Note (read me or die!): I'm terribly, terribly sorry for the super long wait… :bows: gomen nasai minna-san! I know I said thirty reviews and February something— but my computer sorta got messy (VERY messy…) and I couldn't recover the element 8… I don't even remember the real title— so I'll make one up.
I will tell you that this will be long… and it's Rukawa's turn…
8: Don't Say…
"Your Sendoh?" asked three voices in unison.
One from Haruko…
The other from Rukawa…
And the last, from Sendoh himself…
"So it was him?" asked Rukawa, staring coldly at Saki's pale face, "so he was the reason you went to study there?" He couldn't believe it… he always lost to Sendoh…
Saki didn't answer. She refused to meet Rukawa's piercing gaze.
"Huh?" asked Sendoh, perplexed.
Rukawa walked away without another word.
Sendoh ran after the departing Shohoku ace.
"Oi. Rukawa."
Rukawa stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"What?"
"What did you mean when you said: 'so it was him?' What was I?"
"You were the one she left me for," muttered Rukawa, before he started walking once more.
"You and Saki— were…?"
"Not official. Don't worry about it." Rukawa's voice was still monotonous and barely above a whisper.
Sendoh grabbed Rukawa's wrist, "wait."
"What do you want now?" Rukawa asked snappishly, jerking his hand away as if burned.
"I'm sorry," Sendoh bowed his head, "it's my fault you're like that— all cold and mean… I took away the only girl you liked… Please Rukawa, don't let me do it again… You still have a chance…"
"Why? What's the point?"
"I saw the way you look at her… I saw it in your eyes… You need her… to be happy…"
"Why are you doing this? Won't you regret giving me a chance?"
"I probably would regret this with all my heart… but then again— love, like Rukawa's long sentences, are pretty rare… ne?" Sendoh smiled widely.
"Do'aho," muttered Rukawa, but his voice lacking conviction.
Sendoh smiled wider. "One week… I won't go to our usual hang-outs… I won't use the route that allows me to pass by this school… I'll avoid her for one week…"
"I always doubted your sanity— ever since the first time I saw you… Now… I can conclude that you really are insane…"
Sendoh shrugged, "well, what can I say? But… will you permit me one last goodbye?"
"You're talking as if you really need to do this… you don't have to avoid her you know…"
"I do. I have to avoid her… I know that after this week is through— I won't get to see her again…"
"Look, Sendoh and I are just friends," Haruko told Saki as the spiky-haired ace ran after the ice prince.
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" said Saki, "I'm not the dumb model people see me…"
"It's the truth… I swear."
"If it's so true— which I still doubt— stay away from him… he's out of your league. He's mine," Saki muttered, eyes glinting dangerously, "and he'll never be yours."
Haruko didn't say anything for a moment. She knew that she couldn't live without Sendoh— the only close friend she had, who understood what emotional turmoil she's going through…
She closed her eyes and gulped inaudibly before saying, "I know he'll never be mine…"
Haruko turned around and headed for the Shohoku gates, when Sendoh suddenly emerged from them.
"Sendoh-kun… I…" muttered Haruko, bowing her head, "I…" I can't do this… I can't avoid you forever… I…
Sendoh took both her hands and had her look up at him, "Haruko-chan… just remember that I care…"
"What do you mean? Why are you talking like this?"
Sendoh held Haruko, who was already sobbing silently, into his arms. He caressed her back and kissed the top of her head. He didn't care if they were at Shohoku territory nor that he was from another school. He just wanted her to know that he cared…
"Sendoh?" a voice came from behind.
It was Akagi.
Sendoh released Haruko, scratched his head, turned around and grinned sheepishly at the Shohoku captain. "Oh… hello…"
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh… you see… the funny thing is…"
"What is the funny thing?"
Sendoh sweatdropped.
"Loosen up, will ya, Akagi?" said Mitsui, "We'll just take our leave! Ja!" He pulled a very much unwilling overprotective gori, while winking at Sendoh and Haruko.
Sendoh sighed. Saying goodbye is very hard, he thought, but I have to get this over with— before Sakuragi comes and clobbers me… (teehee! Akira-kun is scared of Hana-kun!) He turned around and faced Haruko again.
"Haruko, I'm going to miss you…" he said, and when Haruko was about to protest, he kissed her fully on the lips.
Just when Haruko was about to kiss back, Sendoh pulled away. "Goodbye," he muttered in her ear before leaving.
Fujii and Matsuo saw the whole thing and grinned secretly to themselves.
"Ah… two aces fighting over our spring child," muttered Matsuo dreamily.
"What do you mean 'two'? There's only one…" said Fujii, pointing at the departing porcupine-headed Ryonan ace.
"What do you call him then?" Matsuo pointed at Rukawa, who was looking at Haruko and Sendoh with some sort of expression which was somewhere between relief and dislike.
"Wha—! I never noticed!"
"That's because you were too busy staring at a certain red-head…"
"That's not true!" protested Fujii.
"Of course not," said Matsuo, playing along to Fujii's game of denial.
"Anyway," said Fujii, desperate for a change of topic, "should we tell Haruko about Rukawa's obvious feelings for her?"
"That's unfair— on Rukawa's part… But on the other hand, if you want Sakuragi to know about your feelings— I suggest you…"
"Matsuo!"
Rukawa watched— the whole time— as Sendoh pulled Haruko into a hug, kissed her forehead and until the last dramatic moment when Sendoh said goodbye and left.
If he didn't know any better, he would have thought they had some sort of major fight and a break-up… but he knew better, and he was pretty sure that Haruko really treasured her friendship with Sendoh.
He took a deep breath before approaching Haruko, not caring what the others might think.
"Here," Rukawa offered Haruko his handkerchief (which had foxes printed all over it.).
Haruko looked up and smiled feebly. She grinned sheepishly before taking Rukawa's hanky and wiping her tears with it.
"You love him?" Rukawa asked, so suddenly that Haruko was surprised.
Haruko shook her head slowly, "he was a very good friend…"
The bell rang.
"C'mon," he muttered to Haruko, "we'll be late."
Then he walked towards the school building, leaving Haruko, not to mention his fangirls, bewildered.
"Hey Haruko," greeted Fujii.
"Hello," said Haruko, faking happiness.
Fujii looked at Matsuo, who shook her head. "Um…" muttered Fujii, not knowing what to say to cheer Haruko up.
"You know what guys?"
They looked at her questioningly.
"Rukawa spoke to me… and gave me his hanky… I know it sounds impossible but…"
"We know. We saw. Don't worry, we don't doubt you…" Matsuo said.
"Thanks…" muttered Haruko, fumbling with the folds of her skirt.
"Have you been seeing Sendoh?" Fujii suddenly asked. She even surprised herself that she spoke the question aloud.
"If you guys mean 'dating'— yes… technically. But he's not my boyfriend…"
"Oh."
"You saw that too?" asked Haruko.
Fujii shook her head.
Matsuo nodded.
Then Fujii nodded, when she didn't see Matsuo shake her head.
"Honestly Haruko," said Matsuo, saving Fujii from further embarrassment, "we saw everything… and we saw you cry again… and we hope you're alright…"
Haruko hugged her friends, "thanks for being such understanding friends… Of course I'm alright! Um… you guys want to go to the mall with me?"
"Sure," said Fujii, "but what about your daily visit to the park or whatever place you have been going the past days."
"I don't think that place would make me feel any better anymore…" said Haruko, "besides, I want to spend some time with my friends."
"Oh," Fujii's expression became glum for a split second before she smiled and said, "to the mall then!"
Haruko, Matsuo and Fujii made their way to the mall in silence, too immersed in their own individual thoughts.
"Oh look! There's a new booth!" said Fujii excitedly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that enveloped them for the past half hour.
"You always know, don't you?" said Matsuo, shaking her head in disbelief and smiling for the first time that afternoon.
"Of course! I pride myself for knowing about new things!"
"So… did you know that Sakuragi finally had the money to buy himself a new pair of sneakers yesterday?"
"Yeah. I think it was…" then Fujii blushed, "you tricked me!"
"And so she finally notices…" muttered Matsuo, laughing to herself.
"Well… I want to check out the new booth!"
"I don't think Sakuragi'll be in there though."
"Oh. Matsuo… maybe you're in love with Sakuragi— you are, aren't you?"
"Yeah right… don't pass the bald— I mean ball to me…"
"I'll go first!" Fujii then said, as if unfazed by Matsuo's final comment, "it looks like a fortune thingy booth! I hope it'll be fun!"
Fujii emerged from the booth with a weird smile on her face.
"She said I'm going to be very and utterly happy this afternoon… ooh. Great shocker," she muttered.
And that was when Rukawa, Sakuragi and the rest of the basketball team entered the mall.
"Teme kitsune," muttered Sakuragi heatedly, "why don't you just stop being sneaky for once?"
"I'm not being sneaky, do'aho…"
"But you took the ball away just as I was about to shoot it."
"Not my fault."
Rukawa then stalked away, off to find some sane person to talk to, still wondering why the basketball team always left the do'aho with him…
What are they doing here? Haruko thought.
She saw Rukawa heading her way and immediately began to panic… as she usually did when he was around.
"H-h-hi R-R-Rukawa," stammered Haruko.
Rukawa seemed to contemplate whether or not to go and face her, but in the end opted on seeing her face to face.
"We'll just go and buy the thing we have been thinking of buying this morning… We'll just leave you two alone okay? Bye Haruko… We'll call you tonight." And with that, Matsuo walked away, dragging the giggling Fujii who was muttering, "the fortuneteller was right…"
Rukawa stared at Haruko, who was blushing like mad.
"W-what? It's there something in my face?" asked Haruko, frantically wiping her face with Rukawa's hanky (which he gave her that morning).
"No," muttered Rukawa, "it's just…" He trailed off and buried his hands in his pockets, blushing slightly.
Haruko looked up at the reddening kitsune and grinned. "So… where d'you want to go?" she asked.
"Nowhere in particular," he said, barely audible.
"Okay… Uhm… Why did you come to the mall then?"
"The team. They wanted to bond… whatever."
"Brother's idea, ne? He always believes in teamwork and unity…"
Rukawa nodded.
"Oh. I know!" exclaimed Haruko suddenly, "let's eat! I'm hungry…"
Rukawa suddenly remembered that Saki had said the exact same words long ago… and got scared— for some strange reason.
(to be continued.)
Okay. You may flame me for making you wait so long and bringing you a very lousy episode… but I swear, I was wracking my brains… really.
But I've written the next one… at least half of it…
Gomen…
Gomen…
Gomen…
Gomen…
