Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Slam Dunk.
CHAPTER 5
It had been two years. She would only fool herself if she would say she already forgot about him. Because whether she liked it or not, a part of her left with him; a part of her was hurting.
And what hurts most was part of her still hoped when he return, they'd be together again. Another wishful thinking; she knew very well they could not bring it back. And so she had to move on and put all the hurt behind; let go of it completely.
Seven days before Akira's arrival.
Since she heard the news, Ayako was disoriented. At school, she somehow managed to get her mind off Akira because Amira was a good distraction. She made her laugh. She must have sensed Ayako's bothered state because of her late reaction to the jokes she'd been throwing at her.
As the day neared, Ayako was more disoriented, always spacing out.
"Ayako, is there something wrong? Tell me. I might be able to help you," Amira offered, her voice filled with concern. They were hanging out again at the bench by the school grounds. Before Ayako could say she's fine, Amira remembered something and began talking again.
"Before anything else, you know what? I'm so excited because my brother's coming home from the U.S. in a few days," Amira said, unable to contain her excitement.
Ayako thought she was off the hook because they're onto a new topic.
"Really? You're lucky to have a brother," Ayako said, hoping this will last until the bell rang for the next class.
"I know, he's my older brother and we haven't seen each other in two years," Amira's excited Ayako could see.
"So, how does it feel?" she asked, somehow managing to look interested.
Amira missed her brother so much, Ayako sensed. Two years' a long time.
"When we were younger, we don't get along sometimes. But that's understandable. He's into basketball; one of the best players when he was in junior high. He's such a great brother. I'll introduce you to him one of these days," she said. "Ever heard of Akira Sendo?" she asked, oblivious to Ayako's paling complexion. "You know, one of the promising players? He went to the U.S. two years ago. Actually, I came from the U.S. I decided to come here and he decided to go abroad," Amira finished.
"Akira Sendo?" Ayako could barely say the name; and she could barely hear Amira talking.
"He's coming here and he'll be staying for good. I think he plans to enroll in Ryonan. Nothing good enough resulted from his studies abroad that's why he's coming back." Amira sighed, visibly concerned with her brother's studies.
The other day, learning that Akira was coming back was too much to take. And today, learning that Akira was Amira's elder brother was more than Ayako could handle. So far, all that's happened was too nerve-racking.
And then the bell rang.
Ayako was still in a daze. She can't tell whether it's a bad or a good sign. Why does that name always have to come up when I least expect it? That explains why Amira looks familiar. I've seen those eyes before, that smile. They were the same as Akira's.
She was sitting at her seat near the huge windows, looking outside but not seeing, feeling totally lost. Her gaze stopped at a tree. There's someone sitting under its shade. She realized it was Rukawa. He must have dozed off. That guy was not too picky when it came to a place to sleep. It's like he didn't care where he could end up sleeping. She shook her head at his unusual habit. He's sleeping peacefully that she worry he might end up forgetting the practice this afternoon or worst, he'll sleep there until morning. But she knew he's responsible enough. She saw ho devoted he was, if that's the right term to use for someone who's concentrated on reaching his goals. Just like Akira. Ugh! Why is it that everything has to remind me of him?
She had no problem with Rukawa's habits. She knew the guy's tired of the afternoon practices. The real problem: Akira.
When he comes back, what will I do? How will I face him? Can I face him without breaking down? Even though it's been so long, I'm still hurting whenever I thought of him.
Ayako dismissed all these thoughts at once when she heard the professor calling names for the graded recitation. She had to pay attention. She'll try to figure out the answer to all these questions later. I have to think this through. But before I could do that, I have to deal with Sakuragi first. They have another practice and training. She noticed Sakuragi's getting better in basics. At least there's progress.
Rukawa was preparing for practice. He's still half sleep it seemed; the nap he had under the tree's shade didn't seem to be enough. He went straight to the locker room to put his bag. When he opened the locker door, a piece of paper fell on the floor. Curious, he opened it and read. It's a love letter; no doubt that it's a girl's handwriting. How did this get here? He had been getting love letters in his locker since the day he set foot at Shohoku. He crumpled the paper and threw it on the trash can like a ball to a ring. And it went in. He changed into his white t-shirt, black shorts and basketball shoes. He went to the court and started dribblingpracticing his moves, warming up.
The love letters, he can't count how many he had received so far. It doubled when he got in the team. He received letters almost every day, which he wouldn't even waste his time on. They all went straight to the trash bins like what happened to the one he just found in his locker. Why won't they get a life? He can't stop wondering over and over again even though he already knew the answer. Those girls won't stop because they weren't affected by the cold treatment he's giving them.
He was tired of being bugged; getting tired of acting like he didn't care. All he wanted was for them to leave him alone. What could I possibly do instead of just ignoring them? They don't seem to mind the cold treatment. Is there any other way? He may sound desperate but he's serious.
Practice will almost start and Ayako was surprised to see Rukawa already there and so were all the members. She was late. She lost track of time; that's the reason she'll give when someone asked. Luckily, they never asked why and she's relieved they didn't. She never had to lie about what really happened. You've been thinking too much about Akira. Stop it Ayako, you're just wasting your time on someone who must've forgotten you already. It's been two years and you're still waiting? She castigated herself for letting it affect her focus.
Rukawa noticed Ayako's unsettled state. She looked anxious, like her mind was drifting somewhere else; it was evident on how her brow would crease; her gaze had that distant look. He can't help but wonder what it could be that she's so anxious about. Could it be that the point guard's pestering her? He's worried why Ayako's acting strange.
Ayako looked at Rukawa to divert her thoughts. He was busy doing shots. These past few days, she noticed that he's getting better and better. That's what Sakuragi must've been musing about yesterday because he noticed it too. That means Sakuragi has to work harder to beat him. She glanced at the red-head. He's such a pain in the head. But to be fair, he's also doing great, it won't be long before he could finally play with the team. There's a big chance for the team to make it in the National Championships. Before that, they must first overcome the Inter High. She glanced back at Rukawa. And she was surprised to see him looking at her, as if contemplating her state of mind, trying to figure it out.
Ayako was walking home; feeling more than happy to be done with training Sakuragi. He's acting weirder every time. She didn't see Rumi at school today. I wonder where she went to. Maybe she had a date with Koshino again. Their relationship is getting stronger while I'm here going crazy thinking about Akira. She felt pathetic.
Five days to go before his return. How a day could pass by that fast, she wondered. Ayako took the key from her bag and opened the front door. The house felt so quiet. Her parents were in Tokyo, running the family business. They visit at least twice a month. Even though her parents were away, they never failed to check on her and her cousin Rumi. Ayako's an only child and Rumi's like a sister to her.
She went upstairs, to her room, took off her uniform and wore comfortable pajamas. She sat on her bed, lied down and closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves. Breathe in. Breathe out. She repeated it a couple of times hoping peace will wash over her. She was mentally and emotionally tired. She immediately fell asleep.
Before sleep could completely overcome Ayako, she heard Rumi's footsteps. Her cousin was calling out to her while running up the stairs. Rumi appeared at the door, catching her breathe.
"What happened to you?" Ayako asked, still feeling sleepy.
"I don't know if it's good or bad news. But judging from how you reacted, I think it's bad," Rumi said, sitting on the bed.
"What's the bad news?" Ayako asked, even though she had a feeling she won't like it.
"Sendo's coming back in two days!" Rumi exclaimed.
"What!? I thought you said in a week?" Ayako almost shouted. She sat upright, all trace of sleepiness abandoning her.
"Hiro-kun told me this afternoon. Why does it matter anyway? It still doesn't change the fact that he's coming back, right?"
"I know. But I'm not yet prepared to face him. What if we come across each other?" Ayako felt more panicky than ever.
"I thought you said you were over him" Rumi looked at her suspiciously. "You don't seem like you are."
"Of course I'm over him. The only thing that's not over is our relationship. We never had a formal break-up. I felt like I can't completely move on if we don't settle what was left unfinished," Ayako explained.
"Okay, I understand. So, what will you do?"
"I still don't know." Ayako was desperate. "What should I do?"
"I'll try to think of something though I'm not sure I can give you some advice in time for his arrival. Hiro-kun told me Sendo wants to see you and repair what was broken between you two."
"The hell he won't." Ayako interjected.
"He wants you back. Hiro-kun said so." Rumi tried not to laugh at Ayako's reaction. "What will you do?"
"I'm still thinking of a plan," Ayako said, her thoughts where in disarray.
"Do you really have to?" It bothered Rumi how Ayako took the news. "Why don't you just walk up to him? Break-up with him and that's it!"
"You don't understand. To tell you honestly, I may still have feelings for him. I'm not if I could handle seeing him again. I don't want to just walk up to him without being prepared. Or he walking up to me, and I wouldn't even be able say a word," Ayako sighed. "One thing's for sure, I'll definitely tell him that we're over, no matter what."
"Even if you may still love him? What if he doesn't stop trying to get you back?" Rumi asked, weighing Ayako's determination.
"Then that's the time I should plan for what to do next. As of now, we don't know how he would deal with what I have to say to him," Ayako said. "You know what? I just hope he would accept it because I don't know what to do if he didn't."
to be continued