**Gomen for the short installments… The later chappies will be longer…
**To zwey- why do you always sign anonymously? I don't even know your email add… Can you email me instead? I have something to ask you… ^_^
**Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 4: Fearing the Unknown
Sakuragi gasped. He knew he wasn't wrong. It was really Rukawa.
"Kaede!!!" he shouted.
It was well known among the basketball team that Sakuragi was the player with the highest stamina. He can jump really high and can run as fast and as far as he can, for how long, no one really knows. Now, he decided, was the right time to use such skills.
He chased the bus Rukawa got into.
"Kaede!!!" Sakuragi yelled as he hit the rear end of the bus.
"Kaede!!!"
The bus kept on moving.
"Kaede!!!"
Much to his disappointment, no one from inside the bus noticed him outside. Not even Rukawa.
"Kaede!!!!!"
The bus never slowed down. Sakuragi tried to catch up with it, but the speed of the bus was too much for him.
He took long gulps of air and, finally, exhaustion fell on him. He slumped on the ground.
He covered his face with his hands and tried to contemplate on what had just happened.
"I finally saw him."
***
"So, I'm here once again…" Sakuragi said to no one in particular. "If there were no police, I probably would have slept here…"
He looked around the park and noticed that he was the only person left, save for a couple of lovers doing who-knows-what at the darker part of the park.
He glanced at his watch and sighed. 8:50 p.m.
No wonder.
Sakuragi shut his eyes and tried to relax.
"Damn it! I can't!" He slapped his forehead.
He leaned his head on the bench and faced the sky.
"Was it really him or was I just hallucinating?" he asked himself out loud.
Maybe, I wanted to see him badly that's why every other guy I see looks like him… he thought.
Demo… He sighed. I know it's him…
I felt something different when I saw him… Aside from happiness and relief that that baka's okay…
I couldn't quite point out what…
Maybe, fear..?
What am I thinking? Sakuragi ran a hand through his short hair. It was shaven a couple of months ago by Rukawa, nonetheless, because the latter was fond of his hairstyle which started after their loss against Kainan. [1]
That I am afraid of Kaede..?
No, it's not that… he thought.
I'm afraid of what his answer may be when I ask him what happened to him, why he never showed up, where he was all along…
I'm afraid, because I don't know…
I don't know anything…
…and I'm not making sense. Sakuragi rolled his eyes.
Why am I thinking like this anyway? He sighed. I wish none of this happened. Suddenly, I have this feeling that our lives changed in an instant.
Well, I don't know for him, but, mine sure did. After he disappeared…
-tbc-
**[1] Sorry! Can't help it! I fell for dear Hana after I saw his shaven-hair-look (semi-kalbo for those from the Philippines) and I just have to insert that… Heehee... ^_^
**I finished this while listening to Sobakasu and Kimi Ni Fureru from Ruruoni Kenshin… Rock songs while typing a sad love story… Sometimes, I don't understand how I work…