Chapter 2: Things Get Worse at Home

After the game, Rukawa was smiling at himself. "Aren't I evil?" he said to himself and got a hearty laugh. He went to his bike and rode on it. He looked behind him and saw the gym. Akagi stood there beside the door pane looking even miserable.

He rode off waving a goodbye to the standing gorilla. Arriving home at late 8:00 in the evening, he went straight to his room. He's got a spacey home. He's got a butler and some guys to take care of things he doesn't and wouldn't.

"Are you not taking dinner?" his butler asked.

"Nope," he answered and banged the door behind him. Taking hold of his towel, he went to the bathroom, taking a warm shower.

"Hmmmmm," he whimpered. He went out with towel wrapped on his body. He dressed up in a blue shirt that hung loose from his broad shoulders and jogging pants that reached the floor. Drying his wet hair with his towel, he started thinking about his phone.

"No messages? I wonder why people are so forgetful these days," he said and threw his phone on his bed. He threw himself on it face front. Snuggling himself on its softness he closed his eyes. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Ahhh, Kaede-san you better eat dinner now," a voice called out. He went out and ran downstairs. He reached the slab with his meal laid before him, chicken, fish, veggies, and drinks. He grabbed his plate and ate quite a meal. Finished, he went upstairs and sat on the bed. Later, he was lying down. Then, pictures of similar girls came to his mind. There was this beautiful blonde with great body, she had this straight long hair and was very white-complexioned. Another was this girl of Asian look. She had a mid-long black hair running to her shoulders. She was tall and if he ever stood beside her she'd nearly be as tall as he was. There were others who were also pretty and as fair as the first ones. Suddenly, a bouncing ball came to his vision. He crumpled his forehead to make him see what that meant. A girl smiling passed his thought. She held the ball and was aiming for the ring she was going towards. She gave a perfect three-point shot and jumped for joy. She had this hair that was not that long; it was brown and was tied up with a white bow. She wore a yellow loose shirt and blue shorts. She wasn't tall, and to even look at her, you can say that she was only about an inch or two above his elbow. She looked back at him and smiled at him. With that, he rose from his bed and was clammy.

"Could that be his sister?" he asked himself. "She looks good." He dredged up his bet with Akagi and was a little eager to see her. "Was that just a premonition?" he said and laughed a little. He went back and then went to sleep.

Looking wretched, he went home. He went straight to his room. He keeps on thinking of what he just had done.

"Ahh, Haruko-chan, guess what? I played with Rukawa," he started. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"How about," he mumbled. "Haruko-chan, hi. You see, I got this bet about a date," he started and placed his hand on his nape. "You're dating Rukawa," he shouted and covered him as if expecting a slap. "Awwww! It won't work!"

He seemed like being fed-up and took his towel. He went to take a bath and opened the shower. It was cold. "Hmmmmm, just what I needed," he whispered and the strain appeared to be swept away with the water. He was done and was dressed. Later, he was getting feelings about the bet over.

"Ahhhh! Get it off!" he shouted out.

"Oniichan?" a sweet voice called from the door. "What's happening to you?"

He capered with fright at that call.

"Calm down, everything's gonna be okay," he keep reminding himself. He walked here and there, not being to keep control of himself. "Hhhhhh, okay. Here's what you're gonna do," he said. "Inhale, exhale," and he started taking deep breathes until he was fine. He walked slowly to the door and took hold of the knob and opened it.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. I heard you creaming and-," Haruko said.

"That was nothing, don't mind it," he assured.

"Oh, okay. Come, I have a lot to tell you," she said and pulled her brother's hand. Shortly, they were in her room. She sat in her bed and Akagi took the chair.

"If you still can remember, I had a crush in junior high. Until now I can't forget him. Now that I heard he studies also in Shohoku. I can't wait to see him," she started.

"Are you talking about Kaede or another guy?" he seemed to fool her.

"Do you think I would ever find someone better than him?" she said a little shocked.

"Ahhh, yeah?" he smirked.

"Hmmp! Of course not! Kaede Rukawa is my first and he would be my last! I promise you," she assured.

"Seems to be true," he said.

"It is true," she answered with a louder tone.

"Okay. Whatever you say, e koibito. Whatever you say," he said closing the topic.

"Aishite imasu, oniichan," she said lovingly.

"Domo arigato," he said bowing his head down. She looked at him and lied down. "I met two new friends this day," she said.

"Oh yeah?" he asked.

"Uh-huh! And they're great," she assumed. He looked at her and raised a brow.

"You find everyone great around you. What makes them any different?" he joked and gave a laugh.

"You're right," she chuckled. "But they really are, they hang around with me, and they showed the whole place, they talked about guys, and they are very familiar with Rukawa," she continued.

"They are?" he asked kind of intrigued. She opened her eyes and sat down.

"Uh-huh. They said he is quite too notorious not to be known to anyone," she proudly said.

"Hmmp! They were too exaggerated," he ditched.

"Oh they're not!" she poised.

"Oh yes they are," he started jesting. She looked at him and pouted.

"Awwww, don't give me that look," he said looking upset. She turned her back on him and lied down. She covered her head with her pillow and Akagi started laughing.

"Imoto?" he posed. He stood and went to her side. He still got no answer. He sat beside her and placed his hand over her pillow. Those hands were heavy and the pillow came down as his hand was laid. She felt that weight and threw her pillow to her brother.

"Hmmp!" she annoyingly said. Akagi gave a guffaw which drove Haruko laugh even harder.

"You got me there," he chortled as he sat beside her.

"It suits you right!" she moped.

"Whatever!" he said and slapped the wind.

"So oniichan, have you seen my dream boy?" she asked.

"Kaede?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah. Have you?" she was more interested this time.

"Well, you see I have met him,-" he started. Haruko jumped at sat even closer to her brother.

"You have? What does he look like? Is he still tall? Does he still look good? Where did you see him?" She asked continuously.

"Calm down, I have all the time to share my story," he laughed.

"Ahhhh! I can't wait to see him," she said with widened eyes.

"I saw him in the gym a while ago. He still looks the same, and plays good too!" he said.

"Really? What time was he playing?" she asked shaking her brother. "Who was he with?"

"He was playing alone," he riposted.

"And you joined him, right?" she added with a snap of the finger.

"Yeah. As if I can help it," he chuckled.

"Darlings!" a rather old voice called out. "It's time for dinner."

"Coming!" both answered. They went to their places and started a prayer. After that they started eating.

"So, how was your first day in Shohoku, Haruko?" their father asked.

"I loved it, Dad," she came back with. "I met new friends and new teachers."

"Well, ahhh, That's-" Dad tried to finish.

"That's great. Great," their mom finished and gave Dad a frown. "How about my son? How has my team captain been?" Akagi seemingly choked at the word captain.

"Ahhh, well," he cleared his throat. "Well, indeed."

"And your grades?" Dad asked curiously.

"Oh, Dad," Haruko blocked. "Oniichan would never flunk his grades. You should know that by now," she raised her tone. Akagi looked at her with an odd look.

"Huh?" he asked her.

"Oh, never mind that, finish you dinner and get to sleep. Ayt?' Mom closed. The three dug into eating and was finished.

"Hmmmmm, who's washing?" Mm asked.

"Not me, I'm tired." Dad said.

"Awwww, you're always tired," Haruko sulked. He gave a laugh.
"Not me, I have to -" Akagi started escaping.

"Oniichan!" Haruko shouted out. He looked back at him while their parents are going upstairs. "Paper-rock-scissors, fair?"

"Oh, come on. You always win," he complained. Later the two were playing and sadly, Akagi lost.

"See ya later, bro!" she called out and ran upstairs.

"Sure," he nagged. He started washing and hummed. The, he was singing. In a little while, he was done.

Haruko, on the other hand, went to her room. She washed herself and clothed in a blue shirt and jogging pants that hang loose from her thin legs. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Akagi asked.

"Dozo," she answered. She was seated on the chair and was busy reading something. Akagi made himself comfortable on the floor.

"So, what did you two do, after the game?"

"What game?"

"Do you have memory gap?"

"No"

"Ahhh! You drive me nuts!"

"I'm just kidding."

"Why?"

"Here, we started playing a one-on-one. Then two came over and joined. They were Mitsui-san and Ryota-san."

"The junior high MVP?"

"Exactly."

"Then?"

"I was teamed with Ryota-san, Mitsui-san and Rukawa-san. We were in the lead then after that final minute, Mitsui gave out a three-point shot-"

"So you lost?"

"So we lost. There was a bet for that game."

"What kind?"

"The loser would clean the gym."

"Hey, you can have that as a sideline, a janitor?"

"Yeah right! We cleaned it and ended up at 6:30. Rukawa and I were the only ones left."

"Really? What did you do?"

"Ahhh, remember the game we had first?"

"The one-on-one?"

"Yeah, that one. He thought of a bet on it."

"He did?"

"Ac-"

"What was it?"

"A date."

"You're dating him?"

"IIe!"

"How could you?"

"IIe! Not me."

"Then who?"

"Ahhh, anata."

Haruko so bolted from the blue with those words. She was still. "Did I hear that right?" she started whispering to herself. "Rukawa-san is dating me?"

"Are you alright?"

"Hai."

"I told him not to hurt you so-"

"Oniichan! Aishiteru!"

"Keep it cool, don't worry. He won't hurt you."

"Of course. It's like my dream come true!"

"Did I do you good?"

"You have done something I never thought of!"

"Ahhh, that's great," he said scratching his head. With that, Haruko hugged him.

"Domo, oniichan! Domo arigato!"

"Do itachi mashite." Haruko finally let go and he left with the face even Picasso can't paint.

He was in front of his room hesitating to go in. "What have I done?" he whispered to himself. "But she seemed to be happy about it. Why am I so worried?" He turned the knob and went in. He went straight to his bed. He closed his eyes and wanted to sleep. All of a sudden, questions started to fill his mind. "What if he doesn't show up for their first date?"

"What if he won't sit beside her in the movie house?"

"What is the common denominator of two numbers not existing in a limit?"

"What is the velocity of two objects having inconstant accelerations?"

Unexpectedly, numbers, signs, words, and mathematical symbols were in his troubled mind. He wanted to open his eyes to wake up but the bad dream was keeping hold of him. Nevertheless, everything seemed like to vanish in a fog when Haruko came in the picture. She was smiling and looked very happy. When he turned his head, he saw her with RUKAWA. With that, he almost jumped off his bed. He was panting hard, having hard time breathing.

In Haruko's room, she was having her forty winks with Rukawa in her dreams. She was with him in it. They were happy. At least I know they were. Playing basketball, playing in the game zones, and were watching a movie. It was well leaving a smile in her sleep.

Ahh, guys…. Can you give me the names of the girls Haruko-chan usually hangs out with? I need them for the next story. Thanks!