If you've read til this chapter, it means you've got to have seen my disclaimer: SD belongs to Inoue Takehiko-sensei!

Thank you ALL who have reviewed for me so far. -Thank you, thank you! I'm so happy and touched -Please continue to read and review.

Jen- Thanks for your review once again. Referring to the first SD book, Sakuragi starts school in April, and by the time they played with Kainan, Sakuragi has already been training about 3-4 mths, which means the Summer IH games is during about August. While Mitsui started yr1 (Apr), he had started training when his injury struck.(refer:bk8) So he's been on and off training til the summer games where he saw Akagi play, and than he left the team. So technically, Mitsui left the team around August in yr1, and returned ard May of yr3.... so 1/4 yr and 1yr(2nd yr) and 1/4 yr = 1 and half yr absence. I know his absence is generally seen as 2 years though, thanks for bringing it up to me, I'll try to be more careful about my timing. I always think that Mitsui would not give up basketball overnight, so him actually not touching a basketball is most probably shorter than the 2 years anyway...I'll probably be bringing this up in my story later. Pls continue to review!

Chapter 3- Summer Dream

It was a rare day. Kaede Rukawa was not asleep while riding his bike. (Thank goodness for the innocent bystanders.)

His father's words kept ringing in his ears.

Flashback—before he left for school

Kaede grabbed his bag and was about to leave house when—

"Kaede, where are you going?" his father's voice rang out.

"School."

"Than shouldn't you be packing your luggage? Your school doesn't start until you actually take a plane over."

Kaede turned and stared at his father through his black inky fringe.

"I was serious when I told you I am going back to Shohoku."

"Serious? I don't know what you mean by serious...you were serious when you wanted to leave for America to pursue basketball. And now, you are serious in staying here. Half the fees have already been paid for your place in UCLA."

Kaede looked at his father...he felt a little guilty about the money which was not refundable, but still, it wasn't as if it was a huge sum to his father.

"I want to play in Shohoku--"

"And what future will you have? A dream is a dream, Kaede, and you must know when to wake up. How many can make a living in basketball? Basketball won't feed you, but studying and having good grades will take you far."

-End-

A dream is a dream Kaede...

Determinedly, Kaede pushed his father's words out of his head. His father had rarely been happy with Kaede since he refused to take over his business and decided to play 'professional basketball' instead. Music blared in his ears, and he was getting sleepy again.

The maple trees in standing in front of Shohoku's gates came into view. Kaede watched drowsily at the falling autumn leaves.

I will bring Shohoku to the IH games this winter.

"Ooi...!!! %$#--" A voice seemed to be shouting at him. Kaede's butt bounced painfully against the seat of the bicycle, jolting him fully awake again. Do'aho people...don't they have eyes to watch out for vehicles?

He ignored the trampled bodies and continued on. As he neared the school gates, he saw a familiar person walking in front. Eh, Mitsui-sempai? With a girl?

Kaede paused and switched off his Mp3 player, all the while looking at the pair walking in front of him. I thought Mitsui-sempai only cared about basketball.

Kaede thought back to the summer... he'd almost forgotten about Mitsui's gangster past. Instead, etched deeply in his mind was not the fighting, but the scene when Mitsui threw away his pride to return to his favorite game; the tears that he shed in front of everyone when he saw Anzai-sensei. Kaede felt his curiosity stir. Although he wasn't interested in girls normally, he wanted to see the girl that caught Mitsui's attention.

She was short, less than 1.6m probably, Kaede gauged. Her long ink-black hair was simply tied up in a french-braid down her back. When she turned her head to laugh up at Mitsui, Kaede saw that her bangs framed a large pair of eyes. Hmm, she's not a typical beauty...her nose is too long, and face rather thin, but she seems to have an air of elegance and quiet maturity about her.

Too engrossed in scrutinizing Kimiko, Kaede ran over yet another 'blind' victim. Attracted by the shouts of the squashed victim, Mitsui and Kimiko turned.

"Hey Rukawa! Glad to see you haven't change...still no respect for the people around you eh?"

Knowing the taller boy's habit of keeping quiet, Mitsui held out his hand and Kaede gave him a high-five.

"Training?"

"Rukawa, will it kill you to be more friendly? Well, training's now trice a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That means you have one day break before Friday's training tomorrow... and you'd better prepare to show us what you've learnt during the elite team training."

I don't need a break...my hand's itching for a basketball already...But before Kaede could reply-

"Aiii... Rukawa-kun! L-O-V-E, love, Rukawa!"

Oops, spotted by his 'fan club'.

Mitsui actually enjoyed the brief look of panic that appeared in the normally emotionless icy eyes of Kaede's. He could never understand Kaede's attractiveness to girls.

"Go on, make your escape, lover-boy, I'll see you later." Mitsui couldn't help teasing the younger boy, and was rewarded with a glare before Kaede stole one last look at Kimiko and pedaled into the school before being mobbed by the girls.

Kimiko, who had been silent all this time, now looked up at Mitsui, her eyes wide. "Wow, he really is good-looking, isn't he?...Especially when he looks at you with those eyes."

"What? Ano...didn't know you belonged to his fan club. Anyway, he doesn't look handsome to me."

"That's because you are a guy... I don't find those girls you fancy pretty too! And I don't belong to his shintai of silly girls."

Kimiko stopped talking as she saw her friends near the main school building. "Hey Michi, I see my friends over there...see you later!"

"Sure..." Mitsui watched Kimiko's back until she reached her friends.

Wearing no expression on his face, Mitsui than turned and walked towards his own class.

Year 1's corridor

Yohei stood at the doorway to Class7 and looked down the corridor as he heard sighs, and echoes, and even screams of a certain name. You always know where Rukawa is even before you see him.

He watched as the tall boy made his way to Class10. Kaede ignored everyone until he was almost passed Yohei. His icy eyes actually warmed slightly as he noticed Yohei. He recognized Yohei of Sakuragi's gundam. Even after Sakuragi had stopped coming for training due to his injury, the gundam had continued to turn up during basketball training to help out just as they did while Sakuragi had his 'special training' with Anzai-sensei.

"Hey Rukawa, good that you are back." Things are going to spice up during training again... truth be told, it was actually boring without Rukawa and Sakuragi around.

Kaede raised his hand in acknowledgement before continuing down the corridor, in his usual I-hate-talking fashion.

Noma suddenly appeared next to Yohei and gave a loud whistle right next to Yohei's ear.

"So, the Kitsune is really back? I can't believe he's really giving up such a good opportunity to train in America, and returning to Shohoku instead."

Yohei hit Noma on his shoulder, "Hey, watch it! I'm going deaf! But yeah, well, I'm surprised too initially."

"Initially?"

"Well, I guess if you think about it, why have we been going back during training even after Sakuragi is no longer training? We all have a special bond now you know, after working so hard...losing to Kainan, but beating Sannoh. If anyone wants to prove that Shohoku is not just a one-shot wonder, it would be the remaining players...Ryota, Mitsui, and even Rukawa, probably even more so since he is considered the 'ace player'..."

Noma was barely listening; he was already distracted by a group of girls with super short skirts. He tugged his moustache and bent low to check out their legs.

"Well, I know one good reason to go for training is to check out the girls that always follow the Kitsune around. Some of them are really hot! Even though we have to chase them off..." Noma sighed, "Where are Ookuso and Takamiya? They are missing out some good stuff here!"

"So...that's Rukawa Kaede?! Ano...he sure is tall. I'm sure all the stories they say about his skills are true, I can't wait to see him in training tomorrow, Yohei!!"

"Ooi! Will you guys stop appearing around me so suddenly? First Noma, now you, Jun...I've got a weak heart you know..."

"That's so you Jun, easily impressed just because he looks tall? C'mon Jun, I'm sure that Rukawa is nothing, and those girls around him have exaggerated everything about him. I could beat him with my eyes closed!" A deep voice cut into the conversation. It was Ken Suzuki from Class6.

Looking at Jun Hitono and Ken Suzuki, Yohei would never have guessed that both were cousins. Despite both being really tall and had just joined the basketball team, their characters were different as night and day.

"Don't say that Ken, you are being disrespectful." Jun was Yohei's classmate, and he has no temper to speak of. He was 1.86m tall, and has a lean build. With his clean-cut, and boyish features, and also his short, spiked up purple-black hair, Jun made more than a few girls take notice of him too. (Though not as much as Rukawa.)

"Shut up Jun, you won't be saying how great Rukawa is after I beat him tomorrow." Ken, on the other hand, was slightly shorter at 1.82m but his built was almost like a body builder's. His shoulders were broad and thick with muscles...to match along the size of his ego probably. Outspoken and blunt, Ken always thinks he's the best in everything.

"Hey, those male students over there...Noma, is that you? Get to your classes now, didn't you hear the bell go off?" A school sensei scolded them, which brought an end to their small talk.

If Sakuragi was here, he will probably beat the crap out of Ken, and give him a nickname like 'baboon' or something, Yohei thought, as he made his way back to his seat. It wasn't that Ken was ugly, but rather his attitude.

No matter what, things are looking up for the basketball team again. Wonder what Sakuragi has to say about all these?

Basketball is a part of Mitsui's life, so I was trying to bring in the situation in the team right now and to bring in some new characters, so less of Mit and Kim in this chapter. Next up, Sakuragi.

Want more of Mit and Kim??Pls review and tell me what you think.