Count your blessings By shinichimakigal
Disclaimer: I do not own any Slam Dunk characters so dun bother suing coz I am broke.
Thanks to all my reviewers. Sorry for the long update!!!
Chapter 22: Takezono Game
(A/N: I am fast-forwarding to the Takezono game so please bear with me. Arigatou!)
"Aya! You here to support Kainan?" Akagi asked his team manager as he spotted her. Kogure smiled and greeted her warmly and Mitsui just grunted a greeting.
"Oh, hi! Hmmm. Kainan? Nah, there is a very good friend of mine in Takezono so I can't support neither," Aya replied.
"Friend? Who?" Kogure asked confused.
Aya just smiled. "That's for me to know and for you to find out," she said mysteriously as the 4 of them sat down on the benches.
"You have a friend? That's a surprise," Mitsui said meanly. Kogure gasped at his friend's cruel remark as they awaited Aya's response.
Aya did not seem shaken. Instead, she just turned to Mitsui with a smile on her face. "I have more friends than you will ever have in 10 lifetimes. Come to think about it, some of your friends are in fact mine too," she said calmly.
"Really? Who? Kogure and Akagi?" Mitsui challenged.
"Tetsuo," Aya replied simply.
"Tetsuo? How do you know Tetsuo?" Mitsui demanded, obviously embarrassed at losing the fight.
"Let's just say we go way back," Aya turned away from him and shifted her attention to the game just as it began.
(A/N: Dadada. sorry. I am fast-forwarding again!)
Pweet (okay, that was supposed to be the whistle)
"Referee time!"
Aya stood up from her seat, still staring at the injured Takezono ace. Kogure turned to Aya confused. He gently shook her hand.
"Aya? Daijoubu-ka?"
Aya shook her head out of her trance and smiled at her friend's boyfriend. "Yeah, I am fine," she ensured, sitting back down but continued staring intently at the court. After a while, a reassured look climbed onto her face as Sakuragi shook the sense back into Oda.
Mitsui watched Aya as she suddenly overcame with emotions. Apparently, Oda was the so-called friend she was talking about. But what was their relationship? Ex-boyfriend? If so, what's with her and younger guys? They are more attractive or something? He shook his head.
"Why should you care? You don't even like her!" his mind said.
"Or do you?" his heart taunted.
"Urusei!" Mitsui said out loud, making Aya and Kogure stare at him in confusion. Mitsui laughed, embarrassed, while scratching his head.
After the game was over, the four of them walked out of the gym and towards the exit. "Well, that was not surprising. Kainan was expected to win anyway," Akagi commented as Kogure agreed. Aya was just glancing around and a couple caught her eye. She excused herself and ran over to them.
"Isn't that Oda?" Kogure asked Mitsui. Mitsui nodded as the three of them watched Aya.
"Oda! Yoko!" Aya called as she neared the couple. The two of them turned and smiled at her.
Aya stood in front of Oda before raising her hand and bringing it down hard on his cheek. Oda stumbled back a little, surprised at the sudden pain that stung his cheek.
"Do you think you are so great? Making people worry about you? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. I'm so great that I don't need others, if you want to do something to hurt you, make sure you don't hurt others in the process," Aya scolded sternly.
Oda smiled a little. "Your slap still hurts a lot. Gomen Aya-san, I will never do anything to hurt anyone again," he said bowing in front of her.
Aya smiled softly as she reached up and ruffled his hair. "Of course, what am I going to tell Aunt if I don't take care of my little cousin," she teased as Oda protested that he was no longer little.
Aya then turned to Yoko and hugged her. "Take care of him. He is still a child," she said.
Yoko smiled. "Of course I will. You can count on me," she ensured. After exchanging a couple more words, Aya bade farewell to the loving couple and made her way back to awaiting trio.
"Ne, Aya. Why did you slap Oda?" Kogure asked carefully.
"He deserved it," Aya replied simply.
"So he was your ex-boyfriend, then?" Mitsui asked.
"No, he is my cousin. What is it to you anyway? Jealous?" Aya taunted.
"No, I wanted to know what you see in younger guys. That's all," Mitsui quickly said. But somewhere deep in his heart, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Aya was about to retort back when she felt someone pull her back by both of her hands. She fell into a familiar embrace that she missed for so long.
"You're under arrest for coming to a Kainan game and not saying hello to your best friend," a voice whispered in her ear. Aya wriggled out of his grasp and punched him lightly in the stomach.
"Maki!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
Maki broke away from the embrace, grinning widely. "You go to a different school and you forget all about your friends here," he scolded her as she hugged the rest of the basketball team.
Aya laughed. "Iie. I am not so bad. You of all people should know. I just don't have the time nowadays. But it is so good to see you again," she said hugging him again. Maki laughed as he hugged her back.
"Oh, hello Akagi, Kogure, Mitsui," Maki greeted Aya's companions after seeing them.
Akagi nodded. "It is nice to see you," he said as he shook Maki's hand.
"Oops. we have to get going now," Jin told his captain.
Maki looked at his watch and nodded. "Yeah. Here, Aya. I was going to give you this later but since I saw you, here. Ja!" he said tossing her a parcel before walking off.
"Bye, Aya-san!" Kiyota yelled as they waved good bye to their dear friend.
Aya smiled back before waving and turning her attention to the package. The four of them resumed their journey.
"You guys are really close, aren't you?" Kogure asked Aya.
Aya nodded. "Yup. In Kainan, the two basketball teams are incredibly close and Maki is like my best friend since year 1." She then took the note from the parcel.
"You are going to play for Kainan again if you want to accept the scholarship to Shizukawa, so you will be needing this," Mitsui read over her shoulders. His eyes widened as he registered the message.
"You got a basketball scholarship?" he exclaimed. Aya just sighed and nodded her head before pulling the package open. Inside laid her jersey of number 4 and a purple wristband. Aya smiled as she fingered the familiar material before holding it up in front of her to take a better look at it. Her mind became flooded with memories as she walked on mindlessly towards the basketball court.
"You going to practice?" Kogure asked her. Aya nodded her head. The three other guys put down their bags beside hers and joined her in the practice.
As they played, they noticed a burning spirit inside of her. After an hour or so, the 3 guys sat down on the court while Aya was still practicing.
"God, where does she get that stamina?" Mitsui wondered out loud.
"It has to be trained, Mitsui. Just see the way she moves, with so much ease. She has tons of experience," Akagi commented.
After a while, Aya sat down beside them, staring into space.
"What are you thinking about?" Kogure asked softly.
"Spring," she replied softly as she lay on the ground, staring at the sky. "And how lucky I am to be alive," she added.
"How come?" Kogure asked.
"Because last year, I met this 9 year old kid. He loved basketball so much. But he never did get to play it."
"Why not?" Akagi asked.
"He had cancer. He died last spring," Aya replied as she remembered the young child with his vibrant character and bright smile. "Honestly, if he was still here, I would have married that kid. He was the only non-family I loved," Aya laughed.
"A 9 year old kid? You got to be kidding," Mitsui snorted.
Aya rolled her eyes. "He at least was more matured than you," she said before grabbing her bag and leaving.
"Yeah, right," Mitsui snorted again.
"Mitsui, you are a player. You don't understand the meaning of love so please don't mock her," Kogure scolded before he and Akagi left.
"Great, now she's got my friends against me. What else?" Mitsui said to himself before he himself got up and headed back home.
God, I am so sorry about the long update. I went overseas to Bali. It is such a beautiful place. I can't imagine what kind of inhuman person would want to bomb such a place. Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Slam Dunk characters so dun bother suing coz I am broke.
Thanks to all my reviewers. Sorry for the long update!!!
Chapter 22: Takezono Game
(A/N: I am fast-forwarding to the Takezono game so please bear with me. Arigatou!)
"Aya! You here to support Kainan?" Akagi asked his team manager as he spotted her. Kogure smiled and greeted her warmly and Mitsui just grunted a greeting.
"Oh, hi! Hmmm. Kainan? Nah, there is a very good friend of mine in Takezono so I can't support neither," Aya replied.
"Friend? Who?" Kogure asked confused.
Aya just smiled. "That's for me to know and for you to find out," she said mysteriously as the 4 of them sat down on the benches.
"You have a friend? That's a surprise," Mitsui said meanly. Kogure gasped at his friend's cruel remark as they awaited Aya's response.
Aya did not seem shaken. Instead, she just turned to Mitsui with a smile on her face. "I have more friends than you will ever have in 10 lifetimes. Come to think about it, some of your friends are in fact mine too," she said calmly.
"Really? Who? Kogure and Akagi?" Mitsui challenged.
"Tetsuo," Aya replied simply.
"Tetsuo? How do you know Tetsuo?" Mitsui demanded, obviously embarrassed at losing the fight.
"Let's just say we go way back," Aya turned away from him and shifted her attention to the game just as it began.
(A/N: Dadada. sorry. I am fast-forwarding again!)
Pweet (okay, that was supposed to be the whistle)
"Referee time!"
Aya stood up from her seat, still staring at the injured Takezono ace. Kogure turned to Aya confused. He gently shook her hand.
"Aya? Daijoubu-ka?"
Aya shook her head out of her trance and smiled at her friend's boyfriend. "Yeah, I am fine," she ensured, sitting back down but continued staring intently at the court. After a while, a reassured look climbed onto her face as Sakuragi shook the sense back into Oda.
Mitsui watched Aya as she suddenly overcame with emotions. Apparently, Oda was the so-called friend she was talking about. But what was their relationship? Ex-boyfriend? If so, what's with her and younger guys? They are more attractive or something? He shook his head.
"Why should you care? You don't even like her!" his mind said.
"Or do you?" his heart taunted.
"Urusei!" Mitsui said out loud, making Aya and Kogure stare at him in confusion. Mitsui laughed, embarrassed, while scratching his head.
After the game was over, the four of them walked out of the gym and towards the exit. "Well, that was not surprising. Kainan was expected to win anyway," Akagi commented as Kogure agreed. Aya was just glancing around and a couple caught her eye. She excused herself and ran over to them.
"Isn't that Oda?" Kogure asked Mitsui. Mitsui nodded as the three of them watched Aya.
"Oda! Yoko!" Aya called as she neared the couple. The two of them turned and smiled at her.
Aya stood in front of Oda before raising her hand and bringing it down hard on his cheek. Oda stumbled back a little, surprised at the sudden pain that stung his cheek.
"Do you think you are so great? Making people worry about you? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. I'm so great that I don't need others, if you want to do something to hurt you, make sure you don't hurt others in the process," Aya scolded sternly.
Oda smiled a little. "Your slap still hurts a lot. Gomen Aya-san, I will never do anything to hurt anyone again," he said bowing in front of her.
Aya smiled softly as she reached up and ruffled his hair. "Of course, what am I going to tell Aunt if I don't take care of my little cousin," she teased as Oda protested that he was no longer little.
Aya then turned to Yoko and hugged her. "Take care of him. He is still a child," she said.
Yoko smiled. "Of course I will. You can count on me," she ensured. After exchanging a couple more words, Aya bade farewell to the loving couple and made her way back to awaiting trio.
"Ne, Aya. Why did you slap Oda?" Kogure asked carefully.
"He deserved it," Aya replied simply.
"So he was your ex-boyfriend, then?" Mitsui asked.
"No, he is my cousin. What is it to you anyway? Jealous?" Aya taunted.
"No, I wanted to know what you see in younger guys. That's all," Mitsui quickly said. But somewhere deep in his heart, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Aya was about to retort back when she felt someone pull her back by both of her hands. She fell into a familiar embrace that she missed for so long.
"You're under arrest for coming to a Kainan game and not saying hello to your best friend," a voice whispered in her ear. Aya wriggled out of his grasp and punched him lightly in the stomach.
"Maki!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
Maki broke away from the embrace, grinning widely. "You go to a different school and you forget all about your friends here," he scolded her as she hugged the rest of the basketball team.
Aya laughed. "Iie. I am not so bad. You of all people should know. I just don't have the time nowadays. But it is so good to see you again," she said hugging him again. Maki laughed as he hugged her back.
"Oh, hello Akagi, Kogure, Mitsui," Maki greeted Aya's companions after seeing them.
Akagi nodded. "It is nice to see you," he said as he shook Maki's hand.
"Oops. we have to get going now," Jin told his captain.
Maki looked at his watch and nodded. "Yeah. Here, Aya. I was going to give you this later but since I saw you, here. Ja!" he said tossing her a parcel before walking off.
"Bye, Aya-san!" Kiyota yelled as they waved good bye to their dear friend.
Aya smiled back before waving and turning her attention to the package. The four of them resumed their journey.
"You guys are really close, aren't you?" Kogure asked Aya.
Aya nodded. "Yup. In Kainan, the two basketball teams are incredibly close and Maki is like my best friend since year 1." She then took the note from the parcel.
"You are going to play for Kainan again if you want to accept the scholarship to Shizukawa, so you will be needing this," Mitsui read over her shoulders. His eyes widened as he registered the message.
"You got a basketball scholarship?" he exclaimed. Aya just sighed and nodded her head before pulling the package open. Inside laid her jersey of number 4 and a purple wristband. Aya smiled as she fingered the familiar material before holding it up in front of her to take a better look at it. Her mind became flooded with memories as she walked on mindlessly towards the basketball court.
"You going to practice?" Kogure asked her. Aya nodded her head. The three other guys put down their bags beside hers and joined her in the practice.
As they played, they noticed a burning spirit inside of her. After an hour or so, the 3 guys sat down on the court while Aya was still practicing.
"God, where does she get that stamina?" Mitsui wondered out loud.
"It has to be trained, Mitsui. Just see the way she moves, with so much ease. She has tons of experience," Akagi commented.
After a while, Aya sat down beside them, staring into space.
"What are you thinking about?" Kogure asked softly.
"Spring," she replied softly as she lay on the ground, staring at the sky. "And how lucky I am to be alive," she added.
"How come?" Kogure asked.
"Because last year, I met this 9 year old kid. He loved basketball so much. But he never did get to play it."
"Why not?" Akagi asked.
"He had cancer. He died last spring," Aya replied as she remembered the young child with his vibrant character and bright smile. "Honestly, if he was still here, I would have married that kid. He was the only non-family I loved," Aya laughed.
"A 9 year old kid? You got to be kidding," Mitsui snorted.
Aya rolled her eyes. "He at least was more matured than you," she said before grabbing her bag and leaving.
"Yeah, right," Mitsui snorted again.
"Mitsui, you are a player. You don't understand the meaning of love so please don't mock her," Kogure scolded before he and Akagi left.
"Great, now she's got my friends against me. What else?" Mitsui said to himself before he himself got up and headed back home.
God, I am so sorry about the long update. I went overseas to Bali. It is such a beautiful place. I can't imagine what kind of inhuman person would want to bomb such a place. Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!