Disclaimer: The absolute undeniable fact that cannot be doubted is this: I do not own Slam Dunk. Pero pwede pa rin akong tumingin diba?
Calliope Medina Erato: thank you… hehe.. yup! Can't have then fighting each other till the end of the story… when they have a history as friends, well I don't want them to end it right there… he's really starting to accept the situation and stuff.. hehehe…
Coffeemaverick: thank you.. hehehe.. well, I thought why not greet her right? Hehehehe… and of course they'd be quite shocked since it's a bit weird how she would know Jin since he lives all the way in Kainan… hehehe
Simmic: well, I was trying to avoid it, but I knew I couldn't because it simply won't be realistic without it… though it'll be limited, since basketball writing isn't my forte.. unfortunately… hehehehe.. thank you.. hehehe… I strive for cuteness in my story… hehehe…
The Writing On The Wall
I almost felt my right foot rise to take a step towards Miyagi before I retrieved my raised foot as I saw Hagino Naru running to catch the train. "Hagino-san." Miyagi greeted. She didn't reply, but continued to walk a few steps ahead before stopping to look back. "Miyagi-san, hello." Miyagi made a move to approach her, "Sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm in a hurry,"
"Lessons?" Miyagi once again cut in. "Yeah. Later!" She entered the train just as Miyagi said to himself," It's okay. I understand how important music is to you." I saw Hagino sit right next to a window and waved to Miyagi before the train hurried on its way.
It started to get windy after that. I held my hair with my left hand, struggling to keep the strands in from running with the seductive breeze. "Where did I put my clip?" A palm stretched out to me, the rubber band resting on its flat surface. "Here you go." I said thanks immediately, grabbed the band and started to tie my hair in a less than neat ponytail. Then I remembered the palm, which stretched to an arm, which became a body, and as I looked up the neck, and finally the face, I recognized him as Jin.
"What! I thought we were going to spend the day together!" A coupled walked out from the train, the girl leading the way. "But I haven't seen my friends in such a long time!" The guy complained. Jin seemed to watch the scene with me, like the people who kept glancing every minute or so.
"But what about us?" She finally stopped and turned to face him. "We see each other every day! My friends just wish for me to be with them for just one day, one day." The girl raised her hands in the air, bringing them back down in frustration. "Fine! Just – do whatever you want!" She walked away, leaving the guy all by himself amidst the bustling crowd. When he saw some of the people turn their eye towards him, he left, not wanting their gaze to linger a moment longer.
"That's got to be bad. I said, though Jin probably mistook it as an invitation to share his thoughts on the subject. "Well, an attitude like that won't get her anywhere. It's certainly not what guys would look for." I felt his gaze on me. I turned my face, and there he was, still looking. "Your train." He reminded me. For some reason, I breathed a sigh of relief. I said the usual farewells, and we parted ways.
I arrived home to find my aunt waiting on the couch, wearing casual clothing instead of her regular uniform. "Now that you've finally arrived, let's go." That's what I get for going home? A half sarcastic remark and, "Where are we going?" She held her bag in one hand, and opened the other with the other, holding it with the same one, waiting for me to pass.
"The Mitsui's have invited us to dinner. Remember?" I did now. Since both of our families, or at least my aunt was a friend of their, it has been a tradition to invited us once every month, and if busy, once every two months to dinner. I forgot that today had been that day. Maybe I wasn't looking forward to it.
I barely had time to change out of my uniform, lest change my mind, before my aunt threatened to leave me behind. Though she wouldn't do that for real. It'll be extremely rude to the Mitsui's.
When we arrived, Mitsui opened the door for us and after taking off our shoes; we set immediately into the kitchen to help Mrs. Mitsui to prepare the meals. Ayako was already slicing the vegetables.
Everything was great nonetheless. I got to cook, I got to eat the food I cooked, they got to taste it as well, I did a great job at it as usual, though after eating, Ayako quickly volunteered herself to wash the dishes. At least I didn't see him as much, nor was I expected to talk to him.
But after everything was said and done, it became another story. My aunt started the small talk with the family, and the usual catching up with what went on in each other's lives. I saw Mitsui's mother come down the stairs carrying an album from their vacation in Sapporo. A she passed by the living room, she poked Mitsui in the arm, mumbling some words to him, which caused him to turn and look at me. He said something to his mother before looked back once more to the TV.
"Karin, go talk to Mitsui. Go." As my aunt kept on putting the pressure on me, I stood up, excused myself and headed to the living room. As he sat on the far corner of the couch, I saw on the other corner. He was watching the NCAA again.
"You can change the channel if you want to." As he moved to pick the remote control up, "No, it's okay." I replied. He settled back into the couch, leaning heavily on its arm.
I turned my attention back to the game. I looked at the time. There wasn't much left. Three minutes remained on the clock, which counted down, 2:59, 2:58, and as I switched to the scores there was a 4-point lead on somebody else's team.
As a player in white jersey perfomed a successful lay-up and as the lead grew from four to six, I secretly began to root for the blue team, the Osaka team.
AS blue jerseys began to move on the screen, trying to find a crack in their opponents defence, the dribbler found himself losing time, and not wanting to be caught with a 30-second violation, he took the risk to shoot a 3-pointer. It went in.
"Woot!" Mitsui piercingly and energetically whistled. As the blue team ran back to defend their court, an air of anxiousness lingered in the air. "Defence!" Mistui yelled as if he was really watching. As if they could hear him.
When a shot was attempted and it rebounded, I found my heart skipping a beat as the blue team took an opportunity for a fast break as number 4 made a mad dash, passing to number 23 running on his left and in a second he was in the air, releasing the ball for another 3-pointer, and again, it went in, touching nothing but the net. Only one minute remained on the clock. They had managed to tie their opponent.
The white team called for a time-out. After a brief showcase of the coach and players from both teams, the game was signalled to resume its play.
At 30 seconds, as number 7 on the white team attempted a shot, it was slapped away and possession of the ball was transferred to the blue team. Because of the intense and superb defence the white team were putting up, the ball was cut off and it went in the direction of the sidelines, number 8 of the blue team dove just in time to save it, and control of the ball was given to them.
At that instant, the blue team called for a time-out. It had been short, just as the time left had been, and between winning and going into a overtime depended on how they were going to attack for the last few seconds.
"Go!" Mitsui cheered. It had been in the perfect spot, just near the white team's basket, and their perfect player was in the best possible receiving place, just under the net. As soon as he received the magnificent pass, he jumped in the air for a slam dunk, the white team's center jumped alongside with him, hoping to block his shot, though he switched the ball to his left, and dunked with only 3 seconds left.
"Whoo!" As I counted 3, 2, 1 with him, the excitement hadn't subsided. As the whistle sounded it was officially over and we too felt as if we ad won. He raised himself from his seat, cheering wildly. Though it seemed to have rained since there was a splash of liquid on my arm. I saw Mitsui holding his canned soda with his left hand, the word guilty stamped all over his face.
Ayako arrived and immediately smacked him on the head. "Sorry Karin, I got carried away." I didn't bother to contain my anger. "Get a towel you idiot." It seems Ayako had read my mind. He ran as fast as he could and came back with not one, but two. He stretched out his arm cautiously, and I grabbed it irritably from him he flinched.
"Wait a minute," He complained. "This isn't right! I'm supposed to be the one doing the bullying." He approached me and as I stood to run away, he grabbed me by the ponytail, and I sat back down, and Ayako smacked him with her fan and he sat down. I faced him laughing nervously, which he matched with his evil one, his eyes burning with revenge from the humiliation I had just caused on his delicate pride. Ayako raised her fan to defend me.
Though he seemed to remember that we were not really in speaking terms and withdrew his attack.
"Ne, Mitsui," I interrupted before he could fully retreat, Ayako following him closely. "Aren't you tired of this? Are we just going to throw away our friendship for what happened? If so, then why'd we even try to preserve it for years!"
Ayako continued with hitting him on the head. "What was that for?" What followed next, I didn't expect. "Let's all go back to beind friends, ne Karin?" Mitsui nodded his head. I smiled. Maybe it had been enough. Maybe I had enough. Ayako and Mitsui both stretched out their hands to me, and I grabbed both of them as they pulled me to stand up.
"Yeah. Friends." I could help but cry. Mitsui still didn't know how to deal with it as he kept on running around his house frantically, looking for a box of Kleenex. Ayako offered me a shoulder to cry on. "I'm sorry." She patted my head like an older sister. "I'm sorry too." Mitsui handed me his handkerchief instead. "Me too." It truly felt as if a burden I had been carrying had been lifted from me. I stopped crying because of the light feeling I was experiencing.
I returned Mitsui his handkerchief and saw my aunt excusing herself to leave.
"Ne, Ayako's getting to know the family already? I heard Mitsui's parents say they approve of you." Ayako blushed though being Ayako, she didn't leave it at that. She couldn't leave it at that. "Ne, getting to be adopted into Kainan's family as well?" Now it was my turn to blush. Her grin was evil. "Oh yeah," Mitsui piped in. "You mean that Jin guy?" I motioned for him to keep his voice down, though it was more appropriately teamed to shut up.
"Who's Jin?" My aunt asked, obviously waiting for me. "I laughed, so did Ayako, and Mitsui finally followed. I laughed half nervous half infuriated. Ayako laughed part giddy, the other half relieved my aunt didn't know who Jin is. Mitsui laughed partly because he knew he was guiltly, and partly because he was frightened. He knew I wasn't going to let go of this.
Ayako smacked him with her fan yet again, still laughing. "No, he said "Rin, ka-RIN?" She kept on laughing still smacking mitsui with her enormous paper fan. "Oh I though I heard something else." I was relieved when she didn't enquire further. She continued to hit him, and with every hit, his eyebrows twitched at the pain.
"Ne, let's go." I quietly closed the subject. I walked to grab my things though I realized I didn't bring any. We finaly got out, and as we closed the door I felt relieved. First, because I hadn't been caught, and second because for a short period of time, it reminded me of how much I actually missed our friendship. Now if only Miyagi had been here.
Sorry for the long update… hehehe… I have a position essay that I still have to finish… hehehehe… but anyways, there's still some progress, and well… Jin's kinda wanting to move on… though… well whatever… later… hehehehe… it isn't exactly that easy… why would I want things to be easy? Hehehehe… I hope you enjoyed this chapter!