Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk at all.
"Hi, can I join you guys?" I say brightly, maybe a little too brightly. I sound as if I'm high on helium. I panic and start to think that maybe this isn't such a great idea. Thousands of "what ifs" flash through my mind and I start envisioning horrible reactions to my question.
Breathe Kai, breathe. Great. I can stand in front of a huge audience and debate the most controversial issues on the planet, but in front of 5 boys, I turn into a blithering, blubbering imbecile.
The irony sickens me.
The boys abruptly end their lively conversation and stare at me. Five blank faces greet me. No words are exchanged and the silence only helps to add to my discomfort.
"Uh do we know you?" one of them, the dark haired one, says. He's frowning at me, as if trying to recall my face.
"Well, no. But I bumped into you on Saturday!" I address Rukawa directly and smile hopefully at him.
Please, please, please remember me.
He stares blankly back at me.
"Ok, never mind then. I guess I'll be leaving now!" I squeak and turn around quickly to hide my red cheeks. I can imagine them mimicking my awkward behaviour and laughing at my weird actions. They're probably wondering why a geek like me, has anything to with them anyway.
"Hey wait!"
I stop in my tracks but I can't bring myself to face them. I don't think I can take the mocking looks on their faces. For a split second, I just stand there, fidgeting. Then I force myself to look at them.
"Didn't you want to sit with us?" The dark haired boy says and smiles kindly at me.
Huh?
"Y.yes," I stutter. I'm vaguely aware that my feet are taking me back to their table. The dark haired boy pulls out a seat for me, and I lower myself into it. I smile a tentative smile at all of them. They smile back.
I'm not sure of what to say now, as I never expected to get this far. So I just continue smiling at them. And that's all we do for a while, just smile at each other.
"So. I'm Youhei," The dark haired boy introduces himself, and I inwardly thank him for speaking up as my jaw is starting to ache a lot. "And that's Takamiya, Ohkesu, Noma and."
"Oh I know his name!" I interrupt Youhei at this point and manage another smile at Rukawa.
"You do?" The bespectacled one, Takamiya says curiously.
"Yeah I'm actually a big fan of his." I say. The four boys exchange looks. Then they burst out laughing.
"A fan?? A fan of the king of fouls?? Hahaha!"
"The world must be coming to an end!!"
I scowl at all of them and silently wish that they laugh so hard that they'll pee in their pants. I don't think that what I said was funny at all. Rukawa has tons of fans, why is it funny that I am one of them? Unless.
I don't have time to react though, because Rukawa suddenly goes crazy and starts head-butting all of them. I watch in horror as each of them collapses to the ground, somewhat paralysed by the shocks they've received.
"Mmhahahaha, so you're a fan of the tensai!" Rukawa says and laughs again. His swift changing moods amazes me.
"Yeah, I think you play basketball really well. You make playing basketball an, um art form!" Maybe I'm laying it on a little too thick, but Rukawa seems to buy it. He seems more pleased and he laughs even louder.
The bell rings and I snatch up my last chance to ask him out.
"So uh, would you like to go for a movie sometime?" I ask boldly. He looks at me for a moment and then reaches over to pat my shoulder.
"I can't, I have my Haruko-chan" I blush at his words. I should have known he had a girlfriend. It was strange that Keiko never mentioned it though. I mumble my goodbye and walk away quickly.
"Megane-chan!" I pause and look at him. "What's your name?"
I smile my first genuine smile of the day.
"It's Kai." I say and disappear into the crowd. ***
I meet up with Keiko in the hallway. She's a little down because she didn't get to see Rukawa at the rooftop today. Apparently he was in the gym practising. I cannot resist telling her about my little lunch meeting with him.
"WHAT!!" Keiko practically screams into my ear. I continue to tell her that I even asked him out. Keiko stares at me incredulously. She's not too pleased to hear this bit of news though, because she grabs me by the collar and asks me if I'm for real.
I squirm out of her tight hold and tell her that he turned me down already.
"Besides he's interested in some other girl, a Haruko something." I say as I straighten my uniform.
"The Akagi girl!!" Keiko screamed louder. By now everyone in the hallway is looking at us curiously. Keiko glares at them.
We have to part ways and head for our respective classes. I bid Keiko good-bye but I don't think she hears me. She storms off, muttering something about how the Akagi girl is going to get it when the rest finds out about this. I should have never said anything to Keiko.
I walk briskly to my class. I pass by a classroom and see a familiar redhead inside, struggling to solve the question on the board. Poor guy.
"SAKURAGI HANAMICHI! Do you or do you not know the answer!" The sensei roars.
I shake my head and am about to walk on when the sensei's words sink in.
Sakuragi Hanamichi? Then he's not. .
I watch in disbelief as 'Rukawa' responds to the name of Sakuragi Hanamichi and sullenly retreats to his seat.
"Hi, can I join you guys?" I say brightly, maybe a little too brightly. I sound as if I'm high on helium. I panic and start to think that maybe this isn't such a great idea. Thousands of "what ifs" flash through my mind and I start envisioning horrible reactions to my question.
Breathe Kai, breathe. Great. I can stand in front of a huge audience and debate the most controversial issues on the planet, but in front of 5 boys, I turn into a blithering, blubbering imbecile.
The irony sickens me.
The boys abruptly end their lively conversation and stare at me. Five blank faces greet me. No words are exchanged and the silence only helps to add to my discomfort.
"Uh do we know you?" one of them, the dark haired one, says. He's frowning at me, as if trying to recall my face.
"Well, no. But I bumped into you on Saturday!" I address Rukawa directly and smile hopefully at him.
Please, please, please remember me.
He stares blankly back at me.
"Ok, never mind then. I guess I'll be leaving now!" I squeak and turn around quickly to hide my red cheeks. I can imagine them mimicking my awkward behaviour and laughing at my weird actions. They're probably wondering why a geek like me, has anything to with them anyway.
"Hey wait!"
I stop in my tracks but I can't bring myself to face them. I don't think I can take the mocking looks on their faces. For a split second, I just stand there, fidgeting. Then I force myself to look at them.
"Didn't you want to sit with us?" The dark haired boy says and smiles kindly at me.
Huh?
"Y.yes," I stutter. I'm vaguely aware that my feet are taking me back to their table. The dark haired boy pulls out a seat for me, and I lower myself into it. I smile a tentative smile at all of them. They smile back.
I'm not sure of what to say now, as I never expected to get this far. So I just continue smiling at them. And that's all we do for a while, just smile at each other.
"So. I'm Youhei," The dark haired boy introduces himself, and I inwardly thank him for speaking up as my jaw is starting to ache a lot. "And that's Takamiya, Ohkesu, Noma and."
"Oh I know his name!" I interrupt Youhei at this point and manage another smile at Rukawa.
"You do?" The bespectacled one, Takamiya says curiously.
"Yeah I'm actually a big fan of his." I say. The four boys exchange looks. Then they burst out laughing.
"A fan?? A fan of the king of fouls?? Hahaha!"
"The world must be coming to an end!!"
I scowl at all of them and silently wish that they laugh so hard that they'll pee in their pants. I don't think that what I said was funny at all. Rukawa has tons of fans, why is it funny that I am one of them? Unless.
I don't have time to react though, because Rukawa suddenly goes crazy and starts head-butting all of them. I watch in horror as each of them collapses to the ground, somewhat paralysed by the shocks they've received.
"Mmhahahaha, so you're a fan of the tensai!" Rukawa says and laughs again. His swift changing moods amazes me.
"Yeah, I think you play basketball really well. You make playing basketball an, um art form!" Maybe I'm laying it on a little too thick, but Rukawa seems to buy it. He seems more pleased and he laughs even louder.
The bell rings and I snatch up my last chance to ask him out.
"So uh, would you like to go for a movie sometime?" I ask boldly. He looks at me for a moment and then reaches over to pat my shoulder.
"I can't, I have my Haruko-chan" I blush at his words. I should have known he had a girlfriend. It was strange that Keiko never mentioned it though. I mumble my goodbye and walk away quickly.
"Megane-chan!" I pause and look at him. "What's your name?"
I smile my first genuine smile of the day.
"It's Kai." I say and disappear into the crowd. ***
I meet up with Keiko in the hallway. She's a little down because she didn't get to see Rukawa at the rooftop today. Apparently he was in the gym practising. I cannot resist telling her about my little lunch meeting with him.
"WHAT!!" Keiko practically screams into my ear. I continue to tell her that I even asked him out. Keiko stares at me incredulously. She's not too pleased to hear this bit of news though, because she grabs me by the collar and asks me if I'm for real.
I squirm out of her tight hold and tell her that he turned me down already.
"Besides he's interested in some other girl, a Haruko something." I say as I straighten my uniform.
"The Akagi girl!!" Keiko screamed louder. By now everyone in the hallway is looking at us curiously. Keiko glares at them.
We have to part ways and head for our respective classes. I bid Keiko good-bye but I don't think she hears me. She storms off, muttering something about how the Akagi girl is going to get it when the rest finds out about this. I should have never said anything to Keiko.
I walk briskly to my class. I pass by a classroom and see a familiar redhead inside, struggling to solve the question on the board. Poor guy.
"SAKURAGI HANAMICHI! Do you or do you not know the answer!" The sensei roars.
I shake my head and am about to walk on when the sensei's words sink in.
Sakuragi Hanamichi? Then he's not. .
I watch in disbelief as 'Rukawa' responds to the name of Sakuragi Hanamichi and sullenly retreats to his seat.