TITLE: EXTRA-ORDINARY LOVE QUADRANGLE
( ayami – sakuragi - haruko - rukawa - ayami )
PURPOSE OF WRITING: This fic's purpose is…SECRET!!! Hehehe…..~_^
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slamdunk or any of its characters…don't sue me, k? ^_^
* Author's notes:
[my comments] " their lines"
(the situation) no "" or italicized means their thoughts
to the last means her dream
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
~ tensaispira: TY for reviewing! And I'm glad you found the previous chap "nice" even if it's full of stupid things…yeah, Rukawa's in denial (as always!)
~ kyo: TY for reviewing! And again, for your request to make this an ayamiXsakuragi fic, maybe next time, k?
~ ruruoni: TY for reviewing! I was surprised to see your review…It's an honor to receive a review from you. ^_^
* Now, on with my story, shall we… (A continuation of the last chapter ~_^ )
CHAPTER 14: Dreaming of the Past
AYAMI (dreaming)
Where am I? ARE? THAT girl looks just like me way back when…
Matte…this scene seems awfully too familiar…
Why am I dreaming about this NOW?! I don't want to remember this! Please stop this…
LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!
It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon. I was inside my classroom playing and eating with my friends. Then, Kirisawa-sensei suddenly asked me to go to the principal's office. I was reluctant at first but she said that the principal's got some news for me.
When I reached there, Asano-sensei asked me to sit down. He had this sad expression on his face. He cleared his throat then all of a sudden, he reached out and hugged me.
What a hentai!
" Anou…would you kindly let me go?"
" G…go…gomen.nasai.Sakimoto-san…"
" Anou…Asano-sensei, are you ok? Did I do something REALLY terrible that it even made you cry?"
" Iie…gomen. I don't know how to break this news too you. It's just so….sudden….and unlikely…and sad."
" WHAT are you talking about? Could you please elaborate?"
" Gomen ne? It's just that your…your okaa-san's…my good friend…Mrs. Ikeda…"
" I know who my mother is! What happened to her?"
" She's…Ruriko's…dead."
After saying that, he burst into tears while I just stared at him.
This is just a joke right? After all, April Fool's Day is just around the corner…yeah…that must be it…
" HA! HA! That was a good one. Pretty low and lame…but, you got me. So, what's the catch?"
" Gomen nasai…I know you're just confused and trying really hard to deny the truth but --"
" Wait… I get it. You're just bored so you decided to make fun of your students, right?"
" Gomen, Sakimoto-san. It's the truth. Your otosan called before break."
" NO! Is this some kind of joke?! Because if it is, it's not funny! I tried not to humiliate you but you've gone too far now. Did you actually believed that I'd fall for that crap?! MY MOM'S NOT DEAD! She was perfectly fine this morning. She…she threw a pillow on my face when I didn't want to get up from my bed. She…she made my favorite breakfast. She even hugged me and…and kissed me on my forehead and made me bento and…"
" There were just too many of them. I'm sorry."
" Too many what?! Too many household chores?! NO WAY! No one can die like that!"
" Bees. Too many bees. She stepped on some beehives while tending your garden this morning."
" NO! You're just a stupid liar!"
He tried pulling me close but I just pushed him away.
" Don't touch me! You're just a liar and a hentai! People can't die just because they were bitten by bees?! I'm not stupid to believe that lame story! So if you know what's best for you, just say that this is just a prank and I'll let you live another day in this school!"
I can't believe I'm saying this to our principal. HAH! He deserved it! He's a jerk…lying about my okaa-san being dead. Baka…
" Ayami-chan…please calm down."
" CALM DOWN?! After telling me my okaa-san's dead out of the blue?! BAKA!"
I want to get out of here. I want to go home and see okaa-san waiting for me on our doorway. I want to see her!
" Get out of my way!"
" Ayami-chan…"
" I said back off! "
And with that, I reached out for anything that I can throw at him. There was a fishbowl and a container full of pencils and pens. I snatched up the container, then turned and flung it at him really hard. The pencils and pens flew all over the place.
" GET OUT!!!!" I shouted, " Back off! I hate you! You're a baka and a liar, sensei!"
" Ayami-chan, please…"
I picked up the fish bowl and dumped it over at sensei, fish and all. I ducked under his arms and ran from that damned place. There were so many students and teachers outside but I don't care.
I ran downstairs and went out to the rain. I got my bike and was ready to go when I noticed that it has a flat tire.
Stupid bike! I'll never EVER use a bicycle again!
So, I just ran all the way home. I've got no other choice anyway.
I have to go home! I'll prove to that baka that he's lying! Then I'll make sure he'll be suspended from our school.
When I reached our house, I hurriedly went inside.
" OKAA-SAN! TADAIMA!"
Please answer me back. Please…
But, to my dismay, no one answered. I screamed again but still, no one answered.
Maybe she just went out to buy some groceries! Yeah…that's right.
That's when I noticed something outside. I saw some of my neighbors looking at me and whispering with each other. Some were crying while some were just looking down with a sad expression on their faces.
So sensei also asked these morons to work with him eh?
Even if it was raining so hard outside, I still went out to tell them to mind their own business and stop acting like fools. As I was about to cross our lawn, I felt something break under my shoes. When I looked at it, I was taken aback. It was okaa-san's necklace. I also saw that her gardening tools were scattered all over the ground. The flowers were all trampled and there, lying near those damn flowers, were a bunch of beehives.
NO! This is not happening! She….she just left these here. She just went out to buy some groceries! And these beehives….they're fake. We can't possibly have this number of bees living in our garden!
But I know deep inside I was wrong.
" DIE YOU STUPID BEES!"
I crushed the beehives under my foot. Some of my neighbors tried to pacify me but I just pushed them away.
I don't want them! I want my okaa-san!
Then, I knelt down and began to cry. The rain just kept on falling, as if trying to depress me even more. After that, everything went black…
~ Fast Forward: Sunday ~
I didn't go to school for the past few days mainly because I have pneumonia. But, even if I'm not sick, I'd rather stay here and cry than go to that stupid place and be consoled and pitied by pathetic people I don't even know.
Otosan's really worried about me because I locked myself up in my room and didn't even bother to eat.
But I don't care. I'm too tired to think and do anything.
It was a gloomy Sunday. It's the day of okaasan's funeral. It was still raining very hard. I could hear people walking around and talking downstairs. I got up and looked out the window. There was a black car out there. I saw people coming up the walk, all of them wearing black.
STUPID! Don't they know that okaa-san HATES black?!.
I saw a priest come in. I could hear otosan greeting people downstairs. I also saw some of my classmates, Kirisawa-sensei, and baka Asano-sensei come in and give their condolences to otosan. And then it got very, very quiet. I pressed my ear to the door, listening. The priest was starting to read his sermon.
"There are no words that I could say that could begin to express the grief we feel for our beloved Ruriko-san."
Beloved? How can he love her when he doesn't even know her? Baka…..
"One word that must keep going through our heads is – 'why?' Why would God take this sweet mother from us?"
Why? Why HER? Why not one of my stupid neighbors? Why not Asano-sensei? Why HER?!
I could come out now. Otosan would be inside the viewing room, listening to that stupid priest. He wouldn't see me if I came out.
Quickly, I opened my door to a crack. I tiptoed from my door to the top of the stairs. Very quietly, I crouched on the top step. I could hear the sermon more clearly now.
"There are no clear answers but there is comfort in knowing that she is cared for."
CARED FOR?! BY WHOM?! Who would take care of her? SHE NEEDS ME AND OTOSAN!
"So while I can't give you an answer, I can tell you that God has chosen Ruriko-san for some very special purpose."
What purpose? Her purpose is to be with us, her family!
I went a little farther down the steps. I could now see the inside of the viewing room. I didn't want to go inside that room. No. I just wanted to…be closer, maybe.
"And we must find solace in knowing that Ruriko-san is now in God's care. And now, I would like all of us to close our eyes, bow our heads, and pray for the repose of her soul."
In God's care? I don't want okaa-san under his care. I want her to be HERE!
Quietly, I slipped inside the room and looked around. All of them were praying with eyes closed while crying so no one saw me come forward to the front corner of the room where the coffin was placed.
I didn't want to look at it.
But I did… I had to… Just to make sure.
Slowly, I went over to the coffin and looked inside.
OKAA-SAN!
I stroked the glass cover. " Your face…it's so puffy. You look fatter than me now, you know. Oh God, it must hurt so much! Damn those stupid bees…I'm gonna make them pay for doing this to you. I promise…"
I stepped back. " Baka…I told you. You shouldn't have planted those damn flowers there. Those freaky plants would just attract bees. Look at what they've done to you!"
I bent close again. " Okaa-san, wake up. Come with me. You promised me we'd go shopping this weekend remember? You said it's bad to break promises…and…and you said you'd watch my class play next week. I will be the princess remember? You were so excited when I told you that and you said you'd make me the prettiest girl this place will ever see…"
Tears were now starting to flow from my eyes. I was losing hope.
" Cmon okaa-san. Wake up! Snap out of it already!"
But she didn't move no matter how hard I try to call her.
Didn't…
I reached out to touch her. " Your face…does it hurt really bad? Demo…you're still beautiful. Do you know how much I envy you? You always look good even if you just finished gardening and you're all sweaty and full of dirt. You always give me this radiant smile even if I did something wrong. You always make otosan smile when he's stressed out. That's why otosan loves you very much…that's why I love you. So please…wake up…please…"
Suddenly, it was very quiet. No one was praying anymore. Otosan was already standing beside me.
" Ayami-chan…." he said softly.
I turned to him. " I have to get okaa-san to come with me. C'mon, help me!"
Otosan took me in his arms, held my face against his chest. " Ayami-chan! She's…gone!"
I looked up at him. It was very quiet in the room.
"She said…she PROMISED she'll never leave my side. She promised…SHE PROMISED!"
Then I ran up again to my room.
Okaa-san's really dead! She really left me…
Then I cried and cried all day long. I prayed that this was just all a dream but I know deep inside, it's not.
It was still raining outside and it became heavier every minute.
~ Fast Forward: After a year or so ~
" Ayami-chan…be a good girl, ne? Don't bring troubles to your ojii-san and obaa-san. I promise I'd call you if I have some spare time. I promise I'll write to you every month."
" Arigatou otosan. Anou…gambatte ne? And please keep your promise. I'd be looking forward for them. And don't worry…I'm not mad at you. I understand everything."
I'm such a liar. " I'm not mad at you" ?! Of course I am!
You're leaving me for your damn work! Your job is more important than your own daughter. You love your work more than you love me!
Then, otosan was gone. Later that night, it rained.
That was the last time I ever heard anything from my own father…
Please stop….I don't want to see these things anymore. I had enough already!
Everything turned black.
It's so cold in here.
Then, I started to cry really hard. I've never felt so lonely in my whole life…
My parents left me. They don't love me. Both of them broke their promises.
I'm all alone…
I will never have somebody…
All alone…
~ Meanwhile: Shohoku Basketball Court ~
RUKAWA
HOHUM…
It's still raining… I wonder what time is it?
I reached out for some matches and lit the candle.
There! Much better.
I looked at my watch. It's already 10:00 pm.
HUH? What's that noise? It's as if someone's crying…
Then, I looked at do'ahou ononoko and was surprised to tears flowing out of her eyes.
What's her problem? Is it because of something I've done? But….she shouldn't just cry there. She knows how I hate to see a girl crying in front of me. Do'ahou… [Rukawa, Rukawa…~_^]
Then, I impulsively went over to her side, knelt down, and shook her.
" Oi! Wake up, do'ahou!"
I saw more tears flow out of her eyes.
" Oi! Do'ahou…"
I saw her open her eyes. When she saw me kneeling beside her, she quickly sat up and wiped her tears. Her eyes were really red.
I wonder what's wrong with her?
" Go…Gomen nasai Ru…Bakemono..."
Then, she looked at me. From the look on her face, it seems she had a very VERY bad dream.
" How…how long have I been sleeping?"
I just shrugged.
"Oh…"
She then looked at the fire. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts.
Something's really troubling her…
" Oi…"
She looked up at me. I saw more tears starting to build up on her eyes. Suddenly, she started crying again.
" Oi! You don't have to --"
But she's unstoppable. Her hands were already covering her face and she was just sitting there, crying.
"Oi! Daijou --"
I didn't get to finish asking her because she had already placed her head on my chest and had already started to cry on my shirt.
Ugh! What should I do? Maybe I should push her? Or I should make fun of her for being a crybaby? Or I could just stand up and go to the other side and sleep again?
But my actions surprised me. I lifted my left arm and placed it on the back of her head while my other hand was on her back. It felt like this was the only choice I had. After that, she cried even more.
She was shaking all over. She felt so fragile…like she would suddenly break down if I do or say something wrong to her. I've never held anyone like this before.
I stroke her hair. It was very soft.
My mom used to do that to me when I was a kid and I find it very comforting.
I suddenly felt something. I felt relaxed…needed…and I liked it.
So, we just stayed in that position for I don't know how long.
Honestly, I don't want this moment to end. Maybe the crying part had to stop now but for the other parts, I was wishing deep inside me that we would always stay like that…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY! MY! ~_^
That was sad wasn't it? I got the idea of her mother's death from the movie "My Girl". It was a strange reason but it's still possible right? I told you I'd tell Ayami's story in this chapter…
The last part was sweet…I think. But, this is still not the end. I tried to think of a dream for Rukawa but I failed…sorry! And sorry again for OOC's on Rukawa's part. I just couldn't help it…GOMEN! ~_^
Next chapter, Ayami will explain to Rukawa why she suddenly cried like that and Ayami's savior will finally come to her rescue. In the meantime…
Love it? Hate it? Let me know!
Pls. Review! Ja! ^_^