Kaede Rukawa exit the principal's office. His meeting with the principal was nothing but nonsense. He couldn't believe he come to that school and meet face-to-face the son of his past boyfriend, after fourteen long grueling years.
Meanwhile, Sakuragi followed the man he called his father and he didn't bother to pay respect for Ms. Mayers before leaving her office.
"Mr. Rukawa." Sakuragi shouted and his manly voice echoed on the deserted hallway. It's been half an hour since the classes ended and the corridors were already evacuated.
Rukawa stopped. He haven't heard Hanamichi Sakuragi's voice before that, because during the conference with the principal, the boy was very silent. Either he nods or smirks.
The raven-haired Basketball star eyed the one calling him and met chocolate brown eyes once more. It's been a long time since he had seen such brown eyes. It wasn't just any pair of angelic amber eyes, it was twinkling with delight and sweetness that had always melted his frozen heart.
Being certain he had the man's attention, Sakuragi inched towards him with a smile of a child coming to his long-lost favorite toy.
He stopped in front of the stiff Rukawa and looked at him straight in the eyes.
"Thank you."
Rukawa shielded his heart from softening. He made sure it would remain as rigid as a metal, especially to the boy he loaths so much in his life.
Sakuragi's head tilted a bit from the embarrassment of having no response or any reaction from Rukawa. The boy had been so grateful for his kindness and he had been longing for this moment to thank him, to finally meet him.
Rukawa continued walking and Sakuragi gathered all his courage to call his attention once more. Rukawa stopped and this time he faced him.
"Tell me everything you need to tell in one call." Rukawa murmured coldly.
Sakuragi was slowly feeling the inavailability of the man in front of him. Perhaps he's too busy nowadays or he's just not interested to talk with him.
Resisting the force that told him not to approach Rukawa, Sakuragi murmured politely. His head facing the floor.
"Carla told me she would talk to you."
Rukawa looked at him in chilled blue eyes. He's talking nonsense like his father often was.
But I didn't know it's you. Sakuragi told himself. "I just want to ask."
"Don't waste my time."
Sakuragi was surprised of the man's unfriendliness. Now he knows the reason why his female classmates always said there's only a handful of interviews with Rukawa Kaede. He's an obnoxious asian star who made it in the international competition. He's too proud of himself, egoistic and with no heart that lies beneath his husky chest.
"D-do..." He grasped for breath. "Do you know my parents?"
Now it's the moment of shock for Rukawa. He had no words to answer the question. It's his hated topic that he haven't spoken of for fourteen years.
To elude the question, he turned his back and pursued his walk.
"Be thankful for your headmaid." Rukawa said and left the hallway. Sakuragi wanted to catch up but he ran out of voice. The redhead stood along the hallway, watching the retreating back of the man he called his father.
Rukawa went towards his parked silver BMW convertible, pushed on the remote key to unlock the doors and hopped in. The real reason he accepted the plead of Carla was because he wanted to see Sakuragi's son.
He had the desire to see how Hana-chan was doing now that he's at same age when Sakuragi died.
There was no mistake. Now that he have seen him, the boy who only used to be a little baby before, he was exhilarated.
Rukawa gripped the wheel tight and bumped his head on it once, twice and thrice. He couldn't find the reason why. He suppose to be burning in rage and let Hana-chan be out of his school. It's his own fault that he was under-probation.
After a deep reverie, Rukawa started his engine and drove on. As he went farther from the school's building, he saw a redhead guy walking towards the gate. He perfectly recognized him.
He hauled his car and opened the window to see the boy face to face once more.
"Where's your car?" He queried.
Sakuragi was half-surprised and half-zestful to see Rukawa. "I prefer to walk today. I hate driving a car here."
Rukawa defintely knew about his residence because it's his and he was aware of its distance from Notre Dame School.
"Get in." Rukawa pushed the car door open to welcome the boy.
Sakuragi was pleased and he accepted the offer. Spending a time with his father was his longtime wish.
The car drove on with Rukawa holding the wheel and Sakuragi in the passenger's seat.
There was a complete silence inside the car. Rukawa couldn't take his eyes off the redhead. From the head, to the deep brown eyes, to the muscled chest and long legs, it seemed like he was back in the time when his beloved boyfriend was still alive.
It seemed like seeing Sakuragi alive again.
"How old are you?" Rukawa asked out of the bloom.
"Fifteen."
Rukawa's brows knitted. He absolutely knows that fact before visiting the school. Carla told him, so why did he even ask?
Sakuragi's eyes widened as he noticed that Rukawa didn't turn on the street heading to the redhead's residence.
"Dad, we suppose to turn there."
Rukawa was astounded someone called him DAD. It soothes him very much and he wanted to hear the boy he once knew as Hana-chan to speak it again.
Sakuragi had no idea of the happening, but he trusted Rukawa enough that he wouldn't be in danger so he chose not to protest wherever the car was going to.
*
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Sakuragi entered the doors of a posh Japanese restaurant with his father and it was inevitable for several eyes to turn towards their direction.
Rukawa Kaede
Oh it's him! It's him!
The people there were rich and educated for proper ettiquette but seeing a famous celebrity was their weakness, especially when it's as gorgeous as Rukawa Kaede.
Sakuragi gulped as the menu folder was handed to him. He was perching across his father and he had never been to any Japanese restaurant before.
"One Tuna Teriyaki, Iced tea shake and.." A pair of blue eyes stared at the redhead. Rukawa suddenly remembered his past boyfriend loving the taste of Sushi and ramen to the maximum. "How about you?"
With deep brown eyes roaming back and forth on the menu folder, Rukawa sensed the innocence of the boy in front of him regarding Japanese foods.
"Try sushi and ramen." Rukawa said, emotionless.
Sakuragi just grinned and Rukawa took it as a yes.
While hovering for their foods to be served, Rukawa looked around the interior of the restaurant. The huge sliding windows made from woods, the red rectangular frames with Kanji characters and pictures of Japanese women with chopsticks on their rolled raven hair.
"You miss your place?"
Sakuragi suddenly murmured. He was absolutely aware of the Basketball star's Japanese heritage.
Rukawa looked at him piercingly and the latter was daggered by those chilling blue eyes.
He's not mad, isn't he? No, he's not. Sakuragi convinced himself.
Finally, the redhead had the courage to ask the question he wanted to know for so many years.
"Dad," he gazed at Rukawa slowly. "A lot of people are asking if I'm a Japanese.... am I?"
A deep long silence existed between them. No one speak. Their eyes stared at each other in a mutual feeling of overwhelming but Rukawa was half unwilling to answer the question even if it's about Hana-chan's peace of mind.
"Rukawa."
Rukawa and Sakuragi was surprised and they glanced at the man standing beside them. Sakuragi's brows knitted though he knows he shouldn't be shocked of people recognizing his father in a public place like that.
However, for Rukawa, it was a different thing.
Ouzumi.
--TSUSUKU--