Title: Stalker

Author: Wowie

Status: 11/12

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Humor/Mystery

Archive: Ask permission first.

Previously: Sendoh catches Rukawa in the act while Youhei and the others try to catch up.

Warnings: Shounen-ai (Boy X Boy Love) and some mild swearing.

Author's Note: Is it really Rukawa? Read-on to find out... grin

Standard Disclaimers Apply

...

Strike 11: Trapped!

"Nyahahahahahahahahaha!!!! The genius won yet again!!!!" Hanamichi continued to laugh so loud that he was starting to gain others' attentions... including the arcade's authorities.

"Aw, Hanamichi! Be quiet! Missy's not here to cover up for us!" Noma hissed while looking cautiously at the side of the arcade where the manager was.

"Hey hey, Chu!! Don't be such a kill joy!" the redhead slung his arms over the mustached man while Takamiya inserted more coins into the pinball machine.

"Yeah, Noma!!" Takamiya interjected. "We're here to have fun! You're just acting like that because you haven't won at all tonight! Wahahaha!"

"Nyahahahahahaha!!!"

"Shut up!" Noma grunted. And then Hanamichi suddenly removed his arm over Noma's shoulder and started looking around.

"Speaking of which, where did Missy, Youhei and Yuji gone to?"

The two immediately panicked as they struggled to think of a good alibi to give the redhead. But before they could muster one, Hanamichi immediately went back to the pinball machine. "Bah! Never mind! It's a rare opportunity to crash here so better not waste more precious time!! Nyahahaha!!!"

Both Noma and Takamiya heaved a sigh of relief.

.....

Sendoh was deep in thought while he let his feet drag him to a familiar path that leads to the Sakuragi residence. Based from what Hikoichi told him earlier, he couldn't think of any other person who could do those things but Rukawa Kaede. Sendoh knew well enough that those glares and obvious antagonism the guy always directed on him weren't only about the sport their both playing into, but also sort of a warning to stay away from his property. At first he couldn't grasp why Rukawa was so dead set against him, until this morning when they had that practice game when he finally witnessed the apparent protectiveness of the said boy to a certain naïve, but quite attractive redhead.

Sendoh noticed that he was already in front of the Sakuragi residence and so he stopped for a while because he was beginning to have second thoughts on whether he should continue or not. So maybe he was sure that Rukawa indeed has his eyes set on Sakuragi, but still, it wasn't enough for him to assume that Rukawa was really the stalker. He suddenly felt guilty for thinking that way. Come to think of it, he too had been watching the redhead secretly. He even goes to Sakuragi's house whenever chance may get him, though he made sure that he was never seen. Wasn't it also attributed to stalking?

He sighed started to think that maybe it was really not such a good idea to tell Sakuragi his hunch because it also meant that he too have to be honest and admit his secret visits.

He was about to turn around again when he heard someone walking towards his direction. He immediately tried to find a hiding place and found that the lamppost was thick enough for him to hide behind. It wasn't lighted yet so there's a big possibility that he wouldn't be seen there.

A few moments later, he was surprised to see that the person was none other than his suspect, Rukawa. Rukawa, on the other hand, stopped in front of the gate and looked as if he was also hesitating to go in. Sendoh smiled wryly. Now he has no doubts that Rukawa was indeed the one who was behind all of it.

Sendoh came out to the open. He leaned casually on the lamppost and crossed his arms over his chest, but it appears that Rukawa still didn't notice him. When the boy made a move to go inside the gate, Sendoh spoke up.

"Just as I thought. You really are a determined person right?"

Rukawa froze at the sound of somebody else's voice and slowly turned around only to be greeted by a grinning Sendoh Akira. He saw him straightened up and proceeded approaching him.

"I know how much you like Hanamichi. But I didn't know you would stoop this low just to get his attention... Rukawa..." Sendoh said grimly and stopped just in front of the stoic basketball player with a look of challenge in his azure eyes.

Rukawa sighed, "Idiot."

"You can't keep it a secret any more because I'll make sure Hanamichi knows about it tonight," Sendoh said with determination.

"What are you talking about?" Rukawa frowned.

"Ha! And you still have the audacity to deny it eh?" Sendoh chuckled. He couldn't believe that the guy could still act calm despite the fact that he was already caught in the act.

Rukawa raised one brow. Honestly, he didn't know what the chuckling idiot was talking about. He only came here on one purpose only, and he didn't know what Sendoh meant by him 'keeping a secret'.

"Oh come on, Rukawa! You're the one who's been sending gifts to Hanamichi secretly right?"

With that statement, it dawned to Rukawa what Sendoh meant. But he just smirked. "How about you, Sendoh? How did you know about this place?"

Sendoh was taken aback. "I— well from Hikoichi, who else?"

Rukawa raised his brow, "You couldn't possibly know the directions if you've just been here for the first time..."

Sendoh's eyes widened for a while, but then a sly grin curved his lips. "I know what you're planning. You're purposely trying to bait me so that Hanamichi will have a reason not to trust my words. Okay, so I admit that sometimes, I do go here and watch him. But I was never bold to even try to reveal myself as a secret admirer because I know it would really scare him. The only person I know of who could do that is you."

"Believe what you want to believe," he said then turned around to leave, but left frozen on his tracks when he saw two of Sakuragi's friends, Mito and the blonde guy, with Mitsui and the nosy git from Ryonan.

Sendoh was also surprised at the sight of them but immediately snapped out of it and walked towards them. "Well, you're all just in time because Rukawa here was just about to do another one of his tricks."

"Unbelievable!!" Hikoichi gasped, "But I thought— mmf!" Ookusu covered Hikoichi's mouth before he could say anything anymore.

Mitsui shook his head, "Of all people, I never thought it could be you Rukawa. So I guess those insults you always throw at Sakuragi were just a way to get his attention... Who could have ever thought that the ice boy was actually in love with a fool like Sakuragi Hanamichi?"

"Hey, that's unfair Mitsui-kun. Hanamichi is not really an idiot, he's just naïve that's all," Sendoh said in defense of the redhead. Mitsui laughed at this.

"Don't tell me you too Sendoh?" and continued to laugh. "Man, he might not be popular with girls, but he sure is with boys."

"That's right, sempai. He really is popular with boys. Imagine, who could have ever thought that an ex-gangster like you would fall in love with the idiot and would even result to stalking him?"

Mitsui's laughter was cut short and stared dumbfounded at Rukawa whose fox-like eyes were fixed intently on him. Sendoh, however, was looking to and fro the two of them until he heard Ookusu laughed and pushed Hikoichi away so that he could restrain himself from falling on the floor.

"That was quite a long sentence from you Rukawa! I never thought you had it in you!" Youhei commented chuckling. Hikoichi, on the other hand, tried to fix himself after being pushed and then took out his notebook.

"This is unbelievable!! Really unbelievable!!!"

"W-w-wait!!! What are you talking about?!" Mitsui recovered from his surprise and immediately took Rukawa's collar, "What?! Are you saying I'm also gay?"

"Yeah," was Rukawa's flat reply.

"Why you—"

Mitsui was about to punch Rukawa when Mito suddenly said, "You don't have to deny it, Mitsui. Kogure told us he saw you stole Hanamichi's jersey..." [1]

"Wh-what?" Mitsui stammered. Rukawa looked quite satisfied but it immediately disappeared with Mito's next words.

"You're not an exception, Rukawa. Kogure also saw you break through the locker room with the bouquet of roses, though we didn't need that affirmation because you were quite obvious after Hanamichi gave them to Haruko." Youhei then turned to Sendoh, "We heard your confession to Rukawa, so we'll have to include you too."

"Unbelievable! This is the most unbelievable thing in the entire world!!" Hikoichi opened his notebook to write something on it.

Mitsui glared at Mito, "I see... So you brought me here to lure me into your trap..."

Youhei exchanged looks with Ookusu and they both grinned. Then Youhei turned his attention back to the culprits. "Well, it's not exactly a trap because we wouldn't be going here if Hikoichi here didn't mess things up by telling Sendoh." Youhei directed his look to Hikoichi who started bowing repeatedly.

"Forgive me! I didn't mean to! Forgive me! I wasn't able to help you with my data and then I just had to blow your cover! Forgive me!" Hikoichi said frantically while still bowing.

"Stop that, you look stupid! Besides, you've just made things pretty easy for us," Ookusu smirked.

Hikoichi stopped. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Are you really sure?"

"Yeah."

"Are you really, really sure?" [2]

"Shut up! Annoying twerp!" Ookusu bashed Hikoichi's head.

"Ouch!" Hikoichi cried and went to his sempai's side. "Sendoh-sempai! He hit me on the head!"

Sendoh sighed and ignored the boy. He looked at Mito, "So what now?" Along with this, Mitsui and Rukawa waited for Mito's answer.

"Oh well, we're gonna have a little chat, that's all." Youhei smiled mischievously.

...

Noma glanced at his watch. It was already 8:30 but Youhei and the others weren't back yet. They're running out of distractions for the redhead and if that happens, they won't be able to detain him any longer. They couldn't afford that because they know how determined the redhead could be once he set his mind into something, which most of the time leads him to trouble. Though this night, it would most certainly lead them to trouble.

His train of thoughts was distracted when he heard the redhead's voice snapping at somebody, like he was in some sort of an argument. He then felt Takamiya frantically shaking him.

"Oi! We have to do something! Hanamichi is arguing with the Pachinko Parlor manager!"

Noma's eyes widened. "What?!" His eyes flew to the redhead who was now in the act of giving a head-butt to the manager. He and Takamiya immediately went to restrain him, and a good thing that they managed to do that on time or else Mitsui would be grilling them tomorrow.

"Why you!! Let me go!!!" Hanamichi struggled to break free of his friends' grasps. Noma on the other hand was in between holding the redhead off and apologizing to the manager.

"Forgive – us – I'm – ugh – sure he didn't – mean to cause – calm down Hanamichi! – trouble – sir," Noma pleaded.

"Hmph! I don't need trouble-makers inside this Pachinko Parlor." The manager turned to the direction of the bouncers and after giving them a nod, he turned to walk away from them.

"Oi! You! Don't walk away from me!! I'm not finished with you yet!!!" Hanamichi said and managed to release himself from Noma and Takamiya's hold on him.

"I think that will be enough," a stern voice spoke. The three of them looked up to see three bouncers with well-built bodies that compared to them they just look like little boys.

"Er, yeah sir, we think so too. Don't worry sir, promise, we won't make anymore trouble," Takamiya nervously reasoned out.

"Oh we'll make sure of that," the largest of them said grimly and signaled the other two to drag them to the exit. And then the one who spoke was the one who dragged Hanamichi with him.

"Oi! How dare you do this to the genius!!!" Hanamichi growled more incoherent curses until they were dropped unceremoniously outside the exit. But then the redhead would never let it end that way and so when the bouncers were about to go back inside, he grabbed the heads of the two who dragged Noma and Takamiya and bumped their heads with each other. He then gave a head-butt to the one who dragged him.

"Ha! Serves you right from doing that to the genius! Nyahahahahaha— umf!!"

Noma immediately covered the redhead's mouth and with the help of Takamiya they dragged him with them far away from the bouncers before they regain their consciousness. As soon as they were sure that they're safe, Noma bonked his head in exasperation.

"That was really close!! Hanamichi! What were you thinking arguing with the manager like that?!" Takamiya asked incredulously.

"One of their pinball machines ate my tokens!" Hanamichi replied gruffly.

"Well you could have just told us right?" Noma sighed. Trust their friend to make things worse.

Hanamichi shrugged. "Hmph! Whatever, I'll go home now 'cause it's getting late."

The redhead was already a few good meters away from them when it just dawned to Noma and Takamiya that their friend going home meant going to where Youhei didn't want him to go for now. With this thought they immediately went after the redhead and frantically blocked themselves on his path.

"It's not that late, Hanamichi! We could still go somewhere else, ne Noma?" Takamiya looked at Noma as if telling him to agree, which the later nodded fervently and turned his gaze back to a rather baffled redhead.

"Yeah! If you like we could even go to Danny's!"

"Wow!! Your treat?! Well c'mon!" And Hanamichi grabbed both their wrists and dragged them to the opposite direction of their house. The two, on the other hand, stared at each other for a while before realizing what the redhead just said.

"Ah... wait! Hanamichi! You got it all wrong!" Takamiya shouted. Hanamichi stopped walking and looked at him with one brow arched.

"Well, if that's the case then why should we go to Danny's. Tsk!" the redhead released their writs and started back to the direction of his house.

"What do we do now?" Takamiya asked Noma while watching the retreating back of Hanamichi. Noma didn't reply and just called to Hanamichi.

"Wait for us, Hanamichi! We'll go with you!" He ran towards the redhead after signaling Takamiya to follow. The later shook his head before going after the two.

'You all should better be off somewhere else before we get there, buddy.'

...

"WHAT?! You're joking right?!" Mitsui exclaimed in disbelief.

Youhei was not even finished with what he was saying when Mitsui had this outburst. Sendoh's mouth dropped open while Rukawa remained stoic as usual.

"But, Mito-san, don't you think you're asking for too much?" Hikoichi asked carefully.

Youhei raised one brow. "I think it's just fair, unless they're willing to take the risk of telling Hanamichi..."

"I'm not afraid of the idiot." Rukawa talked for the first time after his exchange with Sendoh before the others arrived.

"Oh, but we're not talking about physical injury, Rukawa." Yuuji's eye's glinted. "Though most likely you'd suffer from that, knowing Hanamichi's temper... but it's more of having a 99.9 percent probability of blowing off your chances ne?"

"Nicely put, buddy!" Youhei clapped his hands while Yuuji gestured an exaggerated bow.

"It's a bit dirty... but I'm going to agree..." Sendoh said. "I mean I think it would be worth paying for all the things they will be going through in our behalf."

Mitsui drew his lips in a thin line, hating the fact that they're being blackmailed like this. But then Sendoh has a point. He could imagine the hell the gundan would go through once the redhead's wrath was unleashed. And he had to admit that it's definitely not a pretty picture, especially when he'll be one of them.

"Alright, I also agree! Ch! I can't believe I'll be blackmailed by assholes like you," Mitsui sighed in defeat.

"You should have thought about the possibility when one of you first sent that box of chocolates." Yuuji wore a wider grin.

"Ha! Well it's definitely not me!" Mitsui crossed his arms over his chest.

Youhei laughed, "Oh come on! Missy! You don't have to deny it! It can't be Rukawa because I saw that look in his eyes when we first mentioned it in the locker room. It's only after a while that I realized that it's jealousy!" Yuuji smirked, which earned a cold glare from Rukawa.

"What the fuck? Okay! I admit that I stole his jersey but that's all it is to that! I did that because I thought no one would catch me because you're already busy finding out who the first secret admirer is!" Mitsui said passionately, his face flushed with annoyance.

Youhei, Yuuji, and Hikoichi looked at each other, and then directed their attention to Sendoh who, on the other hand, immediately defended himself.

"Whoa! What's with the look? I do go to Hanamichi's house secretly, but I never sent him anonymous gifts."

"How about the CD? Who gave it?"

No one answered and for a few moments, silence ensued until Hikoichi burst out breaking it.

"UNBELIEVABLE!! Not one of you was actually the initiator of the problem?! Unbelievable! Totally unbelievable!" Hikoichi started to jut down some notes.

"If none of you... I mean..." Youhei faltered and then realization dawned at him. "Wait a minute! Then another stalker is still out on the loose!"

Then they heard voices sounding nearer by the second.

"Why are you two so keen on walking me home anyway? I don't have anything to feed you morons."

"Ouch! Hanamichi, is that what you think of us?"

"Nyahahahaha! I'm just kidding! I found some Chips Ahoy hidden in the kitchen cabinet if you both like."

"Waahh! Of course we like it! A lot! Mmm!

The voices were very clear now, indicating that they're just around the corner of the block the six of them were staying. And they all knew very well who the voices belong to.

"Oh shit! They're here already?!" Yuuji hissed and then he and Youhei started to shove the four away.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Mitsui snapped, though only loud enough for them to hear.

"Hide!" Youhei whispered and then scanned the area for a good hiding place and saw some garbage bins just across the street. "He won't see you there."

"What?! You can't expect me to hide there! It's so dirty and—mmf!" Hikoichi was cut short when Mitsui covered his mouth. And then the four of them proceeded to their hiding place just in time for Hanamichi, Chu, and Takamiya appear from around the bend.

"Heya! How nice to see you back Hanamichi!" Youhei greeted his friend who was obviously dumbfounded. Takamiya and Chu, on the other hand, looked sheepish.

"Youhei? Yuuji? You've been here all along?" Hanamichi asked and immediately went to them.

"Er... no! We went to some place else and then we decided to go here," Yuuji explained.

The redhead frowned, "Why didn't you go back to the Pachinko Parlor?"

"Well, we decided to just wait for you here because if we go to the Pachinko Parlor, we might not be able to see you there." Hanamichi still looked doubtful and so Youhei changed the subject. "By the way, I was wondering if we could crash in tonight. You know, with Sakuragi-san still out of town and all."

At an instant, Hanamichi's mood lightened up. "Nyahahaha! Sure! The tensai would love to have some company tonight!" And then he glared at Takamiya while he got out the house keys from his pocket, "Though I'm not going to hesitate to kick you out if you eat all our food!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Come on!" Takamiya grabbed the keys from Hanamichi's hand and went to the front door of the house.

"Woi! Who told you to go first?!" But whatever argument that followed was already in the confines of the house. Youhei was the last one to go inside and before he did, he looked to where the four were hiding and saw them emerge from it. He saluted to them and then went inside and closed the door behind him.

"Yuck! Look at all this filth... and its smell is sticking all over me!! I have to go home and wash!" Hikoichi wrinkled his nose in disgust. And suddenly he remembered something, "my notebook..." His eyes widened, "MY NOTEBOOK!! Oh no! I lost it!" He frantically looked around and then spotted it on top of one of the garbage bins and made a dive for it, "Oh my precious!" He hugged it very close to his heart and cried with so much relief.

"And he didn't even care if it's all dirty, while just moments ago he's so disgusted with filth," Mitsui snorted.

Sendoh shook his head but looked amused. "You can't blame him. All the precious information he'd been gathering is written there." He chuckled a little and then turned to Rukawa, who was already walking away from them. "Hey, Mitsui-san. Rukawa is not really friendly aren't he?"

"Yeah. He sure needs to polish his people skills," Mitsui shrugged and then he looked serious. "But not because I'm talking to you casually means I'm giving up the fight for Sakuragi."

Sendoh looked mildly surprised but smiled at the challenge, "Oh no, sempai. I never once forgot about that. But always remember that I'm not you're only opponent..."

The man in the shadows couldn't agree more.

-Tsuzuku-

...

[1] Anyone who has been talking to me recently could easily figure this out. I didn't apply to become a MitHana no seishi for nothing! Hehehe! And I've been dropping subtle hints since strike six, er actually from the beginning. It just got a bit obvious in strike six. I guess you're all preoccupied on narrowing the suspects to Rukawa and Sendoh.

[2] Heh just watched Gravitation the other day.