THANKS AGAIN FOR THE SUPPORT FOLKS! *HUGS* I hope you enjoy this btw, and special special thanks to those kind enough to make me feel their presence!
BTW. This chapter has multiple pairings featured! Hahah. Tell me which ones you like for me to continue!
DISCLAIMER: I WISH I own Slam Dunk. Also, I wish I own travelling-character-Kawamura Takashi from Prince of Tennis.
WARNING: Still no SendohxHana here. Haha. For those wondering why neither of them is making moves. It's because (1) they're pre-occupied with their own games, training, and team mates. Also (2) their affections aren't intense enough for either of them to sacrifice training time just yet. Basketball first, after all. :D
...
CHAPTER 14: Pairs
SHOHOKU HIGH
Morning practice
The second match (with a team Sakuragi did not care to know) finished the day prior with a score exceeding the opponents by over 140 points. The starting players all played that game, and rather enjoyed crushing said opponent, other than Kawamura. Kawamura and his soft heart was still wounded from the foul with Naito (to the point that he refused the hold the ball, as if he'd kill someone if he held it), so he did not even touch the ball that day.
"I will play again when I get a hold of Naito-san and treat him to some sushi I made myself." He said with that demure way of his, arms up and refusing to play. He did not know that Naito's current life goal was staying at least a hundred meters away from him.
In any case, their third match would be held the week after, so Kawamura had plenty of time to look for the other player while the others continued training.
That week's training regime was decided by coach Anzai, and it was agreed that it'd primarily practice games with weights. It was simple enough, and the usual team-ups were decided. Kawamura allowed himself to play, because non-official games made him feel a lot less guilty than others...
...Not that Rukawa passed the ball to him often anyway. Though he admittedly felt fascinated by the world Rukawa created in himself when he had the ball.
Rukawa, on the other hand, felt that every time his hands got ahold of the ball, his body felt like it's moving on its own—flowing—and the next thing he knew he already made a lay-up. He heard nothing but silence that was shortly followed by a burst of awe-stricken comments. Without meaning to, his head turned to look at the Idiot—feeling a little smug at that look of awe that was probably in the Idiot's face.
But instead, he saw her frowning. It was a sort of frown that was not quite the usual-but-simple annoyance, and he did not like receiving it.
He met her eyes and frowned as well. What was it this time?, he thought, but he would find out the answer well after practice, just after they are getting ready to go home.
"It's okay during the first months because the team's still new, but not anymore." She told him, arms crossed. "Just when will you stop playing solo?"
"Don't think you can nag me about how to play," he retorted, annoyed, and for an instant she wore a shocked expression that almost made him want to take it back. But soon her face contorted and reddened in anger.
"Of course I can. I'm the trainer!" She yelled and stomped away.
Rukawa's eyes followed her until she disappeared from view. Still, he continued on walking towards the opposite direction telling himself he shouldn't even bother.
...
Minutes pass and Rukawa unceremoniously reached the school building. Despite his efforts to keep his mind blank, his thoughts more or less gravitated towards that Idiot's words. He was still offended, however, because how could he be taught how to play by someone who had once given up on basketball? –especially one who was still not giving it her all for the sport.
"A-Ano... Rukawa-san?" A voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned at its direction, looking down when he realized she was much shorter. It was Akagi's sister.
"About what happened a few days ago…" She began, looking nervous. He knew this is about the Idiot's confession, but he didn't voice it out. "I-It's a misunderstanding! I-I like someone else."
He only nodded—a gesture of politeness—and he motioned to walk past. His feet stopped when he is a step away. "It's you!" she said, and he turned his head slightly. "You probably already know this but I like you!" she continued, and he faced her. "I understand the love for basketball—that's why I will not demand too much of your time. I only wish to support you more than an admirer.
"I-I-I don't really need t-to be your girlfriend or anything. I am happy if I can be your friend." She breathed in, insides burning, gathering more courage to continue. "I'll support you and I'll make sure not to embarrass you, a-and I'll even cook you bentos every day if you want!"
Rukawa looked at her and thought that she wasn't as troublesome as the others, which he appreciated. "Fine."
"Eh?" She squeaked out. "A-As a friend or...?"
He only shrugged, before turning away. "Whatever."
...
Matsui and Fujii gaped at her after she told them what happened.
"Doesn't that mean you're one of Rukawa's very few—if not the only—female friends?" Matsui mumbled, awed. "That's pretty special!" The short-haired girl then excitedly grabbed her friends hand. "You're a step closer, Haruko-chan! Finally!" She said, with that meek soprano tone of hers.
Fujii grinned. "But you should've taken the girlfriend status instead!"
"Mou—I can't do that!"
"Why not?"
At this, Haruko all-but-explodes in embarrassment. "Fujii-chan!"
...
That night, at the Rukawa residence, the household's only child gaped at what he was looking at.
Apparently, the Idiot went straight to his home after walking out on him. She was having a conversation with Maya, both women unaware of his arrival, looking very interested in what the older woman was saying.
Idiot, he thought out, ignoring the feeling of warmth glowing in his insides.
"He simply hasn't found much to be excited about in the past." Maya told The Idiot, who was staring with blunt interest. "And when he did find it—basketball—he has already worn that face for too long he doesn't know how to appear anything else."
"Really?" The Idiot voiced out, eyebrows meeting in confusion. "I think he's vibrant." She added and somehow Rukawa's stomach flipped a little in response. Probably annoyance, he thought. The Idiot only shrugged, however, pondering her own words and scrunched her face at how it sounded. "...probably because he has girly-colored skin."
"Which is certainly better than yours, Idiot."
"Baka-kitsune!" She yelled, surprised. "You're a ninja now, huh?"
"D'aho."
Maya just laughed at the exchange. "Well, children, now that you're here, let's eat!"
The Idiot sparkled at the sound of food. And Rukawa only sighed.
…
Dinner ended without any plates broken, and—without having to speak—the two went straight to the courts.
Hanamichi stood at the side, watching Kitsune make his free throws, who was also ignoring her presence. She watched every inch of his movements—every swipe, every bounce, and even how his muscles contracted when he was making his shot. She had no idea she was fascinated.
"At least you can play to your heart's content." She just blurted out, and he stopped in his tracks, eyes quickly finding hers. "But basketball is a team sport for a reason. And they're not there only to get you the ball." She told him with a stern expression, but she broke into a grin before he could respond. "…Although if my teammates treat me that way I'll totally understand—mwahahahha."
Rukawa sighed.
"D'aho." Was all he said, raising the ball to ready for another free throw session. He stopped midway, however, deciding to finally ask one nagging question at the back of his head. "Why do you not play at all?"
She only stared at him in response, and he stared back. There was a pregnant silence between them for a few seconds, and he raised his arm again to make a free throw, just to let go of some of the tension.
"It's like being famished for days and you are offered a small bite of food." She finally said when the ball was bouncing on the floor, the sound of the net swinging in the background. He turned to look at her, and he froze a little at how uncharacteristically thoughtful and serious she looked at that moment. He almost flinched when she raised his head to meet his eyes. "It'll be more excruciating than not tasting it at all."
Ding Dong
Rukawa watched as her whole body turned—a metaphorical string temporarily broken—and his eyes followed her form even when she was already well inside his home. His feet soon moved on its own to follow her.
"Ah, Yohei." He heard her say as he opened the door. He frowned.
"Well since you aren't at home at this time of night I thought you'd be here." Yohei said with a shrug, before shifting his sights on him. "Yo, Rukawa. Sorry that our Hanamichi keeps bothering you."
Rukawa frowned even deeper.
"How well do you play?" He asked without thinking, throwing Yohei the ball in his hand.
"Okay, I guess." Yohei responded with an innocent shrug. "But even Kogure's probably better than me by now."
"Let's play, then." He said, sending a demeaning sideways glance at Hanamichi's direction. "This idiot is being useless, as usual."
The Idiot yelled something incoherent, Yohei only laughed endearingly, and Rukawa kinda wanted to smack his head.
…
And smack Yohei's head he did, by virtue of the ball missing the basket by a meter or so, earning the other man a free throw.
Yohei dribbled the ball, peripheral vision very much on the other two with him. "I heard something interesting today," he said, just as he raised his arms to throw the ball. "Haruko-chan confessed to you—" Hanamichi yelled something incoherent at his words. "Ah, I missed."
The Idiot shook her head, as if she didn't hear it correctly. "She what?" Then she turned her head to Rukawa, sending him a glare. "You didn't say anything mean to her, did you?" She asked, distraught, before turning to the direction of the Captain's house, ready to run at a moment's notice. "I must go comfort her!"
Yohei only chuckled in response. "Actually, I think Rukawa here agreed to 'it'."
She froze in her tracks. "What?" then she sends Rukawa a wary stare, which Rukawa only responded to with a sigh. "W-What are you planning?"
"D'aho."
"She says she'll make me bento every day." Apparently, Maya did not do bentos. Just because.
"You're making her cook for you?!" She yelled, but at the back of her head she was thinking about her own cooking, and how Rukawa had been eating it in his home many times until now. Something uncomfortable coursed through her veins.
"You Idiot Baka-kitsune!"
...
The whole morning the next day, Hanamichi Sakuragi couldn't quite keep in her seat. So, the moment the bell rang for lunch, she gestured to run to Haruko's room. However, the other girl was already heading towards their room, no doubt to go see Rukawa.
The brunette brightened up at the sight of her and waved her hands, and if it weren't for the bento Hanamichi would be so touched that Haruko was treating her the same. "Hanamichi-chan!"
"Haruko-chan." Hanamichi began, direct to the point, shivering at the sight of the extra bento box. "That guy will only break your heart!" She yelled, pointing rudely at Rukawa's seat. Haruko's eyes widened and she blushed furiously, wishing the classmates weren't there to witness all this.
"W-We're just friends!" Haruko yelled, then blushing even more furiously for shouting.
Regardless, Hanamichi's shoulder sagged in relief, something lifting in her gut. "Is that so?" "Oh." "Well, sorry for troubling you then." She said, making way for Haruko to hand Rukawa the food, just before rushing outside out of shyness.
Meanwhile, Yohei sauntered to stand beside Hanamichi, that knowing smile on his face. "Is that relief only for Haruko-chan, I wonder?"
Hanamichi only looked at him as if he ate a cockroach. "What the heck are you talking about this time?" She asked. Yohei sighed, thinking it's really was hopeless to speed things along.
"...nothing." He said with a shrug, watching as Hanamichi walked to Rukawa, no doubt to nag him about something. Rukawa simply proceeded on calling her an idiot before standing up and probably going up the rooftop. Hanamichi, obviously, persistently followed him.
Yohei walked outside the room as well and stood beside Haruko, who was standing outside, still blushing, and trying to get back her composure. "Sorry 'bout that. She's a handful." He said eyes on the redhead walking away from them, and yet he's chuckling, and he discovered Haruko's staring at him. "What is it?"
"I didn't really notice before, but you look at Hanamichi-chan so warmly."
"That's because I like her."
Haruko blinked. She did not expected him to admit that. And so easily, too.
"I sincerely don't plan on asking for anything more, though." Yohei continued, seeing the look of empathy in her eyes. "It isn't cowardice or anything, Mito Yohei and Sakuragi Hanamichi are destined to be friends. Friends usually lasts longer than lovers, anyway." "You think so too, don't you?" He asked, referring to Rukawa.
She blushed at this and she nodded meekly. She had been fantasizing about what 'if' they were more than friends, but that man was a difficult one to love. Her daydreams almost always ended up abruptly with the reality that that will never happen.
"But we never know, right?" A new voice said appearing behind them.
"Miyagi?"
"Don't give up, you two!" He said, upbeat, patting a shoulder each. "Good things come to those who wait, after all." He said, before turning and running to upper floor, leaving the two behind and just looking at each other in puzzlement.
...
Meanwhile, speedster Miyagi was excitedly running to where Ayako's classroom was (Ayako's in a star section, you see, so despite them being in the same year, her room was located somewhere else).
However, his travels were far from being free from obstacles. He bumped into someone, who he managed to prevent from falling with an arm. She was familiar, and he realizes she was one of Haruko-chan's friends, the short-haired one. "Whoops! Sorry."
He was about to continue his way when he realized the short-haired girl had been staring at him. He sweat-drops out of guilt. "A-Are you okay?"
"I-I-I am fine Miyagi-senpai!" She all but exclaimed, face thoroughly red. "P-Please continue on your way!"
Miyagi's surprised (primarily because, despite always seeing her around, he had never heard her voice before). "O-Okay, then." He finally managed to utter and held out an awkward smile and wave. "Ja!" He said, and continued on his merry way.
He reached Ayako's classroom a moment later. But his feet stopped at the threshold at what he saw.
Mitsui was there, sitting casually on Ayako's table, reading something pasted on a clipboard. Ayako's pointing at whatever was the content as she sat on her chair, Mitsui listening to her every word with concentration he usually only showed when he was doing a three-point shot.
They looked good together.
He stared there at the door, only escaping his trance when Mitsui stood up and approached the door to leave.
"Mitsui?" He asked, voice a bit strained. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm getting some game data from the manager."
"Ah."
"Well, then."
"Yeah." Miyagi uttered with a weak wave, before turning sights on Ayako again.
However, as he gestured to go to her, he realized he's lacking the usual fervency he usually had.
...
ROOFTOP
Later
"Oi, Rukawa." Hanamichi calls, standing authoritavely beside him, staring at the bento box Haruko probably put all her heart into making. "You better tell her you like her cooking. Haruko-chan's a great coo—" she stopped because she realized that she had never eaten Haruko's food! She paled and breathed in, aghast. At this realization, her hostile aura softened and became one that is a bit more on coaxing.
Rukawa, startled, openly shivers at the sudden change. "You look like a maniac, d'aho."
"At least let me have a taste?" she asked, sparkling. He looked at her and faces away, and the food was suddenly out of her reach. "Why you—"
But then she stopped at a realization. "What have you been eating during lunch?"
"Melon bread," he mumbles apathetically.
So Haruko-chan had noticed he didn't eat rice during lunch? Meanwhile, all she knew was that he slept in the rooftop during that time. Hanamichi scratched her head, as if the displeasure she's feeling on her stomach would go away when she did so. Unconsciously, her hand found its way on top of her stomach, as if she's hungry, even when—really—it was due to something a lot more psychological.
She found a sushi an inch away from her face. She blinked and whipped her head. Hanamichi did not need to think and she opened her mouth to take the food. "...shthanks," she mumbled as she chewed, and Rukawa just proceeded facing away and continued in eating his food.
Silence, albeit a companionable one, occupied the air between them for a while. The breeze was cool that day as well, and she wondered why so few students actually use the roof top when it's so comfortable. Then she remembered how many delinquent fights she had witnessed (and joined) in there, and she immediately got her answer.
And as if to establish her theory, she heard the door open. She sparkled when she saw it was Haruko, but it immediately turned to one of confusion and then of anger when she saw the mean-looking girls that walked in after her. Hanamichi soon recognized them as the Baka-kitsune's most boisterous fanclub members.
"What is Haruko-chan doing here? Alone?" She cursed her two friends. How can they not be with Haruko-chan at a time like this?
"How dare you make Rukawa-sama eat your food!"
"Yeah!"
"How thick-skinned!" "Just because you're the captain's sister." One yelled, even rudely pushing Haruko's forehead with her forefinger.
This made Hanamichi snap, and she appeared beside them a moment later. "How cowardly," she said, gritting her teeth. "What an ugly sight."
"H-Hanamichi-chan?" Haruko exclaimed, surprised. Then she saw the person who emerged right behind her, and Haruko froze a little. Have they been together since earlier?
Quickly, as if they could smell him, the fangirls turned around with hearts on their eyes. "R-Rukawa-sama!"
If Hanamichi wasn't so enraged she'd have cringed at the honorific. Rukawa only shrugged.
"Leave Haruko-chan alone!" She said, looking at the three girls without a hint of falter. "Or else you will capture the wrath of the whole basketball team!"
She sent them a glare that made even the most notorious delinquents shiver.
"SCRAM!"
...
"Haruko-chan!" "Are you okay?" "Where are your other (useless) friends?!"
Fuji has gone to the restroom and Matsui has been engrossed with the soccer matches. "Don't blame them. I came with those two with my own accord."
Rukawa signed and walked to where they have been sitting earlier and Hanamichi shook her head. "That baka-kitsune." "He likes the food you cooked though. It's very delicious!"
Haruko smiled at the compliment, but she couldn't bring herself to smile so fully. Not yet. "Ano..." "What are... you doing here? In the rooftop?" With Rukawa-kun?
"Ah, I—" She blushed and this makes Haruko flinch. "I... (this is embarrassing)..."
"I-It's okay! You can t-tell me..." Haruko lied, because she was not sure she wanted to hear.
The taller girl cleared her throat, a tint of pink still gracing her cheeks. "I... wanted to taste your cooking, Haruko-chan."
"Oh."
Hanamichi stared at her, puzzled at her reaction. So Haruko quickly shook her head to avoid worrying her redheaded friend. "That's all? You should have just asked me." She giggled.
"B-But I can't impose on you like that!"
"It's okay!" "But who cooks your lunches, though?"
"Yohei does." "'Cuz I have no time to make bentos." She said honestly. After all, she shoots hoops by herself every morning.
Meanwhile, Haruko thought Mito Yohei had been surprising her lately. "I can make you a bento for Monday, then. I'll tell him."
"You will?"
"Only for that day though."
"That's more than enough!" "Thank you Haruko-chan!" And she skipped in glee, sending a smug smirk through the concrete wall, behind which Rukawa was. The latter only sighs, as if she's the biggest idiot in the world. Which she is.
D'Aho.
.
.
END OF CHAPTER 14
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER 15: Prince
The next games begin! And who is that regal-looking guy?
((He's a bit small tho.))
REPLIES TO ANGELS
Sairakanzaki – I know right! I take forever to update, but I will continue to update! Esp. since I have you and the others who continue to support this story. So Thank you!
Lightdesired – I am happy I updated too and I am happy we made you happy! Thanks for commenting!
Hikaru Itsuko – It is great-o to be back as well! You take your time with that translation! I'm just happy someone offered. xD Thank you for reviewing btw!
Little Ms. Pumpkin – Here it is! I'm sorry I took forever! I'm prepping for a board exam, see. xD Thanks for commenting!
Krisyeol77 – lololol. In SD, everyone's an idiot in their own way. Hahaha. And Haruko's reaction when she finds out? Well, not any time soon. xDD Thx for commenting!
Htsukino 23- Here it is! I apologize taking forever! You see I am prepping for an upcoming board exam. *Sobs* thx for the comment!
Angela. Qrow – (ch1) More SendohxSakuragi? Noted! xDD I will do my best hehe. And I am so glad you liked the story! Hope you liked this also. Thx for reviewing!
Nero Claudius - Ohhh~ An event with the top players? Didn't they kinda do that in a practice game? Well, if you're talking about my own version then I am very much considering it! Thanks for the suggestion~
Zelga Lim Li – (ch7) hahaha! I am so glad you liked the pairing, as odd as it is. xDD (ch8) Lol. Glad you told me! Also, Sendoh is just the best yeah? He was, like, one of my first anime crushes. Ahahahah. Hope you got here btw, and thx for reviewing!
Karen – Awww, that's so sweet! Thank you for saying this was genuine and likeable. So glad you liked this story despite the odds and I hope we can continue! Thank you for reviewing!
Derange – Hello Kabayan~! First off, if you don't mind me asking: Where are you from? XD And yep! I enjoyed writing the characters' interactions with each other. So happy that my readers feel it as well. And really? They're showing it at GMA again?! Gotta see! Thanks for reviewing btw. xD
…
As always: THANK YOU FOR READING!
I hope I can get more of your time by letting me
in on what you thought! Even a few words mean a lot to me.