A/N: Thanks a lot to reviewers! This is probably the quickest update I've made for a long time!

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"Wha...what?" Rukawa could only stutter.

"Have you gone deaf or something?" Hanamichi said impatiently "I said I'm not going back to Shouhoku!"

"I heard you the first time!" Rukawa snapped, frustrated that Hanamichi had missed the point entirely "What do you mean you're not going back?"

"Isn't it self-explanatory?"

Rukawa sighed in annoyance "Then where are you going?"

"Huh?"

"If you're not going back to Shouhoku, then where? Ryonan? Shoyo?" Rukawa could only guess that Hanamichi has been the scouted by some other coach, though the very thought of it seemed ridiculous.

"What are you on about?" Hanamichi exclaimed, "I'm not changing schools!"

"Huh...?" Rukawa was befuddled "You just said you weren't going back..."

"Well I didn't mean I was going anywhere else..."

"You mind telling me exactly what's going on then?!"

Hanamichi sat up slowly, shaking the sand out of his hair "They're making me stay here..."

"They?"

"Yeah..." Hanamichi tilted his head in the direction of the rehab center "The doctors and them, they're not letting me go back"

"Why not?"

"Why do you think?" said Hanamichi, irritated "They're not satisfied with the healing progress, obviously!"

"Of your back?"

"Un..."

Rukawa wasn't sure whether to feel worried or relieved. His mind told him he should be indifferent whatever happened, but he couldn't help getting worked up inside, much as he tried to not let it show. The fact that Hanamichi wasn't leaving for another school, made Rukawa feel a little easier, but hearing that his healing process wasn't going as smoothly as hoped certainly wasn't of any comfort.

Hanamichi sat hunched over, as if staring at his own knees, on an impulse Rukawa reached out and ran one finger swiftly down his back, along the spine. Hanamichi gasped at the sudden, unanticipated sensation and arched backwards sharply.

"What the hell was that for?!" He screamed "Don't touch me!"

"You look fine to me" Rukawa replied calmly, making a show of wiping his finger on the edge of his shirt.

"You trying to pick a fight or something?"

"So what else is new?"

"Ugh!" Hanamichi groaned "You think I'm happy about staying here? I feel fine as well! But apparently, according to those rehab people, if I try anything intensive now it'll just get worse real fast"

"What did you say to that?"

"What could I say to that? They even called Anzai-Sensei and told him about this, and the old man went along with it, so it wouldn't make a difference if I go back anyway"

"How long are they making you stay?"

"A month"

"A month?!" Rukawa couldn't help but exclaim, "We'd already be in training for the winter games"

Hanamichi scowled at him "What's your point?"

"..." Rukawa didn't know how to respond, he felt pretty idiotic for what he just said, but it was true- in one month training would be fully underway, and by the looks of things there's no chance of Hanamichi being fit enough by then to join in.

"You worried?" Hanamichi spoke again when Rukawa didn't respond.

"Worried? About what?"

"About..."

"If you think I'm worried about you then you're just delusional!" Rukawa cut in hastily, realizing what Hanamichi might be saying "You can stay here for the entire year, it doesn't make a difference to me! In fact, it'd be a relief not to have you there messing things up whenever I'm trying to concentrate, I'm just making sure of that, that's all"

As he finished his 'explanation', Rukawa noticed that Hanamichi 's expression was growing darker and angrier at every word he was saying.

"What...?"

"I was only going to ask..." Hanamichi said with gritted teeth "If you were worried that there wouldn't be enough players for the winter games..."

"Oh..." Rukawa almost blushed with embarrassment at his unnecessary denial.

"But if that's the way you feel about things..." Hanamichi continued "Why the hell are you sitting here talking to me?"

"I..." Much as he felt he should apologize, Rukawa just couldn't bring himself to do it "I just had some time to kill before breakfast"

"You don't have to spend it annoying me! Go catch a fish or something! Or take a nap, since when did you start getting up so early anyway?!"

"I always did"

"As if!"

"It's true!"

"It is not!"

"What how would you know? I get up early to practice everyday"

"Oh and then you just catch up on that sleep in class?"

"Sure"

Hanamichi glared at him for a moment, then suddenly, he burst out laughing.

"Well that explains a lot of things!" He said between breaths "Now I know why you look so constantly out of it all the time! No wonder!"

"Do'aho..." Rukawa muttered, somewhat relieved with the change of subject. It was one of the advantages of dealing with someone so simple-minded, they never focus on one thing for too long.

"But it doesn't look good for the winter games, does it?" Hanamichi sighed, growing serious again "With Gori and Megane-Kun retired, and me stuck here for now, Mitchy and Ryochin are really holding up the fort all by themselves now"

Rukawa coughed "I'm still there"

"Yeah but you're no help"

"Ch'!" Any feeling of regret vanished at the comment "Self-righteous fool"

"What was that?!"

"I said, self righteous fool"

"Who are you talking about?!"

"Who do you think?" Rukawa said placidly "You of course, you idiot"

"That's it! You're so dead Rukawa!"

It was such a relief to see him fire up with the same, old, familiar anger, Rukawa almost smiled as Hanamichi, predictably enough, tried to take a punch to Rukawa's face. Instead of blocking or moving out of way, Rukawa caught Hanamichi by the wrist, and held on.

"Tse'!"

Wincing momentarily at the pressure of Rukawa's grip, Hanamichi then swung at him again with his free arm, but that too, turned out to be in vain, and Hanamichi found his wrists locked in Rukawa's hold as if he had been handcuffed.

"You're getting rusty," Rukawa said, raising one eyebrow provokingly.

"Let go of me!" Hanamichi demanded, been caught in this position meant he couldn't even try a head-butt "Let go of me or...!"

"Or you'll do what?" Rukawa challenged, tightening his grip even more.

"I'll kill you!" Hanamichi yelled, struggling to get free of Rukawa's hold.

"Just you try it!" Not backing down, Rukawa leant forward and pinned Hanamichi down by his wrists, forcing him to lay back down flat, his arms spread out either side of his body under Rukawa's strength.

"What are you trying to do?!" Hanamichi yelped in a panic "What do you want?!"

With a start, Rukawa suddenly realized just how close he was getting to Hanamichi's face, a few inches lower and they'd be practically necking.

It's been a long time... It's been a long time since I've seen him up this close...

There's something different...

But I can't put a finger on what it is...

His hair's longer, his skin more tanned...

But that's not it...

His eyes...

They look exactly the same as ever...

But they're not...

I can't see what's different...

But I can feel it...

Something...

It's been a long time...

"Rukawa!"

Snapping out of his daze at the sound of Hanamichi's voice, Rukawa quickly regained his composure and let go of the other boy.

"Sorry" He said quickly, meaning it for more than just the physical attack.

"Hn" Hanamichi grunted as he sat up and dusted himself off "Did you get heavier or something during the vacation?"

"You're just a lot more sluggish than you use to be, if that's even possible" Rukawa shrugged, and stood up before Hanamichi could react "Anyway I've wasted too much time here already, I've gotta get back"

"Oh..." Hanamichi was a little surprised at the sudden announcement "I guess...you'd be heading back tomorrow by this time wouldn't you?"

"Un..."

"Well..." Hanamichi stood up as well "tell those people back home that the genius will be back and better any day now...if you can manage to remember such a simple message"

"Hn"

"See ya...I guess" Hanamichi shrugged, feeling a little awkward as he turned away and started to slowly walk back to the rehab center.

He hadn't gone more than three steps before he heard Rukawa call his name.

"Hana...michi..."

He looked back in shock, this was perhaps the first time ever he's heard Rukawa actually say his name, and his tone was so uncertain it was almost unrecognizable.

"Yeah?"

"I...I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning and...and there wouldn't be much for me to do tonight..." Rukawa said hesitantly.

"Eh?" Hanamichi was stumped "So?"

Rukawa heaved a sigh, he should've expected that reaction "I'll probably have a lot of time to kill..."

"Okay...and...?"

"I'll be here tonight! Do'aho!" Rukawa yelled, half-frustrated and half-embarrassed "Understand?!"

With that, he spun around and ran as fast as he could back to the camp, leaving Hanamichi standing, alone and very much bewildered, amongst the sand and waves of the small, tranquil beach.

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A/N: To answer the questions in the reviews: kaechan - NO! No one is going to die in this fic! It's not even meant to be angst! (Waves arms madly) It's meant to be happy!  HaLKJAkiko - You're weird ().

Next Update will be somewhere in December. See you then!