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


Blissful sin: yeah.. I know there isn't much that happened, but there's something in there that I will be coming back to in the later chapters… so I need you to know that… hehe..

Calliope Medina Erato: hehehe… I got that idea while I was in sports medicine class and we were discussing about R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and when the ice was discussed it involved about lessening the pain, inflammation… that sort of stuff… so yeah… that's where it came from… and yes, that was the girl mitsui liked but that was in junior high… there'll be more changes with himself though…

Coffeemaverick: thank you! Hehehe…

Simmic: aha, glad you asked about that part… it's coming soon.. hehehe.. but of course I won't tell you when.. heheh… and as always… it will be subtle…


Do You See Me?

Flashback

It's been a while now – a whole school year to be precise. I wonder what happened to you. When you were still new, you came by to visit everyday after school. After three weeks, you came by every other day. At two months it was reduced to once a week. At three, you hardly came by at all, but still you dropped a line or two to say hello. After five, you stopped everything altogether.

Maybe you were busy… with your studies and basketball maybe? I'll say basketball for sure, how wouldn't it? I knew that with every day added to your attendance, you were slowly rising to the ranks of Takeishi's ace and with that, your popularity. That should be good, shouldn't it?

It's been a few days already – a whole week to be precise. But somehow I could not seem to strike at the right moment and see you. Maybe it's because I'm still getting used to this new school.

But on one afternoon, luck had been a friend to me. I was afraid I'd miss you amongst the crowd, but I didn't. At first sight I could not help but yell Hisashi like how it used to be. "Hisa-" A gaze shot through me like a bullet. I didn't see it coming. Nor did I expect it. I could not speak back then, for it had not been you.

"Mit-sui, sem-pai." It didn't flow out as smoothly as Hisashi. I wasn't used to it. "Good afternoon." You returned the greeting with a bow, and that was it. It was as formal as it could be. As formal as if we've never been friends. As if we've only met. Just now.

You used to be humble of your talents, encouraged others to play. You could be patient if you had to, you didn't criticize other people's weaknesses by asserting your superiority. You had a smile that challenged the sun's intensity, you cheered, laughed with everyone, got along with everyone.

But now, your smile seems to be programmed, refined each day, practiced, so that with a press of a button it would reveal, and with another push, you could turn it off just as easily. You seemed to choose now which ones to talk to and which ones to ignore, which ones to see and be seen with, and which ones to avoid, which ones to accept, and which ones to delete.

It seems that I do not know you now. I see Hisashi in front of me, but not the Hisashi I know, not the Hisashi I used to know.


Ok… um… I just thought that well.. when I remember Mitsui's face in Slamdunk during his junior high days, I can't help but think… this guy's too popular… that must've had an influence on him… getting mixed up with the wrong kind of friends I guess, and I think that would boost his ego and arrogance in one way… I don't think he'd be like I'm still the same old Hisashi, I think it'll have certain effects on him… so I thought that he might've become arrogant and such… and so when he goes to Shohoku he kinda shows off that he'll take the team into the championships and all, and it'll cause him more frustration when he gets the injury because he wants to go back into his full potential and not be someone who can't do much for the team… sure there's like a noble cause, but reality tells me, not everybody's that noble… so hope you'll bear with me...