Xiaoj : Sorry if I made any mistakes. Heh heh..

Hikaru Itsuko : Here's chapter 3! Smile! Enjoy reading!

KISS rocks : Thanks for submitting your review.

ARIGATOU MINNA-SAN!

~Rukawa Kaede~

Two days has passed since the accident happened. Akagi walked into the court with Mr. Anzai. They looked quite pleased. The do'aho asked the question that I was wondering.

Sakuragi : Why are you looking so pleased with yourself?

Akagi : We managed to get Ryonan to have a practice game with us.

Sakuragi : Ah! Sendo, I'll beat you!

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. That do'aho kept talking about beating people so loudly. I spun the ball on the tip of my index finger. The do'aho was staring at me.

Rukawa : What do you want, do'aho?

Sakuragi : You! Stupid! Rukawa!

I was just about to reply when the gym door slid open.

Atsui : Ohayo, Anzai-sensei. Hajimemashite. Kaede-kun!

The ball went through the hoop. I turned around and almost smiled at her. Almost. I nodded at her to signify that I was taking notice of her.

Atsui : Come on! Tsugi is waiting!

Tsugi? Who the heck is that? Do I know him? Anyway, I had absolutely no idea why she was here. Oh, yea, she's here to pick me up, I think. Anyway, basketball practice would be ending in about five more minutes. So, I packed my things and bowed at Anzai sensei before leaving. While we crossed to school compound to Atsi's limousine, many people stared at us. I didn't care much. I looked at Atsi. All she was doing was smiling at them. When we finally reached the limo, She dived in head first. When I got in after her and shut the door, she started complaining about it at once.

Atsui : I hate it! They never leave us alone!

Rukawa : . . .

Atsui : Opps, sorry, I forgot you can't talk yet.

I only turned to face the tinted window. We were passing a quiet neighborhood. No cars at all but a lot of the trees that looked as if some one had put a big pink blanket over them. I leaned back against the seat. So, Tsugi was the driver, eh? Not that I care anyway. Closing my eyes, I was about to fall asleep when Atsi hit me in the stomach. Grumbling, I opened an eye.

Rukawa : What was that for?

Atsui : We're at your house.

Really? That was fast. Maybe it's because I wasn't sleeping and riding my bike home at the same time. I shrugged.

Rukawa : Let's go to your house.

Atsui : Huh?

Instead of replying, I fell asleep, too tired to talk.
~Atsui Rukawa~ It has been a week since I came to Kanagawa. Today, I just received the news that I had been dreading ever since I came here.

.Anaki, this is your manager. Don't forget that you will be going to Osaka in two more weeks. That will be all.

I can't believe it. My manager had used his brains this time and left the message on the voice recorder. I couldn't argue. I tried calling him but whenever he heard me trying to explain to him that I want to stay in Kanagawa, he says no and hangs up. I'm just so furious. Anyway, at least I'll be able to see my brother play a game against Ryonan High. I heard that they are quite good. I looked into the mirror. At myself. It's times like this that I hate myself. All I can see is a girl who can't even go out and tell her manager that enough is enough. A girl that couldn't protect her brother. Just curling up into a tight ball. Hiding away from the world and the truth. I raised my first, clenched it tightly and punched the mirror. It shattered. Into a million tiny pieces. Just like me. My face got a few cuts but when I looked at my hand, it was as though I was wearing a blood red glove. Someone knocked on my door. I could hear the door swing open slowly. I waited for them to come and fuss over me. Instead, I could see the figure of my brother. For the first time, I didn't bother to say anything to him. I could hear him walking across the room towards me. He must've seen my hand because the next thing I knew, he was pulling me to my feet and half dragging me towards the bathroom. He washed my hand and applied a stinging cream. Later he bandaged it tightly. We both slumped onto the sofa. I held my hand up to my face, closed an eye and stuck my tongue out at it. I could sense that he was looking at me. I looked back at him with one of my eyes closed and tongue still sticking out. I tried to talk to him that way but only succeeded in nearly biting my tongue off. I gave up trying to talk to him and started squinting at him with me open eye. I thought I saw him.nah, it couldn't be.could it? I just remembered, even if I did ask him, he won't tell me. Besides, his voice isn't really back yet. I squinted even more. I leaned forwards and tried to catch his expression. Maybe he is smiling. Maybe. I've never seen him do that before. So I squinted even more until my eye was reduced to a little slit. I had crossed my arms and was sitting on the sofa crossed legged. He was sitting on the floor. I leaned forwards and kept on leaning because I still couldn't see him properly. I leaned and leaned and leaned and fell down with a hard thump. Now I was going to get a bruise on my elbow and my knee. Then, I turned around just in time to catch it. My brother was finally smiling.