Disclaimer: Again I don't own slam dunk or any of the characters here.

Chapter 2

289... 290... 291... 292 sheep

Damn I shouldn't have drunk that third cup of coffee.

Akagi Takenori cursed underneath his breath. He knew he shouldn't have gotten that last cup of coffee... if it wasn't for the fact that he was so smitten with the cute little waitress in the very fetching short skirt... He had been frequenting the quaint but homey café at the corner of Sakura Street for five days now, and yet he still had not worked up the nerve to ask her for her number. He, the so-called Gorilla who managed to strike fear in the hearts of most men, he whose very footsteps and thunderous voice were enough to make many a gentlemen quake with great trepidation; turned into an utter ball of mush every time he saw a certain cute brunette in a frilly white apron and striped uniform.

300, 301... 302...

Please Kami-sama, grant me some sleep.

311, 312, 313... ... RIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG

What the?

Instinctively, Akagi's hand reached out for the light switch. He groped around in the dark blindly, his hand coming into contact with nothing but air and the occasional random object situated on his bedside table

Who the hell would call at this hour?

Flipping on the lights, Akagi tried to adjust to the sudden brightness that flooded the previously dark room. He stumbled towards the phone, his irritation increasing at its incessant tone. Every ring brought his blood pressure to a new high. He swiped at the receiver, and put on the gruffest voice he could muster at that late hour.

"Takenori," Akagi bellowed. He planned to give whoever it was on the other end a good dressing down for having the impudence and stupidity to call at this unearthly hour of the night.

Seconds later, he found himself holding the receiver a few inches away from his ear as a shrill voice greeted him on the other end.

"Onee-Chan!!!!"

"Haruko?"Akagi said, wincing slightly at his sister's shrill voice. Then his expression grew serious. "Nani, Haruko what's wrong? Did anything happen? Why are you calling at this hour?"

He was answered by quick, short, heavy breathing on the other end. It was almost as if his sister was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Onee-chan!! Guess what? I'm engaged!! Sakuragi just proposed! I'm going to become Mrs Sakuragi Haruko!!" At this point Akagi had to hold the phone away from his ear again as his sister started screaming.

Thrilling.

"Congratulations Haruko. I am happy for you," Akagi said with genuine warmth and brotherly affection. He didn't mind Sakuragi, in fact, he kind of grew to like the incorrigible redhead. He knew that Sakuragi would never do anything to hurt his little sister.

And if he ever did, Akagi would make sure that he would break every single bone present in the redhead's body.

"Haruko, put Sakuragi on the phone," Akagi said gently, careful not to give away the fact that his dear sister's high pitched squealing was indeed giving him a massive headache.

"Nyahahaha, Gori! I mean I should call you brother... congratulate me!"

Akagi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't quite that ready to be called "brother" by Sakuragi yet. He was happy that Hanamichi had proposed to his little sister. But the idea of being related to that baka... was still something that he needed time to get use to.

"Just one thing I have to say Sakuragi,"

"Nyahahaha... go ahead, Gori, I mean brother!"

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU STILL DOING AT MY SISTER'S APARTMENT THIS LATE AT NIGHT?"

To his satisfaction, Akagi heard a stunned silence on the other end. He allowed himself a little smirk then.