Sorry!!!!!! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating. Have been doing too much stuff. But summer is now here and the only thing to worry is the Loyola.
Thank you for all the reviews. Please tell me which couple would you guys like, so I can develop it and make it as best as I could. Anyway, sorry if the sorry is confusing. By the way, can anyone tell me which Gundan's name belongs to whom? Whose Noma, Takamiya and Yuji? I just know their names, not their appearances. Thank you!
The Sakuragis' SecretsSecret Four: The Story
Author: Lenin
"Kami-sama…"
Flashback"Nee, onii-chan, we'll always be together, right?" a seven-year-old Xea asked looking up to a thirteen-year-old Hanamichi. He returned the look with that of a joyous one and gleefully wraps his long slender arms around Xea's petite body. Lifting her up high in the air, the wind carried his laughter all around the park.
" Of course, silly! I'll always be your big brother and you will always be my imouto. My cute little imouto…"
End of Flashback.
Hanamichi's feet slowly touched the floor; he's full attention is centered at the ball flying painfully slow towards the basket. Silently praying that he's shot will enter, Hanamichi dimly notice Ray Jin running under the basket.
" Please go in… please go in… please go in…" Mito, Takamiya, Noma and Yuji silently whispered out like a chant. Everybody watches with anticipation, not knowing if the ball will enter or not.
SWOOSH! BBBRRRRRINNNNGG!
THE game is finally finished and Hanamichi won! The arena exploded with cheers and laughter. Xea's face broke into a big smile, running to her big brother, " O-N-I-I-C-H-A-N!"
" I did it! I did it!" Hanamichi yelled out and caught Xea in a big hug. Mito, Takamiya, Noma and Yuji rushed towards Hanamichi and patted his head, joining in the hug hurdle. The announcer cracked to life and said, " The winner for this special bout is Sakuragi Hanamichi. (Pause) all awardees please prepare for the awarding in ten minutes. Thank you."
Not far from the Sakuragi siblings and friends, is Ray Jin, whose handsome face is tinted by sadness at the sudden turn of events. Sighing heavily and out loud, he came closer to Hanamichi, breaking the picture of tranquility of the 'family'. He extended his hand as a sign of defeat and said, " I wasn't expecting this, but I guess you've won."
Hanamichi stood up and shake his hand with dignity. He is too happy to even think bad stuff about Ray Jin or even glare at him. Hanamichi simply smiled happily and replied, " Kamiu was with me." Breaking out into a grin, Ray Jin let Hanamichi's hand go and brush some bangs from his eyes. He turned away from the four teams and walk to get his neat pile of clothes.
" I guess I'll be leaving you two alone, for a while…"
Hanamichi's
pupils quickly narrowed down and he's eyebrow started to twitch from
irritation. "Teme…"
" Sa, ja ne, Hana-chan, Xe-chan," Ray Jin bid them goodbye and went out the opposite door.
A few minutes later…
" Matte! What about Sendoh-san's uniform?" Hikoichi cried out. " Ah, betsuni," Sendoh informed Hikoichi. " Don't' worry. Ray Jin maybe a big jerk (and one big hentai), but he's a jerk and a gentleman," Hanamichi nonchalantly answer, still somewhat irritated with Ray Jin's words, especially the part where Ray Jin called him by that irritating nickname.
" Translation: He's a big hentai, so more often or not, he's clothes suddenly appear out of nowhere at Hanamichi's house," Takamiya explain. " Urusai Takamiya!" Hanamichi growled out, he's irritation quickly growing, face flushed heavily with a blush.
Sakuragi's Back…
" Come on, we have an award to get, but Sakuragi, you owe us all an explanation," Akagi firmly told them, the last part he stated looking at Hanamichi. Hanamichi nodded and said, " I guess I do."
(The same award style as the series)
After the awards, all of the audience started to disperse. Soon after, the place is deserted with only these people left. Kainan (Jun/Jin, Maki and Kiyota), Shoyo (Fujima and Hanagata) Ryonan (Sendoh, Fukuda, Uozumi, Koshino, Ikegami and Hikoichi), Shohoku (Ayako, Akagi, Miyagi, Mitsui, Rukawa, Kogure), Hanamichi's Gundan (Mito, Takamiya, Noma and Yuji), Hanamichi and Xea herself …
Xea looks like she'll fall asleep standing. Her eyelids are almost halfway shut and she shuffles a yawn every minute. The day's event is starting to take its toll on her little body. Wanting more than anything to just lie down and rest, she didn't notice when Hanamichi lift her up and carried her like a baby.
Sitting down gently on the floor, he shifts his position so that Xea won't be uncomfortable. Those names that has been mention, gathered around Hanamichi, quietly. Even Rukawa and Kiyota, who, surprisingly, hasn't uttered a word of taunt to Hanamichi. But I guess you know why, right? ^. ^
" Hanamichi, explain," Miyagi almost demanded, partly curious with the events, partly irritated with not knowing what's going on. He's careful to tone his voice down as not to wake Xea up.
He mention for all of them to sit down and started, his voice low but audible. " Might as well start at the beginning so all of you can understand. You see both Xea and I are already orphans. Both of our parents are dead and as well as the entire Sakuragi line. Before any of you asked question from the absurdity of our life story, let me finished it."
Hanamichi looked at them and is pleased to know that they all squash their question for later. Before continuing, he looked at his Gundan and when they look at him encouragingly back, he started.
" Our clan, so to speak, stretch long, long time ago. A thousand year ago, our clan has this weird law that no outsider, regardless of the gender, is allowed within the Sakuragi bloodline. Meaning, none of the Sakuragi can marry another, who has no whatsoever blood of our kind. Because of that, our clan lived in a whole village, separated from the others.
There was also a law, the second law, that whoever the clan leader, the rest of bloodlines have to live with him or near him. I don't know what that law meant since they all use to live in one village. Of course, this is a modern world, so we don't have to follow the no-outsider law. But we still apply the second law, our father used to be the clan leader, meaning, all of our relatives near close to us.
When both of our parents died from leukemia, my aunt decided to take care of us. She has this very weird habit of giving parties and family reunions. Especially family reunions, which was stupid because our relatives practically own the block. Then, one day, Aunt Erika threw the usual party, at the usual place at the usual time. The only thing unusual was that I was held up back at my school for cleaning duty and Xe-chan was with me for Aunt Erika had to go shopping.
I don't know if I should be cursing the God for letting me live, or thank Him for what happened that day. A group of robbers, broke into our house, stole all the valuable things, tied up my entire family and set the house in a blazing inferno, all doing that without getting a scratch. How they could have tied my entire family and get away wound-free, is still a mystery to me. Our family doesn't exactly have what you may call 'control temper'."
Everyone pause and look at each other, nodding their head. Hanamichi didn't bother to bash them for agreeing that he's temperamental.
" That day… I can still remember that day as clearly as the sun…"
Flashback:
Six-year-old Xea stared at the dazzling fire eating up the Sakuragi household. Hanamichi stood hard as a statue before the reality of the scene struck him like bolts. He fell on his knees, pulled xea to his chest and covered her eyes with his large hands.
Just like reality crushed to Hanamichi, so did it with Xea, reawakening her mind from the state of shock. She opened her mouth and screamed out loud. A screamed full of misery sadness and anguish…
End of Flashback:
Xea's scream still felt fresh to Hanamichi's ears. Closing his eyes tight, he drawn the scream out and inhale deeply, forcing his own heartbeat to relax. Once he accomplished the task, he continued with his story.
" For three months, Xea didn't speak or even showed a sign that she is alive, spiritually. It was like having a doll that just eats, sleeps, eats and sleeps. If you can call eating two to three spoons of rice, eating. Then the agency came to take us into an orphanage, but I refused, violently. We weren't poor, mind you.
Because al of my relatives died, all the inheritance was bestowed to us. It's only the "parental guidance" both of us needed. I couldn't let them take Xea away from me. Not when she needed me the most. I pleaded and begged and even tried to bribe them. In the end, the agency agreed, only if I agreed on their terms.
They want me to prove that I am trustworthy and capable to take care of Xea and myself for a year. After a year, that will be the time when they will be considering if I am a capable parent to her. They took Xea away from me and placed her in the Rehabilitation for Disturbed Children.
It was the hardest three hundred sixty-five days of my life, not getting any news about Xea. I'm just glad that Mito, Noma, Takamiya and Yuji were with me or I would have gone crazy. (Hanamichi looked at the Gundan, smiling gratefully at them) After a year, I passed their " Requirements". They agreed to let Xea stay with me, but only if I keep my records clean, grades up and basically be a good example.
There was only one problem, anyone and at anytime, any of the people that likes to adopt Xea, saw anything disappointing from me, they can take Xea away to or not to Xea's approval, even mine's," Hanamichi ended with a sigh.
Silence envelope the group. Finally, after a long silence, Kogure spoke up, " But why is Ray Jin be able to take Xea by a bet?" " Betting isn't exactly in their list o good points," Mito simply answered.
" Around half-time, Ray Jin arrived and I was kind of panicking because he trick me into agreeing to his bet. If we win with ten points leading, he'll leave the two of us alone, forever. If we didn't, I'll lose Xea," Hanamichi explained.
" Baka Saru! Are you really that stupid to fall for his tricks?!?" Kiyota somewhat shouted angrily. " Teme!!! You have no right saying that big head monkey!" Hanamichi growled out. " Hmph! How could a cute girl like Xea have an ugly looking monkey as her brother," Kiyota stated. " Nani?!" Hanamichi's eyes burn with fire, glaring daggers, swords and any pointed weapons in the book at Kiyota.
Well, everything is back to normal.
For now…