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


Calliope Medina Erato: I know… it also seemed familiar… well, the closest I could think of was when they were walking from the theatre too and the I don't know when I released your and when you released mine kinda thing… similar but not too similar…. Yes, and the gangster part… my favorite… joke… yes, there will be some changes…

Coffeemaverick: thank you… hehehe..


Do You See Me?

Clear. I emerged from my hiding place just around the corner, kept as close to the wall as humanly possible as I walked to your locker. When I arrived at the drop off site, I chanted your combination in my head, pointing the arrow to the corresponding numbers. Three clockwise turns then point to 24, one counter clockwise turn then 45, last but certainly not the least, point to 20. I pulled it open.

"Boo." I shrieked, surprised I did not hear footsteps along the almost empty hallway. You clamped a hand to my mouth, people from the adjacent hallways giving a glance before turning away. I dropped the package I had been carrying, its contents scattered around its carrier. I bent down to pick it up, but you were already holding one circle shaped object, opening its wrapper and eating it in its entirety. Happy Valentine's Day. "It's good!" You ate some more and placed the rest back in.

We both stood up, you opened the door of your locker, and your head disappeared inside it, excavating your disregarded books that you hardly touched for more than two times a week. You deposited them in my convertible bookshelf of arms, and then you appeared out of your locker unharmed, taking the books from me and tossing them at random back inside. "I did get you something." You raised your right hand in testimony. Never mind.

I stared at you, stared at the people around, and then back at you. There was something definitely wrong with the picture. I looked at my watch. You were early. Too early than you usually would be.

Your smile also seemed wider, more carefree, and you eyes gleamed as if all you could see was the good in everybody. You spoke with a certain calm tone, a contented one, as if you wanted nothing else from the world. You walked as if you bore no weight at all, as if you had no burden on your shoulders to carry, as if the world was cured of all its illnesses that every problem had been dissolved. It seemed this was a perfect day.

5 minutes till the bell. We walked to my locker, while I took my things. Math was the first subject. Get it over with is what I remind myself. As the first bell rang, you tap me lightly on the shoulders, still eating the chocolates I made for you. I made my way to class, survived sitting through half the session when a delivery came into the room.

"Excuse me sir, I have something for Honda-san, Saito-san, Homura-san, Takeda-san, and Shigekura-san and Takahashi-san." We stood up, approached the deliverer who each gave us a stalk of rose. I received three. We took our seats, and I opened the first one.

"Psyched! Thought I'd forget giving my best friend in the entire world only one stalk? Do you think I'm that poor? Well, Happy Valentine's Day! –Hisashi-." I unfolded the next one. "Hey, Karin, I want to thank you for giving me Ayako's locker combination! Happy Valentine's Day! –Miyagi-." I switched to the last one. "Happy Valentine's Karin! Where's my rose and chocolates! I'm waiting you know… Better be the best! Hehe… –Ayako-" I placed the three of them beside my math notebook, and paid attention for the rest of the class.

At lunch, I placed them inside my locker, and a flock of girls flew past by, heading to the gym. News spreads fast. The basketball team had gathered inside the gym for a brief meeting concerning Shohoku's match with Ryonan. Get ready for the flood.

After class, I evaded Ayako as she was about to ambush me near the girl's locker room. I managed to lose her while I camouflaged myself with the crowd when I spotted you talking to Miyagi. "Later." Miyagi gave a nod and a shake. "Yeah." You raised your hand. You shouldered a sack of chocolates it looked as if you had supply for a year.

"Hey, you want to help me eat these stuff?" Are you serious? I waved my hands, pushing the sack towards you. "It was given to you, you eat it." You turned counted to three then looked back at me with puppy dog eyes. I backed off, but you kept on following me, with those big, pleading puppy dog eyes. "Ok! Ok! I surrender! Let's make a compromise ok!" You promised to eat from every single package of chocolate that was given to you and must finish at least half of its contents. And I? Will eat as much chocolates as many 3 pointers you could sink in 1 minute." The deal was signed.

I adjusted my stopwatch to one minute. As soon as you started, I stood behind the hoop to catch the ball and throw it back to you. At times I was slow, and you complained a lot. But there was never anything said about that matter. Overruled. When one minute came up, I counted 24 shots. "Not fair. You didn't bounce the ball fast enough. Multiply it by 3 or redo. 243? I began to compute in my hands. 73. I had to eat 73 chocolates. Redo? "I'll multiply it by 3. I'll eat only 73 chocolates." We shook hands. "No more, no less."

We went to your house, watched a few tapes from Ryonan's games, while you became my commentator, explaining the rules and how you would have done different. How you would have blocked, defended, eluded, your opponents. You paused on some parts, pointing out to me that he was faking, or how he expertly tipped the ball out of their opponent's hands. Basketball started to get interesting. If only you were as good as this when studying. Studying core-subjects that is.

I ate the chocolates as I promised. The next morning, I woke up to a fever and a swollen tonsil. I didn't go to school that day. Neither did you.