Only Love Sets You Free

Chapter 2: Match With A Tensai?

"Hands up Yasuda!" Akagi yelled. "H-hai!" He replied, and obediently raised his hands to defend Mitsui. Mitsui wasn't daunted, and he shot a three pointer. "NYAHAHAHA! It was because of the tensai's rebound!" Sakuragi Hanamichi laughed loudly, only to get a lump on his head by Akagi. "I-ITAI..." Sakuragi muttered, holding the lump. "Doh ahoh." Rukawa muttered.

Shioko watched everything with amusement. The main five were good, but the others were pretty normal. But one person caught her eye. Sakuragi Hanamichi, the tensai. I want to play with him, she thought. She looked round the gym.

There were the benchwarmers on the bench, and then there were those three silly girls who always stood there. And there was a Rukawa brigade who always cheered for him. Not counting Sakuragi's gundam. Then she saw a girl who was wearing a red cap. She seemed to be recording something. Was she their manageress? Ah! That old man. He had been a guest of honor when they played against Kainan a few months before.

She walked over to him "Sensei?" The old man turned to look at her. He peered at her for a while, and he smiled. "Ah, Shioko kun, Shoyo's starting member." Shioko felt somewhat pleased that he knew her but her face remained the same. "I remember your game clearly. Shoyo was a strong team."

"Sensei. I was wondering about that akai tama. Do you think I could challenge him?" Shioko asked, glancing at Sakuragi. Anzai sensei lifted his glasses. "Sakuragi Hanamichi." He looked at Shioko and at Sakuragi thoughtfully, then he nodded.

"PHEEEEEEEEEEEEET!" The whistle blasted. Miyagi slapped a high five with Mitsui. Anzai sensei got up and motioned for Shioko to follow him. She got up from the bench she was sitting on and followed him. He went over to the bench where the members were gathered.

"Sakuragi kun." Anzai sensei said. "Oyaji! Nyahahaha!!!! Did you see my fabulous dunk?" Sakuragi grinned, then he noticed Shioko. "Who's that? A new member?" Sakuragi nudged Mitsui and Miyagi. "Ohohohoho. Kore wa Shioko chan. She's from Shoyo Girls' Basketball team. She just transferred here not too long ago."

What a rude red headed guy... he's interesting.. Shioko thought, startled that he dared treat his coach that way. She was as Anzai sensei's chin went bouncing up and down.

"Oh! So that's her. I have been hearing rumours that Fujima send her to spy on us." Mitsui whispered to Miyagi. "So ka, I thought she was a boy!" Miyagi scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "She looks like a really angelic and pretty boy. And she has a nice body too." Mitsui the pervert grinned slyly.

Shioko certainly did look cute with her black hair styled like Ryonan's Koshino, her white Nike headband round her head, and her face that was always contorted into a frown. "Baka! Hentai. Aya-chan is still cuter!" Miyagi blushed a crimson red and turned chibi.

Mitsui sighed. And smoke puffs came out of his nose. Just like Mr Kitsune. "Eh, anyway you don't even stand a chance with her. She's nearly as tall as Hanamichi." Miyagi said cheekily. "Ano bakayarou! Have you forgotten Ayako hasn't stop her growth spurt yet?" Mitsui smacked the shorter player's head.

"NYAHAHAHAHAHHA! You want me to play with a girl?" Sakuragi started to laugh. Shioko just stared. "Hai." Anzai sensei replied. "Miyagi-kun, pass me a ball." Anzai sensei told him. "Hai!" Miyagi bent over and took a ball from under the bench and threw it to his sensei. Sakuragi took the ball, and said "Oretachi wa tensai!"

As Sakuragi and Shioko went on court, murmurs started. "Who's that? A new member?" "Baka! That's a girl from Shoyo who just transferred here not too long ago." "She looks cute!" Sakuragi's gundam was interested. "Look, Hanamichi is playing with that girl in your class!" Takamiya told Youhei excitedly. "Hanamichi, Hanamichi!" They started to cheer.

"Haruko, that's the girl in my class I told you about!" Mari said. "She's going to play with Sakuragi- kun!" Haruko said. Akagi looked at the two players. "I don't think I've seen him around before." "Akagi, that's a girl. She's from Shoyo." Kogure turned chibi and sweat dropped. "Soka. I wonder if she is any good. Why are they playing now anyway?" Akagi mused, and Kogure shrugged. Even Rukawa was interested. Could that be a new member? He thought to himself.

As the referee, Yasuda released the ball high, they both jumped. Shioko touched the ball, and was about to grab it down, however Sakuragi was quicker and got the ball. Shioko cursed under her breath. Sakuragi bounced the ball over to his court, and was about to do a dunk when he realized Shioko was there already. He landed with a loud thump.

And Shioko stole his ball. "Teme!" Sakuragi chased after her amidst roars of laughter. "Hanamichi, you're lousier than a girl!" Takamiya yelled gleefully. Hanamichi caught up with Shioko, who was bouncing the ball between her legs. She stopped suddenly, and jumped to shoot a three pointer. Sakuragi jumped, and Shioko smirked slightly. She landed on the ground, ran a few steps and shot the ball. Whoosh. The ball went into the net. "Kusou! Bench warmer must have thought you that!" Sakuragi fumed. Who's bench warmer?

Shioko looked and Hanamichi and smirked again. This guy hated to lose, and that made it more fun. They continued with the game. It went on 5-4,6-6, 6-8, and finally 8-10. Sakuragi won. "Nyahahaha! I won! You didn't expect to win did you?" Sakuragi started to laugh that awful laugh again. Ayako heard that and smacked his head with the fan. "Baka! She's a girl and she only lost to you by two points! You should be ashamed!"

"Yeah…"Echoed all the members of the Shohoku team. The Rukawa brigade was jealous. "She stepped on the floor our darling plays on!" "Not fair!" "Stupid girl!" Haruko and her good friends were amazed at Shioko's fine play. So that's a girl, Rukawa thought. Shioko wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Nice game." She told Sakuragi and she went over to Anzai sensei to thank him. "She's good." Mitsui said, awed. Ryota silently agreed. Akagi and Kogure nodded. Rukawa shrugged.

Shioko went to the water cooler and gulped a mouthful of water down. Then she went to the girls' locker room. She took her basketball out of her locker, and sat on the bench. The boys practice would end at six. Five more minutes, then she could use the gym in peace.

What she didn't know was that Rukawa hated to share the gym with anyone. She bounced the ball and thought about the game she had just played with the self-acclaimed tensai. He was good. She had never been so worn out before. And he didn't really seem all that tired. She needed to improve her stamina, if she wanted to be a national player for Japan.

She got up, and went to the gym. The gym door was opened, and she saw someone playing. Rukawa something. He was the one that had a brigade. She noticed that he was using the whole court, but she didn't give a damn. She bounced the ball, and took the other side of the court. She started to warm up with the ball.

Rukawa turned. That girl. What was she doing in his court. Do ahou. He continued to play with his half court.

An hour passed, and Shioko was still practicing. Kusou, Rukawa thought. I want to go home. He went to his bag and fished for the gym keys, and went over to her. She was in the middle of a shot- under the basket. "Close the door and switch off the lights too."

He threw the keys at her butt and walked away in chibi form. Shioko was irritated. Couldn't he just leave those keys on the floor? She grabbed the ball and threw it at his butt. He turned and glared at her chibi form. Teme, he thought. The ball rebounded back to her, and she continued to practice.

Itai… Rukawa rubbed his butt, cursing Shioko silently.