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 Three: Part II: A Friend in Need
It had been three years since she left Kanagawa with her eldest sister and moved to Korea. For her, those three years were the worst period of her life.
"I am finally back!" a sixteen-year old girl exclaimed heartily the moment she left the train. Opening her arms wide as if about to hug someone, she stood in the middle of the station hall and shouted with untold elation, "Oh dear Kanagawa! I am baaaaaack!"
She started to dance while laughing with delight, and some passersby were shaking their heads sadly, thinking that the girl must be mad.
The people around glared at her, annoyed by her noisy behavior. She didn't take notice of them. Her overwhelming happiness was hard to contain. An old lady approached her and hit her legs slightly with an umbrella she was holding, scolding her with a squeaky voice, "Behave yourself, young lady! What a shame!"
The girl scowled then stuck her tongue out at the old lady, "That's none of your business, hag! I do what ever I wish any time I wish!"
Gasping, the old woman prepared herself to beat the cheeky girl with her umbrella mercilessly. "Why you ill-mannered, wicked girl! I will teach you a lesson for your disgraceful behavior!"
Luckily, the girl managed to run away before the old lady could beat her black and blue with her lethal weapon. While her run off, she shouted, "I am home!"
Since she had left Danny's, the ebony-haired girl couldn't stop thinking about the melodramatic scene she had just witnessed there. Although she derided the whole thing inwardly, she had been touched by the redhead's words. She pictured him again: his eyes were blazing with fury, and his voice was oozing with unspeakable misery. However, his pain didn't stop him from worrying about his sweetheart's feelings if she got dumped by her new boyfriend. His words, which revealed sincere passion, were still echoing in her mind.
"She is a sensitive girl, and the last thing I want is to see her hurt. If you ever break her heart or dump her, I'll make sure that you be really really sorry!"
Sighing bitterly, her azure eyes were filled with anguish looks when she compared the redhead to her mean ex- boyfriend.
"You naïve brat! Did you really believe that I was in love with you? You are so pathetic! The only reason that I stood your weirdness is your money, idiot! Do you think any sane guy would love a…"
Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed. The girl was deep in thoughts that she didn't pay attention to her steps. She found herself bumping into another person, who happened to be the cheeky girl from the train station.
"Watch out!" the latter said angrily, seeing the other girl running into her. Too late… the impact was bound to happen. Unfortunately, the impact was too hard that the latter's sunglasses were sent flying and then they crashed on the pavement.
"Look what you have done, clumsy!" she yelled at the ebony-haired girl, glaring at her.
It was an accident. There is no need to make a fuss over it, loudmouth. She merely glared back.
After few moments of exchanging stern looks, the ebony-haired girl shrugged and started to walk away, the thing that infuriated the other girl.
"Where do you think you're going? You still owe me an apology!" she barked.
Apologize? In your dreams, loudmouth! Turning around to face her, the ebony-haired girl mouthed the word 'moron' soundlessly then carried on walking away.
The offended girl was boiling with rage at that gesture. Why that cow!
"You bitch! If I see your ugly mug around again, I will break it! Do you hear me?!" she snarled wrathfully at her rival's retreating figure.
The other girl sighed indifferently, not giving the menacing words a damn at all.
The old rivals spent the last two hours in a close by park, sitting on a bench near a small pool. Sakuragi was talking all the time while Rukawa listened in silence, his face characteristically deadpan. Sakuragi started from his fiftieth rejection by Yoko, who had chosen a basketball player over him, Oda. He told him how down in the dumps he was then, and how much he hated basketball because of that. He carried on his story where his hatred of the game turned into craze the minute he met this sweet girl, Haruko, who introduced him to basketball and to the 'slam dunk'. Sakuragi told Rukawa how hard he trained to impress Haruko and convince her that he was a great athlete, and how all his hard work seemed worthless when he found out that she had a crush on another guy whom she was attracted to since junior high school, and that guy was Rukawa Kaede.
Is that why he hit me on our first meeting? Because of that girl? Hmm… she had a crush on me? So that's why she cheers me so loud like a maniac. Now I understand why this do'aho was jealous of me all the time. What a jerk.
The heartbroken boy continued on, telling Rukawa about all the details of their relationship and the sweet memories he and Haruko shared together. When he reached the 'final act' of his story, which was that about his love confession and the shocking treachery of his so-called best friend, his voice became full of anger and pain.
"The last thing in the world I could have expected," he said in subdued wrath, "is to be rejected by Haruko because she is dating my f friend!" Sakuragi spluttered in indignation, his fists shaking with fury. "I have always believed that I and Haruko had something special, but now…" His voice trailed off for a moment. Sighing bitterly as if he was facing all the disasters in this world, the heartbroken boy sank in the bench and gazed at the nothingness. "I guess I am just unlucky with girls. The thing I don't understand is… why? What's wrong with me?" Sakuragi ran his fingers through his red locks, which had grown taller by then. "I mean… I am not that ugly, am I?" he asked no one in particular. "Actually, I know that I am handsome! I am even more charming than you, you zombie-like fox!" he said smugly, giving Rukawa a sidelong, disgusted stare.
Whatever. Rukawa merely wrinkled his nose nonchalantly.
Standing up, Sakuragi shoved his hands into his pockets with frustration. Kicking a small pebble on the ground towards the pool, he said in a aggrieved tone, "I still don't get it. Why Yohei? Why not me? What's in Yohei that I don't have? I thought I was closer to her than any other guy in the world! I wouldn't have minded too much if she had rejected me because of you. Gosh… I wouldn't have even minded you going out with her. I just wanted her to be happy."
I am so flattered. How thoughtful of you, but no thanks, Rukawa thought with a snort.
"How ironic!" Sakuragi chuckled bitterly, kicking another pebble into the pool. "She gave up on you and fell to the last person in the world that I could have thought of. I tried my best to be the most brilliant basketball player so that I would impress her, yet she had thrown herself into Yohei's arms!"
Rukawa remained silent, not knowing what he was supposed to say or do to soothe his companion. He could sense the latter's pain yet was hesitant to say anything. He knew how much the redhead was addicted to that Akagi girl, how he was always trying to grab her attention with his antics, how his eyes sparkled every time they fell on her. He wasn't an expert at all in the love area, nevertheless, it wasn't too hard for him to imagine the disappointment and pain a brokenhearted guy like Sakuragi would suffer from. However, his silent empathy didn't mean that he approved the whole matter; on the contrary, he still believed that falling to a girl and devoting every single minute of one's life to worship her was rubbish. For Rukawa, there were other things to worry about in life than this silly sentimentality. Much important things. And as a matter of fact, whatever love meant to a guy, it couldn't be worthy enough to decide to go to meet his maker just because his love was unrequited.
I can't believe that I am wasting my time with this silly matter. That's ridiculous.
Rukawa knitted his eyebrows and eyed Sakuragi with disgust. He decided that the best way to soothe his friend to-be was by ridiculing the issue. As a matter of fact, the issue was ridiculous to him. "Are you telling me," he drawled with a 'you-make-me-feel-sick' expression on his face, standing up and stepping towards Sakuragi, "that you wanted to jump off the bridge because of this? You're pathetic."
His companion's blood began to boil at hearing that. "Why you blasted fox! I knew I shouldn't have trusted your so-called good intention to listen to me! I can't believe I've told you all these things! You just wanted to make fun of me, didn't you? Hell on you!" the redhead snarled, barely resisting his itch to choke the life out of his old rival.
"Do'aho," Rukawa grunted then said coldly, "It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?!" the wild boy shouted at the top of his lungs with shock, throwing his hands in the air frantically like a dejected child. "How dare you! What do you know about love anyway? An iceberg like you will never understand how it feels to be rejected by a girl you're mad about!"
As if I give it a damn. "Why don't you shout louder, do'aho? My other eardrum is still sound," Rukawa snorted while rubbing inside his right ear.
Sakuragi howled with rage at Rukawa's coldness and was about to head-butt him when he decided against it and head-butted the ground instead.
I can never be tired of provoking this nutcase, Rukawa thought.
"You'll be hospitalized again, do'aho," he grunted.
"Why can't you at least pretend that you feel sorry for me, kitsune?" he almost sobbed, hot tears rushing into his eyes. His whole body is shaking. Turning his back to Rukawa so that he won't see him weeping like a crybaby, he sniffled, "If Yohei had been here, he would've understood. He always did."
Rukawa was taken aback, for he hadn't expected Sakuragi to react like that. He wanted him to take his anger out on him so that he could feel better. He had never seen this emotional side of Sakuragi before.
Look what have you done, smartass. You made him on the verge of blubbering.
"I am such a fool!" Sakuragi suddenly burst out with untold wrath and pain. "Yohei can't be here for me this time, because he's the one who had backstabbed me! That bastard!"
In a moment of blind rage, Sakuragi punched the closest tree trunk with all his might. The punch was so hard that his hand was badly injured. Rukawa's eyes went wide with shock at seeing the blood gushing from Sakuragi's hand. The oozing blood was now dripping on the ground, tinting the spot with crimson color.
Rukawa rushed to Sakuragi's side. His face was still expressionless, but deep inside he was concerned about Sakuragi's injury. "Sakuragi… you nuts," he spoke bitterly.
Without wasting any time, he ripped his sleeve and wrapped the injured hand with the cloth. The redhead merely stared at the emptiness, looking dazed.
"You should see a doctor," Rukawa said firmly, pulling Sakuragi's arm to urge him to move. The cloth that he had bandaged the wound with had already soaked in blood.
Much to Rukawa's surprise, Sakuragi shoved him angrily, causing him to stumble back slightly. "Leave me alone! I don't need a doctor!" he barked.
Narrowing his eyes, the ebony-haired boy said straight-facedly, "Cut the crap, do'aho. You need a doctor."
"I told you that I don't need a doctor, and I don't need you! Just get lost!"
"Sakuragi," Rukawa said in an unintentional icy tone, "You're pathetic."
Sakuragi opened his mouth to yell at his companion, but instead he let out a groan of pain. His bleeding hand hurt him badly. Shutting his eyes and kneeling on the ground, he squeezed on his aching hand with low a moan. Rukawa approached him, concern in his usually cold eyes.
Kneeling beside the redhead, he said calmly, "Get a hold on yourself, do'aho. Just forget it."
The miserable boy bit his lips sulkily. Forget what? The pain of my heart or my hand? Both hurt like hell.
"You have your love for basketball, and it can never break your heart." Rukawa stood up slowly then walked away, his hand in his pockets. He said without looking back or stopping, "See you on the court."
Sakuragi gazed at his bleeding right hand. Memories of all those slam dunks he scored with this hand flooded his blurry mind.
"Do you like basketball?"
I love basketball, and I will always do, no matter what happens. I am the Tensai.
"Rukawa!" the redhead suddenly called out to the other boy.
The ebony-hair boy stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Sakuragi over his shoulder.
"Do you pity me, kitsune? If so, I don't need your sympathy!" he announced haughtily, drawing himself up to his full height.
"Sakuragi…"
"What?"
"Do'aho."
Gritting his teeth furiously that one can hear the squeaky sound from afar, he hissed, "You know what? You're still my loathsome archenemies and shall always be!"
With that said, Sakuragi left the place fuming as usual. Watching his retreating figure, Rukawa pondered over his last words.
I know you, Sakuragi. I know you very well. You can't live without a friend for so long. One day, you will realize how much you need another close friend to replace Yohei in your heart. When you need me then, I shall be there. I promise.
The King of Broken Hearts doesn't ask much from his friends
And he has quite a few of them
They know he will understand
That's just the way it goes
The King of Broken Hearts doesn't know he's a king
He's tryin' to forget other things
Like some old ship at sea
He's walkin' through life alone
He talks to angels
And the stars start to spin
He thinks of troubles that he's gotten in
He recalls how his heart got broken
And how it's still that way
The King of Broken Hearts is so sad and wise
He can smile while he's cryin' inside
We know he'll be brave tonight
Cause he's the King of Broken Hearts
The King of Broken Hearts thinks that he's no fool
He's a little like me and you
So what's a King like that supposed to do
With all that blue time
We know he'll be brave tonight
Cause he's the King of Broken Hearts
He's the King of Broken Hearts
('The King Of Broken Hearts' by George Strait)