"OOOOOOOKIIIIIIIII!!!!!" (big) The group of three young boys chorused as
they saw the young man lying down on the ground.
"LOOK! HE HAS RED HAIR!!! HE'S SO HUGE!" the smallest of the three squealed and pointed.
"Shhhh!!! Keep your voice down, Tetsu!" the tallest of the boys tapped his back.
"Guys, I don't think it's a good idea to play here today. Can we just go to the malls or watch TV or something, please?" the sleepy-eyed boy suggested.
"No way, Hiro! I didn't go through a lot of trouble trying to borrow this ball from my uncle for nothing, y'know."
"But, Ken!" Hiro complained.
"I said no way so shut up!" Ken replied in a hushed tone.
"Oi! Oi! Look at me!" Tetsu approached the sleeping man and laid next to him.
"Tetsu! What the hell..?" Ken barely was able to hold on to his friend to stop him.
"How tall am I?" Tetsu was beaming.
"You're up to his waist. Now get back here!" Ken was getting impatient.
"I bet in just a few more months, I'll be as tall as this guy." Tetsu smiled.
"Not in a million years. Ken, will you get the kid or he is gonna get plastered there." Hiro lazily said.
"I'm not a kid! I'm a boy!" Tetsu protested.
"Yeah, whatever you are!" Ken pulled him up. But Sakuragi gave out a sneeze and began to move.
Tetsu was about to scream if not for Ken who quickly covered his mouth. Hiro jumped. They all remained frozen in their positions.
Sakuragi merely moved to his left side and began to snore soundly.
The three boys swallowed hard.
"That was close." Ken released Tetsu.
"I told you, guys. It's really not a good time to be here. Let's get out of here, okay?" Hiro pleaded.
"I still want to play." Ken stoically replied and folded his arms.
"Geez!" Hiro rolled his eyes and stomped his foot.
"Well, how do you think we are gonna play here with this guy lying right in the middle of the court?" Tetsu frowned.
"Anou.that's easy. Just wake him up." Ken shrugged.
"And who do you think would that be, oh fearless leader?" Hiro asked.
"Tetsu." Ken nudged Tetsu's arm.
"Why do I have to be the one?" Tetsu pouted.
"Because you're the youngest." Ken sounded unsure.
"And the smallest." Hiro added.
"What does my height and my age have to do with it?" Tetsu looked very confused.
"Aw! Just do it. We're right behind you." Ken encouraged him.
"Why do I always have to do the job?" Tetsu clenched his small fists.
"Because that's the way things go, okay." Hiro said exasperatedly.
"I'm gonna get you both for this." Tetsu pointed at them.
"Stop it now. I promise I'll lend you my latest Evangelion mecha model when we get back home." Ken flashed him a V-sign.
"You can also watch the series at my place." Hiro smiled.
Tetsu looked at his grinning companions. He looked at sleeping Sakuragi. Then back to his companions. His face was in deep thought. Evangelion was definitely worth the sacrifice.
"Okay." He shrugged and knelt beside Sakuragi and tapped his shoulder.
"Ne.ne.onii-chan, wake up now!" (means big brother)
"Say it louder, he can't hear you." Ken said.
"What if he gets mad at me?" Tetsu looked like he was about to cry.
"No he won't. if he does, we'll pound him." Hiro replied.
"Uh.okay." Tetsu said.
'ONII-CHAN!!! ONIII-CHAN!!! WAKE UP NOW!!!!" Tetsu screamed on Sakuragi's ear.
Sakuragi sat up immediately and one arm grabbed the little boy's shoulder.
"KYAAAA!!!!" Tetsu whinced.
Ken and Hiro got out from their hiding spot and tried to pull Tetsu away from Sakuragi.
"Oi! Let him go!" Ken tried to release Sakuragi's grip. Sakuragi easily released Tetsu who turned pale.
"What are you kids doing here and screaming like that? Don't you know how to behave with your elders?" Sakuragi was still quite stirred up from his sleep. He remembered he was in the middle of a really nice dream, it almost felt so real.
"We just came here to play. Aren't you the one who's supposed to be somewhere and sleeping on a bed or something?" Ken smirked.
"Gomen nasai." (Sorry) Tetsu approached Sakuragi.
Sakuragi looked at the smallest boy. He looked like he was about to break into tears any moment. His long straight bangs looked like it was eating his face. He was all bangs and a skinny body. He stood up and patted his head.
"Daijoubu da yo." (that's alright) He smiled.
The boys looked at him amazed at his incredible height. Sakuragi towered all over them.
"Onii-chan, onamae wa? (what's your name?) Hiro tugged at Sakuragi's shorts.
"Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"Tensai basketboru man, Hanamichi Sakuragi, desu ka?" Ken was awestruck.
With that Sakuragi gave his unmistakable laugh. "Hai! Hai! It's me. The one and only!"
"So you're the one my uncle used to tell me all about." Ken could not believe his ears.
"Who's your uncle?"
"Akira Sendo"
"Wah! Hontou ga?" (is it true) Sakuragi was impressed. It wasn't everyday, kids would come up to him and look at him with such reverence but to have been talked about by the venerable and undisputed Akira Sendo, it was just too much.
"Hai! Hontou! Hontou!" (yes, it's true) Ken was excited,
"What are your names?"
"Boku wa Ken."
"Hiro desu."
"Tetsu desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Tetsu bowed.
Sakuragi knelt before them so he could talk to them at eye level.
"Aren't you kids, supposed to be at school?"
"It's a Sunday." Hiro replied.
"NANI?!' Sakuragi was surprised.
"Eh?" Tetsu was surprised at his reaction.
"Ima nanji desu ka?" (what time is it now?) Sakuragi asked.
"10:30 a.m." Tetsu looked at his watch.
"AH! I HAVE TO GO NOW! YOU BOYS, TAKE CARE! SEE YA AROUND!" Sakuragi was quickly stood up and dashed out of the play lot.
"Onii-chan!!! You forgot something!" Tetsu chased after him.
Sakuragi stopped as Tetsu handed him the handkerchief.
"Arigatou!' Sakuragi took it but was too distracted to notice if the thing really belonged to him. He really had to leave right away.
Tetsu returned to his companions who were now deep in another argument.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna have my hair colored red too." Ken declared.
"I'm gonna keep mine that way it is. Only longer." Hiro contested.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna change my hair and my looks in so many ways." Tetsu cheered.
"Sure you do. Let's play ball!" Ken tackled Tetsu.
The three boys began to play.
"LOOK! HE HAS RED HAIR!!! HE'S SO HUGE!" the smallest of the three squealed and pointed.
"Shhhh!!! Keep your voice down, Tetsu!" the tallest of the boys tapped his back.
"Guys, I don't think it's a good idea to play here today. Can we just go to the malls or watch TV or something, please?" the sleepy-eyed boy suggested.
"No way, Hiro! I didn't go through a lot of trouble trying to borrow this ball from my uncle for nothing, y'know."
"But, Ken!" Hiro complained.
"I said no way so shut up!" Ken replied in a hushed tone.
"Oi! Oi! Look at me!" Tetsu approached the sleeping man and laid next to him.
"Tetsu! What the hell..?" Ken barely was able to hold on to his friend to stop him.
"How tall am I?" Tetsu was beaming.
"You're up to his waist. Now get back here!" Ken was getting impatient.
"I bet in just a few more months, I'll be as tall as this guy." Tetsu smiled.
"Not in a million years. Ken, will you get the kid or he is gonna get plastered there." Hiro lazily said.
"I'm not a kid! I'm a boy!" Tetsu protested.
"Yeah, whatever you are!" Ken pulled him up. But Sakuragi gave out a sneeze and began to move.
Tetsu was about to scream if not for Ken who quickly covered his mouth. Hiro jumped. They all remained frozen in their positions.
Sakuragi merely moved to his left side and began to snore soundly.
The three boys swallowed hard.
"That was close." Ken released Tetsu.
"I told you, guys. It's really not a good time to be here. Let's get out of here, okay?" Hiro pleaded.
"I still want to play." Ken stoically replied and folded his arms.
"Geez!" Hiro rolled his eyes and stomped his foot.
"Well, how do you think we are gonna play here with this guy lying right in the middle of the court?" Tetsu frowned.
"Anou.that's easy. Just wake him up." Ken shrugged.
"And who do you think would that be, oh fearless leader?" Hiro asked.
"Tetsu." Ken nudged Tetsu's arm.
"Why do I have to be the one?" Tetsu pouted.
"Because you're the youngest." Ken sounded unsure.
"And the smallest." Hiro added.
"What does my height and my age have to do with it?" Tetsu looked very confused.
"Aw! Just do it. We're right behind you." Ken encouraged him.
"Why do I always have to do the job?" Tetsu clenched his small fists.
"Because that's the way things go, okay." Hiro said exasperatedly.
"I'm gonna get you both for this." Tetsu pointed at them.
"Stop it now. I promise I'll lend you my latest Evangelion mecha model when we get back home." Ken flashed him a V-sign.
"You can also watch the series at my place." Hiro smiled.
Tetsu looked at his grinning companions. He looked at sleeping Sakuragi. Then back to his companions. His face was in deep thought. Evangelion was definitely worth the sacrifice.
"Okay." He shrugged and knelt beside Sakuragi and tapped his shoulder.
"Ne.ne.onii-chan, wake up now!" (means big brother)
"Say it louder, he can't hear you." Ken said.
"What if he gets mad at me?" Tetsu looked like he was about to cry.
"No he won't. if he does, we'll pound him." Hiro replied.
"Uh.okay." Tetsu said.
'ONII-CHAN!!! ONIII-CHAN!!! WAKE UP NOW!!!!" Tetsu screamed on Sakuragi's ear.
Sakuragi sat up immediately and one arm grabbed the little boy's shoulder.
"KYAAAA!!!!" Tetsu whinced.
Ken and Hiro got out from their hiding spot and tried to pull Tetsu away from Sakuragi.
"Oi! Let him go!" Ken tried to release Sakuragi's grip. Sakuragi easily released Tetsu who turned pale.
"What are you kids doing here and screaming like that? Don't you know how to behave with your elders?" Sakuragi was still quite stirred up from his sleep. He remembered he was in the middle of a really nice dream, it almost felt so real.
"We just came here to play. Aren't you the one who's supposed to be somewhere and sleeping on a bed or something?" Ken smirked.
"Gomen nasai." (Sorry) Tetsu approached Sakuragi.
Sakuragi looked at the smallest boy. He looked like he was about to break into tears any moment. His long straight bangs looked like it was eating his face. He was all bangs and a skinny body. He stood up and patted his head.
"Daijoubu da yo." (that's alright) He smiled.
The boys looked at him amazed at his incredible height. Sakuragi towered all over them.
"Onii-chan, onamae wa? (what's your name?) Hiro tugged at Sakuragi's shorts.
"Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"Tensai basketboru man, Hanamichi Sakuragi, desu ka?" Ken was awestruck.
With that Sakuragi gave his unmistakable laugh. "Hai! Hai! It's me. The one and only!"
"So you're the one my uncle used to tell me all about." Ken could not believe his ears.
"Who's your uncle?"
"Akira Sendo"
"Wah! Hontou ga?" (is it true) Sakuragi was impressed. It wasn't everyday, kids would come up to him and look at him with such reverence but to have been talked about by the venerable and undisputed Akira Sendo, it was just too much.
"Hai! Hontou! Hontou!" (yes, it's true) Ken was excited,
"What are your names?"
"Boku wa Ken."
"Hiro desu."
"Tetsu desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Tetsu bowed.
Sakuragi knelt before them so he could talk to them at eye level.
"Aren't you kids, supposed to be at school?"
"It's a Sunday." Hiro replied.
"NANI?!' Sakuragi was surprised.
"Eh?" Tetsu was surprised at his reaction.
"Ima nanji desu ka?" (what time is it now?) Sakuragi asked.
"10:30 a.m." Tetsu looked at his watch.
"AH! I HAVE TO GO NOW! YOU BOYS, TAKE CARE! SEE YA AROUND!" Sakuragi was quickly stood up and dashed out of the play lot.
"Onii-chan!!! You forgot something!" Tetsu chased after him.
Sakuragi stopped as Tetsu handed him the handkerchief.
"Arigatou!' Sakuragi took it but was too distracted to notice if the thing really belonged to him. He really had to leave right away.
Tetsu returned to his companions who were now deep in another argument.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna have my hair colored red too." Ken declared.
"I'm gonna keep mine that way it is. Only longer." Hiro contested.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna change my hair and my looks in so many ways." Tetsu cheered.
"Sure you do. Let's play ball!" Ken tackled Tetsu.
The three boys began to play.