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 7

"You're gonna be the best man."

It was a nightmare repeating over and over again in his mind, and no matter how hard he tries to stop it from playing, it disobeys his will and kept on repeating. Irritated to the core, Mitsui tossed again for the nth time in his bed and tried to peacefully get some sleep.

~@~@~

He was gone.

She cried herself to sleep last night, but when she woke up, she knew that he had already left the country. She wanted so much to call him last night but she just couldn't. She didn't want to cry more than she had already cried. She never felt so alone in her life. It was loneliness void of anything. She felt that she was in a vast darkness, empty and desolate, without anybody to take her back to the light. She turned to her right side, wanting to get more sleep. But something caught her eye.

It was a letter with the name "Kyori" on it. Slowly, she rose from the bed to get a hold of the it. It was a green notebook paper filled with soccer balls. She recognized it as her own, and strayed her eyes on her dresser to confirm her hypothesis. Looking back at the letter, she opened it slowly and found out, to her surprise, that it came from Fujima.

Kyori,

I know it's really a bad timing and all, but I'm really sorry for having to leave you like this. I know I'm kinda like a jerk right now, and I tell you I feel like one, but I really had no choice in it. Please understand. You are an objective girl so I'm sure you will.

Stay strong. You're brave. Don't ever give up. Don't cry over this. It's just a test of our love that I'm sure we can overcome. We'll be in this together. For now, be strong for the two of us… just like what I'm trying to do right now…

I don't know what else to say besides 'sorry' because that's all I really wanted to say. Kinda crappy, I know. But always remember that I really love you and that I will miss you.

Goodbye for now… Till we meet again, my love…

Kenji

How could she stay strong when a big part of her life was taken away from her? Without warning, tears started to flow from her already swollen eyes. She dropped down on her bedroom floor and wept openly.

~@~@~

There was a knock on her door, but, just like everything else, she ignored it. It had already been five hours since she lied down on the floor. She already ignored breakfast, lunch, even the wedding rehearsal that there was no way she won't ignore that knock.

But it kept on coming, pounding at the door trying to get her attention. Still, she ignored it, wanting to be left alone. After a few moments, the pounding stopped and Kyori was thankful enough for it. But what came after was more irritating than expected.

The person on the other side of the door found the key and opened it. Kyori was shocked by the action and was about to scold the person. But she stopped even before she began when she found out who kept on irritating her.

"Hello, Kyori-san."

Standing up from her position, she ran to the arms of the man in front of her.

"Daddy!"

Mr. Yatsura took his daughter in his arms and held her tightly. Running his hand on her smooth hair, he held her face up and smiled at her.

"Why are you weeping?" He asked gently.

But she couldn't answer. Instead, she hugged her father tightly, and she realized that she hadn't felt much better since the past few days. She felt secure and safe in her father's arms and she wished that she could stay longer there. "Nothing, daddy." She was finally able to say.

Reluctantly, she released her arms from her father. She looked up at his kind face and smiled, her first smile since the incident, sheepishly, slightly abashed. "I looked ragged, don't I?"

"Yes," her father admitted. He patted her cheek. "But you are still my beautiful Kyori."

She missed her father. Mr. Yatsura worked as literary professor in France. He is one of the best there is that he always found himself so busy with work that he barely had the time to come home on a regular basis. But now that he was, she was more than happy. "Oh, daddy! I missed you so much."

"I know, my baby. I missed you, too."

She may be that down right now, but at least something good came back to her just when she was already helpless. For now, she was contented.

To be continued

Author's Notes: doesn't kyori cry a lot? But the true one does not, just for the record. Anyway… at least I got to finish chapter 7 as well… it's so good when you plot things out early… mind you… I know the story well enough to actually carry the plot out… I just don't know the details… till then!