A/N: Thanks again for the review. It turns out this is the final chapter after all.

Chapter 3: Reconciliation

It was with heavy heart that Sendoh waited with Mitsui outside Kainan the next day. If the events of yesterday had proven anything, it was that love was not as simple as it seemed – not a deal that could be sealed with a few sugary words and some extravagant displays of affection. What the movies neglected to mention was that after the paroxysm and the first move came only a tumid apathy.

"I warned you," said Mitsui, who had warned Sendoh. "This could never have worked."

Sendoh nodded sadly.

"Jin seemed so excited to talk to Fujima, too. I really hope he doesn't give up on him because of this."

"I really just want my two thousand yen."

Sendoh looked at Mitsui with some surprise.

"Is that really all you care about? Doesn't it mean anything to you that we're bringing together two people deeply in love with each other?"

"If Fujima had strong enough feelings for Jin, none of this would be a problem," said Mitsui, lazily surveying the canopy of sakura leaves above him through half-lidded eyes, fingers interlocked casually behind his head in defiance of his growing impatience. "I don't know what I'd do with that money anyway."

"You can't be thinking of bailing on Jin after all we've been through."

"It really hasn't been that long. You've been talking really strangely lately." Mitsui glanced sideways at him. "If I didn't know any better, I might say you were in this for the money, as well."

Sendoh blushed, and told Mitsui about the fishing rod he was coveting, adding hotly, "But I really want Jin and Fujima to be together."

Presently Jin emerged from the school gates, head bowed, shirt untucked, and looking like someone who had lost his entire family in a natural disaster. Mitsui looked up to make sure that a raincloud wasn't hovering over Jin.

"Jin!" said Sendoh, trying to sound as warm and energetic as he could in order to lift the other's spirits. The effect was wasted, for when Jin's lugubrious eyes slowly rose to meet Sendoh's, he saw that the life in them was gone – snatched away, as if by a pickpocket.

"Oh, Sendoh." It was the flattest, most melancholy way Sendoh had ever heard his name uttered, and he shivered. "What brings you here?"

"We're here to see you, of course!" Sendoh's friendly thump on the back caused Jin to stumble forward and nearly fall.

"Life is over," said Jin meaningfully. "I think I'm about done with everything – Fujima, basketball – none of it makes sense to me anymore."

Sendoh glanced at Jin's hands just to make sure he wasn't carrying a gun or a knife with which to perform the ultimate act of self-vindication.

"It was just a minor setback. You heard what Fujima said. It's not like he doesn't have feelings for you."

"He might as well not have any." Jin began fiddling with the shoulder strap of his schoolbag, and Sendoh registered with a chill the possibility that he might see in the piece of fabric a noose. "As long as there's Maki, Fujima can never have eyes for me."

Sendoh gazed wistfully past Jin in the direction of the Kainan gym, where he knew the Ace was currently engaged in rigorous afterhours training. However one looked it, Maki was the complete package: he had the looks (the appearance of being older only added to his charm), the confidence, and such incredible talent that he would come out ahead of everyone else if he lacked the former two. To think that such a valuable gem in Kanagawa's diadem of dateworthy males should be the plaything of an amoral math teacher was astounding – no, it simply wouldn't be allowed in a just world.

"For better or for worse, Maki's here to stay," – Sendoh shuddered for a moment, torn between his loyalty to a rival he respected above all others and a friend he had recently made – "and we can't wish him out of the picture or otherwise get rid of him."

Jin's shoulders drooped a little more.

"But," said Sendoh, his eye twinkling with a fresh idea, "we can convince Fujima of Maki's inappropriateness as a partner."

Mitsui was curious.

"You mean we're going to smear Maki?" Even he had reservations about blackening a fellow basketball player's image for personal gain. (He decided that it would be better to spend his reward in making himself happy in some constructive way than to blow it all on an evening of drunken revelry that he would never again remember.)

Sendoh turned to Mitsui, eye still twinkling.

"We won't be doing anything wrong. We won't be making anything up. We'll only show Maki for what he truly is, and try to pry Fujima away from him when he gets rejected."

"Your ideas haven't been working lately," Mitsui pointed out. The verdict of history was clear.

"This one will. It's so simple. I wonder why I hadn't thought of it before."

"And how exactly do you intend to convince Fujima to give up on Maki?"

Then Maki's figure emerged from the gym, shirtless and panting; and even as Sendoh hastened to leave the vicinity of Kainan with Mitsui in tow, abandoning Jin to his deleterious self-pity, the answer revealed itself to him.

"We send Fujima on a date with him."

And so, later that very evening, Sendoh rushed to Maki's domicile and Mitsui rushed to Fujima's. The sun had scarce set, and the stars hadn't even come out, when, with conspiratorial smiles and a firm handshake, Sendoh and Mitsui congratulated themselves on having successfully arranged for Fujima a dinner with his archrival.

"Of course, Maki has no idea that it's a date. He probably thinks it's just a friendly dinner," Sendoh explained to Jin as they headed to the restaurant where the apocalypse was to take place.

Mitsui snorted.

"There's no such thing as a friendly dinner."

"All that matters," said Sendoh, becoming alert as they neared the notorious outdoor restaurant, where violin music played on stereos concealed in bushes around candlelit tables, and people pretended to talk to each other while absently waving flies away from food that they didn't intend to finish, "is that everything is going according to plan."

Even the song of the crickets sounded portentous, pyrrhic, as the three of them crouched behind the bush nearest the table Sendoh had reserved for the couple that would righteously be separated tonight and for good. Somewhere a crescendo seemed to build up. Could it be Sendoh's heart, inside his chest? If his hunch turned out to be correct, Fujima would confess his love to Maki, and Maki would then reveal his true colors, whereupon Fujima would be so shocked that all his feelings for Maki would disappear instantly, and he would forever regret not having gone out with Jin sooner. Just the thought that Jin would finally get what had been due him all along made Sendoh beam happily at him.

"Here they come," muttered Jin, eyes widening at the sight of Fujima in formal clothes approaching the table alongside Maki, who was dressed casually but in good taste.

Somewhere to their left, leaves rustled; then a voice rang out like the stern hiss of Conscience.

"What do you think you're doing?"

It was Kiyota.

"Kiyota!" exclaimed Jin, surprised and a little irked at the intrusion.

"Are you trying to do something to Maki?" Kiyota demanded, eyes gleaming with a feline ferocity in the darkness. He looked ready to pounce. "I will never forgive you."

It was then that Sendoh realized that Kiyota was in fact deeply enamored of his captain. And how couldn't he be, constantly subjected as he was to Maki's censure and his own aspirations to becoming as great a basketball player as he? If anyone could be said to harbor a passion for Maki deeper even than Fujima's, it was Kiyota.

"Leave Maki alone." Kiyota's voice quivered slightly. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Maki and Fujima were out on a date; and if, for whatever ridiculous reason, Maki happened to prefer Fujima to him, he would accept Maki's decision with a stiff upper lip and all the dignity of the true one-sided lover.

"Kiyota," Sendoh began, but Kiyota cut him off.

"Give him a break." He seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Everyone's jealous of him. People constantly spread rumors about him, because they can't accept that he's the greatest guy on the planet. In a relationship with his math teacher? If only they knew…"

Mitsui and Sendoh exchanged worried glances.

"So then this 'date'," said Mitsui, "might actually turn out to be a date."

"I don't care anymore," said Jin with an eerie smile. If he was frustrated before, then one look at the graceful way in which Kiyota came to terms with his own tragedy was enough to clear his mind. If he truly loved Fujima, then he should learn to let go. "Fujma, I set you free. Fly away, you little bird."

"He's lost it," Mitsui whispered to Sendoh. "I think we should get him out of here before it gets worse."

"Not so fast." Sendoh raised a hand to silence the others, leaning forward, the better to listen in on Maki and Fujima.

"Maki," said Fujima, absently bobbing his teabag up and down in the cup, "I want you to take me."

Maki raised an eyebrow.

"Take you where?"

"Make me yours."

Flies continued buzzing, nondescript violin music continued playing from the surrounding foliage, but it was clear that the atmosphere had suddenly changed.

"Is that what this is about?" Maki stared coldly at Fujima. "And here I was thinking you wanted to arrange a practice game with us."

"Is that what you told him?" said Mitsui incredulously. Sendoh shrugged.

"Maki, I…"

"Stop, Fujima. I don't want to hear those words. As for me, I could lie to you – I could tell you what you want to hear – but I have too much respect for you as a person. I haven't said this to anyone before because it's too embarrassing, but the only person I have any feelings for is Kiyota."

"Kiyota?"

Somewhere to Sendoh's left, a dying ember seemed suddenly to burst into life, radiating joy and warmth in every direction. Jin had to hold his arm out so that Kiyota didn't fall backwards into the bush. The sound of a hand being brought down with force on wood made Sendoh turn his attention back to center stage.

"He's so much younger than you," Fujima complained, hot angry tears rolling down his face as he struggled with the injustice of it all. "And I'm so much better at basketball."

Maki rubbed his temples. Clearly it wasn't a topic he wanted to go too deep into.

"It's not always about basketball. There's just something really," he took a deep breath, "adorable in the way he always wants to be the best, not giving up even after he's been beaten. And he's so devoted to me that it's impossible not to pay attention to him."

"So what are you saying?"

Maki looked Fujima straight in the eye.

"I think you're obsessed with me."

"Of course I am." Fujima covered his face in his hands in an attempt to force himself to calm down. "I just told you—"

"I mean you're thinking only in terms of basketball. You're constantly thinking about how to beat me, and that makes you think that you're in love with me."

"Don't tell me what I'm supposed to feel!"

"Yeah, honestly," said Mitsui to Sendoh, "Maki's being a real dick right now."

Maki took a deep breath.

"I know it's hard to hear it. But I want you to forget about basketball, to forget about surpassing me for a minute. Is what you feel still love?"

Fujima brought his fists down on the table so hard that the waiter who had been hovering around their table with the check scurried away in fright.

"I hate you so much right now," he said; "I really don't want to be in love with you. But I can't help it."

Maki looked calmly into Fujima's eyes.

"I know someone who loves you very much. He would never cause you the pain I have caused you tonight."

Realization, as it flashed across Fujima's face, resembled in a great degree pain.

"J-Jin?"

Maki nodded.

"I have given you my answer. But if it's happiness you want – not some kind of perpetual competition – then you might think about what you feel for Jin."

"Jin…" Then suddenly Fujima looked contrite. A horrified look came over him. "Gosh, what have I done?" he gasped. "He came to me, and I spurned him."

Maki rose, leaving a wad of cash on the table, paying for both of them.

"You will find that Jin is very forgiving."

Then he turned and walked away.

At that point Jin emerged from the bushes, and rested a hand on Fujima's shoulder, and Kiyota darted after Maki, grinning widely.

"What have I done?" Fujima leant into the touch, too exhausted emotionally to wonder what Jin had been doing amidst the roses all the while. "Oh, Jin. I'm sorry for what I said. It really is you that I want."

Both Kainan players gazed with overflowing gratitude at their captain, their hero, the man who had wrought miracles not once but twice in one evening.

Sendoh and Mitsui exchanged puzzled glances. What now? They found themselves at the denouement of a confused and entirely unscripted love story, nothing like the predictable plot devices that Sendoh had grown comfortable with in his experience with romantic comedies. Was his entire childhood a lie? Would he have to rebuild his conception of the world from scratch?

On his part, all Mitsui could think about was whether he would still get his two thousand yen. The thought that he didn't really have a hand in the way things turned out left a bitter feeling. But he decided that, if he didn't get the money, he really wouldn't mind. There was more to life than doing people favors in exchange for cash. When extraordinary moments like the one they had all just lived through came along, money seemed almost trivial.

"Let's get out of here," said Mitsui, pushing Sendoh into the shadows, away from the scene where lovers hitherto believed to be star crossed were celebrating the triumph of passion.

Their hands brushed, and Sendoh looked up into Mitsui's eyes.

"You know, with all this Love Guru business going on," said Mitsui with a lopsided smile, "I almost forgot I have feelings, too."

Sendoh smiled.

"It feels nice to have done something good for someone, doesn't it? Even though I'm not sure we did much at all."

"That's not what I meant." Mitsui drew closer to Sendoh. "I don't need that money to be happy."

Their faces were inches from each other when something heavy fell into their laps from above. It appeared to be cash. Looking up they saw Jin and Fujima standing over them.

"I can't thank you guys enough," said Jin, beaming. "This was all because of you."

Sendoh laughed sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head.

"To be honest, it was just luck, really. If anyone should get credit for it, it's Maki."

But Jin, smile wider than it had ever been these past few days, thought differently. If it hadn't been for Sendoh's and Mitsui's selfless involvement in his life, he might have been sitting up in his bedroom all evening, brooding or otherwise engaged in acts of self-harm. He would have fallen behind in one way or another in every endeavor.

"I would give you guys more," said Jin, "but it looks like there won't be any need for that. Who knows when someone else might be in need of your services?"

He winked, and then he and Fujima hurried away, hand in hand.

Epilogue

It was a sunny, somnolent afternoon again, not quite as hot as the days had been lately, and as a result there were more people out on the beach than usual. Sendoh, having bought with his money a fishing rod, had returned to his favorite pastime. Would the same large fish get caught in his line again?

"I don't even know what happened these past few days," said Mitsui, who was lying down on a towel behind Sendoh.

"I don't either," said Sendoh, retracting his line hopefully only to find seaweed on the hook. "Maybe it was all a movie, and we were just watching it."

"Oh, I think we did more than watch it."

"Maybe."

"Truth be told, I really never thought that I might develop feelings for you. And look at us now."

"I know," said Sendoh distractedly. Still no luck: it was garbage this time.

Then as the sea calmed down some more, Sendoh felt a strong tug on his line. Rising up in excitement, he began to retract his line as fast as he could.

He gasped when his catch rose to the surface.

"Look at the size of that!"

It was even larger than the one he had caught the other afternoon.

"Don't let go of it," said Mitsui, jumping to his feet to fetch the bucket.

"Of course I won't."

With some difficulty Sendoh managed to get the powerfully flailing fish into the bucket. But no sooner had he done so than the fish jumped out of the bucket using its own powerful movements, and slid back into the sea.

Sendoh and Mitsui stared after it in wonderment.

"Well, I suppose fish like that aren't meant to be caught," Sendoh decided, gazing philosophically out into the horizon. "They are free fish – fish of the world, you might say. No one can take their freedom from them."

"At least not amateur fishermen."

They were gathering their beach equipment when Mitsui became aware of a presence behind him.

"Sakuragi?" he said, turning. "What are you doing here?"

The redhead's face looked strained with the effort of keeping it expressionless.

"I want," he said, "your help." It seemed to kill him to say it.

"With basketball?" asked Sendoh, who knew too well how quickly the other had improved his game.

"No." Sakuragi seemed to be turning red, not from the heat or from embarrassment, but from the effort of not exploding. "I heard about what you did for Jin and the Benchwarmer."

"Oh," Mitsui mouthed silently.

"I need… you to help me… with Rukawa." The final words would have been inaudible, if there had been the slightest of breezes.

Sendoh and Mitsui glanced at each other. They had another customer already. Could it be done? Was it possible to meet his demands?

"Sure, we'll try," said Sendoh before Mitsui could stop him.

Mitsui knew how cheap Sakuragi was. He was a guy who had paid a hundred yen for his top-class basketball shoes. There was also the fact that Rukawa had no human feelings whatever.

"I think it's possible," said Sendoh. He turned to Mitsui. "What do you say?"

Mitsui shrugged. He didn't care either way, but he really did enjoy working with Sendoh. He never laughed as much as when he was with him, for instance.

"Then we're doing this." Sendoh nodded. "Sakuragi, you have come to the right people. The Love Gurus will make your dreams come true."

/end

A/N: I didn't quite like the way I ended this. I took all the cheesy, sappy, weird, cloying romance I never wrote elsewhere, and stuffed it into a single story. Well, as long as I never do it again, I suppose we'll be fine.