Disclaimer: It's just a fanfiction because I know I wouldn't have it.
A brown-haired young lady wore sleeveless red top and blue jeans walked slowly along the street. Ayako stared the familiar figure that was not far from her.
"Haruko-chan?"
"Sempai…."
"What's wrong with you.. hmm.. let me see. You're thinking about Rukawa again?" Ayako chuckled. She suspected a blushed face and heart-shaped in her eyes but nothing happened. No feeling was showed through Haruko's face when she mentioned Rukawa's name.
"Haruko-chan…nande?" she tried to reveal her feeling. "Tell me,"
"I.. I don't know had happened but now, I realised that I'm just admiring Rukawa for his features and skills. I don't know anything else about him. That is not what we called love, isn't that right sempai?" she asked, really need to hear her sempai's opinion.
"At last you know about it. Love is something we can't see but we feel it from inside, our heart, precisely. We don't love somebody just because he has good-looks or anything else special but we love him because we feel something inside him that make us happy and comfortable when we are around him," Ayako explained being the elder one and more experience in love matters.
"I don't feel that thing when I saw him,"
"I see… you're always with Sakuragi. How about him?" Ayako tried to see Haruko's reaction and she blushed.
"Nani? I just assumed him as my best friend, demo…."
"Demo?"
"Demo, he has something within him. When I'm beside Sakuragi, I feel happy, protected and comfortable," she continued, honestly from her heart. "That makes me confused,"
'Confused? You had confessed that you got the feeling, in other side, he just hope to be loved by you in return, Haruko,' Ayako murmured to herself.
"Ne, sempai. How about you and Miyagi-sempai?"
"Hah? Hahahaha… we are just friends, Haruko-chan. Not more than that," she replied hesitantly.
"Honto ni? I could see that he is really into you, sempai. I don't think he's just fooling around. I can bet he is serious for everything he said about you,"
"C'mon. Don't talk anymore about that. You don't want to go home right now, Haruko-chan?"
"Iie. I just want to be here for a while,"
"That's dangerous for a lady. I remember now. Anzai-sensei was going to treat them tonight at a club. Do you want to follow me there?"
"Great! I can go home with onii-chan,"
"Suit yourself, let's go,"
"Do'aho,"
"Teme Rukawa!"
"Urusai! Both of you just humiliated Shohoku and Anzai-sensei. Just eat and keep quite," Akagi snapped that made the kitsune and red-haired monkey silent.
"I never thought the owner of this club is sensei's friend. No wonder he could bring us along here," Yasuda started the topic to change the mood.
"Yeah, but oyaji could get the VIP class and we just sit with the ordinary people," the redhead mumbled.
"Nani? Who do you think you are saying like that," Mitsui growled.
"Ore wa tensai… Sa.."
All hail Akagi's mighty fist…
"Baka," Akagi retorted.
"Hi, minna-san. Welcome to The Nagareboshi's Club. Attention to our new customers, we proud to tell that our club prepared something special here, karaoke's dedication. Anybody who wants to dedicate the song to their beloved one must sing on the stage by himself or herself, free of charge,"
"You just need the nerves to go on the stage and for someone who don't have girlfriend or boyfriend, this is the time you express your feeling. All of us will wish the person will return your love. Tonight, we have Megumi-san to entertain all of you with her song. Megumi-san, the stage is yours,"
"Thank you very much for, DJ. I dedicate this song to my husband, Haido and I just want to tell you that I love you… because you loved me. The song is 'Because You Loved Me' by Celine Dion," the woman started singing emotionally, just for her husband (A/N: just imagine a handsome man like Hyde L'Arcenciel.. hahaha… ) who sat at the corner of the club. Everybody enjoyed the show. Some of couple danced romantically.
"Hanamichi, let's try," Ryota whispered into Hanamichi's right ear.
"Honto ni, Ryochin?" Ryota nodded.
"Last night I dreamed I was heartbroken again. I pray that I don't have a nightmare again,"
"Me too. It haunted me every night. Sometimes, I wished the guy in my dream isn't me,"
"Aya-chan is not here. I don't feel embarassed to sing there. You?" Hanamichi shook his head.
"Let's go." Both of them sat up and went to the DJ.
"A bunch of trouble makers. What the hell are they doing right now?" Akagi muttered, puzzled.
"It looks like they wanted to sing like the woman. Are they nuts?" Mitsui sneered.
Everybody shrugged. After talking for a minute, Ryota and Hanamichi were affirmed to go on the stage after the woman went down. In the right time Ryota and Hanamichi on the stage, two girlish figures entered the club.
"Ryota and Sakuragi…. . What on the earth they're doing right now?" a curly black-haired girl wondered.
"I think they're going to sing, Ayako-sempai," another one, a brown-haired girl replied.
"I can't find them. Let sit there," Ayako suggested and her index finger pointed empty seats somewhere.
Haruko nodded and followed the elder one behind.
"We dedicate this song to the girls that we loved so much. Aya-chan, everything I said about you is true although you thought that I'm just kidding. Give me a chance and I'll prove all my love to you. Right, Hanamichi?" Ryota poked Hanamichi, who was nervous at that time, in his ribs.
"Yeah. That's right, Ryochin, Hmm, I dedicate the song that we'll sing soon to the girl whom I dreamed for the first day we met. Haruko-san, I can't express my true feeling towards you because I know you just regarded me as your friend. By the way, I hope my voice could reach and touch your heart. Although both of you are not here, we felt relief if the feeling burden inside us was revealed. So, Ryochin?"
"Music please," Ryota requested while adjusted the microphone stand before him.
At a corner of the club.
"Baka Sakuragi. How dare he mentioned Haruko's name in the public," Akagi hissed.
" Maa maa, Akagi-kun. Let them released their feeling. Give them a chance once. I don't think everybody here knows your imotou," Kogure coaxed his best friend and grinned.
"I don't doubt Miyagi's singing, but that baka?" Mitsui sneered and giggled, imagining the red-haired monkey singing on the stage.
"Do'aho," Rukawa rejoined.
"It showtime," Noma shouted excitedly along with his gundai.
"Err… Haruko-chan, am I dreaming?" Ayako asked in trembling voice, still not believing what Ryota said.
"Ano… no.. but I'm feeling like we're in wonderland," Haruko retorted in surprised.
"They're going to sing for us. Hmm.. the music has been played," Ayako's heart started pounding rapidly.
Ryota:
You don't run with the crowd
You go your own way
You are different than the other 10 girls who dumped me
You don't play after dark
You are a girl who have a pride and ego
You light up my day
Could you see that you are my inspiration in everything I've done
Got your own kind of style that sets you apart
Baby that's why you captured my heart
I'm falling in love with you since the first day we met, Aya-chan
Hanamichi:
I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in
And this world doesn't know what you have within
You are so sweet, gorgeous and innocent either in your words or heart
When I look at you I see something rare
When the first time we met, I'm had already fallen into you
A rose that can grow anywhere
And there's no one I know that I can compare
There are 50 girls who dumped me before but none of them are like you, Haruko-san
Ryota and Hanamichi:
What's makes you different, makes you beautiful
What's there inside you, shine through to me
In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need
(You're all that I need, oh girl)
What's makes you different, makes you beautiful to me
Ayako: 'Everybody said that I'm boyish even my family but you are the one who makes me feel like a special girl, Ryota,'
Haruko: 'Everybody said that I'm just a little girl who didn't know anything but you are the one who really cherish what I've done, Sakuragi-kun,'
Ryota:
You've got something so real you touched me so deep
You always encouraged me when I'm depressed on the court
Say the material things don't matter to me
We don't need money to show how deeper or higher our love to each other
So come as you are, you got nothing to prove
I don't care what people say about you
You want me with all that you do
And I wanna take this chance to say to you
I just wanna whisper this words to your ear, 'aishiteru, Aya-chan'
Ryota and Hamamichi:
What's makes you different, makes you beautiful
What's there inside you, shine through to me
In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need
(You're all that I need, oh girl)
What's makes you different, makes you beautiful…..
Ayako: 'Nobody had praised me that I'm beautiful like you said, Ryota'
Haruko: 'Nobody told me that I'm beautiful like the way you do, Sakuragi-kun'
Hanamichi:
You don't know how you touched my life
You're my inspiration, the one who introduced basketball to me
Always so many ways that I can't describe
From the beginning you showed me everything, and it changed my life
You taught me what love is supposed to be
Not only skills of basketball, but you also kept me drowning in your love
You saw a little thing that makes you beautiful to me (so beautiful)
There's no word to describe how lovely you are, Haruko-san
Ryota and Hanamichi:
What's makes you, what's makes you different, makes you beautiful
What's there inside you, shine through to me
In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need
(You're all that I need, oh girl)
What's makes you different, makes you beautiful to me
Ayako: 'He really loves me. I? How could I not admit it to him?'
Haruko: 'He really likes me. I? How could I not realize it from the beginning?'
Ryota and Hanamichi:
Everything in you is (so) beautiful
Loving you shine right through me
Everything in you is beautiful
Oh, you're beautiful to me.
Ayako: 'Ryota-kun….'
Haruko: 'Sakuragi-kun…'
Tears welled in their eyes. They felt a wave of deep emotion, the profound affection, and gratitude bottled-up in them all through the years that they shared together with the boys.
Ayako pulled out two pieces of tissue from her leather handbag to wipe a tear that has trickled from the corner of her eyes.
"Haruko-chan…"
Haruko turned left and saw Ayako handed a piece of tissue to her. She nodded as a sign of appreciation and took it from her sempai.
Ayako sat up from her seat and made her way to somewhere.
"Sempai?"
Everyone in the club were clapping their hands and some of them whistling for their great performance but the Shohoku students there still gaping, not believing their eyes.
"Is that Sakuragi no baka that sang just now?" Mitsui's eyes widened.
"I have never known that Hanamichi could sing," Youhei added and another three gundai nodded in unison.
"He always surprised us either on the court or outside," Kogure remarked.
"Miyagi's voice is not bad, better than that baka," Akagi complained in low voice, reluctant to admit Hanamichi's ability like redhead's improvement on the court.
"…….." Rukawa had no words to say, like usual but his heart felt something uneasiness.
At the time, Ryota and Hanamichi went down from the stage.
"Hey, you two young man," a man called both of them. They turned to direction that the voice came from. They saw the DJ smiled secretly.
"You sang very well. I bet if the girls are here, they won't hesitate to accept you as their boyfriend after they heard your song,"
"Ryota?" someone had interrupted their conversation before the boys could react to what the DJ had said to them. The voice made chibi Ryota looked shocked and paled. "Aya….chan…."
"Sakuragi-kun," the very familiar sweet voice greeted Hanamichi. Chibi Hanamichi blushed, even darker red than he ever had. "Ha..Haruko-san,"
"I didn't know you are here," the boys said in unison, conceitedly.
"Can we have a talk?"
When they turned behind, they could see the DJ showed his thumbs up. They sat separately. Haruko with Hanamichi and Ryota with Ayako.
"Ha…Haruko-san, I…." Hanamichi was nervous when he was alone with his dream-girl.
"Don't need to talk, Sakuragi-kun,'
"Err.. Iie…, I need to talk to you that i.. i.. I like you… demo, if you don't feel the same, it's okay,.."
"Michi-kun…" paused. Haruko never called him like that.
"Actually, I felt the same as you," she blushed.
"Honto ni?' Slowly the girl nodded.
He fell down from his seat and pink heart-shaped appeared in his eyes. His sweet dreams had finally come true.
"Michi-kun, daijoubu ka?" she kneeled beside Hanamichi and poked his ribs,
"Daijubo, Haruko-chan. He had just become the happiest man in the world now. Hahahaaha.." Youhei said as he and other gundam approached the new couple.
"Aya-chan, I need to tell you something and it's is important,"
"Nani, Ryota?"
"Aishiteru, Aya-chan," At the moment, it's like the time was stopped . "I don't care if you dumped because I had been dumped be.. hmm…"
She kissed him on the cheek. WOW! He felt like he was in heaven and fell down with sharp-hearted eyes.
"Ryota, daijoubu ka?"
"It seems that our sophomore and freshmen are enjoying themselves.." Kogure exclaimed as he looked at their surrounding.
"Hn.. let them alone. We are in third year. Study is more important than other matters, of course, except basketball," Akagi cleared his throat.
"Nani Akagi? You are worried about you sister with that baka? Just admit it." The 3-pointer shooter smirked.
"Although Sakuragi seems a bad boy, at least I never see him beat the girls.. he has something within him. I believed he would protect your sister, not the otherwise, Akagi," Kogure, the peacemaker backed up the so-called baka.
"Hey, where's Rukawa?" Kakuta broke the silence.
Everybody looked around, even a shadow of Rukawa could not been seen in the place.
"Where is he?" everybody wondered where Rukawa Kaede was gone.
'It is what they call by jealousy? Iie… I hate to admit it, demo, that do'aho finally told his feeling to captain's sister and Miyagi-sempai had confessed his true love to Ayako-sempai. I…. I don't have any chance anymore. I knew Ayako-sempai since in junior high school but this is the first time I could see she's really caring about someone, a boy,'
He walked slowly along the street. He had witnessed everything that was happened in the club just now which made him felt lonely in the sudden. His team mates were around him, but there is something that he's missing.
'The do'aho and Akagi-san would be a loving couple. He is really the happiest man in the world right now. Ayako-san, I wish happiness for her if that she wanted. Maybe what I feel before towards Ayako-san just a love between brother and sister. If she treated me as her younger brother, it's fine for me but I won't forgive Miyagi-sempai if he hurt her feeling.'
Suddenly, something broke his train of thought and he turned left. He stopped when he reached a basketball court in a park. An old basketball was there, under the ring. Something from within persuaded him to pick up the ball and dribbled it.
'What makes you different,'Basketball is different than other sports; it's a part of my life.
'Makes you beautiful to me'Nobody knows how much I feel toward it. Only me.
He dribbled the ball and imagined Sendoh, Fujima and Maki tried to stop him. He eluded them and made a slam dunk. The ball goes in but he still held the ring tightly.
"Be number high school player in Japan first, Rukawa," Anzai-sensei's words echoed in his ears.
'I'll be, sensei' he promised as he let off his hand from the ring.
Maybe that time, he could gain what he aimed before and he would find a girl. A girl that he loved and could loved him in return, higher than mountain, deeper than sea.
"Someday, I'll be the one." Rukawa whispered to himself.
OWARI.
A/N : Wow… almost 4 years this fic is not being updated. Thanks for those who reviews my fic. I'm so busy with daily life.. well… a lot of assignments and projects to be done. At last the last chapter is updated. hehe…