Disclaimer: I do not own Slamdunk. I know that. This is just for formalities.. hehe.. Libre naman ang mangarap diba?


Calliope Medina Erato: well… hmm… the questions you raise too as the story moves along… I do not know how to answer them… I do know… but I don't know a means of saying it without revealing my plan… there is already a chapter in the making that kind of answers that question… kind of… ;) hehehe.. and for the updating thing… it almost seems as if I've become somewhat of a reader… only difference is that I know what's going to happen… and how it's gonna end… snap shots only… I'm also interested in how the story goes… and I have this habit of whenever I don't want to listen to the teacher, or I don't want to do seatwork… I write whenever the teacher's not looking… whenever I have a spare time whether it's waiting for the bus stop… waiting for the bell to ring.. I kinda think about what's going to happen so by the evening I have a picture of how I'm gonna write it…

Simmic: I forgot to tell you that you have uncovered one of the 2 reasons Ayako and Miyagi will be present for all the chapters to come… or at least most of them… and that is yes… as I started on writing this fic… I wanted to make a parallel between Mitsui and Karin, and Ayako and Miyagi… kind of different in where each stand… but they also have pretences… and of course… the 2nd reason… will be revealed in the later chapter… hehehe… just have to wait for the in between chapters to come up… hehe oh and about the "you" with Ayako… when I originally wrote that the reason had been ok, but now that I finished writing a few chapters, I found it that when there were parts with Ayako, I could no longer put "you" because it has been solidified as an identity of Mitsui, and so as I read it, it became a bit confusing as well… I already edited that chapter though… so now, "you" will solely refer to Mitsui.


Do You See Me?

I unfolded the newspaper, flipped the pages through the comic, sports, and opinion section then laid it on the floor.

This weekend had been a trip to Akagi-sempai's house; well I just tagged along with you. It was meant to be a discussion of tactics and game plans, but we ran out of food, Sakuragi consumed almost everything except the furniture and the rest of the inedible stuff, which was more than he usually would because he knew that Haruko prepared the meal, while you were fighting for your rights alongside Miyagi. Akagi-sempai was kind enough to buy some extra food himself, leaving Haruko to look after the house, or rather, us.

A debate soon developed a few minutes after Akagi-sempai closed the door. The topic was: who should eat the last cookie? It started out as a fairly peaceful negotiation, until Sakuragi came and gobbled the last remaining life specie of cookie in the Akagi household without leaving any trace of leftover crumbs. Obviously, the peace talks didn't work, and war broke out.

It was a good thing that Ayako brought her fan, whose pain level rivalled that of Akagi's punch and smacked the heads of the three people rolling on the floor. Haruko blanched as Sakuragi almost knocked off a vase that was a wedding gift to her parents. Kogure tried to loosen up the tension by coming up with this.

Challenge: Build a freestanding tower using only 5 sheets of newspaper and a meter of tape.

The team consisted of Haruko, me, and Sakuragi, plainly because one word from Haruko and Sakuragi will do it, so much so that I think if Haruko told him to jump out from a building he'll do it, although I wouldn't really think Haruko would tell him that. You, Miyagi and Ayako were on the other team, Miyagi having the same reason as Sakuragi, and you would probably be more subservient to Ayako with that dangerously strong fan of hers. And Rukawa? He fell asleep on the couch a long time ago.

Conditions: Must be tall, and must withstand lungpower.

I stared back at the newspaper. Now… structure. I looked over at the opponent's side to find you arguing with Miyagi over the design, Ayako pretending to ignore the battle, though her eyes flickered sideways, and her ears still listened. The tower had a wide cylindrical base, and she began to roll another sheet into a much more thinner cylinder to add height. A red shirt blocked my view, and I looked up to see Miyagi protecting Ayako and her creation with all his might. I forced a smile, and turned back to face our team.

A pyramid. I gave it a blow and it moved backwards – too light. An idea struck me like lightning and I began to tear holes in it, while Haruko was busy restraining Sakuragi from strangling my neck. I placed the pyramid down and blew into it. It didn't move as much. Sakuragi and Haruko realized that most of the air passed through the holes. They chorused an "Oh", which made you and Ayako look, Miyagi still guarding the building. We quickly huddled around it protectively, gave a sly smile to your group and paid no further attention after that. Haruko built another pyramid to make the structure taller, then Sakuragi crumpled the rest of the newspapers and inserted them at the inside of the pyramid with some tape for weight.

Kogure whistled to signal the end of our time limit. I glanced for the last time at our building. It was tall, and it could withstand lungpower. In short, it was pretty good.

Looking at the other side, Miyagi was grinning constantly as he revealed their building. It was taller than ours, which was not good, we were only allowed three blows for the lungpower test, but thankfully with Sakuragi's help, on the third blow, the tower curved downwards, and then fell.

Our pyramid on the other hand wasn't as tall as their group's building, but luckily, on their last blow, the pyramid shook a little at the top, then went back on it's place.

Haruko, Ayako, and me settled for the tie, but it seems not all group members think otherwise. A little criticism thrown here, a little comment there, and soon Sakuragi started to rip the topmost part of Ayako's building. Miyagi was enraged, and while the two were busy, you took the chance to step on our tower, and laughed maniacally after that.

In an instant, all three of them: you, Miyagi, Sakuragi, were laying on the floor, each housing a big, red, swelling lump on their forehead. Akagi-sempai was back. At this point in time, Akagi's punch gained a slight lead from Ayako's fan. Though I would never want to be in the receiving end of the two formidable pain inducers. Kogure didn't receive that much of a punishment for trying his best to maintain peace and order. Ayako and I were lightly rapped on our head, while Haruko received a disappointing speech from her brother. And Rukawa? He woke up, plopped right back down the sofa, drool starting to pool.

I looked back at the flattened pyramid; saw something crushed without the slightest bit of hesitance or remorse. Something that we had worked on, something that we all put our minds for, ground to the floor. It is true that this was nothing serious, but still, would there be a time when that too is crushed to the ground? Unintentionally? Would you? In one way, you already did.


Again, for the I don't know time, I would like to thank you for reading my fic… hope you liked it… there will be a turning point soon! And with the size of chapters I'm writing, I'm thinking, much sooner. Anyways, hope you review! Must resist the temptation to reveal the turning point… hehehe…