Disclaimer: The absolute undeniable fact that cannot be doubted is this: I do not own Slam Dunk. Pero pwede pa rin akong tumingin diba?
Kalyope Medina Erato: yup, I agree with you… I remembered Kainan and Ryonan tied last time, so yeah I was thinking, Sendoh would be able to lead his team to win this time… hehe… well Yoyogi would do anything for Rukawa… LOL… and I just thought, Rukawa keeps on sleeping even when riding his bike, he might as well sleep while he's reading a note… hehe…
Simmic: well, I just erased my other message response, since it consisted of something like were you able to read it? which is irrelevant… lol… yeah, I knew we were from different time zones, but it was just the first time that I was awake while receiving a review… so I was shocked by that.. LOL… yup… only a couple of chapters to go… but the good news is… I'm starting another one after that, and no, it's not a trilogy of Karin LOL, I just thought to myself, hmmm… I'd like to write about another underused character… LOL…
The Writing On The Wall
It was later made known to me that Kainan had received third place, Ryonan in second, and Shohoku's efforts finally reaping it's well earned reward, held in their hands the title as first.
However much I had wanted to watch this game, it simply could not be done, not even with such an elaborate scheme planned by Ayako, Mitsui or any other individual that wish that I personally see this game.
I was detained inside a room full of students, students who had carved in their minds the desire to belong to the fortunate group who would be granted a scholarship. And as of that moment, I was sitting on a sturdy seat, a pencil in one hand, my grip on it quite tight to prevent my fingers from shaking, as my thoughts kept on drifting back to the game. As the exam progressed, the questions undoubtedly increased in difficulty, and it evidently showed through the scrunching of my face that the exam became more problematic during those instances where my mind would slip from concentration and sink into imagination – the results of the game.
I managed, somehow, to swim back to the shore, and focus myself to be bothered only of what is currently laid before me, the exam. As the bell rang, signalling the end of the enduring task, I took a deep breath before I began to worry.
I was now standing before my table, the books still pilled on top of it, and thinking that all of the hours spent, and the work exerted, everything depended on that two hours, painstakingly trying to read, understand, and answer the questions within that limited time. I began to put them away.
That was when I noticed a small piece of paper carefully tucked in under a page from my favourite book. I began to read it, and it's content began to wash all over me. It had been the ticket to Hagino Naru's concert.
I had not talked to her since we last spoke that one afternoon when I first held the ticket in my hands. However, as I scanned its writings, I found out that today was the day of this last bid of farewell.
The concert hall was teeming with people. Most of them came together in small groups, and in the process of finding my seat, I overheard some of them either being relatives, other friends, or for some, fans to Hagino-san's music.
I settled down as soon as I found my seat and looked around. I glanced at the watch secured to my wrist. 6:40 p.m. Mitsui, Ayako, and Miyagi was nowhere in sight. But then again, they weren't really known for punctuality.
I could not find Hagino herself, and even though I desired to have more of a private conversation with her, whilst the people couldn't come to her from all corners, I knew she was backstage, preparing herself mentally, emotionally, and tuning her violin to give out the best sound. I could not bring myself to disturb such a personal space.
The people gradually filled out the seats, until only specks of unoccupied seats could be hardly seen. "Where are our seats?" I heard a familiar voice say. "It's your fault Mitsui, you were late on picking me up." I did not even need to see her to tell that it was Ayako. "What are you talking about? You were the one who took forever to get dressed up," He wasn't even finished and Ayako was already glaring at him. Mitsui pulled her closer to him. "Though I must admit it was worth the wait. You look hot." Ayako slapped him playfully before concentrating back on finding their seats; though there was a barely visible smile curving at the sides of her lips. As Ayako turned around, she saw me, and grabbed Mitsui's arm, dragging him to their seats.
"Thank god Karin's early." She sat down beside me, Mitsui sitting beside her. Mitsui looked around, and finally figured out that Miyagi was still missing.
"Oops, sorry. Sorry." Finally Miyagi came into view, still bowing down and apologizing to a few of the other members of the audience. "At least we beat Miyagi's time on being late." Mitsui commented. "Sorry guys." He made his way towards Mitsui, stepping on my feet. "Ow!" He apologized yet again, carefully walking past Ayako lest he would like for an untimely argument with Mitsui and another fan slap from Ayako, and sat beside Mitsui.
The lights dimmed, the performance soon to begin, when I realized that the seat beside me was still unoccupied. Just as I turned my head to look at the rising curtains of the stage, I heard a barely voiced Thank you, before somebody slid into the seat beside me. "Sorry, it took me some time to find this place." Behind the darkness that surrounded us, I could outline his features, recognizing from his face, and from his voice that it was Jin.
There had been no time left for conversation as the curtains were fully drawn, Hagino sitting at the center, and behind her a full orchestra was lined up magnificently, all awaiting for her lead, and for their conductor.
She stood up, and grabbed a mike. "I want to thank you all for coming to my last concert. I have spent all my life here in Kanagawa, and have known this place as my home. I will greatly miss you, and so for this night, I will try the very best that I could to deliver a performance that would sum up my feelings of gratitude, for this city, and for it's people. I hope you enjoy the night. The first performance, Arigato Gozaimashita."
She took her seat, and remained silent for a few moments, composing herself. When she was ready, she positioned the violin, and with one graceful stroke, music flooded the hall.
Everyone was enveloped in silence. Nobody even dared to move, or even shift on their seat, every single moment being held in the luscious notes that escaped from her violin, and from the unbelievable blending the orchestra was producing.
The performances described in one word would be surreal. The raw feelings emanating from her, as if she was letting every one in this audience see her as if she was transparent, as if she wanted all of us to understand where she was coming from, and if we were nodding our heads in our minds thinking, this is the feeling
The way that the notes would rapidly ascend and descend, my self so immersed that I myself felt rising and falling along with the music. The way that the music made me smile, and all of its untainted warmth rushing inside of me, or of how the painful loneliness would tug at my heart, and the bitter strike of sadness would draw tears into the corner of my eyes, everything was in the moment, and I could not help myself but be in the moment, and forget about everything and just, dive.
But sadly, as all things must come to an end, her last performance had been appropriately named, "Sayonara wa iwanaide. (Don't say goodbye)". It was perfect, for nobody could tell what the future will hold, or what will happen in our lives, and just as unexpected and unknown it was that we were to meet, so will we hold that same attitude that we will meet again. The time, the place, the date, who knows? But the hope always present.
A few tears escaped her closed eyes, and as the last notes sounded and everything was drawn into silence, it was not long before each and everyone stood up, a resonating clap of hands, it was a collage of sounds, but it still sounded as one – one of happiness and sadness all at the same time.
She stood up, and bowed to everyone, and for sometime remained that way, until she stood up straight and waved to the crowd, who responded by increasing the intensity of their clap. We joined too, overwhelmed with pride. For us, she was the best.
We were not disappointed when we expected that the people would gather around her relentlessly, but after layers of patience, they soon gradually gave her some space to breathe in and that was when we entered into the picture.
"That was so good Hagino-san!" Ayako wrapped her arms around her, still feeling the energy from her music coursing through her veins. "Thank you, Ayako-san." She was truly grateful.
"Yeah, I swear I even saw Mitsui wipe a tear or two away." Miyagi joked. Mitsui punched him in the side, not too light-heartedly for he clutched it as if it did hurt, a little. "I saw Miyagi bawling his eyes out." Mitsui retorted. We laughed at that.
After all the small talk about how wonderfully this song or that song was played, how skilfully executed this piece or that, we finally arrived to that time in which we were to part ways. But we didn't let it arrive to that point yet as we excused ourselves discreetly, allowing for Miyagi to talk with Hagino-san privately.
We were heading back home, and as we separated ourselves from the group, we found the ride peaceful and as if our minds were refreshed. Jin and I stood there at the train station, the wind playing with our hair, though his did not sway with the music for his hair was shorter. As my train arrived, I excused myself, though he didn't seem to hear me. I repeated my parting words. "Ja ne." He seemed to snap out of his reverie to look at me.
I was already walking towards the doors when he grabbed my arm and faced me to him. "Meet me tomorrow at the Shomyoji Temple at 3 p.m." I found my head shaking, the answer forming in my mouth. He laid a finger on my lips to silence me. "I'll be waiting." With that he let me go, and I looked back at him distraught. His train arrived at the other side, and he walked away without saying anything.
Would I meet him? The doors closed, and the train sailed away, and yet as I took a seat, everything became slightly blurred, like the image of the city as the train passed by.
That is all… um.. yeah, long enough, so I'm thinking the next chapter is the last chapter… yup… hope you liked this chapter!