Disclaimer: We do not own the SD boys but we sure as hell want to own Akira

        Sendoh drool We also do not own the songs featured in this fic.

Title:  Kanagawa Blues

PART 19: NOT THE ONE

            Hiroaki was having dinner with his family when his father asked, "So, Hiroaki, any luck with this girl you told us about?" Waki choked as Hiroaki tugged his sleeve out of his father's notice.

            "I've asked her out, but only once. She seemed to be okay with me and that…but I haven't asked her to be, er, you know." Hiroaki answered

            "Well, don't go too fast, son."

            "Yeah, I know." They continued eating, Hiroaki gave Waki a warning look as he busied himself with his food.

            After eating, Hiroaki went straight to his bedroom and picked up the phone. He dialed Ayako's number.

            "Hello? May I speak with Ayako?" he asked though he knew it was her who answered the phone.

            "Ah, this Ayako speaking."

            "Ayako, well, I was, er…I dunno how to say this but, we need to talk, you know that. And I don't think we can talk about it at practice due to…"

            "I know. I was thinking about calling you," she said

            "Well, what happened between Miyagi and me I did not expect, I didn't mean to be so fast but I hope you understand. I didn't intend to hurt him or you but I just told him what was between us, that was all I got to tell him and nothing else. Please don't be mad at me, that's all I ask. I was wrong for telling him what was happening between us," Koshino said all this naturally.

            "It's okay, I mean, It's really nice of you for not fighting back and…what was happening between us, you alone are not responsible," shge answered

            "Ayako…don't turn me down. I'm not gonna ask anything of you as long as necessary, maybe when school starts I can…you know ask you out again or when everything is better." Koshino said

            "That'd be fine with me. I hope Ryota and you could get along but, well at least now, it's better. Hey, I have to go now…"

            "Ah, okay. I'll see you in practice." They hung up.

            He looked at his watch and thought, Ey, I'll check out the movies. He grabbed his cap and went to the movies with his hands in his pockets. He decided that he should watch The Count of Monte Cristo. He chose the first box in cinema 10 where he and Sendoh used to watch. Not far from where he sat he noticed two boys sitting nearby, they seemed to be too busy talking with each other to notice other people around. He caught a glimpse of them; the other boy was wearing a pair of glasses while the other one in maroon shirt looked familiar. Koshino didn't bother finding out who they were. He just sat there looking at them though his mind was wandering off somewhere. He watched until the two left their seats and walked out of the cinema, hand in hand and laughing to themselves. He remembered the days when he was with Sendoh; it was so much like this scene.

Those days were happy… Darn, Hiroaki, what the hell are you thinking!? Why don't you just watch the film? He thought as he focused himself to the film. He watched 'til the film ended, he didn't like it. It was different from the novel he had read. It's not supposed to have a good ending. Whatever. I've had enough of heart breaking shit lately.

When he walked out of the cinema, he saw the two boys saying their good-byes to each other, the boy who was wearing glasses kissed the other boy on the cheek. Koshino didn't like that scene, not the idea of it but the loneliness it brought upon him. Many thoughts entered his mind before he realized that he knew who the boy with glasses was, Isn't he that boy who fired a three-pointer during the last minute of Ryonan's game versus Shohoku last season?

He watched as the boy went inside a cab and said goodbye to the other boy again. No, I must've been imagining things. Koshino thought. Just then, the boy in maroon shirt turned around, his jaw dropped for his eyes were not deceiving him. It was Mitsui.

Can it be? They were teammates before, but that's not what you call a friendly kiss, but Mitsui, he's very manly and handsome and straight… or I thought he was. Koshino's mind was raving; he had been spying on his teammate. Before Mitsui could spot him, he turned around and headed straight to the ice cream store still thinking about what he had just saw. I need to cool off. If Mitsui finds out I saw everything…can it be that he's gay?  He ordered eight scoops of ice cream though he could only finish one.

            "You think you can finish that?" asked the cashier who was looking at him, utterly perplexed.

            "Yeah, sure" He answered as he paid.

            He was walking with his head down, his ice cream melting. He couldn't clear his mind, then he bumped into a tall guy,

            "Hey, watch it." said a deep voice, Koshino looked up and saw that the guy was wearing a maroon shirt. It was Mitsui and he was smiling at him. Before Koshino could speak, "What are you doing here, Kosh? And I didn't know you eat too much." Mitsui said pointing at his melting ice cream, its colors were all mixed up for he ordered 8 different flavors.

            "Ah, this? I, er, I just wanted to try it out and-"

            "Well I have just been to get ice cream, would you come with me?"

            Koshino hesitated but said, "Sure"

            "So, I suppose you didn't come here just to get ice cream, did you see the movies?" Mitsui asked as they headed to the store.

            "No, I was just, well, hanging around and I was planning to watch, er, The Count of Monte Cristo, yeah that's it. But I've changed my mind, you see I don't think it's cool." Koshino lied, he didn't want to tell Mitsui that he saw him with his boyfriend.

            "Oh, yeah, I've just watched it and it was, well, it was okay." Mitsui said as Koshino nodded.

            "Er, you think so? I saw you with-I mean-I already saw the trailer and I think they altered a lot of   scenes and were you watching because I thought you were just flirting-I mean-it was really boring I suppose-"

            "Hiroaki what are you saying? Are you ok? I didn't get a word you said."

Mitsui asked him looking puzzled. Luckily he didn't hear what Koshino was babbling about for he was ordering his ice cream at the moment.

"Oh, nothing I was just glad to see someone who's also gay-I mean-someone like me who's, you know, wandering off this place alone…" Koshino said nervously.  This time, Mitsui didn't miss it.

            "You saw me, didn't you?"

            "Yes-no-I mean-of course I did-not-"

            "You were in the movies weren't you and you saw-"

            "I wasn't spying, ok. I just wanted to go to the movies cos I miss Akira-chan-I mean-I want to be alone…"

            "I understand, wanna walk along the beach?" Mitsui asked calmly.

Koshino was silent for he remembered the days when he and Sendoh had fun walking by the seashore at noon.

            "Sure, no problem."

            The two went to the beach and Koshino told Mitsui about him and Sendoh. Mitsui didn't seem to be surprised by this, he just looked across the beach and then told Koshino what was between him and Kogure.

            "I know it's not normal, but people just get lonely at times and they need someone, a special someone. If you still have this feeling for him then what about Ayako? I mean she seems to like you back, do you still…" Mitsui said

            "I don't know, Akira is different, I can't describe, but for now I don't know what I feel for Ayako, she seems special but I can't-"

            "You can't let go of Sendoh." Mitsui helped. Koshino nodded as Mitsui continued, "It happens, you don't know what you like. But look at me, we're happy, I mean Kiminobu and I. Sometimes we get lonely and it seems that girls are the only ones who could fill the void. But what if suddenly we learn that it doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy? Maybe that's your case, and as of mine…I learned that what I needed was a male and it just feels right to have him by my side."

            "Maybe. I couldn't just throw it all away. But Mitsui, how could you stand being scorned by others for what you are? How come you know it's wrong and still go on with it?" Koshino asked the older boy.

            "If you're satisfied with that, you could bear anything. I don't know, I once had a girlfriend and we got along very well though I didn't feel the same way, that was when I realized I had to let go. It wasn't the same as having Kiminobu around. If you really like Ayako as well, maybe it's different from mine. You have to know who matters more to you. You can't have two at a time. You don't call it a relationship, it's cheating." Mitsui told him as the last word rang in Koshino's head.

            "Wow, you seem to know a lot. Thanks for helping me. I mean I've never been so confused. But Mitsui, does anyone else know anything about this? Ron for instance?"

            "That, I forbid you to tell, he will know at the right time, but for now I do not regret telling you about it." He smiled when he said this. "Listen, I have to go now. You think about what I've told you, okay."

            "Yeah, thanks a lot." They parted and Koshino's heart lightened a bit.

TBC

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