Thanks for the people who reviewed. sorry but i'm really in hurry right now so i can't open my e-mail account, i just stopped by to post the 2nd chapter. hope you enjoy it!! sorry, if i really can't mention your names, school just started and we have a lot of requirements and crap, well eniweiz, enjoy!!

>..> my thoughts

/.../ actions

Chapter 2: Event, Discoveries & Memories

Right after class the next day, Neira quickly went to the gym to watch the basketball team practice. On the way, she met the guy her Aya-chan had introduced to her yesterday as Mitsui-sempai hehehe..ü . "Konnichiwa, Mitsui-sempai" Neira said while walking faster so she could catch up with him. "Konnichiwa, Nishishima-san" Mitsui said. He grinned his toothy grin >??? toothy grin???> before asking her "No offense my dear but you really don't look a lot like Ayako." Neira smiled. Mitsui was right and so she gathered courage so she could explain. "That's right sempai. Uhmmm.. You see, well, Aya-chan and I are half sisters. We both have the same mother but different fathers. Our mother left us when we were still young for her 3rd man. She hasn't come back ever since."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry that I asked" Mitsui's eyes were full of concern. Neira just brushed it off and said. "Iie, it's alright sempai. It's been 9 years since that..." But she couldn't hide the hurt and the pain that was clearly visible in her eyes along with a few tears, which were threatening to overflow.

"Come now, don't cry." Mitsui said "And please don't call me sempai. Mitsui or Mitsui-kun is enough." then he continued so that, he hoped, Neira would forget what they had just talked about. "What were you and Miyagi talking about yesterday at the gym?" he gently asked "Why was he acting like a lunatic, jumping all over the place?" This statement made its desired effect. Neira smiled despite her sorrow. "Well, you see, I agreed to help him set up a date with Aya-chan."

Mitsui's eyes grew wide at this. "But doesn't Ayako prohibit it?" Neira laughed. A small soft musical laugh. "Hai, but it wouldn't hurt if I gave them a push in the right direction, ne?" >tsk tsk tsk.. micchy and neira sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage.. /grins/> Her eyes were very playful and only till now did Mitsui notice those dark midnight blue eyes. They had a silent fire burning in them. 'Just like Rukawa's when he gets hold of the orange ball' he thought. He smiled. There was an unexplainable force that was drawing him to her. He could feel it. He smiled again. "Well," he replied when he noticed Neira looking at him questioningly. He had unconsciously kept silent for a long time. "I guess it's okay. Uhmmmm. Do you want me to help you arrange it?" He was about to give up hope 'cause he thought she was going to decline when Neira said. "Hai!!"

The fire burning in her eyes were so intense. He smiled. He had never seen such interesting eyes before. 'I wonder if Rukawa's eyes can possibly be like hers." he thought. Then, they arrived at the gym.

Before entering, Neira suddenly said "Mitsui-kun, please don't tell anyone about my parents. Well, it's not that I'm not over them, it's just that..." Mitsui looked deep into her eyes before interrupting her "Hai, I understand.." he said. Then they went in.

The team was practicing especially hard today since their battle with Shoyo >/rubs hands evilly/> was going to take place on Saturday and it was already Monday. 'Only 4 more days to go' was the statement all of them were thinking. "Okay team" Akagi roared "Were gonna beat Shoyo and be part of the Preliminaries!!!"

"Hai!!!!!" everybody shouted.

Neira looked up from the book she was reading at the mention of Shoyo. 'So their going up against Kenji-kun, ne? I wonder if Kenji-kun already knows this. I bet he does. He is after all, the captain/manager/ace of their team. That's why he's stressed out sometimes.' she thought. Sakuragi had noticed Neira look up at the mention of Shoyo. Knowing Sakuragi, he quickly said "Oi, Neira-chan. Do you know somebody in Shoyo? You looked mighty interested when Gori here /pokes Akagi/ mentioned that we were playing against them."

Neira smiled, a very happy and brilliant smile at that. "Hai.." but before Sakuragi could reply, Gori, i mean Akagi >/looks aground to check whether Akagi heard her or not/> had planted another red bump on Sakuragi's already too red head. Rukawa had noticed the enthusiasm Neira had showed when Shoyo was mentioned well, most of them noticed since Neira was sitting behind Akagi when he was making the announcement so she was in plain sight when she looked up. 'Hnnn... I wonder. does she have a close friend in Shoyo or a....... boyfriend?' the kitsune thought 'Wait a minute. Why the hell do I care' and he turned around dribbling the ball and finally shooting it into the hoop. A perfect shot. as expected Unknown to him, those were the exact lines his teammates were thinking along when they saw what Neira had done.

Practice went on as usual. And the same hard training occurred the next day and the next.......

On Thursday, a huge storm broke out and classes were suspended. The team met up at Ayako's house even though the wind was so strong and the drops of rain were so big because they really needed to practice. Shoyo wasn't an easy opponent and they all knew it. Ayako and Neira had an outdoor court at their home but it was open no roof.. so they all were waiting for the rain to clear up..

"So much for practice." Kogure said as he stared out the window then back to his teammates. As usual, Rukawa was fast asleep; Miyagi was helping Ayako in the kitchen, Mitsui and Sakuragi were playing video games and Akagi was lost in thought thinking about the upcoming game. He noticed that Neira was in another chair staring out at the rain and the sky. >some people love thunderstorms because of how the drops of rain fall down (sampip by: parokya ni edgar..ü) /smiles/>

He was about to go over to Neira when Ayako called him and Neira into the kitchen just as the doorbell rang.

"Can somebody please get it..." Ayako said. No one budged. "Please.." Ayako said after the 14th ring. "Sakuragi, go get the door." Akagi said "I don't want too." Sakuragi replied. This earned him a bump on his head. He unwillingly left the game he and Micchy were playing and went to the door. Mitsui secretly continued the game while Sakuragi was away thus making himself the winner.

Sakuragi opened the door and found, much to his surprise, Fujima Kenji standing there with a book in his hand. He had an impatient look on his face. When he saw Sakuragi, he was also surprised and when he peeked inside, he got more surprised when saw the whole Shohoku team all over the living room. He blinked then remembered what he was supposed to do there when he saw Sakuragi looking at him suspiciously.

"Uhhmm, can you please return this to Neira.." Fujima hastily said while handing the book to Sakuragi when he noticed that the Akagi and Mitsui were already looking at him. He then turned and left. Sakuragi cross-examined the book and finall being sure that it was not poisoned or whatever closed the door and re-entered the living room. "What did he want?" Mitsui asked. "He came to return this book to Neira" Sakuragi replied while holding up the book. Mitsui looked at it then shouted "Oi Neira! Fujima left a book for you."

Neira instantly popped out of the kitchen and took the book. "Do you know him?" Akagi asked. "Hai!" Neira replied "he's our next door neighbor."

"next door neighbor??" Akagi, Mitsui and Sakuragi said. "Yup" Neira replied with a smile. "Wait." She suddenly said. "The rain isn't over yet.." "So what.." Sakuragi said. "I have an idea." Neira replied then she instantly went out the door.

A few minutes later, she reappeared and smiled. "Is it alright with you guys if you have a practice game with Shoyo today?" They all looked up at this including Miyagi and Kogure who had come back from the kitchen and were told about the Fujima scene that had happened earlier. "That would be nice. "Akagi said "but where will we play and how will they know about it?"

"It's all fixed." Neira said "Kenji has a covered court in their backyard and he says that his teammates are coming over at around 1:00 pm." They all stared when Neira had called Fujima with his first name. 'What kind of relationship does Fujima and Neira have?' they all thought.

By this time, Rukawa had woken up in time to hear Neira's proposal. He looked at his watch and noted that it was already 11:30. "Can we go over there and practice for awhile before we have this match?" Rukawa asked. No one had noticed that he was awake and they were all kinda shocked when he suddenly spoke up. "Yup." Neira replied. "Then let's go over there now and practice." Miyagi said. They all got up and waited for Neira while she told Ayako about her plan, then they all headed for the Fujima household.

----------------at the Fujima "household"----------------

"Wow!!! This house is huge!" Sakuragi exclaimed, eyes popping, when Fujima led them to his backyard where his court was situated. Fujima just smiled and told them that his teammates where going to arrive at 1:00 and that they were going to start their game at around 2:00. The court was huge. Actually, there were 2 courts. One whole covered court and a seperate covered half court.

When they had all changed, Akagi instantly started practice.

Meanwhile, at the half court, Neira was shooting some hoops. She had borrowed a ball from Fujima and she was practicing layups and freethrows. She was quite good at it because she and her sister shared the same love for basketball and Fujima had taught her all he knew. Usually, during rainy days like this, she and Fujima would be playing ball. >Buhos ng ulan, aking mundo'y lunuring tuluyan, tulad ng pag-agos mo, 'di mapipigil ang puso kong nagliliyab, pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw, damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa, tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka (tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka by:eraserheads) /smiles/> It was a sort of practice for him while it was an exercise and a fun game to her. She smiled. It was fun reminiscing such happy memories.

>sorry guys, but classes are already started like i said..well, that was chapter 2, hope you enjoyed it. The practice game with Shoyo will take place on the next chapter.. thanks..Ü>