Carla's back had been slumped on the cold white wall of the Lakers' Home Gymnasium. Her long black hair fell above her shoulders in a mess and her white cheeks had turned scarlet.
She had been standing there for almost three hours, waiting for the Lakers team to come out from their Basketball training. Her knees were already similar to vegetable, but she fought with the urge to fall down.
Suddenly, Carla oticed fewer and fewer people passing the hallway. Then a stern-looking security guard approached her.
"Excuse ms., the gymnasium will be closed in a minute." The guard eyed her suspiciously. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Yes." Carla breathed, with a look of exhaustion on her pretty young face. "I need to see Mr. Rukawa Kaede."
The security guard released a sarcastic smirk. The girl was like dreaming the heaven to fall on earth.
"Do you have a scheduled appointment with him?"
"No." Carla felt like dropping on the floor. Her eyes were opening in a tired way. "It's an emergency. I have to speak with him, as soon as possible."
"I'm sorry but this is not the way where the players are coming out. They have a secret exit door to keep out with their fans."
Carla's jaws dropped. She had been waiting there for several hours only to discover she's on a wrong place. "What? Where are they now???"
"The training ended an hour ago."
Carla felt her mouth dry. "No." She put her hands over the guard's shoulders and plead. "Where is that exit? I have to see him, please."
"I'm sorry ms., but our task is to protect the players. We swore to secrecy."
The woman would never let any of her hardship to be throwm away like a garbage. She paid no heed of the security guard's words and ran away as fast as she could.
"Hey! Where you going?"
The guard rushed towards the woman who was sprinting towards the back of the gymnasium.
I have to see him. An hour is not too long. He might still be here. Carla inhaled deeply as she hastily get on the back side of the gymnasium.
When she reached the back side, a black limousine car was simultaneously leaving the basement parking space. Carla stopped on her heels and gathered more air.
"I got you!"
Suddenly, someone grasped her arm tightly.
Carla had no intention to frustrate her motive. Hoping the owner of the car was a Lakers player or Rukawa Kaede himself, she forcefully escape from the robust hold of the guard and trotted in front of the limousine car. She spread her arms like an eagle and stopped the car.
The car haulted and the same security guard went towards the woman to pull her arms on her back. This time Carla had no way to escape and she had no plans to. It's enough getting the attention of the car's passengers.
"I.NEED to speak to MR. Rukawa Kaede." Carla yelled and the car's chauffeur heard her.
The chauffeur glanced behind him to the sleeping Basketball celebrity. He had a talk with the coach that brought him to stay in the gymnasium a little longer after their training.
The man gulped and didn't intend to wake the raven-haired man or he'll be sent to the hospital in no time. He pushed the button to pull the dark-tinted window down and peeked out. "He's sleeping."
Carla was surprised that the car was indeed belonged to Rukawa Kaede. She shook her body to evade from the guard's capture but to no avail. Only one option was left: she stamped the man's foot that provoked him to scream in pain.
Having the right opportunity, Carla rushed towards the back door of the limousine and knocked on the window. "Mr. Rukawa. Mr. Rukawa. I need to speak with you, please..."
The chauffeur symphatized with the cries of the woman. He wanted to earn the Basketball star's attention but he knew well it costs his life to do so.
"Rukawa Kaede." Carla persisted as she could feel more security guards coming her way.
To help the woman, the chauffeur pushed the button to open the window of Rukawa.
Carla tug her head in and called the sleeping Rukawa. "Mr. Rukawa. You need to know about your son, Hanamichi Sakuragi."
Rukawa's consciousness slowly returned as his eyes opened lazily. He never thought of killing the sleep-intruder because he himself was interested in the name Hanamichi Sakuragi.
The Basketball star gazed at Carla with bewilderment.
In the Notre Dame Private School
Sakuragi sat on his chair inside the classroom. Everyone was hovering for the teacher to come and noise was inevitable.
On his every side he could hear laughters, giggles and loud mouths speaking like the entire world cares. On his right he could eavesdrop on the girl talk of his five female classmates.
"Rukawa Kaede."
"Omigosh! Have you watched their game last night?"
"Yes! The replay???"
"EEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Sakuragi covered his both ears. He often heard the name Rukawa Kaede from Cher and he loathed to hear it again. It reminded him of the girl he once loved so much, more than his life.
"EXCUSE ME!" A lady personnel appeared on the front door. No one realize she had been there calling their attention until she yelled. "Where's Mr. Hanamichi Sakuragi?"
All eyes centered at the sitting redhead and it's an enough act for the personnel to find the boy. She's already familiar with that face being a frequent customer in the Guidance Office.
The lady personnel asked him to come with her and she brought him on the principal's office.
"Ok, Mr. Sakuragi." The prinicpal leaned closer to her table and looked imperatively at the very quiet redhead. "Where's your father?"
It had been a week since he was caught hurting Steve Calvin and the principal was only waiting for the right authority figure concern before suspending the boy.
When Sakuragi didn't give any response, the principal rose her thin brow to rival a sewing thread.
"Do you really want to be out of this school?"
"Yes.I.do."
Sakuragi didn't retaliate from the threatening gaze of Ms. Mayer. He emphasized every word he uttered and nothing of it was a lie. He detested studying, he detested the Notre Dame school and he didn't care if tomorrow ever comes.
"What Do You SAY?"
"I said.Yes.I.do."
The principal was about to speak when the secretary knocked on the door.
"Yes Joan?"
"Ms. Mayer." The secretary's face was apparently scarlet. Sakuragi didn't notice it because his eyes focused on the floor. "Mr. Sakuragi's father is here." She said excitedly.
Both the principal and Sakuragi was surprised. The redhead tilted his eyes a bit to the wall as he registered the information heralded by the secretary.
"Let him come." Ms. Mayer asked while preparing herself for a round of deep talking. Sakuragi needs to learn his lesson and his father must teach him. That was the principal's main objective.
Joan gave way for the guest. Slowly, Sakuragi glanced at the door to finally see the face of the man to whom he owes his life.
In seconds, a six feet and seven inches raven-haired man appeared on the doorway. Ms. Mayer was dumbfounded as she gazed at the tall figure from head to toe and back and forth.
Sakuragi's chocolate brown eyes stopped at the sapphire blue pools of the newcomer.
It took long before the principal and Sakuragi to return on earth. Until Ms. Mayer was the one to break the silence.
"So... Mr..." The principal didn't know how she would address the man. She definitely knows him but calling him in his celebrity name might make her obssession to Basketball stars apparent.
"Mr. Rukawa Kaede... I suppose." Ms. Mayer said. "You may take a seat."
The principal motioned for the seat on the side of her table and as Rukawa got closer, Sakuragi felt his heart drumming. It could be about the excitement of finally meeting the man he treats his father, or perhaps the shock of discovering he's being financed by a famous celebrity or angry for seeing Rukawa Kaede in front of him. Whatever emotion was responsible for his rapid heartbeat, Sakuragi didn't mind to know.
The sapphire blue eyes of Rukawa Kaede numbed his throat that he wasn't able to speak and think but only to look.
The principal began her talk with the famous Basketball Star while Sakuragi couldn't manage to withdraw his stares at the popular celebrity.
to-be-continued
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