Hello! I am a good-for-nothing! I am SO sorry for taking so long weeps openly senior year in college has not been kind to me (I graduated yesterday). Anyway for any who still care, I will be finished with this fic soon! Yippee.
I changed the action indicators, for some reason putting doesn't work as well in (I can only put in the last section, I will see how I can fix this later)
I revised this chapter and reposted it! Thanks for the reviews.
Also excuse me if at times the characters bash each other, it is for the sake of the story.
Anyway,
"…" Denotes dialogue
'…' Denotes thought
/.../ Denotes actions
Disclaimer: do not own slam dunk etc.
Challenge
Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed!
Rukawa looked up and saw Sakuragi strolling in and immediately went into do'aho combating mode. Sakuragi walked right over and sat next to Koshino. He was temporarily disarmed from his purpose by the sweets in the table.
Youhei looked both apologetic and slightly amused, "We'll join you if you don't mind"
Rukawa eyed Sakuragi helping himself to Koshino's cake
'Rude do'aho'
Sakuragi was not to taking this lying down "Oh are you jealous that I am sitting next to your…SWEETIE?"
/Laughs at own cleverness/
"So what if he is my boyfriend?"
Both Sakuragi and Koshino stared slack-jawed at Rukawa's admission. Youhei calmly calls the waitress and orders coffee and burgers for both him and Sakuragi.
Youhei: "So you finally got a boyfriend, congratulations"
'Finally,' Rukawa thinks, "Hn"
Sakuragi finally recovers, "That means you are a fairy! NYAHAHAHA"
"Okay," Rukawa nonchalantly replies
/dead silence/
Koshino doesn't understand why Rukawa is being so compliant (well actually he did does, but wasn't sure Ru knew as well) but he was going to take full advantage of it.(1)
Koshino: 'Sakuragi likes Grumpy head here too! If these two monkeys cannot come together on their own, then I will have to give them a little push, and make Sakuragi unavailable to Sendoh.'
"There is nothing wrong with being gay Sakuragi, anyway aren't you also going out with Sendoh?"
Sakuragi jumps a mile upon hearing Sendoh's name; he looks around in case Sendoh has sneaked up on him while he wasn't watching.
/Sits back down warily/
/Clears throat/
"Oh, you mean Smiley?" /Looks around again/ "He practically mauled me! It was against my will! Without my permission!"
"Oh I don't know, it seemed pretty long and HOT. Actually we were pretty inspired ourselves!"
"Well you are wrong! The only one I love is that girl…um…
/tense silence/
…
"that girl…………HARUKO!" (2)
Koshino winced, "Damn Sakuragi! Lower your voice, I think the whole country heard you"
At this Sakuragi turns beet red, pretends he's not embarrassed while simultaneously trying not to kill Koshino.
Youhei just sits back and enjoys the staring match between Koshino and Sakuragi but he knew this battle of wills wasn't going to end soon so he had to spring into action.
Youhei: 'Sakuragi will probably kill me for even hinting at his secret but I hate to see him unhappy. He is starting to act more moronic than usual!'
He watches now as Koshino and Sakuragi go from the staring match to a full-blown competition on who can eat the most food on the table.
"Get your hands off my cake red-headed monkey!"
"First unhand my fries nerd-boy!"
/Struggle/
Youhei: 'Well Rukawa is not going to do anything! He just sits there trying not to stare at Hana. Oh well, no time like the present.'
"Why don't you both settle down? Sakuragi stop eating my fries!"
Koshino and Sakuragi pause their feasting which was turning into a food fight. Sakuragi struggles to swallow all the fries he put in his mouth and start to choke.
Koshino: "Serves you right! Eating all the food chimp boy!"
Youhei: "Koshino get a grip! Don't let the chimp boy get the best of you."
Sakuragi recovers sits down and pouts at Youhei, giving him his best puppy look.
"am not a chimp boy," Sakuragi says
"Sorry sorry… You see Koshino, Hana is completely straight! The kiss from Sendoh was unwanted, Hana told me this himself and I have known him for years."
"Nyahaha! See I told you! 110 percent straight, the manliest man he knows! That's what Youhei says."
/Sweatdrop/
"Although you must admit, Hana, that there is nothing wrong with being gay. People should live their lives the way they want to, the way which makes them happy, right?"
"Of course! But I'm straight!"
"You see, it's good to be accepting. You cannot be like the gay-hating person your father was. You're a much nicer person."
Sakuragi glares at Youhei and starts to go red.
/stunned silence/
"My father was a great man…/fumbles/ Oh weren't we going to play pachinko? …. /twiddles thumbs/ Oh! It is time for my nap"
Youhei looks at his watch, 2:00pm, as good a time as any to take a nap I guess. Feeling guilty about making Sakuragi so uncomfortable, Youhei stands up.
'I guess that is enough for today, Sakuragi will want to beat me up for this, but if he is to progress at all, he cannot keep avoiding the subject.'
Youhei: "Well, actually all that food has made me a bit tired as well, or do you still want to play pachinko?"
Sakuragi sulking "…neh, whatever"
Meanwhile, Rukawa was now openly staring at Sakuragi and it seemed that his fog of indifference had finally lifted. Plus the grumpy pouting Hana looked really cute almost like a kid, needless to say, a deep blush had overtaken Rukawa.
Rukawa, 'Just like disturbing dreams!...Am I attracted to Sakuragi! Oh god no!'
Rukawa had a sudden overwhelming need to nap, as he usually did when he was confused.
Well to be honest Rukawa liked to sleep. He slept when he was grumpy (often), bored, angry, tired (of course!), uneasy, you name it.
So Sakuragi and Youhei get up, wave (only Youhei, because Hana's hands are in his shorts in pouting stance), and exit.
"Well bye" Rukawa tells Koshino without looking at him and goes like a cat trying to find an appropriate place to nap (perhaps up a tree?).
/Leaves/
Koshino, "Wait a second! I am the only one left to pay the bill?"
Koshino miserably looks around, being a high school student, he doesn't exactly have all the money in the world.
/takes out trusty cell phone and dials/
/one sided telephone conversation/
"Hello, its me Koshino…yeah…do you want to come eat dinner?...yeah I am short on cash…I was with Rukawa and Sakuragi who ate like pigs and didn't leave money…yeah he was here…actually he was the only one to eat like a pig, Rukawa barely ate…okay I will wait…bye"
/later/
Sendoh enters with his newly spiked hair (he had finished taking a shower when Koshino called) and confident smile, instantly turning all female eyes his way.
/spots Koshino and sits down/
"What's up Kosh?"
"Sorry, but I didn't bring enough money to pay the entire bill."
"Who would have thought that cocky, smart mouth, nerdy Koshino would be so unreliable? Ah, I don't know what you would do without me."
"Oh please! it has only been three or four times in our entire decade long relationship that I have needed your help! It doesn't make me unreliable, let's not mention all the many many many times you have needed help."
/sighs dramatically/
"Okay Kosh, if you don't need me…"
Sendoh makes as if to leave, Koshino grunts and relents.
"I didn't say that, please stay…here have the rest of my pie."
/Already chewing/
"Mph! it is really good…Anyway what were you doing with Hana?"
"I was with Rukawa…on a date, when we bumped into Youhei and Sakuragi."
Sendoh stops eating and scowls, "You are really dating that malcontent? It wasn't just to help me? That idiot is not good enough for you! He is always unhappy and ogling after my Hana! Dump him! You cannot spend time with the enemy…traitor!"
"Oh calm down already! Why can't I date? You have so many dates, but whenever I get one you complain, I get lonely too you know."
"You get lonely? But you have me, anyway, Rukawa is not the same, he is evil!"
"You don't even know him."
"Well we are not getting anywhere with this, tell me about Sakuragi."
Koshino got annoyed at the change in topic, "As idiotic as usual…big headed, arrogant, fool. I think he likes Rukawa"
There, he said it, no more pandering to Sendoh. He was getting tired of his amicable indifference towards him, Koshino was even starting to think Sendoh would do very well without him. Even with his tendency to be unreliable, disorganized, and always in the need of advice; Koshino felt that if it where not him helping him, someone else would readily take his place.
After all Sendoh was rich, good looking, well mannered, agreeable, and nice. Everyone yearned to be his friend and lover, both men and women.
"But…but, Hana doesn't even like men!"
"Oh really? Just the other day you were fully confident that Sakuragi was into you, why this change of tune?"
"Oh but I was talking about me, not the kitsune."
"Well if you think about it the Kitsune as you call him, is very handsome. Once you look past that incessantly indifferent attitude, his basketball skills are superb, he has really long eyelashes, his black hair is soft and shiny."
"Please stop there, no need to point out Rukawa's random qualities, I do'nt need insight into your love life."
"What about the graphic details you go into? Things you want to do to your crushes (Sakuragi included), things you did do in your dates, and all those perverted details! You corrupt my mind with them! Yet I am excluded from uttering almost neutral comments?"
"Ah, its just what guys do, Kosh. And I already told you it's different when it concerns Rukawa."
"Let's just pay and leave. I will repay you later."
"No need."
Koshino and Sendoh left to the relief of the owners, who were afraid his other boisterous friends would return. All the way to Sendoh's house, Koshino was assaulted with questions regarding Sakuragi as well as pleadings for him to leave Rukawa.
"Listen, Sendoh I am leaving. I don't want to stay over as planned, especially if you are going to talk about Sakuragi the whole time."
Sendon looks dismayed, "Ah, but I wanted to run by you the new plan. I was hoping that you would improve upon it as always. In the past you have always been a great help, especially in my love life."
"I know, but I refuse to help with these matters anymore. I will pay you that money back but I don't think I am needed as your friend anymore."
"What! Is this Rukawa's influence? I knew that guy was a sneaky son of a…"
"No that's not it! I am in love with you Sendoh, but you don't really seem to treasure me as I would hope. Neither do you need me in your life. But don't worry, I am moving on, hopefully Rukawa will be able to help in this."
With these Koshino leaves finally feeling lighter now that he told Sendoh, but also feeling sad that he had lost his longest and only friendship. I mean he did have other friends in the past, but being naturally unsociable and critical, they never lasted long. Any friends he did have, were only casual friends, but it wasn't as if he was needed, he thought
And Sendoh was left wide-eyed and without a thing to say for the first time in ages.
….
/two days later/
Youhei was worried, Sakuragi hadn't hit him that day. He was still sulking, even though he apologized. Sakuragi said it was okay, but it seemed he was worried about how his dad would disapprove of him, even after death.
'I am cannot believe this dufus is still pining. The death of his father must still be bearing in on him. He missed school yesterday, but I won't let the same thing happen today.'
"Hana, do you want some soup? Are you sick?"
Youhei hands him some soup, despite the fact that he knows Hana is only feigning illness.
"Thanks Youhei, you are a true friend. Oh but I am so sick, my bones ache…I have rashes…I had a seizure last night and today I get this cough."
"What strange symptoms! Plus your temperature today was 150 degrees Fahrenheit! Sounds serious, do you want to go to the hospital?"
"Err, no"
/bell rings/
Youhei: "Well who could that be? I'll get it"
Sakuragi start to suspiciously panic, "Nooo! just let it ring, it might be Smiley-face."
Youhei goes anyway, he opens the door and finds Akagi standing there.
"Oh hello, good thing you are here, Sakuragi is inside."
/Whispers/ "the old idiot is pretending to be sick. Snap some sense into him."
/nods and cracks knuckles/
Akagi walks in the room and Sakuragi instantly jumps up, startled.
"Ahh! Akagi, baby sick!"
"What baby idiot? What is wrong with you that you cannot even pick up the phone to tell us you're sick!"
"Well yesterday I had a horrible cough and a seizure and today I have a high fever."
"Do you really? Lets check, maybe it went down."
Akagi takes the thermometer and jams it into his mouth. All the time (2 minutes) it's in his mouth, Akagi eyes him wearily to make sure there's no funny business.
/Hana sweating under stare/
Akagi: "Let's see now, 98.6. Well! We do recover fast don't we! Now listen, you need practice to improve on your basketball skills. You still have a long way to go."
/whines/ "but…I…am…tensai"
"What did you say about being a tensai? You have 2 minutes to get ready! If not I will drag you to school in your underwear!"
Sakuragi scampers to his room to get ready, in 2 minutes he is fully dressed and nearly presentable (hair not done).
Youhei then escorts Akagi and Sakuragi (being dragged by Akagi), to school.
Youhei, 'On the bright side, it looks like Hana is back to his own confident tensai self. The miracles this big monkey can achieve.'
Chapter end. Next chapter: Acceptance?
author's notes:
(1) Ru is Koshino's nickname for his new fake boyfriend
(2) actually I forgot her name so I wrote it in! I had to look it up.
Well next chapter or two it finally ends!
I have lots of free time so I will get it done, thanks for reading.
