Hope is not something Hana-chan sees everyday. The cobalt blue eyes flashing with an amiable smile was a silver lining to the falling tower of life he was living.
"Mitsui Hisashi." Sendoh grinned at the sight of the once three-pointer he knew in High School. "Tsumetai mizu o ippai kudasai." (translation: A glass of cold water please)
A mixture of smirk and chuckling existed in the face of Hisashi. He said jokingly, "Kuso! Sendoh Akira." (translation: Damn it, Sendoh Akira!)
Hana-chan was oblivious with the scene. The two men in his front were laughing but he had no single idea of the situation. >p>"Your hair still hasn't changed." Hisashi pursued with derision.
"It has return in trend," the other replied.
"Mr. Sendoh Akira," the youngest male murmured. There was no need for Hana-chan to feel his courage entering within... it's all of an instinct. He had been picturing this moment since the night before he flew to Japan, and there's no reason for turning away. He offered his right hand for a friendly shake with nervousness and bravery combined. "Hanamichi Sakuragi."
Akira stared at the timid but tough chocolate brown eyes. He smiled at the young man and accepted the hand for a shake... without taking his gaze on the latter.
"It's been so long since." The older man murmured and Hana-chan gulped.
The boy was glad that Sendoh Akira could speak in his language. The once Ryonan ace player became a part of the All-Japan National Team for five years after college. His interaction with foreign clans in his international and asian games enabled him to learn the English Language... though not as fluent as Kogure Kiminobu.
"Mr. Uozumi told me..."
Akira cut the boy with a nod of assurance. Uozumi had told him about the day he met Rukawa Kaede and Hana-chan in his restaurant through a long-distance phone call and Akira was aware about everyting Uozumi knew about Hana-chan... even about the boy's learning regarding his parents' death... only days ago.
Meanwhile, amidst the glimmering chandelier lights in the ceiling, Kiminobu finally found Kaede standing in one corner while holding a wine glass in its stem. Kaede was revovlving the glass' stem that made the liquid inside of it to swirl in his management.
"Kaede." Kiminobu approached the man in beige formal suit only to receive a glare from the latter.
"No one calls me that."
"Only him."
There was no trace of hesitance in the hazel eyes of the bespectacled man. In the years of experience and education, Kiminobu had learned the ways of confronting people without triggering a fight or feeling unlikely. He never heard about Sakuragi's son since the day he was adopted by Rukawa Kaede.
Even though everything went in his expectation that Kaede would never be able to accept Hana-chan... he still couldn't believe it really occured.
The glare from the once so-called super rookie in Kanagawa region, intensified. Kiminobu didn't care if a punch would hit him in no time.
It's enough, Rukawa.
"Why Kaede? Don't you care enough about the child?" Kiminobu uttered with a full concern for Hana-chan. "He grew up without even a father figure that you SUPPOSE to give."
Kaede took a gentle sip of his wine and withdrew his look at the once vice-captain of the Shohoku team, he used to show respect at.
"Half of my income goes to him. Isn't that enough?"
Kiminobu couldn't believe how deep was the heart of Rukawa Kaede had been dug to hell. Several people had claimed his bad personality and selfishness... but he had always believe that there's still a soft part in the wooden heart of the once Super Rookie he knew. Perhaps not until now that Kaede was proving his chilled and frozen conscience.
"Hello to the two of you." Someone greet them in the Nihongo language. The two glanced at the voice' origin and saw a man in wheelchair.
"Anzai-sensei." Kiminobu was surprised. He wasn't certain if the old man heard their talk... but he hoped for his huge help in convincing Kaede to release the kindness hiding inside his entire being.
"I heard everything." Coach Anzai said in a weak voice... as if reading the mind of the bespectacled man. He lose a huge amount of weight with his illness and he could stand no more. His wife was the one pushing his wheel chair.
Akira handed Hana-chan a calling card. "Come by at my place sometime."
Hana-chan kept the card inside his pocket and acknowledged the man's hospitability and kindness for welcoming his confusion and skepticism.
Suddenly... a girl trudged towards them wearing a rose pink gown. Hana-chan was mesmerized to see the same beauty once more. There was no doubt that she's the angel-looking girl that Hana-chan saw a while ago.
"Uncle." The girl hugged Akira in the waist and her cherry lips curved with the pulchritude of simplicity and elegance. She may be speaking in Nihongo but Hana-chan's attention focused on the captivating beauty.
"Fujima Rakeru." Akira introduced the eleven-year-old girl to Hana-chan.
"Oh yEs. Rakeru. I mEt hEh in Takenori's hAws wAn tYm." Hisashi said.
"Uncle Hisashi." Rakeru transferred her hug to the other man and gave him a little punch on the stomach. Rakeru was the first child of Fujima Kenji, the once Shoyo team's coach and captain... and Akagi Haruko... Sakuragi Hanamichi's bestfriend when he was still alive.
"Hello." Hana-chan flashed his very handsome smile that earned a tint of scarlet blush on the girl's cheekbones.
"Hi."
Staying with Akira frequently because of her father's job venue in Osaka and her mother's charity works... Akira taught Rakeru the English Language whenever they have nothing else to do.
"Would you like to dance?" Hana-chan asked that provoked a surprised expression from Akira and Hisashi.
Rakeru glanced at Akira... querying for his permission. Akira's smile signalled a yes-answer and Rakeru accepted the offer of the attractive and gorgeous young man in front of her.
"Kiminobu." Coach Anzai mumbled as his wheel chair was pushed nearer to the bespectacled man. "I'm so grateful for this party you organized with my other past students."
Kiminobu smiled at the man's acknowledgement. The party was less than all the lessons and things that his coach had taught him.
"May you leave me alone with Mr. Rukawa Kaede?" Coach Anzai's eyelids popped lazily and he was pale. In Kiminobu's thoughts, he agreed with the coach's decision of talking with Kaede alone. Perhaps that's the most essential thing to happen for the moment.
With a mere gesture of politeness and obedience, Kiminobu left the corner with Mrs. Anzai.
"Daijobu desu ka?" The coach murmured to Kaede once they had their privacy. (translation: Are you alright?)
Kaede took another sip of the wine like it was his shield from his former coach's words, only to realize that the glass turned empty in his one last sip.
He looked somewhere away from the gaze of the old man. "I know where this conversation is heading to."
Coach Anzai curved his lips amicably and spoke in the same language as where he began. "You became very successful in America, Kaede. You proved me wrong. You made it through the hardships in the foreign land as what you had dreamt of... but tell me... are you happy?"
Kaede hoped there's still more wine to sip in the wine glass. He squeezed it tight... realizing the truth behind the words of his former mentor.
"No one can make me happy than..."
The coach knew the words Kaede hasn't said yet. The unfriendly yet a very good Basketball player he met fifteen years ago had only grown taller, acquired bigger and more muscles and spoke in a different language... but the sapphire blue eyes sparkling beneath the long dark lashes were still the same.
"You're still living in the past son."
"No."
"No matter how you refuse to believe it, the truth speaks in your eyes. You're so cold... why Kaede? Does it hurts to show even a little compassion for Hanamichi's son?"
"Yes." Kaede finally gazed at the weak eyes of his former coach. "There's so much pain even with only seeing the cause of Hanamichi's death."
"Nobody wishes for that accident. Hana-chan also suffers in the death of his father. If there's one person who would understand him the best, it is you Kaede. You both feel the pain of the abandoment of someone you both love so much."
Suddenly, Kaede's eyes turned towards the middle of the hall and spotted a redheaded young man dancing with a very young girl in rose pink gown.
The slow romantic tune played in the violin and the piano... synchronized with the dancing of the two young people... like they have neutral intimate feelings for each other.
A pin struck in the organ inside his chest.
It was the same pin that hit him whenever he sees Sakuragi Hanamichi looking at Akagi Haruko back then. The same pin that assassinated his heart when Hanamichi confessed to him about having a son to a girl he met in a party place.
It hurts more than a wound can... that Kaede could crash the glass he was holding... in one burst of his burning emotion.
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