess you're right."
"You don't seem to like hanging out with people."
"I don't and I hate being followed around."
"Oh I see. So you'll hate me if I tell you that I want to follow you around."
"I won't. I know that you won't say that. Besides, I would just probably laugh at you."
"Then why aren't you laughing now?" Sendoh said, giving her his most charming smile.
"I got to tell you. You have a very charming smile." She grinned. "Caught you off guard huh."
"Sort of."
"Do you skate?"
"No."
"Oh."
"But I can run beside you if you'll allow me." He smiled teasingly at her.
She just smiled at him and continued to eat.
"Well? May I run with you every morning?"
"Maybe."
"That's good enough for a yes in my opinion. Are you fond of watching TV?"
"Yeah. I watch Rurouni Kenshin."
"Really? My sister is fond of watching that, too."
***RING (Ringing Tone: Ice Blue Eyes)***
Both Sendoh and Haruka reached out and pulled their cell phone.
"Hello? I'm eating breakfast. *pause* No, you don't have to fetch me. *pause* Yes, I can skate home. *pause* What? Why didn't they call me first? *pause* I'm not in the mood to go out with them. *pause* I'm sorry. Fine. Tell them that I'll be home soon. Did they go to my room? *pause* Oh good. Er, is Naga-chan there? *pause* Nothing. We're up to nothing. *pause* Okay. Bye." She looked at Sendoh. "Excuse me. I've to make a call."
"Go ahead."
"Er, Naga-chan, do me a favor. Is Chiro-chan with you? *pause* Er, tell him secretly to talk to my friends. As for you, sneak out and go to my room. Remove those dumb clothes from the Aero bags and put them on the part where I put my T-shirts and pants. Then put my boy clothes in the Aero bags please. *pause* Please. I'm totally begging you. *pause* Fine. I'll help you out on your English. *pause* Okay. Deal. Bye."
"So you have to go home now?"
"Yeah." She looked at Sendoh's cell phone. "Oh. So we have the same ringing tone?"
"Yeah. My sister. Remember she watches Rurouni Kenshin, too."
"So you're pretty close to her then."
"Yeah."
"I want to talk to you longer but. I have to go."
"Oh. Yes of course." Sendoh said, greatly disappointed.
"You don't want me to go, do you?"
"Well. I don't but you have to so I won't exactly stop you."
"Hmmm."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I like hanging out with you."
Sendoh was caught off guard but he hid it behind a smile. "Want to have a dare?" Sendoh said suddenly.
"Shoot."
"Okay. I dare you to go to school and pay attention and participate in class. Also, show up for your soccer practice and participate. Do that for as long as you can."
"What if I don't agree to do that?"
"Are you backing on a dare? Too bad. I thought that you can win a challenge."
"How can you be so sure that I'll really do that if I agree?"
"Word of Honor."
"What if I say that I don't have a Word of Honor?"
"Then that's a major leek for your pride."
Haruka looked at him closely. "You're tricky."
"Are you on the dare?"
"Fine. But I also dare you to balance your drum session with your basketball and I dare you to learn to skate."
"Okay. So we have a deal of dare here?" Sendoh held out his hand.
"We have." Haruka held out her pinky finger at him.
"Oh." Sendoh held out his pinky finger like what Haruka was doing and Haruka clipped her pinky in his.
"You have my Word of Honor."
"You have my Word of Honor, too." Sendoh said with a smile. "Can we - may we exchange our cell number?"
"Well, mine is kind of confidential. So I'll ask you to give me your word that you won't give it to anyone."
"You have my word. My number is kind of confidential, too."
"You have my word. I'll save my number on your cell phone and save yours in mine." Haruka handed Sendoh her cell phone and got his in return.
Haruka handed him his cell phone after saving her number then put on her sunglasses and cap. "Well. I'll go now. Bye, er-"
"Akira." Sendoh said, not giving her his last name so that she'll call him by his first name.
"Oh. Bye Akira-san." She smiled and skated away hurriedly.
~tbc~
Author's Note: Okay. I hope chapter 3 and 4 is not hanging. I decided to upload two chapters because I didn't know where to cut. Chapter 3 seems too short. If I placed the contents of chapter 4, it'd be too long so here - two chapters. Anyway, thank you so much to those who reviewed the past chapters. Thank you. ^^
My Answers to the Reviewers:
frozenfemale Don't worry. The story is already finished. I'm just trying to dissect it properly. Do continue to read. ^^
Jo-sen7 I will as long as you people are still there ^^
tensaispira Here. Two chappies ^^