Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and its characters belong to Inoue Takehiko. The new characters I created in this fic belong to me.
Chalk and Cheese
Chapter Two: The Aftermath
For some people, love is bliss. For others, it is a curse.
Love can send your thrilled soul over the moon and give you the feeling of being in Heaven. It is the secret behind that deep sensation of endless happiness which overwhelms your soul with each beat of your heart and each breath you take.
However, love could also turn your life into a living nightmare; an everlasting hell. One can endure a painful wound, but not that of a bleeding, broken heart. One can forget his physical hurt, but a lover can't ignore the agonizing pain of a heartbreak.
For Sakuragi Hanamichi, love was nothing but agony and total misery.
Love hurts, love scars
Love wounds and mars
Any heart not tough
Or strong enough
Take a lot of pain
Take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud
And it holds a lot of rain
Love hurts, love hurts
I'm young, I know
But even so
I know a thing or two
Ooo honey, I learned from you
I really learned a lot
I really learned a lot
Love is like a stove
It burns you when it's hot
Love hurts, love hurts
Some fools rave, of happiness
Of blissfulness, togetherness
Oh, some fools,
They fool themselves, I guess
They're not fooling me
And I know it isn't true
God, I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie and it's
Made to make you blue
Love hurts, love hurts
Love hurts
('Love Hurts' by Cher)
Although it wasn't the first time he had been ever rejected by a girl, he couldn't fight the depression that had taken him over. It hurt him badly - the taste of rejection. To think the world of a person, while your love couldn't return your feelings may well be only described with one word: Dreadful. Sakuragi was awfully attracted to Haruko, whom he thought of as a woman after his own heart. Not only was she different from any other girl he had fallen for, but the most amazing thing about her was that she had changed his life completely. A simple question she had asked him was the reason of the amazing change of his ambitions in life.
Do you like basketball?
At first, it was all about impressing his new crush and bragging about being a genius at basketball. Then, little by little, he had become fond of this game. Gradually, basketball grew to be Hanamichi's main interest; his most precious ambition in life. He had worked hard to improve his poor ability, and much to everyone's surprise, managed to do so smoothly. After a few months, the boy who had never touched a basketball before had surpassed many of his peers. No one, not even Akagi himself, could deny his brilliance and amazing ability to learn quickly. Sakuragi never failed to stir the audience each time he performed his breath-taking dunks, or whenever he succeeded in besting a skilful opponent, despite his lack of experience. Many people admitted that he had great potential that was rarely found nowadays, in addition to his indescribable determination and competitive spirit. His undying spirit, self-motivation and the courage to face hardship had earned his teammates' respect, including his life-long rival, Rukawa. Sakuragi believed that if hadn't met Haruko, his life would have been worthless. He would have carried on being a troublemaker whose only interest was picking fights. She was the one who introduced him to basketball, and had always supported and encouraged him.
Do you like basketball?
He could clearly remember when this question echoed in his mind after he picked up his injury in the match against Sannoh. It had motivated him to keep on playing despite the unbearable pain. Haruko had been there beside him, sincere concern in her teary eyes. Smiling at her, he had put his hand gently on her shoulder and said softly, "Yes, I love it very much." Thanks to you, Haruko-chan.
Now, after realizing the bitter fact that this girl wasn't meant to be his girl, 'love' suddenly seemed a dull word.
The same went for the word 'friendship'.
Biting his lower lip, Sakuragi could feel the blood boiling in his veins. A wave of bile swept over him, like a torrent flooding out a broken dam. He had known before how painful rejection could be, but he had never expected that the betrayal of a friend could be more excruciating.
"Yohei, why?" he muttered under his breath sadly. Mito had been his best friend since junior high school. In fact, Sakuragi had always thought of him as a brother. Whenever he needed someone to have a heart to heart talk with, the only person who came to mind was Mito. They shared some wonderful memories. Sakuragi had never cherished anyone like him; he was the most trusted friend he'd ever had.
But now, this all seemed like a big fat lie.
"Hey, guys, how about visiting Hanamichi in the hospital today?" Noma suggested while gulping what was left in his fourth bowel of ramen. He was with the rest of the gang in Danny's, having their lunch.
Takamiya, the fat boy, belched loudly and unashamedly before answering, "Yeah, good idea. I miss that baka. We haven't seen him for a whole week!"
"Make them two for Mito. He didn't come with us in our last visit," Okusu remarked, his eyes chasing a pretty girl who had just passed by their table.
Mito was fiddling with his chopsticks absentmindedly, looking tired. Without realizing it, he heaved an audible sigh which baffled his friends. They exchanged quizzical looks, wondering about the reason behind their friend's gloomy mood lately. They had never seen him so down in dumps before, as if his whole life was on the verge of ending. His preoccupied mind didn't snap back to reality until Okusu nudged him.
"What's the matter, Yohei? You are not being yourself lately," the blond boy said worriedly.
"You are acting so weird. Always distracted and wearing a sulky expression. Did something happen that you're not telling us about?" Noma demanded.
Mito managed a feeble smile. "No! Everything is fine, guys. There is nothing to worry about."
"Honestly!" Okusu snorted in scorn. "Look at your face, man! You look as if you haven't slept in ages! What's bothering you?"
"Tell us, Yohei. We are your friends, and we could help!" Takamiya urged in an uncharacteristically solemn tone.
You can't help me with this problem, I am afraid, Mitothought somberly. He felt the guilt stabbing him through his heart.
"Hey, I know!" the fat boy suddenly shifted back to his ridiculous, characteristic manner. He guffawed mischievously, shouting, "You must be in love!"
Takamiya's ridiculous joke gave Mito quite a jolt. It had struck a nerve, and the fat moron didn't realize that.
The other two joined Takamiya in his mockery, thinking that they could cheer their friend up that way.
"So our Mito is in love? Who could have imagined?" Okusu whooped, and then he gave a catcall.
"Ah! So that's it! You are afraid that your babe will reject you, just like what had happened with Sakuragi!" Noma laughed his head off.
"Bwahaha! I bet that jinx of ours had plagued you with his misfortune with girls!" Takamiya cackled.
"Hey, I bet that Mito will get rejected!" Noma yelped, placing his money on the table.
The other boys' eyes sparkled at hearing the magic word 'bet'. Enthusiastically, they started babbling about betting on Mito. Takamiya sniggered, saying there wasn't a girl stupid enough to date the friend of the horrifying Hanamichi, while Okusu was more than sure that Mito stood a better chance with girls than Sakuragi.
Mito's face vaulted, his body shaking angrily. He couldn't stomach his fellows' silly actions anymore, since the issue they were making fun of was his nightmarish problem right then. Much to his own surprise, he stood up suddenly, yelling in a voice so angry he almost didn't recognize as his own. "STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"
His three friends quieted abruptly, their eyes wide with shock. It was the first time they had ever seen Mito in rage.
The latter couldn't stand feeling this guilt toward his best friend anymore. That remorse eating up his heart was driving him crazy. He decided to pour it all out before he exploded. He was tired of worrying about his relationship with Haruko Akagi and how to hide it from everyone.
"Yes! I am in love!" he announced, with great anger, not at his friends, but at himself. "And I am disgusted of myself for that!" his voice started to choke with hot tears. "Do you know why? Because I am in love with the same girl as my best friend is!"
An uneasy silence enveloped the four of them. Noma was the first one to recover. "Mito… you don't mean…"
"Yes! I do mean her; Akagi Haruko!"
There was another moment of awkward quiet. Mito continued his declaration of guilt without any hesitation.
"The problem is deeper than just a silly infatuation or puppy love. I am terribly in love with her, and the most important thing is, she is in love with me too!"
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, adding in softer tone, "We have confessed our feelings to each other. It happened two weeks ago. I couldn't help it… I found myself asking her to be my girlfriend! I couldn't resist my wish to have her as my girl, although I knew that Hanamichi would ask her the same thing sooner or later! I have dated her since then, and I hid this from you all!"
When he had opened his eyes, his friends were still staring at him with astonishment, dumbfounded. He had expected them to be staggered upon hearing this appalling news, for they knew how much trouble this would bring. Mito thought that his confession would make him feel better, but on the contrary, his pain had become worse. His friends must be looking down on him, he thought. His heart ached at the thought of Hanamichi's reaction, which might threaten their intimate friendship.
Seeing that his fellows were still gaping at him, he became irritated. "Don't just stare at me like that! Say something! I know what are you thinking of me now. Just say it! Say that I am nothing but a…"
"Traitor!"
Mito jumped when he heard that familiar voice behind him. He turned in time to meet the enraged face of his best friend, whose gaze was shooting daggers at him. It suddenly struck Mito that his friends hadn't been gaping at him, but at the fuming Sakuragi who had showed up out of the blue and heard Mito's confession. They had been too shaken to warn him.
"You are nothing but a filthy traitor, Mito Yohei!" Sakuragi snarled, his words dripping with unspeakable venom.
Mito felt dizzy, his mind blurred completely. "Hanamichi… I …" he stuttered shakily.
The other three had recovered from their daze and decided they should interfere. The situation was threatening to turn into a disaster if they couldn't cool it down. Managing nervous laughs, they surrounded their tall friend, patting him heartily on the back.
"Sakuragi! How great it is to have you back! Nothing is fun without you!"
"Why didn't you tell us that you were discharged today?"
"You haven't run away, now have you?"
Sakuragi didn't pay them any heed. His glaring eyes were fixed on a certain 'friend'. The latter was looking away, his head lowered in shame.
"Why?" Sakuragi's tone was both pained and imploring. "I thought you were my best friend!"
"Hanamichi… I swear I didn't mean to hurt…"
"Shut up, you bastard!" Sakuragi bellowed furiously, giving Mito a hateful punch on the face. The blow was hard that it sent him sprawling painfully to the floor. Everyone gasped in horror. Their attention shifted fully to the redheaded boy and his companions. Even though the patrons were familiar with noisy quarrels there, because Danny's was popular with school troublemakers, they had never witnessed any violence there. The manager rushed to their side at once.
"Hey, you! I don't want any fights in my restaurant. If you have any unfinished business, make sure you don't settle them here!" he barked fiercely.
Takamiya, Noma and Okusu could barely pin down their hot-tempered friend from punching the daylights out of poor Mito. Sakuragi was struggling hard to free himself.
"Let go! I am not done with that so-called friend yet! I said, let go!" he growled dangerously.
"Knock it off, Hanamichi! Mito doesn't deserve this!"
"You've been best friends since junior high, remember?"
"It is a disgrace to fight over a girl like that! So what if he is dating Haruko? She has chosen him over you, and that is not his fault!"
Unfortunately, this last sentence worsened the situation instead of cooling it down. Feeling that his precious ego had been dreadfully insulted, Sakuragi roared angrily, head-butting his three friends viciously. The boys fell to the ground, helpless against his strength. The enraged redheaded looked again at his old friend, who was lifting himself slowly off the cold floor. Mito staggered as he stood, wiping away the trickles of blood rolling from his mouth. He looked at his best friend apologetically; his eyes shimmering with tears.
"Hanamichi… I... can't blame you for being angry at me. I…" His voice trailed off.
"Why?" Sakuragi choked. "Why did you do this to me? Why did you hurt me like that? I could forget about Haruko, but how can I forget that you have betrayed our so-called friendship? You knew how much she meant to me, you knew that I was dying to confess my love to her, yet you took her from me… without shame! I know she cares about me! If you hadn't confused her with your declaration of love, I am sure she would have accepted my feelings!"
"Hanamichi…" Mito whispered remorsefully. "I am sorry…"
Sakuragi was fighting back the urge to beat him black and blue. Don't, a small voice echoed in his mind. What's the use? It's all over, anyway. Besides, this will hurt Haruko. He is her boyfriend now, and hurting him will break her heart.
Inwardly sighing with resignation, he eyed the dejected Mito with disgust before he turned to leave. Mito grabbed his arm, pleading for his forgiveness. "Listen to me please, Hanamichi! I was selfish, but honestly, I didn't mean to hurt you! I would never dream of hurting my best friend!"
Sakuragi shrugged his friend's hand off, giving him a sidelong glare. "Huh! Indeed, Mito!" he snorted.
Mito? Not Yohei anymore?
"Believe me, Hanamichi, I…"
"Don't call me Hanamichi anymore!" he burst out. "I will have nothing to do with you from now on!"
"No!" Mito yelled in disbelief. What he had feared had come true. "You can't do that, Hanamichi! You can't give up on our friendship! I can make it up to you. I will talk to Haruko and tell her that you are the one who deserves her, not me. She will understand, I'm sure of it!"
"Oh yes I can give up on our blasted friendship," the redheaded snapped. He pointed a threatening finger in the face of the shorter boy while saying menacingly, "Don't you dare speak this rubbish to Haruko! She is a sensitive girl, and the last thing I want is to see her hurt. If you ever break her heart, I'll make sure that you be really really sorry!"
Looking at the other boys, Sakuragi shouted, "Consider our friendship over for ever! I won't have anything to do with any of you either!"
The three began to get to their feet.
"Oh c'mon! Don't you think you have overreacted enough, Hanamichi?" Okusu snapped.
"Don't you think you are making a big deal of such a silly matter?" Noma remarked.
"Yeah! You are being melodramatic. It's not the first time you've been rejected by a girl!" Takamiya grunted.
"Shut up, you bastard!" Sakuragi snarled, giving the fat boy another head butt. "You are all as unfaithful as that poor excuse of a friend! You knew about his treachery all along, yet you couldn't care less about my feelings! Damn you all!"
Their faces went dark; Sakuragi's words had provoked them.
"Get lost, idiot! Who wants your friendship, anyway? You are nothing but a pain in the neck, Sakuragi Hanamichi!" the blonde retorted.
"Fine! I am leaving this blasted gang without any regrets!"
"Fine!" the other three snapped, sticking their tongues out at him.
After the 'farewell party', the redheaded boy stormed out of Danny's, huffing and puffing. He was cursing under his breath all the way out. Everyone else heaved a sigh of relief, going back to their unfinished meals and chatter.
"Are you alright?" Noma asked concernedly.
"I will survive," replied Takamiya, rubbing his throbbing lump.
"I wasn't asking you. I was asking Yohei, moron!"
"Oh… then thanks for nothing, baka!"
Mito felt intolerable pain building up in his chest. "I lost him… for ever. I lost my dearest friend…" he murmured with anguish. His friends felt sorry for him. They patted him sympathetically on his shoulder, trying to soothe their miserable friend.
"Take it easy, man. We know you didn't mean to harm Hanamichi. He's being a jerk."
"You know him. He'll cool down in no time. He'll come back to us soon and beg for our forgiveness, as usual!"
"It's not the first time we've fought and vowed never to be friends again!"
Mito looked at them wretchedly. "It's different this time. It's not just a silly little spat. He hates me now, not to mention the three of you," he sighed. Holding his head in his hands, he murmured, "What have I done?"
The three boys exchanged anxious looks. They wondered if what had happened was actually the end of the 'Sakuragi Guntai'.
Today you told me that I'd hate you forever
I can't believe what's really going on
Somehow I knew that you felt guilty for something
But tell me why you'd do this to me
Today you told me that I'd hate you forever
I can't believe that you wrecked my life
I was betrayed
How can you say
That you feel sorry inside
It's devastating, losing close friends
I've gone away
You make me stay
But I can't deal with the lies
I've gone insane, losing close friends
('Close Friends' by Adema)
A certain ebony-haired girl was eyeing the four boys with glassy-eyed stares. She was sitting at the table right behind them, thus she had heard hear the whole conversation. She inwardly ridiculed the whole incident.
Hmm… such melodrama. It reminds me of a soap opera. Brother was right; people in Kanagawa are weird.