Slam Dunk is not mine!

CHAPTER 4

Rukawa stroked a match. He then watched it burn. The flame licked the wooden stick till it turned to ashes. He dropped it onto the ground.

What was he doing here? Rukawa looked at the hoop, looming high, taunting him to score a basket. Just one, teeny-weeny basket. His hands itched to unzip his duffel bag and take out his basketball. Just one.

He gave in to the temptation. The rhythmic bounce of the ball was like music to his ears. The sight of his perfect baskets was like an ego booster, encouraging him to do it, again and again.

He flicked the ball in the direction of the hoop. Without a hint of a doubt, the ball went right through, without touching the net or the rim. He dropped onto the floor, panting.

What time is it? Late. He didn't care. He felt calm now. Basketball... his only love.

But what about these feelings for that redhead? Sure, he felt affection, maybe even admiration. But love? Impossible... Right?

He could feel his anger boiling up again. How dare that do'aho kicked him out. Just when he came over to tell him... well, tell him something. He couldn't remember it now, but it seemed important.

Had he really hurt that idiot? Who could have thought that the 'tensai' could actually have those feelings?

Rukawa got up and retrieved the ball. Tomorrow. He'll do something tomorrow. Something... He'll figure it out. Tonight, the basket is his enemy.

Sakuragi laughed loudly. He slapped his hand on the table several times to emphasize his happiness, then choked on his burger.

Youhei looked oddly at Sakuragi, then patted his back. "Hey. You don't have to overdo it, you know," He whispered into Sakuragi's ear. "Takamiya's joke wasn't even THAT funny."

Sakuragi gave a big grin and scratched his head. "Well, I think it's hilarious."

Youhei studied his friend. Something is wrong. He could sense that.

"You've been dumped again?" He asked.

Sakuragi's gundan ears' pricked. "Hanamichi got dumped again?! That's no surprise. Except, we didn't even know who she was!" They whooped for joy, ignorant to their friend's suffering.

"Baka." Sakuragi got up from the booth and left the burger joint. Who was he kidding, trying to find comfort among his friends? He's alone, all alone. Nobody understood him. Nobody ever will.

Putting his hands in his pocket, he walked slowly home, his head bowed down. He started listlessly at the cars zooming past. He took in the familiar scenery. The tree, that lamp post.

He stopped at the public basketball court. He rested his hands lightly on the metal fence. He remembered this place. Lots of memories here.

Gori giving him advice about 'killing with your eyes'. Haruko teaching him a lay-up shot. His first encounter with Fukuda. He even remembered the 200 shots he made here, right before the match against Takezato. Too tired, he had fallen asleep. As a result, he arrived late, somewhere near the end of the 2nd half, and had gotten a punch in the head by Gori.

He opened the gate at the corner and entered the court. A group of teenagers were playing a half-court game. Sakuragi smiled, and it built up to a chuckle, till he was laughing loudly. Dumb idiots. They think basketball is an easy game? Only a tensai could play it, and play it well. A good player is 99 talent and 1 hard work.

Darn. He wished he had a ball now. Not to practice. Geniuses don't need to practice. He just wanted to show those kids how the game is truly played. He scanned the court. His eyes lay on an abandoned ball at the far corner. All right.

He jogged steadily towards it. As he got closer and closer to the ball, an uncomfortable image seemed to loom closer and closer. It seemed to be a lump on the floor, but as he neared it, he realized that it was a person.

Was there a fight here last night? Is he dead? Sakuragi tentatively poked the unmoving figure. He squinted, blocking the glaring sun from his eyes.

"Ru... Rukawa?" Sakuragi quickly took a step back. What was he doing here? And why the hell are there burnt out match sticks lying all around him?

He swiftly backed away. Without a sound, he picked up Rukawa's ball (well, it most probably belonged to Rukawa, right?) and headed for the court.

Sakuragi took a deep breath, palmed the ball, and played his game.

Rukawa blinked. There was an irritating throbbing in his head. He gently touched his forehead. It got worst.

He sat upright. Where was he? Had he fallen asleep at the court? Well, obviously, as he was wearing yesterday's clothes and the impressions of the roughly pebbled ground could be felt on his cheeks and arms.

So that was where the throbbing came from. Kids playing basketball. Go away, he threatened mentally. He stood up and brushed off the dry leaves sticking to his jeans. He turned around to get his basketball and found the spot where his beloved had been empty.

Rukawa panicked. His ball... Had it rolled off to the streets and was run over by a car? Or maybe a jealous basketball player had come at night and stole his precious ball away? Or one of those punks had come and thought that his ball was actually theirs? WHERE THE HELL IS HIS BALL?

"Hey. Rukawa. You're awake. You've been asleep for so long that I had almost given up and wanted to beat you till you open your eyes."

Rukawa shielded his eyes from the rays with his left hand. Who... Oh. That do'aho. What was he doing here?

He walked towards the red-haired monkey. "Oi. That's my ball." He said and held out his hand, expecting Sakuragi to hand it over.

Sakuragi hid the ball behind his back and stuck out his tongue. "You'll have to play for it," he said cheekily.

Rukawa smirked. "I'll win anyway, do'aho." However, he took off his sweater and flung it aside. "Let's have a bet."

Sakuragi's smile appeared easily. He wasn't angry with him anymore, his heart rejoiced. "Alright. The winner gets to do anything, anything at all, with the winner for a day. That okay with you?" He suggested.

Rukawa rotated his neck, relaxing his muscles. He flicked his hair back, but it immediately fell back on his face. His game face appeared, and his unblinking eyes stared straight into Sakuragi's brown ones. "You're on."

(A/N) Haha. My favourite line in this chapter: "And why the hell are there burnt out match sticks lying all around him?"
Maybe I could make it into an eccentric fetish of Rukawa's... hmm...