Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and the other One-on-One characters are not ours and so are the songs featured in the following selection.

Kanagawa Blues

By: Castor and Pollux

PART 15: THE HEAT IS ON

 

Koshino didn't know what to feel. Half of him was scared; the other half was in great joy, though the whole of him was troubled. He didn't seem to feel like going anywhere. He was in bed all day. I've got to face Miyagi, I've got to tell him what's going on between us and he'll have to answer to me or he'll go crazy, it's just that. He can't just wrestle me in front of her, she wouldn't like that. If his madness is going in our way that shouldn't be, it would destroy the team. Tomorrow this is over. He thought.

          And so lonely Koshino went to his sleep till the morning came. After eating breakfast, he went straight to the bathroom and hit the road. He arrived exactly on time. Everyone was there, except for, again, Miyagi and Sakuragi. His stomach lurched when he saw Ayako. He looked at her, she noticed him and smiled slightly, or he thought she did, whatever, he smiled back. Kirin was looking nervous, he approached Koshino and said, "Sakuragi had gone off to Captain's house."

          "It's about time we get this over with." Koshino answered

Not long after they started their practice, Sakuragi arrived with Miyagi. Mitsui swallowed the lump in his throat as Ron excused himself and went to the locker room. Kirin was sweating profusely. Luka and Rukawa looked away. Yasuda looked at Miyagi, half-glad and half-worried. Koshino summoned all his courage, straightened up and looked at Miyagi. Sakuragi was staring at Koshino and nodded as if to encourage him.

To break the tension, Kakuta and Kuwata greeted Miyagi, "Welcome back captain." He just nodded in acknowledgment. He looked at Koshino and then Ayako. Ayako gave him a pleading look as if to say that she could explain everything. Miyagi nodded, but he looked back at Koshino, Kirin could bear this no longer, he went to the locker room, just like what Ron did. Miyagi went straight to Koshino. Mitsui opened his mouth as if to stop Miyagi from doing what he was to do. Sakuragi mounted in case Koshino was about to receive a blow. Yasuda looked at Mitsui as if to ask him to do something. But they just all stood there watching, until Miyagi broke the silence.

"Can I have a word? In private please," he told Koshino, restraining himself.

"Sure." Koshino said, the expression in his face didn't change.

Miyagi led him outside the gym, in the empty baseball field. Kirin and Ron went out of the locker room at last.

          "Mitsui-san, aren't you going to stop them?" Kirin asked.

          "Could anyone stop the growing tension between them? No, it's at its peak and what would happen, we do not know but we could let them be…" came the reply

Kirin then turned to Sakuragi.

          "Sakuragi-san, why did you let this happen? I thought we would consult Ayako-sempai first?"

          "We have no part to play, what is to come, we cannot stop. What would you have done if you were in my place?" Sakuragi answered seriously.

          "They can settle this if they choose to, and perhaps they may not if they want it the dirty way. Right now all we can do is wait." Luka said without looking at them. Rukawa passed him a ball and they continued their practice.

          "Yeah, why don't we just practice?" proposed Ron, for the first time, he was serious.

          At the baseball field, the two stood a meter apart. The hatred in Miyagi's face was immeasurable. Koshino's face had never been so fierce. Again, Miyagi spoke first.

          "You owe Hanamichi a lot, I would've dragged you here and given you a taste."

"There was nothing between you and Ayako in the first place, why so furious?"  Koshino asked as his eyes narrowed.

Miyagi's eyebrows almost touched his eyes.

          "You don't know what you're bragging about. Do you think she'll choose you when she has someone like me? I knew it when you first stepped in the gym, that you'd bring hell, I'm not gonna let that." Ryota said this scornfully.

          "Hell to you. If you think I mean nothing to her, why did you have me here? Why not let it be instead, if what you saw meant nothing to you?"

          Miyagi clenched his teeth. His fists were burning. But Koshino didn't move, and as fast as sound, Miyagi hit him on the face. Koshino recoiled but he didn't return the blow. Blood streamed from his lips, he wiped it off with his fist, still looking at Miyagi. He didn't say a word and just stood there as if waiting for another blow. And again he received a blow, this time on the stomach.   He dropped to his knees, blood was coming out of his mouth, he wiped it again. Miyagi positioned to give him the third blow, a roundhouse kick, but before his foot hit Koshino's shoulder, Koshino grabbed his leg and put it aside slowly and said, "This is going nowhere, she has chosen me. No point denying."

          Miyagi couldn't believe his ears though the words hit him really hard, even harder than the blows he was giving Koshino.

          "DAMN YOU! GO TO HELL! You filthy piece of lying bastard! That's not true!" Miyagi cursed as he dove at him. He was on top of Koshino. Koshino couldn't count how many blows he received for all he knew Miyagi wasn't stopping 'til he was knocked down. Miyagi wouldn't stop, he was going to kill him. At last, Koshino moved, he had enough. He pushed Miyagi aside with all his might that's left in him. He coughed a few drops of blood and said,

          "Let's settle this once and for all… you go and ask her, I'll wait here. But be ready, you wouldn't like what you are to hear…"

          Miyagi tried to restrain himself, he was breathing really fast, as though he had just finished 50 laps.

          "You aim too high, it's not that easy. If you think you'll have her that fast and early, no way, you're dreaming." Miyagi said roughly.

          "Then what is it you saw? Isn't that evidence? A sign? Tell me, have you been in that situation before? I don't tell you this out of pride, you can beat me right now and give me more blows, but you are the one who has to wake up." Koshino said nobly.

          "You have nothing, I can have those if I want to. Now tell me what chance do you stand? I've been here before you, what I saw is what she needs, it didn't matter if it came from you or from me." Miyagi said mockingly.

          "She's not like that, you know that, we both know that. You're looking for flaws to cover the truth but it's gonna come out, that I'm sure of. Do not speak ill of the one who is dear to you," answered Koshino weakly, knowing he was going to faint.

          "Darn you." Miyagi's lips curled bitterly. "I'm not gonna lose to you…she has been through a lot of this even before you met her. You're only too thick to come this far and that's all you've got…you are not but another year that passes her by, another cheeky admirer…another loser…" Miyagi said even more mockingly. Koshino couldn't answer so Miyagi continued, "Put this inside that thick skull of yours; in the end, she'll have me."

He turned to go, leaving Koshino lying helplessly with blood all over his shirt, he was coughing painfully. Miyagi stopped and turned around, he threw a handkerchief on Koshino's chest and went. On his way back to the gym, Miyagi saw Sakuragi, Mitsui, Yasuda and Ayako running towards his direction.

          "What happened?" Yasuda asked worriedly.

          "Are you okay?" Sakuragi asked.

Miyagi didn't answer, he pointed to the baseball field without looking at them.

The three boys ran towards the field but Ayako just stood there watching Miyagi walk away. "Ryota…" she whispered shakily. He heard this, he stopped for a second but continued walking. She was about to go to the field when she saw that the three were carrying Koshino. She covered her mouth when she saw the blood on his shirt. Mitsui was shaking his head. Yasuda was wiping the blood off his lips. Sakuragi was asking Koshino,

          "Why did you tell him? Why didn't you even stand out? We've warned you…"

But he received no answer; Koshino had already fainted. They took him to the gym.

When they arrived, Ryota was nowhere to be seen. They laid Koshino on the floor. When they saw him, Kirin covered his head, while Ron dropped the ball he was holding. They all went to see, but Luka spoke.

          "Everyone, please step aside he needs air."

          "Right. Rukawa, hand me the towels. Toki, get the first aid kit in the locker room. Kirin, water please." Ayako ordered impatiently as the three obeyed.

          "How could anyone do this?" Kakuta muttered under his breath.

          "Don't you think we should take him to the hospital?" Ron asked.

          "No need to panic, I'm sure he'll be fine, it's not that serious, Ayako can manage." Mitsui told him.

          Sakuragi was worrying about two things: Koshino's physical injuries and Miyagi's emotional pain, so he asked, "Where is Ryochin?"

No one wanted to answer, but Luka pointed to the shower room.

          "We think he's drowning himself." Rukawa said blankly. With this, Sakuragi ran to the shower room.

TBC

A/N: Reviews please