Sakuragi felt something soft beneath his cheek as he regained his conciousness. The air feels different, it felt more fresh, clean and light. This place can't be the gymnasium, Sakuragi Hanamichi could already feel it even without opening his eyes. Then, where on earth could he be and why is he there?

"Oi... Are you awake yet?" It was a familiar voice whom he heard regularly each day. Still in his mind he can't figure it out who the person might be.

Seeing that Sakuragi was struggling to get up and open his drowsy lids, Rukawa, who had been there waiting for him all along, get off his chair and approached him to see whether everything is alright. "Oi... Daijoubu ka?"

When his eyes were fully opened, Sakuragi almost jumped back in surprise. ".... R-rukawa Kaede?!"

"...Why so surprised, Aho?"

"What brings you here?! What's this place anyway?!?!" He pulled back a few inches back.

" This is the health center, Do'aho... What brings me here? You, idiot. You fainted in the middle of the practice. Ayako-sempai and Miyagi-captain are furious about you," Rukawa took a pause to inhale his breath. He then lifted his hands and rested it upon Sakuragi's forehead. "Do you got fever?" And then he compares it to his own temperature. "No you don't."

"Snap it out!" Automatically his hands flew in the air and smacked Rukawa's masculine hands off his head. "I don't want you touching my face…"

Rukawa paid no attention to his grunts and then turned his back upon him and walked towards the exit of the room. On the other hand, the red-head sophomore was startled. Rukawa acts strange today. At first he dared to touch Sakuragi's forehead and acts as if he hadn't have quarrels with each other. Secondly he hadn't been retorting back his scorns. What's up in his head?

"Matte yo, Kitsune Otoko… Where are you going?"

"Outside."

And with that answer Sakuragi Hanamichi remained silent inside, waiting patiently for Rukawa to come back.

Meanwhile, Rukawa left the room. Outside, Sakuragi's mom, Mifuyu, had been waiting still and listening to their conversation inside. Now Rukawa's worries over Hanamichi had grown more than before. He is deeply concerned about that redhead now, and his feelings of hatred and sentiment had deceased and fade away from his mind.

"Aa… Rukawa-kun, is Hanamichi alright?" She asked with trembling voice, her intonations filled with qualms.

Rukawa Kaede leaned his back against the wall and then placed his hands inside his pocket and shrugged. "That Aho, he sounds healthy and okay…"

She immediately sighed in relief, letting go of her fears and anxiety inside. She then clasped her tiny palms and clamped before her chest. "I'm glad he is… I know Hanamichi is a strong boy…"

"Demo you can't keep on hiding from him like that… He'll suffer more sooner or later…" Rukawa quickly added. He is right about one thing. Sakuragi Hanamichi, he's suffering of a serious health problem. She can't just possibly leave him behind and kept watching him from a distance without telling him. Sooner or later he'll die, even though his body is made of steel.

"I can't…"

There were silence between the two of them. Finally Rukawa broke the stillness. "That Do'aho is dying to see his mother, don't you know?" He explained simply with an expressionless face and dull voice.

She lifted her head in surprise and looked at him with round honey eyes. "Sou ka…? Then if I meet him he wouldn't be mad at me?"

He didn't have an answer to that, though. It's all depending on Sakuragi's thought which he can't read. "Think about it…" Rukawa turned his back against her and walked on. 'Well, at least I do… Even though she had beaten me up a few times I still wanted to see her so bad…'

Mifuyu smiled as she watched the tall lad re-enter the ward. "Arigatou, Rukawa-kun…" She whispered to herself quietly.

When he stepped back into the ward, Sakuragi's still sitting up straight, waiting for him to return. At last he came and Sakuragi parted his lips to speak. "Oi, Kitsune! Where have you been?"

"Outside… I'm sick of the air inside, it feels so damp, especially when there's you."

"TEME, Rukawa!!!!!"

"Let's go back, Ayako-sempai and Miyagi-captain are waiting, I suppose…"

Sakuragi tossed the white plain blanket to his feet and jumped off the bed. He grabbed his pair of red and black Jordan shoes and put it back on to his socks-covered feet. "Fine with me…" He bent down to tie his shoelace before he exits the room with his competitor. "Wait up, will ya!"

"Don't keep me waiting," Rukawa crossed his arms, "I have too much valuable things better to do than hangin' around with you, Do'aho…"

***

"Sakuragi Hanamichi! Are you feeling alright?" Ayako closen up the distance between them and placed her feminine hand upon his head. She had to stand on the tips of her toe, though, because she had this huge gap of height. "Did you get a fever? Oh no, you don't…"

"Maa… Glad you're back, Hanamichi. Are you sure you're alright?" Miyagi reassured him.

Sakuragi Hanamichi bursted out into his maniac laughter. "Of course!!! I'm a tensai and a tensai's not that weak! Come on, let's run another hundred miles and I will survive!" He confirmed the captain with full confidence in his voice.

"Well, if you feel anything fishy, just tell me. Quit pushing yourself too hard, alright, Hanamichi?"

"Roger that, Ryochin!" He grinned wide and scratched his head.

"Well, Sakuragi Hanamichi… You better thank Rukawa. He has to do all the hard work to carry you from here to the health center!" Ayako hit his back and chuckled lightly. Rukawa was still outside the gym door, looking around. He's searching for Mifuyu, perhaps. She was nowhere in sight, though. She had left, perhaps.

"That Kitsune! Hmph! No need! I bet he's dragging me all the way from here to that clinic! No wonder my precious shirt is filled with dirt!" He retorded loudly on purpose, wanting Rukawa to hear him.

"That's not true, Sakuragi… He carried you in his arms all the way."

"Are…?"

"That's right, Do'aho, and you're heavy too… Be sure to be grateful to me…" Rukawa was now around them, joining the conversation. "And you're stinky… Get yourself a body spray or something, will ya?!"

"Teme, Rukawa!!!!! I'll beat you up for sure!!"

"Try me…" Insulted Rukawa calmly.

"Maa maa…" Haruko cut in between the two. "Sakuragi-kun, let's leave fights behind for now, alright. Now let's just focus ond three-point shooting, okay Sakuragi-kun? I'll help you!" She offered enthusiastically.

"Haruko-san!" Sakuragi felt happy, he felt that he was flowing in the air with pink hearts surrounding him. She's so nice, she haven't met someone who's calmer and more beautiful than her. She's like an angel to him, an angel in disguise.

***

Miyagi stopped dribbling as he looked at the wall clock. The watch's telling him that it's half pass 6 pm in the evening and it's time for everybody to go home. The sky's getting darker, so it means that he should be walking Ayako home even though their house are on different ways. "Alright minna, I think we had enough. Good job everybody, you're dismissed for now."

They all chanted in relief. Rukawa and Sakuragi walked into the washing room. "Quit following me, Kitsune!!"

"Chi… Who's following an idiot like you, Do'aho?" He sneered coldly as he took off his favorite violet Nike shirt. With full efforts, he squeezed out his sweat off his shirt.

"I'm leaving… I had enough of your sickening face." He slid his hands inside his shorts and then took a few steps forward to leave the washing room and Rukawa. But when his feet just about to hit the surface of the gymnasium, he felt piercing pain in his muscle and his heart. "Na…nanda… kore?!" His lips winced and twisted in pain.

Rukawa turned his head and noticed that Sakuragi's in aching. "Oi, Do'aho, Daijoubu ka?" He asked in no interest. Sakuragi can't reply. His pain had overwhelmed himself and he can barely make a sound or move a bit. He at least tried to remain standing, though, but his muscle won't hold on any longer. Soon after that Hanamichi collapsed to the floor. "Sakuragi!!"

"Itt..ai…" His voice was barely audible. Rukawa knelt beside him and quickly wiped the cold sweats from his face with his bare hands. "Kit…sune… Itai…"

"Hang on…!" Rukawa scrammed into the gymnasium. Nobody was there. It was vacant. It'll be too risky to leave Hanamichi like that inside while he ran all the way to the locker room. So he chose to return into the washing room and accompany Sakuragi. "Can you move?"

Sakuragi tried to move his hands. "I… I don't think… so…"

In panic, Rukawa's voice were risen to the top of his pitch. "If I leave you for a while to find Captain, will you be alright?!"

"I… don't know…"

He looked around again, hoping for someone, anybody, to enter the gym so that he could ask for help. There was nobody though, and there was only quiet and stillness between the two. "…What's wrong with you?!" He asked demandingly.

"I … don't know!!" He countered in a low, husky voice.

"Come with me… I'll help you…" Rukawa helped Sakuragi and slid his arms around his neck. He helped him to stand up and carry him out of the gym. He was being extra careful, though, afraid that he would hurt Sakuragi more. Cautiously they exit the gym and walked into the entrance of Shohoku high, waiting for someone who'll pass their way. They waited for a quite a long time without finding anybody in sight, finally, Miyagi, the captain, was walking hand in hands in from the edge of their eyesight. "Captain! Ayako- sempai!"

"Are…? Aren't those two Rukawa and Sakuragi?"

"Honey, you must be tired. Hanamichi can't possibly be clingin' like that to Rukawa. If he did the world must be out of it's rotation axis—AAAAAck! I think it did!!" There was a sudden change in Miyagi's facial expression.

"There must be something wrong!" Ayako let go of her lover's hand and rushed forward. She was worried about this thing, and she knew that it would happen sooner or later. Lately Sakuragi Hanamichi often wears himself out earlier than he used to be. It is as if his strength were decreasing rapidly.

Miyagi stared at his hand with a tear flowing down his cheek. "Aya-chan…" and then he scurried to catch up with Ayako. "Rukawa! Is Hanamichi alright?!"

"I believe not, Captain… He's… There's something wrong with him…" Rukawa tried to hide his dread by acting cool but yet his voice were still quivering.

Ayako took off her jacket and placed it around Sakuragi's shoulder to keep him warm for a while. "We should take him to the doctor…"

"It's a long way from here. We at least need a car or a taxi to get there."

"Sempai, Captain," Rukawa started. Both pairs of their eyes turned towards Rukawa. "Help me to carry him to my house. From there we'll can call a doctor."

"But… But your house? Won't it be too far?" Miyagi questioned him as his heart were running in the speed of light.

"Iya, Captain… It's just 3 blocks away from here," explained Rukawa simply, "Ayako-sempai can use my bike and Captain could help me with him."

"Roger that."

"Let's just go as soon as possible. Wait up, I'll lock the gymnasium first."

"What about Sakuragi's belongings?"

"We can fetch it later. His life is way more important than that."



a.n : guess who said the last sentence? Yeaaa rukawa! He's unexpectedly being so caring about hanamichi aren't he? Hehehe… Reviewz are accepted!

Thankz, L.I.D, Yuuki, F5C, E.C, celestial_sakura, Liez, Kanon*Altrui, and Kogure-sempai! Without y'all without yer supports I won't be able to make it this far ^__^