Disclaimer:I don't own Slam Dunk. It is the sole property of Inoue Takehiko. There is no financial gain made from this and created for entertainment purposes only.
Chapter 6: Misconceptions and Obstacles
The sounds of squeaking rubber shoes on the floor tiles reverberated in the gymnasium. Ryota Miyagi, the basketball team's new captain, had his players do some conditioning drills during practice session, testing their endurance and getting them in best shape as much as possible. He had them sprinting from one baseline to the other multiple times.
Hanamichi Sakuragi, who just got back from his rehab stint last year, was running vigorously, overtaking his teammates in an apparent display of his relentless energy and stamina.
"What a show off." Ayako, the curly haired team manager, good-naturedly commented on the redhead's obvious and brazen attempt to impress their cute assistant manager.
"You're doing great, guys!" The girl who inspired Sakuragi to play basketball cheered from the sidelines.
Sakuragi's ears perked up when he heard Haruko's voice. Deeply motivated by her incessant zest, he began to increase his speed threefold. Fourfold…Hundredfold… Until he became just a blur. The other players, particularly the recent recruits, stared at him with their mouths hanging open in astonishment and awe at his unbelievable swiftness.
"Wow! Where does he get all those energy?! He's like a machine; he never seems to get tired!" One freshman exclaimed incredulously.
"Did he really injured his back and went to rehab?" Another player asked, perplexed at the redhead's quick recovery.
"Two more rounds, guys, and after that, we'll proceed to layup drills!" Ryota shouted, which made some of the players groaned in frustration.
"Oh man! Ryota-kun is being extremely harsh today! Captain Akagi was not even this brutal during practice!" Yasuharu Yasuda, now on his senior and final year in Shohoku, can't help but compare the two captains.
With Akagi, Kogure and (surprisingly) Mitsui having graduated from highschool, the team had lost three of its major players, and Ryota; who had taken over the role of Akagi as captain, was feeling most of the pressure. He believed that since Akagi was able to lead the team to the InterHigh last year, it was expected from him to do the same, and to even surpass the achievements of the former captain. But the success of the team doesn't depend on him alone; it should be a joint effort. They must work together as a team aiming for the same goal: to conquer the nation.
The small but swift-footed point guard examined his fellow players, who are now doing layup drills as he previously instructed. One particularly tall freshman caught his interest. His massive height will definitely work to their advantage and can boost their defense. Ryota reminded himself to check the rookie's stat sheet before going home.
Rukawa is still as good as ever, and Ryota silently thanked his lucky stars that their ace decided to just stay here in Japan, instead of going to the U.S of A to pursue his basketball dream. With Rukawa's explosive performance and good offensive power, they still have a bigger chance of qualifying for the InterHigh games. Ryota also gave credit to Sakuragi's remarkable recovery, as the latter's unexpected comeback made quite an impact on the team, boosting their morale and making the session more invigorating. Although he tends to get on his nerves on some occasions, he had to admit that he miss having that featherbrained around, practice was rather boring without him. He was genuinely happy to see him back after only a few months stint in the rehabilitation center.
"That guy is really something else."Ryota mused. But there's no way he would ever admit that to Sakuragi. After all, the latter has a tendency to be extremely cocky, and giving him compliments will only inflate his already oversized ego.
Still, Sakuragi has a lot of things to learn..and relearn again..
Like doing layups for example.
Ryota breathe out a sigh of disappointment as he watched the redheaded buffoon whined in annoyance as he repeatedly missed his layup shots. The flow of the drill was disrupted by Sakuragi's hogging of the basketball court. Ryota was about to smack him in the head for ruining the workout when he heard the dulcet voice of Ayako. His eyes immediately transformed into two large red heart shapes, which had some of the guys sweatdropping.
"Coach Anzai is requesting for a ten minutes break!" Ayako shouted. A number of players collapsed on the floor, clearly worn out from today's brutal exercises.
Sakuragi remained standing and stared at the basketball in his hands. "Strange. Why can't I get the ball in?"
"You're using too much force when shooting, Hanamichi." Ryota , who's now back to his senses after his Ayako-induced stupor, reprimanded his redhead friend. "Have you forgotten your training before? Shoot with your right arm as you lift your right leg. And remember to relax your shoulders and gently put the ball in."
"Training?" Sakuragi's eyes began to glaze over as he take a trip down to memory lane, where images of Haruko and him in what he called their secret special training from the previous year filled his mind. How he thought she looked so adorable when she showed him the tricks in doing a layup. And the most eventful experience for him was the part where he got to hold her hands for the very first time.
"The layup is an essential basketball move, and you should practice constantly until the action becomes instinctive and your muscles get used to the action. Release the ball gently into the – hey! Pay attention, Hanamichi!" Ryota snapped his fingers loudly in front of the redhead's face to gain his attention. The latter blinked and focused his eyes, albeit dazed, on the smaller guy standing before him.
After regaining his senses, Sakuragi snapped at him for disrupting his pleasant daydreams. "What are you babbling about, Ryo-chin?! There's no need to lecture me about the basics! You're the one who seems to forget that I am the Basketball Genius!" With that declaration, he began to approach the basket again, dribbling the ball while running and launching it gently with his right hand. The ball made a swishing sound as it went into the ring.
"Nyahahah! See! I told ya! Amazing shot made by the one and only Tensai of Shohoku!" Sakuragi exclaimed triumphantly into the crowd, making victory sign with his fingers.
"Good job, Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko complimented his successful layup shot. "I'm glad you recalled what we have practiced before."
Sakuragi let out another maniacal laugh upon hearing her praise. "Of course, Haruko-chan! This Tensai will not dare forget them!"
Ryota shook his head at the redhead's giddy expression. "Tsk. That guy is like a puppy that's been rewarded with a pat on the head."
"But don't push yourself too much, Sakuragi-kun. You just recovered, and we don't want you straining your back and getting injured again, right Miyagi-senpai?" Haruko said, while distributing bottled water to the two of them.
"Right." Ryota agreed with her. He grabbed the bottled water from her, muttered his thanks and took a long gulp to quench his thirst.
"There's no need to worry, Haruko-chan! This body is 100% healed and ready to play basketball again! I will surely beat that kitsune's stinking butt this time!" Sakuragi declared haughtily.
"All talk." Rukawa muttered as he passed by, not giving them any glance.
He went to sit on one of the benches, wiping the sweat on his flawless face with a towel.
"Oh yeah? Let's have a match right now to see who the true ace of Shohoku is! Or are you too tired or too chicken shit to play one on one?!"
Sakuragi said tauntingly to Rukawa. The raven haired boy just ignored him, not planning on wasting his remaining energy arguing with the dou ahou. He rests his left arm on the back of the bench while his right hand took a swig from his water bottle, looking very much relaxed and content.
His nonchalant attitude pissed the redhead even more. "You arrogant basta-!" A loud whack was heard as Sakuragi received the full force of their team manager's infamous paper fan.
"Quit your yapping, Sakuragi!" Ayako scolded the hot-tempered player.
"Oouchh! You don't have to be so violent, Ayako-san!" Sakuragi mumbled, rubbing the top of his head where a huge bump instantly sprouted.
"Serves you right." Rukawa muttered under his breath. Sitting forward, he rested his elbows on his knees, a white towel draped around his neck.
He expected another rebuttal from the easily peeved idiot but it seems that Sakuragi's attention was drawn on someone else. He followed his line of sight, and standing at one of the gym's doorway is none other than rooftop girl.
"Bumpkin!" Sakuragi's rambunctious voice was heard in the entire gymnasium. All heads turn to look for the source of the commotion.
He eagerly went to greet his long-time friend, Mizuki, who's shifting in her feet, clearly uncomfortable being in the limelight.
"Have you come to watch this Tensai play, huh?!" He asked as soon as he reached her. Before Mizuki could make any kind of remark, Sakuragi pointed to someone behind her.
"Who's the beanpole?" He inquired of the lanky guy standing nervously across from him. If Satoshi thought Rukawa was scary, then this redhead guy frightened the hell out of him even more.
"Is he your boyfriend, huh, Spunky?" Sakuragi called her by one of his many nicknames for her.
"Shut it,Hanamichi." She whispered harshly.
"Oohh- Spunky and Spooky! What a perfect tandem!" He wiggled his eyebrows mischievously at her. Mizuki resisted the urge to punch him for making demented assumptions between her and Satoshi. She was planning on making her presence felt as little as possible and opted to just make an observation first on her latest assignment for the newspaper; but his loudmouth buddy just had to ruin her plans and announced her arrival for the entire student body to hear.
"Will you shut up and listen to me for a sec!" She hissed, dragging Sakuragi out of the gym to avoid the curious stares they were getting from the crowd.
The redhead slipped his hands on the inner sides of his basketball shorts, pouting like a petulant child who was scolded by his mother.
"Are you ready to listen now?" Mizuki crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a murderous glare.
Convinced that she had his full attention now, Mizuki motioned for Satoshi to come near them so she can introduce him to Sakuragi to prevent anymore unnecessary teasing from him. Satoshi reluctantly approach them, keeping a good distance from Sakuragi.
"Hanamichi, meet Satoshi-kun, a fellow member of the newspaper club and a second year student as well. Satoshi-kun, this idiot right here is Sakuragi-kun."
Satoshi bowed deeply towards him. "P-pleased to m-meet you, Sakuragi-kun."
"Nyahahah! Don't ya dare forget the name, Satoshi-kun, for someday it shall be included in Japan's Hall of Fame!" He strongly whammed his right palm against the skinny guy's back which caused him to fall and face planted on the ground.
"Hanamichi! Stop bullying him!" Mizuki berated him as she helped Satoshi stand up, and then gathered the dropped folders and notebooks on her arms.
"Hey, it's not my fault that he's such a wimp!" Sakuragi protested indignantly.
Mizuki rubbed her face furiously with her right hand while hugging Satoshi's folders on her chest with her other hand. It wouldn't do her any good if she loses whatever's left of her patience. Besides, she requires Sakuragi's complete cooperation for her plan to go smoothly. She knew full well that once he learned the real reason why she was here, he would most definitely throw a tantrum. But it's better that he find out now, than to hear them from the other students. She had a greater chance of suppressing his hissy fit and angry rants; a little coaxing and sugar coating will absolutely do the trick.
"Hanamichi, I need to tell you something and I want you to hear me out first. No interruptions until I finished my speech. And no matter what, I don't want you going berserk or anything. Can you promise me that?"
"I guess.."
"Wrong answer. I want you to promise. Do the pinky swear." She held out her smallest finger towards him.
Sakuragi frowned at her but still caved in and hook his right pinkie with her, sealing the deal. "Okay!Okay! I promise..Geez, what's this racket all about anyway?!"
"Patience is a virtue, my friend… Anyway, like I've told you a while ago, me and Satoshi-kun are members of the newspaper club. And it is the responsibility of a journalist to do some background research, gather information and cover stories that keeps the readers informed, and well, entertained. And if a certain topic or let's say, a person, captures the interests of the entire student body of Shohoku High, then we have to deliver the story to comply with their demands, and once we fulfilled the readers ultimate desires, the club will eventually receive a positive feedback from the school faculty, and gain a wide range of viewers at the same time."
She paused for a moment, and cleared her throat before speaking again, watching the redhead warily. "You see, a news writer is required to be on the scene of the story to collect info, take photos and do interview for their article. And since basketball is quite the 'in' sport right now at Shohoku, our editor-in-chief decided to feature one of the players in next month's issue of the Times. You know the old saying; strike while the iron is hot… That's exactly what our club is doing, acting immediately when an opportunity presents itself."
"So yeah, the real reason we are here was to conduct some research on this player… I hope you're not too offended that I didn't come here to watch you practice.. But I want you to know that I am very proud of what you've accomplished as a basketball player."
"Nah! No biggies, Zuki! Besides, you've seen me play before. I totally rule the court, right?! Nyahahah!"
"Does that mean that you're not mad? No hard feelings whatsoever? No violent outbursts or angry fits?!" Mizuki asked, not quite convinced with the redhead's placid reaction.
"What can I say? I'm a changed man! Basketball really transformed me into a better person!" Sakuragi confidently answered, puffing his chest out with pride.
"Is that so?" She replied, still doubtful of him.
"Uh-huh… By the way, when do you want my picture taken? I strongly suggest that you took a photo of me while doing the slam dunk, or maybe you can add 3 or more photos of me performing a series of lay-ups, rebounds and fadeaway shots." He informed them while ticking the list on his fingers.
Mizuki sweatdropped as she finally discovered the reason behind his calm demeanor. Beside her, Satoshi began to break into a sweat.
"I t-think we should just come b-back some other d-day, Yohei-chan." Satoshi told her.
"Don't be afraid of me, Beany. I don't bite." Sakuragi laid his arm lazily on his shoulder, which only made the gangly teenager more scared.
"Huh. You're quite tall! Maybe you should leave that boring club and transferred to our basketball club! What say you, Beany?"
"I'm not r-really-uhmm- good at s-sports." Satoshi answered in a tizzy, knees trembling, anxious at their close proximity.
"Do not fear, the Tensai is here! Under my guidance and strong leadership, I will make sure that you'll learn all the basics and become a true basketball player in no time! I shall be your mentor, and you shall become my accomplice. Sounds promising, right?!"
"Accomplice?Is he planning on committing a murder?!"Satoshi nearly fainted from the thoughts that are running through his head.
"It's apprentice, Hanamichi, and stop scaring the poor guy!" Mizuki swatted his arm away from Satoshi. "And for the record, the article is not about you, Hanamichi. I'm sorry that you misunderstood my words.."
Sakuragi turned his head to look at her, his mouth comically hanging open.
A deafening silence filled the air…
After a few moments, an ear-splitting scream can be heard inside the gym. Coach Anzai almost spilled his coffee when the piercing sound echoed through the room.
"No!No!No! I forbid the two of you to enter this gym!" Sakuragi told them after letting out a string of profanities when he learned that the article was about Rukawa. "There is no way I would ever let that teme kitsune steal all the glory." He thought angrily, his blood boiling at the prospect of his mortal enemy being featured in the school paper. Worst, his Haruko-chan will probably grab a copy of the article herself.
"Hanamichi! You made the pinky promise! And quit manhandling Satoshi! It's not his idea!"
Sakuragi released his grip on the scrawny guy's shoulders and stared at the short-haired girl, his eyes burning with accusations. "Mito's right!"
"About what?" She asked, surprised at the abrupt mention of her cousin.
"Where is that douchebag when you needed him the most?!"
"Mito and the other guys are preparing for the audition tomorrow. And why did you mention him? What's he got to do with this?
"He said there's something weird going on between you and that kitsune! And he is right! You plan this interview all along just to spite me!You collaborated with him and become his accomplice to destroy me! To destroy your very own best friend!" He pointed an accusing finger on her.
Mizuki rolled her eyes at his overacting. And Mito had the gall to call her out for her preposterous theories and assumptions. Sakuragi was a lot worse than her, even doubting her loyalty to him.
"Are you done with the melodramatic acting? Honestly,Hanamichi. I can't believe you would ever think so low of me." She slapped his hand away from her face.
"Let's clear some things here, shall we? First, there is absolutely nothing going on with me and Rukawa. Heck, I don't even know if he knows my name or remotely remembers me, he spend most of his time sleeping in class anyway. Second, I am not his accomplice or anything. I just found out today that I am going to do the interview. Apparently, the girl who's supposed to do them fainted twice at the mere sight of Rukawa, either because she got too scared of him or he just got a severe case of body odor."
"It's most definitely the latter." Sakuragi insinuated.
"Third, how long have we known each other?"
"Umm… Let's see...I've met you when I was 8 years old… " He counted on his fingers.
"9 years, Hanamichi. We've known each other for 9 freaking years. Have I not proven my friendship? Is it not enough that you dare accused me of trying to ruin you?!That is totally inconceivable!"
"Er- I guess I overreacted." Sakuragi mumbled. His face is bowed down and he's staring at the ground while twiddling his thumbs. A sure sign that he's feeling guilty with what he said to her. Mizuki tried to hide her smile and pretended that she's still mad at him.
"So..Do you still think that I plan this interview just to spite you?" She asked in which he replied with a slight shake of his head.
"Okay. That settles it, then. If you don't have any more objections, can we go inside the gym now?"
"But-"
"Hanamichi. You know that one of my dreams is to become a full-fledged journalist, right?"
"Yes, but you also wanted to be an artist, botanist, pilot, doctor, empress of Japan…"
Mizuki rubbed her forehead with her fingers in irritation. "Will you stop being so stubborn and just help me out?"
"Sure, if you want, I can tie that kitsune so you can beat the shit out of him." He suggested.
"There is no beating or any sort of violence that will occur. It is just a simple interview, Hanamichi. We'll just take a picture of him, request for an interview and then write an article about him. That's it! Why are you being so difficult?! And don't you dare start whining again! Haruko will never like you if you keep that kind of attitude." She whispered the last sentence so Satoshi wouldn't hear it.
At the mention of Haruko's name, Sakuragi began to mellow down. "You think so?"
"I know so. Girls got easily turn off when a guy whines too much and seems to have inferiority complex. We prefer guys who are sophisticated, confident, mature and smart. A real man."
"A real man, huh?" Sakuragi stroked his chin with his index and thumb finger in a contemplative manner.
"Yes. A sign of maturity is when you stop being so jealous of Rukawa and end your everyday squabbles with him. Geez, how can you work efficiently as a team if you always fight with him?"
"A real man." Sakuragi repeated to himself.
"Yeah…so everything's okay? Will you let us do what we came here for? Without any death threats or savage acts whatsoever?"
"What sort of person do you think I am?!I'm not a barbaric guy, Zuki. I am a sophisticated, confident, mature and smart man!" Sakuragi exclaimed, offended by her choice of words. "Well, what are you two waiting for? Why are you standing there like statues? Go inside now. Time is running out..Tick-Tock. Tick -Tock."
Satoshi looked at the redhead like he had grown two heads all of a sudden. Mizuki just shakes her head like his weird behavior is an everyday occurrence to her.
As they enter the gymnasium, she could feel their eyes watching them. Mizuki tried not to stumble, and did her best to walk with her head held up. She'd better get used to the attention; after all, she hangs out with two of the well-known delinquents in school.
But it is a different case for Satoshi. The lanky guy was a nervous wreck, tripping several times from the short walk to the other side of the indoor gym. It's a good thing she took the folders and notebooks he was holding a while ago, it would have been more embarrassing on his part if he repeatedly drop his stuff to the floor.
Haruko was the first one to greet them. "Hello, Mizuki-chan, Satoshi-kun. Good to see both of you again."
"S-Same to you, Akagi-san." Satoshi acknowledged her with his body bend into a 90 degrees bow.
"Have you come to watch Sakuragi-kun practice?"
"Well, kind of.." Mizuki hesitantly replied. She saw a curly haired lady in a backward cap and a guy with an earring, whose hair is curled up at the top, approached their group.
"Care to introduce us to your new friends, Hanamichi ?" Ayako asked with a smile.
"Ah, of course.." Sakuragi replied. "Ayako-san, Ryota-kun, allow me to introduce Mizuki –chan, a dear friend of mine, who's also the cousin of Mito. Zuki-chan, this is Ayako, our basketball team manager and the guy beside her is Ryota, our team Captain. Oh, and this tall guy here is Satoshi-kun, he and Zuki-chan are both members of the newspaper club."
All five of them had their mouths hanging open in utter bewilderment at the redhead's uncharacteristic display of politeness.
"Did you hit your head, Hanamichi?" Ryota began to pull the taller guy's head down so he can inspect if he suffered any injuries.
"Who are you and what have you done with Hanamichi?" Ayako inquired, and place her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. "Maybe you oughta take a rest… See Ryota, I told you, your drills are too severe!"
"But Aya-chan, he was doing fine a while ago. There must be another reason why he's acting so differently. " Ryota said before turning his attention to the two newcomers. "Did something happen back there?"
"Don't worry about him; he'll be back to his abnormal self soon. I suggest that you make the most of it while it lasts." Mizuki said to him in a hushed tone.
"Zuki-chan, do you want me to talk to that teme kitsune- I mean, Rukawa, about the article?" Sakuragi asked her.
"Eh?!" The rest of them exclaimed in unison. The other players, who are currently resting after an exhausting workout, watch their interaction in obvious curiosity.
"NO!.. I mean, that's really nice of you, but I don't want to impose.. Besides, I thought you have something to discuss with Haruko-chan." Mizuki said, hoping to distract him.
"I have?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Her ruse to sidetrack him seems to be working. She pushed him towards Haruko. " You're getting old Hana-kun, you keep forgetting stuff. You're supposed to ask Haruko-chan if she can help you with the audition."
"Wait,what audition?" Ryota cut in.
While Sakuragi was busy explaining to his captain, Mizuki's mind was preoccupied on planning her next course of action.
Operation Tame the Fox shall now commence.
First objective: Eliminate the obstacle – Done.
She must act fast and take advantage of the redhead's distraction at the moment. Her eyes moved around the gym, searching for the enigmatic blue eyed boy. After a brief search, she spotted him sitting on one of the benches across the room, looking bored as always.
Second objective: Persuade the subject
Their second objective will definitely be difficult, if not, impossible task to attain. But she's not giving up now. After all, she's a Yohei, and they are not one to back down from a challenge.
