CHAPTER 6: ANSWERS
By: Alea
The night was silent and the breeze crept upon her face. The loud cries from the Rukawa Brigade had disappeared. All that was left was she on the steps of school. She knew it was late and she should get out of here but she didn't want to. Something told her that she should wait for Rukawa.
'What if he's left?' She sighed and slowly and shifted positions. 'Does he like me?'
She closed her eyes and tried to remember what he had said to her the first time they met. She giggled aloud. All he did was look at her and take that ball.
"Do you need some ice?" She asked softly. "Are you going to be alright?"
Rukawa ignored her words and took the basketball that was right beside her. He practiced his superb dribbling and his offence against an 'imaginary' person.
Chiharu saw him. Astonished, she walked closer to him.
"You're… good… so … good." She said.
"Sakuragi? Sakuragi-Kun!" Chiharu yelled as she was still sitting down on the court. Then, she sighed. "He's always been a sore loser."
Rukawa looked at her. "I'm Rukawa Kaede."
He held out a hand and she clasped it. "I'm Tsukamoto Chiharu."
That was the first time she saw his eyes and his smile. She slowly opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Rukawa hadn't come out.
"Where is he?" She sighed and finally stood up. "Come on Rukawa-kun. I'm not going to wait here all day."
She put down her gym bag and strode towards a tree where she sat and leaned against. It was so nice and peaceful that she had to close her eyes. She forced them to be open otherwise Rukawa could walk pass and she wouldn't realize and would be here till the next day.
"Rukawa-kun." She whispered as she let her head back and slowly sighed. "Rukawa, Kaede. Aishiteru."
She slowly drifted to sleep.
*^*^*^*^
Rukawa held his towel and smelled her sweet smelling fragrance. It was still there after a while.
Then he banged his fist on to one of the lockers. "Why didn't I tell her?"
Frustration and anger started to build up as he packed away his things. "WHY?"
He then threw his bag to the floor and slid down the lockers. "Dammit! This is one hell of a mess I got into!"
He covered his face in his hands.
"Kuso!" He then let his head back against the lockers and closed his eyes to calm himself. "All I need is her answer."
"Her answer." He kept repeating to himself. "Her answer."
*^*^*^*^
She slowly opened her eyes and let out a slow yawn.
"What time is it?" She whispered to herself.
"11:00."
"Oh 11:00."
She suddenly woke up immediately.
'Shit. That's the voice that belonged to.."
She saw a pair of eyes and spiky hair covering her sight.
"Sendoh."
He was kneeling in front of her while she was sleeping.
"Morning babe."
She looked away and stood up. All she needed was him to ruin everything in her whole entire life.
"What do you want?" He stood up to reveal his height and took her bag for her.
"Being a gentlemen and waking you up unlike Rukawa." He retorted as he passed her bag. "It's not like you and him are together or anything anyway."
Her heart was pounding every time she thought of Rukawa and them being together but at the same time her eyes scowled at him. Thoughts ran into her mind signaling for Sendoh to leave her alone.
She snatched her bag and looked towards the gym. "He'd wake me up, anyway."
Sendoh put his hands in his pockets. "I don't know about that."
Chiharu didn't want to say anything to him and walked towards the gym. He followed.
"What do you want?"
"To ask you."
"Ask me?"
He felt his whole body tensing up.
"Please come back to me Chiharu!" He kneeled on the ground and she walked backwards slowly. Her heart was racing and her mind was still functioning, thank god! She didn't know what to say. She knew she had to say no and she wanted to. But, she felt that she should say yes. This is the same picture she saw in her mind when she wanted him to ask her.
'Say no, Chiharu! Say no!'
She could feel herself going to cry and she tried her hardest to keep the tears from coming. He looked at her with his lovely blue eyes. Suddenly, an image of the same pair of eyes flashed into mind, Rukawa.
"No!" She could feel tears flowing down her cheeks and into the corners of her mouth. "Never!"
She ran inside where she tripped and fell. "Never!"
She kept screaming as Sendoh came towards her. No one could hear her. In fact, no one was there besides her and Sendoh.
"Rukawa!" She screamed. "Rukawa-kun!"
Sendoh finally caught her arms and told her to calm down. She couldn't she could only think of Rukawa and no one else. "Let go of me!"
He didn't let go. How could he? He was still in love with her and the fact that she wasn't only made him feel worse. "Calm down, Calm down."
She didn't want to. She only struggled harder than before and it made him feel uncomfortable and upset. He loved her and he wanted to shout that to the whole world.
"LET GO SENDOH!"
"I want you Chiharu! I love you."
"Rukawa! RUKAWA!"
*^*^*^*
Rukawa rushed towards the screaming. He was on his way out when he saw a streak of blond hair and Sendoh. He had thought he was imaging things and walked away. But as he heard his name being called out and the fact that Sendoh was in there, he could only panic.
The first thought that came into his mind was "Chiharu."
Then came the fact of Sendoh and thoughts from today scared him half to death. The sighting of him on the bleachers and the staring of Chiharu.
He had dropped his bag and ran as fast as he could on campus to the gym. What was Sendoh trying to do? Kill her?
Rukawa shook the thought off and ran faster. The gym was in sight and the doors were wide open and the sight of Chiharu screaming enraged him.
"Let go, Sendoh." Rukawa glared at him and gave him the coldest glare he gave to anyone. "Leave her alone."
Sendoh stared at him in disbelief and loosened his grip on her. She pushed him aside and went towards Rukawa.
"Who do you think you are?" Sendoh asked. "What do you want with her? If you didn't come along, She'd be mine!"
Chiharu ran to his arms and cried on his shoulder.
Rukawa only glared at him and looked down at Chiharu. "I don't want anything. Just leave her alone."
"Chiharu! Tell him! Tell him everything! Tell him you still love me!" Sendoh shouted across the gym.
She only tried to ignore what happened the night that they were together on the seats of Ryonan.
Rukawa ignored him and closed the gym doors behind him. Then he looked at Chiharu whose eyes were red from crying.
"Daijobu?" He asked her as he wiped a tear from her eyes with his thumb. "You going to be okay?"
She nodded her head and looked back at the gym. "I'm okay. Thank you, Rukawa."
As they walked outside of campus, he looked at her and smiled. "Call me Kaede."
She smiled back with tears still welling up in her eyes. "Sure."
*^*^*^*
The sun had risen and the rays were spraying own onto earth and into Rukawa's eyes.
Rukawa hadn't slept throughout that night since he walked Chiharu home. He still couldn't believe Sendoh and how he tried to hurt Chiharu. There was no sense at all to hurt her. She'll never fall in love with someone who keeps hurting her. He laid back on his bed and shifted his position to his left. Chiharu's face was all he could make out. But what really hurt him were the tears that were streaming down her face and the torment that Sendoh put her through. Love is not to hate and that love is definitely not to hurt.
"Chiharu." He whispered. "Aishiteru."
With that, he finally drifted off to sleep as the picture of her smile and her blue eyes showed. But one thing he had to know was, 'Do you love me?'
*^*^*^*^
Her hands were wrapped around a basketball firmly as she stared at the hoop. She wanted to forget everything that happened last night and live on with her life and so after thinking of that she resorted to her love, Basketball. But still, tears came and she couldn't hold them back. It was too hard to think of anything else without thinking of Sendoh and Rukawa and last night. Not even basketball couldn't charm her way through the tortures of reality. It was simply impossible that she could only turn to giving up and going home. Problems like this, she would turn and run away from it hoping that it wouldn't follow her anywhere else.
She dropped the ball and walked over to the grassy patch beside her. There was a wonderful cool breeze sweeping the cold air onto her face as she laid down. She looked up at the Saturday morning sky and sighed.
"The sky has more fun than I do. It has feelings but never gets hurt, it is untouchable."
She touched her heart as she carried on talking to herself.
"Just like me and Ru.. Kaede. Does he like me?"
"I'm sure he likes you. But I believe he loves you."
Chiharu sat up and right beside her was the person she believed to love. "Kaede-kun!"
He smiled at her. "I didn't sleep last night." He mumbled.
"No wonder it was an amazement to me. I didn't think you'd be awake at this hour! Especially on a weekend. But why?" She giggled and was red with embarrassment.
He stroked a strand of hair behind her ear as he sat down beside her.
"I couldn't stop thinking of you."
She felt her heart pounding and her eyes twinkled at the sound of his words.
"I couldn't stop thinking of last night." She breathed a heavy sigh and lay back down again.
Rukawa smiled at the sleeping beauty on the covered grass.
"I would like to ask YOU a question."
She gave an annoyed look and sighed. "What is it?"
"What do YOU think of us?"
She paused. 'What if, what if he doesn't feel the same way? This is such an unfair question!'
"I, well.. I don't know what to say."
Rukawa force a smile and gulped as he touched his chest to feel his heart beat. What he was going to say could end everything he had with her. But, he was willing to risk it to tell her the truth.
"I love you, Chiharu." He said softly caressing her cheek with his hand. "I love you."
She stared into his eyes in disbelief it had only been a week since their first meeting and here he was telling her how much he loved her.
She had a beautiful smile on her face as Rukawa turned away thinking of rejection.
She turned his head towards hers and wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her head towards his.
"I love you, too."
They kissed passionately as the sun still was beating down on them.
Not too far away stood Mitsui as he plunged his hands into his pockets. "I love you too, Chiharu."
Author's Notes:
Is it good? I know I always put things unfinished.. at least I update it soon!
If there are any questions just put it on the comments page. I don't mind if you say anything bad about my work as long as it's constructive criticism!
Remember, not too rough! I'm just thirteen!
By: Alea
The night was silent and the breeze crept upon her face. The loud cries from the Rukawa Brigade had disappeared. All that was left was she on the steps of school. She knew it was late and she should get out of here but she didn't want to. Something told her that she should wait for Rukawa.
'What if he's left?' She sighed and slowly and shifted positions. 'Does he like me?'
She closed her eyes and tried to remember what he had said to her the first time they met. She giggled aloud. All he did was look at her and take that ball.
"Do you need some ice?" She asked softly. "Are you going to be alright?"
Rukawa ignored her words and took the basketball that was right beside her. He practiced his superb dribbling and his offence against an 'imaginary' person.
Chiharu saw him. Astonished, she walked closer to him.
"You're… good… so … good." She said.
"Sakuragi? Sakuragi-Kun!" Chiharu yelled as she was still sitting down on the court. Then, she sighed. "He's always been a sore loser."
Rukawa looked at her. "I'm Rukawa Kaede."
He held out a hand and she clasped it. "I'm Tsukamoto Chiharu."
That was the first time she saw his eyes and his smile. She slowly opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Rukawa hadn't come out.
"Where is he?" She sighed and finally stood up. "Come on Rukawa-kun. I'm not going to wait here all day."
She put down her gym bag and strode towards a tree where she sat and leaned against. It was so nice and peaceful that she had to close her eyes. She forced them to be open otherwise Rukawa could walk pass and she wouldn't realize and would be here till the next day.
"Rukawa-kun." She whispered as she let her head back and slowly sighed. "Rukawa, Kaede. Aishiteru."
She slowly drifted to sleep.
*^*^*^*^
Rukawa held his towel and smelled her sweet smelling fragrance. It was still there after a while.
Then he banged his fist on to one of the lockers. "Why didn't I tell her?"
Frustration and anger started to build up as he packed away his things. "WHY?"
He then threw his bag to the floor and slid down the lockers. "Dammit! This is one hell of a mess I got into!"
He covered his face in his hands.
"Kuso!" He then let his head back against the lockers and closed his eyes to calm himself. "All I need is her answer."
"Her answer." He kept repeating to himself. "Her answer."
*^*^*^*^
She slowly opened her eyes and let out a slow yawn.
"What time is it?" She whispered to herself.
"11:00."
"Oh 11:00."
She suddenly woke up immediately.
'Shit. That's the voice that belonged to.."
She saw a pair of eyes and spiky hair covering her sight.
"Sendoh."
He was kneeling in front of her while she was sleeping.
"Morning babe."
She looked away and stood up. All she needed was him to ruin everything in her whole entire life.
"What do you want?" He stood up to reveal his height and took her bag for her.
"Being a gentlemen and waking you up unlike Rukawa." He retorted as he passed her bag. "It's not like you and him are together or anything anyway."
Her heart was pounding every time she thought of Rukawa and them being together but at the same time her eyes scowled at him. Thoughts ran into her mind signaling for Sendoh to leave her alone.
She snatched her bag and looked towards the gym. "He'd wake me up, anyway."
Sendoh put his hands in his pockets. "I don't know about that."
Chiharu didn't want to say anything to him and walked towards the gym. He followed.
"What do you want?"
"To ask you."
"Ask me?"
He felt his whole body tensing up.
"Please come back to me Chiharu!" He kneeled on the ground and she walked backwards slowly. Her heart was racing and her mind was still functioning, thank god! She didn't know what to say. She knew she had to say no and she wanted to. But, she felt that she should say yes. This is the same picture she saw in her mind when she wanted him to ask her.
'Say no, Chiharu! Say no!'
She could feel herself going to cry and she tried her hardest to keep the tears from coming. He looked at her with his lovely blue eyes. Suddenly, an image of the same pair of eyes flashed into mind, Rukawa.
"No!" She could feel tears flowing down her cheeks and into the corners of her mouth. "Never!"
She ran inside where she tripped and fell. "Never!"
She kept screaming as Sendoh came towards her. No one could hear her. In fact, no one was there besides her and Sendoh.
"Rukawa!" She screamed. "Rukawa-kun!"
Sendoh finally caught her arms and told her to calm down. She couldn't she could only think of Rukawa and no one else. "Let go of me!"
He didn't let go. How could he? He was still in love with her and the fact that she wasn't only made him feel worse. "Calm down, Calm down."
She didn't want to. She only struggled harder than before and it made him feel uncomfortable and upset. He loved her and he wanted to shout that to the whole world.
"LET GO SENDOH!"
"I want you Chiharu! I love you."
"Rukawa! RUKAWA!"
*^*^*^*
Rukawa rushed towards the screaming. He was on his way out when he saw a streak of blond hair and Sendoh. He had thought he was imaging things and walked away. But as he heard his name being called out and the fact that Sendoh was in there, he could only panic.
The first thought that came into his mind was "Chiharu."
Then came the fact of Sendoh and thoughts from today scared him half to death. The sighting of him on the bleachers and the staring of Chiharu.
He had dropped his bag and ran as fast as he could on campus to the gym. What was Sendoh trying to do? Kill her?
Rukawa shook the thought off and ran faster. The gym was in sight and the doors were wide open and the sight of Chiharu screaming enraged him.
"Let go, Sendoh." Rukawa glared at him and gave him the coldest glare he gave to anyone. "Leave her alone."
Sendoh stared at him in disbelief and loosened his grip on her. She pushed him aside and went towards Rukawa.
"Who do you think you are?" Sendoh asked. "What do you want with her? If you didn't come along, She'd be mine!"
Chiharu ran to his arms and cried on his shoulder.
Rukawa only glared at him and looked down at Chiharu. "I don't want anything. Just leave her alone."
"Chiharu! Tell him! Tell him everything! Tell him you still love me!" Sendoh shouted across the gym.
She only tried to ignore what happened the night that they were together on the seats of Ryonan.
Rukawa ignored him and closed the gym doors behind him. Then he looked at Chiharu whose eyes were red from crying.
"Daijobu?" He asked her as he wiped a tear from her eyes with his thumb. "You going to be okay?"
She nodded her head and looked back at the gym. "I'm okay. Thank you, Rukawa."
As they walked outside of campus, he looked at her and smiled. "Call me Kaede."
She smiled back with tears still welling up in her eyes. "Sure."
*^*^*^*
The sun had risen and the rays were spraying own onto earth and into Rukawa's eyes.
Rukawa hadn't slept throughout that night since he walked Chiharu home. He still couldn't believe Sendoh and how he tried to hurt Chiharu. There was no sense at all to hurt her. She'll never fall in love with someone who keeps hurting her. He laid back on his bed and shifted his position to his left. Chiharu's face was all he could make out. But what really hurt him were the tears that were streaming down her face and the torment that Sendoh put her through. Love is not to hate and that love is definitely not to hurt.
"Chiharu." He whispered. "Aishiteru."
With that, he finally drifted off to sleep as the picture of her smile and her blue eyes showed. But one thing he had to know was, 'Do you love me?'
*^*^*^*^
Her hands were wrapped around a basketball firmly as she stared at the hoop. She wanted to forget everything that happened last night and live on with her life and so after thinking of that she resorted to her love, Basketball. But still, tears came and she couldn't hold them back. It was too hard to think of anything else without thinking of Sendoh and Rukawa and last night. Not even basketball couldn't charm her way through the tortures of reality. It was simply impossible that she could only turn to giving up and going home. Problems like this, she would turn and run away from it hoping that it wouldn't follow her anywhere else.
She dropped the ball and walked over to the grassy patch beside her. There was a wonderful cool breeze sweeping the cold air onto her face as she laid down. She looked up at the Saturday morning sky and sighed.
"The sky has more fun than I do. It has feelings but never gets hurt, it is untouchable."
She touched her heart as she carried on talking to herself.
"Just like me and Ru.. Kaede. Does he like me?"
"I'm sure he likes you. But I believe he loves you."
Chiharu sat up and right beside her was the person she believed to love. "Kaede-kun!"
He smiled at her. "I didn't sleep last night." He mumbled.
"No wonder it was an amazement to me. I didn't think you'd be awake at this hour! Especially on a weekend. But why?" She giggled and was red with embarrassment.
He stroked a strand of hair behind her ear as he sat down beside her.
"I couldn't stop thinking of you."
She felt her heart pounding and her eyes twinkled at the sound of his words.
"I couldn't stop thinking of last night." She breathed a heavy sigh and lay back down again.
Rukawa smiled at the sleeping beauty on the covered grass.
"I would like to ask YOU a question."
She gave an annoyed look and sighed. "What is it?"
"What do YOU think of us?"
She paused. 'What if, what if he doesn't feel the same way? This is such an unfair question!'
"I, well.. I don't know what to say."
Rukawa force a smile and gulped as he touched his chest to feel his heart beat. What he was going to say could end everything he had with her. But, he was willing to risk it to tell her the truth.
"I love you, Chiharu." He said softly caressing her cheek with his hand. "I love you."
She stared into his eyes in disbelief it had only been a week since their first meeting and here he was telling her how much he loved her.
She had a beautiful smile on her face as Rukawa turned away thinking of rejection.
She turned his head towards hers and wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her head towards his.
"I love you, too."
They kissed passionately as the sun still was beating down on them.
Not too far away stood Mitsui as he plunged his hands into his pockets. "I love you too, Chiharu."
Author's Notes:
Is it good? I know I always put things unfinished.. at least I update it soon!
If there are any questions just put it on the comments page. I don't mind if you say anything bad about my work as long as it's constructive criticism!
Remember, not too rough! I'm just thirteen!