Natsumi sighed aloud. Her motorcycle suddenly stopped right under the light post of a quiet street. It was so dark outside that the only visible thing was Natsumi and her vehicle and it was a bad timing for her engine to be out of water. She gazed around for any possibilities of any residence but it seems that not even a house was built near that place. The only thing that was there was a long road, a light post and a school.

Natsumi's eyes suddenly grew big at a sudden realization. "A school…it looks somewhat familiar." She said to herself while putting her helmet at the motorcycle's seat. She moved several steps forward and stopped at the gold signboard at the school's wall. She was right, it do look familiar. She inched her face forward and read the sign. SHOYO HIGH SCHOOL the exact same place where she dropped off that cute guy a couple of days ago.

"This is Fujima-san's school…" she said aloud like an innocent kid who just walked downtown.

"Glad you remembered!" a genki voice appeared from behind.

Natsumi turned around and saw a figure leaning on the school's brick wall. His hand was extended upwards and was rolling the ball on top of his index finger. It was Fujima, the same man she just met a couple of days ago. Even in the midst of all these darkness, she still saw the smile carved on his face. "Nice to see you again!" he greeted.

"Yo!" she greeted back before scanning the person infront of her from foot to head. He was wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt and jersey shorts. Natsumi knew that he was training just by looking at him. The school light shone perfectly at his place. He looks so cool that even Natsumi can't deny it. "He looks so gor—" she didn't even dare continue the sentence that was playing around her mind. She just stood there silently and sighed.

She pointed her vehicle with her thumb over her shoulders and smiled at him. "I accidentally ran out of water and I didn't know that I stopped right infront of your school." She explained.

"I see…" Fujima reacted, still not stopping the ball's motion. "Nice timing! We were about to finish our training. You can bring that inside then I'll introduce you to the team." He smiled at her and turned backwards to lead the way through the gym.

Natsumi followed without any second thoughts. She ran to get her bike then quickly followed Fujima. She strolled her vehicle by her side as she gaze towards the tall buildings surrounding her. Shoyo was a lot bigger and cleaner than Shohoku. It even took them a couple of minutes just to arrive at the gym.

"You can leave it there for a while." He said while pointing at the tree beside one well-lighted building. She quickly followed his instructions and parked it there. She walked back behind Fujima again as he opened two big sliding doors. "You can watch us play while you wait. It would only last for about 15 minutes anyway." He explained.

"I don't mind…I love sports anyway…" she replied at an exited voice.

Fujima flipped his head at her in a very surprised way. All he thought was that she was a non-sporty type but he was wrong on thinking so. He should have known her better from the start. "You do?" he finally asked.

"Of course!" she grinned at him before running at the door to take peep inside. "Sugoi!" she exclaimed at all the tall guys practicing shoots from every corner of the court.

Fujima opened the door more widely. He took Natsumi's hand and led her to the corner surrounded by chairs. "Let's sit here for a while." He offered.

"Arigato…" she replied as she took a sit on one of it's chairs. Fujima sat just right beside her, leaning on the chair's back. For a minute there, silence filled the air like a wall parting them together. They were both looking for the right words to say to each other but nothing came out. "Not a bad chick huh, Fujima?" a tall glasses-man broke their unwanted silence.

The both of them blushed hard. "Hanagata!" he shouted at his companion.

Natsumi smiled. He was still cute even though he was angry. Much like one of her childhood friends that looked like a baby in any angle, whether angry, happy or depressed. She continued to stare at Fujima while he reprimands the guy next to him. If there were anything that attracted her most, it would definitely be Fujima's smile and his sweet attitude.

"I was just joking, take it easy…" Hanagata remarked.

"You're a varsity player, ne, Fujima-san?" Natsumi turned her body to be face to face with Fujima. She placed her elbow at the chair's backrest and pressed her head on top of her right hand, then smiled.

Fujima blushed hardly at her appearance. Her eyes were glimmering at him in such way that could melt anyone down. "Well…yeah…sort of…" he replied.

"Sort of?" Natsumi repeated while gazing at him in a confused manner.

"This man here is no ordinary player. He is also this team's ace, our captain and our coach." A familiar voice suddenly butted in.

Natsumi turned backwards to see who that guy was. He was about six feet tall and was spiked haired with small eyes. Now she knew why the voice sounded familiar, it was Hasegawa, one of her companions on the last commercial that she did.

"Oi Hasegawa! Long time no see! How are you?" she stood up from her chair and clapped Hasegawa's hand in mid-air.

"Natsumi! I just thought it's you! I'm doing fine, and as usual; I'm still dedicated in basketball. How 'bout you?" he said with a huge smile on his lips.

"Obviously, I just moved here." She smiled back.

"Really now? But I'd never guess that you were the girl Fujima was so busy boasting about." He slipped.

"Nani? Fujima-san's boasting about what?" she repeated in a sarcastic tone.

Fujima suddenly jumped in between the two of them with a forced smile in his face. "Nothing!!! Ah!!!" he screamed while getting the loose ball at his feet. "Do you know how to play Basketball?" he asked in order to forget about the past sentence.

"Why ye— I mean no I don't…" she lied.

"But she's the—" Natsumi pressed her hand above Hasegawa's mouth in order to cut his sentence. She gazed at him with big liar's eyes, signing him to play along with her. She gazed back at Fujima's 'what's happening' expression and smiled. "Chotto matte…I'll just talk to him for a minute." She pulled Hasegawa behind the locker room's door without even waiting for Fujima's reply.

"Please…don't ever tell him that I play basketball." She pressed her hands into the praying position and bowed at him.

"Why?"

"Private problems and all!" she said with a forced smile. She suddenly lowered her gaze and spoke seriously. "If ever I would be given a chance to play…I really don't know but I'm sure about one thing…" she looked straight at his eyes and continued, "I don't want to fight him."

"Fujima?" he asked.

Natsumi nodded. "I have this feeling that I don't." she replied.

She lowered her gaze again and bit her lip. But soon she felt comfortable for Hasegawa held her shoulder and smiled in the most passionate way. "It's ok…I know that he also doesn't want to fight you if ever that would happen." He assured her. "He is waiting for you outside."

"Arigato…"she said before running towards the gym.

"Natsumi-chan, could you shot this." Fujima welcomed her by passing her a ball just after she appeared. She got the ball with no problem at all then smiled.

"Hai!" she shouted with high spirit before running towards the basket. She stopped right beside Fujima and threw the ball at the hoop in the worst figure ever. "I shouldn't let him see that I know how to play." She thought.

The ball passed the hoop and landed at the gym's second floor. She smiled at the ball's direction. "I'm not used to this…" she told herself.

"It's ok for a beginner…look I'll show you how." Fujima handed a ball to Natsumi and held her hand tight.

Natsumi pouted, "Beginner?" the word suddenly loaded her back. It has been a great hurt for a person like herself to be called a beginner again after years of severe training. She sighed aloud and just smiled.

"You must put your arms up like this." Fujima continued while holding her arm high with his left hand still on Natsumi's other hand.

Natsumi blushed hard while Fujima fixed her position. She smiled and blinked her eyes slowly. "He's so sweet…" she thought. After fixing her figure, he stepped behind her and tightened his grip on her hand.

"After I say three, we'll shoot the ball, ok?" he commanded.

"I'm ready!" Natsumi replied.

"One…two…three, shot!" both their hands shot the ball at the same moment. They followed the ball's movement until it fell exactly down the hoop.

"Yatta!!!" Natsumi shouted while hugging Fujima. "I shot the ball!!! Domo Arigato Fujima-san!" she continued.

"It's nothing really…" Fujima replied while blushing. He gazed at her happy eyes and smiled. "I just wish we'd be like this forever…" he told himself without removing his gaze at Natsumi's sweet happy face.