For some reason, I have a feeling that the last chapter was a very lame one. Gomen! I hope this chapter's a little better!
BTW, have you realised that I have not put up a Disclaimer for ALL of my new fics?? ALL seven of them?? How come nobody alerted me?? I could've been sued ten thousand times over!
Here we go: Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to me. And my grandmother originates from Mars.
Fiery-ice: Tell you what, why don't you write a side fic to Poor You Too where you're free to torture Ika and Suki?
Fer-chan: Why don't you make that 20 steps instead of 14? Should be more satisfying!! Ha ha!
Kathleen: yep! Am updating some more!
Kka: Have fun in Japan!
Unchained: sorry! Hope this one's long enough!
Silhouette panther: *nothingtodo takes a deep breath and tries to return the colour to her face after hearing Silhouette panther rant away in a language the authoress hasn't even heard of* Calm down! Calm down! *takes out a fire extinguisher* Whoo!
Tensaispira: I actually like picturing Rukawa mad – he still looks so good! Waaah! Have fun in the plane! Don't do anything crazy like bungee jumping out the window!
SLL: Continued!!!!
Jo-sen7: Yeah! Good! The last chapter affected you! I'm not a total failure after al!! Read on!
Tiran: Thank you!
Lazuli: Whom did you kill? *quickly checks if she herself it still alive*
Joy: Why would you kick Akima and Suki to Pluto? I don't mind you kicking Suki, but Akima? Why??
Patty g: Am continuing! Wow, you sure sound passionate in your review!!
Reika Zelon: I wish I knew what you were ranting about! I don't read Japanese and Spanish!!
Frozenfemale: *runs wildly from the evil grasp of frozenfemale* Save me!! -- heh heh. PMR? I took my PMR last year. It was fine : ) Just don't ask about my SPM next year. Or I'll kill you too! (PS: yep! Me proud Malaysian!)
Rap142: Funny, everyone seems to be dying from my cliffhangers. Relax! You'll survive. I believe in you. ^_^
Reiko: *giggles* The name is Akima, darling. But Asami's a nice name too! And no way am I leaving this fic behind! Don't worry! Daijobu!
Angel-leigh: Thank you!
Sen battaousai: *looks at Sen's humongous sword* erm, uh… a make-up scene? Um, well, uh, you see… um…. HELP! *runs off*
Kylie: Who did you think wrote Chains? Ha ha! *eyes narrow* Are you subtly trying to tell me that I'm CRUEL?? (PS: Me from Malaysia. And no, I've never seen IH competitions, except in the Slam Dunk manga)
Kanata-Miyu Cherryblossoms: WHAT a long name!!! Why don't you help me punish Ika and Suki, hmm?
Akira Sendoh/Hanashi released an explosive breath as the tape stopped and rewound itself. "I'm sorry to say this, Akima," he said apologetically at his stepsister whose head was buried in his lap. "But if I were Kaede, I'd have come up with the same conclusion too."
Akima kept quiet.
"For one thing," Akira continued, "it certainly doesn't look like a drama act. He was standing just a little too close to you and looking just a little too much at you. And there aren't any scripts around."
"They were on the table," Akima muttered weakly. "The tape did not include the view of the table."
"Exactly, the evidence of a play practice was smartly kept out. You were looking into each other's eyes – and being very convincing at that too – and you didn't exactly fight him off when he kissed you the first time."
Akima buried her head into a pillow. "I thought it was part of the act," she murmured lamely. "I know it sounds stupid, but I really did think so. He has to kiss quite a number of girls in the play. It was one of the steps that will lead to the girl's murder."
"And you smiled afterwards."
Akima opened her mouth, but Akira held a hand up. "I know, I know," he assured. "You don't have to explain. You didn't think it was serious, kind of like how I kiss you all the time."
Akima lifted her head, but said nothing.
Akira dutifully passed her a tissue.
"This is obviously planned," he said then, peering into the rapidly emptying tissue box and looking around for another one. "The cameraman conveniently left out the script from the shot, and started to record around the time that guy started to say flowery things to you. It stopped right at the second kiss and completely missed out the fight that issued afterwards."
"I didn't know I had enemies in Ryonan too," Akima sniffed.
"When I find out who's behind this, I'm going to stuff him or her into a locker and lock him or her there until they beg for mercy." Akira vowed, genuinely sincere. "Or maybe I'll think of something worse as we go along."
"It doesn't matter. I was stupid. I was so stupid."
Akira suppressed a sigh. At the dismal tone in Akima's voice, he really wanted to get his hands on the culprit and teach him or her a lesson or two. Or three. "I'm sure the one who matters will understand when you explain. He's not stupid."
"He told me to drown myself in the sea."
Akira's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" Then, in another tone, "Oh." He pulled out a fresh box of tissue. "That must've hurt a lot."
Akima crawled deeper into the couch. "More than you can imagine."
She had skipped her extra Maths class and took the bus to Shohoku High School. She had to get to Kaede before his grudge settled in firmly and explain the real situation to him. He probably wouldn't listen, and Akima won't blame him for that, but she will explain nonetheless.
It was pure torture just knowing he was furious with her– or worse, hurt by her.
"What are you doing here?" a strong voice demanded. Akima stopped dead at the entrance of the Shohoku gym and came face-to-face with the basketball manageress, Ayako.
"Oh, hello, Ayako," Akima tried to smile. "Have you seen Rukawa?"
Ayako's eyes turned frosty, much to Akima's surprise. "What do you want to do to him now?" Ayako asked testily. "Isn't cheating behind his back enough for you?"
Akima' jaw dropped open. "I never –" she stopped. Why bother? It was no use defending herself. When people had a certain perception about you, trying to change it is like trying to carve the mountain into a buffalo. She was sorely reminded of the time she was accused of stealing. "Never mind, Ayako. I really need to see him."
Ayako's paper fan emerged. "I don't think he wants to see you."
Akima closed her eyes and sighed. She was having enough trouble as it is. Won't people just step out of her way and go about their own business?? "That's okay," she said patiently. "He doesn't have to look at me. I just want to explain."
"About what a slut you are?"
Akima's lips thinned and she squared her shoulders. "You don't know anything about what I am, Ayako. I understand why you're acting like this, and personally, I don't blame you. If I had heard what you heard, and saw what you saw, I would probably ostracise myself too."
Ayako was intently studying her.
"But I know ," Akima continued, "that I didn't do anything wrong, and I stand by that. And I'll prove it if people will JUST give me the CHANCE to do so." She managed to resist swearing in Ayako's face.
Ayako looked as if she wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a shrill voice. "There you are," Ika waltzed up smugly, her friends scattered behind her. "Heard you were here. Have you come to beg?"
Akima decided things couldn't go worse. "This is none of your business," she muttered. "Even if I'm here to beg, it certainly won't be at your feet."
Ika merely smiled pleasantly. "I'm making it my business," she said.
Akima narrowed her eyes then as she scrutinised her nemesis. "It was you," she accused confidently. "You were the one who planned all this – did all this."
Ika pretended to be shocked, but then dropped the pretence as her need to provoke Akima won her over. "Well, I wouldn't say it was entirely my doing," she said modestly. "The tape thing was my feat, I admit. Sorry I stole your idea." She smirked. "It was such a fool-proof one."
Akima bunched her fist. Forget slapping, it was time to move a step further up the violence ladder. "I'll show you a better idea –"
Ika raised her shaped eyebrows. "Getting rowdy, Akima? Already forgetting your I'm-a-nice-girl-everybody-loves-me mask?" She turned to Ayako. "You see what I was saying, Ayako? She's not what she seems to be. If I had not caught that on tape, none of you would know the real person behind this face," she reached out to poke Akima's cheek. "I've always known she was fraud and a cheat." She grinned at Akima. "And a thief as well."
Akima's vision blanked for a moment in her overwhelming fury. "You know very well I did not –" She was in the middle of grabbing Ika's collar and delivering a mega-punch when Ayako firmly held her back.
"Don't start a scene, Akima," Ayako warned. "You're enough trouble as it is." She noticed Akima was trembling and couldn't help but soften a bit. Then she reminded herself what the girl had done and grew stern again. "I think you should go."
"I think so too," Ika informed brightly, studying her nails. "Most of the girls here have heard about this and they're out there to get your head. Next time, you might want to think twice about who you're hooking up with." With an insulting little twist of her head, she turned. "Rukawa can get dozens of girls like you with just a flick of the fingers."
"At least they're not bimbos like you."
Ika stopped and glared. "Get out of here. Go back to the stinking Ryonan High where you belong." Then, she quickly went away, face beet-red and hot, bringing her friends along with her.
Akima glared at Ika's back until the bane of her life stomped around a corner and disappeared from view. Breathing harshly, she closed her eyes as exhaustion caused from tension and depression besieged her. Lowering herself weakly on the ground, she rubbed her tired head with equally weary hands.
"Go home and rest," Ayako advised, more gently now, aware of the ordeal the girl had gone through and confused at who was right and who was wrong. "Now that news of your presence has spread over the school, I doubt Rukawa will show up."
Akima stayed a moment longer clutching at her head, and then heaved a sigh before pulling herself up. "I know you won't believe me," she said slowly, feeling the tears come and forcibly holding them back. She'd embarrassed herself enough. "But it's not what it seems like. Tell Rukawa that for me." She hastily wiped one tear that managed to escape her control. "He believed me once. Maybe he'll believe me now."
Ayako snorted. "I doubt it," then in a softer tone: "But I'll tell him."
"Thanks, Ayako," Akima said gratefully, a small hope blossoming somewhere near her heart. "It means a lot to me." She paused gently. "He means a lot to me." With one last look at the gym, she turned and walked aimlessly away, looking dangerously as if she was about to collapse any moment.
Ayako didn't say anything.
When she walked back into the gym, Rukawa was there, staring at the clean and shining floor. The look on his face told her he'd been there long enough.
Somehow, I get really emotional whenever I picture the last bit there with Rukawa. Waaargh! I've got a weak heart!
Hope you liked that! And hope it, um, removed some of your uh, barbaric thoughts at Ika and Suki!!