Music
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: *CheeKy waves SenRu banner ecstatically* SenRu! SenRu! SenRu! And if you're a SenRu fan too, why not join the AkiraKaede Mailing List for more SenRu lovin'? Nyahahahaha, free advertising for the AKML. Anyways, here's the link --
To:
Whiter Meteor ~ *smacks head* Gomen for misreading your question, why didn't you correct me? The reason Jin's in The Monkeys is because Youhei is more of a bad boy, and Fukuda's part of The Monkeys. *sniggers* (If you still don't get it, please read my comment to rj-chan below) Besides, it'll be a good for The Monkeys to have someone sane to keep an eye on them. ^___~
sLL ~ Ehehehe, okay, no more poking fun at Kiyota, for now. ^____~ As for the RuHana thingy, nah, Sendoh's the man for Rukawa!!
akane & tensaispira ~ *CheeKy drools alongside at the picture of Kaede playing the guitar* Nyahahaha, isn't Kaede simply the best?? Cute, smart and multi-talented! ^_____~
fourteen ~ Nyahahaha, I like MitRu too, but I *luv* SenRu, so, er, maybe in some other fic. ^____~ As for the Japanese guy with no name, how about a description? Maybe I might have an idea who you're talking about.
Jo-san ~ Oops, still hadn't describe Sendoh on the piano yet. Gomen nasai!!! But it just isn't the right moment yet, so please please be patient k?? I promise you it'll be an astounding performance. ^___~
rj-chan ~ Nyahahahaha, Kaede's a regular troublemaker no? Anyways, no need to feel sorry about Jin, he has Fukuda by his side. Nyahahahahahaha. Was watching the Ryonan and Kainan match and all those funny nicknames about 'Fukky' and 'Jin Jin' was simply tooooo tempting to ignore. Nyahahahaha. *whew* I'm a little not right in the head today. ;;^^
* * *
Chapter Nine ~ A Revelation
"You're really are musically talented. After an hour of lessons and you've already mastered the basic chords. Not too bad for a newbie, I must say," smirked Sendoh to the silent boy who was walking next to him. They had just taken leave of the auditorium, to the obvious pleasure of both Kiyota and Sakuragi who practically slammed the door behind them the minute they stepped foot outside. Sendoh grinned slightly at the recollection; he was beginning to wonder how much longer it would take before the bulging veins on their foreheads burst. It was clear to everyone in the room that neither boy was feeling the least bit ecstatic of having their leader behaving in such an intimate manner with their nemesis. The grin on Sendoh's face widened; obviously Rukawa wasn't one to mince his words.
After several more minutes of silence, Sendoh turned slightly towards his silent companion as he pouted unhappily, "Hey, talk to me with you? I feel like I'm conversing with myself here."
Rukawa offered a small smile, "Mitsui's a good teacher."
Clearly pleased to find Rukawa somewhat more sociable than usual, Sendoh quickly nodded his agreement, "Told you he was good. So tell me, was his assumption right?"
The boy nodded as he answered almost hesitatively, "I was eleven when I saw my first Rickenbacker. It looked a lot like the one Mitsui's using, white with streaks of red on its side. I told my dad about it, but he."
"He what?" prodded Sendoh with an encouraging smile when Rukawa paused in mid-sentence.
Rukawa released a harsh laugh before answering bitterly, "He said no. As usual."
Sendoh was shocked to hear the harshness in Rukawa's reply. He could only stare helplessly as the Rukawa continued, his features returning to the once familiar impassive and chilly outlook.
"He said guitars were for street kids and I was too 'civilised' for those kinds of instruments. He threatened to break my fingers if he ever caught me playing on one."
Sendoh pointed out quietly, "Yet you accepted Mitsui's teaching offer. Why?"
The head was thrown back as Rukawa stared several moments at the fading skylight before shifting his attention towards Sendoh. There was the barest hint of madness in those blue eyes as Rukawa leaned closer to Sendoh before whispering softly in his ear, "He's dead. Died three months ago."
Sendoh's eyes widened as Rukawa took a step backwards. The boy snorted upon seeing the look of horror on the pianist's face, "Oh for gods' sake, no need to look so shocked. It's not as if I killed him or anything. Besides, I hate him. Gods know how much I hate him and now that he's dead, he can't control me anymore. I'm free to do as I please."
The words left Sendoh's lips without thinking, "Is that why you were so unwilling to join the CMG?"
When Rukawa didn't answer Sendoh added shrewdly, "He played the violin, didn't he?"
"So what? Just because he did doesn't mean I have to!" came the heated outburst.
Inwardly Sendoh sighed; in less than twelve hours he had become the punching bag for two very different persons. He really ought to start sending out a clear message that he was no pushover. With a scowl, Sendoh couldn't help but chid the fuming boy, "Stop behaving like a spoilt and ungrateful brat. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have made it so far in the music world. The least you could do is act decent and show some respect for the dead."
The anger died as Sendoh's words sank in. Ashamed of his outburst, Rukawa's gaze dropped as he muttered an apology. Sendoh sighed out loud this time as he placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, "I don't know what happened to you in the past, but I sincerely hope that you will continue playing the violin."
Rukawa's voice was barely audible as he questioned, "Why?"
Sendoh's other hand tilted the boy's chin upwards as he teased with a warm and sincere smile, "Hey, Rukawa-kun, surely you're not as stupid as to let all of your hard work go to waste? I mean, the Music Fest is the prefect opportunity for you to show Japan, or least the Kanagawa prefecture, just how good you really are."
"Why are you so nice to me?"
Again that genuine need to know and Sendoh was momentarily speechless upon seeing the look of plain vulnerability in the boy's clear blue eyes. His protective nature aroused, Sendoh was suddenly struck with the impulse to pull the boy into his embrace and comfort him, to let him know that he was not alone and there was no need for emotional barriers. But instead of making good his thoughts, the boy merely smiled as he answered lightly, "That's because you're my friend, and friends look out for each other."
"Sendoh, I. I don't know what to say," stammered Rukawa in confusion. He had never met anyone like Sendoh and the unexpected kindness had rendered him at lost. In all his seventeen years, he had grown up believing that nothing in life was free and there were no such things as unconditional friendships. He had been played the fool by his so-called friends back in Paris and their insincerity had merely fuelled his suspicions of the human race.
Leaving his arm around the boy's shoulder, Sendoh pulled him along before winking cheekily, "Hey, I'm Mr Nice Guy, remember?"
Falling in step with Sendoh, the young man couldn't help but look curiously at the smiling face next to him. Finally Rukawa whispered gratefully, "Thank you, Sendoh, for being honest with me."
The smile widened as Sendoh answered while still looking ahead, "Anytime, Rukawa-kun, anytime."
t.b.c. ^_~
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: *CheeKy waves SenRu banner ecstatically* SenRu! SenRu! SenRu! And if you're a SenRu fan too, why not join the AkiraKaede Mailing List for more SenRu lovin'? Nyahahahaha, free advertising for the AKML. Anyways, here's the link --
To:
Whiter Meteor ~ *smacks head* Gomen for misreading your question, why didn't you correct me? The reason Jin's in The Monkeys is because Youhei is more of a bad boy, and Fukuda's part of The Monkeys. *sniggers* (If you still don't get it, please read my comment to rj-chan below) Besides, it'll be a good for The Monkeys to have someone sane to keep an eye on them. ^___~
sLL ~ Ehehehe, okay, no more poking fun at Kiyota, for now. ^____~ As for the RuHana thingy, nah, Sendoh's the man for Rukawa!!
akane & tensaispira ~ *CheeKy drools alongside at the picture of Kaede playing the guitar* Nyahahaha, isn't Kaede simply the best?? Cute, smart and multi-talented! ^_____~
fourteen ~ Nyahahaha, I like MitRu too, but I *luv* SenRu, so, er, maybe in some other fic. ^____~ As for the Japanese guy with no name, how about a description? Maybe I might have an idea who you're talking about.
Jo-san ~ Oops, still hadn't describe Sendoh on the piano yet. Gomen nasai!!! But it just isn't the right moment yet, so please please be patient k?? I promise you it'll be an astounding performance. ^___~
rj-chan ~ Nyahahahaha, Kaede's a regular troublemaker no? Anyways, no need to feel sorry about Jin, he has Fukuda by his side. Nyahahahahahaha. Was watching the Ryonan and Kainan match and all those funny nicknames about 'Fukky' and 'Jin Jin' was simply tooooo tempting to ignore. Nyahahahaha. *whew* I'm a little not right in the head today. ;;^^
* * *
Chapter Nine ~ A Revelation
"You're really are musically talented. After an hour of lessons and you've already mastered the basic chords. Not too bad for a newbie, I must say," smirked Sendoh to the silent boy who was walking next to him. They had just taken leave of the auditorium, to the obvious pleasure of both Kiyota and Sakuragi who practically slammed the door behind them the minute they stepped foot outside. Sendoh grinned slightly at the recollection; he was beginning to wonder how much longer it would take before the bulging veins on their foreheads burst. It was clear to everyone in the room that neither boy was feeling the least bit ecstatic of having their leader behaving in such an intimate manner with their nemesis. The grin on Sendoh's face widened; obviously Rukawa wasn't one to mince his words.
After several more minutes of silence, Sendoh turned slightly towards his silent companion as he pouted unhappily, "Hey, talk to me with you? I feel like I'm conversing with myself here."
Rukawa offered a small smile, "Mitsui's a good teacher."
Clearly pleased to find Rukawa somewhat more sociable than usual, Sendoh quickly nodded his agreement, "Told you he was good. So tell me, was his assumption right?"
The boy nodded as he answered almost hesitatively, "I was eleven when I saw my first Rickenbacker. It looked a lot like the one Mitsui's using, white with streaks of red on its side. I told my dad about it, but he."
"He what?" prodded Sendoh with an encouraging smile when Rukawa paused in mid-sentence.
Rukawa released a harsh laugh before answering bitterly, "He said no. As usual."
Sendoh was shocked to hear the harshness in Rukawa's reply. He could only stare helplessly as the Rukawa continued, his features returning to the once familiar impassive and chilly outlook.
"He said guitars were for street kids and I was too 'civilised' for those kinds of instruments. He threatened to break my fingers if he ever caught me playing on one."
Sendoh pointed out quietly, "Yet you accepted Mitsui's teaching offer. Why?"
The head was thrown back as Rukawa stared several moments at the fading skylight before shifting his attention towards Sendoh. There was the barest hint of madness in those blue eyes as Rukawa leaned closer to Sendoh before whispering softly in his ear, "He's dead. Died three months ago."
Sendoh's eyes widened as Rukawa took a step backwards. The boy snorted upon seeing the look of horror on the pianist's face, "Oh for gods' sake, no need to look so shocked. It's not as if I killed him or anything. Besides, I hate him. Gods know how much I hate him and now that he's dead, he can't control me anymore. I'm free to do as I please."
The words left Sendoh's lips without thinking, "Is that why you were so unwilling to join the CMG?"
When Rukawa didn't answer Sendoh added shrewdly, "He played the violin, didn't he?"
"So what? Just because he did doesn't mean I have to!" came the heated outburst.
Inwardly Sendoh sighed; in less than twelve hours he had become the punching bag for two very different persons. He really ought to start sending out a clear message that he was no pushover. With a scowl, Sendoh couldn't help but chid the fuming boy, "Stop behaving like a spoilt and ungrateful brat. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have made it so far in the music world. The least you could do is act decent and show some respect for the dead."
The anger died as Sendoh's words sank in. Ashamed of his outburst, Rukawa's gaze dropped as he muttered an apology. Sendoh sighed out loud this time as he placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, "I don't know what happened to you in the past, but I sincerely hope that you will continue playing the violin."
Rukawa's voice was barely audible as he questioned, "Why?"
Sendoh's other hand tilted the boy's chin upwards as he teased with a warm and sincere smile, "Hey, Rukawa-kun, surely you're not as stupid as to let all of your hard work go to waste? I mean, the Music Fest is the prefect opportunity for you to show Japan, or least the Kanagawa prefecture, just how good you really are."
"Why are you so nice to me?"
Again that genuine need to know and Sendoh was momentarily speechless upon seeing the look of plain vulnerability in the boy's clear blue eyes. His protective nature aroused, Sendoh was suddenly struck with the impulse to pull the boy into his embrace and comfort him, to let him know that he was not alone and there was no need for emotional barriers. But instead of making good his thoughts, the boy merely smiled as he answered lightly, "That's because you're my friend, and friends look out for each other."
"Sendoh, I. I don't know what to say," stammered Rukawa in confusion. He had never met anyone like Sendoh and the unexpected kindness had rendered him at lost. In all his seventeen years, he had grown up believing that nothing in life was free and there were no such things as unconditional friendships. He had been played the fool by his so-called friends back in Paris and their insincerity had merely fuelled his suspicions of the human race.
Leaving his arm around the boy's shoulder, Sendoh pulled him along before winking cheekily, "Hey, I'm Mr Nice Guy, remember?"
Falling in step with Sendoh, the young man couldn't help but look curiously at the smiling face next to him. Finally Rukawa whispered gratefully, "Thank you, Sendoh, for being honest with me."
The smile widened as Sendoh answered while still looking ahead, "Anytime, Rukawa-kun, anytime."
t.b.c. ^_~
