A/N: Okay… a sequel. First time I'm doing this. Hmm… I realize that this is a crappy ficcy. I wrote it during my exams, so do excuse my depression. Everyone would be depressed during an exam… *grin*. Thus I apologize in advance for uploading such a crappy fic. Maybe, next time, I might write a proper sequel too Life. This isn't exactly a sequel anyway. Just parts of it has something to do with Life. Oh, btw, don't ask me what does the italics signify. Read on and guess yourself… actually, I have not much of an idea myself. Some of my friends read this, and not all of them understood, so it's not any of your fault if you don't understand, but merely my brain that had too much of Bio and all that crap… okok… you guys getting bored. Read on.
Mitsui-sempai said that our lives are boxes. It's our choice to either step out or to stay in… people say that we don't know what we've got until we lose it… but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives… right?
Rukawa jumped, and slam the ball straight into the net. He hung there for a while, then dropped down. Sighing, he just watched… or tried to watch as the ball rolled away in the deep dark night. He grouped around in the dark for his towel. Basketball has lost it's… pleasing sensation. The peace that he used to find… the reality that he was able to grasp as he played… it was gone. It went ever since Mitsui-sempai had that talk with him,
Wouldn't it be better to stay in that box then? The more we know, the more discontented we are. That's why people without much exposure are very happy with their life. They don't know enough to yearn for what they don't have.
He walked over to the ball and picked it up. He aimed… and even in the dark, his aim was nearly flawless. The ball swished in the net. His fade away was perfect.
'I didn't know you were that crazy to be out this late. Is that why you sleep in the day? Because you have insomnia?' A voice pierced through the silent night. Rukawa could almost hear the silence shatter. The invisible wall that usually disconnected him from the rest of the world, shattered. Cursing mentally, he turned.
No matter how much one tries, they are never able to focus on the good things of life. Even though they know it would hurt them, they know that it would leave them empty, but they do so anyway. They only look at what they don't have… they can't do otherwise.
Three figures could be seen at the entrance of the public basketball court. The quarter moon that night gave out little light, and instead of illuminating them, shrouded them in a sweet mystery. Soft wind picked up some dry leaves, placing them some feet away.
Rukawa recognized one of them immediately. It was pretty easy thanks to his gravity-defying hairstyle. And in even in the middle of this darkness, Rukawa felt he could already see the irritating smile on that idiot's face. It took him a little longer to place the second guy, who was the shortest of the three. However, even as the trio walked into the light, he still couldn't place the third person.
'Fujima-sempai? Sendo-san?'
That's a weird combination, he thought silently as they drew nearer to him.
'So, Rukawa, do you always do this?' Fujima asked, amused.
'Who's that?'
'Oh… this is Erique D'criminio. He lives somewhere in Spain or Brazil I think… one of the European countries. He's our cousins… no, Sendo and myself are only second cousins, so you don't have to look so shocked,' Fujima introduced ignoring Rukawa's blatant rudeness.
'Hmph! You're shocked. You should have seen us!' Sendo muttered grimly, yet smiling.
The more we know, the more we want. That's the truth… as people show us things we've never even dreamt off, we would yearn to have them.
'What're you doing here?' Cold voice, crude sentence.
'We were going home, but we heard the basketball thumps and these two freaks here decided to check it out,' Erique told him. Rukawa noted that his Japanese had no hint of weird accents.
'Err… Erique, that would be pretty obvious… I think he meant before that,' Fujima whispered.
'Oh…' his face faulted, and the three broke out into hearty laughter.
Does choosing to stay in the box mean I have to be cold? I have to be unsociable?... just because I don't have the courage to step out, does it mean I can't laugh? Whoever said that only the strong would get everything?...
'So, anyway, before that… nah, I told Fujima in my mail, that I wanted him to meet someone when I came over for the holiday. At least it's holidays where I came from. I wanted him to meet this other person because he was very different from the other. I told Sendo the exact same thing, not mentioning their names. When I came back today and introduced them to each other, man did they get such a shock,' Erique broke into laughter, and his detailed explanation was cut off for a while. When he got his breath back, he continued.
'So, I brought Fujima to experience the way of Sendo's living. They were both so different in character, and I decided to let them see that for themselves.'
'Yeah it was…' Fujima shuddered.
'… a good experience!' Sendo cut him off, causing Fujima to glare at him. Sendo merely smiled.
'What? You learned something didn't you?'
Everyone knows that people are different, unique. Brought up in different household, in different atmospheres… and naturally, we yearn for some of the things that we don't have… to have the gift that other's have…
Defy me… prove me wrong, come on…
'Well, yeah… it was something. To be able to be so free and not to worry about your future… I don't think I would ever be able to do that…'
'Yeah, where I came from, we are… in a way, like that. We seem to be able to be freer than all of you here, and that includes Sendo-san. He doesn't really have total freedom like we have. You guys are so beat-up and tensed about your basketball thingy that I'm glade I'm not really good at playing it. Back home, we play more for the fun of it, and there's no pressure whatsoever of being the best… though it is kinda understandable that you guys want to enter the Inter-High… but I don't think I would ever be able to live the way you do… especially you Fujima-san.'
Yet there are people who look at things differently. They look at a gift and thank God that they don't have to spend their time honing it.
Rukawa walked out of the court abruptly, with his towel and basketball in his hands. The three of them stared, a little shocked.
'Err… did we hurt him or something?' Erique asked nervously, straining his eyes to look at the retreating back of Rukawa.
'Nah… there's nothing to worry, he's always like that,' Sendo said uncaringly, though with little certainty. Erique glared at him, who smiled back.
'Maybe he didn't really like the idea of you saying that about basketball,' Fujima said.
'Or maybe… he's just being crazy like he always is….'
'Sendo!' Erique said, a little shocked.
'Rukawa,' Fujima muttered, breathing in the fresh wind swirling around them.
And yet, not one can have total freedom. Everyone has something to protect… someone, a mother, a father, a sister, a brother…
'Rukawa?' The mentioned person stopped, looking to the left, where a bunch of guys were laughing away on motorbikes. The laughter ebbed away slowly.
'Mitsui-sempai?' Rukawa asked, his eyes roving around, searching for the person who called him. Mitsui lifted a hand when he saw that Rukawa was having some peculiar difficulties finding for him.
'What are you doing out so late?' Mitsui asked, noting that there Rukawa's eyes were misted, as if he were deep in thought.
'Nothing.' Mitsui's eyes traveled to the basketball Rukawa was carrying and then back to Rukawa.
'Oh… well, see ya in school tomorrow. Ja.'
Rukawa merely walked away, saying nothing. After a few steps, he heard more laughter bursting from them.
Am I missing something? By not mixing around… but not having a group I can mix around normally with, am I missing something almost all teens are going through? By not… belonging?
Mitsui smiled, his eyes on the retreating back of the teen who had just walked away from him… who was to scared to face the world with who he was… to scared to get hurt that he enclosed himself to a narrow world, a small world, where he can't see the big picture of what's going on.
'EKKKK!' another burst of laughter went around.
'Oy, oy. Come on, are you a man or a kid? It's just a butterfly,' Tetsuo muttered. The guy blushed.
A butterfly… once again Mitsui smiled, as he watched the butterfly flying freely off.
* * * * * * * *
Rukawa entered his class, slowly, ignoring all the ohhs and ahhs of the people around. Seeing a paper on his desk, he picked it up, fully intending on throwing it away, assuming as always, it was from on of his crazy fans… however, this piece of paper was different… it had no hearts and flowers surrounding it. Sensing the difference, Rukawa unfolded the piece of paper.
Dream where you want to dream, go where you want to go, do what you want to do, for you only have one chance to do all the things you want to do.
I don't know you all that well… and so I may not be able to fathom how you think… but I do feel that you do want friends. I don't think you were meant to be alone. God did create everyone and everything after all… and I don't think that he meant for anyone to be alone… that is what fellowship is after all, is it not?
Look at a butterfly. Look at it's wings. It's so beautifully symmetry… It looks perfect, does it not? Take time to appreciate the small things around you before you even think about appreciating the value of something as big as life… or friendship.
Don't worry… there are people who would be able to accept you if you just gave them a chance to.
No matter how bad your heart ifs broken, the world doesn't stop for your grieve. You just have to stand up and face the world with what you have.
Rukawa pocketed the paper, sighing. There were people who would accept him? But… what if he didn't accept himself? What then? What could he do? Rukawa ran his hand through his messy hair, totally unaware of all the attention he was getting.
A butterfly perched on his desk. Amused that it should have came now, Rukawa looked closely at its unfolded wings. They were beautiful… almost perfect.
And yet, every butterfly is unique isn't it? Maybe I was meant to be this way… alone. Maybe I'm happier the way I am… it's just human nature to want what I don't have, even if we were better off without it.
Rukawa cupped the butterfly in his hands. He could feel its silky wings beating, fluttering weakly against his hands
Our background and circumstances may influence who we are, but we are always responsible for who we become.
A/N: Who do you think I stalking in italics? Personally, I do believe that most of it is done by Rukawa, though it not all parts of it seem like that. Tell me what you think? I do realize however, that it is not all that nice. Oh, btw, to those who do read my other fic, I'm really sorry for the LATE update… but exams have been terribly wicked, and I had no choice.