Till jail do us part

-Flashback-

"Don't forget the 8 years war!"

"Defend Diaoyutai Isles with our lives!"

"Beware another British invasion!"

These were the shouts that were heard all over Kanagawa, as a group of more than a hundred students took to the streets to demonstrate against the invasion of Diaoyutai Isles by the British troops. Among the demonstrators was Kaede, who was among the few leaders of the demonstration.

Hana, who was also there, but only because she wanted to be with Kaede, caught his arm and stopped him. "Kitsune, let's go. If you get arrested for unlawful assembly, you will have a criminal record."

"No fear! If I join the Police Force I'll definitely become their superior!" With that, he continued shouting, "Defend the Diaoyutai Isles with our lives! Beware another British invasion!"

Around the corner, a group of police officers had gathered and were getting ready to disband the crowd.

"Listen, you mob. Your assembly is unlawful. You have one minute to disperse, or else the Police will make arrests!"

Instead of dispersing, the demonstrators sat on the ground and clapped their hands, in time with their chanting. "Diaoyutai, ours! Diaoyutai, ours! Diaoyutai, ours!"

Seeing that they were not going to follow their orders, the police officers got ready to take action.

"Baka kitsune, let's go! Will you listen to me??" Hana asked again, this time fearfully.

"No!" came the reply.

And then, like a cat jumping on its prey, the officers charged forward and began to hit the demonstrators with their sticks. There was a mad scramble, as everyone tried to escape from being caught and arrested.

"Kaede!" Hana screamed. She wanted to help him when she saw that he was attacked by a police officer, but was held back by Akira.

"Go, Hana! Never mind them. Hurry up and go!" Akira shouted, trying his hardest to pull Hana away to safety while protecting her from getting hurt.

"Let go of me! Kaede!" Hana struggled to get to Kaede, but Akira was too strong for her.

"KAEDE!!!"

Meanwhile, Kaede got hit in the head and was thrown into the back of the police lorry.

"Matsui, have you seen Hana?" he asked the girl when he saw her in the lorry.

"No, I haven't," she answered.

He turned to the officer who was in the lorry with them. "Sir, have you-"

"Shut up!"

Cursing the officer in his heart, he looked out of the lorry and searched frantically for his beloved redhead.

Please, Kami-sama, let her be alright. Let her be safe. Please… please…

---

Later that night…

"The demonstrating crowd has not yet dispersed after dark. The Police will bring unlawful assembly charges against these 21 demonstrators. This concludes our report at Ryokufu Park…"

Please… don't let Kaede be one of them… don't let him be one of them… Hana silently prayed. She was sitting on the sofa in the living room, listening to the radio while drying her long red hair with a towel.

On the television, the news channel was also reporting on the demonstration.

"There was great confusion at the scene. The demonstrators retreated from Ryokufu Park into the heart of Tsukubu Bay…"

Her mother turned to look at her. "Baby, don't mix up with such impetuous people."

"I tell you, these people are trouble makers," her father added.

Hana ignored them and paid attention to the reporter, who was about to announce the names of those who were arrested.

"The Police arrested 21 demonstrators altogether. They are Hoshino Fumio, Nakajima Gengo, Hosoi Sachimi, Kumaki Masami, Kurokawa Sato, Rukawa Kaede…"

Without waiting for the whole list to finish, Hana dashed out of the house.

"Baby, where are you going? Your hair's still wet!" her mother called after her.

"Leave me alone!" Hana shouted back. I have to get to Kaede, I have to see him!

---

At the visiting room in the police station…

"Hey bookie-learner! Your wife's here to see you!" One of the prisoners shouted, apparently referring to Kaede and Hana.

Hana pretended not to hear or be affected by the remarks and stares directed at her. I'm the Tensai! I won't let stupid people like them get to me! I'm here to see kitsune, and I won't leave until I make sure that he's alright.

The door to the room opened, and Kaede was escorted in by an officer. The relief he felt from seeing Hana safe and sound was clearly shown on his face, as he sat down on the other side of the desk opposite Hana. For a moment, none of them spoke.

"We're the best," said Kaede, finally breaking the silence between them.

Hana gave him a small smile. "We're the best."

"I was so worried you'd be arrested too."

"Baka kitsune. I'm the Tensai. I won't be arrested so easily," Hana replied. Before, she would've ended this statement with her trademark Tensai laugh, but now, considering the situation that her beloved kitsune was in, she couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt that her kitsune in jail was not a laughing matter.

Being one of the few who knew the redhead as well as the back of his own hand, Kaede immediately noticed the change. "Do'aho," he said, trying to keep a straight face so as not to make her worry about him.

"How's your head, kitsune?" Hana asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"Still hurts a little, no sweat."

Hana reached into her bag and took out a box of aspirins. "I brought some aspirins for you." Pausing for a while, she smiled and continued, "An aspirin a day, while she is away."

She watched as Kaede took one tablet and put it in his mouth. "Wash it down with a glass of water, kitsune."

"No need. I'm good in swallowing medicine." He swallowed the aspirin to prove his point.

"Stupid kitsune. Always showing off."

"Do'aho."

Another moment of silence ensued, before Kaede spoke. "Go now. Girls shouldn't stay here long."

"Teme kitsune. I'm the Tensai. I am not afraid. Besides, there are so many cops here. It's safe," Hana protested. She didn't want to leave; she wanted to be with him longer.

"Do'aho." As much as he worried about her safety, Kaede too, wanted to be with Hana longer.

"Are you really ok here?" she asked, again changing the subject.

"I'm ok. You heard them calling me bookie-learner. All those ringleaders, big bosses, they take good care of me." He leaned forward, and gestured to Hana to do the same. Lowering his voice, he continued, "There are many drug addicts here. When it's urine test time, I substitute my urine for them. I 'pass water' for them, they 'carry water' for me. I provide the urine for the whole detention centre."

Hana couldn't help but smile at this revelation.

"They take good care of me. I'm fine," Kaede finished.

Hana nodded her head. "Akira and Hisashi couldn't get permission to visit you. Maybe it's because their pictures were taken during the demo."

To the naked eye, Kaede's expression didn't change, but Hana knew better. "Akira asked you to keep cool. They also asked me to bring you this sweet soup. I got it from Ryonan Street." She placed the thermos pot on the table.

"And this tape, I've applied for ages to bring it in here." She took out a cassette player and handed it to him. "Listen."

Kaede obliged and pressed the 'play' button. It was a recording of Hana's voice, singing the song 'Try to Remember'.

If she thought that he would be happy to hear the song, she was wrong. The obvious change of expression on his face was more than she could bear, and so, she decided to take leave. "I'm going now."

Kaede just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He didn't want to let Hana see him cry. Not now. Not here, anyway.

And as Hana walked out of the room with a heavy heart, she kept on glancing backwards for a last glimpse of Kaede. I'll wait for you Kaede, I'll wait…

---

In one of the cells in the police station…

"Pissing for others? I'll beat the piss out of you!"

Kaede found himself thrown against the wall and punched in the stomach.

"U boy! U boy! Hands off! You've got the nerve!"

It was all Kaede could do not to show that he was hurting from all the punches and kicks he received from the officer.

Hana…

---

Back at Shoyo Hall…

Hana walked slowly back to her dormitory, all the while thinking about Kaede. She knew that his life in jail couldn't be any better than hell, and she could only hope that he would be alright and make it through the 3 months of imprisonment safely and in one piece.

Kaede…

-End of flashback-

Tbc...

---

Ok Now, the reason why I used all those names from Slam Dunk is because I was too lazy to search for a real street or park name from Japan. And by the way, the demonstration on Diaoyutai Isles is actually against the Japanese. They're supposed to be the invaders. But since this is a SD fanfiction and takes place in Japan, obviously I cannot make them demonstrate against their own country. I mean, they can, but not to the extent of accusing their own country as invaders. Wow, nobody reviewed the last chapter… sad… but I'll continue anyway. )