Disclaimer:
I own nothing, but the plot.
The characters aren't mine,
Neither do the supplies, just my mind
Heaven knows what I've got!
So please don't arrest,
Poor little ol' me.
The devil knows I'm bored!
So, please, LET ME BE!
(To write this story
for everybody!!!)
Author's Note: Hi! I see you guys liked the fic. I'm glad. Thank you very much for your reviews. AND NOTE THAT I SLIGHTLY REVISED CHAPTER ONE! Look out for newly added scenes near the end!
Rants: I also see you guys didn't like Haruko too much. Watching the second, fourth and fifth episodes again made my blood boil. I'd say we're all of the same boat here. BUT! But, that doesn't mean I favor Yoko any more than I favor her. After all, we all know she rejected him FIRST. Plus, it didn't show in the series that Sakuragi was rejected for a one- sided love with Rukawa! No matter how ANNOYING she is, give her a chance, ne?
=( : No one knows Yoko's last name! Come to think of it, I forgot Oda's last/first name too! Oh well... they'll all be made up (until some kind soul tells me!).
Where we left off: Yoko is excited for Monday, the day she goes to Shohoku. Sakuragi and Youhei ponder the afternoon happenings with the latter coming to a conclusion that Hanamichi is still hooked on Yoko. Haruko is slowly falling for her dear friend, whether she likes it or not.
Last thing: ENJOY!
VERY LAST THING: Uhhh, here... I redid an episode. I'll comment on it later to "surprise" some people.
Hear My Heart Chapter 2: Sunday Morning
After a refreshing sleep, Yoko woke up to the rays of sunlight pouring down her window. Having used to wake up at 5 in the morning, 6 AM is a no biggie on Sunday.
Before, she would've woken at the same time she did during weekdays and head over Oda's house and help him train, build stamina and watch him have fun. Yes, she'll call him Oda from now onward.
Now, she doesn't know what to do. All of her chores were done the night before, and had no more to do. She has no homework as she just transferred to her new school. Looking around her room, she found she didn't need to clean it.
'You could jog. It's no use wasting a perfectly good running shape just because you have no one to help train or be with.' Her instinct told her.
Her reason agreed. With that in mind, she opened the curtains of her window and the window itself to find a good impression of that Sunday morning.
Breathing the fresh air in, she exclaimed, "What a nice day." And it indeed is. Spring is definitely still in the air. Summer might just be around the corner, but the flowers in bloom are extremely breathtaking. Not to mention the sun that just rose from its bed not too long ago. Casting its golden tresses upon dewdrops just below her room, making the white roses, blue forget-me-nots and their leaves in the gardens shine like diamonds.
The smell of her mother's cooking from downstairs filled her nose and prompted her to go to the bathroom, wash her face and get ready for jogging.
She went back to her room and opened her cabinet, surveying the contents. Getting out of her pajamas, and dirty underwear, she donned a sports bra and clean underwear. She decided to wear a black shirt and red shorts.
Going to her dresser, she fished out a white stretch headband and a white scrunchie. She brushed her hair and put it up in a tight ponytail, then put the headband on to keep stray locks away from her face. She looked around for her wristbands. She found her favorite pair. The red, white and black Nike ones. Oda didn't like it, it wasn't their school colors. She never got to wear them because of that. [ABI: Actually, he didn't like the r-w-b Nike wristbands because it was Shohoku school colors. Let's say he has a list of every school's school colors. I know I do!]
She sighed upon remembrance. The things I do for that guy. No, correction... the things she did for that guy.
But, now she can wear them all she wants. She could've worn them before too. Before she could put anymore thoughts on why she didn't she forced herself top break away from the thoughts. That was past. It is the past. It's a new day. Not to mention, it's Sunday. With a new day comes a new week. With a new week comes a new beginning, especially since she just transferred to Shohoku.
Then, the image of Sakuragi slowly creeped in her mind. She giggled. She'll forever engrave his surprised look tomorrow when he sees her dressed in a Shohoku fuku. She'll be waiting for that occasion.
Then, her stomach growled a bit. "I'm hungry!" It said.
Again she giggled. Donning the Nike wristbands and grabbing a pair of white low cut socks, she made her way downstairs much to her mother's and father's surprise.
"Ohayo!" She greeted them with a beautiful smile on her face. "I'm going for a morning run, but mind if I eat something first?"
"Sure. No problem, honey." Yui, Yoko's mother, answered while setting the table for three. "What would you like to eat?"
"I smelled bacon and eggs from upstairs. I could eat those."
"And toast?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
Yui put two long strips of bacon, a toasted sunny-side-up and toasted bread on Yoko's plate before proceeding to get her husband's and her own.
Yoko said her grace before wolfing her breakfast down. Her parents looked on in amazement. She never ate this fast when she ran with that former boyfriend of hers, Takeishi Oda.
When she finished and hurried to wash her plate, then throw her chopsticks and grab a water bottle, her father voiced out, "What's the rush?"
She just smiled and answered while she put on her socks and running shoes, "It's a wonderful day, Otousan. I don't intend on wasting it!"
"Well, take it easy, okay? Don't lose your breakfast so early."
She tested the tightness of her shoes and told her father, "I will. I'm off!" And she walked quickly to warm her muscles up before stretching them out.
"Take care!" Her parents hollered back.
[ABI (Author Butts In): LOL. 'Holler back!' It's an unusual term for parents to do, don't you think? Sendoh-sama, do you remember from last year? LOL!!! Sorry, continuing!]
She walked down the sidewalk for a minute and reached a nearby park where kids play in the afternoon. She set herself on the concrete floor and started stretching her legs, arms and cracking her back. Legs together, she reached for her feet for eight counts. She took her right leg in, and reached for another set of eight counts. She switched legs. Then she did a 'butterfly' for eight counts.
"Oh that feels good." She said to herself after finishing her first set of warm ups. She stretched out more and moved on to the next set of warm up. She rolled her head around and round in eight counts then switched the direction, getting the kinks out of her neck. Then, she stretched her left arm cross in front, then right arm cross in front, both counts one to eight. She moved on stretching her left and right arms above her head for eight counts each arm. Then, she rotated her hips clockwise for eight counts then counterclockwise for another eight. She moved on to rotate her knees the same way and then bended up and down ten times. She took her right ankle and rotated it the same way as she did her neck, hips and knees. The same was done to her left ankle, completing her second set of warm up exercises.
She started on the second set with reaching up as high as possible, then reach down to the ground. She moved her feet quite apart from each other then reached to her left before moving to her right. She repeated the pattern, left-middle-right-and-back afterwards ten times before moving on to the next. She stretched forward, with her right knee bended and the other leg straight for eight counts. She then did the same thing with the left. Then she stretched to her right... then to her left.
At last, she finished everything. She can run. She started power walking. Looking at her sports watch, she set the timer for two minutes then, she would proceed to a two minute run.
"Beep." And she was off.
Little did she know someone is doing their morning jog too! [ABI: don't wanna tell who, exactly! Though, you'd probably guess right.]
~*~
Haruko panted after running fifteen blocks straight. She stopped for a moment, gasping for much needed breath and rest. "Oh man! It is really different when you play a sport. I could've run further in middle school!" She groaned. She thought back to the old days when she trained with her brother and ran five miles at least, without stopping for about two miles. She could barely get a mile without stopping nowadays. Just before she reminisced the times when she had to do a ton of drills in basketball practice, when she slipped down the waxed floor half the time, [ABI: Hee hee hee! I know, I'm mean!] she heard something in the courts.
Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!
"What?" She looked inside the basketball court. She saw Sakuragi practicing lay ups.
She probably made the mistake of just looking on for a minute.
~*~
Dribbling the ball up to near the ring, Sakuragi jumped and tried the 'common shot'. "Common shoot!"
It didn't even touch the board. [ABI: Here, imagine me going 'boing'!!! As in, falling out of my chair and sweat-dropping! Don't you feel like that too?]
"Shimatte!" Sakuragi growled. Clenching his fists, he went to retrieve the ball. Still growling, he didn't notice someone was already holding the ball.
"Practicing hard, Sakuragi-kun?" Yoko greeted him with a smile. "Ohayo!"
"Yo-, Yo-, Yoko-san! O- o- ohayo!" He stammered. Laughing nervously, he said, "Not really, Yoko-san! Geniuses don't need practice!" Then, his face dropped upon seeing her little frown of slight reprimand that says, 'Oh, Sakuragi-kun.' Which was she was thinking anyway. "Yes. I can't seem to get the common shot. All I could do is run, and my shooting skills are still a bit... a bit low." His voice got softer as he reached the end, hung his head.
"That's okay Sakuragi-kun." She caught his chin. "You're a beginner aren't you? Everybody, as a beginner goes through a tough time learning something. Even geniuses do." She smiled at him. "But it will be alright. I'll help you train and we'll get you doing lay up shots in not time! So, shall we start?"
Sakuragi, being himself, asked her, "What is a lay up shot?"
She gaped at him. Then she thought, 'Oh yeah, he calls it differently.' "Sakuragi-kun, the shot you're just doing right now is called a lay up shot."
"Of course!" He has his chin is his hand. "This genius would store that for future reference. I, Basket Man Sakuragi, will always learn any new information."
Yoko giggled. "Oh, Sakuragi-kun. So, shall we get going?"
"Hai!"
And so it started.
~*~
Haruko was boiling mad. THAT SLEAZY WITCH is from Takezono! And Sakuragi- kun is fraternizing with her!
But, fine. If that's what he wants to do, then he could do it. After all, who was she in his life to have the right to tell him what to or what not to do? He is not her boyfriend.
At the thought of 'girlfriend', she became slightly angry. Is that girl his girlfriend? But he's so, dorky... and she's not the type to go for him! THEY DON'T MATCH! She didn't deserve him... that giggling hyena and her friend do not match at all!
But, who is she? And why is she teaching Sakuragi basketball? It's not as if she knows anything about the sport, does she? And it's not as if he will learn from her, will he? She, Akagi Haruko, wanted to see Sakuragi improve! Not mess up! And she wants him to learn from her! He is HER friend!
But... how come she, Akagi Haruko, is worked up about this? And why does she feel insecurity when this mystery girl is around?
~*~
At the other side of the basketball court Rukawa Kaede, who intended to practice that morning also, arrived and watched his teammate and the girl he talked to yesterday with more curiosity than he would admit. [ABI: I put him pretty far away from Haruko. I don't want her near him, dirtying him and other junk! Or at least I am preventing her from annoying him with her idiocy.]
What no one knew too much about this raven-haired, sleep-loving, young man is that he is quite observant. He didn't want to show too much emotion, because he's that quite reserved. Besides, he learned long ago that if you get too close to someone, you end up losing them... without the knowledge if you meet them up again. He also learned not to cry about losing something dear, but to smile because he was lucky to have had it.
But... we're getting off topic here. And so, Rukawa became withdrawn to himself. He learned to not get close to anyone, even he if yearned to vent his feelings out. Only his basketball and the game itself comfort him. His teammates got the wrong impression of him, he could make them change their minds, but... not yet. He'll just be close to them from afar, watching them make good things happen.
And even though he still disliked Sakuragi Hanamichi, he knew this guy has as much talent in the sport as he could have. He just has to stop bragging about it, or be so loud, or be so obnoxious, or be so... you get the point, don't you? Rukawa knew that the other is pretty talented, good... and that he is one heck of an opponent. He has his "Wall Defense" of, "Hun Hun Defense". Then, he has an amazing speed. And, much to his dismay, he has a great jumping abilities and an amazing strength. How could he beat Captain Akagi if he didn't?
See, Rukawa didn't hate the guy... he actually admired him. He just didn't like his loudness, brash behavior and boastfulness. But then again... Rukawa thought, didn't Sakuragi hate him for a girl's crush? Sakuragi knew he didn't like that girl. He got the point from the very beginning... but then again, it's the girl who's at fault. He already told her to bug off and she still won't stop following him. He felt sorry for her, that she didn't know this guy did things for her... because of her. How could he miss the time when he convincing his friends to clean the locker room? (Yes, he was there.) How could he miss the squeaky clean basketballs and gym floor? [ABI: Sendoh-sama... heheheh.] And when he was ready to quit the club, he heard from Youhei that Sakuragi really wanted to play... but another part of his reasoning is because of Akagi Takenori's sister. Then, there's that annoying Judo captain. He had baited Sakuragi with that girl's pictures. And he almost fell for it.
Surveying the scene before him, he narrowed his eyes at his teammate and the girl. He sensed something familiar.
He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his mind. 'Focus on this first, doaho.' He thought to himself. 'Worry about your own problems later.'
Anyway, as the girl giggled, his lips curled into a lopsided smile. His last thoughts were, 'Things are going to get messy. But, Sakuragi... you should know you're lucky.' And he watched as she asked him if he did proper warm ups.
~*~
"Did you stretch out for this?" Yoko asked him with a skeptical look on his face.
"Yes, Yoko-san." He replied. "I ran around the court thirty times and did the upper and lower body stretches we usually do."
She frowned. "Call me Yoko or Yoko-chan. We are close friends, aren't we?"
The last thing made him blank out for a sec. His defense mode kicked in. He smiled and nodded. Then, he caught himself and tried it on for size, "Yoko. Yoko-chan. I think I like Yoko-chan better."
"Then call me that!"
"Okay... you call me... you call me..." Sometimes, his brain shuts down... he was at a loss right here.
~*~
Rukawa went into chibi mode and sweatdropped. "Say something, doaho!" He muttered and was going into a low reprimand, but caught himself.
~*~
Haruko... well, she was... green with envy. No other words can describe it.
~*~
Yoko giggled again. "May I call you Hana-chan?" She suggested.
He turned red. 'Little flower.' "Hai!" He nodded again and smiled.
~*~
Two sets of thoughts:
Rukawa - ROTFL.... or rolls on the floor laughing. But, being himself... he caught himself and thought it inside his head. [ABI: no one could bottle up emotions without doing something about it!]
Haruko - Well that girl certainly has gull! Sakuragi-kun, why did you agree?
~*~
"Well, Hana-chan, let me see how you do it, so I could point your mistake."
Sakuragi, being himself, told her, "I am a tensai! I don't make mistakes!" Then he kicked himself, literally. "I have to stop doing that. I know Yoko-chan is only helping me."
She laughed heartilly. "It's a good thing you have confidence in your abilities.... but Hana-chan, you have to control the urge to shout out to the whole world that you are a tensai. It's never good to be boastful of a fact or knowledge... and it's always nice if you stay humble... that way, people can praise you! If you are already giving yourself a pat on the back, people might think they don't need to! So be careful!" She told him. This way, he would at least tone it down, and hopefully he would be able to fully stop and let other people judge his abilities. "And, don't think too much of something too far ahead. You might be disappointed with what it truly means when you find out." She noticed, during the game that whenever he could block Oda, or save the ball, or do something pretty well... he'll go into this trance. She could only guess that he was thinking of being praised; that and saw his friends saying he's daydreaming again.
Sakuragi frowned a little at this. But it made sense to him. After all, that's what he was doing before. He agreed to it. He'll do his best. Yoko-chan is helping him after all.
"Here." Yoko passed him the ball. "Let's see how you do it!"
[ABI: Think of a very upbeat song coming up... I am listening to BBMak's 'Out of My Heart, Into Your Head' and Avril Lavigne's 'Sk8ter Boi' while I write this!]
He nodded and proceeded to do it. He dribbled the ball up to the board, then bent his knees, jumped and put it in. The ball touched the backboard, rounded the ring a few times then missed.
Yoko startled him by saying, "Hmmm. Let's do something about your form. I noticed you were a little tense at some parts... form is very important in every single shot you make... or dribbling. Basic stances, basic drills... you have to know all of them before moving onto complex things. Without the basics, you will not be able to do others which form from it." She had jogged right after him while he shot the ball. "I know it is kind of insignificant to you right now, thinking... well I could do this and that... it's more artful than those things you want me to do. But, believe me... you need them more than you think."
~*~
Three jaws dropped at the statement. They were Rukawa's, Haruko's and Sakuragi's.
~*~
"How did you know I think that way?" Sakuragi asked the little know-it- all.
"It's on your face, and..." Yoko seemed a little hesitant saying the last part. "It really doesn't matter, but Oda used to be the same." He was about to say bad stuff about that floppy-haired, pretty boy that will make him sneeze a million times over... but she silenced him. "I am only using him as an example. Another... that guy in number 11 jersey... he must've been the same when he was first taught these things."
~*~
Rukawa remained silent, but was slightly prompted to go up and tell his teammate how horrible he was when he first started in the sport, just to give a little encouragement. He was actually like him when he was a kid. But, all people change for reasons unknown to others but themselves.
After he heard her statement, Sakuragi was quiet after she said those things... a side unknown to everybody but the Sakuragi Gundan. They have been friends for a long while and knew each other as if they were all quadruplets.
"OOOOOO!!!" The Sakuragi Gundan, speak of the devils, said when they saw him, but he immediately silenced them with look that meant, 'You better shut up. This is not the time.'
Youhei, being the most mature, asked quietly, "What are you on about, Rukawa-kun?"
The other just cocked his head over Sakuragi's and Yoko's direction. "But be quiet. I don't want any comments, got it?"
The others just nodded in shock even when they are bursting to make girly noises and tease the two to no end.
As Rukawa shifted his position to make himself comfortable, he saw Gori's sister. [ABI: He also calls Akagi 'Gori' simply because he agreed. He DOES look like a gorilla... and is like a gorilla when he's in control of the paint. But, he still respects the captain.] "What is that girl doing over there?" He voiced his thoughts out loud without his knowledge.
Again, Youhei asked quietly, "You mean Haruko? I saw her jogging before she reached the courts. I guess she's in shock with all of this. And, I never thought..." He trailed off.
The raven-haired one smirked and supplied, much to Youhei and the other members of Sakuragi's gang's surprise, "That Yoko might actually reciprocate Sakuragi's feelings?"
They all nodded. "It's just impossible though." Ookusu said. "But then again, impossible things happen with Hanamichi."
"But how do you figure that?" Takamiya asked.
"I know more than a lot of you think. You don't think I sleep all the time or make basketball my whole life, do you?" Rukawa told them vaguely. "But, enough of this chit-chat."
And they all turned to the unfurling scene before them.
Not before, Noma told Rukawa, "You were looking in on them for a pretty long time, weren't you?"
With much hesitation, he nodded. "Don't tell anybody."
~*~
"Every beginner, whether they're gifted or not, has to come to terms with the fundamental things of a sport or anything at all. So he could have experience, and excel in the next levels or a more complex form of that simple skill. Just be patient and have the perseverance like that of a dragon king. The outcome will be more than what you ever could imagine, Hana-chan."
~*~
"HANA-CHAN?!" The Sakuragi Gundan exclaimed in a hushed whisper. They almost blew their cover in shock.
~*~
She sounds like a preacher, but she didn't care. Hana-chan has to realize that nothing as complex as life can come into fruition without subatomic particles. It is important in basketball.
With her love for Oda, came her love for basketball. She wants to share with Hanamichi how basketball could really be. She wants him to be like the one in number 11, or even Oda. That way, that captain of his wouldn't hit him, or the Takezono girls would not belittle him so much. So that no one can underestimate him or put him down.
She cared for him.
"Hana-chan, I saw that even if your form is a bit okay, you use too much arm power. Let's work on those." She said, finally getting to the real lesson. "Watch me do how you do it." She dribbled the ball a little bit and imitated his posture, and put a lot of power on her right hand when she shot it, without even bending her knees before take off. She retrieved the ball that rolled off to the side and came back to him. "The key to a lay up, like every other shot in basketball is to get the force from the jump. Imagine your legs as if they were a coiled spring." She gestured the said area. "When you bend it, imagine the spring coiling tighter even more." Then proceeded to bend her legs, and gestured him to copy her lower body posture. "When you release the force which is atop the coiled spring, what happens?" She asked him.
"It goes all over the place?"
"That's right. This is where the upper body comes to play. When you use the jump power, you don't need to use any arm power at all, well, maybe a little bit. The power of the impact of your jump travels from your lower body to your upper one. All you need to do is aim and 'gently' put it in. Watch me put it all together." She retreated back a bit for room. "You run." She dribbled the ball down up to just a feet away from the net. "Then, you gather your jump power as if your legs are these two big coiling springs as you bend slightly." She bent a bit, holding her right arm up high, the palm of her hand facing up with the ball. "And gently put the ball in." And she released the ball, tossing it up just a bit. It soared just above the small, white square of the backboard and went in, touching nothing but the net. She landed on the ground, and smiled up at him. "You try it, Hana-chan!" She retrieved the ball and got an idea. "Pretend we're in a game, Hana-chan! I'm going to be your teammate, and I'll pass the ball to you so you could shoot it!" Then she dribbled the ball down the court expertly then evading an imaginary defender.
Hanamichi soon caught up with what she said, and ran down with her as she held up a finger when she dribbled with one hand as if she was the point guard. "We'll get this one, won't we Hana-chan?"
"Of course, Yoko-chan!" Then he ran up to her as she bounce passed the ball to him. [AE {Author Explains}: she passed it in between the "defender's" legs.] He dribbled the ball down up near the net and thought of the key words of what he should do. *Bend knees slightly for power.* And he did, then took off. Arm stretched up high, hand with ball palm up... and gently put the ball in.
Nothing but the net. He looked at his hands in astonishment as Yoko ran up to him and gave him a big hug with a delighted squeal. "YOU DID IT!!!!! I KNEW YOU COULD AND YOU DID!" She held his hands as they excitedly jumped from one foot to the other. [AE: Think back to that episode. Imagine Yoko with Sakuragi doing what he and Haruko did.] "Hana-chan, you did it! Yippee!"
And he remembered to be humble. "Thanks, Yoko-chan! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Then rejoiced in his accomplishment with his 'nyahahaha' laugh.
[ABI: Sweatdrop, anyone?]
By 8:30 AM that morning [AE - an hour after the first shot], Sakuragi Hanamichi made a hundred lay up shots straight, without missing any. This is much to the delight of Yoko and his friends. Rukawa was also happy for him in a sense, but that meant he had less practice time that morning. He would have loved to practice his shots too. Haruko had long gone, telling herself she didn't need to watch that witch preach, preach, and preach her friend.
~*~
That night, Yoko went to sleep with a wide smile on her face. However exhausted they were after that morning practice, he took her home to make sure she arrived there safely.
"I wouldn't want my friend, and my teacher to be harmed in any way. Who would teach me now in a non violent way?" He had said. [ABI: Notice he didn't think of Haruko! Heheh.]
But, as she said earlier. The reward for whatever he practiced for will be more than enough. He had said so too.
The last thought on her mind was, would he be ecstatic tomorrow when she arrives in his class. She knew she would be in the same class as he. Their last names are close, are they not?
End of Chapter Two
READERS, READ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This story is a sort of AU. I meant it to be as realistic and close to the series as possible, though. And I am sorry I got the episodes mixed up. But, I hope it does not change the quality of the story. So this story is set before the Ryonan practice game. It is also set before the time he got basketball shoes. But, they had the practice game with Takezono. That's all! Thanks for reading.
Reviewers, I thank you all! You guys are the best.
Reviewers Galore {find your name}
Fiery Ice - I must say your story was quite intriguing even if it did have a few errors. I liked them. Thanks for the review! Sorry I didn't get to review or even read the other chapters... ff.net's being messed up again!
SoS - HAH! Thanks for your review! Hope you're happy with this chappie, Sendoh-sama! Wait, A-Chan is Sendoh-sama... JUST KIDDING! I love teasing you about that!
Kei - Thanks for the review! I noticed there was no story about Yoko, and then I hated Haruko... so I thought of this! Thanks for saying it's original... I like to keep my stories like that all way... well, even if a bit somewhat. BTW, I might be able to update once a week. I'll try to update twice a week. But then, teachers are piling so much homework!
Maemi - thanks for the review! Yes... Haruko is stupid... but she is pitiful. I go with Yoko too! In a way. Heheheh. She did reject him first, didn't she? And yes, Yoko is sooooo much prettier and she has a better voice. And you bet I will continue.
Kookie - I will do my best. And thanks for the good luck.
Jennyspark - I'm sorry but I didn't quite get what you said. Yoko is not an original character.... but then again I am confused. Thanks for the compliments!
sLL - I can't promise that Haruko will just get lost. Sorry. But, thanks for the review and compliments. Hope you liked this chapter, though. I made her get lost, didn't I? And thanks for your reviews on my other fics. I'm trying to finish them!
Hitora Gin - I agree with you... Hana does deserve a girl.
L - Sorry, but you have to wait quite a while. I have another fic that will somehow parallel this one. But, no worries. I'll get it done as soon as I can!
Demon-heiress - Thanks for your review! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I give you an award! ::hands trophy, reads first reviewer:: Leave me a name besides your author name, btw. You'll see why in the next chapters. And since you were my first reviewer, I thought why not to take a look at what work you've got. I am hooked on "We Are Strong." Where is the next installment? I am sorry I didn't review. But ff.net was giving me trouble! It keeps on freezing... and the pop ups are slowing me down... and lastly, when I pressed review on the 'preview' the window won't give me want I wanted. But, know I did try. AND I WANT THE NEXT ONE UP! I am excited to read your story... and I have another story which will have the same basic plot, Sakuragi leaves Shohoku... but for a different reason. So, keep it up! Thanks for your support! You have mine... oh and HARUKO IS SUCH A STUPID NINNY in Criminal Mastermind.... but I want the next installment of We Are Strong... hope you continue it! And glad to hear you love my story... I love yours, too!!! {We Are Strong, hint, hint... CONTINUE! Oops... that wasn't a hint.} LOL
What's Next: {Preview might change over the course of the week}
Chapter 3: The Perfect Pair
Yoko stepped inside the classroom and met the flabbergasted look of Sakuragi Hanamichi. She smiled at him and said, "Ohayo, Hana-chan! How is the tensai?"
This is Rukawa Joycie. Over and out.... for another week.
Author's Note: Hi! I see you guys liked the fic. I'm glad. Thank you very much for your reviews. AND NOTE THAT I SLIGHTLY REVISED CHAPTER ONE! Look out for newly added scenes near the end!
Rants: I also see you guys didn't like Haruko too much. Watching the second, fourth and fifth episodes again made my blood boil. I'd say we're all of the same boat here. BUT! But, that doesn't mean I favor Yoko any more than I favor her. After all, we all know she rejected him FIRST. Plus, it didn't show in the series that Sakuragi was rejected for a one- sided love with Rukawa! No matter how ANNOYING she is, give her a chance, ne?
=( : No one knows Yoko's last name! Come to think of it, I forgot Oda's last/first name too! Oh well... they'll all be made up (until some kind soul tells me!).
Where we left off: Yoko is excited for Monday, the day she goes to Shohoku. Sakuragi and Youhei ponder the afternoon happenings with the latter coming to a conclusion that Hanamichi is still hooked on Yoko. Haruko is slowly falling for her dear friend, whether she likes it or not.
Last thing: ENJOY!
VERY LAST THING: Uhhh, here... I redid an episode. I'll comment on it later to "surprise" some people.
Hear My Heart Chapter 2: Sunday Morning
After a refreshing sleep, Yoko woke up to the rays of sunlight pouring down her window. Having used to wake up at 5 in the morning, 6 AM is a no biggie on Sunday.
Before, she would've woken at the same time she did during weekdays and head over Oda's house and help him train, build stamina and watch him have fun. Yes, she'll call him Oda from now onward.
Now, she doesn't know what to do. All of her chores were done the night before, and had no more to do. She has no homework as she just transferred to her new school. Looking around her room, she found she didn't need to clean it.
'You could jog. It's no use wasting a perfectly good running shape just because you have no one to help train or be with.' Her instinct told her.
Her reason agreed. With that in mind, she opened the curtains of her window and the window itself to find a good impression of that Sunday morning.
Breathing the fresh air in, she exclaimed, "What a nice day." And it indeed is. Spring is definitely still in the air. Summer might just be around the corner, but the flowers in bloom are extremely breathtaking. Not to mention the sun that just rose from its bed not too long ago. Casting its golden tresses upon dewdrops just below her room, making the white roses, blue forget-me-nots and their leaves in the gardens shine like diamonds.
The smell of her mother's cooking from downstairs filled her nose and prompted her to go to the bathroom, wash her face and get ready for jogging.
She went back to her room and opened her cabinet, surveying the contents. Getting out of her pajamas, and dirty underwear, she donned a sports bra and clean underwear. She decided to wear a black shirt and red shorts.
Going to her dresser, she fished out a white stretch headband and a white scrunchie. She brushed her hair and put it up in a tight ponytail, then put the headband on to keep stray locks away from her face. She looked around for her wristbands. She found her favorite pair. The red, white and black Nike ones. Oda didn't like it, it wasn't their school colors. She never got to wear them because of that. [ABI: Actually, he didn't like the r-w-b Nike wristbands because it was Shohoku school colors. Let's say he has a list of every school's school colors. I know I do!]
She sighed upon remembrance. The things I do for that guy. No, correction... the things she did for that guy.
But, now she can wear them all she wants. She could've worn them before too. Before she could put anymore thoughts on why she didn't she forced herself top break away from the thoughts. That was past. It is the past. It's a new day. Not to mention, it's Sunday. With a new day comes a new week. With a new week comes a new beginning, especially since she just transferred to Shohoku.
Then, the image of Sakuragi slowly creeped in her mind. She giggled. She'll forever engrave his surprised look tomorrow when he sees her dressed in a Shohoku fuku. She'll be waiting for that occasion.
Then, her stomach growled a bit. "I'm hungry!" It said.
Again she giggled. Donning the Nike wristbands and grabbing a pair of white low cut socks, she made her way downstairs much to her mother's and father's surprise.
"Ohayo!" She greeted them with a beautiful smile on her face. "I'm going for a morning run, but mind if I eat something first?"
"Sure. No problem, honey." Yui, Yoko's mother, answered while setting the table for three. "What would you like to eat?"
"I smelled bacon and eggs from upstairs. I could eat those."
"And toast?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
Yui put two long strips of bacon, a toasted sunny-side-up and toasted bread on Yoko's plate before proceeding to get her husband's and her own.
Yoko said her grace before wolfing her breakfast down. Her parents looked on in amazement. She never ate this fast when she ran with that former boyfriend of hers, Takeishi Oda.
When she finished and hurried to wash her plate, then throw her chopsticks and grab a water bottle, her father voiced out, "What's the rush?"
She just smiled and answered while she put on her socks and running shoes, "It's a wonderful day, Otousan. I don't intend on wasting it!"
"Well, take it easy, okay? Don't lose your breakfast so early."
She tested the tightness of her shoes and told her father, "I will. I'm off!" And she walked quickly to warm her muscles up before stretching them out.
"Take care!" Her parents hollered back.
[ABI (Author Butts In): LOL. 'Holler back!' It's an unusual term for parents to do, don't you think? Sendoh-sama, do you remember from last year? LOL!!! Sorry, continuing!]
She walked down the sidewalk for a minute and reached a nearby park where kids play in the afternoon. She set herself on the concrete floor and started stretching her legs, arms and cracking her back. Legs together, she reached for her feet for eight counts. She took her right leg in, and reached for another set of eight counts. She switched legs. Then she did a 'butterfly' for eight counts.
"Oh that feels good." She said to herself after finishing her first set of warm ups. She stretched out more and moved on to the next set of warm up. She rolled her head around and round in eight counts then switched the direction, getting the kinks out of her neck. Then, she stretched her left arm cross in front, then right arm cross in front, both counts one to eight. She moved on stretching her left and right arms above her head for eight counts each arm. Then, she rotated her hips clockwise for eight counts then counterclockwise for another eight. She moved on to rotate her knees the same way and then bended up and down ten times. She took her right ankle and rotated it the same way as she did her neck, hips and knees. The same was done to her left ankle, completing her second set of warm up exercises.
She started on the second set with reaching up as high as possible, then reach down to the ground. She moved her feet quite apart from each other then reached to her left before moving to her right. She repeated the pattern, left-middle-right-and-back afterwards ten times before moving on to the next. She stretched forward, with her right knee bended and the other leg straight for eight counts. She then did the same thing with the left. Then she stretched to her right... then to her left.
At last, she finished everything. She can run. She started power walking. Looking at her sports watch, she set the timer for two minutes then, she would proceed to a two minute run.
"Beep." And she was off.
Little did she know someone is doing their morning jog too! [ABI: don't wanna tell who, exactly! Though, you'd probably guess right.]
~*~
Haruko panted after running fifteen blocks straight. She stopped for a moment, gasping for much needed breath and rest. "Oh man! It is really different when you play a sport. I could've run further in middle school!" She groaned. She thought back to the old days when she trained with her brother and ran five miles at least, without stopping for about two miles. She could barely get a mile without stopping nowadays. Just before she reminisced the times when she had to do a ton of drills in basketball practice, when she slipped down the waxed floor half the time, [ABI: Hee hee hee! I know, I'm mean!] she heard something in the courts.
Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!
"What?" She looked inside the basketball court. She saw Sakuragi practicing lay ups.
She probably made the mistake of just looking on for a minute.
~*~
Dribbling the ball up to near the ring, Sakuragi jumped and tried the 'common shot'. "Common shoot!"
It didn't even touch the board. [ABI: Here, imagine me going 'boing'!!! As in, falling out of my chair and sweat-dropping! Don't you feel like that too?]
"Shimatte!" Sakuragi growled. Clenching his fists, he went to retrieve the ball. Still growling, he didn't notice someone was already holding the ball.
"Practicing hard, Sakuragi-kun?" Yoko greeted him with a smile. "Ohayo!"
"Yo-, Yo-, Yoko-san! O- o- ohayo!" He stammered. Laughing nervously, he said, "Not really, Yoko-san! Geniuses don't need practice!" Then, his face dropped upon seeing her little frown of slight reprimand that says, 'Oh, Sakuragi-kun.' Which was she was thinking anyway. "Yes. I can't seem to get the common shot. All I could do is run, and my shooting skills are still a bit... a bit low." His voice got softer as he reached the end, hung his head.
"That's okay Sakuragi-kun." She caught his chin. "You're a beginner aren't you? Everybody, as a beginner goes through a tough time learning something. Even geniuses do." She smiled at him. "But it will be alright. I'll help you train and we'll get you doing lay up shots in not time! So, shall we start?"
Sakuragi, being himself, asked her, "What is a lay up shot?"
She gaped at him. Then she thought, 'Oh yeah, he calls it differently.' "Sakuragi-kun, the shot you're just doing right now is called a lay up shot."
"Of course!" He has his chin is his hand. "This genius would store that for future reference. I, Basket Man Sakuragi, will always learn any new information."
Yoko giggled. "Oh, Sakuragi-kun. So, shall we get going?"
"Hai!"
And so it started.
~*~
Haruko was boiling mad. THAT SLEAZY WITCH is from Takezono! And Sakuragi- kun is fraternizing with her!
But, fine. If that's what he wants to do, then he could do it. After all, who was she in his life to have the right to tell him what to or what not to do? He is not her boyfriend.
At the thought of 'girlfriend', she became slightly angry. Is that girl his girlfriend? But he's so, dorky... and she's not the type to go for him! THEY DON'T MATCH! She didn't deserve him... that giggling hyena and her friend do not match at all!
But, who is she? And why is she teaching Sakuragi basketball? It's not as if she knows anything about the sport, does she? And it's not as if he will learn from her, will he? She, Akagi Haruko, wanted to see Sakuragi improve! Not mess up! And she wants him to learn from her! He is HER friend!
But... how come she, Akagi Haruko, is worked up about this? And why does she feel insecurity when this mystery girl is around?
~*~
At the other side of the basketball court Rukawa Kaede, who intended to practice that morning also, arrived and watched his teammate and the girl he talked to yesterday with more curiosity than he would admit. [ABI: I put him pretty far away from Haruko. I don't want her near him, dirtying him and other junk! Or at least I am preventing her from annoying him with her idiocy.]
What no one knew too much about this raven-haired, sleep-loving, young man is that he is quite observant. He didn't want to show too much emotion, because he's that quite reserved. Besides, he learned long ago that if you get too close to someone, you end up losing them... without the knowledge if you meet them up again. He also learned not to cry about losing something dear, but to smile because he was lucky to have had it.
But... we're getting off topic here. And so, Rukawa became withdrawn to himself. He learned to not get close to anyone, even he if yearned to vent his feelings out. Only his basketball and the game itself comfort him. His teammates got the wrong impression of him, he could make them change their minds, but... not yet. He'll just be close to them from afar, watching them make good things happen.
And even though he still disliked Sakuragi Hanamichi, he knew this guy has as much talent in the sport as he could have. He just has to stop bragging about it, or be so loud, or be so obnoxious, or be so... you get the point, don't you? Rukawa knew that the other is pretty talented, good... and that he is one heck of an opponent. He has his "Wall Defense" of, "Hun Hun Defense". Then, he has an amazing speed. And, much to his dismay, he has a great jumping abilities and an amazing strength. How could he beat Captain Akagi if he didn't?
See, Rukawa didn't hate the guy... he actually admired him. He just didn't like his loudness, brash behavior and boastfulness. But then again... Rukawa thought, didn't Sakuragi hate him for a girl's crush? Sakuragi knew he didn't like that girl. He got the point from the very beginning... but then again, it's the girl who's at fault. He already told her to bug off and she still won't stop following him. He felt sorry for her, that she didn't know this guy did things for her... because of her. How could he miss the time when he convincing his friends to clean the locker room? (Yes, he was there.) How could he miss the squeaky clean basketballs and gym floor? [ABI: Sendoh-sama... heheheh.] And when he was ready to quit the club, he heard from Youhei that Sakuragi really wanted to play... but another part of his reasoning is because of Akagi Takenori's sister. Then, there's that annoying Judo captain. He had baited Sakuragi with that girl's pictures. And he almost fell for it.
Surveying the scene before him, he narrowed his eyes at his teammate and the girl. He sensed something familiar.
He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his mind. 'Focus on this first, doaho.' He thought to himself. 'Worry about your own problems later.'
Anyway, as the girl giggled, his lips curled into a lopsided smile. His last thoughts were, 'Things are going to get messy. But, Sakuragi... you should know you're lucky.' And he watched as she asked him if he did proper warm ups.
~*~
"Did you stretch out for this?" Yoko asked him with a skeptical look on his face.
"Yes, Yoko-san." He replied. "I ran around the court thirty times and did the upper and lower body stretches we usually do."
She frowned. "Call me Yoko or Yoko-chan. We are close friends, aren't we?"
The last thing made him blank out for a sec. His defense mode kicked in. He smiled and nodded. Then, he caught himself and tried it on for size, "Yoko. Yoko-chan. I think I like Yoko-chan better."
"Then call me that!"
"Okay... you call me... you call me..." Sometimes, his brain shuts down... he was at a loss right here.
~*~
Rukawa went into chibi mode and sweatdropped. "Say something, doaho!" He muttered and was going into a low reprimand, but caught himself.
~*~
Haruko... well, she was... green with envy. No other words can describe it.
~*~
Yoko giggled again. "May I call you Hana-chan?" She suggested.
He turned red. 'Little flower.' "Hai!" He nodded again and smiled.
~*~
Two sets of thoughts:
Rukawa - ROTFL.... or rolls on the floor laughing. But, being himself... he caught himself and thought it inside his head. [ABI: no one could bottle up emotions without doing something about it!]
Haruko - Well that girl certainly has gull! Sakuragi-kun, why did you agree?
~*~
"Well, Hana-chan, let me see how you do it, so I could point your mistake."
Sakuragi, being himself, told her, "I am a tensai! I don't make mistakes!" Then he kicked himself, literally. "I have to stop doing that. I know Yoko-chan is only helping me."
She laughed heartilly. "It's a good thing you have confidence in your abilities.... but Hana-chan, you have to control the urge to shout out to the whole world that you are a tensai. It's never good to be boastful of a fact or knowledge... and it's always nice if you stay humble... that way, people can praise you! If you are already giving yourself a pat on the back, people might think they don't need to! So be careful!" She told him. This way, he would at least tone it down, and hopefully he would be able to fully stop and let other people judge his abilities. "And, don't think too much of something too far ahead. You might be disappointed with what it truly means when you find out." She noticed, during the game that whenever he could block Oda, or save the ball, or do something pretty well... he'll go into this trance. She could only guess that he was thinking of being praised; that and saw his friends saying he's daydreaming again.
Sakuragi frowned a little at this. But it made sense to him. After all, that's what he was doing before. He agreed to it. He'll do his best. Yoko-chan is helping him after all.
"Here." Yoko passed him the ball. "Let's see how you do it!"
[ABI: Think of a very upbeat song coming up... I am listening to BBMak's 'Out of My Heart, Into Your Head' and Avril Lavigne's 'Sk8ter Boi' while I write this!]
He nodded and proceeded to do it. He dribbled the ball up to the board, then bent his knees, jumped and put it in. The ball touched the backboard, rounded the ring a few times then missed.
Yoko startled him by saying, "Hmmm. Let's do something about your form. I noticed you were a little tense at some parts... form is very important in every single shot you make... or dribbling. Basic stances, basic drills... you have to know all of them before moving onto complex things. Without the basics, you will not be able to do others which form from it." She had jogged right after him while he shot the ball. "I know it is kind of insignificant to you right now, thinking... well I could do this and that... it's more artful than those things you want me to do. But, believe me... you need them more than you think."
~*~
Three jaws dropped at the statement. They were Rukawa's, Haruko's and Sakuragi's.
~*~
"How did you know I think that way?" Sakuragi asked the little know-it- all.
"It's on your face, and..." Yoko seemed a little hesitant saying the last part. "It really doesn't matter, but Oda used to be the same." He was about to say bad stuff about that floppy-haired, pretty boy that will make him sneeze a million times over... but she silenced him. "I am only using him as an example. Another... that guy in number 11 jersey... he must've been the same when he was first taught these things."
~*~
Rukawa remained silent, but was slightly prompted to go up and tell his teammate how horrible he was when he first started in the sport, just to give a little encouragement. He was actually like him when he was a kid. But, all people change for reasons unknown to others but themselves.
After he heard her statement, Sakuragi was quiet after she said those things... a side unknown to everybody but the Sakuragi Gundan. They have been friends for a long while and knew each other as if they were all quadruplets.
"OOOOOO!!!" The Sakuragi Gundan, speak of the devils, said when they saw him, but he immediately silenced them with look that meant, 'You better shut up. This is not the time.'
Youhei, being the most mature, asked quietly, "What are you on about, Rukawa-kun?"
The other just cocked his head over Sakuragi's and Yoko's direction. "But be quiet. I don't want any comments, got it?"
The others just nodded in shock even when they are bursting to make girly noises and tease the two to no end.
As Rukawa shifted his position to make himself comfortable, he saw Gori's sister. [ABI: He also calls Akagi 'Gori' simply because he agreed. He DOES look like a gorilla... and is like a gorilla when he's in control of the paint. But, he still respects the captain.] "What is that girl doing over there?" He voiced his thoughts out loud without his knowledge.
Again, Youhei asked quietly, "You mean Haruko? I saw her jogging before she reached the courts. I guess she's in shock with all of this. And, I never thought..." He trailed off.
The raven-haired one smirked and supplied, much to Youhei and the other members of Sakuragi's gang's surprise, "That Yoko might actually reciprocate Sakuragi's feelings?"
They all nodded. "It's just impossible though." Ookusu said. "But then again, impossible things happen with Hanamichi."
"But how do you figure that?" Takamiya asked.
"I know more than a lot of you think. You don't think I sleep all the time or make basketball my whole life, do you?" Rukawa told them vaguely. "But, enough of this chit-chat."
And they all turned to the unfurling scene before them.
Not before, Noma told Rukawa, "You were looking in on them for a pretty long time, weren't you?"
With much hesitation, he nodded. "Don't tell anybody."
~*~
"Every beginner, whether they're gifted or not, has to come to terms with the fundamental things of a sport or anything at all. So he could have experience, and excel in the next levels or a more complex form of that simple skill. Just be patient and have the perseverance like that of a dragon king. The outcome will be more than what you ever could imagine, Hana-chan."
~*~
"HANA-CHAN?!" The Sakuragi Gundan exclaimed in a hushed whisper. They almost blew their cover in shock.
~*~
She sounds like a preacher, but she didn't care. Hana-chan has to realize that nothing as complex as life can come into fruition without subatomic particles. It is important in basketball.
With her love for Oda, came her love for basketball. She wants to share with Hanamichi how basketball could really be. She wants him to be like the one in number 11, or even Oda. That way, that captain of his wouldn't hit him, or the Takezono girls would not belittle him so much. So that no one can underestimate him or put him down.
She cared for him.
"Hana-chan, I saw that even if your form is a bit okay, you use too much arm power. Let's work on those." She said, finally getting to the real lesson. "Watch me do how you do it." She dribbled the ball a little bit and imitated his posture, and put a lot of power on her right hand when she shot it, without even bending her knees before take off. She retrieved the ball that rolled off to the side and came back to him. "The key to a lay up, like every other shot in basketball is to get the force from the jump. Imagine your legs as if they were a coiled spring." She gestured the said area. "When you bend it, imagine the spring coiling tighter even more." Then proceeded to bend her legs, and gestured him to copy her lower body posture. "When you release the force which is atop the coiled spring, what happens?" She asked him.
"It goes all over the place?"
"That's right. This is where the upper body comes to play. When you use the jump power, you don't need to use any arm power at all, well, maybe a little bit. The power of the impact of your jump travels from your lower body to your upper one. All you need to do is aim and 'gently' put it in. Watch me put it all together." She retreated back a bit for room. "You run." She dribbled the ball down up to just a feet away from the net. "Then, you gather your jump power as if your legs are these two big coiling springs as you bend slightly." She bent a bit, holding her right arm up high, the palm of her hand facing up with the ball. "And gently put the ball in." And she released the ball, tossing it up just a bit. It soared just above the small, white square of the backboard and went in, touching nothing but the net. She landed on the ground, and smiled up at him. "You try it, Hana-chan!" She retrieved the ball and got an idea. "Pretend we're in a game, Hana-chan! I'm going to be your teammate, and I'll pass the ball to you so you could shoot it!" Then she dribbled the ball down the court expertly then evading an imaginary defender.
Hanamichi soon caught up with what she said, and ran down with her as she held up a finger when she dribbled with one hand as if she was the point guard. "We'll get this one, won't we Hana-chan?"
"Of course, Yoko-chan!" Then he ran up to her as she bounce passed the ball to him. [AE {Author Explains}: she passed it in between the "defender's" legs.] He dribbled the ball down up near the net and thought of the key words of what he should do. *Bend knees slightly for power.* And he did, then took off. Arm stretched up high, hand with ball palm up... and gently put the ball in.
Nothing but the net. He looked at his hands in astonishment as Yoko ran up to him and gave him a big hug with a delighted squeal. "YOU DID IT!!!!! I KNEW YOU COULD AND YOU DID!" She held his hands as they excitedly jumped from one foot to the other. [AE: Think back to that episode. Imagine Yoko with Sakuragi doing what he and Haruko did.] "Hana-chan, you did it! Yippee!"
And he remembered to be humble. "Thanks, Yoko-chan! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Then rejoiced in his accomplishment with his 'nyahahaha' laugh.
[ABI: Sweatdrop, anyone?]
By 8:30 AM that morning [AE - an hour after the first shot], Sakuragi Hanamichi made a hundred lay up shots straight, without missing any. This is much to the delight of Yoko and his friends. Rukawa was also happy for him in a sense, but that meant he had less practice time that morning. He would have loved to practice his shots too. Haruko had long gone, telling herself she didn't need to watch that witch preach, preach, and preach her friend.
~*~
That night, Yoko went to sleep with a wide smile on her face. However exhausted they were after that morning practice, he took her home to make sure she arrived there safely.
"I wouldn't want my friend, and my teacher to be harmed in any way. Who would teach me now in a non violent way?" He had said. [ABI: Notice he didn't think of Haruko! Heheh.]
But, as she said earlier. The reward for whatever he practiced for will be more than enough. He had said so too.
The last thought on her mind was, would he be ecstatic tomorrow when she arrives in his class. She knew she would be in the same class as he. Their last names are close, are they not?
End of Chapter Two
READERS, READ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This story is a sort of AU. I meant it to be as realistic and close to the series as possible, though. And I am sorry I got the episodes mixed up. But, I hope it does not change the quality of the story. So this story is set before the Ryonan practice game. It is also set before the time he got basketball shoes. But, they had the practice game with Takezono. That's all! Thanks for reading.
Reviewers, I thank you all! You guys are the best.
Reviewers Galore {find your name}
Fiery Ice - I must say your story was quite intriguing even if it did have a few errors. I liked them. Thanks for the review! Sorry I didn't get to review or even read the other chapters... ff.net's being messed up again!
SoS - HAH! Thanks for your review! Hope you're happy with this chappie, Sendoh-sama! Wait, A-Chan is Sendoh-sama... JUST KIDDING! I love teasing you about that!
Kei - Thanks for the review! I noticed there was no story about Yoko, and then I hated Haruko... so I thought of this! Thanks for saying it's original... I like to keep my stories like that all way... well, even if a bit somewhat. BTW, I might be able to update once a week. I'll try to update twice a week. But then, teachers are piling so much homework!
Maemi - thanks for the review! Yes... Haruko is stupid... but she is pitiful. I go with Yoko too! In a way. Heheheh. She did reject him first, didn't she? And yes, Yoko is sooooo much prettier and she has a better voice. And you bet I will continue.
Kookie - I will do my best. And thanks for the good luck.
Jennyspark - I'm sorry but I didn't quite get what you said. Yoko is not an original character.... but then again I am confused. Thanks for the compliments!
sLL - I can't promise that Haruko will just get lost. Sorry. But, thanks for the review and compliments. Hope you liked this chapter, though. I made her get lost, didn't I? And thanks for your reviews on my other fics. I'm trying to finish them!
Hitora Gin - I agree with you... Hana does deserve a girl.
L - Sorry, but you have to wait quite a while. I have another fic that will somehow parallel this one. But, no worries. I'll get it done as soon as I can!
Demon-heiress - Thanks for your review! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I give you an award! ::hands trophy, reads first reviewer:: Leave me a name besides your author name, btw. You'll see why in the next chapters. And since you were my first reviewer, I thought why not to take a look at what work you've got. I am hooked on "We Are Strong." Where is the next installment? I am sorry I didn't review. But ff.net was giving me trouble! It keeps on freezing... and the pop ups are slowing me down... and lastly, when I pressed review on the 'preview' the window won't give me want I wanted. But, know I did try. AND I WANT THE NEXT ONE UP! I am excited to read your story... and I have another story which will have the same basic plot, Sakuragi leaves Shohoku... but for a different reason. So, keep it up! Thanks for your support! You have mine... oh and HARUKO IS SUCH A STUPID NINNY in Criminal Mastermind.... but I want the next installment of We Are Strong... hope you continue it! And glad to hear you love my story... I love yours, too!!! {We Are Strong, hint, hint... CONTINUE! Oops... that wasn't a hint.} LOL
What's Next: {Preview might change over the course of the week}
Chapter 3: The Perfect Pair
Yoko stepped inside the classroom and met the flabbergasted look of Sakuragi Hanamichi. She smiled at him and said, "Ohayo, Hana-chan! How is the tensai?"
This is Rukawa Joycie. Over and out.... for another week.