Basketball practice
Afterschool
Locker room
Sakuragi pulled his drenched shirt over his shoulders. He was tired, not to mention dizzy from the
lack of food. He reasoned that he would have to eat tonight...even though he still didn't feel like eating. Getting
chased by Miyagi and chasing Rukawa does expend a lot of energy.
Sakuragi sighed. //Maybe I should be like Rukawa instead.// He knew that his mask was crumbling,
it simply took too much energy to maintain, physically and emotionally.
The red head suddenly heard the familiar screaming followed by the Ayako's paperfan whacking sounds.
Miyagi must have been freaking out about that friendly practice with Ryonan...again.
//I just don't get why shorty is freaking out?! We are already representing our district.//
Under Miyagi's leadership, Shohoku had steadily increased in strength and size. The size part mostly
due to Rukawa's adoring and awe-struck...boys. Sakuragi had found it rather amusing at first that Rukawa had a secret boy
fan club. As usual, Rukawa had ignored the boys as well as the girls. Not surprising though. Mr. I'm-too-cool-for-you
never pays attention to anything unless it had something to do with superior basketball skills.
Sakuragi tossed his rumpled shirt into his bag and adjusted both his wrist guards. He had taken to
using wrist guards after cutting so often lately. The scars were becoming too prominent even when compared to his tanned
skin.
Basketball. The only thing he lived for or so he keeps telling himself.
But, lately he was losing interest to his *one* interest.
He absentmindedly pushed his auburn bangs off from his sweaty face. They had grown back, fast, after
he had shaved them, just to spite the old man so he wouldn't try anything on him. Hoping that by being somewhat uglier,
he woulnd't notice him much.
Sakuragi had freaked out one night when the old man approached him, drunk as usual, trying to pull his pants
down. He had ran out of the house and spent a freezing and uncomfortable night sleeping on a park bench. It would
have been more comfortable had it not been those mongrel cats with fleas jumping on him, purring like a rusty motor, clinging
like a leech on his lap.
Sakuragi sighed as he mused what he had to do tonight. Shopping, making dinner, wash dishes, clean
house, homework...all the while trying to avoid Oyaji jumping on him. He suddenly felt like he aged 30 years in 5 seconds.
Sakuragi turned to the door just as Rukawa slid the door open.
Cold blue eyes met with chocolate brown. //Was it just my eyes or did Rukawa actually look surprised?
That block of ice finally showed some sort of feeling?//
"Kitsune."
Rukawa blinked, his icy exterior surfacing again. "...d'aho."
Sakuragi's mask fell back on. "Humph. The Tensai has better things to do than getting rid of
stupid kitsunes." With that Sakuragi side-stepped quickly around our superstar rookie and headed outside.
Rukawa stared at the retreating figure of the d'aho. //Do I need my eyes checked? Did my do'aho
lose his sparkle for moment? That nae and childish twinkle?// Rukawa continued to stare after the red-haired Tensai,
oblivious to the fact that Haruko was beside him stammering something about water.
//Did I say my do'aho?// Rukawa mused over the fact for a minute before shaking his head.
//Nah...//
*************************************
Saturday
Ryonan friendly match day
"Hanamichi!!! You're late!!!" Ayako's trusty paperfan appeared and gave the aforesaid red head
several well-deserved whacks. Well-deserved to her anyways.
Sakuragi did what the Sakuragi everyone knew would do. "Ack! Female Gori!"
*Whack whack*
//I don't even know why I try so hard.// Sakuragi had another 'night horror' attack, he couldn't really
remember what he dreamt but the next thing he remembered was waking up in the bathroom with a terrible headache. His
left wrist sitting in a pool of dried blood, the other had to be peeled off from his boxers.
Vaguely, Sakuragi remembered recalling that he was late for the match, judging by the sound that Oyaji
made as he stumbled into the kitchen for another bottle of sake.
Sakuragi had run all the way to the station and found the Shohoku team had started the game without him.
"Hanamichi!! Where have you been?!?!?!" Miyagi screamed and glared at the first year red head.
"Get on the court now!"
"Hohoho." Anzai Sensai echoed.
"do'aho."
"Nice to see you again Hanamichi." Sendoh smiled at the other side. "I was hoping that you'll turn
up sometime." Sendoh had been sick on the day of the match between Shohoku and Ryonan. As the result, Ryonan lost
by quite a margin.
"The Tensai's gonna beat you today! Buwahahahahaha!!!!"
"Baka red haired monkey."
"You Oyaji!!!"
//God. I feel so stupid.// Sakuragi was glad that his voice did not shake from his fatigue.
//I should be feeling excited about this rematch. Why do I feel so empty inside?//
Sakuragi turned his face away from Sendoh, his warm chocolate eyes clouded with an unreadable expression.
Rukawa frowned. //What's wrong with his do'aho? Why does he look so...empty? Why the hell
was he getting so worried over his do'aho?!?!?!? He's a red-haired, loud-mouthed baka! Dammit! Why is he
calling Hana-kun his do'aho? Why is he calling him Hana-kun????//
Nearby, Yasuka was trying not to cringe away when he saw the thundercloud in Rukawa's face while the newest members in the basketball team drooled all over their rookie star player.
********************************************
Last 10 minutes of the match
//Maybe I should have eaten breakfast after all.// Sakuragi fought another wave of dizziness.
He had been struggling to stay on his feet for the last 10 minutes of the game. The blackness at the
edge of his vision was threatening to spill over and make themselves permanent.
Dimly, he was aware that Koshino had dodged Miyagi and thrown the ball to Sendoh, who was approaching to
slam-dunk the ball into the basket. Sakuragi mustered the last of his remaining strength to snatch, or do the famous
*fly-squat*, the ball out of Sendoh's skilled hands.
For a moment, Sakuragi felt he was flying through the air momentarily before the darkness claimed him.
