Disclaimer : I'm so tired of typing the same thing all over again. SLAM DUNK BELONGS TO INOUE TAKEHIKO!!
Chapter 5
"Achoo!" Sendoh sneezed loudly in class. Everyone took a glance at him then returned to their own work. Koshino came up to him.
"Sendoh, what's wrong with you?" he asked, taking a chair from behind and sat beside him.
"Isn't it obvious? I've got a flu… achoo!" Sendoh sneezed again. Koshino handed him a tissue. Sendoh quickly took it and sneezed again.
"What did you do last night? And why did you leave early at practice?" Koshino asked, concerned about his best friend.
Sendoh is sure acting weird. He's never skipped practice and not to mention, this is the first time Koshino saw him sick.
"Achoo!" was the reply from Sendoh.
Koshino sighed.
"Anyway, sensei was really mad at you yesterday," Koshino said.
Sendoh looked up, "Oh no."
He reached out for another tissue from Koshino's hand.
"Is there any important thing that I should know?" Sendoh asked.
"Well, sensei told us about this boy who he's going to persuade to join our team," Koshino started.
Sendoh was not interested in it. However, he just pretended he was listening.
"He's a really good basketball player. His name is…" Koshino tired to remember.
"Oh yes! Rukawa Kaede from Tomigaoka."
'Rukawa Kaede?'
"He'll be joining us next year. That's what sensei said. He looked very keen on having him in our team," Koshino continued.
"Koshino, you forgot to mention something," Fukuda butt in.
"Hey, you were eavesdropping!" Koshino said, angrily.
Sendoh yawned, 'Please stop talking and leave me alone.'
"And what did I forget?" Koshino asked.
"Beautiful."
'Eh?' Sendoh looked at Fukuda.
"Oh yeah, you're right. Seriously, Sendoh, he IS beautiful," Koshino continued.
'Okay, my friends have gone nuts,' Sendoh thought to himself.
"We're going to see him play today," Fukuda said.
"That's right. Sensei's bringing us along to Tomigaoka. He said we have to help him too. You have to come with us, Sendoh!"
Sendoh just nodded. His mind drifted to something else.
'Why didn't he come last night?'
**********
As promised, Taoka brought them (Koshino, Fukuda and a reluctant Sendoh) to Tomigaoka that day. Sendoh wanted to escape but Koshino kept a strict eye on him. They reached the gym where at that time, the team was practicing. Taoka greeted with the coach and left the three to look around themselves.
"Hey, I wonder where's Rukawa?" Koshino asked.
"He doesn't seem to be here," Fukuda said, scanning the court but only saw a few poor players.
Sendoh just looked around lazily until he saw 'him'. The same blue eyes, the same pale skin, the same black hair. It must be 'him'.
Rukawa has just walked into the gym with a blue bag hung behind him. The first person he saw was Sendoh, who was also looking at him. Behind him were two people he didn't recognize.
'What is he doing here?' Rukawa turned away. He then approached his team.
"Captain!" the players on court, shouted simultaneously when they saw their ace coming. Rukawa nodded as an acknowledgement.
"Rukawa-kun," his coach called. Rukawa walked over to him and saw Taoka. They had a chat for a while.
"Hm… I wonder if he agrees," Koshino said.
Sendoh was silently praying he agree.
After a while, Rukawa bowed to Taoka and joined in the practice with his other teammates. Sendoh, Koshino and Fukuda rushed to Taoka.
"Sensei, what did he say?"
"Did he agree?"
Taoka could only sigh and shook his head. So, the answer was obvious. They left Tomigaoka and back to Ryonan.
**********
Sendoh skipped practice again and walked to the basketball court where they were supposed to meet. No one was there.
'Maybe I'm too early.'
He waited for a while and made a few shots. Sendoh checked his watch after every 10 shots. Finally, he spotted Rukawa. Rukawa looked kind of shock seeing him there.
"Hey, you finally came," Sendoh picked up his basketball.
Rukawa ignored him. He placed his bag on the bench and took out his own basketball.
"Why… Why didn't you come last night?" Sendoh asked in barely a whisper. He felt himself blushing every time he looked at him. So, this time, he tried to avoid eye contact by looking down.
Rukawa looked at him, puzzled. Sendoh thought he didn't hear his question. He was about to repeat when Rukawa answered, "Rain."
"Oh."
There was silence. Then, Rukawa began bouncing his basketball.
"You were in my school just now…"
"Yeah, my coach wants you to be in our team."
"So, you're from Ryonan."
"Hai."
Rukawa paused for a while to think.
"Why did you turn down our offer?" Sendoh managed to ask. Rukawa just looked at him. Then he answered softly, "Too far from home."
Sendoh was surprised at his answer. It sounded silly too. Well, maybe he has another reason but was just trying to cover it up.
"Can we… have one-on-one… achoo!" Sendoh was saying but sneezed.
'Damn it! Why can't I speak properly?'
Rukawa looked at him with a puzzled look.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just flu."
'Oh man, I feel so awkward.'
"So, one-on-one with me?"
Rukawa gave a nod and tossed the ball to Sendoh. Sendoh caught the ball nicely. His heart skipped a beat, 'I can't believe he agreed!'
"Well then, first to 20," Sendoh smiled. Deep down, he was really happy. He felt that it's very challenging to play with him. It brings out the pleasure of playing basketball in him. And Koshino was right, he is beautiful. Now that he's so close to Rukawa, he can really see him clearly.
"Hey, what're you looking at?" Rukawa asked.
"Huh?" Sendoh saw that Rukawa already scored the first 2 points.
"Are you still there?" he asked.
"Um… yeah," Sendoh blushed slightly. It seems that Sendoh has completely forgotten to defend while thinking just now.
'Okay, Akira. Concentrate. Don't think of anything else.'
And so, the game continued. Rukawa leading at first but was soon beaten by Sendoh. Then Rukawa reclaimed back his points. Sendoh has more experience than Rukawa so obviously, he won despite his flu. Rukawa was not so happy with that.
"I demand a rematch."
"Anytime," Sendoh flashed his usual smile again.
Rukawa glared at him then turned to pick up his basketball and bag.
"Tomorrow. Same time, same place."
Rukawa began walking but stopped. He turned to face Sendoh.
"Your name."
"Huh?"
"What's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Sendoh Akira," Sendoh smiled. Rukawa nodded as an acknowledgement then walked off. Sendoh can't wait for tomorrow to come.
'See, you tomorrow, Rukawa Kaede.'
They didn't know how it happened but since then, every evening they would meet to play their favourite game. And so, that's how their relationship begins from strangers to friends or even maybe more.
-tbc-
Please review!!!
Chapter 5
"Achoo!" Sendoh sneezed loudly in class. Everyone took a glance at him then returned to their own work. Koshino came up to him.
"Sendoh, what's wrong with you?" he asked, taking a chair from behind and sat beside him.
"Isn't it obvious? I've got a flu… achoo!" Sendoh sneezed again. Koshino handed him a tissue. Sendoh quickly took it and sneezed again.
"What did you do last night? And why did you leave early at practice?" Koshino asked, concerned about his best friend.
Sendoh is sure acting weird. He's never skipped practice and not to mention, this is the first time Koshino saw him sick.
"Achoo!" was the reply from Sendoh.
Koshino sighed.
"Anyway, sensei was really mad at you yesterday," Koshino said.
Sendoh looked up, "Oh no."
He reached out for another tissue from Koshino's hand.
"Is there any important thing that I should know?" Sendoh asked.
"Well, sensei told us about this boy who he's going to persuade to join our team," Koshino started.
Sendoh was not interested in it. However, he just pretended he was listening.
"He's a really good basketball player. His name is…" Koshino tired to remember.
"Oh yes! Rukawa Kaede from Tomigaoka."
'Rukawa Kaede?'
"He'll be joining us next year. That's what sensei said. He looked very keen on having him in our team," Koshino continued.
"Koshino, you forgot to mention something," Fukuda butt in.
"Hey, you were eavesdropping!" Koshino said, angrily.
Sendoh yawned, 'Please stop talking and leave me alone.'
"And what did I forget?" Koshino asked.
"Beautiful."
'Eh?' Sendoh looked at Fukuda.
"Oh yeah, you're right. Seriously, Sendoh, he IS beautiful," Koshino continued.
'Okay, my friends have gone nuts,' Sendoh thought to himself.
"We're going to see him play today," Fukuda said.
"That's right. Sensei's bringing us along to Tomigaoka. He said we have to help him too. You have to come with us, Sendoh!"
Sendoh just nodded. His mind drifted to something else.
'Why didn't he come last night?'
**********
As promised, Taoka brought them (Koshino, Fukuda and a reluctant Sendoh) to Tomigaoka that day. Sendoh wanted to escape but Koshino kept a strict eye on him. They reached the gym where at that time, the team was practicing. Taoka greeted with the coach and left the three to look around themselves.
"Hey, I wonder where's Rukawa?" Koshino asked.
"He doesn't seem to be here," Fukuda said, scanning the court but only saw a few poor players.
Sendoh just looked around lazily until he saw 'him'. The same blue eyes, the same pale skin, the same black hair. It must be 'him'.
Rukawa has just walked into the gym with a blue bag hung behind him. The first person he saw was Sendoh, who was also looking at him. Behind him were two people he didn't recognize.
'What is he doing here?' Rukawa turned away. He then approached his team.
"Captain!" the players on court, shouted simultaneously when they saw their ace coming. Rukawa nodded as an acknowledgement.
"Rukawa-kun," his coach called. Rukawa walked over to him and saw Taoka. They had a chat for a while.
"Hm… I wonder if he agrees," Koshino said.
Sendoh was silently praying he agree.
After a while, Rukawa bowed to Taoka and joined in the practice with his other teammates. Sendoh, Koshino and Fukuda rushed to Taoka.
"Sensei, what did he say?"
"Did he agree?"
Taoka could only sigh and shook his head. So, the answer was obvious. They left Tomigaoka and back to Ryonan.
**********
Sendoh skipped practice again and walked to the basketball court where they were supposed to meet. No one was there.
'Maybe I'm too early.'
He waited for a while and made a few shots. Sendoh checked his watch after every 10 shots. Finally, he spotted Rukawa. Rukawa looked kind of shock seeing him there.
"Hey, you finally came," Sendoh picked up his basketball.
Rukawa ignored him. He placed his bag on the bench and took out his own basketball.
"Why… Why didn't you come last night?" Sendoh asked in barely a whisper. He felt himself blushing every time he looked at him. So, this time, he tried to avoid eye contact by looking down.
Rukawa looked at him, puzzled. Sendoh thought he didn't hear his question. He was about to repeat when Rukawa answered, "Rain."
"Oh."
There was silence. Then, Rukawa began bouncing his basketball.
"You were in my school just now…"
"Yeah, my coach wants you to be in our team."
"So, you're from Ryonan."
"Hai."
Rukawa paused for a while to think.
"Why did you turn down our offer?" Sendoh managed to ask. Rukawa just looked at him. Then he answered softly, "Too far from home."
Sendoh was surprised at his answer. It sounded silly too. Well, maybe he has another reason but was just trying to cover it up.
"Can we… have one-on-one… achoo!" Sendoh was saying but sneezed.
'Damn it! Why can't I speak properly?'
Rukawa looked at him with a puzzled look.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just flu."
'Oh man, I feel so awkward.'
"So, one-on-one with me?"
Rukawa gave a nod and tossed the ball to Sendoh. Sendoh caught the ball nicely. His heart skipped a beat, 'I can't believe he agreed!'
"Well then, first to 20," Sendoh smiled. Deep down, he was really happy. He felt that it's very challenging to play with him. It brings out the pleasure of playing basketball in him. And Koshino was right, he is beautiful. Now that he's so close to Rukawa, he can really see him clearly.
"Hey, what're you looking at?" Rukawa asked.
"Huh?" Sendoh saw that Rukawa already scored the first 2 points.
"Are you still there?" he asked.
"Um… yeah," Sendoh blushed slightly. It seems that Sendoh has completely forgotten to defend while thinking just now.
'Okay, Akira. Concentrate. Don't think of anything else.'
And so, the game continued. Rukawa leading at first but was soon beaten by Sendoh. Then Rukawa reclaimed back his points. Sendoh has more experience than Rukawa so obviously, he won despite his flu. Rukawa was not so happy with that.
"I demand a rematch."
"Anytime," Sendoh flashed his usual smile again.
Rukawa glared at him then turned to pick up his basketball and bag.
"Tomorrow. Same time, same place."
Rukawa began walking but stopped. He turned to face Sendoh.
"Your name."
"Huh?"
"What's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Sendoh Akira," Sendoh smiled. Rukawa nodded as an acknowledgement then walked off. Sendoh can't wait for tomorrow to come.
'See, you tomorrow, Rukawa Kaede.'
They didn't know how it happened but since then, every evening they would meet to play their favourite game. And so, that's how their relationship begins from strangers to friends or even maybe more.
-tbc-
Please review!!!