Disclaimers : Slam Dunk was created by Inoue Takehiko, I just borrowed his characters.
Chapter 7
The next day as usual, Sendoh was waiting at the basketball court for a certain raven-haired boy. He's late but usually Sendoh was the one who's always late. Sendoh paced around the court, waiting impatiently.
'Please come,' Sendoh silently begged.
After the incident last night, he wanted to work things out. He wanted to tell Rukawa how he really feels. It's no use keeping it since his actions told everything. Sendoh looked at his watch again. It's an hour past their meeting time.
'You have to come. I've got something very important to tell you.'
**********
"Kaede-kun?"
Rukawa turned his gaze from the window to his sister. Ayako was standing behind him with a puzzled look. She had come to collect the laundry and unexpectedly saw him staring out the window.
"I thought you're at the basketball court," she said.
"Not in a mood."
"Why? That's so not you."
Okay, there's something wrong, Ayako knew it. She put down the basket and sat on a chair beside Rukawa.
"Tell me, what's wrong?" she asked, gently.
"Nothing."
"Are you sure you don't wanna tell me?"
Rukawa just kept silent. Ayako didn't want to push him. So, she kept quiet and emptied his basket, which was full of his uniform and training clothes.
"Kaede… oh, Ayako! You're here too," Ayako's mother said, when she walked into Rukawa's room.
"Okaa-san, I'm just collecting his clothes," Ayako said.
"Obaa-san, you want to see me?" Rukawa asked.
"Yes, it's about your mother," she said softly.
Rukawa gasped.
**********
"I'm sorry, Sendoh-san. Sempai is absent again today," Mizusawa said.
It's been two weeks since Sendoh saw Rukawa. He never shows up in the basketball court since then. Worried, Sendoh went to Tomigaoka to look for him everyday. Rukawa's vice-captain, Mizusawa told him that he's been absent for the whole 2 weeks.
"Do you know where did he go?" Sendoh asked.
"Sorry, Sendoh-san. He never told me."
Sendoh looked very worried. Could it be he left because of the incident? No, Rukawa would never leave school just because of a small thing. Then, where is he? Why won't he see him?
"Mizusawa-kun, can you tell him to look for me when he's back?" Sendoh asked. He knew Rukawa wouldn't do so but he has to try.
"Okay," Mizusawa nodded.
**********
The next day is the same. Sendoh went to Tomigaoka to look for Rukawa again. Mizusawa just repeated what he said yesterday.
"Sendoh-san, is this really important 'cause you come here everyday?" Mizusawa asked. He doesn't want to be a busybody but he was curious.
"Yes, I have to tell him," Sendoh replied.
'Tell him that I loved him.'
"If he comes back, I'll tell you, don't worry," Mizusawa reassured him. Disappointed, Sendoh turned to leave but Mizusawa called him back.
"Why don't you try asking his family?" he suggested.
"Arigatou, Mizusawa-kun!"
**********
Here he is, in front of Rukawa's house. He came here immediately after he obtained the address from Mizusawa.
'Well, here goes nothing,' Sendoh thought as he rang the doorbell. A girl with curly long hair answered it.
"Sen… Sendoh Akira???" she asked, surprised. Sendoh was surprised as well.
"Er… you know me?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Of course! You're the ace of Ryonan even though you're in first year. I'm so pleased to meet you," Ayako exclaimed.
"Yeah, me too," Sendoh smiled.
"Em… why are you here?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm looking for Rukawa Kaede," Sendoh said.
"My brother? He's not here," Ayako answered.
"Do you know where he is?" Sendoh asked again.
"Hey, do you happen to play basketball with my brother every evening?" Ayako asked, eyeing him.
"Um… yeah," Sendoh replied.
'So, he is the mysterious guy!'
"Sorry, Sendoh-kun. He's in Hiroshima now."
"Huh?"
"He's there to recall his past."
**********
'It's been two weeks since I'm here,' Rukawa thought. He stared at the ceiling of the hotel, blankly.
'14 days and I still remember nothing.'
Kaoru received a letter from a friend of Rukawa's mother. So, she decided to bring Rukawa back to Hiroshima, where he was born and raised. She was hoping maybe Rukawa will regain some of his memory here.
'Nothing, I don't remember anything!' Rukawa was frustrated. He had been to his old house, his kindergarten, the playground and even his grandfather house but nothing came.
"Kaede?"
Rukawa heard his aunt's voice and opened the door for her.
"Kaede, good news. I found your grandfather," she said, happily.
"Obaa-san, this is not working. I'll never regain my memory," Rukawa said, feeling defeated. He was not one to give up easily but Rukawa have had enough.
"No, Kaede. You can and you will. Come, follow me," Kaoru hold his hands. Rukawa sighed.
They went to the sanctuary for old people and were greeted by the head nurse.
"I'm Kaoru and this is Rukawa Kaede. We are here to see Rukawa Tsuzuki," she said.
"Yes. My name is Tomoko, right this way, please," she replied politely.
They followed her quietly. Rukawa can see a lot of old people walking around the sanctuary. Were they all abandoned by their children?
"Rukawa-san has not been feeling well lately, so please be gentle with him," Tomoko replied. She led them to the 3rd building where it is quieter. They walked down the corridor to the last room.
"Here he is. He can't think properly and is quite hot-tempered so be careful when you talk," Tomoko said as she opened the door. Rukawa and Kaoru entered the room slowly. Rukawa felt so nervous although he doesn't know why. They saw an old man sitting on a wheel-chair. He was staring off in space, as if he was thinking of something very important.
"Rukawa-san, someone is here to see you," Tomoko said softly to the man. The man turned to face the two visitors.
"Rukawa-jisan, I'm Kaoru. Do you remember me?" Kaoru asked. The man looked at the table as if it was more interesting than her.
"This is your grandson, Rukawa Kaede," she continued. Rukawa stepped forward to meet his grandfather after so many years of apart. The man's eyes widened.
"Tomoe! Tomoe, you came back!" he shouted. All three of them were shocked. He wheeled closer to Rukawa and hugged him.
"Tomoe, where have you been? I missed you. Why did you leave all of a sudden?" he asked, crying.
"Oji-san," Rukawa kneeled so that he's eye-to-eye with his grandfather.
"I'm not Tomoe. I'm Kaede," Rukawa said softly. The man looked at him.
"Tomoe…?" he asked.
"I'm your grandson, Kaede."
"No, you're lying! I don't have a grandson! You're Tomoe, I know you are! You've come back to take me with you!" he shouted. Rukawa was startled. Suddenly, his grandfather lost control.
"Tomoe!! Tomoe!!!" he shouted.
Tomoko quickly tried to calm him down.
"Please go now," she said to them. Rukawa nodded and left the room with Kaoru.
"Kaede, are you alright?" Kaoru asked, worried.
"He said… he doesn't have a grandson… and yet he recognized me as my mother… why can't I remember anything… why…?"
Rukawa just slumped down and cried.
-tbc-
Please review!!!
Chapter 7
The next day as usual, Sendoh was waiting at the basketball court for a certain raven-haired boy. He's late but usually Sendoh was the one who's always late. Sendoh paced around the court, waiting impatiently.
'Please come,' Sendoh silently begged.
After the incident last night, he wanted to work things out. He wanted to tell Rukawa how he really feels. It's no use keeping it since his actions told everything. Sendoh looked at his watch again. It's an hour past their meeting time.
'You have to come. I've got something very important to tell you.'
**********
"Kaede-kun?"
Rukawa turned his gaze from the window to his sister. Ayako was standing behind him with a puzzled look. She had come to collect the laundry and unexpectedly saw him staring out the window.
"I thought you're at the basketball court," she said.
"Not in a mood."
"Why? That's so not you."
Okay, there's something wrong, Ayako knew it. She put down the basket and sat on a chair beside Rukawa.
"Tell me, what's wrong?" she asked, gently.
"Nothing."
"Are you sure you don't wanna tell me?"
Rukawa just kept silent. Ayako didn't want to push him. So, she kept quiet and emptied his basket, which was full of his uniform and training clothes.
"Kaede… oh, Ayako! You're here too," Ayako's mother said, when she walked into Rukawa's room.
"Okaa-san, I'm just collecting his clothes," Ayako said.
"Obaa-san, you want to see me?" Rukawa asked.
"Yes, it's about your mother," she said softly.
Rukawa gasped.
**********
"I'm sorry, Sendoh-san. Sempai is absent again today," Mizusawa said.
It's been two weeks since Sendoh saw Rukawa. He never shows up in the basketball court since then. Worried, Sendoh went to Tomigaoka to look for him everyday. Rukawa's vice-captain, Mizusawa told him that he's been absent for the whole 2 weeks.
"Do you know where did he go?" Sendoh asked.
"Sorry, Sendoh-san. He never told me."
Sendoh looked very worried. Could it be he left because of the incident? No, Rukawa would never leave school just because of a small thing. Then, where is he? Why won't he see him?
"Mizusawa-kun, can you tell him to look for me when he's back?" Sendoh asked. He knew Rukawa wouldn't do so but he has to try.
"Okay," Mizusawa nodded.
**********
The next day is the same. Sendoh went to Tomigaoka to look for Rukawa again. Mizusawa just repeated what he said yesterday.
"Sendoh-san, is this really important 'cause you come here everyday?" Mizusawa asked. He doesn't want to be a busybody but he was curious.
"Yes, I have to tell him," Sendoh replied.
'Tell him that I loved him.'
"If he comes back, I'll tell you, don't worry," Mizusawa reassured him. Disappointed, Sendoh turned to leave but Mizusawa called him back.
"Why don't you try asking his family?" he suggested.
"Arigatou, Mizusawa-kun!"
**********
Here he is, in front of Rukawa's house. He came here immediately after he obtained the address from Mizusawa.
'Well, here goes nothing,' Sendoh thought as he rang the doorbell. A girl with curly long hair answered it.
"Sen… Sendoh Akira???" she asked, surprised. Sendoh was surprised as well.
"Er… you know me?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Of course! You're the ace of Ryonan even though you're in first year. I'm so pleased to meet you," Ayako exclaimed.
"Yeah, me too," Sendoh smiled.
"Em… why are you here?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm looking for Rukawa Kaede," Sendoh said.
"My brother? He's not here," Ayako answered.
"Do you know where he is?" Sendoh asked again.
"Hey, do you happen to play basketball with my brother every evening?" Ayako asked, eyeing him.
"Um… yeah," Sendoh replied.
'So, he is the mysterious guy!'
"Sorry, Sendoh-kun. He's in Hiroshima now."
"Huh?"
"He's there to recall his past."
**********
'It's been two weeks since I'm here,' Rukawa thought. He stared at the ceiling of the hotel, blankly.
'14 days and I still remember nothing.'
Kaoru received a letter from a friend of Rukawa's mother. So, she decided to bring Rukawa back to Hiroshima, where he was born and raised. She was hoping maybe Rukawa will regain some of his memory here.
'Nothing, I don't remember anything!' Rukawa was frustrated. He had been to his old house, his kindergarten, the playground and even his grandfather house but nothing came.
"Kaede?"
Rukawa heard his aunt's voice and opened the door for her.
"Kaede, good news. I found your grandfather," she said, happily.
"Obaa-san, this is not working. I'll never regain my memory," Rukawa said, feeling defeated. He was not one to give up easily but Rukawa have had enough.
"No, Kaede. You can and you will. Come, follow me," Kaoru hold his hands. Rukawa sighed.
They went to the sanctuary for old people and were greeted by the head nurse.
"I'm Kaoru and this is Rukawa Kaede. We are here to see Rukawa Tsuzuki," she said.
"Yes. My name is Tomoko, right this way, please," she replied politely.
They followed her quietly. Rukawa can see a lot of old people walking around the sanctuary. Were they all abandoned by their children?
"Rukawa-san has not been feeling well lately, so please be gentle with him," Tomoko replied. She led them to the 3rd building where it is quieter. They walked down the corridor to the last room.
"Here he is. He can't think properly and is quite hot-tempered so be careful when you talk," Tomoko said as she opened the door. Rukawa and Kaoru entered the room slowly. Rukawa felt so nervous although he doesn't know why. They saw an old man sitting on a wheel-chair. He was staring off in space, as if he was thinking of something very important.
"Rukawa-san, someone is here to see you," Tomoko said softly to the man. The man turned to face the two visitors.
"Rukawa-jisan, I'm Kaoru. Do you remember me?" Kaoru asked. The man looked at the table as if it was more interesting than her.
"This is your grandson, Rukawa Kaede," she continued. Rukawa stepped forward to meet his grandfather after so many years of apart. The man's eyes widened.
"Tomoe! Tomoe, you came back!" he shouted. All three of them were shocked. He wheeled closer to Rukawa and hugged him.
"Tomoe, where have you been? I missed you. Why did you leave all of a sudden?" he asked, crying.
"Oji-san," Rukawa kneeled so that he's eye-to-eye with his grandfather.
"I'm not Tomoe. I'm Kaede," Rukawa said softly. The man looked at him.
"Tomoe…?" he asked.
"I'm your grandson, Kaede."
"No, you're lying! I don't have a grandson! You're Tomoe, I know you are! You've come back to take me with you!" he shouted. Rukawa was startled. Suddenly, his grandfather lost control.
"Tomoe!! Tomoe!!!" he shouted.
Tomoko quickly tried to calm him down.
"Please go now," she said to them. Rukawa nodded and left the room with Kaoru.
"Kaede, are you alright?" Kaoru asked, worried.
"He said… he doesn't have a grandson… and yet he recognized me as my mother… why can't I remember anything… why…?"
Rukawa just slumped down and cried.
-tbc-
Please review!!!