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


Calliope Medina Erato: the language she said it in was in Czech.. I was supposed to put mahal kita but… you'd get what it means right away… I know how to speak bisaya but it doesn't really fit or sound good with this chapter… so yeah… I didn't make him hit her since that would be kind of going against what he's been doing… which is protecting her even though done is an ambiguous way.

Coffeemaverick: whoa… coincidences are good… hehee… no… unfortunately I don't know that song… but you should really listen to that when you read the next chapter.. not this one.. because there's a sentence there that really captures the title of the song… hehehe… I know… I listen to songs to when I type… and when I re-read my stories… hehehe.. the girl mitsui likes is it's in the chapter I told you to listen to that song… finished writing it this morning… hehe… it's almost like when I mention stick-it's you're reminded of moments like the third chapter with the exams starting…

Simmic: well no… she doesn't know Czech… the only word she knows in Czech is to say I love you in it… (keep that in mind) well I couldn't use Japanese or Chinese cause that's too obvious… and I couldn't use tagalog because Calliope Medina Erato would understand it right away… so I kinda picked something out.. hehehe…


A/N: You may find that this chapter is very similar to the prologue but please do continue to read… there's some other things included… the reason for this is that the past has finally caught up with the present and so the present becomes the past…


Do You See Me?

Flashback

"Let's go?" It was today. He opened the palm of his hand, waiting for mine to close the gap with his own. Today was the last. We started to walk down the same path that we first treaded 10 years ago. Today marked the end. For as long as my memory could recall, we've always stepped down this road, day after day, only to find out we would still cross the same steps tomorrow. But today, tomorrow came.

He had always been a friend, I say this with a smile, but I do not know why, somewhere, some part of me, I can feel a hole emerging – engulfing me in emptiness as the days go by. Engulfing me completely. Then, there was nothing.

He calls my name and I look up to see that he is already ahead of me, near yet far enough from my grasp to reach him. And as I stood there, watching, he walked up to me and dragged me back to reality.

That is right. To him I am a friend, will always will be. Perhaps, this is as close as I can get - as close as I can get to his heart. I should not think of this. Being what I am to him should be enough.

I glance up at him, his face a portrait of peace, as the sun that escaped from the prying fingers of leaves lightly strike his face, his whole being being bathed in the setting of the sun. I wanted to memorize every single line of his face, of how the corners of his mouth would curve with every smile, how his eyes would crinkle in delight, how he was perfect in his imperfectness.

I am beside him, yet I cannot embrace him. I realized I have not spoken of anything. I have not conversed. All this time, I was drifting, thinking, wandering, wondering. Asking, yet not wanting.

Then he stopped and let go of my hand. It was all too soon.

My eyes searched his for an answer as to why. Then I too came to realize that in this short passing of time, we now stood in front of the gateway to my house. This was it.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow?" I smiled not at the question he himself knows the answer to. "I'll see you tomorrow." I replied. The question lingered in my mind. It began to change in face. And that is the reason for my smile. 'Will you see me tomorrow too?' I realized I too know the answer to that. 'I guess not.' It had been no, a long time ago.

I opened the gates leading to the house, opened the door that lead me indoors, closed the other I had kept open just in case you wanted to go inside.


Well we've kinda gone back to the prologue… but this one is a bit more detailed… um… and in case you want to know how many chapters are left, there're about 3… in the next chapter… there'll be a great revelation… well not too great in case you've already found out… but of course I won't be too cruel in the end… in the end.. hehe..