Sakuragi inched towards the Basketball court of the Notredame School, wearing his black Nike shorts and their white P.E. uniformed shirt.
Billy was already there and he was dribbling an orange Spadling-brand basketball. He moved rigidly with his back hardly bending forward and his palm perfectly straightened as it tapped the ball down. The ball bounced high until his chest and down to the floor... in oscillation.
"By the way Hanamichi, these are our classmates." Billy introduced the redhead to his three other male friends. They all belonged to one class, but they were all strangers to Sakuragi because he often went with the popular seniors in campus.
"This is Carl..." Billy continued and directed his hand towards a slim-figured male with a very flat shining black hair and huge round glasses.
Sakuragi smiled amicably to every person introduced to him. The next one was grinning with his teeth caved by rainbow-colored braces, flashed for a close-up smile... and the last one... still as thin as the first two... was wearing yellow shoes and orange socks almost reaching his knees.
The acquaintance was successful. Sakuragi, despite of being a once-popular kid in campus met half-way with his new found friends.
Sakuragi watched them as they played. Carl attempted to shoot the ball from the free-throw line but the curve formed an arc peak just a meter from the shooter... and the ball landed on the shiny floor before it reaches the hoop.
The other three boys mocked while Sakuragi just smiled.
Suddenly, their male P.E. teacher trudged over them and the other girls and boys of the class approached the circle. The teacher, after explaining some points... allowed his class to practice their shooting.
"Hey geeks!" An aggressive tone of voice called the attention of Sakuragi and his four friends. They turned around and met three of their other male classmates. "Can you show us some Basketball techniques you've read on your encyclopedia?"
The remarks were as far as Sakuragi and his friends could refrain from stooping down at. They resumed their play even if they knew that several eyes were watching them... not by admiration... but mockery.
Sakuragi stared at the ball he was holding in two hands. He had never played Basketball all his life. He had never seen a game even on television and he was a total alien with the rules of the sport. However, there was a gut feeling inside of him that made him wonder about the incredibility in dribbling a ball and shooting it on the hoop.
Why are Basketball players so popular in the campus when all they do is just hold the ball and throw it to the basket?
The redhead remained on his unmoving state until a shadow casted over him. He gazed before him and met face to face the deceitful look of Steve Calvin.
"Care for a one on one?" Steve smirked and it sent burning rages inside Sakuragi's skin.
The entire gym stopped. Everyone inside left their activities to check on the scene, which included the the popular jock and the very rich kid of Notredame High School..
When no answer was heard from the stiff redhead, yells roared inside the gym and echoed on the walls.
"BOOH!!! BOOOH!!!"
"Come on..." Steve teased... and it earned him a heated glare from Sakuragi. "Say, the game needs 10 points from me and one point from you. If I win, I'll let you do anything and if you win..." Steve chuckled, assuming his superiority and Sakuragi has no chance to be the victor. "It will be your command. It's so easy. I'm so generous for that!"
Sakuragi looked around at the people seeing him as very inferior to the young man in front of him. The negative screams he were hearing didn't take his confidence... but built it stronger.
Finally.. he smiled at Steve as a sign of taking the challenge. Sakuragi had all the belief for himself that he would win against Steve... even at his very first trial of playing Basketball.
More and more students came inside the gym, even those who had no PE class for the period. The PE teacher of Sakuragi went somewhere and his absence provoked the continuity of the foolishness inside the Basketball court.
It was in the side of Steve from the very start. Everytime Sakuragi intended to shoot the ball, Steve would fake a jump and the former would lose his focus and shoot the ball in a wrong direction.
It didn't take long for Steve to reach nine points. Apparently, he also used the moment to boast about his talent. He showed his jumpshots, lay-ups and even a dunk, which provoked everyone... except for Sakuragi and his four friends to cheer at the top of their lungs.
The shame Sakuragi was having surrounded him with an even more stronger self-esteem. He would win the game, he knows he would. He planned to do a dunk shot as did by Steve earlier. Sakuragi may not know how it was called... but he was certain it's the easiest because Steve wouldn't be able to distract him with his fake moves.
In full determination... in an invigorating move of the muscles and the feet... in focused eyes of an eagle aiming for its prey... Sakuragi seized the ball from Steve and attempted to dunk on the hoop.
Steve, being alert all the time... didn't accept defeat easily. Before everything is late, he used his husky arm to push Sakuragi's body away from the hoop.
Sakuragi immediately lose his balance from the impact and he stumbled on the ground with a strong thug. His back collided strongly on the hard floor and slowly... his vision blurred and his consciousness drifted apart.
* * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * *
* *
*
Sakuragi opened his eyes, stood up from his lying position and stepped closer and closer towards the dark alley. His ears were numbed to hear anything and his body weighed twice as heavy.
"Hana-chan!" A sweet loving voice called his name and he glanced behind to see a man approaching him. "Papa's here... where do you want to go?"
Sakuragi smiled excitedly. "Papa!!!"
He was being dragged by his father farther until a woman in semi-long hair appeared on his vision.
"Mom!" He called out and the woman grinned at his sight.
He felt his whole body softened and weighed like a bird, capable to fly by its wings.
Then... there was a strong yellow light that flashed and dominated the entire place. Sakuragi couldn't see anything but white, an overwhelming power that conquered his entirety.
Sakuragi opened his eyes. He wanted to stand up but he weighed like a ton. He struggled to move but his body seemed to be pasted on where he was lying.
Suddenly, he glanced at his right and saw stagnant sapphire blue eyes staring at him.
"Dad!" He called while stretching his arm towards the man's direction. "Where's Papa and Mama? Let's look for them!"
The man made no move for a while... then stood up and walked farther and farther from Sakuragi.
"DAD!!" He screamed... but the man seemed deaf to hear him. "DAD!!"
He looked desperately at the retreating back. The man was like frozen for not paying heed of the cries echoing in the wilderness.
*
* *
* * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * *
It was difficult to release the heat huddling inside the dense eyelids. His head was blank and stout.
Having recovered from the physical heaviness, Sakuragi finally opened his eyes and saw everything in white.
He wondered where he was... he looked at his side and saw an empty white wall. He squeezed his mind to remember but all his memory could procure was the challenge thrown to him by Steve Calvin.
Sakuragi sat on the soft bed and touched his nape. It ached.
Suddenly... the only door of the room opened and a nurse in her white uniform appeared.
"Hello! Are you feeling well?" Her smile was calm and comforting.
Sakuragi hardly move his lips. He merely gaze at the lady and questioned her.
"What happened?"
The nurse placed a tray down on the bed and took one capsule from a little golden brown bottle.
"You played Basketball with Steve and you accidentally lose your balance and fell hard on the ground."
Sakuragi was constantly remembering the events as he took the capsule from the nurse' palm and pushed it to his throat with the water from the glass. It was a pain reliever.
When he finally regained his memory, he focused on his dream. All he could reel again was the retreating back of Rukawa Kaede and his intense calling for the man.
It broke his heart that Rukawa paid no heed for him.
He'd rather lose a million of times from Steve Calvin than lose his father. He didn't want to be away from him... especially now that he had found him.
As he went further and deeper to his memory capacity, his head was pinned over and over by a seemingly sharp tooth of a needle. His brain cells were compact and all he could remember was a bright light drowning his individuality.
He was calling his father and his mother but he couln't see their faces. There's nothing to see but the vividness of the white light surrounding him.
His parents were total strangers to him. Names weren't enought to acquaint him about the family he suppose to have and spend his days with. He felt so incomplete without the knowledge about his fount.
Sakuragi brought his manly hands towards his face. Now that he had met his foster father, he wished to know about his parents... but there's no way he could. Rukawa himself didn't respond about the topic.
Suddenly, like a jolt... Sakuragi released the hands covering his young face. There's still one way he could traverse and learn about his parents.