Parallel lines
Disclaimer: The characters and the copyrights on the series of Slam Dunk belong to Mr. Inoue Takehiko and the respective owner(s). This story is written by personal enjoyment without any commercial matter incurred.
02. His sister
Shohoku high and Ryanon basketball teams just arrived Kyoto for the IH tournament. Both teams booked the hotel together as their coach thought that they would able to practice together and share the costs.
When they walked toward the direction of the hotel, there were a group of young people walking toward their coming direction.
Suddenly, Rukawa shouted, 'Gimmi!'
Everyone looked at Rukawa as they didn't know that the one seldom talk would shout that large. Their jaws dropped when they saw Rukawa stretched his hand out and held tightly on a beautiful girl from the group. The girl with pale skin and short messy black hair with red, orange and blue highlight . She wore a white tub-top, a navy short jean with a cow-boy boots. When she turned around, they would see her blue eye shadow on the smoky eyes and pink lip gloss. Beautiful and not healthy.
The girl called Gimmi said coldly, 'What do you want?'
Sakuragi whispered, 'She is as cold as that Kitsune.'
Sendoh said, 'She is beautiful.'
Ansai sensai asked, 'What's happened, Rukawa kun?'
Other all looked at them to see what's happening.
Ayako said softly, 'Rukawa's sister...'
All turned to her, and she nodded confidently.
Those attention back to Rukawa and Gimmi when they heard that girl said.
'Let me go.' She said while smoking
Rukawa, still holding her arm took her cigarette away angrily.
'You want to smoke? Fine, just give it to you.' She spoke again.
Rukawa stared at her.
'Speak! What do you want?' Gimmi shouted.
'...when do you smoke?' Rukawa whispered.
Gimmi said coldly, 'you care?'
She struggled from his tight hold but couldn't get out.
'Come home.' Rukawa said.
She glared at Ruakwa and laughed.
'Go home? And live with an ice-block like you?' She said.
Everyone would laugh if it was not in this moment when they heard Rukawa's sister calling his brother an ice-block .
'...' Rukawa said nothing.
'To live with a guy who cares money more than his sister? To live with a guy who steps away leaving his sister suffering her lifelong hurt?' Gimmi continued.
'...I care of you.' Rukawa said finally softly.
'I don't know that.' Gimmi said, 'I never feel of it. Sorry. I am now living here happily with lot of friends. I can earn money myself by a high pay part time job. You don't have to play a role of a brother anymore.'
'Part time job?' Rukawa asked, 'Do you go to school?'
'It is not your business.' Gimmi glared at him.
'Go home! I will give you money and you have to back to school.' Rukawa said strictly.
'Money? Do you have money?' Gimmi laughed.
Rukawa stunned.
'Give me 100 thousands yen NOW, and I will leave with you.' She said coldly.
Rukawa silenced.
'No? OK, how much you have now? 50 thousands, 10 thousands?' She said.
Rukawa took out his wallet. Looked at Gimmi, Rukawa took out 2000 yens.
'Take the train and go home.' He handed her the money.
'2000 yens!' She laughed.
All of her friends laughed as well. While the basketball team looked at them and don't know what to say.
'Kitsune, if you want your sister back, how could you take only 2000 yens when she asked for 10 times more?' Sakuragi whispered to Rukawa's ear.
Rukawa bit his lower lip.
'I have this only.' He said, 'Gimmi, don't hurt yourself. Go home.'
'I haven't hurt myself.' She said, 'But I won't forget how you hurt me.'
Before Rukawa said anything, she fished her pocket and threw something to Rukawa.
'What do you do?' Sakuragi shouted.
'Give you and don't bother me anymore.' She said coldly to Rukawa and turned to go away.
Rukawa stood firm on the ground, didn't move a bit and looked at the direction that his sister gone.
When they turned to him, they noticed that there were at least ten notes of 1000 yen at the foot of Rukawa.
'Rukawa?'
Rukawa didn't reply. He kept looking at his sister's back until she disappeared from the corner.
Rukawa closed his eyes.
'Rukawa?' Sendoh patted him.
Rukawa open his eyes slowly. He looked at Sendoh and then the floor. He bent down, took the money, stretched up, put the money inside the wallet and looked at his groups of people.
'Let's go.' He said without showing any emotions.
" ...Why would I fake an illness?
Do I really seem that dense?
How can I fake depression?
You people make no sense.
If I could snap my fingers
and make it go away
I'd do it all,
right here right now,
I would do it all today..."
Quoted from "Depression" by Melissa Johnson
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