Varsity Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk, period.

Chapter II

It was the kind of party he had gone through almost every single week of his life in Venice. Cocktails, soft candle light, majestic ballroom floors, high ceilings and people in their best suits. It was only seven-thirty in the evening but the night was rife with the coolness of winter's midnight. Cleanly shaven, Mitsui Hisashi careened across the room, fashionably donned in his Armani suit. He wasn't wearing a tie; instead, his tan polo top was partly unbuttoned and revealed a small V-shaped portion of his chest. His hair retained the same rough texture and color, and apart from his slightly darkened complexion he was the same as before. He was, all in all, extremely refined-looking. But more than anything, his smile lingered, as if flashing from the past to recall the good old times he'd had.

"Mitsui!" hailed a voice from beyond the clumped-together round tables and chairs around him. Mitsui's eyes surveyed the mob in an effort to locate the caller. In the middle of the room, just right under the ostensible chandelier, was the ever so retentive Sakuragi Hanamichi, waving animatedly at him. Mitsui immediately proceeded to Sakuragi's direction.

"Sakuragi, you're a man! And look! You got rid of that silly hair color. No longer rough around the edges, are we?" Mitsui exclaimed nearly at the top of his lungs. Seeing Sakuragi sans the immature red hair was indeed something to look forward to.

"What do you mean by that? Come, sit down. You'd need a lot of explaining to do. I'm glad I got by you first, Christ! I was ready to believe you'd kicked the bucket." Sakuragi said, barely stopping to give way to punctuations. Mitsui took a seat beside him.

"Kicked the bucket? I'm more alive than ever, Sakuragi. Why not tell me something about you?" Mitsui grinned. He always had this soft spot for old acquaintance. Sakuragi was no exception to this.

"About me? There's plenty to tell but it would just be a waste of spit if you're the only one who's going to listen to me. I'm going to wait for Mega--I mean Kogure and the others to arrive first , then you can all feast your ears on my success stories. So...what happened to you? By the looks of it, you must be someone. It's been donkey years and I've never heard a single word from you. Even Miyagi doesn't know where you've been."

"I've been in Italy for six years, moonlighting in the foreign scene." Mitsui stated nonchalantly, as if he was uninterested in whatever information he could share about himself.

"Italy? Of all paces to choose to be a misfit in, you chose Italy? Why?"

"Well, it seemed that business was good there. And it was, still is. So I settled there, living a dolce vita in my little villa. Well, it isn't little; it's actually on the huge side. Anyway, I'm loaded if that's what you want to know."

"Mmmh. Business, you say. You didn't pursue your basketball career? Did you even go to college?"

"Yeah, of course. Prior to Italy, I flew to Washington where I majored in Business Administration at Georgetown University. And speaking of Georgetown, its college basketball team is smashing. Those kids made me believe people could fly without wings---"

"So in short, you attended a private university in the States." Sakuragi said, rubbing his jaw. As far as he knew, that's not what it was cracked up to be. He couldn't put a finger on what he just heard, not when Mitsui was the subject of conversation. "Let's see, I can't quite help spotting some loopholes here. First, you left without a single word, you didn't even say where you were going so every one of us right away assumed that you drowned yourself the next day. Second, I find it so hard to believe that you would be enticed by the very idea of graduating with a degree. Third, you abandoned basketball entirely which is completely unthinkable. And last, whoever funded your education? Sounds like you dug gold here. Did any of your rich relatives die?"

Mitsui stared at Sakuragi, half-frowning, half-smiling. "First of all, I have reasons for leaving, most of which you don't wanna know, believe me. So let's just leave it at 'I'm tired of this country'; having said that, I never for once had any intention to commit suicide. Second off, as incredible as it sounds, I did have a hidden passion for learning. When I was at the university, I felt quite prepared to excel and live off what I learned after that, which proved to be achievable anyway. Hence my life today and my exorbitantly large bank accounts. Third, I hate to say this but yes, I chose something else over basketball and there's not much to do about it because I'm happier than I ever was in a game. But, may I emphasize, I still play from time to time. In fact I have a personal basketball court inside my mansion. Lastly, your guess just about hit home; a rich uncle indeed died and I got to share a little of his inheritance. After that, I've been offered various jobs overseas. I landed one in Italy, got to set myself straight and things continued from there. Success has been very friendly to me, Sakuragi."

Sakuragi gaped at Mistui, as if Mitsui just transformed into a lunatic stranger right in front of his very eyes. "Jesus. I never would've guessed; you sure made a splash, doing that. Anyway, do you mean...?"

"What?"

Sakuragi held Mitsui in his gaze a little longer before he regained his composure and ventured to speak. "Well, if that's the truth, I see no reason why you shouldn't be satisfied. Are you married?"

"No."

"No? But why? How come you strut around like you're some kind of big shot and yet, don't have a special someone?"

"I'm so sorry; I don't think I get your drift."

"I meant you should've at least got hitched with all your success. Surely, you're not alone most of the time? Life isn't complete without a woman, Mitchy. "

"That depends, Sakuragi." Mitsui paused. "I didn't live a secluded life. I mean, not technically what with all these easy-come-easy-go women. The necessary evil and stuff. But I'm happy..."

Before he could finish, a queue of familiar individuals disrupted his phrase. Akagi, Kogure and some of the old crowd began infiltrating the room and perching themselves nearby to complete the promised perfect attendance. The atmosphere suddenly became tense and airy. Mitsui and Sakuragi hastily got up from their chairs to exchange greetings and hugs with their old friends. Almost everyone was in a tizzy, too incredulous to begin an interrogation as to Mitsui's whereabouts and activities all these years. In a heartbeat, anyone within reasonable distance could hear Sakuragi narrating a summary of his life. It appeared that he and Haruko were engaged and, if it was worth it to mention, Akagi didn't seem in the least disturbed by the news. If anything, he seemed sincerely happy for his sister. Akagi was married; Kogure had a steady girlfriend; Miyagi and Ayako were thinking about getting engaged. Everyone seemed to have more or less achieved their long-term goals in life; in other words, everyone, except Kogure who was a professor of World History at Tokyo University, was banking on his talents as a professional basketball player. Even Yasuda was a starter for a state team somewhere. Even Kuwata got that much running.

"Rukawa and his wife will arrive any time soon." Kogure looked at his watch.

"Rukawa?" Sakuragi said. "He's bringing his wife along?"

"Yes. She's a famed reporter, you know. I think we might all be interested."

"Interested in the fact that Rukawa actually nabbed himself a chick." Sakuragi corrected Kogure. "I always thought he was some kind of fag--"

"I'll go to the washroom." Mitsui declared.

"Okay. But don't stay there too long. I might blurt out some of your secrets while you're away." Sakuragi teased.

"What secrets?"

"Your life after Shohoku. They may find the fact that you're now a millionaire rather juicy and of course, your lavish donation to the Shohoku basketball gym isn't to be ignored."

"Well then, I'm more than obliged. It should save me some spit." Mitsui said and left his old team mates to ramble on about his personal life.

Less than ten minutes later, when he came back, his eyes instinctively strayed to Rukawa and his wife who were already seated among the circle. Upon seeing her, Mitsui's eyes widened a little bit, as was the reaction of anyone who'd first seen her. It was, independent of any shock, awe. She exuded the aura of a movie star. Her movements were agile and graceful, which suited very well the maroon short gown she was sporting. Her hair was elegantly pulled back on her forehead and when she spoke, it was like watching a 1950s romantic flick. It was her voice that won them all; clearly, she wasn't a much-loved anchorwoman for nothing. It wasn't after a quick spell and Rukawa's recognition of Mitsui that the latter decided to give his former lover a greeting.

"Hey Rukawa. Remember me?" Mitsui said, rather more awkward than he intended. It seemed as though he was telling himself to smile his heart out but instead only showed his deep tribulation. It had been ten years; he almost didn't know how to confront him now.

"Yes, Mitsui-sempai." Rukawa replied, not quite requiring the shortest time to compose himself. His tone was formal and stiff and his expression was opaque. If he thinks that old smile-and-grin formula is going to work, he's gravely mistaken.

"Good, care to introduce her to me?" Mitsui grinned at Rukawa and pointed at his wife, who was apparently enjoying the scene.

Rukawa nodded, took a deep breath and pronounced, "Kira, this is Mitsui Hisashi. He was in the basketball team too. And...we haven't been in contact for ten years so..."

"That can wait. I'll tell you all about what happened to me while I've been away, Rukawa. But right now, let's call on the drinks." Mitsui winked at him, even as he used to do a decade ago. "Waiter!"

It threatened to be a long evening. As the night pushed on, the conversations became more profound, the group became more intoxicated. When the dance floor opened, Rukawa did a round of slow waltz with his wife. After which, he excused himself and disappeared to the terrace where he could savor the overlooking view in solitary silence. He didn't know what to feel himself. Mitsui seemed to be oblivious, he was sure, and would rather put the past behind him. He already closed that door, locked it and threw away the key. Perhaps, he didn't even remember how he and Rukawa used to be. But then, what was the need to remember? Rukawa was happy. Mitsui was certainly happy. If he brought the past up to Mitsui now, surely it would be jeopardizing his marriage, playing with fire? What did it matter if he wasn't over Mitsui yet, or vice versa? As far as anyone was concerned, that problem had been settled once and for all the moment Mitsui walked out on him and never came back. It should, at all costs, remain a mere skeleton in the cupboard. So much better off disregarded.

"I was looking for you." Rukawa heard Mitsui's voice behind him then. What now? He faced him, hoping to disguise his nervousness beneath the shadows. "Rukawa, it's--"

"Over." Rukawa caught himself murmuring the word right before he could push the brakes.

"Over?"

"It was over before you even knew it. You left me, you bastard." Rukawa huffed, more inclined toward rudeness than politeness.

Mitsui's eyes sparkled in the dark and it seemed as though he would choke. Perhaps he couldn't take it anymore; perhaps he didn't want the turn the conversation was taking; but for whatever it was, he withdrew his gaze from Rukawa and looked upward.

"Don't pretend to stargaze." Rukawa said then.

Mitsui, who nearly leaped up upon Rukawa's display of irritation, consequently steered his glance toward the latter. If he hadn't been so well-rounded on Rukawa's range of expression he would've seriously leaped up for the second time when he saw his fierce face. Until then he never considered the possibility that Rukawa would feel any kind of anger toward him. "You seem happy. You must really love her." Was all he could say.

"Very much. Don't change the subject, sempai."

"I'm not." Mitsui said and at length went quiet. He was lost for what to say or what to do in front of Rukawa. "I wish I could switch things back the way they were; you and I being friends and all."

"That's not going to happen." Rukawa replied tersely. Since when were we just friends?

Once again, silence returned. The evening felt like the North Pole outside, sending chills all over the place. The incoming wind gently whiffed against their faces and the sky was speckled with stars of various sizes and levels of brilliance. The moon seemed to be transparent, like Rukawa's words.

"Rukawa, when you got married, what was on your mind?"

"On my mind? I thought I was doing the right thing. I still think I did, in fact. What about you? Did you think you were doing the right thing? Boarding off just like that? Single-handedly messing everything up? "

Mitsui heaved a sigh. He never quite expected that he'd have to explain his side of the story. "No. There was some kind of error to that, I admit."

"Then why did you do it?" Rukawa snapped and seeing that Mitsui's expression was shifting, went on. "Don't grin at me like that. It's not going to work."

Mitsui aborted the smile. If he specialized in looking cute back then, it could hardly work its charm now on Rukawa. Growing more conscious that he was strapped for a crucial, well-made answer, he said, "It's one thing to leave you; it's quite another to leave Kanagawa. That's as much as I can tell you and myself right now." he stopped. "I'm so sorry, Rukawa. Can you just forget?"

"Forget? Don't you think it's a little too late for that? Do you really think that this is like basketball, that after the shot clock goes berserk the game's completely over? Why don't you just ask me next time to jump from the fucking Eiffel Tower and not die? Or don't tell me it's already at the tip of your tongue."

"But it's been a decade!" Mitsui, not to be outdone, gasped as a combination of slight fury and surprise romped on his face. "Rukawa, it isn't healthy to be this angry. You just said you love her and if you honestly do, you wouldn't let this bother you. Just say you forgive me and we're good, I swear to god."

"You think 'sorry' is going to make it, huh, sempai? If 'sorry' could solve anything at all this world would be full of scoundrels like you who think that they could get away with it any given time. Maybe you don't know, but you and my wife are completely distinct cases. My marrying her has nothing to do with you and whatever I feel toward you now has nothing to do with her. Pure and simple." Rukawa said. He looked as though he wanted to give Mitsui a hard shake so the latter could wake up.

"I understand." Mitsui said and yet, in truth, he was more confused than certain.

"You understand exactly nothing. You don't know anything. Maybe you should know that you killed me; maybe that's what you want to know now. You never visited me, or called me or even wrote to me. You just went on playing your little game, making yourself filthy rich abroad, abandoning all cares in the world. What kind of excuse do you have, please say?" Rukawa blared which caused Mitsui to stare uncomfortably at him; he didn't expect Rukawa to grow this talkative and vehement while he was gone. Did he just sprout horns while no one was looking? How he prayed Rukawa would just clam up and stop acting as though he was shuttling back and forth between being sixteen and twenty-six.

"Well… you seem to have a lot to say to me. I just wish you would stop acting so affected."

"Ha! Don't make me laugh. Tell me, how else should I act after what you did and on second thoughts, didn't do?"

"You don't know what you're saying. I suffered too and at any rate, I suffered as much as, or even more than you did. And for that, you should at least condone me, if not for the rest."

"You must be dreaming, expecting that from me."

"You have her to fall back on. I had no one. I don't have anyone."

Rukawa smiled bitterly and in defense of his wife, said, "Don't sound like she's a poor substitute/surrogate for you, sempai; I'm not about to go easy on that."

"I'm not saying that. She's a good rebound, if I may say so." Mitsui stammered. He looked reluctant to go on, "But the point to tackle here is, at least you have somebody to neutralize whatever pain you got from me."

"That necessarily doesn't clear you of blame. You still wronged me, terribly."

Mitsui tapped his forehead as if to indicate how tired he was. He wanted to say that he didn't seek out Rukawa so as to exonerate himself; rather, he wanted him to recognize the fact that he was, in all sincerity, sorry. He stared at Rukawa and only received half-shaded frozen looks. Boy, he sure is cathartic. More was the irony to think that back then, ten years before, they weren't exactly overflowing with things to say to each other. Now, it looked like they'd have to spend a day just to have these words said. And yet, this wasn't the word-sparring he looked forward to having with Rukawa; as a matter of candid fact, this encounter more like resembled one of his nightmares. "What was she like to you when you first saw her?" he said at last in an attempt to loosen the tension.

"She was like an antidote to the poison you made me swallow. She revived me."

"Well, then, there shouldn't be a need to take it this far, should there?" Mitsui almost entreated. At this point, he could feel a migraine approaching.

"That's you; always taking the easy road out. I can't hold you blameless in this. You almost ruined my career. I stayed the most of my years in that bloody Kanagawa crap team. I didn't want to leave because---I don't know! Maybe I was thinking that you'd change your mind and come back one day? I was so stupid to ever rely on that hope. I should've been MVP at twenty but I wasn't; I should've been in the NBA but I wasn't likewise, all because of you."

"That's not fair, Rukawa."

"It's not fair, of course. You weren't fair."

"God, this is a terrible conversation. Rukawa, this isn't the reconciliation I wanted to have with you. Are you saying that it would've been better if we never got together at all?"

"Yes, sempai."

"Well, that would be a mean present to give to an old friend." Mitsui shook his head. "I hate to come full circle but I always said, and still say, that my best times were the ones I had with you. It's just too sad that they were short-lived and had to be sequenced by something like this. But if you'd have a paradigm shift, I just want you to know that my apology offer is still up for grabs."

"Keep it. I won't need it anymore." Rukawa spat coldly.

Having no other arsenal to smoothen down Rukawa's behavior and realizing his defeat, Mitsui walked away. In the dark, under those silver stars, Rukawa had never felt so alone. Go for all I care. It would be a major relief to me, somehow…

TBC