Disclaimers: I do not own Slam Dunk and its characters. However, some of the characters in this wonderful work of fiction belong to me.
Author's Notes: This fic is set after 5 years from the original series.

Dedication: This one's for Kyo-chan

I Wanna Be Your Angel

By: nagi_silvermoon

Chapter 5

"Hisashi, we need to talk."

Mitsui, exasperated, looked at the crossed-armed brunette and heaved a sigh.

"Shiori," he confronted, "we don't need to talk. Not now."

"Not now?" She asked threateningly. "When, Hisashi? When can we talk?" She added sarcastically. She ran her slim fingers through her thick hair and looked at her boyfriend bitterly. Her gaze went to the brunette girl who seemed to be about two or so years younger than her and glared at her, fury seen all over her face.

"When you have thought things over?" Mitsui offered, sarcastically replying to her question. "I don't want to intervene with the space you wanted, and I certainly don't want to be in your presence when I heard that I make you sick." He crossed his arms as if in a defensive stance. He turned around and motioned for Kyori to follow him. "I'll talk to you when I don't cause you nausea anymore."

Mitsui walked away in a hurry closely followed by a reluctant Kyori and glared at by a raging Shiori. He was so pissed and so tired of having to deal with everything that has been happening for the past few days that all he wanted was a quiet afternoon just to kick back and relax. He could actually feel his blood boiling and his veins appearing on his neck and temples. He was even feeling the need to actually smash a thing on a wall or something just to let his anger out, but he was in an unlikely place to begin with. He wanted to find the peace his automobile was offering, and he was eager to go for it and wish himself gone.

Kyori, following him still, cleared her throat trying to catch his attention. She had many things to say and many questions to ask and she was trying to find one that didn't seem too rude and personal but enough to satisfy her burning curiosity. She tried and retried to find the perfect thing to say but her voice was not hers to control at that moment.

Cursed voice! She thought angrily. Admitting defeat, she continued to follow Mitsui blindly to wherever the man was taking her.

~@~@~

They were already in front of the Yatsura residence after twenty minutes of a very uncomfortable, silent ride. Kyori was just about to open the door of the passenger side when Mitsui cleared his throat. Kyori turned to face the sullen-looking man.

"Sorry you had to see that," he apologized, not facing her. Perhaps he was ashamed of what transpired back there at the mall, and he didn't have the face to show the world. He felt like dying. "The one with Shiori and all."

She shook her head in understanding. "I don't mind. I should apologize instead of you. I caused you trouble and all with your girlfriend."

Mitsui leaned back in his seat and sighed. Kyori herself relaxed in her seat and waited for the coach to say something.

"We're actually unstable right now," he began. "I caught her flirting with her boss a few weeks ago. She said she wasn't flirting at all, but when I asked some of her officemates, I found out that they have been seeing each other for sometime now, going out for dinner and all."

"Weren't you mad?" She asked.

"Of course, I am. She is my girlfriend and I should be the one she dates, not other men even if it could guarantee her good positions and opportunities.

"I told her about it and she said that she needed some space. I gave it to her. Now she comes back and tells me I can't go out with other women even if I just happen to meet them by accident?"

Kyori somehow felt sympathetic over the man. She knew that she was lucky enough to have Fujima as a loyal boyfriend, and compared to Mitsui, she knew her relationship with Fujima did not need spaces or anything. She was perfectly content with what she had right now and she couldn't wish for anything more.

"Maybe she's just being protective of you," Kyori consoled. "I know it's a lame excuse but women do have protective instincts in them. But if what you say is true, which I'm sure it is, then her protective instinct is not healthy anymore. Sorry if it's kinda rude, but I think you were just a plaything to her."

Mitsui sighed and leaned on the steering wheel in frustration. He knew it was inevitable. He knew that somehow, there was something lacking in their relationship. He knew that he was in a very tight situation. But how come he only understood things right now? Was he blinded by false love? Was he taken over by something so powerful that he lost his own will to think?

He looked at Kyori and smiled sadly. "I should give this up."

"Are you sure you want to give it up?" Kyori asked him the question his heart asked him as well.

"Though it had its fun, I want to be free of this," he replied resolutely. "I can't just keep on clinging to her and trying, with every possible hope I can get, to sustain something that is already up for ruins. It's not worth it anymore. I want to get away from this relationship now. Somehow, I never thought it could actually kill me."

Kyori patted his shoulder and sighed. "Good for you, Mitsui-san. Why don't you tell her now while you're still in that mode?"

"I will." He took out his cellular phone and proceeded to dial Shiori's number. After a few moments of silence, Shiori answered the call.

"Shiori… It's me… no… we don't need to talk anymore… I've decided… we're through, Shiori… we're through… Goodbye."

He ended the call and sighed heavily. "Well, what do you think?"

"You're a good man," Kyori commented. She smiled. "And I don't think you deserve a girl like her. You're better off alone for a while. There will come a time when the perfect one for you will come along in your life. You just have to wait for her to come. Right now, you enjoy single life. Have fun. Just don't forget to rely on your friends for everything you need help with."

"Does wisdom run in your genes?" Mitsui asked, half-jokingly. "You sound like Hiro."

"I am his sister."

Mitsui smiled at her sincerely. "Thanks."

"Thank you, as well," Kyori returned the gratitude.

"Tell your family hi."

"I will."

Kyori opened the door and left the vehicle. Mitsui waved at her and drove off as twilight gave way to night.

~@~@~

Kyori opened the door of the house to find Fujima in her living room, seated at the leather-covered couch facing the doorway. Fujima stood up at the sight of her apprehensively.

"Kenji!" She breathed and quickly made her way in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his lean waist and Fujima wrapped his around her shoulders. She inhaled the soft scent of her beloved and drowned herself in his embrace. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Kyori." He replied in affection. "I'm sorry if we didn't get to talk that much for the past few days. But they really killed me in there."

"Really?" She asked worriedly. "Are you stressed out or something? You must get some rest."

"I will," Fujima said confidently, wanting her to trust him. He took a seat and she sat beside him. "But I need to tell you something before it's too late."

Suddenly, Kyori's heart began to pound wildly, her nerves almost palpitating. She felt her mind go blank. What could Fujima possibly need to tell her before it's too late?

"What is it?" she asked uneasily.

"I know it's gonna be hard and rough," he began grimly. "But I'm gonna leave and I'm not sure when I'm gonna come back."

To be continued

Author's Notes: ha! I finally fixed everything… at least things are not that rushed up anymore. Yehey!!! Tell me what you think of the story so far… I know some people might get the idea of how the story will turn out but I'm trying to add some twists as much as possible… till then!!!