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.
cutiedallie: Thanks for review my story again.
' ... conversation... '
" ... Thinking..."
09. What's happened?
Rukawa felt cold although he covered with the blanket. He looked blankly to the air. He was tired and he felt unwell. But he was too afraid to close his eyes and to sleep. Suddenly he just covered his head under the blanket.
'What am I doing here?' He whispered.
He tried his best to let the past passed. But that incident was too hard for him. Since his dreamed that incident again that night, he didn't go to bed. He didn't think that he would able to face THAT again. He just sat on the sofa for 2 nights to have some rests as he still wanted to save some energies for the coming matches. However, he didn't know how long he would able to take under this situation. He remembered year before when it had happened, he still pretended nothing happened in front of Gimmi and went to work at the other day.
'Am I being weak now?' He questioned himself.
"Kirmura is already arrested, he or his fellow won't suddenly come back. Why are you so scare, Kaede?"
Suddenly someone knocked the door. He jumped a bit and stretched his head out from the blanket.
'Who?'
'Sendoh.'
"What does he want from me?"
'Rukawa?' Sendoh knocked the door again, 'I want to talk to you.'
"What can I tell you?" He didn't reply.
Suddenly the door opened. He looked at Sendoh who came in and looked at the empty bed.
'What do you want?' He asked.
Sendoh turned around and looked at him. He would tell that he saw the surprise in Sendoh's eyes. But Sendoh just gave him a smile.
'I want to talk to you.' He said again confidently.
'I want to sleep.' He replied coldly.
Sendoh sat on the end of the bed and stared at him.
'You sleep on the sofa?' He asked.
No reply.
'You always keep silence.' He shook his head depreciated.
'What are you doing here, Rukawa-kun?' He looked around and asked, 'Not watching TV, not sleeping, but just sit with a blanket on the sofa.'
Rukawa looked at the other side not paying attention to him. He sighed internally.
'I met Gimmi today.'
Rukawa turned to him immediately and rose his eyebrow.
'You are listening to me.' Sendoh smiled, 'Good.'
'I saved her from some bustards.' He continued.
'How is she?'
Sendoh felt happy that Rukawa finally replied.
'She is OK.' He said, 'She is working now and will be off 2 hours later. I wanted to ask you to pick her up along with me, but she seems not happy with the idea.'
Rukawa opened his mouth but he didn't know what to say. So, he closed it again.
'What happened between you and Gimmi?'
Rukawa glanced at Sendoh and looked aside.
'I want to help.' Sendoh said.
Silence again.
'Look at me!' Sendoh spoke loudly, 'What you are doing does not help to ease the problem.'
Rukawa turned to Sendoh slowly. Sendoh suddenly felt the sadness formed around Rukawa. They just kept staring each other silently.
'What happened was happened, I couldn't change it.' He suddenly spoke so softly.
'What happened?' Sendoh asked. "This is what I would like to know."
However, Rukawa seemed not hearing him.
'I have already tried my best.' He continued, 'but everything is out of my control.'
'What am I doing here?' He looked sadly at Sendoh.
Sendoh shocked when he heard such spoken tone from Rukawa.
'Rukawa?'
'What can I do?'
'I am here to help.' He smiled.
Sendoh took a deep breathe. "I must lighten up the atmosphere first."
'Do you want to listen some music?' He asked suddenly.
'Hn?' Rukawa looked at him.
'Some music?' He asked.
Before getting the answer, he went to turn on the radio and tuned it to the classic music channel.
"It's better now." He thought when the soft music surrounded the room.
'Can we talk a little bit about Gimmi?' He asked.
Rukawa nodded.
'When did she get away from home?'
'Last year. She didn't tell me before.'
'Why did she left home?'
'She didn't want to stay with me.'
'Why?'
Rukawa face muscle suddenly stiffened.
- FLASHBACK -
'Kaede, I don't love you any more.' She said softly but coldly.
- END OF FLASHBACK -
'Why? What's happened?' Sendoh asked again.
'She is angry with me.'
'Why?' Sendoh thought he was getting stupid to repeating "why" again and again.
'Because I didn't save her on-time.' He said.
Sendoh held for a second, before he would say something Rukawa spoke again.
'But I didn't know. I didn't know he would go to our home. Trust me.'
'She thought you knew that incident but you didn't save her, right?' Sendoh asked.
Rukawa nodded.
'Why does she think that?'
'Because I was with Kimura that day.'
'Kimura, is this the person who went to your home? What did he do to Gimmi.' Sendoh asked hurriedly, 'Did he...?'
'Yes, he did...'
'What? You just let your sister suffered this?' Sendoh asked angrily. He didn't know why he felt angry but he finally knew the feeling of Gimmi.
Rukawa felt hurt again.
"Everyone would think the same. That is why Gimmi would think of this."
'No, he stopped in the middle.' He tried to say something.
'This is not the main point. But why you don't stop him?' He questioned him.
Rukawa took a deep breathe.
'I didn't know he would go to our home.' He replied softly, 'I said that before.'
Sendoh felt he was a bit overacted. Calming down himself, he started again.
'But you were with him that day.'
Rukawa muted.
'Answer me. What were you doing with him?'
Rukawa shocked. Every lines seemed to be repeated as that night.
- FLASHBACK -
'I am back.' He said warmly although his wounds were pain dreadfully.
'What is that?' she asked while pointing to the bag
'Pizza.' He replied, 'I got extra money today, so I bought this.'
'Where did you go today?' She asked coldly.
'Working. Shouldn't you know that?' He kept his usual tone.
'Where do you work?' She asked again.
He looked intensively at her and found that she looked a bit pale than usual.
'What's happened.' He asked.
'Uncle Kimura came this afternoon.' she said softly.
"He came?" He asked worriedly as he didn't know why that crazy man would go to his home when he was locked in his home.
'Did you hurt?' he asked hurriedly while walking toward. However, he stopped when he saw she was taken aback.
'You care? He said you didn't stop him to come.' She said.
'I didn't stop him... I ... I don't know that' he replied weakly.
'You don't know? Then what are you doing at his home?'
He didn't reply. He would never tell his sister his dreadful experience.
'You are working for Kimura...entertain him...right? Why do you have to do that?'
Rukawa stunned with an unbelievable expression. How would she know that? How would his sister know that he was being a sex player of Kimura. He was too scare to think furthermore.
'Who said that?' He asked uncertainly.
'Did you enjoy your stay at Kimura's home?'
Rukawa froze.
"Enjoy? I would choose to die if I could." He thought.
'He told you that, didn't he?' He asked softly as he felt his energy leaking away.
She looked up and he would feel the hate in her eyes. He felt his heart aching by her disgusting expression.
'And let him come in order to make more money?' She asked while crying.
'No.'
'Then what did you do at his home?'
What could he say? He wouldn't tell her that he wanted to call the police and ended up to be raped the whole day.
'You always say you will protect me.' She said angrily, 'I truly believe you and I love you so much.'
'I am and I love you with all my heart.' He replied and kept his tear in his eyes.
'No, you don't!' She shouted.
'Gimmi...' He didn't know how to explain the whole story.
'You sold your sister for money!'
He froze. In the whole world, he would better get himself hurt or die for his sister's safe. How would he do that? He was too shock to response when she said those words.
'You hurt me much.' She said calmly but tear flew down to her cheek.
'No Gimmi, I never do that and never ...' He finally got his voice back.
'Then tell me what are you doing today?' She asked again.
He didn't reply. He wouldn't say a word.
'Kaede, I don't love you any more.' She said softly but coldly.
Ruakwa heart broke into pieces. Her words like a knife cutting his heart He would saw and heard that those pieces dropped to the floor.
END OF FLASHBACK
Rukawa didn't answer. He just stared at the ceiling emptily.
Sendoh looked at his stubborn form. He felt angry to Rukawa and he also felt the the sadness and emptiness from Rukawa. He would take it anymore, looked at the clock, it was time to pick Gimmi up.
'I go to pick up Gimmi.' He said, 'We will talk later tonight.'
'You won't go out, will you?' He asked but no reply, 'I take your room key with me.'
He then locked the door before got out the room.
"Cold and dark,
Empty. I know
Nothing but memories, here.
The cold has entered me,
Leaving me numb.
The dark has surrounded me,
Leaving me blind.
Then comes the pain,
Lancing through the numbness.
The pain, coming from memories
And desires that will never be met.
I am, as always, alone."
"Lonely" by James Grengs
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