Disclaimer: I don't own any of the slam dunk characters thereof.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: The Truth

Ryota just stared at Ayako who was getting father and farther  as she ran away from him.

I couldn't believe I did it.. I hurt her.. But I love her so much more than my life...

It's just that I have to sacrifice now in exchange of what may happen in the future...

Ryota thought a tear falling down his cheek.

"I have to be strong for I have to pass this. This is just one of many challenges I have to take," Ryota said firmly.

"Still I just can't forget that day… It was just a few months away. The one which started everything," Ryota said while starting to reminisce the past…………

It was one exhausting afternoon for Shohoku has just finished their practice game with Shoyo.

"Hmmm…That was one basketball game!" Ryota exclaimed as he changed his clothes.

"Well, we wouldn't have won over them if it wasn't for me, the tensai! Hahahahaha!" Sakuragi said.

Ryota just rolled his eyes. Here we go again, Shohoku will never be the same again without Sakuragi. Ryota thought just smiling.

"What are you smiling at huh.. Ryota?" Sakuragi asked. "You agreeing with me?"

"Nothing.." he just replied.

Ryota quickly changed his clothes packed his things and in a snap he was ready to go home. Ryota said goodbye to his teammates and went off.

Ryota was walking silently thinking of only one person in mind, Ayako.

"Haayy.. Ayako, I really love you…,"he whispered silently while the wind blew softly to his ears.

It was almost ten months since they became a couple. Everything was really purely perfect. Everybody thinks they look cute together and they're perfect for each other.

Hmmm.. Ten months, that's a long time now and two more to go and we'll be a year already and still going strong. Ryota thought excitedly.

Ryota reached his simple but elegant cream colored house with a red colored rooftop. He hurriedly went to his room to be able to relax. But when he was climbing up their stairs.  He suddenly felt dizzy which made him difficult to move. Good thing he was able to regain his balance. So as slowly as possible he walked to his room.

"Wow, that was close.. what's happening to me? I'd better get to sleep now. I just lack sleep from all the practice games we had. Truly, Akagi is getting stricter and stricter when it comes to us each day," he said looking sleepy already.

Ryota went straight to bed as usual. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Tick…Tock..Tick..Tock… Time passed by without you even noticing it.

It's been almost three hours since Ryota slept. In the middle of the night he woke up. He was shivering… and sweat was trickling down his face and body.

Uhgh! What am I feeling right now? I've never felt this before. I feel like I'm in South pole or something.

Ryota stayed up late. He was not able to sleep the whole time since he already woke up.

The next morning, Ryota looked terrible. He doesn't have the usual aura and the appeal. He wasn't the typical Ryota.

"I look sooo terrible,"Ryota whispered while he was checking his reflection at the mirror. "I better go now, Ayako's waiting for me to fetch her up"

Ryota hurriedly went outside his room said goodbye to his parents and off he went to Ayako as usual.

Ayako was waiting outside her house annoyed.

"You're late again, Ryota. You never really learn to wake up early don't you?" she said.

Ryota just smiled and tried to apologize.

"Please Ayako forgive me, I overslept last night," he lied. Oh well, another lie, it's just that I don't want her to worry about me...

"Oh well then apology accepted," she said smiling.

The two started walking towards Shohoku High. They were quiet for a moment and started to have a little conversation while walking.

"Umm.. Ryota, your game yesterday was just awesome," she complemented.

Ryota blushed deep red. He's always like that whenever Ayako says anything to her even during the time he was just courting her.

"Uh, Thanks, that game was for you," he replied.

Ayako smiled. "Wait, you look awful today, are you okay Ryota?" she asked.

"Uh.. Of course I am!" he said with crossed fingers at his back.

After sometime, they reached Shohoku. The two were welcomed by who else? Sakuragi.

"Oh, look what we have here, Ayako and Ryota… love birds eh? Bwahahah!" he said.

Ayako and Ryota blushed, ashamed of other students.

The two walked hurriedly past away from him to save themselves from shame.

They entered the class as usual then in no time the bell rang signaling the beginning of the subject. Then, entered their Math teacher.

As usual booorriinng…he thought. Ughh.. I'm not really in the mood to listen right now.. I feel terrible like I want to vomit. But I just don't want Ayako to worry, he thought staring at Ayako.

After forty five minutes of staring blankly and not listening to the teacher, the bell rang. Next comes five more subjects.

"Oh my, I hope I can still survive even until the last subject," he whispered. "I've just got to go to the doctor."

Well, It seemed like an eternity for Ryota but finally, dismissal.

RRRrrrrinnnnng…

"That's it!" Ryota said.

"Weird" others whispered.

Ryota just ignored them and went to tell something Ayako.

"Ayako, can you please tell Akagi I won't attend practice today?" he asked.

"Umm.. sure. But I don't think you'll please him when he find that out. Why you goin to do something?" she asked.

"Hehehe.. yah I know. I just can imagine Akagi's ears smoking and the works. Well, actually.. I'm really goin to do something,"Ryota said. "Okay then I'll go already…"

Ryota walked pass her to completely avoid her questions.

"Ahhh.. Here I am.. Dr.Shukibu.. reading the sign on the clinic door." He said.

Ryota knocked on the door and came Dr.Shukibu's assistant Hakura.

"Good day to you Ryota," Hakura said letting him in. "Just wait right here and I'll see if Dr.Shukibu has no patients yet"

After sometime, Hakura returned. "You may go to him now, Ryota"

Ryota went to the doctor and started confiding what he was feeling physically.

"Dr.Shukibu… Yesterday I started to feel dizzy and cold. This never happened to me before even after practice games," he said.

"Umm.. I see dizziness? weak? cold? shivering?" he said. "I suggest you take a phusical exam for now."

"Anything you say doctor.." he said.

So on they went to conduct an X-ray and other physical exams. After some time of waiting for the results of the exams, Dr. Shukibu came back frowning.

"Tsk..tsk.. Ryota, too bad for you to have this at a very young age… I never thought it would be you." he said.

What? What is he trying to imply here? Am I dying or what? He thought with suspense.

"Ryota, you have chronic leukemia." he said  "But still we'll find some time to cure it slowly. Good thing we detected it earlier."

"Noooo!!"Ryota exclaimed, surprised about everything.

"Why of all people it has to be me? And with this suffering comes also another sacrifice, Ayako." he whispered.

"If only I could tell her now the truth. The truth that I love her more than anything. The Truth that I just don't want her to also suffer because of my suffering. I don't want her to think she'll lose me because of this leukemia for it's better to be this way." Ryota said after reminiscing.

If only… If only…If only…he continued.

A/NYah.. I know this is not something to be proud of

Again, Please try to bare with me for I am not that good in writing.

Also.. if you have some time, review this fic of mine.

Thanks for reading this chapter.

Up next: Chapter 2!!