Chapter 14: Ryonan II
Kitamura General Hospital...
"Rise and shine, my dear. It's a beautiful morning, and you wouldn't want to sleep through it do you..." the nurse trailed off when she saw the empty bed in front of her.
"Tsukino-san?"
---
Outside the stadium...
Fujima and his team-mates were about to enter the stadium when they caught sight of a girl standing near the entrance, slightly bent. She seemed to be having some difficulty in breathing.
Being the kind-hearted good guy he was (like Mitsui ), Fujima approached her to see if he could help in anyway. "Gomen, but are you feeling alright?"
The girl lifted her head to look at him, and Fujima recognised her immediately, despite the fact that her face was half-covered by her long, untied and slightly dishevelled hair.
"Hanayuki-san?"
"Fujima-san," Hanayuki said weakly, smiling a little.
"Hanayuki-san, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" asked Hanagata, who, by the way, had followed Fujima when he was approaching Hanayuki. (A/n: They were still in the stadium when the ambulance had arrived to take Hanayuki to the hospital the day before, that's how they knew that she was supposed to be in the hospital.)
When she didn't answer, Fujima guessed, "You came because you do not want the team to be without a coach?"
Slowly, Hanayuki shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "No. I came to watch them play."
"But look at you. You could barely stand. And how did you get here? Did you come here by yourself?" asked Hanagata.
Hanayuki managed a weak smile. "Yes, I came here by myself. I took a cab." She paused, before continuing, "Don't worry. I went home to take a bath before coming here. Therefore, I don't and won't smell like medicines."
"It's not that. It's-" Before Hanagata could finish his sentence, Fujima cut him off.
"It's ok, Hanagata. I understand her feelings. But Hanagata's right, Hanayuki-san. You could barely stand." He stood thinking for a while. "Why don't you come and sit with us? That way, we can keep an eye on you while watching the game. I don't really like the idea of you sitting alone somewhere without anybody looking out for you."
Hanayuki knew that Fujima was right. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded her head and said, "Arigatou, Fujima-san."
Fujima smiled at her before helping her to stand properly. Then, with an arm around her shoulder, he led her into the stadium and towards the audience stand.
---
At last, both the Ryonan and Shohoku teams entered the court to the cheers from the crowd. Akagi instructed his team-mates to do a man-to-man defense; Miyagi against Uekusa, Mitsui against Koshino, himself against Uozumi, Rukawa against Sendoh, and last but not least, Sakuragi against Fukuda. Then, one by one, the players of both teams were introduced.
As Taoka-sensei watched the Shohoku players walk onto court, he was reminded of how he had failed to recruit Mitsui, Miyagi and Rukawa into the Ryonan team.
-Flashback-
Two years ago...
"Mitsui-kun, I would like to invite you to join Ryonan's basketball team," said Taoka-sensei.
"I'm sorry sensei, but I am going to Shohoku," answered Mitsui.
"Nani?! Why?!" asked Taoka-sensei, completely taken aback.
"Because of Anzai-sensei."
MISSION FAILED.
---
One year ago...
"Miyagi-kun, I would like to invite you to join Ryonan's basketball team," said Taoka-sensei.
"I'm sorry sensei, but I am going to Shohoku," answered Miyagi.
"Nani?! Why?!" asked Taoka-sensei, devastated.
"Because of Anzai-sensei."
MISSION FAILED.
---
Three months ago...
"Rukawa-kun, I would like to invite you to join Ryonan's basketball team," said Taoka-sensei.
"I'm going to Shohoku," came the reply.
"Nani?! Why?!" asked Taoka-sensei. "Is it because of Anzai-sensei?"
A question mark could be seen hovering above Rukawa's head. Nevertheless, he answered the question.
"Because it's nearer to my house."
Taoka-sensei fell over in shock. Anyway...
MISSION FAILED.
-End of flashback-
There was a pained look on Taoka-sensei's face as he recalled the incidents. Still, he considered his present team strong enough to counter Shohoku. Meanwhile, a chagrined Sendoh noticed Rukawa glaring at him, and he was also hollered down by Sakuragi.
At the jump ball, Uozumi won (mainly because of Akagi's not-yet-completely-healed ankle) and tapped the ball to Sendoh. In a flash, Rukawa tried to tap it away, but Sendoh grabbed it again and passed to Fukuda, who easily eluded Mitsui. However, as he was about to shoot, Sakuragi slapped the ball away before it could enter the hoop.
Unfortunately, it was a foul, known as basket interfere, and thus the first 2 points were awarded to Ryonan. However, everyone was in shock by what Sakuragi had done. (A/n: Basket interfere happens when the player prevents the ball from going into the hoop, especially if the ball was right above it.)
"That Sakuragi has improved a lot since the last time we met him," said Hanagata. Fujima nodded.
"Ganbatte, oniichan," said Hanayuki softly.
On the court, Miyagi had the ball but he was blocked by Uekusa, so he passed to Mitsui. Shohoku was guarded in a tight man-to-man defense by Ryonan. Sakuragi sneered at Fukuda, asking if he could guard him. Because he wasn't paying attention, when Mitsui passed the ball to him, it hit him right in the face.
The ball was then seized by a happy Koshino, while the furious Sakuragi raced after Sendoh, saying that Shohoku will not be beaten twice. After a quick steal by Miyagi, he passed to Sakuragi, who then scored the first two points for his team. Everyone cheered at Sakuragi's success. Perked up, he yelled to his team-mates not to let Ryonan score.
With Sakuragi's first score, the Shohoku team was all fired up. Uozumi had the ball and he was immediately blocked by Akagi, making him miss the shot. Sakuragi successfully grabbed the rebound before Uozumi and passed swiftly to Miyagi, who was free. However, the ball hit Nakamura, Aida Yayoi's (Hikoichi's sister) assistant in the press seats instead. Angry at this miscalculation, Miyagi kicked Sakuragi several times in the butt.
When the game resumed, Uekusa passed the ball to Koshino, who then threw it to Fukuda. It was Shohoku's plan to nail Sendoh and Uozumi on a man-to-man defense. However, Ryonan had other plans.
In the audience stand, Fujima remarked, "Ryonan is using the 'isolation' strategy against Shohoku. Look, four of them are lumped up in one corner of the court, while Sakuragi was left alone to guard Fukuda." He glanced at Hanayuki beside him, who was watching the game silently.
Suspecting the same thing, Mitsui became more alert. Sure enough, Fukuda easily eluded Sakuragi, but as he was about to shoot, he knocked down Mitsui who tried to stop him, thus earning himself a charging foul.
As Fukuda and Sakuragi squared off, Sakuragi, who was pissed off by the previous incident, infuriated the Ryonan player by thrusting the ball out to him twice, as if making a fake, not knowing that Koshino was sneaking up behind him. The ball was tapped out of his hand, and Fukuda grabbed it.
As they ran for the goal, with Sakuragi giving chase, Fukuda passed to Koshino, who attempted to score. Thankfully, Miyagi was right behind Koshino, and doing a very high jump, he swatted the ball out of his hand. With the ball free, Fukuda and Sakuragi raced to get it. Sakuragi got it all right; he landed right on top of the ball, rolling along with it from the stomach to the (ahem) groin.
Worried, Miyagi poked him on the shoulder and asked if he was alright. As for the gundan, they wept in sympathy, telling their friend to hang on. In the commotion over Sakuragi, the ball was all but forgotten. Akagi yelled at Mitsui to grab the ball, and he scrambled to do so together with Uekusa and Koshino. Despite having successfully gained possession of it, his shot attempt was blocked by Uozumi.
2 minutes and 18 seconds into the game, the score was tied at 2-2. Mitsui passed the ball to Akagi, who managed to get past Uozumi. Before he could shoot, however, Uozumi reached out to stop him, slamming him hard onto the ground in the process.
It was a foul, and Sakuragi yelled at the Ryonan center, saying that he did it deliberately, while Mitsui advised Akagi not to let Uozumi get to him. Unfortunately, the damage had been done, as Akagi began to favour his injured ankle, and even botched up the two free throws he was awarded.
The ball was caught on rebound by Koshino, who passed to Sendoh, who then threw it to Fukuda. He was guarded by Miyagi in front of him and Sakuragi behind him, causing him to fail to score. As the ball rebounded, Fukuda and Sakuragi jumped up for the ball, and Fukuda got it. Believing that he would shoot, Sakuragi jumped up again to block him, only to realise that it was a fake. As such, Fukuda succeeded in getting the shot and was even awarded a free throw.
Next, Akagi had the ball, but because he was distracted by his ankle, he made an error by passing it to no one. Mitsui and Sakuragi demanded to know what's wrong with him. Miyagi, however, told Akagi not to mind it and asked him to concentrate on defense.
Later on, Miyagi eluded Uekusa, and passed to Akagi. However, as he was guarded and provoked by Uozumi, Akagi was seized by sudden apprehension. Kogure told him to take a chance and shoot, but he passed the ball outside. Mitsui was furious, demanding to know why Akagi was not being aggressive, but Akagi merely brushed him off.
Sensing Akagi's weakness, Taoka-sensei instructed Uekusa to tell his team-mates to pass the ball to Uozumi, who will serve as finisher. Slowly, but surely, Ryonan took advantage of Akagi's apprehension to build up the lead.
The score was 4-11. Miyagi raced to Ryonan's basket, and Mitsui passed to him, but the ball was stolen by Sendoh, who then passed to Uozumi. With Akagi distracted, everyone in Shohoku realised in horror that Uozumi was free to do anything he pleases under the basket. 6 minutes later, the score was 4-13, and Kogure called for a timeout after a rather heated confrontation between Mitsui and Akagi.
"Things are not going very well for Shohoku," said Hanagata. Hanayuki kept quiet, as she watched the team on the court below.
Meanwhile...
"Kogure, do not simply request for timeout. We only have 3 (or is it 2?) chances. We cannot afford to waste them," said Akagi.
Kogure was speechless, but Mitsui said, "I think it was the right time to call for timeout, considering the way you are playing."
"Well, since Gori is in terrible shape, I, the Tensai, will guard the basket," Sakuragi butted in.
"Do'aho."
"Teme, Rukawa! At least I scored half of Shohoku's points. You haven't even scored once!"
Ayako exchanged worried looks with Kogure. What are we going to do? Her eyes seemed to ask.
Suddenly, Akagi began slapping his face, telling himself to get his mind back on the game. Sakuragi gave him a better wake-up call; a fierce headbutt that actually knocked him out. Grinning, Sakuragi asked if Akagi had come to his senses. In a form of reply, Akagi awakened and immediately pounded on Sakuragi.
A small smile tugged at the corners of Hanayuki's mouth. That's the spirit, guys. That's the spirit. Hold on to it.
With firm determination, they marched onto the court. Both Sakuragi and Akagi glared at Uozumi, telling the center that the real game was just beginning. The game resumed. Uozumi continued to harass (as in um, provoke) Akagi, but Sakuragi reminded him that the center also had him to contend with.
In the meantime, Koshino had the ball but it was stolen by Miyagi who passed to Mitsui. Mitsui passed it back to Miyagi who threw the ball to Sakuragi. He was blocked by both Fukuda and Uekusa, so Mitsui yelled at him to pass to Rukawa. Being stubborn, and with a plan of his own, the redhead instead passed the ball to Akagi, leaving himself open under the basket.
"Sakuragi is free. He's waiting for the ball to be passed to him," said Fujima, who noticed what was going on immediately.
But Akagi had other plans. He tried to evade Uozumi, but the towering center guarded him so tightly that his attempted shot was blocked. Akagi grabbed the ball again, only to have it swatted away by Sendoh. Sakuragi caught the ball and was about to dunk it when Uozumi blocked him, sending him crashing to the floor.
Hanayuki sat up so quickly, she startled Fujima and the others. As the seconds ticked by, Sakuragi still didn't get up. Hanayuki started breathing heavily from worry and panic, causing the Shoyo team to panic as well.
Running his hand up and down her back, Fujima asked anxiously, "Hanayuki-san, are you feeling alright? Should we call the-"
"Oniichan..."
"Huh?" Fujima turned to look at Sakuragi, who had stood up and was running after a guy, no two, with one carrying the other on the shoulder, wearing a mask of Uozumi (who knows where they got that from).
As everyone looked on in shock and surprise, the guy with the mask knocked his head on the wall, and Sakuragi tripped over the fallen duo, knocking him back to his senses. Kogure tried to sub him out, but the referee pointed out that since Sakuragi was not injured, he should do his free throws first before he could be replaced.
Using his underhand toss, Sakuragi successfully scored the first time. The second time, it bounced off the rim, and Rukawa got the rebound. He tried to evade Sendoh, who was guarding him, and jumped up to shoot, but both Sendoh and Uozumi teamed up to block him. Seeing that he couldn't get past them, Rukawa deftly passed the ball to Akagi, who scored with a fantastic dunk.
The score was now 6-13 as Shohoku geared themselves up for defense. Uozumi had the ball, and Akagi yelled at everyone to stop Ryonan. Uozumi and Sendoh passed the ball between them, before passing it to Fukuda, who attempted to shoot, but failed to score, thanks to Akagi's fly-swatter tactic.
11 minutes into the game, Taoka-sensei called for a timeout, for he had another plan in mind. Akagi, on the other hand, told Mitsui to guard Koshino, while Sakuragi volunteered to guard Fukuda.
When the game continued, Fukuda got the ball and attempted to shoot, but it was tapped by Sakuragi, causing the ball to roll around the basket. However, Fukuda managed to grab the ball again and scored, and for the next few minutes, the same process was repeated over and over again (as in Fukuda kept scoring).
"They're using Fukuda as their main point-getter, aren't they, Fujima-san?" asked Hanayuki, who had calmed down considerably after seeing her brother alive and well.
"Right," answered Fujima.
On the court...
"Hanamichi, can you please pay attention? Haven't you noticed that Ryonan is using Fukuda as the finisher?" shouted Miyagi.
"Ryochin..."
"Do'aho."
"Teme, Rukawa!"
Rukawa only looked at him with a bored expression on his face. "Do you know what they think of you?"
Sakuragi gritted his teeth in response.
"They think you are the hole of the defense of the team."
The implications of the words hit Sakuragi hard in the face. Trembling with anger, he glared at Fukuda, who glared at him in return.
"What are you going to do, oniichan?" whispered Hanayuki.
Fujima, who heard her, said, "Sakuragi lacks in experience, Hanayuki-san, given the fact that he only started playing the sport three months ago. He knows how to block his opponent when the opponent is shooting, but otherwise, he doesn't know what to do."
"Nevertheless, he's a worthy opponent," added Hanagata.
So far, Fukuda had scored 13 points out of 21. Sakuragi was having the ball and was guarded by Fukuda, who was also not that good in defense. Uozumi advised him to keep his body bent low, to which Fukuda roared in assent, while Sendoh snuck past Rukawa. Fukuda passed to Sendoh, who passed the ball back to him again, and although Sakuragi tried to stop him, Fukuda successfully scored.
Frustrated and losing his concentration, Sakuragi slipped on the floor when he landed and crashed into the chairs at the sidelines.
This time, Hanayuki stood up in shock. Had Fujima not hold her back, she would have run down to the court to check on Sakuragi's condition. As she watched, everyone in the Shohoku team ran towards Sakuragi. She gasped when she realised that his head was bleeding. Afraid that she would be having difficulty breathing again, Fujima started running his hand along her back like he did before.
Sakuragi was replaced by Kogure, who was told to guard Koshino, while Mitsui would handle Fukuda. Despite the deafening cheers for Ryonan from the audience, Shohoku was not about to give up, especially Mitsui.
Mitsui was fouled for tapping the ball out of an eluding Fukuda's hand. Later, Mitsui successfully stole the ball from Fukuda and passed to Miyagi, who then passed to Rukawa. Blocked by Sendoh, Rukawa passed the ball back to Mitsui who scored a three-pointer. Next, Miyagi stole the ball and scored.
19 minutes and 37 seconds into the first-half, Sendoh charged, thinking that they need to keep the difference between the scores wide, but was blocked by Rukawa and Akagi. Undaunted, he did a fade-away shot and scored. In retaliation, Mitsui misled Fukuda with a fake and scored another 3 points. The first-half ended with the score of 26-32, with Shohoku still trailing by 6 points.
During the break, Hanagata wondered, "You know, Rukawa hasn't really gone offensive during the first-half. I wonder what's wrong."
Fujima agreed. "Yes. During our game, he practically dominated the game at one point." Turning to Hanayuki, he asked, "What do you think he's up to?"
At that moment, Shohoku and Ryonan re-entered the court. It was only when Rukawa was passed the ball by Akagi after the taking the jump ball did she answer the question.
"He's staking everything on the second-half of the game," she said softly.
On the court, Rukawa began a steady dribble, a technique called 'change of pace' in preparation for a quick elude. Sendoh, who had also realised Rukawa's intentions, waited for him to act, and as expected, Rukawa charged. But just as suddenly, he stopped, dribbled between his legs, and shot a three-pointer.
Miyagi passed the ball to Mitsui, but he could not get away from Ikegami's tight guard. Instead, he passed the ball to Rukawa. Sendoh, who then attempted to stop Rukawa, was charged with pushing. Sakuragi watched furiously as Rukawa prepared to take the free throw. Before he took the shot, Rukawa spoke loud enough for Sakuragi to hear.
"I will beat Sendoh."
The ball entered the basket, and Shohoku was now only one point behind Ryonan. Sakuragi, who was angry that Rukawa had said his favourite line (I will beat Sendoh), was distracted, causing Ikegami to escape from his guard. He passed to Fukuda, who was immediately guarded by Mitsui.
Later, Sendoh had the ball and attempted to shoot, but instead passed to Uozumi, who scored. When Akagi cursed himself for not being on guard, Rukawa told him not to mind. Knowing Rukawa, Akagi interpreted his words as saying that he (Rukawa) would make up for it and wants them (his team-mates) to pass the ball to him.
Miyagi was having the ball. Rukawa, who was guarded by Sendoh, motioned for him to pass. Guessing that Miyagi will pass the ball to Rukawa, Sendoh ordered Uekusa to be on guard, but Miyagi passed instead to Mitsui. Mitsui faked a shot, causing both Ikegami and Uozumi to jump, and quickly threw the ball to Rukawa. Rukawa deftly eluded Sendoh and shot at the basket. Uozumi called for a rebound, but the ball went right into the basket without even touching the rim, drawing cheers from the crowd for Rukawa.
"That was quick. He shot right after he got the ball," said Hanagata. The others were also amazed.
That's Rukawa for you, thought Hanayuki.
Following Rukawa's moves earlier, Sendoh charged through Rukawa's guard, stopped, dribbled between his legs and shot. Rukawa was angered and took it as a challenge. When he got the ball, Sendoh snuck up behind him and tapped it out of his hand. Unfortunately, it was not considered a foul, and Sendoh passed to Uekusa, only to have it stolen by Miyagi who made a fast break and scored.
With 13 minutes left on the clock, the ball was passed to Sendoh, who cut through Rukawa's guard and raced to the basket. Both Akagi and Rukawa jumped up, but Sendoh snuck the ball under their arms in a double pump and scored (just like in the practice game). Naturally, everyone cheered for Sendoh, while Rukawa ignored the jeers that Ryonan's benchwarmers threw at him.
As for Hanayuki, she frowned and prayed silently that Rukawa would show them what he's really made of. Which he did. After a quick pass from Miyagi, Rukawa scored again with a three-pointer, tying the score at 38-38, much to the horror of the Ryonan benchwarmers and Taoka-sensei.
What happened next was a fierce competition between the two team's aces. Sendoh had the ball, and was guarded by Rukawa, but still managed to score, breaking the tie at 38-40. Undaunted, Rukawa again tied the score as he made another successful shot.
Next, Sendoh got the ball again and ran towards the goal, but was guarded by Akagi and Mitsui. A quick pass to Fukuda moved the score up to 40-42. Uekusa, who was guarded by Miyagi, made a quick pass to Sendoh. It was intercepted by Rukawa, who again tied the score at 42-42.
Later, Sendoh was in possession of the ball and was immediately guarded by Rukawa. He passed to Fukuda, who tried to elude Mitsui, but as he did so, Mitsui tapped the ball out of his hand, earning himself his third foul. Fukuda succeeded in his two free throws, making the score 42-44.
Miyagi caught the ball and passed to Sakuragi, telling him to pass it to another team-mate who's free. Sakuragi, determined to get past Fukuda, successfully eluded Fukuda after executing a fake. Uozumi attempted to block him, and Sakuragi's shot hit the rim. Fortunately, he got the rebound, but failed yet again to get the shot in. Still, he got the rebound, and remembering his shooting lessons with Akagi, he readied himself for the real shot.
However, before he could release the ball, he was blocked by Uozumi, who was then given his fourth foul. This came as a shock to both Ryonan and Shohoku. Mitsui and Miyagi congratulated Sakuragi for a job well done. Being the simple-minded Sakuragi he was, he was clueless as to what he had actually done, until Miyagi explained to him that it was a 'fine play'.
Uozumi was removed from the game to avoid him from getting his fifth foul. And with his dismissal, came the change of tide. After missing both his free throws, Sakuragi managed to get the rebound of the second one and passed to Mitsui, who executed a three-point shot.
Knowing that Shohoku was slowly beginning to gain the upper hand, Sendoh encouraged his team-mates to score. Fukuda passed the ball to Ikegami, who eluded Sakuragi. Sakuragi gave chase, overtook Ikegami, and guarded him so fiercely that he had no opening to pass the ball to his team-mates. When he attempted to do so, the ball was slapped away by Sakuragi, only to have it flying into Sendoh's hands. Sendoh, guarded by Rukawa, passed to Uozumi's substitute, Sugadaira (A/n: or is it Yanaida? Gomen, I'm not too sure), who then tried to shoot, but was stopped by Akagi.
10 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, the score was 47-44, with Shohoku in the lead. Sakuragi got the rebound and passed to Miyagi, who got past Uekusa and ran quickly towards Ryonan's basket, tossing the ball to Rukawa. Sendoh noticed Mitsui's approach and guessed that Rukawa will pass to him. However, he was wrong. As Sendoh went between them, Rukawa forged ahead, passing to Akagi who scored with an alley-oop.
As usual, Sakuragi started bragging about his getting the rebound, and surprisingly, Akagi agreed and praised him for it, leaving Sakuragi speechless and wide-mouthed for a moment.
Only for a moment.
"You think getting one ball will repay your past debt, do'aho?"
"Teme Rukawa! You were useless during the first half!"
A glaring match took place between Sakuragi and Rukawa.
"This is when I start trying," said Rukawa as he walked away.
"This is when I start trying too," retorted Sakuragi.
On the audience stand...
"Er, are they always like that, Hanayuki-san?" Fujima asked.
Smiling a little, Hanayuki replied, "You have no idea."
Back to the game, Fukuda, who was having the ball, was blocked by Mitsui, but still dared to shoot. As Sakuragi, Sendoh and Sugadaira (aka Yanaida) battled for the rebound, Sakuragi accidentally tapped the ball and sent it sailing through the air and right into Ryonan's basket.
Sendoh ran up to Sakuragi, who was mortified by his mistake, his head turning almost as red as his head, and said, "Thank you," causing Sakuragi to turn into a darker shade of red.
As if that was not enough, Fukuda also ran up to him, and said, "There's something good about you after all."
And then, the moment came when Akagi walked up to Sakuragi. Everyone in the Shohoku team, Hanayuki included (except for Rukawa, of course), held their breaths. To everyone's relief, again Hanayuki included and Rukawa excluded, Akagi didn't pound Sakuragi on his head, and even went on to say that it was ok since the mistake was because of his persistency in trying to get the rebound.
As the game went on, Miyagi eluded Sugadaira (aka Yanaida), quickly passing to Mitsui. Fooling Ikegami with a fake, Mitsui passed to Akagi who scored. Sendoh rallied his team, telling them not to rush since they still have time.
Hanayuki could see that all of Ryonan's players were calmed by his words. Such calmness. He has such a hold on the Ryonan players, and they, in return, have such faith in him.
Sendoh passed to Ikegami, who got past Sakuragi. When Sakuragi caught up with him, he faked a shot, causing Sakuragi to jump up to block him. Thinking that the coast was clear, he was about to shoot when Sakuragi jumped up again and managed to block the shot. As quickly as before, he jumped up for the third time and caught the ball.
"Sakuragi is unbelievable, don't you think so, Hanayuki-san?" asked Hanagata.
"No, I don't think so," came the reply. She turned to look at him, smiling. "I know."
For the next 6 minutes, Shohoku continued to take the lead. Akagi was performing superbly, and on top of that, Sendoh was getting more and more tired, since he had to defend as well as attack. The whole of Shohoku team, especially Kogure, was beginning to think that they could win this game.
Hanayuki too was feeling excited about the current condition of Shohoku. However, deep down inside of her, she couldn't help but feel that something was about to go wrong. She couldn't quite place it, but she couldn't just dismiss it either. All in all, she was beginning to feel as if something was stuck at the bottom of her heart, and it was making her feel nauseous.
Noting her pale complexion, Fujima asked, "Are you alright, Hanayuki-san?" Hanayuki only nodded in answer.
The score was 59-46, and finally, Taoka-sensei sent Uozumi back into the game. Uekusa passed the ball to Uozumi, but it was stolen by Miyagi. As Miyagi, Sakuragi and Rukawa raced to attack, Uekusa collapsed in exhaustion. Sendoh alone guarded the goal. Instead of passing to his team-mates, Miyagi attacked, eluding Sendoh, and scored, shocking Sendoh.
As the game continued, Sakuragi swatted the ball out of Fukuda's hand. Sendoh, who caught the ball, told his team-mates that they'll make it, but they're all very tired. After a near steal by Miyagi, Sendoh passed to Uozumi, who was promptly guarded by Akagi.
The next few seconds saw the ball being passed among the Ryonan players as they try to find a way to sneak past the tight guard of Shohoku. As a result, Ryonan nearly violated the 30-second rule, but in a sudden burst of energy and determination, Uozumi charged past Akagi, passing the ball to Sendoh, who then threw it to Fukuda who shot. The release of the ball was just in time. The ball bounced once on the hoop, entered the basket and the score counted, moving Ryonan's score to 61-48.
Ryonan was thrilled at having gained two points at last. Uozumi, in particular, was very spunky. Little by little, Ryonan was regaining its pace. 5 minutes left. Uozumi called for Sendoh's attention, and after a meaningful eye exchange, Sendoh nodded and murmured that he would go and get the points for his team, a comment which Rukawa overheard. Uozumi walked towards the goal, dribbling the ball. He passed to Sendoh, who was immediately guarded by Rukawa.
"Oi. I heard what you said just now. I won't let you," said Rukawa, determination written all over his face.
Sendoh only smiled, and then, he swiftly passed to Uozumi, who passed back to him. Rukawa ran after Sendoh, but the Ryonan ace eluded him and attempted a fake shot. Rukawa was not fooled and held his ground, only to have Sendoh bounce the ball to Uozumi, elude him again and get the ball back. Akagi tried to stop him, but was unsuccessful, and was even given a foul for it, while Sendoh was awarded a free throw.
Later on, Miyagi passed the ball to Mitsui, who tried to make a three-point shot. Unfortunately, his sight suddenly wavered, as a result of his exhaustion. Seeing that he was unable to make the shot, he passed the ball to Rukawa, but it hit Rukawa's leg instead.
Sendoh immediately cut in and grabbed the ball, racing to the basket. Rukawa gave chase, while Sakuragi overtook them both and tried to block them. At that moment, Sendoh suddenly stopped and did a swift turn, eluding Sakuragi. Free from guard, he scored again.
Turning to Sakuragi and Rukawa, he raised two fingers, forming a V, and said, "I left you two behind me." Sakuragi and Rukawa could only stare at him in anger and frustration.
"It is happening..." whispered Hanayuki.
"Yes. I'm afraid the mood is beginning to change," said Fujima.
Miyagi had the ball, but was guarded by Koshino. He noticed Rukawa, who was guarded by Sendoh, gesturing to him. When he made a move closer to Rukawa, Sakuragi shouted at him not to pass to Rukawa, but to him (Sakuragi) instead.
At that warning, Sendoh placed himself before Rukawa. Desperate to get the ball, Sakuragi tried to elude Fukuda, and somehow managed to capture Miyagi's pass by jumping high. However, as he landed, Fukuda tapped it out of his hand. Both players jumped to get the ball, but it was tapped away right into Rukawa's hand.
"Nice pass," he said to an infuriated Sakuragi, and boldly pushed his way past Sendoh. As he jumped up to shoot, both Sendoh and Uozumi attempted to block him, but he still managed to score.
Pointing to the scoreboard, Rukawa told Sendoh, "We're still leading."
Hearing his statement, Sendoh smiled and was even more determined to win than ever. He glanced at Koshino, and as they moved, they are both guarded by Rukawa and Miyagi respectively. Suddenly, the two Ryonan players switched sides, and the ball passed to Sendoh. Because of this, it was Miyagi who was now guarding a much taller Sendoh. Miyagi tried desperately to stop Sendoh, but not only did the ace shoot successfully, Miyagi was given his fourth foul and Sendoh a free throw.
At the sidelines, Kogure was shocked at the sudden turn of events and was at a loss on what to do. Hanayuki watched as he began to panic. Not now, Kogure-sempai. Don't panic now.
Back on the court...
"Miyagi, you must be careful from now on. We cannot afford to let you leave the court. We have to win," said Akagi.
"K'so. We also have 3 fouls each, Gori," added Sakuragi.
"Do'aho's."
"Nani??!!" All four of them turned to glare at Rukawa.
Ignoring the glares, he said, "Do not hesitate to attack or score," before walking away.
As angry as they were at Rukawa, they knew that he was right.
"Sendoh is deliberately trying to get Shohoku to make fouls until they are forced to be ejected," said Fujima. Hanayuki closed her eyes. Foul. That's it. Foul trouble.
Opening her eyes, she looked towards Shohoku's side of the bench, and saw Yasuda warming up. If anything happens, would he be able to replace any of them?
3 minutes left. Mitsui passed the ball to Rukawa, and Sendoh blocked the ball as Rukawa attempted to shoot. Luckily, Rukawa was able to regain possession of the ball. Using a quick fake, he eluded Sendoh and scored.
"Rukawa's playing very aggressively," commented Hanagata.
However, Sendoh would not be outdone by a rookie, and told Koshino to pass the ball to him. Boldly, Sendoh pushed back against Rukawa as he charged, and performed a flawless fade-away jump shot, changing the score to 65-58.
As Akagi picked up the ball, he noted that before this, Sendoh was merely assisting, but now he's the point-getter, much better than Fukuda or Uozumi. In the meantime, an irate Sakuragi ranted at Rukawa.
"Teme, Rukawa! This is not a one-man show. Why are you helping Sendoh get the points?"
"Do'aho, I'll get the points back," replied Rukawa, running past Sakuragi and purposely bumping hard into him.
Sakuragi was just as determined to do something about Sendoh. The problem was, he didn't know what. Using a tight man-to-man defense, Ryonan prevented Shohoku from scoring. The score was still 65-58, and the whole stadium was beginning to cheer up a storm for Ryonan.
A bounce pass, and Sendoh was again in possession of the ball. Although he was guarded by Rukawa, he successfully made a three-pointer shot, moving the score up to 65-61. Shohoku was shocked, while Ryonan was ecstatic.
Up in the audience stand, Hanayuki's mind was screaming, Call for timeout! Call for timeout! As if on cue, the buzzer sounded, signalling for a timeout requested by Shohoku. Not having Anzai-sensei or even Hanayuki with them, they were all at a loss on what to do. They didn't know that Hanayuki had been watching them all this while.
Minna. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I cannot be there to help. I... I think that even if I was there, I wouldn't be of any help. Hanayuki began to sweat profusely. Just hang on. And never give up. No matter what happens, do not give up.
The game restarted with Miyagi being zone-pressed by Ikegami and Koshino. He tried to push his way between them, but stopped when Kogure quickly reminded him of his fouls. With only ten seconds left before the 30-second rule was violated, Kogure yelled at the team to take the ball to the front court.
Miyagi passed to Sakuragi, who out of desperation, shouted to Akagi and threw the ball. He prayed that Akagi would be able to catch it, but because the ball was too high, he (Akagi) couldn't. It rebounded off the backboard and was taken by Uozumi.
Uozumi passed to Ikegami who went for a fast break. Miyagi, who was guarding Ikegami, was horrified to see Sendoh already racing ahead to catch the ball. Ikegami passed to Koshino who swiftly threw the ball to Sendoh. Rukawa was unable to stop him as he charged through, and Akagi quickly moved in to stop him.
Jumping up at the same time as Sendoh, he bumped his body hard into the ace, causing Sendoh to fall to the floor. Despite that, the ball went in, earning Ryonan two more points and one free throw. Meaning that now, Akagi also had 4 fouls.
Suddenly, the whistle was blown, and everybody quickly realised what had happened.
Hanayuki clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes filling to the brim with tears, when she saw Mitsui lying face down on the court. Struggling to keep herself calm, she started gasping for breath, and Fujima once again ran his hands along her back, as she reached for her bag and took out a bottle of pills. Popping out two tablets, she swallowed them without water and leaned back against the seat, covering her face with her hands. It was a while before she removed them and sat back up.
Between gritted teeth, she said in a soft but clear voice, "We will make it!"
On the court, Kogure, who was brought in to take Mitsui's place, had the ball and attempted to pass, but was stopped by Uozumi. The ball was caught by Ikegami who passed to Sendoh. Rukawa was guarding Sendoh, and was determined to stop him, but Sendoh quickly passed to Fukuda who was about to shoot, when, out of nowhere, Sakuragi jumped up and blocked the shot. Unable to shoot, Fukuda back-passed to Koshino. Koshino shot, but Akagi managed to slap the ball hard into the backboard.
Mitsui, who had come back, yelled at his team-mates to catch the ball since it's free. Akagi attempted to get it, but it bounced off the tip of his finger. Sendoh got the ball, and shouted to Koshino that they'll make it. Koshino got ready to receive the pass, but then, Sendoh made a smooth pivot and eluded Rukawa.
Imagine his shock when he found himself facing Sakuragi, who slapped the ball out of his hand. Before any of them could retrieve the ball, the referee called it a held ball (it means that if the referee couldn't decide which team the ball belongs to, the two contending players would have to make a jump ball to decide).
During the jump ball, Sakuragi jumped up too soon, causing Mitsui to scold him, and Sendoh, who got the ball, passed it to Ikegami. Ikegami was tightly guarded by a determined Kogure. While Sendoh rallied his team, Akagi yelled to his team-mates to stop Ryonan or die. Unable to get past Kogure, Ikegami passed to Koshino, who then threw the ball to Uozumi.
9 seconds before the 30-second rule was violated, Uozumi passed to Fukuda, who was closely guarded by Sakuragi. 5 seconds. Sendoh, who got the ball and was guarded tightly by Rukawa, back-passed to Uozumi. Reminding Akagi of his 4 fouls, Uozumi shot.
To his and everyone else's horror (actually, it's only the Ryonan team, especially Taoka-sensei) Sakuragi jumped up from behind Akagi, going higher than the Shohoku center, and, with a fierce cry, swatted the ball away into Kogure's hands, who quickly intercepted it before Ikegami could get it.
Landing on the ground and running back to defend, Sakuragi shouted at the Ryonan team, "You don't know the real power of the Tensai, old man. When you finally understand, it's already too late for you, Ryonan!"
Rukawa glanced at his team-mate, grudgingly impressed by his performance.
Oniichan... thought Hanayuki, very proud of her brother's performance.
"I don't think that Sakuragi had actually read Sendoh's mind," said Fujima.
"No. It wasn't his brain. It's his body cells. They simply reacted without thinking," said Hanagata.
One minute and 15 seconds left in the game, and Kogure passed to Miyagi. Miyagi, in return, passed to Sakuragi, who got past Fukuda. Sakuragi attempted a shot and missed, but got the rebound. Miyagi cried desperately at him to pass, fearing that he would be making messy shots. Only after two such warnings did Sakuragi pass the ball to Miyagi, drawing sighs of relief from his team-mates (except?).
Miyagi passed the ball to Kogure, but it was intercepted by Koshino, who, falling out of court, quickly threw it to Ikegami. However, the referee called it a line cross and awarded the ball to Shohoku. Kogure, who was handed the ball, passed to Rukawa. Ikegami, who was ordered by Taoka-sensei a while ago to guard Rukawa and leave Kogure alone, rushed over to Rukawa, tapped the ball free and passed to Koshino, but Sakuragi made a quick intercept. Rukawa shouted at him to pass the ball.
As expected, but not by Taoka-sensei and the Ryonan team, Sakuragi side-passed to a shocked Kogure. Akagi yelled at his friend to shoot because he's free, since Ikegami had left him to guard Rukawa. Without thinking twice, Kogure let the ball fly, and watched as the ball sailed through the air, landing right into the basket, as clean as can be. Realising that he had scored a three-pointer, Kogure jumped for joy, and was quickly joined by his other team-mates.
Ryonan called for a timeout, and the rest of Shohoku congratulated their meek Vice-Captain. Sakuragi pounded Kogure good-naturedly while Akagi gave him a high-five. Mitsui granted his team-mate a very proud smile.
"How I wish Hana-chan was here," said Mitsui.
"Nyahahahaha! She would be so proud of this Tensai!"
"Do'aho." I'll keep my promise to you, Yuki.
Unknown to them, Hanayuki was there to share the moment, albeit in the audience stand. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but with great difficulty, she blinked them away. The game was not over yet; she couldn't be too happy or too sad so soon.
With less than a minute left, Sendoh attacked, avoiding Rukawa, Akagi and Sakuragi to slam in 2 points. However, Shohoku had the ball again and Akagi gave Uozumi the slip. To stop Akagi, Fukuda neglected Sakuragi, which was one mistake he was never going to forget for the rest of his life.
The ball missed, and Fukuda was relieved, only to be horrified a second later when a silhouette appeared, with the number 10 printed on the jersey. Catching the ball, Sakuragi slammed it in, and then quickly ran back to defend Shohoku's basket.
As Sendoh stared in shock, and Taoka-sensei closed his eyes, the buzzer was sounded to signal the end of the game.
The whole Shohoku team erupted in cheers. The ones at the sidelines ran onto the court to celebrate with the players. They laughed, they cheered, they shouted, they cried. In short, it was a dream come true, a dream fulfilled, as they shouted together, "TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!"
Watching them, Hanayuki could not hold back any longer. As the tears coursed down her cheeks, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Fujima smiling at her. He pulled her into an embrace, and said, "Everything's fine now. Everything's alright."
Choking a little, Hanayuki replied, "Yes. After 3 near-heart-attacks, it's all over, and everything's fine."
Fujima laughed after hearing her remark. "That means kami-sama must love you very much, to make sure you survive to see this."
It was Hanayuki's turn to laugh. "Yes, I guess he must."
"Hey, guys. Let's go down, shall we?" came Hanagata's voice.
The two of them broke from the embrace and turned to look at him, before Fujima agreed. "Yes, I think we'd better. Or do you prefer to stay up here?" he asked Hanayuki.
Hanayuki shook her head as she wiped away the tears on her face with her hands. "No. I would like to wait for them downstairs."
---
In the hallways...
"Come on, people, hurry up! I want to go to the hospital as soon as possible to tell Hana-chan the good news," said Mitsui, jumping up and down like a small kid. Not that anyone could blame him though. Almost all of them were skipping around each other, oblivious to the fact that they were attracting stares from the passer-bys.
"I'll be the one to tell her, Mitchy. I am her brother after all," said Sakuragi.
Mitsui skidded to a stop and turned to face him. "What do you mean, you'll be the one to tell her? She wouldn't understand a word. I'll tell her myself."
"No you won't. I'll be the first one to tell her."
"Forget it. I'm telling her first and that's final."
"Why you!!! I said I'm telling her first!"
"And I said I'll tell her first!"
"I said I'll-"
"Tell me what?"
"Tell you that we- huh?"
Slowly, Mitsui and Sakuragi turned around to see who had spoken.
"Tell me what exactly, oniichan, Hisashi-niichan?" asked Hanayuki smilingly.
At first, nobody moved or said anything. In all of their minds, there was only one thought.
Oh my god! She's here!
And then, there was a flurry of action as everybody crowded around Hanayuki. Sakuragi was hugging her so tightly she almost couldn't breath.
"Hana-chan, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be in the hospital resting. How did you come here anyway?" asked Sakuragi.
"It doesn't matter oniichan. It doesn't matter." She reached up to touch his bandaged head. "Does your head still hurt?"
"Nyahahahahaha! Of course not! The Tensai does not feel pain, Hana-chan. Have you forgotten already?" bragged Sakuragi.
Hanayuki's eyes begin to water. "No, of course I didn't forget." She paused, before continuing, "I'm so proud of you, oniichan."
"Eh?" Sakuragi looked at her stupidly.
"I saw the whole game, from the beginning to the end."
"You did? That means..."
She nodded. "I saw everything. You played wonderfully, oniichan. And I'm so proud of you." She was starting to cry again, and Sakuragi quickly gathered her in his arms to comfort her.
After a while, Hanayuki turned to Mitsui, who was standing nearby. He stretched open his arms, and despite the tears, she smiled and went in for the hug. She playfully punched him on the shoulders, and said, "You almost gave me a heart attack when you fell, you know that?"
"No..." said Mitsui disbelievingly, but when Hanayuki nodded her head in confirmation, he quickly asked, "What did you do then?"
"Oh well, I just popped 2 tablets into my mouth and swallowed them."
"Are you sure you're feeling alright now?" he asked again.
"Never felt better. How about you?"
"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."
The next few minutes were spent hugging around, as Hanayuki made sure she hugged each and every one of them, including Akagi and the other players, causing them to blush furiously. The last in line, was Rukawa.
After a moment of staring at each other, Hanayuki spoke. "You know, back then when the Ryonan team jeered at you, I was like, thinking, 'Show them what you're made of, Rukawa-kun'. And you did. You threw their words right back into their faces." She smiled. "You played very well, Rukawa-kun."
Suddenly, without warning, Rukawa moved forward and grabbed her in a hug. Though a little surprised, Hanayuki returned the hug. Then, she heard him whisper into her ear.
"I kept my promise."
Hanayuki's eyes widened before filling up with tears once more. Biting her lower lip to keep herself from crying, she whispered back, "Yes, I know."
Another moment later, he let go of her, and she was quickly whisked away by Sakuragi. As they were approaching the entrance, they were stopped by Sendoh, who called out to Hanayuki.
"Hanayuki-san!" He dropped his bag onto the floor and ran towards her. "Hanayuki-san, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see them play," she replied, gesturing to the others behind her.
"But, you shouldn't be. Look at you, your face is so pale," said Sendoh.
"I'm fine really. Anou, thank you for sending me to the hospital, Sendoh-san. If it weren't for you, and your team-mates of course, I guess I would probably be watching them play from, well... above or below or wherever. Thanks a lot."
To her surprise, he frowned. "Is there anything wrong, Sendoh-san?" she asked.
He looked around for a while, and then, taking her hand, he said, "Come with me," and pulled her along as he walked down the hallway. Left with no choice, Hanayuki followed him, while the rest of the Shohoku and Ryonan members stayed rooted to their positions, too shocked to follow.
They watched as Sendoh stopped in front of a wooden bench situated somewhere further down the corridor. Touching it, he said, "Touch-wood."
Hanayuki raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"Well, you just said something inauspicious, and I neutralised it by touching wood and saying 'touch-wood'," he explained.
"Uh-huh. Ok. Thanks." She tried to fight the urge to laugh.
Smiling at her, he continued, "Say, I thought I just saw you in a hugging spree not too long ago. Mind if I join in?"
Hanayuki raised her eyebrows again. "What?"
"Can I have a hug?"
She laughed. "Are you serious?"
Sendoh's face fell a little. "You mind?"
Still laughing, Hanayuki said, "No, not at all."
Brightening up immediately, he moved in for the hug. It didn't take Hanayuki long to realise that he wasn't planning to let go of her any moment soon.
"You know, your brother is glaring at me."
"Oh really?"
"And your boyfriend too."
There was a pause. "Boyfriend?"
"Rukawa."
There was another pause.
"He is your boyfriend," said Sendoh. "Isn't he?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
"Rukawa-kun is a very good friend."
Thank you kami-sama! "I see. Then I guess I am in luck."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Since he's not your boyfriend, it means that I have the chance to be yours."
"Uh-huh. You know, it's a good thing that I know you are joking, or else..."
"Or else what?"
"Or else you may find yourself stuck with me for the rest of your life."
"I definitely wouldn't mind that happening."
"Yeah right. Trust me, you would."
"Really."
"Well, whatever. Anyway, do you think you can let go of me now? Because if you don't, and if what you said about my brother and Rukawa-kun glaring at you is true, you could get yourself into trouble," said Hanayuki, at the same time trying to push him off.
"Are you worried about me getting hurt?"
She sighed exasperatedly. "Frankly, no, because I don't really like the situation I am in now either."
Laughing, he finally released his hold, and Hanayuki took a step back quickly. He laughed again. "Am I really that scary?"
Hanayuki smiled. "What do you think?" Glancing backwards, she said, "I think I'd better go. They have been waiting for me for quite some time already." Looking back at him, she continued, "You played really well today, Sendoh-san. Really."
"Unfortunately, not good enough," he replied.
"Maybe, but it wasn't your fault. So don't be so hard on yourself, ne?" she said. "Well, see you around."
She wasn't even a step away when he reached out to take her hand again, brought it to his lips and kissed it softly. He could practically feel the fire emanating from both Sakuragi and Rukawa's bodies, but he couldn't care less about them. "Take good care of yourself, alright?"
She watched him for a while, before answering, "I will. You too." With that, she pulled her hand away and walked back to her team.
But, she never reached them. All the day's events, all the shocks and surprises, were beginning to take their toll on her, and the next thing everybody knew, she had crumpled to the ground in a heap. Once again, the ambulance was called, and she was rushed to the hospital.
Well, at least she didn't have to listen to the long, long lecture that the nurse had kept in store for her when she returned. And, the team did make it to the National Championships. Plus, she had two handsome blue-eyed boys to keep her company during her stay in the hospital.
All in all, it couldn't get any better than this.