Kaede Rukawa, wearing a violet and yellow jersey shirt... sprinted towards the hoop goal... jumped on his feet... and made a perfect lay-up that shoot the ball in ringless.
"Rukawa." The team's coach called his attention and asked him to come nearer. He whispered at the Japanese star's ear. "You have an emergency call at the office."
It was the raven-haired sportsman's first emergency call since he became a part of the team five years ago.
"It's from a man named Ae-ka-gi Tae-ki-nou-ri." The coach added, with difficulty in pronouncing the syllables.
The name caught Rukawa's full curiousity. He would never forget that name... but for the long fourteen years he haven't heard from the man, it was very surprising. Akagi had to pass through all the security tests just to contact him. It probably a very significant purpose.
Whatever the reason was... Rukawa just wanted to get over it soon so he could resume his practice.
"Hello." Rukawa took the phone.
Akagi was absolutely boggled at the perfect American accent of the man who answered the phone. He thought it was another crew from the Lakers' home court... but the lifeless tone assured him of the right person.
"Rukawa?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad that I've finally gotten to you. I've been trying to contact you for the last two days." Akagi explained in Nihongo... without expecting to receive a reaction from the other line. "Rukawa... coach Anzai was rushed to the hospital. He had another heart attack and the doctors' said his life won't take long. His body could no longer sustain his illness."
Akagi paused to calm himself. His purpose was to ask Rukawa to fly to Kanagawa, Japan one or two days from now.
"I think he would be so glad to see you... especially... Hana-chan."
Rukawa lowered his gaze and tightened his grip on the phone. Coach Anzai had been a part of his life. The man had taught him a lot of things and he was the first one who knew about his relationship with Sakuragi Hanamichi. Instead of rejecting them, Coach Anzai understood their feelings for each other and supported it.
The news apparently struck Rukawa.
"Hey Hanamichi." Billy crossed his arm around the six feet and two inches figure at his left. "You see.. I'm just curious about this Japanese restaurant you're telling us."
Sakuragi smiled kindly. He was with his four new peers... walking along the streets of Los Angeles towards a place that could serve as the door to his questions.
"I'm going to meet the chef there. He's my father's friend."
"Your foster father?" Billy's brows knitted.
The other three boys were eavesdropping in the conversation. Sakuragi had told them before about his meeting with his foster father last week, but other than that... the redhead had kept it within.
"Hey you haven't told us yet who he is." Billy added.
Sakuragi halted in front of the Japanese restaurant where Rukawa and he... ate days ago. He replied with a deep breath of relief... hoping he'll have a peace of mind from the visit.
The reastaurant's interior surprised his four other friends... they had been to other Japanese milieus before but not there. The place exemplified a more Japanese culture and tradition than any restaurants they've went to.
There was a secluded area in the restaurant, barricaded by sliding partitions, called Shoji. Shorts tables were located and customers perch over a mocha-colored reed mats instead of chairs.
"Woah... I feel like a real Japanese here." Carl said. His eyes showed an unbelievable reaction as he sat on the warm mat.
Sakuragi promised to treat them... and so they all took their orders.
Suddenly when the Japanese lady had listed their orders, Sakuragi queried if they could ask the chef to come there for an interview for a school project... since there were no other valid reasons to say.
The Japanese lady grinned amicably and assured him that if the chef isn't busy... he would approach them as soon as he can.
"What do you need with the chef?" Billy queried once the lady employee had left.
"I need to ask him something very significant in my life."
The four boys exchanged wondering faces. If Sakuragi needed to travel a long way to that location in his own feet... then it really must be very important... like a matter of life and death.
After some seconds of chatting with each other, a huge man in white Japanese kimono, entered the area with a friendly mood and was holding a tray of foods.
The man suppose to greet the young men when he suddenly froze in the presence of a redheaded kid he surely was familiar of.
"Hana-chan?"
Sakuragi felt relieved and satisifed that Uozumi still remembers him. He curved his lips upward to the man standing before them.
"Hee's yOU Oh-dEs." Uozumi kneeled on the carpeted floor and handed each and one of the boys with their respective orders. When everything was in place, he glanced at the Japanese-looking boy.
"YOU're the wo-ne lookin fO mee?"
"Yes." Sakuragi replied.
"WhY?"
There was no shade of any reluctance and hesitations on the twinkling pair of chocolate brown eyes. Sakuragi had thought of it so many nights and he wouldn't just throw up... not on that moment.
"I want to know about my parents."
Uozumi was silent from the breath-skipping question. He knew this was more than serious and he had to sit on the carpeted floor... beside the redhead.
"Hah fArr yOU knOw A-bOUt thEm?"
It was Sakuragi's turn to shut his mouth... then shook his head vertically. Sakuragi informed the chef that he was only being financed by Rukawa but he never met the sportsman before the day they visited the restaurant.
Sakuragi grew in a foreign soil... without any awareness of his origin. He was similar to a flower inside a pot... living and blooming... but doesn't know what seed gave its life.
Now things were getting clearer for Uozumi. Rukawa had lived his past fourteen years... grueling about the death of Hanamichi Sakuragi and he refused to mention anything to Hana-chan about his parents. Even though Uozumi was perfectly aware that he might push on Rukawa's temper by telling Hana-chan about his parents... he felt more pathetic of the child's innocence than his own self.
"The first thing I want to know..." Sakuragi began with a solemn face. "Where are my parents?"
Uozumi tilted his head down and shook it lightly. He loathed to be the one to hurt Hana-chan but sweeping the truth away would only do much worse. He muttered without staring at the saturnine brown eyes.
"They're dead. They died from a car accident fourteen years ago."
Sakuragi's eyes swelled. His four friends who were constantly enjoying the taste of Asian foods, stopped on their tracks and looked at their friend worriedly.
By that intense moment, Uozumi decided not to continue for a while. Sakuragi was in no condition to know more... so the chef let him drink a glass of water and gave him a comforting hug.
"How were my parents like when they're alive?" Sakuragi murmured... while leaning his chin over the chef's soft and bulky shoulder. He forced to his ultimate strength not to let a tear fall down.
Uozumi pulled himself from the hug and finally gained his courage to look straight at the sullen child.
"Cry Hana-chan..." The chef told him... in a concerned tone. "Your father used to cry whenever he felt to."
With the information uttered... the redhead let free of his soul and sobbed as hard as he could in the shoulder of the man before him.
The whole place was identical to a wake... no one dare to speak but ate their foods in a very slow motion. The four friends of Sakuragi were sympathetic of his condition and of what happened to his parents.
Uozumi offered the suffering boy another glass of water in order not to dehydrate and relax himself as well... but the latter refused on the second time. The chef was certain it's not the proper time to tell stories. He had said enough words to bear by an abandoned child like Hana-chan.
Sakuragi trotted towards the door of his residence with a doleful face... even Mr. Bean's hilarious antics were futile to change it. He rang the door bell and hovered until Carla opens it.
The maid had been used of waiting for the lonely child until morning and this night... it was early for Sakuragi to come home at around 9pm.
"Hana..." Carla touched the pale cheeks of the towering tall boy. "Are you all right?"
Sakuragi often went home if not drunk, with a girl or unconscious from too much alcohol intake. However... the present sight of the boy built wonder for Carla. For the fourteen years she spent with Sakuragi... she was absolutely sure it was the most sardonic face of him she had ever seen.
"Anything you want to tell me?" Carla muttered... her tone was similar to a caring mother.
Sakuragi felt his eyes getting soar once more. He couldn't help but release all the frustrations and pain stocking inside his body. He fell on the shoulders of the woman, hugged her tightly... and feel the maternal love he was deprived of.
"They're dead, Carla. They're dead."
The maid gently massaged the head counting on her balance. Sakuragi was like her own son... the boy grew up with her and she took care of him... though not financially. But she could feel the pain hurting the young man.
When the moment of solemnity passed in a half, Sakuragi perched on the couch and calmed his self. Carla knew this was not the right moment to tell him that Rukawa had booked him to a plane flight at exactly tomorrow morning... but if not now... there's no other time she could.
Finally, Carla found her courage and informed Sakuragi that Rukawa's assisstant phoned them that afternoon for such a very significant and urgent matter.
Upon learning the truth from Uozumi, Sakuragi was more determined to find the long-time answers he had been searching all his life. He's a fool to let go of the opportunity in coming to Japan and be with his foster father. Uozumi gave him his contact number in case he would be needing any help from him.
While Carla was fixing the boy's clothes and things inside the luggage bag, Sakuragi phoned Uozumi to his house. The chef had just gotten home from his work... but he never was exhausted to lend a helping hand for Hana-chan.
Sakuragi told him about his flight tomorrow to Kanagawa, Japan and he was half-excited and half-nervous. He didn't know what other truth would welcome him in the hometown of his parents... and he might be too weak to face it anymore.
Uozumi couldn't leave his business even for a week to help Sakuragi in finding more truth about his curiosity and to visit Coach Anzai. The only hand he could extend for the poor Hana-chan was... to refer him to a person he knew could be a big leap-out for the boy's miseries.
"When you get there, look for a man named Sendoh Akira. He would be able to give some answers to your questions."