(A/N: Thanks again to everyone for the motivation! If I could only squeeze in more time, I'll try to get more personal with my readers. I hope we could all exchange ideas, for the betterment of my fic. Please do continue reading and I'll do my part by trying my best to continue writing. By the way, some plug-ins: my friend asked me to advertise her work. She's really very good! Subjectivity aside, I myself, even if I'm her friend, is somewhat dazzled and wonders if it's really her that's writing. Hehehe… I advertise her because she'd do the same for me. She's Geno C. Ide. I'll actually benefit more for she has more readers! Wahaha! Ore was tensai dakara!)

Practice was on a blast! Rukawa again seemed to be playing in a real game and not just a practice game. His teammates were already triple teaming him, but still to no avail. It seemed as if he hasn't got a second to spare to his opponents. He conquers his game with speed but still with impressing accuracy. He seems to burn with a new flame. The game got heated up so much that Akagi, their team captain, actually had to ask for a break.

Ayako came up to Rukawa and patted his back, "nice work there Rukawa-kun!"

"Uh, domo, Ayako-sempai."

"Yeah, Gori actually gave us a break because of that!" Ryota, with a big grin plastered on his mouth interrupted.

"Maybe you could do that more often," Mitsui who was wiping his sweat off with a towel joined in.

But Rukawa ignored them, or at least they thought he nodded curtly. He went straight to the team captain. After a few seconds of conversation, he bowed his head. He also did the sameto their coach, Anzai-sensei, who was sitting near where they were standing. Surprisingly after that, he went straight to his things, slung up his duffel and left.

Did Rukawa just excuse himself from practice!

Hanamichi was walking with his head bowed down and his hands on his pocket.

'Now what did Youhei said?' he tried to recall. He said he had gotten himself in a very complicated situation. The only way to get out is to tell the truth, or at least part of the truth. He had to cancel their date himself, it's Rukawa's right to at least get the news straight from him.

"Now where is Rukawa's house?" he was now looking on a slip of paper with some writings on it. It said the house should be around there somewhere but he's almost half-way the block and all he had seen so far is a high wall.

'Wow! Maybe this long wall belongs to a single house!' Hanamichi wondered in admiration. Until finally, when he was exactly halfway through the block, he came across a gate. Guess what he found? The same number as the one in the slip of paper!

Hanamichi was awe-stricken. This couldn't be Rukawa's house, could it? He didn't realize he had been standing there for some time.

"Sakuragi!"

He suddenly turned to the direction of the voice.

Rukawa!

He was sittingon the steps in the front ofhis house. Or would it be better to call it a mansion? On his feet were cats w/c are obviously his pets. They were all cuddling at his feet, all wanting his attention.

"Ah… Rukawa!" he had on a sheepish grin as Rukawa walked to him. He then unlatched the gates.

"Hm… You're early," he held out the gate as if gesturing for Hana to come in.

"Anou… Rukawa... actually," Hanamichi stammered. Rukawa knotted his brows in curiosity.

"I… I came here to… cancel our date," he had his hands buried in his pockets and was making little circles on the ground with his right foot. If not for the wellness of his tan, it would have been more obvious that he turned a shade redder.

"Uh… Why?"

"Anou… uh… well you see, I…I haven't got any money," it was really embarrassing for him. Imagine it's Hanamichi Sakuragi, the tensai himself, who was admitting he has financial problem. Though somewhat it's true, it's not the real reason he had to cancel their date. He also feels uneasy telling lies or "partial truths" as what Youhei calls it.

"Oh… I see. Nevermind that," Rukawa turned.

Hanamichi's eyes lit up. Rukawa agreed! He didn't thought it would be that easy!

"Just wait while I change."

Hanamichi's jaw dropped. He actually had to use his hand to lift it back after Rukawa had been long gone. My-my! What a mess he had gotten himself into. Just for a few thousand yen! A few thousand yen isn't that much right? God! A few thousand yen is too much! He'll never have another opportunity to get away with that much money. Sob!

He resumed shuffling his right feet in little circles. He was waiting for Rukawa outside the door for he was a bit shy to come in. Nobody invited him to come inside anyway. The four cats that were near him started gathering at his feet. One of them, the reddish one, even rubbed itself to his leg. He felt electricity run up his spine. He then stared at the cats to shoo them away but he only noticed they had droopy eyes.

'Just like their owner!' he thought. He never really had seen a cat that close. His only encounters with cats are when they dare cross his path while he is walking to and from the school. And he scares them off as soon as he sees them!

He realized they actually are adorable creatures. He felt himself smile and then he automatically bent down to stroke them.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaw…" he was starting to get amused at the furry creatures' nature. He then lifted the front paws of a cat and made it dance. He was enjoying himself so much; he was starting to be unaware of his surroundings.

"Oi 'Aho, put down my cat…"

"Aah… kawaii desu ne!" he seemed to be in a trance. But he put down the cat anyway. He instead turned to another cat to playfully scratch it under its chin. His smile widened as he elicited a purr from the cat.

"That one's Chichi, and then there's Meowmeow, Genki and Hana," Rukawa informed him.

"Hana?" Sakuragi suddenly glanced up.

"Hai," he then pointed to the red cat who has strayed off to some bush and was pulling on a root, "that one."

"Its name is Hana?"

"I… found it in a heap of Sakura blossoms that's why."

"Aaah!" he then stood up for Rukawa was starting to walk away.

"Iku…" he went to their garage w/c was at the left side ofhis house. It could accommodate 4 or 5 cars, and three are actually parked in there.

"Sugoi! They're all yours?" Hana was again impressed.

"Hm, yeah…"

Hanamichi was starting to look forward to riding one of them. He specially liked the long black one w/c he sees celebrities usually ride. His smile grew wider as they passed the other two and stopped in front of the limo.

"We're going to ride…"

Hanamichi smiled in anticipation as one of his dreams are going to come true.

"This one…"

His eyes followed Rukawa's arm…

A two-seater bicycle?

He sighed and slumped his shoulder forward in disappointment.

"What are you standing there for?" Rukawa had already gotten the front seat so Hana was forced to take the back. Good thing he has his own handle, or else he would be forced to clutch at the only thing he could hold on. You already guessed it folks! But Hanamichi won't even let his mind imagine that.

As soon as they were off the road… they got off the road! They bumped into the first lamp post they've encountered because Rukawa, obviously had fallen asleep.

"Baka kitsune! Lem'me drive!"

He collected the bike with a grunt and took the front seat. After a very few minutes of paddling, he felt his back grow heavy with a load. It was in a shape of a circle and he could feel it breathing. He panicked and they almost bumped into another lamp post. He had managed to press the brakes just in time, but the one leaning on his back didn't stir a bit. He just resigned and decided he couldn't do anything about it.

He was paddling so fast the air on his face started to feel cold. Good thing his back felt warm.

No! I mean it's not a good thing! It's not okay! It's not! What if Rukawa drooled?

His attention was focused on the heaviness on his back that he was starting to get used to. He didn't realize they were coming to the end of the road and he didn't know whether to turn left or right.

"Left…" Rukawa mumbled just in time for Hanamichi to turn left. And when he reached the next intersection, Rukawa, w/ the greatest timing mumbled "right."

Almost as soon as they were in front of a large beaming sign, Rukawa lifted his head and stopped paddling. (he continued paddling even in sleep, as all fans would know.) Hanamichi took it as a sign that they've reached their destination. It would be his first time in a long while to eat somewhere decent other than Danny's.

They parked the bike in a corner and then Rukawa preceded him to the door. Why does his back suddenly feels empty?

tsuzuku