Disclaimer:
I don't own anything.
A/N:
I've been on vacation in the middle of nowhere and that's all anyone needs to know.
Okei, that was a teeny bit bitchy. Am not feeling well. Just got back to civilization. Been TV starved and stuff. Summer vacation's not standing up to its promise of fun, guys, and parties sigh Then my internet connection's been cut off (many thanks to Det who is responsible for my reconnection!).
Nii-san means big brother (or kuya in our language). Imouto-san means little sister (no corresponding term in our language). Itai means ouch (Aray. Or kung gusto mong mas sosyal, arouch).
Erratum: I forgot to edit my A/N last chapter. The names of the Sakuragi gundan are thanks to crazy4u, not to some website. =) thank you, crazy4u! sorry, I didn't send this fic to you before posting! =)
Chapter 2:
The Ceremony
Haruko took a deep breath and pushed the heavy doors open. Inside the room were two persons, a male and a female. Both were intimidating presences, seated at the head of the room, on a higher plane than everything else.
Usually, that place was full of people, but tonight, there were only three persons inside. It was Haruko's initiation.
Haruko felt her insides turn to jelly.
"Come closer," the female said, authority emanating from her voice.
Haruko nodded and slowly made her way to the front of the room, where the two figures were.
"Akagi Haruko," the male figure said when Haruko was near enough.
"Yes?" Haruko asked meekly, head bowed.
"Are you prepared to accept such huge responsibilities?" The male asked, his face bathed in shadows.
Haruko fought to keep her voice level. "Yes,"
"Are you willing to put your needs behind, for the sake of our cause?" The female one asked.
"Yes," Haruko replied earnestly.
"Are you willing to make sacrifices?"
"Would you do everything in your power?"
"Would you devote your time?"
"Are you ready to face the consequences?"
Haruko answered the barrage of questions with heartfelt yes's until the two figures became satisfied.
"Very well, Akagi Haruko, on your knees." The male one ordered.
Haruko's breath got caught in her throat, but refrained from saying anything. She went down on one knee.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the female figure draw out a long object from behind.
Haruko gasped. Could it be?
"With the power vested upon me," the female voice declared dramatically as the long object was placed briefly on Haruko's right shoulder. "I declare you accepted of the position you desired." The same action was repeated at her left shoulder.
"Stand up, Akagi Haruko," the male said. "You have been tested and found acceptable."
The female helped Haruko unto her feet. And for the first time since Haruko entered the room, the former's face broke into a warm smile. "Welcome to the club, Haruko."
Haruko reddened a bit.
The male grinned too. "And she has something for you as a welcome to the club present."
Haruko turned to the female expectantly. She was handed the long object that was used to touch her shoulder. "Y-you don't mean—"
The female nodded. "You've earned it."
Haruko's eyes teared up. "Oh!" She cried. "My very own paper fan!" She impulsively hugged the female. "Thank you, Ayako-san!" She turned to the male beside them. "Thank you, Miyagi-san."
"What, no hug?" Miyagi huffed.
whap
whap
"ITAIII!"
"Oi, Miyagi-san! The door to the gym seems stuck!"
"A little help here!"
"Try to open it from the inside, and we'll do the same here!"
"Whatever you guys do, don't let go of the door!" Miyagi hissed desperately to his freshmen recruits.
"But, Miyagi-san, they're much too strong!" One freshman rookie complained.
"Shut up!" Miyagi snapped. "If you let go, you're off the team!"
"Yes, sir!" The freshman nodded as he and his other teammates held on for dear life.
"You, on the court, do your laps!" Miyagi barked to the senior team members as he walked to the sidelines.
Ayako glanced at the tight-lipped, red-faced, and hotheaded team captain. She bravely walked over towards him. "Do you really plan on keeping them outside forever?"
Miyagi didn't even look up. "I'll do whatever it takes," he grumbled.
"And how do you plan on training the freshmen?" Ayako pressed.
"Keeping the door closed will help them build their puny muscles." He replied without even batting an eyelash.
"Ryota,"
"Alright, alright," Miyagi relented. "If they still come after a month of locking them out, maybe I'll reconsider,"
"Ryota,"
"OK, half a month, then."
"Miyagi!"
"A week?" Miyagi asked meekly.
Ayako shook her head.
"Anzai-sensei!" Three voices outside shouted simultaneously.
"What?" Miyagi groaned. "Freshmen players! Let go of the door!"
"But, captain!"
"NOW!"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
The door opened, revealing three festive Sakuragi gundan, decked in their sports attire.
"We made you open the door!" Noma cried out, doing a little victory dance.
"Y-you tricked me!" Miyagi cried out.
"But that's impossible!" Ayako frowned.
"That's right, you're not smart enough!" Miyagi gasped out in shock.
"Of course not," a feminine voice interjected. "That was my idea," that was followed by a heart-felt laugh that could rival Sakuragi's.
"Y-You!" Miyagi groaned.
Ayako once again saw the tall girl. This time, she wasn't wearing a pink wig. Ayako noted that she had reddish-black hair, but it had a white streak in the middle, natural or not, Ayako wasn't sure. She was once again donning eyeglasses, but this time with a neon-green rim that matched her earrings, bracelets, and anklet. And her eyes.
"Hello, Ryo-chan!" The girl greeted Miyagi cheerfully with a peace sign.
"Don't call me that!" Miyagi argued loudly, ready to burst a vein.
"What do you want me to call you, then?" The girl asked with a frown.
"Nii-san!" Miyagi replied. "Can you get that through your thick skull? Call me nii-san!"
The whole gym grinded to a screeching halt.
A couple of murmurs broke out.
Sakuragi looked from Miyagi then to the girl then back at Miyagi again. "Shorty and tall girl?" He frowned. "Nii-san?" He then burst out laughing.
So did the whole gym.
"What's so funny about that?" The captain ball demanded. "So she takes after our father, big deal!"
"Baby!" The tall girl called out as she once again glomped Sakuragi.
Once again within a time span of two minutes, the whole gym fell silent.
"Baby?" Ayako asked with a frown, trying to reconcile her mental picture of a baby with that of Sakuragi's.
"Baby!" A freshman burst out laughing. The whole gym followed suit.
"Get away from my imouto-san!" Miyagi roared as he tore towards the redhead.
The word 'imouto-san' once again set the whole gym (except Sakuragi, Miyagi, the tall girl, and Rukawa) laughing.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" A sweet voice by the door announced.
"Haruko-san!" Sakuragi cried, and immediately redoubled his efforts to get away from his admirer.
"Ah, Haruko-san, look over here!" In the nick of time, Yohei arrived, and distracted the brunette from the incriminating scene inside.
Luckily, a savior came in the form of Ayako and her paper fan.
"Itaii!" Three voices groaned in chorus.
"What's with her and the paper fan?" Miyagi's sister asked as she was forced to release Sakuragi to nurse her injured head.
"Well, you asked for it," Miyagi told her, his eyes filled with admiration for the woman he love.
"Show's over. Back to practice, everyone," Ayako said with a clap of her hands.
"Huh?" Haruko asked in confusion. "Why? What happened?"
So the tall, fashion-conscious freshman was Miyagi's little sister. The girl had turned up for every practice that week, partly to annoy her nii-san and partly to cheer her 'baby' on. Ayako hid a grin. Maia was bound to show up with the Sakuragi gundan soon.
And Ayako was not to be disappointed.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the gym.
"Ryota!" A feminine voice screeched.
The whole gym stopped and saw Maia by the entrance, panting. Behind her were the Sakuragi gundan.
"What?" Ryota groaned. "And you guys are back?" He was harboring the fantasy that every time that the Sakuragi gundan were not around by the time practice starts, the trio had changed their minds about joining their club and tortured some other team captain instead. He could not accept the possibility that every time, they were just late.
"Wait, Ryota, you just found yourself a new security guard!" Maia interrupted Ryota's traditional opening practice grumble.
"A what?"
"Security guard," the girl replied, obviously in distaste in repeating herself.
"Mai, we don't need a security guard." Ryota told her in exasperation. He turned around. "Finish your lapses." He commanded to his team as he jogged towards the girl.
"What's happening, Ayako-san?" Haruko whispered.
Ayako shrugged. "I don't know, but we're going to find out."
"You know, a security guard, the player who shoots and scores for the team from the outside," the tall girl was saying, frustration evident in her voice.
"A shooting guard, you mean," Miyagi corrected.
"Yes, a whatever guard." Maia nodded.
"Where?" Ayako interjected.
"Watch this," Maia then took out a piece of paper from her bag, crumpled it and handed it to Takemiya. "Aim for that waste bin over there."
Takemiya nodded seriously as he took the crumpled paper. He aimed for the trashcan a few meters away. A look of intense concentration crossed his face. Then, he shoots.
And the paper went in.
"Yeah!" The Sakuragi gundan cheered.
"I rock!" Takemiya beamed proudly. "Mitchy, eat your heart out!"
whap
whap
whap
whap
"Well done, Haruko-san," Miyagi nodded to the younger girl.
"I'm so proud," Ayako nodded.
Haruko turned red at her sempai's praises.
Takemiya, Noma, and Ookuzu were down on their knees, each with a huge lump on their head.
So did Maia. The girl was becoming known as the only female member of the Sakuragi-gundan, if the amount of bonks on the head she was getting were to go by.
"No wonder Hanamichi likes her," Takemiya grumbled, glancing at Haruko.
"What was that for?" Maia glared as she crossed her arms defiantly.
"This is basketball, Mai," Miyagi told her. "Not some parlor games,"
"So?"
~tbc
Endnotes:
OK, not much Sakuragi here, but I'm trying to find my pace back. My so-called vacation really took a lot out of me.
And if I'm not as funny, my apologies. Not just in the mood, I guess.
Hirame: More disaster next chap (I hope). =)
Hikaru Itsuko: Thank you for loving it. A game by next chap with Takemiya as the secret weapon.
Crazy4u: =) Again, this one's for you. ;)
Devil: thanks.
Rook: You're making me blush. Really. =)
