I don't own Slam Dunk.

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Haruko'd always had a thing for tall guys. Her first crush in elementary school, in her last year was the tallest boy in the level- she'd fallen, hard, ever since she witnessed him having a nasty bump on the monkey bars. He was also the only one who could reach the bananas on the principal's pet tree, and from then on he was her one and only superhero (far more than Pikachu and Team Rocket) because she loved bananas. Then at a gathering, a few years later, she noticed to her horror he'd stopped growing and she was taller than him.

Then her second, most serious and infamous one- Rukawa Kaede. She'd seen him at a game, and was instantly attracted, simultaneously with everyone else in the stadium.

In school, Haruko was popular (as a topic), and not-so-popular (as a friend.)

For one thing, many of the girls didn't like her. These 'many girls' came from the 50 percent of the female population, consisting of the sane people, didn't want to be her friend 'cos smart, sensible ladies like them don't hang out with teenyboppers who worship Rukawa. They also followed a new different trend altogether. "We love cute, sensitive nerds like Kogure Kiminobu!" After Kogure graduated, they transferred their affections to Yasuda, but that's an entirely different issue altogether.

The other 50 percent of the female population, the insane and demented half which made up the Rukawa Shinietai, detested her for her affiliation to the basketball team through her sibling relations with TheGori. "Stay away from Kaede-kun, you evil witch!" Haruko was very unfortunately classified within this half, and was the most prominent of all.

Ayako was different, everyone liked Ayako for being smart, sensible, assertive, and down-to-earth. Also, the many rumours circulating- Ayako and Miyagi Ryota, Ayako and Mitsui Hisashi, Ayako and Anzai-sensei…- made the insane half quickly decide she wasn't a likely contender for their black-haired dream's affections.

Boys admired Haruko from afar. "What a lovely, tender rose… How could someone like Akagi Takenori be related to her?" But they wouldn't even come close to making friends with her- they all shied away, for the same reason as most of the basketball team did- "Gori'd eat me!"

Kogure didn't, because her ani Takenori trusted his dear pal.

Miyagi didn't, because everyone knows he awwwww has a thing for Ayako.

Sakuragi… doesn't. And apparently, will never, despite being punished by Gori everyday. For some unknown reason.

Haruko smiled as she remembered the first time she met Sakuragi in the school hall, his tremendous height and red hair making him ever so outstanding.

"Excuse me, do you play basketball?"

He'd turned around, his expression somewhat enraged and frustrated. But it softened upon sight of her.

"Of course! I'm like, an athlete!"

She told him of her crush on Rukawa, later on, and he looked somewhat like an old stone statue struck by a lightning bolt. Wonder why.

Then as she turned to leave, she noticed him banging his head on the wall out of the corner of her eye. But it didn't matter at the moment because she had other stuff to settle.

Her heart had actually fluttered then, at their first meeting, but she knew it didn't mean anything because she'd given it to Rukawa Kaede.

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End of chapter.

I haven't read the first volume in a long time, so don't expect it to be the same thing.

Maybe I should make this a Rukawa X OC fic. You know, Rukawa X Old Cheese. Snort.