Chapter 7
Hanamichi'eyes widened and he almost choked by drinking his can of coke.
"What are you speaking of, Yohei, are you crazy? I don't admire that fox at all, I will concede that he had some talent but it is nothing compared to the tensai's!" and he laughed by hiding his embarrassment.
But Yohei was mortally serious as he proved it when for the first time, he raised his voice against the redhead.
"Don't give me this bullshit Hanamichi please! I know you since we are 8 years-old and I think that sometimes I know you better even than yourself! Since the match against Sannoh and even before, your attitude towards Rukawa had changed! You wanted to get his attention, you wanted to be acknoweledged by him thanks to your skills and that's why you cannot resist to provoke him. At least, admit that you admire him"
Hanamichi's face expression darkened.
"Why are you doing this Yohei? Why do you want me to break my illusions when I perfectly know that Rukawa will not return my feelings? Don't you think that 50 rejections are enough? I will enjoy our agreement and what I can take from him wihout desiring anything more and you d should respect that!".
"Hanamichi, you shoud stop this act now it is possible to you not to suffer but I know you, more you will be drowned in this relationship, more serious and deep will be your feelings and you will be inable to not want that your relationship become a real one. "
Hanamichi crashed the can of coke in his hand. After a lot of dreams about Rukawa and what happened in his house, he had thought about their relationship. He haven't understood yet that what led him to be tempted by a relationship with Ruwaka wasn't his solitude or the fact that he could be desired but the young man himself. If that was Mitsui he had discovered that he was gay, would be it the same, had he wondered. But that was especially the idea to become someone important to Rukawa which had decided him uncounsciously.
Yohei put his hand on his shoulder to confort him and the redhead smiled to him.
"Hanamichi, I will respect your wish but don't forget I am here if you want to talk and if Rukawa did you any harm, I will kick his ass".
"I can do that myself Yohei and don't worry about me, I will take care of me, I promise".
When Hanamichi entered in the gymnase, Haruko was here, speaking with Ayako. When she see him, she run to take news of his rehabilitation.
"Sakuragi-kun, I am so glad you're finally back. I hope you're fully in good health" she exclaimed herself.
The redhead blushed and smiled widely to Haruko
"Yeah I'm fine, thanks Haruko-chan! Now I'm here, we will win against all our oponents. And you, how are you? You decided to be our manager again? "
She nodded enthousiastly and Hanamichi was really happy to see her again in the gymnase.
"I'm fine and I think that you will renforce the team Sakuragi-kun! Please let me know if you need anything and don't force yourself if you felt a pain in your back, say it. We cannot afford to lose you again when the tournement begin in few weeks."
Hanamichi's attention was alerted by Rukawa's entrance as Haruko's who say hi to the raven-haired youth when he passed them. The blue-eyed youth nodded silently in response and Hanamichi noticed Haruko's sad smile while she had bowed.
But when she raised her head, her smile was as bright as usual and he smiled in return before to be called by the captain.
MIyagi gathered all the members of the team to prepare a match.
"Rukawa, Hanamichi, you wiil be in the same team with the freshmen against your sempai. Lately, you will train yourself together as Anzai-sensei told you".
The match against the sempai was inequal, MIyagi and Mitsui, Yasuda and the others know how to cooperate while in the other team, Rukawa's game was always too individual. The sempai team win anyway.
"Eh Rukawa, why do you have always to play as if you are the one on the court?" shouted Hanamichi after that their last points were marked by the raven-haired.
"I just want to win no matter what and your defense is too weak to keep the ball faced to Miyagi or Mitsui."
Hanmacbi's fists shooked, his nails entering the skin.
"Jerk, my defense is not so poor, I leart to feint and my dribbles are much better than before"
"I never say the contrary but you have a large marge of improvement." answered Ruwaka
with a sigh.
"You're so cocky damned kitsune but you should remind that you cannot win alone!" Shouted the redhead and he left the court to take a break.
Mitsui, Miyagi, Ayako and Haruko were all stunned that the two rivals didn't start a fight.
Haruko walked to Sakuragi and gave him a bottle of water.
"I'm happy that Rukawa and you get along better, Sakuragi-kun! I'm sure if you are able to cooperate you would form the best pair".
The redhead's ears blushed and he couldn't answer in what kind of relationship they were involved.
"Haruko-chan, I don't want to make you be in pain again but I need to know : how Rukawa react to your declaration?" muttered the redhead to be hear only from the you manageress.
The young woman looked away and started to babble before taking a big breath :
"He was rather nice, he just told me that he wasn't interested in me in this way". Why do you ask?"
"Ok, if he hadn't been nice, I would be make him suffer Haruko-chan, you're too pretty and nice to be mistreated by him. "
Haruko smiled to him and proposed him to escort her to her house after the training.
The personal training between the two rivals was extremely quiet, the redhead having to reproduce his team mate's gests after the first instructions and Rukawa seemed more focused than usual althought Sakuragi felt uneasy to notice his behaviour as if the ravan-haired tried to hide a certain nervosity.
"What is happening to you Rukawa?" You are awfully quiet and it's disturbing, even to me"
None answer came to him but the proof that Rukawa hadn't been oblivious to him that he skipped his free throw.
"Why were you talking to Akagi's little sister with this stupid face of yours?" hissed the raven-haired youth
The redhead blinked and started to laugh
"Wait...you are upset because I had talked to Haruko-chan? It's normal I remind you that she is a close friend"
"She is also a girl you used to like in a romantic way, so why did you propose to be in a relationship with me when she is actually free and ready to return your feelings."
"Haruko-chan will never love me that way" muttered the redhead and he noticed that statement didn't affect him
So that's why you decided to turn you towards me? By curiosity and self-pity? and the redhead saw the anger on Rukawa's face when he was saying this words.
He didn't have the opportunity to answer because Miyagi announced the end of the session and that the raven-haired youth left the room before he could say a word.
When he emerged from the shower, Rukawa wasn't visible anywhere and Haruko was waiting for him.
A chapter a little short compared to the others but I get sick and my brain isn't able to write more in a foreign language. I hope I don't make a lot of mistakes. Thanks again to all the readers and don't hesistate to leave a review! See ya