THE PLAN
"Ready?"
Hanasen looked up at Noriko.
"Hai."
"Let's go!" Noriko grabbed her hand and they both ran out of the classroom.
"We can't be late!" Noriko was excited. Today was a game between Shohoku High versus Hashibara High.
The two friends ran all the way from the classroom to the gymnasium and took a seat near the rafters. The gym was packed. The game was about to start.
"Oh my god! There he is!" Noriko stood up and pointed at the dark-haired fox face.
"RUKAWA, AI SHITTERU YO!!!!" Noriko screamed and waved. But her voice was immediately drowned out by the Love-Love Rukawa Girls who began their ritual cheer and adulation.
Hanasen smiled at Noriko's excitement. The whole gym thundered on all sides from everyone's screams, cheers, claps and hollers.
The Shohoku Team members were introduced and each gave an exhibition and waved at the audience.
"SAKURAGI HANAMICHI!"
Hanasen felt her heart skip a beat. She froze. Noriko looked at her and nudged her shoulder and hugged her.
"You're gonna be all right." Noriko smiled.
"I'm so happy to watch him play." Hanasen whispered.
"Let's enjoy this, shall we?" Noriko winked.
Hanasen nodded enthusiastically.
The game was a tremendous success. It was a critical fight with Shohoku winning by a very thin margin. Sakuragi began to strut around the court. The other team players jumped around and rejoiced.
"YAY!!! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!!" The two friends hugged each other as they jumped in unison.
"Let's congratulate them!" Hanasen pulled Noriko as they moved out of the packed gym.
"Look what I got!" Noriko pulled the item from her blue rabbit back pack.
"Waaiii!!! A CAMERA!!!" Hanasen squealed.
"Okay, you hold this. Here's the plan, as soon as we spot them, I grab Rukawa and you take our picture."
"Right!"
"Then when we see Sakuragi."
Hanasen quickly put her hand on Noriko's mouth.
"What the.?" Noriko pulled away confused.
"Not so loud. Never mind. I'll just take your picture with Rukawa, I promise."
"No way!" Noriko argued.
"It's okay. Really." Hanasen gulped.
"This is the moment. You just can't let this go to waste."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can just trust me, okay? It would be great."
Hanasen nodded her head but she still wasn't sure if she agreed.
The two girls ran at the exit only to find an excited and anticipating crowd at the same spot.
"Oh crap! This is not good! We must have our picture!" Noriko yelled.
"What do you think we should do?"
Noriko looked at her and frowned, thinking deeply. Then quickly grabbed Hanasen's hand and they ran out to the hall.
"Where are we going?"
"Just trust me."
"Okay. I hope you know what you're doing. But don't you think this is a little crazy since we can see them in school anyways?" Hanasen reasoned while they ran.
"This is a totally different scenario."
"Here we are." They stopped at the gym's parking space.
"You're a genius, Noriko-chan."
"No way, they're going home without their bikes. Well, the others would most likely walk or take the bus but they can't miss this place."
And as expected, there they were. Mitsui grabbed his bike and waved. Noriko approached him.
"Sumimasen, Mitsui-sempai! Can we take a picture of you?"
"Hontou?" Mitsui smiled widely and obliged.
The two girls switched places and each had a picture with the legendary three-pointer.
The picture-taking went on until they had almost each and everyone's picture.
"Anou..Ayako-sempai..where is Rukawa?" Noriko inquired meekly. The beautiful curly-haired assistant coach smiled and pointed at the gym. "I believe, he's still being harassed back there."
"Arigato, Ayako-sempai." The two girls bowed. Ayako smiled back and helped Miyagi load his bag on his bike.
"I just don't know what these girls see with that fox-face." Miyagi shook his head as he rode the bike with Ayako in tow.
"I must admit, he's good looking, droopy-eyed and all." Ayako nodded.
"Aya-chan." Miyagi pouted.
"And a hell of a terrific ball player." Ayako added.
"Aya-chan..demo." Miyagi's eyes almost turned tearful.
"But I've got all what I need right here." She pulled his face for a kiss. She loved to tease him immensely. He looked so adorable.
"Aya-chan." Miyagi smiled.
"Ready?"
Hanasen looked up at Noriko.
"Hai."
"Let's go!" Noriko grabbed her hand and they both ran out of the classroom.
"We can't be late!" Noriko was excited. Today was a game between Shohoku High versus Hashibara High.
The two friends ran all the way from the classroom to the gymnasium and took a seat near the rafters. The gym was packed. The game was about to start.
"Oh my god! There he is!" Noriko stood up and pointed at the dark-haired fox face.
"RUKAWA, AI SHITTERU YO!!!!" Noriko screamed and waved. But her voice was immediately drowned out by the Love-Love Rukawa Girls who began their ritual cheer and adulation.
Hanasen smiled at Noriko's excitement. The whole gym thundered on all sides from everyone's screams, cheers, claps and hollers.
The Shohoku Team members were introduced and each gave an exhibition and waved at the audience.
"SAKURAGI HANAMICHI!"
Hanasen felt her heart skip a beat. She froze. Noriko looked at her and nudged her shoulder and hugged her.
"You're gonna be all right." Noriko smiled.
"I'm so happy to watch him play." Hanasen whispered.
"Let's enjoy this, shall we?" Noriko winked.
Hanasen nodded enthusiastically.
The game was a tremendous success. It was a critical fight with Shohoku winning by a very thin margin. Sakuragi began to strut around the court. The other team players jumped around and rejoiced.
"YAY!!! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!!" The two friends hugged each other as they jumped in unison.
"Let's congratulate them!" Hanasen pulled Noriko as they moved out of the packed gym.
"Look what I got!" Noriko pulled the item from her blue rabbit back pack.
"Waaiii!!! A CAMERA!!!" Hanasen squealed.
"Okay, you hold this. Here's the plan, as soon as we spot them, I grab Rukawa and you take our picture."
"Right!"
"Then when we see Sakuragi."
Hanasen quickly put her hand on Noriko's mouth.
"What the.?" Noriko pulled away confused.
"Not so loud. Never mind. I'll just take your picture with Rukawa, I promise."
"No way!" Noriko argued.
"It's okay. Really." Hanasen gulped.
"This is the moment. You just can't let this go to waste."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can just trust me, okay? It would be great."
Hanasen nodded her head but she still wasn't sure if she agreed.
The two girls ran at the exit only to find an excited and anticipating crowd at the same spot.
"Oh crap! This is not good! We must have our picture!" Noriko yelled.
"What do you think we should do?"
Noriko looked at her and frowned, thinking deeply. Then quickly grabbed Hanasen's hand and they ran out to the hall.
"Where are we going?"
"Just trust me."
"Okay. I hope you know what you're doing. But don't you think this is a little crazy since we can see them in school anyways?" Hanasen reasoned while they ran.
"This is a totally different scenario."
"Here we are." They stopped at the gym's parking space.
"You're a genius, Noriko-chan."
"No way, they're going home without their bikes. Well, the others would most likely walk or take the bus but they can't miss this place."
And as expected, there they were. Mitsui grabbed his bike and waved. Noriko approached him.
"Sumimasen, Mitsui-sempai! Can we take a picture of you?"
"Hontou?" Mitsui smiled widely and obliged.
The two girls switched places and each had a picture with the legendary three-pointer.
The picture-taking went on until they had almost each and everyone's picture.
"Anou..Ayako-sempai..where is Rukawa?" Noriko inquired meekly. The beautiful curly-haired assistant coach smiled and pointed at the gym. "I believe, he's still being harassed back there."
"Arigato, Ayako-sempai." The two girls bowed. Ayako smiled back and helped Miyagi load his bag on his bike.
"I just don't know what these girls see with that fox-face." Miyagi shook his head as he rode the bike with Ayako in tow.
"I must admit, he's good looking, droopy-eyed and all." Ayako nodded.
"Aya-chan." Miyagi pouted.
"And a hell of a terrific ball player." Ayako added.
"Aya-chan..demo." Miyagi's eyes almost turned tearful.
"But I've got all what I need right here." She pulled his face for a kiss. She loved to tease him immensely. He looked so adorable.
"Aya-chan." Miyagi smiled.