Disclaimer : Slam Dunk is owned by Takehiko Inoue. Yamada Hideo & Morita Keiji are mine!
Note: Sentences in italics are thoughts.
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hibari - You are right. In the anime, it's obvious that Fujii has this thing for Sakuragi. He just cannot see that because he was so fixated on Haruko just like Haruko was so fixated on Rukawa. I support these two girls on their quest to win the hearts of the men of their dreams. Being a girl also, I understand their feelings *winks*.Ginny W – Yep, this is a RuHaru / HanaFujii fic. Thanks!
miracle – Eheheheh....Thanks a lot.
Kuroi-Neko-kun – Wow, a lot of reviews from you. Thanks! I'm glad you like my fic.
mskitsune – Great to see you here. Thanks!
Mitchy – Sankyuu!
AjA - Thanks! *smiles*
Rook – I really appreciate your reviews. Well, what can I say? Love can do wonders. It happens everyday!
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Chapter 4: Shohoku vs. Miuradai
Fujii scanned the area as soon as she arrived to watch the practice game. When she couldn't find the redhead, she thought that maybe he was just holing up at the locker room. She took a seat and watched some of the Shohoku players doing their warm-ups.
Glued to her seat, she then saw Haruko talking to some of the players, probably giving some encouragements. Fujii waved at Haruko the moment the team manageress caught her eyes. Her friend jogged to greet her.
"I'm glad you were able to come," Haruko said as she sat beside Fujii.
"How can I miss a Shohoku game?" Fujii answered with a wry smile. To her, watching a Shohoku game is like an oath that cannot be broken.
"Right, you know I'll hound you for the rest of your life if you miss one Shohoku game." Haruko teased her. Then she looked behind Fujii as if looking for someone. "Where's Matsui?"
"She'll be here. She said she would be a little late," Fujii replied while her eyes were fixed towards the direction of the locker room. "Where is Sakuragi-kun?"
"He's in Yokohama," Haruko answered while eyeing the boys warming up on the sidelines. "I'm worried actually. Even if this is just a practice game, that doesn't mean we should be slacking off. Without Sakuragi-kun, I don't know how we would do."
Looking at her friend's demeanor, Fujii concluded that she is genuinely worried. "Will he be late?" She asked.
"No, he won't be here as he would be teaching basketball all day," the team manageress answered oblivious to Fujii's disappointment.
Fujii's heart sank at what she just heard. She won't be able to see the redhead play on that day. It just didn't feel right without hearing the boisterous laughter of the self-proclaimed tensai. To think that there was a time when she was a bit scared of him because of his reputation as a troublemaker from Wakou Junior High.
She would cheer for the team not only because it was their team but also because of the redhead. She remembered it distinctly. It was during Sakuragi's first game when Shohoku had a practice game with Ryonan when she wanted to cheer, she of all people, wanted to cheer and that was because Sakuragi was on the court. She tried but Matsui teased her that she couldn't hear what she was cheering. [1]
Haruko was right. A Shohoku game is never the same without the redhead's fiery personality. To Fujii, Sakuragi Hanamichi is a true tensai.
"Sumimasen, Haruko-sempai…." Mizusawa called the team manageress. "There's only ten minutes before the game starts."
"I better check on the boys now, Fujii. I hope Matsui would be here soon," Haruko got up and turned to her.
Fujii nodded as her friend waved and ran off to the locker room.
Shohoku versus Miuradai.
It's their first game this year and even though it's just a practice game, it will test their capacity and strength as a team. This is the reason why schools go on practice games with other schools. Every year is a new year for basketball. It's like a clean slate. Players come and go and they do not know the capacity of each team. Even though a team has good players, how they would work with each other is a big factor to the outcome of the game. Teams who are strong during the previous year may not be the same the next year. The same goes for the so-called weak teams.
Rukawa, Yamada, Morita, Kuwata and Iishi were selected as the starting five. Although she had given personal encouragements to each of the starting five players, Haruko thought it was proper that Rukawa should give them encouragements too.
But that would be asking for the moon.
Rukawa is not the type who would blurt out encouragements. Haruko wondered what Rukawa would do as he couldn't possibly motivate a team by just staring at them.
I wish Sakuragi-kun were here.
The referee whistled loudly to signal the start of the game. Miuradai's starting five marched towards the court. Shohoku's starting five went off to the court as well.
"You can do it, guys!" Haruko cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to her teammates in the hope that even though Rukawa couldn't give a 'we are strong' speech to them, she can at least hope that it would make up for it.
Rukawa couldn't believe what was happening. Miuradai had changed a lot over the years. The last time they played with them was in first year and even then, they were able to smash them with an astounding 63-point lead.
He glanced at the scoreboard. 44 – 59 in favor of Miuradai with just a little less than six minutes before the first half is over.
This can't be happening!
He was confident that Miuradai is nothing until now. Reality bites. They are face to face with a powerhouse.
"Here!" He called out to Kuwata to pass the ball to him even if he is being heavily guarded by two tall Miuradai basketball players. He doesn't care. The more that they try to stop him, the more that he is determined to make a shot.
He did a low crossover and was able to get pass through the tight defense. A swift jump and a slight flicking of his wrist and it's a basket.
The Shohoku supporters, namely Fujii and Matsui, the Sakuragi gundan and the Rukawa brigade did their usual shouting and cheering routine.
"Yes! Nice shot! Rukawa-kun!" Haruko yelled and pumped a fist in the air.
Yamada, who assumes the position as a center thought he heard his sister Hitomi shouting out Rukawa's name. He shrugged it off.
I must be hallucinating.
The game went on until they were able to catch up. Morita contributed by making a couple of three-point shots. He would have made more if not for his nervousness since this is his first real game with the team.
The lead is down to 1 point for Miuradai.
Rukawa showed no mercy as he made a steal from Miuradai's pointguard.
"Nice steal, Rukawa-kun!" Cheered Haruko.
For a while there, Yamada thought he heard his sister calling Rukawa's name. He looked at the crowd. Hitomi? He became distracted as the thoughts of his sister and Rukawa's insensitivity came to him. At the background, a lot of action is going on.
Iishi made a two point shot but it bumped off the ring.
"Yamada-kun! Rebound!" Haruko shouted from the bench.
Rukawa got the ball and made a dunk. As soon as he landed on the floor, he made a comment in his usual deadpan voice to Yamada, "Oi, what were you thinking?"
Yamada was shaken out of his reverie at the call of his team captain. God knows he wanted to pounce on him but it's not the time yet.
The right time would come.
Five minutes in the second half, the Miuradai team captain was getting aggressive in an effort not to widen Shohoku's lead.
Yamada intercepted a pass and got the ball.
"Fastbreaaak!!!" Mizusawa, at the bench shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Pass!" Rukawa called as he dashed towards the basket area.
Yamada chose to pass to Morita. When Morita was about to make another three-point shot, the burly Miuradai team captain jumped and blocked his shot. Being frail, Morita landed on the floor and his glasses went flying. Shards of glasses scattered on the middle of the floor.
That's it! I'm definitely getting contacts. He thought.
"Intentional foul! Number 4!" The referee shouted.
The Miurdai team captain didn't seem to be bothered at all. He knew that without his glasses, Morita would not be able to make the three free-throw shots required. Morita however was able to make one basket out of the three.
The game continued and it's a battle between team captains this time.
"Rukawa Kaede, eh?" The Miuradai team captain mockingly greeted him with an irritating grin on his face. "It's so nice to meet you again this time."
"Shut up!" Rukawa snapped, busy concentrating on guarding the burly opponent.
The opponent dashed and jumped to make a dunk. Rukawa jumped as well and was able to successfully block the shot. The ball flew away from the opponent's hand much to the shock of the players and the spectators as well.
Everything went fast. Just when things are heating up, Rukawa made a bad landing and twisted his ankle.
Hard.
A wild uproar breaks out as he tried to get up but he can't seem to set his right foot on the floor. Horror was visible on the faces of the Shohoku team members at the floor and at the bench.
The referee whistled and made a hand signal. "Injury timeout!"
Kuwata and Iishi rushed hurriedly to their team captain's aid and helped him out of the court and into the locker room. A substitution was called and Sasaoka came in.
"Mizusawa-kun! Take over!" Haruko gave Mizusawa the stats record notebook and the stopwatch. After grabbing her medicine kit, she ran to the locker room to check on the injured team captain.
Eyes closed, the team captain was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He looked like he was waiting for her. Haruko slowly walked towards him and kneeled beside his injured leg.
"Rukawa-kun, let me see your ankle," she said gently, worry etched on her face. It was a bad case and she really considered telling him to go to the hospital but knowing him, she knew Rukawa wouldn't hear any of it. She wondered if the bandages would do any good at all but it's the best that she could do for now.
The team captain opened his eyes but did not say anything. Being used to his cold behavior, Haruko proceeded to bandage his ankle.
"Do you need anything?" Haruko asked while working on him. "I can get them for you."
Rukawa remained quiet and just watched her perform one of her duties as a team manageress. Ayako, the former team manageress, used to do the same thing, too. Being a basketball player for most of his life, he was used to this.
Haruko looked at him and asked again. "Do you want some water?" She doesn't know why she kept on asking him knowing he wouldn't answer anyway. Nevertheless, whether he answer or not, she already made the decision to get him a bottled water right after stuffing back all the first aid supplies back to the kit.
Rukawa tried to stand up and was about to take steps towards the door but he limped miserably. The pain has greatly diminished but still his ankle is not on top condition. There's only one thing on his mind at that moment. He wanted to play and nothing can ever stop him. Not even a foot injury. The team needs him. That he knew. The do'aho is not even there, he thought.
Haruko felt alarmed at that instant. She knew Rukawa would go out and attempt to play again but seeing his condition, it would do him no good now and might even make it worse.
"Ru-Rukawa-kun, what are you doing!?" She reached out to help the wobbling team captain as he tried to take steps.
Rukawa felt a jolt when what seemed like an electric shock coursed through him the very moment Haruko touched him on his arm. It was a feeling unknown to him that it scared the hell out of him. So unfamiliar that it made him unable to control himself and push her away. "No!"
A hard slam was heard as her body landed on the steel lockers. Haruko lost grip of her medicine kit and it went flying across the room.
Rukawa's eyes widened in shock when he realized what had just happened. He knew he didn't mean it to be that way but it was too late.
Haruko couldn't utter a word as the pain on her back felt like it was spreading in all directions. She felt disoriented and doesn't know if she would cry or yell at him. She was just too shocked to react.
"Haruko---."
Whatever it was that he was going to say, he was not able to finish it as Haruko swiftly ran out of the locker room, leaving him alone.
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[1] Shown on Slam Dunk anime series episode 16.