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


Calliope Medina Erato: it is painful… when I thought of it… I'm like I wrote a lot of stuff that kinda sells the story that they are very compatible and will end together, though since the secret's out, there'll be reasons why they didn't end up together… Karin will be the one who actually discovers that reason… the story is actually broken into a lot of parts that I wrote individually because they're just like spurts of ideas… At first, it was supposed to be only Karin that notices and does an explanation that Mitsui knows Ryota likes Ayako and that he should be telling her something… and blah… then, I thought about Miyagi barging in on the two, and Karin discovering and there's a fight that ensues, but Karin kinda stops the two of them, and then I finally thought about the final one… which is like a mixture of those spurts… hehehe.. she learned Czech because she didn't want if she ever confessed, she didn't want it to be too obvious because she's kinda shy about saying that to Mitsui directly, so there's a lot of languages out there that you can just look up at the internet, it's like most people know what sayonara means, it's basically been used everywhere, so it had to be something different… and well, I don't think myself as a good writer, I just think of myself as someone who wants to express her ideas, hehe… bad words huh? Teach me… joke… hehe.. that laugh was reminiscent of Sakuragi… gotta love that guy… though in real life, I'd be annoyed I think… hehe.. what's going to happen now? Well here's what's going to happen now… hehe.. it's in the chapter… it's basically, filling in the holes… hehe..

Coffeemaverick: aww… I know…w hen I thought of the story, I'm like I can't possibly leave it at that… so well, um… what should I say… this is only the beginning.. I mean it will not end in with a sad note… hehe.. though I'll have to say Karin and Mitsui as a pair has no hope at all… this chapter is on Mitsui filling in the gaps…

Simmic: you actually knew that Mitsui liked Ayako right? Cause you said it on one of your reviews… hehehe.. awww… though I do like the rain… it makes me want to sleep all day… hehehe.. thunder and lightning not included… hehehe… and yes, ayako does reciprocate the feeling… this chapter deals with Mitsui's explanation of where it all began… hehehe.. well not all cause Miyagi will contribute to some, now I'm thinking Haruko too… hehehe.. ok..


Do You See Me?

"Karin! Get the door!" Fine! I'll get it! I placed the dishes on the sink, washed my hands, wiped it dry with a towel before running to the door. Upon opening it, I saw you leaning with your back on the gate. You stood straight, turned, and saw me. As soon as you did, I hid behind the door, closing it.

I turned the tap on, scrubbed the dishes clean. "Who was outside?" My aunt went into a kitchen to get a glass of water. "Nobody." There it was again. "I hear someone." She made her way past the living room, to the main door, and stretched her hand to turn the knob. As soon as her hand came in contact with the doorknob, I covered hers with mine, halting her on the spot.

"Don't bother yourself. I'll do it. Later. Meanwhile, let's get you to bed." I took hold of both her shoulders and lead her away from the door. "But who's outside?" She protested. I kept on moving her forward, reassuring her that, "I'll get it after you're back in bed. Ok?" But she resisted, and the more she resisted, the less movement.

"Karin, you're not normal." She took both of my hands off of her shoulders, and authoritatively made her way to the door. "Aunt!" It was too late. She had opened it, had seen who was waiting.

I whistled a tune, pretended not to look. "Don't just stand there, go outside!" I shook my head once, walked a few steps, breaking into a run, and upon reaching my room, slammed the door shut.

I could hear her tug at the handle, only to find it locked. "Karin." She called, her voice faint. "Whatever happened, you now he'll stay there, build a camp until you confront him. It won't solve anything if you don't meet the problem." She was silent after that.

I could hear her draw farther away for a moment, followed by her drawing near again, a clinking sound escorting her return. She inserted it into the keyhole, could see my lock turning, and then she pulled it out, turning the doorknob, pushing it instantaneously, only to find out I was leaning on the door.

"Karin, you should really go." As if it's that easy – only if it was. Well, it's not. "At least you'll get your questions answered." Why did she have to say that? As a result, innumerable questions began to pop in my head, one after the other, my pop-up blocker becoming completely worthless.

I stood up, walked past her, through the door she left open. You lowered your head, placed both hands inside your pocket, kicking a pebble aside. As soon as I reached you, "Let's – go to – the park." What for? "Can't you – say what you want to say – right here?" Right now?

You looked back to our house, after that to the soles of your shoes, followed by a quick diminutive glance at me, finally settling for the ground. This isn't getting any easier for both of us.

I walked away, to where I think we were supposed to go. I guess I wasn't prepared to hear anything yet. You followed me, close behind, never too close, never to far, keeping your distance.

I slowly slowed down to your pace, letting you overtake me, for I was unsure which park it is. As you lead, and I followed, your pace a step ahead of me, I became aware that every step I took behind you was another step you took away from me.

I sat on the swing where we first met, 10 years ago, on a cool afternoon just after school. I could still feel the breeze back then, could still see the sun peek from behind the clouds and the trees, could still remember the smile you brought to my face. I didn't want to reminisce. I realized, as I caressed the same handles my small hands enclosed on, modest with every swing. We've both grown now. We both grew out of this seat.

"You know? Love? Enjoys surprises. One day, I'm okay. Everything's intact, and the next day, I wake up, and boom! It hits me. Didn't even see it coming." It hit me too, precisely on the right spot. Period. You said it in a way I am left without anything left to say. "Am I making any sense here?" Of course you are. Since, that's exactly what happened to me.

"I tried to prevent it. Deny it. Forget it. Change it. I tried all of that, but could I dictate my heart? Could I choose? If I could, I would've done it a long time ago, but the truth is, I can't." But the truth is that's not what I wanted to know from you. "Maybe-" Maybe this is it. "Maybe it's because she's kind yet mischievous at the same time, or because… we both enjoy spots, or because we're opposite… in the food we like to eat. But all of those don't mean anything." I have to agree. You can't love a person because they're this, or they're that, or because you have a reason to. What happens if you lose the reason, will you still love that person? Love shouldn't be attached to restriction.

I wanted to know the details, but I felt as if I was intruding too much. I knew I had to know, but… just because.

I left. I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel my ears heat up, unbeknownst to me, it was contagious, and soon my cheeks shared with its intensity. I left in search of the wind.


Ok.. not too much… but! Miyagi has a lot more stories… hehe… haruko's connection will be revealed too…