Music
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Note: Still SenRu, with hints of KoshAya. I wanna dedicate a whole chapter to MitKo, so please please bear with me for the delay. ^^
To:
White Meteor ~ *sweatdrops* Yeah, Mitsui does sound kinda unstable in the previous chapter, but I've always associated him with fists and stuff. That's why he needs someone stable in his life, someone like Kogure for instance. ^o^ As for Rukawa wanting Sendoh to piggy-back him, I only wished I'd thought about it sooner!! That was simply a hilarious idea. ^_________^
fourteen ~ *pats fourteen on the head* Aww, don't hate yourself. I was just messing about with the Rukawas. At least all the pain came to a good cause! ^^
rj-chan ~ Hey thanks! I much prefer Rukawa's dad this way too. Trying to minimise as much bad blood as possible. ^^
tensaispira ~ *sweatdrops* Okaaayy.
Hibiki-chan ~ *blink blink* Huh? Sendoh's a lucky guy?? Eheheh, maybe having Kaede open up to him, but crying in front of him?? Still, many thanks for reviewing! ^^
Psyche ~ Nyahahahaha, it's going to be yaoi till the end. ^^ Actually, I'm thinking it's more shounen-ai material. *sweatdrops*
iNsAnEbEl ~ *glomps iNsAnEbEl* Sugoi!!! I'm so glad that you think this is your fav AU SD fic. ^___________^ Ano, I'm sure there are girls in the CMG, but I'm not too keened on writing in OCs since they'd serve no purpose whatsoever. Ehehe, I've enough on my plate just writing about the boys!! In any case, I've inserted the girls inside the choir group, makes for a more interesting read, doncha think? ^^
Aki7 ~ Hey hey, mucha mucha thanks for reviewing. ^_____^ Is your experience anything like Kaede's or have I exaggerated too much?? ^^ I honestly think it's the latter right? Eheheh, poor Kaede. . .
Jo-san ~ Hey sweetie!! This's the chapter you've been waiting for!! *huggies*
* * *
Chapter Twelve ~ And The Pianist Plays
"Finally. I was starting to wonder if you remembered your promise to me," laughed Ayako as she gave the young man a quick hug. Her eyes travelled to Rukawa and with an excited squeal, the girl added, "Oh, and you must be Rukawa Kaede. I've heard so much about you from Akira-kun. My god, whatever happened to your cheek?"
"Mitsui punched me."
"Ooh. I bet you must have insulted the guy. So tell me, does it still hurt?"
Rukawa made the mistake of shaking his head. Seeing that the boy was none the worse for wear, Ayako started chiding him about the negative aspects of fighting. And as the words rolled off her tongue in the most animated manner, Rukawa found himself feeling slightly overwhelmed by the attention and he could only turned to Sendoh with a pleading look on his face. Taking pity on the boy, Sendoh interjected with a loud cough, "Hey Aya-chan, I thought you were going to be practise your songs? Don't you think it's time we got started?"
The girl merely waved aside his interruption as she snorted in mock irritation, "Akira-kun, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you were trying to keep the boy all to yourself."
"Aya-chan!" exclaimed Sendoh as he blushed bright crimson. Dark brown eyes danced impishly as Ayako nudged her friend in the ribs before whispering loud enough for the whole room to hear, "At least he looks cuter than the last one. So have you guys, you know, yet?"
Rukawa's eyes widened as he stared blankly at the girl. Confused at her choice of words, Rukawa was even more surprised at Sendoh's reaction. It was as if Ayako had just exposed his deepest secret and the young man was blushing so red even his ears were burning. Catching the look of uncertainty on Rukawa's face, Ayako quickly added with a kind smile, "Don't mind me. I'm just pulling Akira's leg. I've known him ever since we were in kindergarten and he already used to my teasing."
Sendoh laughed uneasily, "Right. Aya-chan, you know what your biggest problem is? You have absolutely no respect for your seniors."
Ayako's grin widened as she teased, "And you do? Anyway, we're going to start singing soon so I would suggest that you get ass over the grand piano pronto. As for you Rukawa-kun, why don't you grab a seat and enjoy the show?"
"Quick Kaede, save yourself! You still have time to escape before her craziness starts rubbing off you."
"Oh, is it Kaede now?" smirked Ayako as she started tugging on Akira's arm. Shaking his head slightly, Rukawa couldn't help but smile as Sendoh gave him an exaggerated look of pain while allowing himself to be pull onto the stage. The young man also sighed dramatically as he took his seat at the piano.
In the meantime, Ayako had clapped her hands together loudly as she spoke up cheerfully, "Okay girls, we have a special guest today from the CMG and his name is Rukawa Kaede. He will be watching our rehearsal, so I'd expect everyone to give their best, is that clear?"
A voice called out from the back row, "Aww, that's not fair. We're not ready yet."
Ayako glanced sternly in the speaker's direction as she pointed out with a frown, "Fujii, we are one week away from the Music Fest. I'd honestly expected you to be prepared by now."
Rukawa quickly stood up as he called out, "Hey, it's okay. I can leave if you want me too."
A different voice muttered dreamily, "No, let him stay. He's just so handsome!"
This time it was Sendoh who answered with a laugh, "Hoi, Kaede, that's your cue to leave. Obviously you've proven to be quite a major distraction."
Ayako quickly interjected with another frown, "Haruko, will you please pay attention! I need you to stay focused so you'd be able to give your best performance."
Turning to the pianist, Ayako then added as she crossly placed her hands on her hips, "And as for you Akira-kun, I don't want to hear another word about asking Rukawa to leave. He's our special guest and I am pleased to have him here."
Several feet away, Rukawa sweatdropped when Sendoh started teasing the girl about being such a mother-hen towards the pale-faced boy. Ayako in turn merely snorted before turning her back towards the young man. She held up both hands as she offered a quick glance in Sendoh's direction. Catching the hint, Sendoh too hurriedly turned serious. And as Ayako gave him a slight nod, long fingers ran expertly across the ivory and ebony keys. In an instance, sweet sounds filled the air accompanied by the melodious tune of the grand piano.
~ * ~
The moment his fingers touched the keys, Sendoh's mind closed to the outside world and he heard and saw nothing but the music. His senses were keen and alert, his attention unwavering at every note. Such was Sendoh's devotion to his playing skills that the walls might collapse around him and yet the young man would not have noticed the impact. Nothing could affect the pianist the moment he started playing, and nothing would register in his mind until the last note was played.
From his seat, Rukawa was enthralled by the serene look on Sendoh's face. This was a side to Sendoh that he had never witnessed before, having had his back towards the young man during the CMG practises. As such, the foxy- eyed boy found it difficult to tear his eyes from the young man's face. No wonder they say he's the best. Rukawa smiled to himself; even from his distance, he could sense the blissful aura that surrounded the pianist.
The boy then leaned back in his seat as he plopped his feet lazily over the chair in front of him. Resting his head in his hand, Rukawa's eyes drooped listlessly as the music continued to play. He soon found himself being gradually lulled to sleep by the sweet sounds and Rukawa gave a hard shake to clear the sleepiness. But the moment he relaxed himself, he found his eyelids growing heavier and it wasn't long before Rukawa fell asleep with a soft smile tugging on his lips.
~ * ~
"My my, he looks even cuter when he's asleep!"
"Aya-chan, stop teasing already."
"What? Are you afraid that he'd hear me? Hey Rukawa-kun, can you hear me?"
"Hush! Or you'll wake him."
"Isn't that what we're trying to accomplish here?"
"Yes. I mean no. No, we are not going to wake him up."
"Are you suggesting that we continue to let him sleep? Be reasonable Akira, I'm hungry, the girls are hungry and we need to lock the auditorium up."
"Alright, you win. But let me do it."
"Be my guest. So how are you going to wake Sleeping Beauty up? With the traditional kiss on the lips?"
"Aya-chan, will you stop having such twisted thoughts? For gods' sake, we're just friends, nothing more, nothing less."
"Friends don't look at each other that way, but if that's what you want to believe, then it's absolutely fine with me."
"My god, you're just as bad as Koshino, maybe even worse."
"Koshino? That bad-tempered friend of yours? How that statement supposed to make any sense? I'm sure we have nothing in common."
"Hey, you're blushing! I can hardly believe my eyes but Ayako, the spunkiest girl in Karejji Kanagawa is actually blushing! Woo-hoo, wait till I tell Kosh about this!"
"Sendoh Akira, I am defiantly not blushing! I'm just flushed with all this senseless banter with you."
"Fujima was right, you guys were meant for each other. You even think and react the same way."
"That's it! I'm leaving. Here, take the key and don't forget to return it to the Dean's office before you go to dinner."
"Aww, no need to be shy."
Ignoring the mischievous glint in the dark blue eyes, Ayako merely flicked her curly brown hair disinterestedly as she took leave of the auditorium. After the girl had left, Sendoh turned his attention back to the sleeping boy curled up several feet from where he stood. The spiky-haired man then sighed desolately as he mumbled under his breath, "Was my performance really that boring that it put you to sleep?"
~ * ~
Rukawa gave a wide yawn as he groggily opened his eyes. Seeing the familiar smiling face before him, the boy offered a crooked grin as he sleepily muttered, "What time is it?"
"It's a little after six. Time for you to wake up and have dinner."
Straightening to his full height, Rukawa gave another lazy yawn as he stretched himself, "Hope I didn't embarrassed you for falling asleep."
As the previous conversation with Ayako flirted in his mind, Sendoh felt his cheeks reddened. Turning away, he quickly added, "Well, we had better make a move. I still need to return the key before heading over the cafeteria."
"Right. It's Friday isn't it? I sure don't want to be late for yummy fish and chips."
Sendoh couldn't help laughing aloud when Rukawa screwed up his face as he held up an imaginary fish. The older boy inwardly gave a contented sigh; looks like his hard work were starting to pay off. Sendoh's laugh proved infectious and Rukawa found himself grinning back; maybe his life was starting to change for the better after all.
t.b.c. ^_~
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Note: Still SenRu, with hints of KoshAya. I wanna dedicate a whole chapter to MitKo, so please please bear with me for the delay. ^^
To:
White Meteor ~ *sweatdrops* Yeah, Mitsui does sound kinda unstable in the previous chapter, but I've always associated him with fists and stuff. That's why he needs someone stable in his life, someone like Kogure for instance. ^o^ As for Rukawa wanting Sendoh to piggy-back him, I only wished I'd thought about it sooner!! That was simply a hilarious idea. ^_________^
fourteen ~ *pats fourteen on the head* Aww, don't hate yourself. I was just messing about with the Rukawas. At least all the pain came to a good cause! ^^
rj-chan ~ Hey thanks! I much prefer Rukawa's dad this way too. Trying to minimise as much bad blood as possible. ^^
tensaispira ~ *sweatdrops* Okaaayy.
Hibiki-chan ~ *blink blink* Huh? Sendoh's a lucky guy?? Eheheh, maybe having Kaede open up to him, but crying in front of him?? Still, many thanks for reviewing! ^^
Psyche ~ Nyahahahaha, it's going to be yaoi till the end. ^^ Actually, I'm thinking it's more shounen-ai material. *sweatdrops*
iNsAnEbEl ~ *glomps iNsAnEbEl* Sugoi!!! I'm so glad that you think this is your fav AU SD fic. ^___________^ Ano, I'm sure there are girls in the CMG, but I'm not too keened on writing in OCs since they'd serve no purpose whatsoever. Ehehe, I've enough on my plate just writing about the boys!! In any case, I've inserted the girls inside the choir group, makes for a more interesting read, doncha think? ^^
Aki7 ~ Hey hey, mucha mucha thanks for reviewing. ^_____^ Is your experience anything like Kaede's or have I exaggerated too much?? ^^ I honestly think it's the latter right? Eheheh, poor Kaede. . .
Jo-san ~ Hey sweetie!! This's the chapter you've been waiting for!! *huggies*
* * *
Chapter Twelve ~ And The Pianist Plays
"Finally. I was starting to wonder if you remembered your promise to me," laughed Ayako as she gave the young man a quick hug. Her eyes travelled to Rukawa and with an excited squeal, the girl added, "Oh, and you must be Rukawa Kaede. I've heard so much about you from Akira-kun. My god, whatever happened to your cheek?"
"Mitsui punched me."
"Ooh. I bet you must have insulted the guy. So tell me, does it still hurt?"
Rukawa made the mistake of shaking his head. Seeing that the boy was none the worse for wear, Ayako started chiding him about the negative aspects of fighting. And as the words rolled off her tongue in the most animated manner, Rukawa found himself feeling slightly overwhelmed by the attention and he could only turned to Sendoh with a pleading look on his face. Taking pity on the boy, Sendoh interjected with a loud cough, "Hey Aya-chan, I thought you were going to be practise your songs? Don't you think it's time we got started?"
The girl merely waved aside his interruption as she snorted in mock irritation, "Akira-kun, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you were trying to keep the boy all to yourself."
"Aya-chan!" exclaimed Sendoh as he blushed bright crimson. Dark brown eyes danced impishly as Ayako nudged her friend in the ribs before whispering loud enough for the whole room to hear, "At least he looks cuter than the last one. So have you guys, you know, yet?"
Rukawa's eyes widened as he stared blankly at the girl. Confused at her choice of words, Rukawa was even more surprised at Sendoh's reaction. It was as if Ayako had just exposed his deepest secret and the young man was blushing so red even his ears were burning. Catching the look of uncertainty on Rukawa's face, Ayako quickly added with a kind smile, "Don't mind me. I'm just pulling Akira's leg. I've known him ever since we were in kindergarten and he already used to my teasing."
Sendoh laughed uneasily, "Right. Aya-chan, you know what your biggest problem is? You have absolutely no respect for your seniors."
Ayako's grin widened as she teased, "And you do? Anyway, we're going to start singing soon so I would suggest that you get ass over the grand piano pronto. As for you Rukawa-kun, why don't you grab a seat and enjoy the show?"
"Quick Kaede, save yourself! You still have time to escape before her craziness starts rubbing off you."
"Oh, is it Kaede now?" smirked Ayako as she started tugging on Akira's arm. Shaking his head slightly, Rukawa couldn't help but smile as Sendoh gave him an exaggerated look of pain while allowing himself to be pull onto the stage. The young man also sighed dramatically as he took his seat at the piano.
In the meantime, Ayako had clapped her hands together loudly as she spoke up cheerfully, "Okay girls, we have a special guest today from the CMG and his name is Rukawa Kaede. He will be watching our rehearsal, so I'd expect everyone to give their best, is that clear?"
A voice called out from the back row, "Aww, that's not fair. We're not ready yet."
Ayako glanced sternly in the speaker's direction as she pointed out with a frown, "Fujii, we are one week away from the Music Fest. I'd honestly expected you to be prepared by now."
Rukawa quickly stood up as he called out, "Hey, it's okay. I can leave if you want me too."
A different voice muttered dreamily, "No, let him stay. He's just so handsome!"
This time it was Sendoh who answered with a laugh, "Hoi, Kaede, that's your cue to leave. Obviously you've proven to be quite a major distraction."
Ayako quickly interjected with another frown, "Haruko, will you please pay attention! I need you to stay focused so you'd be able to give your best performance."
Turning to the pianist, Ayako then added as she crossly placed her hands on her hips, "And as for you Akira-kun, I don't want to hear another word about asking Rukawa to leave. He's our special guest and I am pleased to have him here."
Several feet away, Rukawa sweatdropped when Sendoh started teasing the girl about being such a mother-hen towards the pale-faced boy. Ayako in turn merely snorted before turning her back towards the young man. She held up both hands as she offered a quick glance in Sendoh's direction. Catching the hint, Sendoh too hurriedly turned serious. And as Ayako gave him a slight nod, long fingers ran expertly across the ivory and ebony keys. In an instance, sweet sounds filled the air accompanied by the melodious tune of the grand piano.
~ * ~
The moment his fingers touched the keys, Sendoh's mind closed to the outside world and he heard and saw nothing but the music. His senses were keen and alert, his attention unwavering at every note. Such was Sendoh's devotion to his playing skills that the walls might collapse around him and yet the young man would not have noticed the impact. Nothing could affect the pianist the moment he started playing, and nothing would register in his mind until the last note was played.
From his seat, Rukawa was enthralled by the serene look on Sendoh's face. This was a side to Sendoh that he had never witnessed before, having had his back towards the young man during the CMG practises. As such, the foxy- eyed boy found it difficult to tear his eyes from the young man's face. No wonder they say he's the best. Rukawa smiled to himself; even from his distance, he could sense the blissful aura that surrounded the pianist.
The boy then leaned back in his seat as he plopped his feet lazily over the chair in front of him. Resting his head in his hand, Rukawa's eyes drooped listlessly as the music continued to play. He soon found himself being gradually lulled to sleep by the sweet sounds and Rukawa gave a hard shake to clear the sleepiness. But the moment he relaxed himself, he found his eyelids growing heavier and it wasn't long before Rukawa fell asleep with a soft smile tugging on his lips.
~ * ~
"My my, he looks even cuter when he's asleep!"
"Aya-chan, stop teasing already."
"What? Are you afraid that he'd hear me? Hey Rukawa-kun, can you hear me?"
"Hush! Or you'll wake him."
"Isn't that what we're trying to accomplish here?"
"Yes. I mean no. No, we are not going to wake him up."
"Are you suggesting that we continue to let him sleep? Be reasonable Akira, I'm hungry, the girls are hungry and we need to lock the auditorium up."
"Alright, you win. But let me do it."
"Be my guest. So how are you going to wake Sleeping Beauty up? With the traditional kiss on the lips?"
"Aya-chan, will you stop having such twisted thoughts? For gods' sake, we're just friends, nothing more, nothing less."
"Friends don't look at each other that way, but if that's what you want to believe, then it's absolutely fine with me."
"My god, you're just as bad as Koshino, maybe even worse."
"Koshino? That bad-tempered friend of yours? How that statement supposed to make any sense? I'm sure we have nothing in common."
"Hey, you're blushing! I can hardly believe my eyes but Ayako, the spunkiest girl in Karejji Kanagawa is actually blushing! Woo-hoo, wait till I tell Kosh about this!"
"Sendoh Akira, I am defiantly not blushing! I'm just flushed with all this senseless banter with you."
"Fujima was right, you guys were meant for each other. You even think and react the same way."
"That's it! I'm leaving. Here, take the key and don't forget to return it to the Dean's office before you go to dinner."
"Aww, no need to be shy."
Ignoring the mischievous glint in the dark blue eyes, Ayako merely flicked her curly brown hair disinterestedly as she took leave of the auditorium. After the girl had left, Sendoh turned his attention back to the sleeping boy curled up several feet from where he stood. The spiky-haired man then sighed desolately as he mumbled under his breath, "Was my performance really that boring that it put you to sleep?"
~ * ~
Rukawa gave a wide yawn as he groggily opened his eyes. Seeing the familiar smiling face before him, the boy offered a crooked grin as he sleepily muttered, "What time is it?"
"It's a little after six. Time for you to wake up and have dinner."
Straightening to his full height, Rukawa gave another lazy yawn as he stretched himself, "Hope I didn't embarrassed you for falling asleep."
As the previous conversation with Ayako flirted in his mind, Sendoh felt his cheeks reddened. Turning away, he quickly added, "Well, we had better make a move. I still need to return the key before heading over the cafeteria."
"Right. It's Friday isn't it? I sure don't want to be late for yummy fish and chips."
Sendoh couldn't help laughing aloud when Rukawa screwed up his face as he held up an imaginary fish. The older boy inwardly gave a contented sigh; looks like his hard work were starting to pay off. Sendoh's laugh proved infectious and Rukawa found himself grinning back; maybe his life was starting to change for the better after all.
t.b.c. ^_~
