Part 2.

A clean swish was heard in the deserted Shoyo gym. It was replaced by the unmistakable sound of the hard rubber of ball bounced off the floor. The initiator of the actions looked up with an almost satisfied expression on his face. Although to the outside observers, the look was almost invisible.

Perfect.

"You know, we just polished the floor." Fujima broke the silence with his unusual greeting.

"It's either I play ball or fall asleep. And since I tend to hit people who disturb me sleeping, I rather play ball. For your own safety Fujima-san."

They were in a different mode now. The second meeting had started unusual enough, at least for both of them who never knew each other beyond basketball court. Not to mention both of them never have a usual conversation, not as a friend. They were strangers in any way the see it.

"Look…" Fujima awkwardly started the conversation. "I apologize regarding my sudden outburst. I shouldn't have done that. Forgive me."

"Forget it. That was nothing." Rukawa replied.

"You sure?"

Rukawa sighed. "Look, just… nevermind. You're angry with Minami, and I understand that. That's ok." Rukawa retrieved Minami's letter. "Here, I believe this is still yours."

Fujima looked at the white envelope as if it was the most vile thing he ever seen. "That… I could never accept."

"Why?" Rukawa asked, but he slowly pulled away from the brunette.

"Look!" Fujima pulled his bangs from his left temple. There, was a faint visible mark, one line consisted of three stitches.

"He did this to me. After one year, the scar is still here."

"I'm...sorry." There was nothing Rukawa could have said with regards to the reminder stitched on Fujima's forehead.

"We were leading." The Shoyo captain started his story. "I had a great time in that game. I felt good. I could almost see the result, we were winning. Then, there he was, in front of me, wanting to attack. To go forward. I put a tight defence on him...but..."

He closed his eyes. The memories were still painful even until now. Minami, looking at him with the malicious determination to go through his defence… it was too hard on his psyche. A year later, Rukawa brought back the memories he rather forgot.

"Have you ever seen blood on the court, Rukawa?"

Rukawa didn't take long to answer the question. "Yes."

Yes.

Yes, he remembered it all too well, the time when Mitsui and his gang attempted to dissolve the basketball club by creating the racket on the court. He had been involved in that particular fight, threw in couple of punches, kicks and elbows. And it had resulted in some of them lying on the floor, unable to move.

Of course, that was before that one particular stranger hit his head with the corner of the sweeper. And he hit him...hard. He saw the spots of blood spluttered from his head. It grew bigger until it turned into a pool of his thick blood. He felt dizzy, hurt, and weak. He used all his energy not to fall down, but that made him defenceless. He just let himself being dragged half the court by another stranger with cigarette-stink breath, and he even let the stranger pushed him onto the cold, hard floor.

He couldn't do anything. Apart from watching the thick red liquid before blackness took over.

"It's not something you want to remember." Rukawa finally said.

Fujima was surprised with Rukawa's answer. He expected a different answer, a negative answer from the Shohoku student. But a different answer came, and on top of that, Rukawa's words. This boy understood what he's been through. He could emphatise with it. And Fujima was curious to find out how in the world Rukawa could get hurt in the court.

"What happened?" Fujima asked gently, contrast with the tone he had used earlier.

"Somebody hit me." Rukawa quietly replied.

He knew he shouldn't answer the question. The event had been kept a secret. Nobody outside the basketball club really knew what exactly had happened. It was something that could jeopardise the basketball club, and they faced a great probability in being expelled from the Prefecture elimination games.

But somehow... Fujima, the Shoyo player, the opponent manager… He had told Fujimaa little. For he had this feeling, this instinct. He trusted the older boy will not betray him and send an official complain to the sport council just because of senseless fights in the Shohoku court. Fujima would not go that low, not to that extent. And he also knew, if the Shoyo captain asked him again, he would probably tell him the whole story. That could only showed how much he trusted the captain. So, he could only pray the boy wouldn't ask him anything again.

"Is it..." Fujima wondered.

"It's not him." was Rukawa's quick answer. "Not Minami."

And Fujima complied with his silent wish.

Silence befallen on them.

"They said...the saw my blood on the court. I...I cant remember. It was blurry to me." Fujima broke the silence for the second time. "When I woke up, they told me Shoyo had lost. Nobody on the court is good enough to play the point guard position. And I was so angry at myself."

"But you did your best." Rukawa argued back.

"It wasn't good enough to win." Fujima argued back. "It wasn't. It wasn't enough."

"So, you didn't do your best?" Rukawa seemed to accuse one of the best basketball players in Kanagawa on his lack of commitment on the court.

"No, I did, but…" the Shoyo captain trailed off as he recognised the trap Rukawa laid for him.

"You did your best. What happened is beyond your control." Rukawa confirmed quietly, the strength in his voice served as a final statement in their arguments. "Let it go."

"Rukawa, if you're think I'm the type of person who always dwelled on the past, I'm not."

"I'm sorry, that wasn't what I'm implying."

"I know you don't mean it that way. It's just… there was always time where you think the outcome of the game was always your responsibility." The Shoyo ace explained.

The impact of his words made the Shohoku ace looked up, straight into his eyes. "The game against Aiwa… I was too tired. My body failed me."

"But I'm sure you did your best." How the tide of conversation had turned towards Rukawa.

"I did." Rukawa hated the taste of defeat. He always hated it. "But my best is not good enough."

"We all have some parts of ourselves to blame. But don't kill yourself too much on the past mistakes, it won't be that much help anyway in the present."

Rukawa nodded. He understood the experienced player's statement. And he realised, the only way out is to move forward, for the past would only shape, but it would not dictate the future. "I hope you won't too."

The conversation between two aces, standing on the opposite poles regarding their positions on the court, but sharing the same sentiment of loosing and blaming oneself, had proved to be an enlightening experience. Both of them realised, no matter the age and positions, it would help to talk about it with somebody that had been there.

The smaller one amongst the two, knew he had given a good advice to his younger counterpart. And he also realised he had to apply what he just said to himself. The taller one, knew he had started a self-awareness, not only to the older boy, but also to himself. He was thankful for that. And he could only hope...

"The scar." Fujima slowly touched his scar.

"The scar will be here, with me, forever. There was nothing I could do. It will be forever served as reminder on human's cruel intention of winning. A reminder that basketball can be an ugly game. A reminder on how cheating can turned the game around. What you give is not what you got in return. Life is always unfair..."

But Rukawa shut him up by doing the most unexpected thing anyone could ever imagine. He placed a gentle kiss on that particular scar. A kiss that showed much affection, understanding and care. Rukawa's kiss was gentle enough for Fujima to feel the shiver from his sensitive scar down to his spine. But at the same time, it contained a hidden strength that Fujima knew instantly, he could always rely on Rukawa to protect him.

And Fujima was surprised. Speechless even. No one had ever do that to him before. And this boy, this near-stranger, did something more to him. He almost convinced him to forgive his enemy. Not by words, but by his action. His impromptu action that no one could have guessed.

Rukawa.

"You kissed my scar...Why?"

"Does it feel better?" Rukawa asked.

Does it?

There was something about Rukawa's kiss. A kiss that full of care and love. A kiss that connect the two boys who shared the same fate. A kiss that touched Fujima down to the bottom of his darkened heart. A kiss that made the older boy feel ashamed of himself as he had whined like a bratty kid, yet, this boy who initiated the kiss, was practically in the same boat. One could only say, a kiss that erased the sorrow and anger away.

And for the very first time since he received the letter, Fujima smiled. A smile that came truthfully from his heart. A smile that lifted the black cloud from his mind. A smiled that answered Rukawa's question.

Yes, a smile that made him felt better. Yes, he had felt better. More than anyone could ever imagine.

Rukawa, upon seeing Fujima's smile, knew he had done what needed to be done. He knew the captain would be fine. He knew the healing process had just started. And he knew he had to move ahead, and live this gym.

"I just hope you'll find something in your heart to forgive him. Good day Fujima-san." He gathered his things and started to walk out.

"Wait!" Fujima called. He didn't want the boy to go away so fast. Not after what had transpired between them. There were still lots of unresolved issues. Lots of unanswered questions that needed answers. Firstly…

"Rukawa...what are you doing here?" Fujima asked.

Rukawa was startled, again. This was such an unexpected behaviour from the Shoyo captain that he couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. And now, Fujima was asking him this. Rukawa well know what he meant by that. Fujima didn't ask why he was in Shoyo High School, he didn't come all the way to Shoyo district just to serve as a postman. He had other matter to attend.

And the captain wanted to know what. Again, the same instinct told Rukawa to just answer the question.

"SMC." Rukawa finally answered.

"Shoyo Medical Centre. Why?"

"Anzai-sensei's order." Rukawa replied, suddenly diverted his gaze from the Shoyo player to the floor.

The younger boy didn't want to meet his eyes. Fujima meanwhile, never moved his gaze away from the usual cool freshman. He held his gaze as long as possible, with full of understanding so the boy knew he didn't mean any harm.

Rukawa compiled under his more powerful silence request.

"Brain scan."

-tbc-