Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Just a Little Love Story... ❯ Chapter Two: Getting ready for Shohoku ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: Getting Ready for Shohoku

 

“So, where will you be going? I have a feeling that it's not Shohoku” - Aki asked Yue, before Yue left her home. Both of the girls were on their way downstairs from Aki's room. “Aki” - Yue paused as she grabbed her coat, then she turned towards her older friend - “You know I'm going to Ryonan. It's closer to my home. I can come to your house only on holidays.” Aki sighed and replied - “I know. It's not like before is it? No visiting homes coz we're so far away from each other.” Yue nodded with a tearful look; soon Aki's eyes became moist. Aki and Yue screamed each other's name before hugging each other; they had been best of friends since ten years ago. “Anyway” - Yue sobbed - “it's not like the end of the world. We can still meet up.” Aki nodded; but the next time they would meet would be in a very long while. Yue smiled at Aki and patted her shoulder. They nodded again, trying to reassure each other. When Yue was about to go out of the door, she turned around and looked at her tall friend; then she said - “By the way, our old friend Akira is in Ryonan.” “Akira?” - Aki repeated, puzzled. “Yeah. Sendo Akira. You know; the guy your brother used to be jealous of when we were kids” - replied Yue matter-of-factly. “Oh! Him!” - Aki yelled in recognition. “Oh! Him!” - Imitated Yue sarcastically - “Of course it's him! Which other `him' do you know?” Aki giggled and replied - “Well, it's just that I haven't seen him for ten years. So I forgot…” Then she added with an impish smile - “unlike you…” Yue beamed at her and scratched her chin like an old Chinese scholar - “Well, he's hard to forget. He's getting really sexy you know.” Aki laughed out loud, and then replied - “Oh really? Whatever you say kiddo…” Yue stepped out of the door, and they yelled a `Ja!' to each other before she trooped out. After Yue was out of the door, Aki closed it and went up to her room.

 

Aki was out of bed even before her alarm had rung. She was too excited, and she was having a very good feeling today. However, when she changed into her new uniform, she felt slightly strange. She could see her long legs that were usually covered up. “It's too short!” - She exclaimed, twirling around in front of her mirror - “I look too tall, I feel like a sky-scraper!” “You were always one” - she heard a mocking voice say - “The second tallest in our family.” Akemi. Aki tried to smile as she said good morning to her nightie dressed stepsister. “What the hell are you doing, up so early in the morning?” - Her pretty stepsister continued, ignoring Aki's greeting - “You're supposed to be like a guy; be late for school and things like that. You know?” Aki thought in the back of her mind, being tall doesn't mean that I should act like a guy. So what if I'm tall? So what if I'm sporty? So what?! “Well” - Aki replied cheerfully, trying to calm herself - “I didn't want to be late for my first day of senior high.” “Like I would?” - Scoffed Akemi - “You should have your beauty sleep. No wonder you're not as pretty as me.” Aki bit her lips, she wanted to hit Akemi till she was so blue and black that no one recognized her; but because of her mother's sake, she did not. “Bye Akiko” - said a yawning Akemi - “I'll go get ready too. And by the way, the school's walking distance, so you can go to school using your feet. I'll be going there with daddy. I'll have a grand entrée; too bad you can't.” With those words, Akemi walked off as if she were on a catwalk and waved at Aki. A few minutes after she left, Aki gave the door a violent kick.

 

“Ohayo mum” - greeted Aki as she came down from her room, and pecked her mother on her cheek - “Why can't I look beautiful like you?” Her mother laughed softly - “You are beautiful! It's just that you look more like your father than me.” “I know. Dad looked so cool with his long black hair and blue eyes; but he's a guy and I'm a girl” - replied Aki forlornly. Her mother's smile was a little sadder this time when she asked - “Akiko, you still can't forget your father; can you?” Aki shook her head. Her mother sighed and continued - “Times have changed Akiko. I'm now Mrs. Saito, no longer Mrs. Rukawa. It's not like your stepfather is upsetting you right?” This time it was her daughter's turn to sigh - “No. He's okay.” “It's the other Saito” - she mumbled. Her mother laughed - “Well, you've tolerated Akemi for ten years; so tolerate some more! Besides, you're also a Saito now!” Aki nodded and slowly grabbed her toast, munching it without vigor. After she finished her toast, she gulped down her orange juice. Then, before she left the Saito house, she told her mother quietly - “I feel like you're wasting your life as a house-wife. You were so beautiful during your modeling days. You still are.” As soon as she finished talking, she ran out of the house, leaving her mother speechless.

 

“I dunno why I said that to mum” - Aki muttered to herself as she walked towards Shohoku high school, kicking little pebbles that were on the sidewalk. As she walked by, some girls came jogging from behind her. One bumped into her. “Oh! Sumimasen!” - said the tiny girl right after she bumped. Immediately, when she saw Akiko in Shohoku uniform, she introduced herself. “Hello, I'm Akagi Haruko. Nice to meet you.” Aki smiled back as she shook the smaller ones hand and replied - “I'm Akiko. Ru…” Her voice trailed off as realized which family name she was about to pronounce. She knew she was a bit touchy today. “I'm Saito Akiko; call me Aki” - she repeated the introduction as she gulped down her words. Haruko nodded and turned to the back before yelling a loud - “Ayako wait!” Aki saw the girl in front screech to a halt and run back. I like her hair, thought Aki, but my hair is too short to curl it. Without thinking, she tossed her hair and played around with it a little. When Ayako came closer, she excitedly said - “Wow! Girl, you must be over five foot five!” Aki nodded uncomfortably, and replied to the cheerful girl - “I'm five foot eight.” Here we go again, thought Aki miserably, she'll tell me I'm a giant… “Woh!” - The two girls said in unison - “That is so cool!” “Heh?” - Aki mumbled; it was totally unexpected. “Yeah! You're even taller than my bf!” - Ayako continued - “You could be mistaken for a guy basketball player if you dressed up a bit!” `Guys are that short in Shohoku?' thought Aki, they're hopeless. Then, she heard Haruko say - “Come on Ayako; Aki's got very beautiful eyes to be a guy.” Ayako nodded, and commented as she studied Aki's eyes carefully - “almost reminds me of someone in our crew…” Haruko blushed before replying softly - “Rukawa-kun…” “Exactly!” - Ayako said and snapped her fingers before pointing to the opposite direction and continuing - “And there he comes!” Aki turned her head around, although she wanted to ask more questions. The name had rung a bell deep in her heart.

 

Aki saw a raven-haired person cycle along slowly, with his eyes closed. “Geez! He's gonna crash!” - Aki yelled as the guy came closer to a tall lamppost. She was about to run and pull the guy away when Ayako tugged her arm and told her - “Something you should know about when you attend Shohoku: Never wake up a sleeping Rukawa. It's very important.” She turned her head around and saw him narrowly miss the lamppost. “That was close” - she sighed, but even before she had finished her sentence, the guy crashed into the corresponding one. She tried to run again, but once more Ayako tugged at her uniform. Aki looked at her, but Ayako shook her head. Aki broke from her grip and yelled into her face - “Don't tell me you're just gonna stare and not help him?! He looks like he's hurt!” “Don't tell me I didn't warn you” - countered Ayako as Aki ran across the street to the still dozing Rukawa.