I do not own SLAM DUNK

Chapter 7

To break the spell...

This is the third day since then, it seems odd. Or maybe it was only him who's acting that way. But one thing he noticed to himself, he finally went back to his old self. For being a loudmouthed brat, more or less.

Since then, no trace of Rukawa seems to be found. Sakuragi searched the kitsune to the places where she might have been. Just same as the last time, Rukawa's mansion is invisible to his eyesight. It's had some sort of barrier that keeping it invisible.

Since he went back to practice, everybody in the gym acting strangely around him. They treated him like some sort of fragile ass..or whatever he may call it. Some of his team mates keeps calling him "Tensai'... And it's annoyed him that his borrowed-talent in basketball was still with him. He hates to admit it, but he knew well his capability in games. It makes him wondered on how the talent that supposed to be gone was still with him.

But still...it was perfectly fits him. A music to his ears. Just like the way he like it...the way it should be. He should be glad on how the people look up on him, respected him, that at last people truly recognize his talent in basketball, that he clearly knew wasn't belong all to him.

Although nothing change the way the captain treats him. And Haruko, well it's seems like she came back to her old self, although this time she had huge crush on Yasuda. And his gang...nothing change...the same old gang.

And now, there it goes again, like those passed few days. Some the girls parted and cleared the way for him, as if he was some kind of royalty that entering the palace, welcoming him to school with those blushy, flirty smiles. But those blushes and flirts was completely different. He just can't explained in what ways.

Even though there's some few girls still goggling at him, to his surprise there was more boys than girls ogling and openly flirting at him.

He sigh in frustration. It was really pain in his cute ass. Does it made him happy? That all of the attention was all set on him.

He stopped when a boy in a thick-framed glass who looks like Miyamasu of Kainan stood in front of him, blushing and handing him a bento box. He sigh again...

"Ano...um.." The boy said, shyly. "Sakuragi-kun I make a bento for you. Please accept it." He almost begged, handing him the lunch box.

Sakuragi scratch his head and smile. Strange. It's like deja vu. He looked around and remembered something so familiar that happened before. It wasn't really different from before, either girl or boy, the bento was all the same everyday in the morning just right before he reach the school ground.

The smile slowly gone down. He stretch out his hand to take the bento from the boy when suddenly someone, something bump him from behind.

"Teme! Kits..." Brown eyes widen when he saw a familiar pink bicycle fell on the ground, next to it a tall frame of raven-hair guy cradled his head. Sakuragi's heart thumped loudly, wanted to helped the guy but interrupted when Mitsui suddenly blocked his vision, not able to the face nor to see the raven-hair guy that fell on the ground.

"Ohayou gorgeous Hana!" Mitsui greeted.

"Baka Mitchi! Many times I told you don't call me that! Bastard!" He yelled on top of his lungs. His attention turned to Mitsui who is grinning at him. Too late to realized that the guy fell on the floor were already gone.

Mitsui chuckle. "My! My! You're so cute when you yell like that little Hana..."

"Who is little teme! I'm taller than you...you midget asshole!"

"Maa...maa...what is this fuss all about...hm?"

"Tat-chan!?" Sakuragi called. He lifted an eyebrow to saw the Judo team captain walking holding hands with their team captain. "Tat-chan... Gor... Gori? Waaaaa! What the hell is happening in here?! What did Gori did to you...Tat-chan... Is it the end of the world now?!"

Akagi vein in his temple pop out and clench his fist then hit Sakuragi's head. "Baka! You fool! What do you mean by that...!"

Sakuragi touch his injure head. "Itai! I mean..." He looked at their hands that locked together. "Since when you...and Tat-chan...together."

"Hm... I see. Because you're busy with Rukawa, you never noticed some other important things around you..." Aota said in a teasing tone.

Sakuragi close the gap between him and Aota and hold on her both shoulders. "You know her...you remember her right?!" Sakuragi asked, tears started to welled up in his eyes. "Please tell me... You do remember her..."

Aota taken aback and quite confuse. She can feel Sakuragi's body trembling. "Hm...Rukawa? Of course I remember that foxy..."

Sakuragi look down and sniff. "No one seems to remember her ...other than me and then now you..."

"Wait...does it mean you guys already fulfill the hundredth days..." Aota paused to realized that Akagi and Mitsui was with them, trying to catch up with their conversation. She grabbed Sakuragi's hand and pulled him away from the other two players. "Akagi... I'll just borrow Sakuragi for a while...It's very important." She explained while dragging Sakuragi away from them.

Sakuragi pulled his chair and sat quietly next to the window. Everything seems back to normal, at least for him. Since the day kitsune had left him, things back to normal, not really normal. Abnormal to be exact.

He always wish from the bottom of his heart the moment Rukawa turn back to male form, they still stay the same...in love with each other. Or maybe it wasn't really gonna work between them. Just like a spell...it's breakable.

He thought that everyone just playing tricks on him when he asked each and everyone in school about Rukawa. A girl named Kaede Rukawa. No one knows nor remember Her. Since that time, not until today Aota explained him everything about the spell. It surprised him more to know that Aota was actually a male before...but because of her love for Akagi, she wished to stay as a female to be with. 'What a waste?' That's all he replied to her.

He sigh deeply, chin rested on his hand while the other hand tapping the table.

Everyone sat on their proper seats when the teacher finally arrive. As the teacher fix thick-framed eyeglass, he looked around before he finally talk. "Good morning everyone." He greeted. And they all rose and greeted back the short, fat sensei. After, they all back to sit. "Today, we have a new transfer student from Macau" and he opened the sliding door of the room to let the newcomer to enter the classroom. All of student, specially the girls staring and drooling at the tall, pale skin, raven-hair guy standing in front of them.

Sakuragi stayed staring at the window, never give a damn on what's happening to his surroundings.

The teacher introduced the new guy and even write his name in the blackboard. 'Kaede Rukawa'. After, he looked around to search a vacant seat where the new student can sit. Then spotted the empty chair just right next to the dazed redhead.

"Ehhm." Coughed the teacher. "Sakuragi-kun." He called that captured the redhead's attention. "The seat next to you is available, right?" Turned to the guy standing next to him "Rukawa-kun, you can sit on that chair." He said. "And Sakuragi-kun, please tour Rukawa-san around the school during lunch break, will you?"

The redhead was too stunned to answer the teacher. It was the same scene like the last time he saw Rukawa in a girl form. He was staring at the guy coming near him. "Kit...kitsune?" He murmured, now he remembered the raven-hair guy bumped on him that morning. Though he didn't managed to see the face, he's pretty damn sure that it was him.

The guy glare at him icily. "Do ahou..." He whispered while sitting, that made Sakuragi felt nervous.

"What...why you're gone?" The redhead asked, but he clearly knew what Rukawa might answer to him.

"Rooftop...at lunch break...meet me." He replied and turn his eyes in front. And it was the same replied playing on his mind.

"Kaede..." Sakuragi called in a low voice, tugging on the kitsune's shirt from behind. "I miss you so much ...and so worried when you left without a word." He started to sobbed.

"I'm sorry." Rukawa slowly but forcefully took off his hands and face the redhead. "I'm sorry...but we can't be together."

Sakuragi look at him terrify and let the tears freely roll down from his brown eyes. "But...but you said you like me...no matter what...you...you promise me Kaede! You promise me!" He yelled at him as his voice trembled.." You promise me..." The redhead rested his head on Rukawa's shoulder, continued to cry.

Rukawa feel guilty, seeing the redhead crying. He can feel his body shaking and waiting for his explanation for everything. "We just can't..." He said. "I am sorry...but we can't..."

"But...why..."

Rukawa hesitate to answer. He just look straight into his eyes and cupped his cheek. "It's just...not now..." He said sadly.

"You mean I can wait..." Sakuragi asked with glint of hope on his eyes.

"I don't know...but...we can't now..." And Rukawa leave Sakuragi without saying goodbye as the bell rung.

Rukawa left Sakuragi as the redhead slowly slump on the floor. It's hurting him to see the redhead in that situation where he can't do anything, just to leave and endure the pain as well.

"I already knew that you're a fool, pathetic and coward." It was Aota, leaned on the wall, arm crossed on her chest, waiting for Rukawa on the other side of the rooftop door. "But I didn't know that you're such a self-center, heartless brat as well."

Rukawa stop but never turn back his head to look at her. "You know nothing..."

"Of course I am!" She retorted. "I know well... I know everything...very well..." She almost yelled, but kept her calm. "Have you forgetten...we're the same..."

"No...we're not and we will never be..."

"Shut up Rukawa! You know what I am talking about! Why are you doing this to him?!"

"Coz... I don't want him to suffer...and feel the pain..."

"Is that so? And what the hell you think he's feeling right now? You think he's happy... Do you expect him to jump in happiness after you left him without any explanation? How could you be so cold to someone who loves you for everything you are...ha Rukawa?!"

Rukawa put his hand on his pocket and begin to walk. "I just did what best for him..." Started to walked downstairs.

"Hmp...you don't know anything." She continued as the raven-hair continued to walked. "You think you can escape from the spell? You think that you can save yourself or him just by running away and dumping him like a trash. There's a lot of girls and guys after him, you know that...and he deserve someone who'll never leave him." Aota said, it made Rukawa stopped his trail for awhile, realized the truth in those words. "He deserve someone better than you..." Then he continued to walked away from her.

A week passed since their conversation at the rooftop. Rukawa joined that team with his great skills just like before. Everyone were glad to have the kitsune, saying that the team now possess a two great freshmen players.

Sakuragi tried to talk to Rukawa as many chances as he could have but the kitsune keeps refusing to talk about the spell and suggests him to ignore and forget about him as if nothing happened.

Eventually, Sakuragi gave up and upset on what Rukawa keeps telling him and focused himself at the games to hone his own skills. The prefectural tournament soon to come so the team manage to had a practice with Kainan team once more.

On the sidelines, Rukawa silently watching the redhead interacting with the other players of the opponent team. They were times he balled his fists, clenched his jaw whenever he saw Kiyota flirting with Sakuragi, and surprisingly Maki allowed it and even joined the wild monkey to flirt with the redhead.

"I see...my little brother starts to make his move." Aota blurted out, almost proud leaning on the sidelines next to Ayako.

Rukawa throw a glare and breath under his bangs. "So he's your brother...no wonder..." He mocked.

"Tch. I'm fully aware that you didn't break the spell ...not yet..."

The raven-hair guy stun and walk closer next to her. "How did you..."

"I told you...we're the same. Don't you find it a bit strange?"

"What do you mean?"

"Despite getting back in that form, they didn't remember the male Rukawa they met before...that it seems they just met you the way they met you in your female form..."

"What..."

"You don't know much about this spell are you? That from the moment we were born, there's a certain soul or may I say our soulmate only capable of breaking this... It's Akagi for me and Sakuragi for you..."

"Hn? Why the captain still alive?"

"What are you..." She asked but stopped immediately and chuckled. "Hehe... I remember...how naive you are. So you believe that if I sleep with Sakuragi and takes his first he'll die. Hahaha... I thought you're smarter than that. Of course not, it wasn't him from the start."

"Then why..."

Aota smirk and sigh. "Let say I'm really a bitch. That's willing to do anything just to get what I wanted to. Sorry...but I'm just using Sakuragi to get Akagi's attention, and to know if he felt the same way towards me."

"Bitch." Rukawa cursed. His eyes daggers on the other side of the gym.

"I know right. For you to know...only way to completely break the spell is either you or Sakuragi choose to be in a female form."

"Then why it's you..."

"Are you dumb? Imagine Akagi in female form." The two of them looked up and starts imagining things. Both turned purple and disgusted. "creepy..." She shivered. "never mind. But you must admit, I am much prettier than you in this form, and you do get jealous. "

"Bastard."

"Why don't you try to talk to him and explain everything... I'm pretty sure that Sakuragi might forgive you and wouldn't mind about the consequences if you explain well..." She glanced toward the other side of the gym. "Or perhaps it's too late for both of you..."

Rukawa follow her gaze and surprise to see Kiyota's arms drape around Sakuragi's shoulder, face so close together while the redhead's hand rested on Maki's lap as the three of them sitting on the floor. "Hana..." He whispered.

"See... My little brother like him for as long as I remember...while Maki never mind as long as he kept Nobu-chan with him and Sakuragi's ass as a bonus..." She smirked. "Sakuragi is a good catch...you knew well. You might not notice this, but Sakuragi smells different from before...his pheromones became more and more strong...more attractive since you the two of you done it. He's in a full bloom...so better watch out."

Rukawa just glare at the Judo captain, secretly watching Sakuragi at the other side of the gym. He throw a murderous glare between Maki and Kiyota, whose grinning at him, while the oblivious redhead laughing on whatever they told him. "I swear.. I'll win you back Hana..please wait..." He muttered.

TBC.

A/N: Sorry guys for the late update. Quite busy...but this month I guess I'll take a break for awhile from work. :). Working on the last chapter. Hoping to finish it next week...and write a new one... A one-shot I guess.

Ummm...just wondering if any of you guys watching Gintama. Oh well I'm quite into it lately. Gintoki is so damn hot, so sexy along with Takasugi...but of course Hana-chan and the Kitsune is my number one ever...hehehe... Just curious. :P

kyuuka yayoi: thanks...for the review, hope you enjoy it.

RexDna: sorry...i try to update sooner.

satomika: thanks. There you have it. Yeah yeah... I always thought that Aota is a perfect match for Akagi despite of their huge bodies... ..lolz

mrsklemzak: thanks...I'm working on it...but I guess not happening on this fic. No Sendoh this time on this fic. So sorry. But thinking to write a lemon soon...in a diary perhaps. Recently my mind can't squeeze out any pervert ideas...lolz

ladyblue: thank you...sorry for the late update

Juliakaze26: sorry for the late update. ...there you have it...enjoy :)