Disclaimer : Slam Dunk is owned by Takehiko Inoue. Keitaro is mine!

Note: Sentences in italics are thoughts.

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AjA - Here's more!

lambie - Glad you're back and read my fic. Did you enjoyed camping? I bet you are preparing to move now or have you moved already? Thanks for the kind review!

koishii - Bitin ba? Hehe... You bet I am waiting for your fic.

wawa-san - Geee...thanks. Here's the next chapter.

fatima - You make me cry *sniff*sniff* Thank you so much.

zidane - Yes, it's hard to find RuHaru fics that's why I am doing them. Thank you so much for your support. You just kept me going.

Afrokane - Surprise! Surprise!

China eyes - Thanks a lot!

frozenfemale - Nope, not stepbrother. And Kogure is a project engineer so he has to be at the construction site. In this fic, he manages and oversees the completion of a railway system.

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I Couldn't Ask For More

Chapter 7: Meeting Her Again

Haruko Akagi is busy preparing for dinner. Where is that child? He should be home by now. She glanced at the wall clock. 6:10 pm. As if on cue, she heard her son's voice at the door.

"Okaa-san!! I brought a friend!"

"Kei-chan! You're late! Who is-----" Haruko stopped to look at the man who is with her son. "Ru-Rukawa-kun?" Her eyes wide in surprise at seeing the man she had almost forgotten. When was the last time she saw him? Nine years ago? Although still handsome, his face is somewhat rugged as if he had been through a lot. He got color on his face now unlike before when he was pale as a white sheet of paper. He still has the same messy raven hair. She could see some stubble on the sides of his face and he's also taller than he used to be. An inch or two perhaps?

Rukawa froze. Haruko? She is Keitaro's mother? He couldn't believe his eyes. There she is, standing a few feet in front of him. The girl who's always been on his mind lately. The girl who used to have a huge crush on him. The girl who used to cheer for him way back in high school. He is seeing a full-grown woman now. She used to be so skinny in high school although she still has the same shoulder length brown hair tied at her back and the same sparkling look in her big eyes. But something is different about her now. He just couldn't make out what it is. Suddenly all the things the little boy told him about his mother came coming back to him. How could anyone do such things to her?

"When did you come back?" Haruko cheerfully smiled at him, still surprised.

"Um…. I came back about a month ago." He fidgeted for a moment there. After a long time, he can hear her voice once again and see her cheerful smile.

Little Keitaro kept on moving his eyes from his mother to the tall man and back to his mother. "Do you know him, mother?" He tugged at his mother's apron.

Haruko crouched in front of her son and smiled as she brushed off some dirt from his shirt. "Kei-chan, we went to the same school before." Then she got up and smiled at Rukawa. "Thanks for bringing Kei-chan home. Come on in."

He took his shoes off and walked in. Haruko led her to the living room.

"Please make yourself comfortable. I'll just get back to the kitchen." Haruko tilted her head and smiled then turned to her son. "Kei-chan, go clean yourself. Dinner will be ready soon, ok?"

"Hai, mom." Then he turned to his friend and bowed. "I'll be right back, Rukawa-san." The little boy ran ahead of his mother.

When the two left him, Rukawa sat and looked around the house. It's a small house but neatly kept. There's only the living room adjacent to the kitchen. On the other side presumably are two small rooms. He leaned his elbows on his legs and clasped his hands together.

She's changed.

No blush at all.

He remembered how she used to blush all the time whenever he was around. She must have finally gotten over me.

Of course, you idiot, it's been nine years.

His eyes caught sight of a picture frame hanging on the wall. He stood up and took a few steps to see it. It was their basketball team picture taken during their senior year. He was the basketball team captain, Sakuragi was the vice-captain and Haruko was the team manageress.

He smiled inwardly.

Those were the times.

He lowered his gaze and saw a couple of picture frames at the table beside him. The first picture was of Keitaro wearing a big smile on his face. It was taken at the basketball court at the park. He was holding his basketball at his side.

Then he looked at the other frame. It was a picture of Keitaro and his mother sitting on a bench. Haruko was being her cheerful self as her son's arms are wrapped around her neck.

She's obviously happy.

"Rukawa-kun! Join us for dinner!" Haruko called out to him. She is not wearing the apron now. He had to admit to himself that she is still beautiful after all these years. She then walked past him and looked for her son. "Kei-chan! Dinner is ready!"

Loud running steps could be heard as the boy came dashing out of his room. "Hai, Okaa-san!" He was still buttoning his shirt as he approached the dining table. Rukawa followed the little boy. Haruko and Keitaro sat beside each other while Rukawa sat at the other side. Laid out on the table were bowls of white rice, miso shuri, pickled vegetables and fish.

"Rukawa-san, my mom is a good cook, you know." Keitaro proudly beamed his face up to him.

The basketball player nodded and smiled. "I bet."

Haruko gaped and blinked for a second. "Rukawa-kun? You smiled!"

"Eh?" Little Keitaro could only scratch his head. He wondered how a smile from his friend could elicit such a response from his mother. Everyone smiles, right? What's the big deal? Then he remembered that her mother taught him not to butt in when adults are talking so he kept quiet and concentrated on eating.

"Onii-chan is in California now including his whole family. He is working as a computer programmer there." She started.

He looked at her. "I see. I just learned you sold your house." Still no blush.

"Hai. It was too big for us anyway so onii-chan sold it before he left for America. He got us this smaller place just a year ago."

"I talked to Miyagi-sempai and Ayako-sempai the other week and they told me about the others." He paused. "It seemed that even Sakuragi is not in Kanagawa anymore." He looked at her still wondering why she didn't end up with him.

"Ah, hai. He got married and settled in Kyoto. He and his friends are partners in a toy manufacturing company that they set up." She smiled at him. "He has two sons now, both of them have red hair just like their father!" Then she let out a soft laughter.

She is still as cheerful as ever.

Haruko turned to wipe some sauce from her son's face. "Do you have any assignment for tomorrow, Kei-chan?"

"Hai. But it will be easy. I can do it, Okaa-san." He proudly announced.

"Alright then, do it after dinner. But don't forget to brush your teeth first, ne?"

"Hai. Awww…Geee….mom, I know what to do already. You're treating me like a baby!" Little Keitaro whined.

Haruko laughed at her son and clamped his chin. "But you are still a baby. You are my baby!"

Poor little Keitaro blushed knowing there's another person who heard that. He wanted to cringe. Haruko who knows her son too well, let out a soft laughter and patted his back. "Ok, ok."

Rukawa chuckled and couldn't help but feeling envious as the memory of him and his mother seems to be replaying in front of him.

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"So how's NBA?" Haruko asked. It was after dinner and the two decided to chat a little to catch up on some things.

"I already left NBA. I am playing for the All Japan Team now." Rukawa answered.

"Really? Kei-chan probably doesn't have any idea that his mentor is a great basketball player. He really loves basketball. Thank you so much for teaching him."

"It's nothing. How about you? How are you doing?" He is not really a busybody but he wanted to know.

"We are doing alright. I teach kids at pre-school in the morning." She replied.

"Keitaro told me about what happened to you and his father." He surprised himself. He just realized that he touched a very sensitive subject. Since when did I become nosy?

"Oh. That kid!" Haruko felt embarrassed when she learned that Rukawa knew what happened. No one among the team knew except her brother, Takenori. It is not something that she can be proud of. But there's no use denying it now for he already knew. "My husband and I just got our divorce a year ago. The day the court had granted me the custody of Kei-chan was the happiest day of my life." Her eyes smiled at the sight of her son who is busy digging at his bag inside his room. "He is all I have now."

He looked for regret in her eyes but there was none.

No sadness.

No regrets.

Nothing at all.

He quickly looked away when she turned to look at him. He cannot let her see him blush like some high school boy, can he?

"I better go. I still have practice tomorrow. Thanks for the dinner." He slightly bowed to her.

"Hai. It's nothing. Oh, wait." She turned to peek into her son's room. "Kei-chan, he is leaving. Wanna say goodbye?"

The little boy looked up from writing on his notebook. "Hai." He stood up and ran out of his room. "Thanks for teaching me basketball again, Rukawa-san." He bowed to the tall man.

"It's alright. Just practice some more and you will be good!" He placed his hand on top of the boy's head.

"Hai!" The little boy pumped a fist up in the air.

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Now be a sweetheart and tell me you are still reading. -_~