Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk… It is nothing but a Mirage…

Edited chap 3

It has been a very exhausting day for the Shohoku team. Most of them just want to go home and get some sleep. Hanamichi and his gang wanted to stop by a ramen house first, Rukawa, as usual, stayed late after practice and the rest were off to their houses.

"Hey Miyagi!" Kogure said, catching up with curly haired guy who was walking as he gazes at the stars.

"Sempai…" Miyagi replied.

"Um, I just want to ask you something." Kogure began. "What did Aritama-chan say when she got my err… message?"

"Well, actually sempai… I asked Ayako to hand it over to Aritama-chan." Miyagi answered honestly.

"What!…" Just calm down, okay… Kogure added in his thoughts. "It's okay." A girl accepts messages or notes of some sort when they receive it from another girl. "Did you tell Ayako that it was from me?" he asked curiously and at the same time nervously.

"Ah… It's like this sempai…" Ryota started to narrate. "I asked Ayako to hand it over to Youmi, then she asked me to tell her who told me to give it to Youmi but you told me not to tell anyone so I told her I'm not suppose to tell anyone but then she told me to tell her because I told her I'd tell her so I told her it was you…"

"You did WHAT!" Kogure yelled on top of his lungs disturbing the near by houses. "I mean, you did that?" He repeated his question, now is a softer tone.

"Yes, I did… You might ask why, sempai." Ryota, in a dramatic telenovela tone. "The very first time I laid my eyes on Ayako, I made a vow to myself not to make any other contact with other females, well except my Mother and Aya-chan of course… I guess I have proven that I'm a man of my word." Ryota, staring at the beautiful night sky dreamily. "Sempai, where are you going?" Ryota asked Kogure who was already off his way.

"Home." Kogure replied, walking briskly. "See you tomorrow Miyagi."

Sigh. I should have known that he would do that. I am not in the mood to go home right now. All these things are making me… I do not know. Concerned maybe? Nervous, worried, tense. Aurgh, I'm such a geek…

Kogure is walking his usual way home as he came across this intersection. The path at his left will lead to this house. The path on his right will lead him to one of his favorite place.

He looked road at his right side and stopped for a while and think. I need some fresh air to relieve this stress. I guess I will be home a little late today. He thought as he takes the path on his right and started to walk towards the seashore.

Youmi

"Where did you think you're going young lady?" Kishi asked in a "motherly" tone. Youmi frowned but she just ignored Kishi and head for the door. "Hey, I'm still talking to you." Kishi, maintaining the tone of her voice, blocked Youmi's way. "Mayoumi Aritama, you are not taking one more step unless you tell me where you're going."

"Cut it out Kishi." Youmi said getting annoyed. "I just want to go outside for some fresh air… Is that crime?" Youmi added. "Now dear sister, can I please go now. I promise I'll be back before my bed time." Youmi said in a sarcastic tone.

"Okay… Just be back…" Kishi replied, letting Youmi pass.

Youmi walks toward the shore Aunt Mimi showed her a few days before she went to her very short trip.

"It is really a beautiful sight." Youmi thought as she walks. "This is the only place that I seem to be comfortable with here. We don't have a shore like this back at Home."

Yeah. At night, the back in Vancouver the place is full of lights coming from the tall buildings and sound coming from the honking of the cars. Unlike here, the sound of the waves rushing to the shore is what you can hear and the Moon shines at the beautiful sight together with the stars forming different constellations.

Youmi took off her sandals so she can feel the sand with her feet. If anybody sees me like this, they will say I'm being childish. Good thing it's already dark…

"From now on, this is my Thinking-meditation Spot… while I am still here that is." Youmi thought as she walks towards the bench.

"Um, excuse me? Mind if I sit here?" Youmi asked the person who was sitting there.

"No, not at all" the man replied.

As Youmi takes her sit, she noticed that the guy is wearing a uniform. Well, at least I know that I am sharing this bench with somebody… decent… She closed her eyes as she relaxes, hearing the waves, feeling the air, brushing to her face.

Then she notices that the guy sitting right next to her is doing the same thing.

Noticing that Youmi glanced at him, he said, "I find it relaxing sitting here and feeling the warm breeze of the ocean. It takes my stress out."

"Same here. " Youmi said. "It seems like we both admire the night sky and the sea."

"I believe we do." The man agreed.

"Someone once told me that our destiny is written on the stars." Youmi said gazing at the beautiful formation of the stars.

"They say that what ever that is written on the stars is what we are going to be, who were going to be with, what's going to happen in our future… They believe that the position of heavenly bodies at the exact moment of a person's birth and the following movements of the bodies reflect that person's character and, therefore, destiny…" Youmi shared. Why am I being so talkative… I barely even know the guy… "Hey, it's just a story so…"

"I never really put much faith on tales." The man replied. "I believe that our destiny lies on our hands, not on those huge, fiery balls of gas." He said pointing at the stars.

"Yeah, it's true." Youmi agreed "The whole "destiny thing" doesn't make much sense… But I know for fact that there are stories written on the stars. This is definitely weird. I am not my usual self today, talking with a stranger. Youmi said, while playing the sand with her feet.

"How is that?" the guy said sounding confused.

Youmi stopped for a while and thought. "For example, the story of Orion." Youmi, pointing at the Constellation.

"Orion fell in love with Merope, and wanted to marry her. Orion then attempted to get the girl by violence. And so as punishment, he was blinded." Then Youmi stopped for a while trying to remember the rest of the story.

"If I remember correctly, Orion then consulted an oracle, who told him he could regain his sight by going to the east and letting the rays of the rising sun fall on his eyes. His sight was restored. He then lived on Crete as the huntsman of Artemis. The goddess eventually killed him because she was jealous of his affection for Aurora, goddess of the dawn. After his death, Artemis placed him in the heavens as a constellation…"

Then Youmi, looked at the guy she is talking with. She cannot see much of his face because of the absence of light, but he seemed to be listening to her.

"Hey, you are listening attentively… Why is that?" Youmi asked.

"Well, I just figured that I should listen to your "lecture" for me know bout those stuff. Our teacher gave us all these assignments about stars and the different constellations… You know the likes… There's so many terms to memorize… and I don't like that one bit!" the guy said scratching his head. Youmi giggled. "You seem to have master all these stuff." He added

"Well, not exactly. I just like reading literary books or books about stars… that's all." Youmi replied.

"So you like books?" the guy asked. "You must be a genius of some sort…"

"Nah…" Youmi said shaking her head. "My sister is the genius one. I'm the… um… paintist." Youmi laughed a little.

"I don't get it. " The guy sounding confused again. "You read all those books and then you say that you don't…"

" Do well at school?" Youmi said stretching her arms. " You see, when I read these books, I always get inspired by you know, them. Sometimes, I paint what I think they look like, you know, what they do, the setting and everything." Youmi said.

"Wow. You must be really good. I can draw but I cannot visualize all those stuff, you know. It takes a good determined painter to do that." The guy said, sounding really amazed. "Your family must be very proud of you."

"Well actually, they dislike what I'm doing. They don't approve all those stuff." Youmi said leaning back at the bench. They say I should focus on my studies because they say, they already have plans for my future.

"That must be really hard for you... Know what, I have a similar experience." The guy shared.The other person was sharing him stuff that he felt obliged to return the favor. "When I told my folks that I am going to join the basketball team, they were very firm in their decision not to let me join. But I kept on insisting them and so they agreed but on the condition that I won't ignore my studies."

"Good for you." Youmi replied. "It seems like we've been talking a about a lot of things."

"Well, yeah… we can talk about anything under the MOON." The guy said jokingly. Youmi giggled.

"Well, yeah… I guess that's true." Youmi replied.

Then, Youmi checks her watch, which is now saying that it is time for her to go. She slips her sandals and prepares to go home.

"Hey." She said standing up. "It's getting late. Hope to see you next time. "

"Jané!" The stranger at the bench replied. "By the way, I'm Kiminobu Kogure"

-0-0-0-0-0-

Changes:

Deleted an rephrased some stuff

And as you've notice, the story end with a name (again)

Hehe…

It may take sometime for me to update again… but I will defibitely finish this story…